Epigenetics: Mapping fat genes in pigs
Nature Communications
May 23, 2012
A map of genes modified in adipose, or fat, tissue in three breeds of pigs is reported in Nature Communications this week. The three breeds of pigs each have different fat contents and therefore these findings may have important implications for genes involved in obesity.
Genes can be modified by methylation of the DNA - this is known as epigenetic regulation - and affects gene expression. To understand the role of epigenetics in obesity Xuewei Li and Ruiqiang Li, and colleagues mapped the epigenetic marks on genes found in adipose tissue. They used tissue from three different pig breeds that have been bred for different fat contents and 8 different body sites. They found that there were differences in methylation patterns between different sexes, breeds and anatomic locations. These results provide a platform for understanding the regulation of gene expression in obesity and adipose tissue regulation.
doi: 10.1038/ncomms1854
Research highlights
-
Jun 30
Genomics: Gray wolf genome hints at dual ancestry of dogsNature
-
Jun 30
Evolution: Hawks learn on the fly to swoop up before perchingNature
-
Jun 30
Microbiology: Transmission of gastrointestinal viruses in salivaNature
-
Jun 29
COVID-19: Assessing instances of long COVID in UK health dataNature Communications
-
Jun 24
Palaeontology: It sucked to be the prey of ancient cephalopodsScientific Reports
-
Jun 24
Sport science: New wearable sensor to measure neck strain may detect potential concussionScientific Reports