Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41120862›Full record

ArticleBMC genomics2025

Building a bovine blood DNA methylation epimap related to disease phenotypes.

Lotfi Bouzeraa, Helene Martin, Jessica C S Marques, Ronaldo Cerri, Marc-Andre Sirard

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC genomics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Lotfi BouzeraaDepartment of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada.
Helene MartinDepartment of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada.
Jessica C S MarquesFaculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Ronaldo CerriFaculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Marc-Andre SirardDepartment of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada. Marc-Andre.Sirard@fsaa.ulaval.ca.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEpigenetic variations, particularly in response to environmental factors, play a crucial role in shaping immune identity and function in hematopoietic cells. This study investigates interindividual differences in DNA methylation among dairy cows, with the aim of enhancing our understanding of the adaptive capacity essential for sustainable animal production. We conducted whole-genome sequencing and DNA methylation analysis using enzymatic methyl-seq on whole blood from 60 Holstein cows. The study included five phenotype groups: mastitis, lameness, infertility, metabolic disorders and healthy controls.

resultsAmong the 50 million CpG sites, 5.1% were identified as variable methylated cytosines (VMCs) and 94.9% as conserved methylated cytosines (CMCs). VMCs displayed variability in distal promoter regions, suggesting potential plasticity in the associated genes, while CMCs exhibited a bimodal methylation pattern near the transcription start site, indicative of tissue-specific functions. Notably, we identified motif enrichments related to genes potentially expressed in blood. An age-related analysis revealed a 1.4% faster decline in CMCs methylation compared to VMCs. Additionally, disease risk assessment may be achievable using as few as 586 methylation biomarkers, which could be used to select which cows to keep in the herd for additional lactation.

conclusionOur results suggest a dual role for VMCs and CMCs: while the stability of conserved sites is potentially associated with essential functions in cell development and homeostasis, variable sites may be involved in dynamically regulating gene transcription in response to internal or external stimuli. These insights underscore the epigenome's role in immune regulation and adaptive resilience in cattle.

Indexed as

Cattle DiseasesDNA MethylationEpigenesis, GeneticAnimalsCattleCpG IslandsFemalePhenotypePromoter Regions, GeneticWhole Genome SequencingAgeDNA methylationEpigeneticsImmunityInterindividual variability

Identifiers

PMID41120862
PMCPMC12538747

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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.