Bioinformatic characterization of Transforming Growth Factor (TGF-β) in some livestock

Objective: This study aimed to perform a bioinformatic characterization of Transforming Growth Factor (TGF-β) in some farm animals.Material and Methods: TGF-β is a cytokine family plays a role in cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and immune system regulation. Bioinformatic characterization of the TGF-β gene family was performed in cattle, sheep, and goats. Gene sequences, protein structures, conserved motifs, phylogenetic relationships, and chromosomal locations were analyzed using various online databases and bioinformatics software. Results: A total of 34 TGF-β genes were identified in the cattle genome, 28 in the sheep genome and 27 in the goat genome. This suggests that proteins may be more complex and have functionally diverse interaction domains. There is both structural conservation and significant diversity among TGF-β gene family members. TGF-β proteins are most frequently associated with protein binding, regulatory activities and signal transduction pathways. Gene-miRNA interaction networks generated with Cytoscape software showed that TGF-β genes in cattle, sheep, and goats can potentially be targeted by many miRNAs.Conclusion: Based on all these findings, this study may contribute to the literature as one of the first comprehensive interspecies bioinformatic analyses on the TGF-β gene family.