Investigating Extreme Measures of Docility and Global DNA Methylation in the Bovine Brain

Global DNA methylation in the brain has been studied in other species, but has yet to be explored in cattle. This novel study examines global DNA methylation in functionally distinct regions of the bovine brain. Brains from two groups of Red Angus x Simmental cattle that are phenotypically extreme for docility (n=3 per group) were dissected and nine functionally distinct regions were obtained (amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, cingulate gyrus, dorsal raphe, hippocampus, hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray, prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens). DNA was extracted from each sample using the DNA Extraction Kit from Agilent Technologies (Santa Clara, CA). The amount of global DNA methylation was determined using the MethylFlash Methylated DNA Quantification Kit from Epigentek (Farmingdale, NY). Global methylation has been measured within sample and compared between groups. This project will enhance our current knowledge of extreme measures of docility as well as develop an atlas of the bovine brain methylome.