Elucidation of early onset mechanism of enzootic bovine leukosis by epigenetics analysis

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K15044
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Veterinary medical science
• Research Institution: Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Inokuma Hisashi 帯広畜産大学, 畜産学部, 教授 (70263803)
• Research Collaborator: Maezawa Masaki ; Watanabe Ken-ichi ; Horiuchi Noriyuki ; Kobayashi Yoshiyasu
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 牛白血病 / 若齢発症 / エピジェネティクス / 牛白血病ウイルス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The frequency of methylation of promoter region of the apoptosis related gene BMP-6 in enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) cases of young fattening cattle less than 3 years was found to be higher compared to EBL cases more than 3 years old. In the early onset of EBL in young fattening cows, environmental factors such as feeding management specific to fattening cows were considered to be involved by affecting epigenetics change to the animal genome. Furthermore, bovine leukemia virus (BLV) was frequently integrated into the promoter regions and transcriptionally active regions of host genome in young EBL less than 3 years old. This finding also suggested that BLV integration sites are involved in the early onset of EBL.

Free Research Field

獣医内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

若齢肥育牛の成牛型牛白血病発症に発がん関連遺伝子であるBMP-6のエピジェネティックな変化が明らかにされたことにより、飼養管理、とくに栄養学的観点からウイルス発がんを制御する手掛かりを見出すことが期待される。また、研究成果は畜産・獣医学において牛白血病の発症予防に資するだけではなく、医学領域における成人T細胞型白血病の動物モデルとして、発症メカニズムの解明および発症予防に貢献できる可能性が高い。