Cotranscription and intergenic splicing of the PPARG and TSEN2 genes in cattle

BACKGROUND: Intergenic splicing resulting in the combination of mRNAs sequences from distinct genes is a newly identified mechanism likely to contribute to protein diversity. Few cases have been described, most of them involving neighboring genes and thus suggesting a cotranscription event presumably due to transcriptional termination bypass. RESULTS: We identified bovine chimeric transcripts resulting from cotranscription and intergenic splicing of two neighboring genes, PPARG and TSEN2. These two genes encode the Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptors γ1 and γ2 and the tRNA Splicing Endonuclease 2 homolog and are situated in the same orientation about 50 kb apart on bovine chromosome 22q24. Their relative position is conserved in human and mouse. We identified two types of chimeric transcripts containing all but the last exon of the PPARG gene followed by all but the first exon of the TSEN2 gene. The two chimers differ by the presence/absence of an intermediate exon resulting from transcription of a LINE L2 sequence situated between the two genes. Both transcripts use canonical splice sites for all exons coming from both genes, as well as for the LINE L2 sequence. One of these transcripts harbors a premature STOP codon and the other encodes a putative chimeric protein combining most of the PPARγ protein and the entire TSEN2 protein, but we could not establish the existence of this protein. CONCLUSION: By showing that both individual and chimeric transcripts are transcribed from PPARG and TSEN2, we demonstrated regulation of transcription termination. Further, the existence and functionality of a chimeric protein harboring active motifs that are a priori unrelated is hypothesized

Detection of genes influencing economic traits in three French dairy cattle breeds

A project of QTL detection was carried out in the French Holstein, Normande, and Montbéliarde dairy cattle breeds. This granddaughter design included 1 548 artificial insemination bulls distributed in 14 sire families and evaluated after a progeny-test for 24 traits (production, milk composition, persistency, type, fertility, mastitis resistance, and milking ease). These bulls were also genotyped for 169 genetic markers, mostly microsatellites. The QTL were analysed by within-sire linear regression of daughter yield deviations or deregressed proofs on the probability that the son receives one or the other paternal QTL allele, given the marker information. QTL were detected for all traits, including those with a low heritability. One hundred and twenty QTL with a chromosome-wise significance lower than 3% were tabulated. This threshold corresponded to a 15% false discovery rate. Amongst them, 32 were genome-wise significant. Estimates of their contribution to genetic variance ranged from 6 to 40%. Most substitution effects ranged from 0.6 to 1.0 genetic standard deviation. For a given QTL, only 1 to 5 families out of 14 were informative. The confidence intervals of the QTL locations were large and always greater than 20 cM. This experiment confirmed several already published QTL but most of them were original, particularly for non-production traits

A first genotyping assay of French cattle breeds based on a new allele of the extension gene encoding the melanocortin-1 receptor (Mc1r)

The seven transmembrane domain melanocortin-1 receptor (Mc1r) encoded by the coat color extension gene (E) plays a key role in the signaling pathway of melanin synthesis. Upon the binding of agonist (melanocortin hormone, α-MSH) or antagonist (Agouti protein) ligands, the melanosomal synthesis of eumelanin and/or phaeomelanin pigments is stimulated or inhibited, respectively. Different alleles of the extension gene were cloned from unrelated animals belonging to French cattle breeds and sequenced. The wild type E allele was mainly present in Normande cattle, the dominant ED allele in animals with black color (i.e. Holstein), whereas the recessive e allele was identified in homozygous animals exhibiting a more or less strong red coat color (Blonde d'Aquitaine, Charolaise, Limousine and Salers). A new allele, named E1, was found in either homozygous (E1/E1) or heterozygous (E1/E) individuals in Aubrac and Gasconne breeds. This allele displayed a 4 amino acid duplication (12 nucleotides) located within the third cytoplasmic loop of the receptor, a region known to interact with G proteins. A first genotyping assay of the main French cattle breeds is described based on these four extension alleles

Combined analysis of data from two granddaughter designs: A simple strategy for QTL confirmation and increasing experimental power in dairy cattle

A joint analysis of five paternal half-sib Holstein families that were part of two different granddaughter designs (ADR- or Inra-design) was carried out for five milk production traits and somatic cell score in order to conduct a QTL confirmation study and to increase the experimental power. Data were exchanged in a coded and standardised form. The combined data set (JOINT-design) consisted of on average 231 sires per grandsire. Genetic maps were calculated for 133 markers distributed over nine chromosomes. QTL analyses were performed separately for each design and each trait. The results revealed QTL for milk production on chromosome 14, for milk yield on chromosome 5, and for fat content on chromosome 19 in both the ADR- and the Inra-design (confirmed within this study). Some QTL could only be mapped in either the ADR- or in the Inra-design (not confirmed within this study). Additional QTL previously undetected in the single designs were mapped in the JOINT-design for fat yield (chromosome 19 and 26), protein yield (chromosome 26), protein content (chromosome 5), and somatic cell score (chromosome 2 and 19) with genomewide significance. This study demonstrated the potential benefits of a combined analysis of data from different granddaughter designs

Projet de cartographie du genome bovin : etat actuel et perspectives

* INRA, genetique biochimique et cytogenetique, Jouy en Josas Diffusion du document : INRA, genetique biochimique et cytogenetique, Jouy en JosasInternational audienc

Traçabilité analytique des produits carnés : origine et alimentation de l'animal

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Etat des lieux de la cartographie du génome des ruminants

National audienceDes progrès extrêmement rapides ont été réalisés au cours des dix dernières années dans la cartographie du génome des ruminants. Aujourd’hui, des informations sont disponibles pour près de 2600 (dont 600 gènes), 1000 (350) et 600 (250) loci respectivement chez les bovins, les ovins et les caprins. Des cartes génétiques couvrant plus de 90 % du génome ont été élaborées, avec un intervalle moyen entre marqueurs contigus qui, selon les espèces, est de l’ordre de 3 à 14 cM. Cet article résume les travaux récents et leur évolution

Antigenic determinants on bull sperm cell surface.

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Anticorps monoclonaux au HLA comme moyen d'etudes d'antigenes majeurs d'histocompatibilite chez les bovins.

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