ArticleBiology of reproduction2026
Epigenetic insights into fertility: involvement of immune cell methylation in dairy cows reproduction†.
Article in Biology of reproduction, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Bovine EpiMap explorer: an interactive web application for genome-wide DNA methylation analysis in dairy cattle.BMC bioinformatics · 2026Article
- Identifying the Genetic Basis of Fetal Loss in Cows and Heifers Through a Genome-Wide Association Analysis.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Application of omics technologies to identify reproductive phenotypes in the context of assisted reproductive technologies for cattle.Animal reproduction · 2026Article
- Changes in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA methylation in cow blood associated with age and disease.Epigenetics · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Infertility and post-partum reproductive diseases are significant challenges in cattle farming, with the maternal immune system's ability to recognize and tolerate the embryo being crucial for successful gestation. DNA methylation in hematopoietic cells may influence susceptibility to post-partum fertility issues, making the identification of epigenetic changes vital for sustainable animal production. This study aimed to characterize the methylome of immune cells in relation to fertility, potentially enabling early detection of subfertility. Using whole epigenome sequencing and enzymatic methyl-seq, we analyzed DNA methylation patterns in blood from twelve Holstein cows before the onset of any disease. Our findings revealed 216 990 differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs) between fertile and subfertile cows. Notably, three genes-Interferon tau-3 (IFNT3), KIAA0825, and RAS-Related Protein 2A-showed high significance in their differential methylation between fertile and subfertile cows. IFNT3, crucial for early embryonic development, had seven DMCs in its transcription start site (TSS) shores in subfertile cows. Additionally, the KLRA1 gene (Ly49), was identified as containing DMCs across all five genomic regions analyzed (TSS shores, exons, introns, downstream, and distal intergenic). Its widespread differential methylation highlights its potential impact on fertility. Key interleukin genes, including IL6, IL15, IL22, and IL36G, also showed multiple DMCs, reinforcing the role of the immune system in bovine fertility. These findings illustrate the potential control that immune cell epigenetics exert on cattle post-partum fertility. Additionally, this study suggests that the risk of developing subfertility could potentially be estimated with as few as 220 biomarkers, paving the way for enhanced animal health management and improved fertility treatments.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.