PLAG1基因通过PI3K/Akt通路调控牛肌肉发育的表观遗传调控机制

动物生长发育依赖于遗传信息的选择性表达，表观遗传修饰对肌肉发育具有重要的调控作用。多形性腺瘤基因1（PLAG1）是影响牛的体高、体重和肌肉发育等生长性状的转录因子，该基因CpG岛的DNA甲基化修饰影响其mRNA表达；PI3K/Akt是肌肉分化最重要的信号通路之一，PLAG1可能通过PI3K/Akt信号通路调控牛肌肉生长发育，但调节机制尚不清楚。本项目以秦川牛为研究对象，在分子、细胞和个体水平，运用RNA干扰、免疫荧光、染色质免疫沉淀（ChIP）和亚硫酸氢盐修饰后测序（BSP）等技术，分析PI3K/Akt信号通路是否参与PLAG1的转录表达；探索PI3K/Akt信号的改变对PLAG1表观修饰及其表达的影响；阐明PLAG1通过PI3K/Akt信号通路调控牛肌肉发育的表观遗传调控机制，通过分子标记的关联分析确定其与产肉性状的相关性，为黄牛肉用选育和高效生产奠定理论基础。

Animal growth and development depends on the selective expression of genetic information. Epigenetic modifications play an important role in regulating muscle development. Pleomorphic adenoma gene 1 (PLAG1) is a transcription factor which affects bovine body height, body weight and muscle development and other growth traits. Moreover, methylation of genomic CpG island affects the expression of PLAG1. PI3K/Akt is one of the most important signaling pathways for muscle differentiation which could regulate the transcription of PLAG1 by some certain mechanisms, whereas the specific regulatory mechanism is unclear. In this project, Qinchuan cattle as the research object, we will use the RNA interference, immunofluorescence, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) and many other methods to analyze whether the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway participates in the transcriptional expression of PLAG1 at the molecular, cellular and animal level; reveal the effects in epigenetic modifications and the expression of PLAG1 when PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is changed. These results have important biological significances to reveal epigenetic mechanisms of PLAG1 gene regulating muscle development by PI3K/Akt pathway in cattle; Determine its relevance to the meat traits by the correlation analysis of molecular markers. This project aimed to establish a theoretical basis for beef cattle breeding and high-efficient production.