Epigenetics: Regulation of Gene Expression

Livestock genetics is currently navigating through a genomic era promoted by advances in DNA technologies. There is however a promising field that has not yet been tackled in livestock breeding and genetics: Epigenetics. Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression and other genomic functions without altering the underlying “DNA” sequence. Epigenetics introduces a level of genetic regulation independent to the DNA sequence. These changes play a role in short-term adaptation of individuals and include reversibility. It can be transmitted somatically or inherited through modification of DNA regions and allows organisms on a multigenerational scale to switch between phenotypes. Epigenetic alterations in gene expression result from ‘environmental’ effects, both via external surroundings of an organism and via internal conditions. Epigenetic shows potential benefits and possibility of changes in the livestock industry. Economically important traits such as milk yield and milk quality, backfat thickness, body weight and growth seem to be associated with imprinted and X-linked QTL. These perspectives make epigenetics an interesting area of research at this time.