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Submitted to: Animal Genetics
Publication Type: Book / Chapter Publication Acceptance Date: 11/28/2012 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: This is a chapter for a textbook for college students. This chapter introduce the basic concept of animal nutritional genomics (nutrigenomics) to the student, as well as current research discoveries in this rapidly advancing scientific field. Technical Abstract: The last decade of discoveries and technological advances has taken the epigenomics field to a completely new level. The modern version of epigenomics includes the molecular mechanisms that influence the phenotypic outcome of a gene or genome, in the absence of changes to the underlying DNA sequence. The focus of this chapter is the nutrient-specific modulation of genetic regulation, especially gene expression. As this area continues to be investigated, it is becoming increasingly evident that a host of genomic interrelationships with diet exist that encompass the broad topic of nutrigenomics, defined as the interaction between nutrition and an individual's genome. The concept of nutrigenomics, mechanisms of epigenomic regulation such as DNA methylation and histone modification, and the recent discoveries in this field are introduced in this chapter. Nutrigenomics offers great promise to animal health management based on an understanding of the relationship between diet, gene expression, and health outcomes. The specific implication of epigenomics in animal science and the impact on farm animal production is discussed. |
