Regulation of DNA methylation during the testicular development of Shaziling pigs

DNA methylation is one of the key epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in development and spermatogenesis. However, the dynamic regulatory mechanisms of genome-wide DNA methylation during testicular development remain largely unknown. Herein, we generated a single-base resolution DNA methylome and transcriptome atlas of precocious porcine testicular tissues across three developmental stages (1, 75, and 150 days old). The results showed that the dynamic methylation patterns were directly related to the expression of the DNMT3A gene. Conjoint analysis revealed a negative regulatory pattern between promoter methylation and the positive regulation of 3′-untranslated region (3′UTR) methylation. Mechanistically, the decrease in promoter methylation affected the upregulation of meiosis-related genes, such as HORMAD1, SPO11, and SYCE1. Demethylation in the 3′UTR induced the downregulation of the INHBA gene and knockdown of INHBA inhibited cell proliferation by reducing the synthesis of activin A. These findings contribute to exploring the regulatory mechanisms of DNA methylation in testicular development. •The atlas of DNA methylomes and transcriptome during porcine testicular development.•DNA methylation in promoter and 3′UTR negatively and positively regulated gene expression, respectively.•The key genes regulated by DNA methylation in promoter and 3′UTR involved in spermatogenesis and testicular development were identified.•The dynamic DNA methylation patterns of porcine testis was related to DNMT3A.•Demethylation in 3′UTR induced INHBA inhibition repressed the immature Sertoli cell proliferation through impeding activin A synthesis process.