Journal of Animal Breeding and Genomics (J Anim Breed Genom)
Indexed in KCI
OPEN ACCESS, PEER REVIEWED
pISSN 1226-5543
eISSN 2586-4297
Research Article

Transcriptomic Profiling of Growth Stage-Specific Gene Expression in Hanwoo Liver

1Department of Animal Resources Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
2Animal Genomics and Bioinformatics Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Wanju, Republic of Korea
3Hanwoo Research Institute, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea

Correspondence to Dajeong Lim, E-mail: imdj@cnu.ac.kr

Volume 8, Number 4, Pages 197-206, December 2024.
Journal of Animal Breeding and Genomics 2024, 8(4), 197-206. https://doi.org/10.12972/jabng.20240412
Received on 18 November, 2024, Revised on 19 December, 2024, Accepted on 20 December, 2024, Published on 31 December, 2024.
Copyright © 2024 Korean Society of Animal Breeding and Genetics.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0).

ABSTRACT

This study investigates gene expression changes in Hanwoo liver tissue across early growth stages to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying liver development and immune functions. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we analyzed liver samples from 10 days (n = 3), 2 months (n = 10), 6 months (n = 6), and 10 months (n = 10) Hanwoo calves to identify growth stage-specific gene modules. We identified significant gene expression patterns related to immune responses, metabolic processes, and extracellular matrix organization, particularly at critical developmental stages. The findings suggest a dynamic shift in liver functions, particularly immune modulation in early months, as highlighted by the involvement of immune-related hub gene DOCK2 and enhanced metabolic activity as calves mature. These results contribute to understanding liver-specific development and may support strategies for improving growth and health in Hanwoo cattle.

KEYWORDS

Hanwoo, Growth stage of liver, Transcriptome analysis, WGCNA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

이 연구는 충남대학교 학술연구비에 의해 지원되었습니다.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article is reported.

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