Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology最新文献

{"title":"Dietary baicalin supplementation enhances growth performance in fattening Hu sheep via dual modulation of immunity and gastrointestinal microbiome-metabolic crosstalk.","authors":"Di Ding, Yu Zhang, Haoliang Tian, Binghan Dong, Xin Wu, Shaohua Liu, Tengyun Gao, Liyang Zhang, Tong Fu","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01413-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01413-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Baicalin is a bioactive flavonoid from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi with antioxidant, anti‑inflammatory and antibacterial properties. However, its bitter taste and susceptibility to ruminal degradation limit its practical use in mammals. Enteric coating technology might overcome these limitations by enabling targeted intestinal release. This study investigated effects of dietary supplementation with baicalin and coated baicalin on rumen fermentation, gastrointestinal microbiota, immune function and growth performance in Hu sheep.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty-six lambs with similar body weight (33.01 ± 2.68 kg) were randomly assigned to three groups (4 replicates per group, 3 sheep per replicate). The control group was fed basal diet (CON) while treatment I (BAI) and treatment II (C-BAI) groups were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0.1% baicalin and coated baicalin, respectively. After a 60-d feeding trial, baicalin and coated baicalin supplementation improved total weight gain and average daily gain compared with CON group (P < 0.05). In addition, BAI and C-BAI groups exhibited higher total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.05) and catalase activity (P < 0.05) with associated lower malondialdehyde levels (P < 0.05). Immunoglobulin G and anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-4 (IL-4) were also increased (P < 0.001). Notably, IgM, IL-10 and IL-4 in the C-BAI group exceeded those of the BAI group (P < 0.001). Microbiome analysis revealed that baicalin supplementation enriched abundance of beneficial bacterial taxa including Firmicutes and Lachnoclostridium (P < 0.05) and reduced potential pathogen abundance, e.g., Treponema and Ralstonia (P < 0.05). The C-BAI group also showed increased abundance of the beneficial Bradyrhizobium compared with CON (P < 0.05). Metabolomic analysis revealed that baicalin altered propionate and tyrosine metabolic pathways (P < 0.05), while coated baicalin modulated penicillin metabolism and glyceride metabolism in jejunum (P < 0.05) increasing ATP production. Overall, these results indicated enhanced nutrient metabolism and gut health in the presence of dietary baicalin.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Dietary supplementation with baicalin and coated baicalin improved growth performance, antioxidant status, immunity and beneficially modulated the microbiome-metabolome crosstalk in Hu sheep. Notably, uncoated baicalin exerted more pronounced effects on growth performance and supported a role for baicalin as a potential and functional feed additive.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13221762/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148058452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrative analysis of RNA-seq and Ribo-seq reveals that lncRNA regulates chicken myogenesis through encoding peptide.","authors":"Yufang Niu, Liyang He, Zhiyuan An, Meng Yuan, Haigang Ji, Wei Wang, Chengjie Wei, Ruili Han, Weihua Tian, Yadong Tian, Xiaojun Liu, Xiangtao Kang, Zhuanjian Li","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01421-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01421-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in various critical regulatory steps during myogenesis. LncRNAs can encode small peptides, which can regulate gene expression through multiple mechanisms, thereby participating in key biological processes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The lncRNAs were screened between proliferating and differentiating myoblast in chicken through RNA-seq and Ribo-seq. As a result, 178 DE-lncRNAs were identified in RNA-seq, and three of them were identified as differentially translated lncRNAs by Ribo-seq. Among them, lncMPD, which showed coding potential, was highly expressed in proliferating myoblast. It encoded a small peptide containing 74 amino acids, which was named MPD-74aa. MPD-74aa was validated via WB and mass spectrometry. We subsequently confirmed that MPD-74aa promotes myoblast proliferation and inhibits its differentiation. Co-IP revealed that MPD-74aa interacts with the protein CDK1. Moreover, MPD-74aa positively regulated the expression of CDK1.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study confirms that the lncMPD plays a crucial regulatory role in the chicken myogenesis by encoding the small peptide MPD-74aa. Mechanistically, MPD-74aa exerts its regulatory function through interaction with CDK1, a key protein marker of cell proliferation. These findings provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms about the coding capacity of lncRNA regulating chicken muscle development.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13220464/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148058508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"METTL3 inhibition attenuates AFB₁-induced hepatic fibrosis by suppressing m⁶A-mediated hepatic stellate cell activation.","authors":"Yulan Zhao, Yue Feng, Wenbo Yuan, Tingyu Zhang, Ruqian Zhao","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01380-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01380-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) is a potent hepatotoxic mycotoxin and a major environmental risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hepatic fibrosis is a critical intermediate stage in this process, and METTL3-mediated m⁶A modification may represent an important post-transcriptional mechanism linking AFB₁-induced liver injury to fibrogenic progression.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>AFB₁-induced hepatic fibrosis was evaluated using in vivo mouse models and in vitro cultured hepatic stellate cells (HSC). Global m⁶A methylation and methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) expression were assessed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, Western blotting, single-nucleus RNA sequencing, and quantitative real-time PCR. METTL3 was inhibited using small interfering RNA or the selective inhibitor STM2457. Molecular docking was performed to identify potential METTL3-binding compounds, followed by functional validation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>AFB₁ exposure promoted hepatic fibrosis and HSC activation, accompanied by global m⁶A hypermethylation and upregulation of METTL3. METTL3 increased the m⁶A modification of collagen-related transcripts, enhancing their stability and promoting extracellular matrix production in a YTHDF1-dependent manner. Inhibition of METTL3 suppressed HSC activation and fibrotic gene expression both in vitro and in vivo. Molecular docking identified saxagliptin as a potential METTL3-binding compound, which reduced AFB₁-induced HSC activation and extracellular matrix accumulation, consistent with the effects of STM2457.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings indicate that METTL3 functions as a post-transcriptional regulator in AFB₁-induced liver fibrosis via m⁶A modification. METTL3 inhibition, achieved via genetic knockdown or selective inhibitors, affects HSC activation and fibrotic gene expression, supporting its role as a therapeutic target in AFB₁-induced liver fibrosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13217767/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148044846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of GABA-enriched alfalfa silage on rumen microbiota, lactation hormones, immunity, and mammary gland gene expression, alongside lactation performance in dairy goats.","authors":"Samaila Usman, Jiayao Zhang, Qiang Li, Neha Sheoran, Jing Ma, Dongmei Xu, Demo Joab Usman Kalla, Tunde Adegoke Amole, Xusheng Guo","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01408-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01408-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) influences metabolic homeostasis, immune function, and lactation performance. Typically, GABA is administered exogenously, but this approach is limited by intake variability and cost. Alternatively, silage inoculated with high GABA-producing Lentilactobacillus buchneri YM9 enriches the silage with GABA and ensures more uniform dietary delivery. However, the effects of silage-based GABA enrichment and delivery on ruminant performance, immunity, and health remain unclear. Hence, we conducted a feeding trial with 36 dairy goats assigned to three TMR treatments containing alfalfa silage: 1) CK (uninoculated control), 2) AH35 (inoculated with non-GABA-producing Lent. buchneri AH35), and 3) YM9 (inoculated with GABA-producing Lent. buchneri YM9). Feed intake and lactation performance, rumen fermentation and microbiota, blood GABA and lactation hormones, blood cytokines and interleukins as well as milk GABA and mammary gland gene expression were evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>YM9-fed goats had lower DMI (1.66 kg/d) compared with CK (1.84 kg/d) and AH35 (1.84 kg/d) but maintained milk yield comparable to CK and higher than AH35 (P < 0.05). GABA intake, and milk yield, fat, protein, lactose, total solids, and total nitrogen per kilogram DMI were higher in YM9 (P < 0.05). Milk GABA was greater in YM9 (152 μmol/L) than CK (114 μmol/L) and AH35 (111 μmol/L) (P < 0.01). Serum GABA (1.44 μmol/L), prolactin (7.65 ng/mL), and oxytocin (4.75 pg/mL) were elevated in YM9 (P < 0.05). Immunoglobulins were higher in AH35 overall, but YM9 exceeded CK (P < 0.05), with cytokine profiles in the YM9 group reflecting moderate pro-inflammatory activation. YM9 upregulated GSR and downregulated NOX4, TNF, and IFNG (P < 0.05). Microbiota analysis showed comparable alpha diversity between YM9 and CK with Prevotella dominance in the YM9 group, and significant correlations among GABA, microbial taxa, hormones, and mammary gland genes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Feeding dairy goats with GABA-enriched silage was associated with improved feed and lactation efficiency. It also enhanced lactation hormones, immune responses, and expression of antioxidant-related gene alongside reduced inflammatory related genes. These findings provide alternative approach for dietary GABA delivery to ruminants for enhanced productivity and health, although further studies are required to verify the mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13214404/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148038325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A preliminary metagenomic and metabolomic investigation into the effects of Aspergillus niger cultures on microbial homeostasis and antibiotic resistance gene profiles in the rumen of fattening sheep.","authors":"Yihan Wang, Yu Peng, Bo Wang, Meiqi Di, Minjie Xi, Zeyu Yao, Chengyu Shi, Qingchuan Feng, Dafei Yin, Jiantao Li, Xiangyi Xu, Ruiyang Zhang, Xianfeng Peng","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01412-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01412-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Under high-concentrate feeding conditions, ruminants often experience rumen microecological imbalance and dysfunction, which can impair growth performance and increase the risk of antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) dissemination.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>To evaluate the ameliorative effects of Aspergillus niger (A. niger) cultures, fattening sheep were randomly allocated into the following five groups: a control group (CON), a control diet supplemented with 250, 500, or 1,000 mg/kg A. niger cultures (designated as LA, MA, and HA, respectively); and an antibiotic group supplemented with 5,000 mg/kg chlortetracycline premix (AN). Microbial community analysis indicated that several bacterial taxa, including Succinivibrio sp900317105, Prevotella sp002353485, Quinella sp017515635, Quinella sp015206805, and Prevotella sp900320255, were significantly enriched in the A. niger culture-supplemented groups (P < 0.05). ARG profiling showed that the abundance of tetracycline resistance genes was significantly lower in all A. niger groups compared with the CON and AN groups (P < 0.05), while β-lactam resistance genes were significantly reduced in the HA group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the abundances of Rank I and Rank II ARGs were significantly higher in the AN group than in the other groups, whereas the abundances of Rank II and Rank IV ARGs were significantly lower in the A. niger culture groups than in the CON and AN groups. Metabolomic analysis further demonstrated that supplementation with A. niger cultures significantly decreased the concentration of N-decanoyl-L-homoserine lactone (P < 0.05) while increasing the levels of N-3-oxotetradec-7Z-enoyl-L-homoserine lactone, indole-3-methyl acetate, and indole-3-propionic acid (P < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings suggest that A. niger cultures can reduce the abundance of ARGs and mitigate the risk of ARG dissemination by modulating the rumen microbial community and associated metabolites.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13202773/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148018946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rumen unprotected glucose tends to promote intramuscular fat deposition via microbial volatile fatty acid-mediated metabolic reprogramming in cattle: a multi-omics perspective through the rumen-jejunum axis.","authors":"Yang Song, Ning Liu, Zan Liang, Zuo Wang, Tingting Chu, Qianglin Liu, Weijun Shen, Xiangmin Yan, Fachun Wan","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01419-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01419-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The regulatory effects of glucose absorption at different sites (rumen vs. small intestine) on lipid metabolism exhibit significant variation in beef nutrition. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory pathways of rumen-protected or unprotected glucose on lipid metabolism through the rumen-jejunum axis in Xinjiang Brown cattle.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty Xinjiang Brown cattle (females) with similar initial weight (410 ± 22.4 kg) were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups (n = 10 animals per group). The experimental groups were fed a basal diet with the following daily supplements per head: 150 g palmitate coating (CON group), 150 g palmitate coating plus 150 g rumen-unprotected glucose (RUG group), and 300 g rumen-protected glucose (containing 50% glucose; RPG group). The experiment lasted for 70 d. Supplementation with both rumen-unprotected glucose and rumen-protected glucose increased chest width (P = 0.001), chest girth (P = 0.013), abdominal girth (P = 0.002), backfat thickness (P = 0.041), omental fat weight (P = 0.047), as well as serum concentrations of insulin (P < 0.001), glucagon-like peptide-1 (P < 0.001), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (P < 0.001), while decreasing the content of deoxycholic acid (P < 0.001) in the jejunum. The inclusion of rumen-unprotected glucose resulted in a trend toward higher intramuscular fat (IMF) (P = 0.064) in the longissimus thoracis, along with significant increases in C14:0 (P = 0.042), C15:0 (P = 0.014), and marbling score (P = 0.048), as well as significant reductions in drip loss (P = 0.022) and shear force (P = 0.041). These changes were accompanied by significant increases in dry matter intake (P = 0.001), ruminal concentrations of acetate (P = 0.022) and propionate (P = 0.011). The rumen-protected glucose supplementation elevated serum glucose (P < 0.001) level, while enhancing digestibility of ether extract (P = 0.027) and neutral detergent fiber (P = 0.027). Neither rumen-unprotected glucose nor rumen-protected glucose affected the alpha diversity and beta diversity of ruminal and jejunal microbiota (P > 0.05), but the differential bacterial biomarkers were either positively or negatively correlated with chest girth, abdominal girth, marbling score, backfat thickness, and deoxycholic acid (P < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Rumen-unprotected glucose supplementation enhances IMF deposition and meat quality attributes through microbial volatile fatty acid-driven metabolic reprogramming.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13200308/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148018971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microbiota transplantation and multi-omics profiling integration unveil the mechanism of Alistipes communis-driven abdominal fat deposition in chickens.","authors":"Yang Jing, Shuai Liu, Li Leng, Jiarui He, Tianqi Wang, Yunnan Guan, Zhiyong Su, Wenpeng Zhang, Yumao Li, Peng Luan, Bohan Cheng, Ning Wang, Hui Li","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01439-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01439-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Emerging evidence highlights strong correlations between the cecal microbiome and abdominal fat deposition (AFD) in chickens. However, the specific microbial species driving this process remain unclear. This study aims to identify the key microbe and elucidate its underlying mechanism in regulating chicken AFD.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>First, cecal microbiota transplantation confirmed a causal relationship between the cecal microbiota and AFD. Subsequently, metagenomic and metatranscriptomic integrations identified Alistipes communis as a key microbe implicated in AFD. Finally, in vivo gavage integrated with multi-omics revealed that A. communis enhances AFD by disrupting host tryptophan and histidine metabolism. This was evidenced by the elevated concentrations of amino acid metabolism-related metabolites, including L-phosphoarginine and spermine in the cecum.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides direct evidence that the cecal microbiome serves as a key driver in chicken AFD and identifies A. communis as a critical AFD regulator, offering valuable insights into the gut microbiome's role in host obesity.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13188826/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147977525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated analyses of host genetics and gut microbiota provide mechanistic insights into feed efficiency in ducks.","authors":"Haonan Zhao, Xueqin Yang, Xianggui Dong, Junyu Fei, Pengying Li, Lionel Kinkpe, Shuaiqin Wang, Jie Wei, Wei Zhou, Shuisheng Hou, Yunsheng Zhang, Xia Wang","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01410-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01410-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Feed efficiency (FE) is a major determinant of productivity, economic sustainability, and environmental impact in livestock production. Although Pekin ducks constitute a substantial proportion of global poultry meat production, improvement of FE has progressed slowly, largely due to an incomplete understanding of its complex biological basis. In particular, how host genomic variation and gut microbial communities-especially across different intestinal segments-jointly contribute to FE remains poorly characterized in ducks.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We integrated whole-genome sequencing (WGS) with segment-resolved microbiota profiles from 313 Pekin ducks to delineate host-microbiota architecture underlying feed conversion ratio (FCR), which exhibited moderate heritability ( h²=0.23, P_LRT = 2.53 × 10^-2). Genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified two major genomic regions involving two genes ALG13 and TRPC5, which implicated in appetite regulation and energy balance to impact FE. Meanwhile, gut microbial communities exhibited spatial heterogeneity along the intestinal tract, with host genetics-associated taxa such as Solobacterium (cecum) and Eubacterium_eligens_group (jejunum) negatively correlating with FCR, likely via enhanced short-chain fatty acid production and improved energy harvest. Variation partitioning revealed that host genetics explained the largest FCR variance (36.96%), followed by cecal microbiota.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our results highlight coordinated host-microbiota interactions influencing FE, offering targets for breeding and microbiota-based interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13185347/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147977499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Depicting the dynamic transcriptional and epigenetic landscape of testis development in pubertal Simmental cattle.","authors":"Junmei Zhang, Xin Qi, Wenxuan Zhao, Shijie Yuan, Na Hai, Leqian Yu, Jinlian Hua, Dawei Yu, Yulei Wei","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01406-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01406-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The reproductive development of Simmental cattle, a vital breed for global beef production, remains poorly understood at the molecular and cellular levels. A systematic analysis of the regulatory mechanisms governing germ cell fate transitions during testicular development is essential for advancing breeding efficiency and reproductive technologies in cattle.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Using integrated single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-nucleus ATAC sequencing (sNucATAC-seq) on testicular tissues from Simmental cattle across postnatal (PN), prepubertal (PP), and pubertal (PUB) stages, we identified core transcriptional regulators-including E2F1, BCLAF1, and YY1-that govern germ cell fate transitions. Several signaling pathways, such as TGF-β, MAPK, ErbB, and AMPK, were found to participate in spermatogenic processes. Sertoli cells were classified into three functional subtypes: Stage 1 is associated with the transition from spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) to differentiating spermatogonia (Diff-SPG), Stage 2 correlates with development from Diff-SPG to spermatocytes (SPC), and Stage 3 coincides with the transformation from SPC to spermatids (SPT). Cross-species comparative transcriptomics with humans, pigs, and mice revealed conserved pathways in germ cell development, with E2F1 notably conserved during the SSC-to-Diff-SPG transition.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study deciphers the regulatory network controlling germ cell fate transitions during bovine testicular development. The identification of conserved regulators and pathways provides novel insights into spermatogenesis and supports the development of strategies to overcome meiotic barriers in stem cell systems. These findings pave the way for precision breeding and advanced reproductive technologies in mammals.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13181952/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147965547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transcriptome-derived variants in milk reveal host response signatures to subclinical intramammary infection in Holstein cattle.","authors":"Alice Vanzin, Vittoria Bisutti, Ángela Cánovas, Alessio Cecchinato, Luigi Gallo, Diana Giannuzzi, Sara Pegolo","doi":"10.1186/s40104-026-01411-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40104-026-01411-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Beyond conventional transcriptome profiling, RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) enables the discovery of variants within expressed genes linked to complex traits such as mastitis resistance or susceptibility. In this study, RNA-Seq was performed on milk somatic cells from uninfected Holstein cows with no history of mastitis (Neg, n = 9) or with subclinical intramammary infections (sIMI) caused by Prototheca spp. (P+ , n = 11) or Streptococcus agalactiae (Sa+ , n = 11). The objective was to identify transcriptome-derived sequence variants detectable under specific microbiological conditions that may contribute to the modulation of host transcriptional responses. By integrating these transcript-derived variants with quantitative trait locus (QTL) annotations and enrichment analyses, we aimed to highlight genomic regions functionally associated with mastitis susceptibility or resilience.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Using the CLC Genomic Workbench, a total of 306,440, 264,132, and 246,777 unique variants were detected in Neg, P+ , and Sa+ groups, respectively, with SNPs being more abundant than INDELs. High-impact variants were identified in immune-related genes (TNIP1, TNIP3, IL10RB, IL2RA, IL15RA), suggesting post-transcriptional modulation of immune and inflammatory responses under different microbiological conditions. Variants in non-coding regulatory regions indicate that transcriptional control may also contribute to host susceptibility. QTL enrichment using GALLO showed consistent associations with milk production traits, while clinical mastitis QTLs were specifically enriched in P+ , reflecting context-dependent regulation of immune responses.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings provide new insights into the molecular basis of host responses to intramammary infections and support the value of a transcriptome-driven approach for variant discovery. Variants identified in immune-related genes and regulatory regions suggest that both immune gene modulation and post-transcriptional regulation may contribute to susceptibility to sIMI. Upon further functional validation, these findings may inform precision breeding strategies to enhance mastitis resilience in dairy cattle.</p>","PeriodicalId":64067,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.9,"publicationDate":"2026-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13180285/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147960350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}