ACTA VETERINARIA ET ZOOTECHNICA SINICA ›› 2017, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (10): 1815-1824.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2017.10.004

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Correlation Analyses of CpG Island Methylation of TNFRSF1A with Gene Expression and T Lymphocyte Subpopulation Traits

ZHAO Xue-yan, WANG Yan-ping, WANG Huai-zhong, GUO Jian-feng, QI Bo, WANG Ji-ying*   

  1. Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding/Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
  • Received:2017-04-07 Online:2017-10-23 Published:2017-10-23

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to explore CpG islands methylation status of TNFRSF1A gene, and clarify the relationship of methylation level with its expression and T lymphocyte subpopulation traits. In the present study, Dapulian piglets, one indigenous breed with higher disease resistance in North China, and Landrace piglets, one commercial breed with lower disease resistance, were used. Methylation level of CpG islands of TNFRSF1A gene upstream was determined by bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP), and correlation analyses of methylation frequency of CpG sites with its expression and T lymphocyte subpopulation traits were carried out. The results indicated that: 1) There were 2 CpG islands in the upstream of TNFRSF1A gene, which contained 25 CpG sites by BSP overlapping 2 islands. Nine CpG sites were in Island 1, nine CpG sites were in Island 2, and others located between 2 islands. Population methylation frequency between Dapulian and Landrace piglets had no significant difference in Island 1 at 0.05 level, whereas methylation frequency of Dapulian piglets was significantly higher than that of Landrace piglets in Island 2 at 0.05 level. 2) The methylation frequencies in Island 2 were negatively correlated with the expression of TNFRSF1A, especially 5 CpG sites (+126, +128, +159, +162 and +164). 3) We also found methylation frequencies of CpG sites +159 and +164 were positively correlated with CD4+CD8+CD3+ at 0.05 level in the 2 populations. The methylation frequencies of CpG sites +159 and +164 in Island 2 were negatively correlated with the expression of TNFRSF1A, and positively correlated with T lymphocyte subpopulation trait CD4+CD8+CD3+. Thus, we speculated that increased methylation frequencies of CpG sites +159 and +164 might lead to the decreased expression of TNFRSF1A, which may influence on T lymphocyte subpopulation traits and the immunity of Dapulian piglets.

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