Ruminant production plays a pivotal role in global food security by providing high-quality protein sources, such as meat and milk. The production efficiency and product quality of ruminants are determined by complex interactions between their genetic potential and dietary nutrition. While traditional selective breeding has significantly improved genetic merits, the full realization of this potential depends heavily on the nutritional environment. Recently, the emergence of “Nutri-omics”—encompassing nutrigenomics, transcriptomics, epigenetics, and metabolomics—has provided a powerful lens to understand how specific nutrients, functional feed additives, or dietary patterns regulate gene expression networks and host-microbiome cross-talk. Elucidating these underlying molecular mechanisms is crucial for developing precision feeding strategies to optimize ruminant production traits and improve animal welfare.
The primary goal of this Research Topic is to bridge the gap between animal nutrition and genetics by gathering cutting-edge research on the “gene-diet” interactions in ruminants (e.g., cattle, sheep, goats). We aim to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying how nutritional interventions modulate genetic and epigenetic landscapes to influence key production traits, including growth performance, feed efficiency, muscle development, and the nutritional composition of animal products.
We welcome submissions of Original Research, Reviews, and Mini-Reviews that utilize advanced omics technologies. Themes of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Nutrigenomics and Gene Expression: The impact of specific nutrients (e.g., amino acids, fatty acids) or functional additives (e.g., plant extracts, probiotics) on the transcriptome and gene regulatory networks related to muscle growth and lipid metabolism. • Epigenetic Regulation: How maternal nutrition or early-life dietary interventions induce epigenetic modifications (DNA methylation, histone modification, non-coding RNAs) that have long-term effects on offspring production traits. • Host-Microbiome Genomic Interactions: Multi-omics integration (metagenomics and host transcriptomics) to explore how diet-induced alterations in the gastrointestinal microbiome influence host gene expression and metabolic phenotypes. • Product Quality: Genetic and molecular basis of how nutritional strategies improve the flavor, tenderness, and nutritional profile (e.g., specific amino acid or fatty acid profiles) of ruminant meat and milk. • Precision Nutrition: Identification of genetic biomarkers for improved feed conversion ratio and nutrient utilization in ruminants.
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This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
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