Mammary Transcriptomics – A Dynamic System Within

Ahmad Arif 1, 2, Showkat Ahmad Bhat2 , Muneeb U Rehman2 and Ishraq Hussain2 *

1Bhagwant University, Ajmer (Rajasthan, INDIA). 2Division of Veterinary Biochemistry, FVSc & AH, SKUAST-Kashmir.

*Corresponding Author: Dr. Ishraq Hussain, Assistant ProfessorDivision of Veterinary Biochemistry FVSc & AH, SKUAST-K, Shuhama, Srinagar-190006, J&K. Mob. No. : 09419046070; 0194-2262375.Email: sishraqvbc@yahoo.com

Abstract :

Microarrays applied to the study of intra-mammary infections in recent years have provided a wealth of fundamental information on the transcriptomics adaptation of tissue/cells to the disease. Due to its heavy toll on productivity and health of the animal, in vivo and in vitro transcriptomics works involving different mastitis-causing pathogens have been conducted on the mammary gland, primarily on livestock species such as cow and sheep, with few studies in non-ruminants. However, the response to an infectious challenge originating in the mammary gland elicits systemic responses in the animal and encompasses tissues such as liver and immune cells in the circulation, with also potential effects on other tissues such as adipose. The susceptibility of the animal to develop mastitis likely is affected by factors beyond the mammary gland, e.g. negative energy balance as it occurs around parturition. In the past 10 years, microarray-based transcriptomic profiling has been used extensively in mastitis studies. In this review we will discuss the use of systems biology concepts for the holistic study of animal responses to intra-mammary infection; providing an update of recent work using transcriptomics to study mammary and peripheral tissue (i.e. liver) as well as neutrophils and macrophage responses to mastitis causing pathogens and analyze the bovine mammary innate-immune responses during lactation and involution using a novel functional analysis approach to uncover potential predisposing factors to mastitis throughout an animal’s productive life. Keywords: Systems Biology, Microarrays, Transcriptomics, Mastitis, Mammary Gland.