Comparative genomic identification and validation of beta-defensin genes in the Ovis aries genome

Background: beta-defensins are small, cationic, antimicrobial peptides found in species across the plant and animal kingdoms. In addition to microbiocidal activity, roles in immunity as well as reproduction have more recently been documented. beta-defensin genes in Ovis aries (domestic sheep) have been poorly annotated, having been identified only by automatic gene prediction algorithms. The objective of this study was to use a comparative genomics approach to identify and characterise the beta-defensin gene repertoire in sheep using the bovine genome as the primary reference.Results: All 57 currently predicted bovine beta-defensin genes were used to find orthologous sequences in the most recent version of the sheep genome (OAR v4.0). Forty three genes were found to have close genomic matches (> 70% similarity) between sheep and cattle. The orthologous genes were located in four clusters across the genome, with 4 genes on chromosome 2, 19 genes on chromosome 13, 5 genes on chromosome 20 and 15 genes on chromosome 26. Conserved gene order for the beta-defensin genes was apparent in the two smaller clusters, although gene order was reversed on chromosome 2, suggesting an inversion between sheep and cattle. Complete conservation of gene order was also observed for chromosome 13 beta-defensin orthologs. More structural differences were apparent between chromosome 26 genes and the orthologous region in the bovine reference genome, which is known to be copy-number variable. In this cluster, the Defensin-beta 1 (DEFB1) gene matched to eleven Bovine Neutrophil beta-Defensin (BNBD) genes on chromosome 27 with almost uniform similarity, as well as to tracheal, enteric and lingual anti-microbial peptides (TAP, EAP and LAP), suggesting that annotation of the bovine reference sequence is still incomplete. qPCR was used to profile the expression of 34 beta-defensin genes, representing each of the four clusters, in the ram reproductive tract. Distinct site-specific and differential expression profiles were detected across the reproductive tract of mature rams with preferential beta-defensin gene expression in the epididymis, recapitulating observations for orthologous genes in other species.Conclusions: This is the first comprehensive analysis of beta-defensin genes encoded by the ovine reference sequence, and the first report of an expanded repertoire of beta-defensin genes in this species. The preferential expression of these genes in the epididymis suggests a role in fertility, possibly providing immunoprotection for sperm within the female reproductive tract

A dual targeted β-defensin and exome sequencing approach to identify, validate and functionally characterise genes associated with bull fertility

Bovine fertility remains a critical issue underpinning the sustainability of the agricultural sector. Phenotypic records collected on >7,000 bulls used in artificial insemination (AI) were used to identify 160 reliable and divergently fertile bulls for a dual strategy of targeted sequencing (TS) of fertilityrelated β-defensin genes and whole exome sequencing (WES). A haplotype spanning multiple β-defensin genes and containing 94 SNPs was significantly associated with fertility and functional analysis confirmed that sperm from bulls possessing the haplotype showed significantly enhanced binding to oviductal epithelium. WES of all exons in the genome in 24 bulls of high and low fertility identified 484 additional SNPs significantly associated with fertility. After validation, the most significantly associated SNP was located in the FOXJ3 gene, a transcription factor which regulates sperm function in mice. This study represents the first comprehensive characterisation of genetic variation in bovine β-defensin genes and functional analysis supports a role for β-defensins in regulating bull sperm function. This first application of WES in AI bulls with divergent fertility phenotypes has identified a novel role for the transcription factor FOXJ3 in the regulation of bull fertility. Validated genetic variants associated with bull fertility could prove useful for improving reproductive outcomes in cattle