Tissue‑Specific Chromatin Accessibility Regions and Transcription Factor Binding Sites in Pig Brain and Endocrine Tissues

Autor: Siriluck Ponsuksili · Frieder Hadlich · Nares Trakooljul · Shuaichen Li · Henry Reyer · Michael Oster · Klaus Wimmers
In:

Molecular Neurobiology

ISBN: 1559-1182
Seite: 13119 - 13135
Jahr: 2025

Einordung:
Institut: Professur Tierzucht und Haustiergenetik

Abstract:
The cognitive and regulatory processes within higher-order brain structures that regulate the hypothalamic–pitui
tary–adrenal (HPA) axis and the limbic system orchestrate a complex stress response system. In order to address this,
we collected 48 tissue samples from the amygdala (Amy), hippocampus (Hip), thalamus (Tal), hypothalamus (HT),
pituitary gland (PG) and adrenal gland (AG). We applied ATAC-seq, a method for profiling accessible chromatin, to
map the epigenetic landscape of these brain and endocrine tissues in pigs and generate foundational baseline chromatin
accessibility datasets that can serve as a reference for future studies. A total of 321,584 consensus peaks, representing
open chromatin regions across various samples and tissues in the pig genome, were identified. Screening for transcrip
tion factor binding motifs within these chromatin-accessible regions revealed 377 significantly enriched motifs in at
least one tissue (p ≤ 0.001). Among the 93 motifs enriched in only one tissue, some showed concordant expression of
their corresponding transcription factors, including GRHL2 and KLF5 in the PG, and GATA4/6, and HAND2 in the
AG. Differentially accessible regions (DARs), particularly in promoter regions, between brain and endocrine tissues
were identified, with functional specificities in the AG, including cortisol synthesis and secretion, as well as tyrosine
metabolism. The cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathways showed
greater enrichment and open chromatin accessibility in brain regions compared to endocrine tissues (PG or AG). This
study provides valuable insights into brain transcriptional regulation and adds a novel layer of information for future
research on genetic improvement and animal welfare.

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