About this Research Topic
Geneticists have spent decades decoding whole genomes of livestock, trying to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying genomic elements in phenotypic outcomes. Epigenomics refers to studying genomic modifications that contribute to phenotypic variance without an alteration in DNA sequence. The modifications occur in the epi-genome, including DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin remodeling, miRNA and lncRNA regulation. However, these epigenetic modifiers are highly susceptible to environmental stressors (climate changes, nutrition, diseases, etc.) during development, leaving permanent marks in their epi-genome and result in phenotypic variability of the animal population. Understanding interactions among genomics, epigenomics, and environmental changes pose new livestock research opportunities to improve genetics, production, diseases, and nutrition management.
Despite many emerging approaches becoming available for high throughput sequencing data to infer genomic and epigenomic regulations, it remains challenging to establish the multi-level interactions between (epi-) genomic regulations and environmental factors. Moreover, the causal relationships among environment, (epi-) genomics and complex phenotypic traits are to be further investigated. Therefore, the aims of this Research Topic are 1) to collect research data that uses cutting-edge approaches to study the environmental changes influencing animal (epi-) genomics, 2) to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying (epi-) genomics regulation in complex phenotypic traits, 3) to manipulate favorable (epi-) genomics elements to improve selective animal breeding, and 4) to facilitate the research effort in the area of sustainable animal production and disease management.
We welcome Original Research articles, Methods, Data Reports, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, and Systematic Reviews to submit to this Research Topic. Here are some specific themes we would like contributors to address:
• Interaction among environmental changes (heat shock, nutrition, parental diets, diseases, or other stressors) and epigenomic regulations
• GWAS and EWAS in livestock research
• Statistical methods and modeling in GWAS and EWAS
• Integration of multi-omics (epi-) genomics data in dissecting complex phenotypic traits
• CRISPR-based approaches to manipulate favorable (epi-) genomics elements in livestock
Despite many emerging approaches becoming available for high throughput sequencing data to infer genomic and epigenomic regulations, it remains challenging to establish the multi-level interactions between (epi-) genomic regulations and environmental factors. Moreover, the causal relationships among environment, (epi-) genomics and complex phenotypic traits are to be further investigated. Therefore, the aims of this Research Topic are 1) to collect research data that uses cutting-edge approaches to study the environmental changes influencing animal (epi-) genomics, 2) to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying (epi-) genomics regulation in complex phenotypic traits, 3) to manipulate favorable (epi-) genomics elements to improve selective animal breeding, and 4) to facilitate the research effort in the area of sustainable animal production and disease management.
We welcome Original Research articles, Methods, Data Reports, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, and Systematic Reviews to submit to this Research Topic. Here are some specific themes we would like contributors to address:
• Interaction among environmental changes (heat shock, nutrition, parental diets, diseases, or other stressors) and epigenomic regulations
• GWAS and EWAS in livestock research
• Statistical methods and modeling in GWAS and EWAS
• Integration of multi-omics (epi-) genomics data in dissecting complex phenotypic traits
• CRISPR-based approaches to manipulate favorable (epi-) genomics elements in livestock
Keywords: Livestock, Environment, Climate, Nutrition, Transgenerational Inheritance, GWAS, EWAS, DNA Methylation, Histone Modification, Chromatin Remodeling, miRNA and lncRNA Regulation
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
