Editorial: Bridging (Epi-) Genomics and Environmental Changes: The Livestock Research

Abstract

Editorial on the Research TopicBridging (Epi-) Genomics and Environmental Changes: The Livestock Research Understanding the links between genetics, epigenetics, and environmental factors throughout animal development, growth, and reproduction poses new research opportunities to improve selective animal breeding, restore productivity under environmental stressors, and facilitate disease and nutrition management. Despite many emerging tools becoming available for genomic and epigenomic research, it remains challenging to connect the dots among causative genetic variables, molecular mechanisms, environmental stressors, and phenotypic variability of animal populations.In this research topic, we covered research data that uses cutting-edge approaches to study the effects of environmental changes on animal genetics (Shen et al., meiotic recombination rates), epigenetic modification (Diaz et al., DNA methylation), and gene expression (Diaz et al., mRNA). Moreover, we covered several studies of genetic (Próchniak et al., genetic diversity) and epigenomic regulations (Shi et al., mRNA and DNA methylation; and Xu et al., microRNA) to dissect molecular mechanisms underlying complex economically important traits in livestock using next-generation sequencing approaches.