Effects of 5-azacytidine on lymphocyte-metaphases of Creole cows carrying the rob(1; 29)

Abstract The Robertsonian translocation rob(1;29) is the most important chromosomal abnormality in cattle. It has been demonstrated that carriers of this chromosomal alteration exhibit reduced fertility due to an early embryonic loss. In the present study we analyzed the effects of DNA methylation inhibitor 5-azacytidine (5-aza-C) on metaphase lymphocytes from Uruguayan Creole cows carrying the rob(1;29). The analysis was focused on the chromatin structure of rob(1;29) comparing it to active and inactive BTAX chromosomes. Lymphocyte cultures were treated with 5-aza-C (1 × 10 −3  M) for 2 h to analyze regions of chromatin decondensation. A comparative analysis of chromatin decondensation among rob(1;29), active BTAX and inactive BTAX showed significant differences ( p  = 1.07 × 10 −7 ). Post-hoc pair-wise comparisons using the Mann–Whitney U-test showed significant differences between rob(1;29) and active BTAX ( p  = 1.97 × 10 −5 ) and between the active BTAX and inactive BTAX ( p  = 2.55 × 10 −7 ). Nevertheless, rob(1;29) did not show significant differences when compared to inactive BTAX ( p  = 0.078). Robertsonian translocation rob(1;29) showed a despiralization pattern similar to the inactive X chromosome. Pericentromeric despiralization in rob(1;29) and the inactive X chromosome was similar, with an average value and standard error of 0.75 ± 0.11 and 0.75 ± 0.083, respectively. A single condensed region was observed in the inactive X chromosome, whereas in rob(1;29) two regions of condensation, one proximal to the centromere and another proximal to the telomere were detected. Our results show that rob(1;29) and the inactive X chromosome present instability regions susceptible to 5-aza-C. Further studies will be needed to understand the nature and expression pattern of genes located in chromatin condensed regions of rob(1;29).