Bovine EpiMap explorer: an interactive web application for genome-wide DNA methylation analysis in dairy cattle

DNA methylation in agriculture, particularly in cattle, is receiving increasing attention, not only for understanding underlying biological mechanisms, but also for the use of epigenetic markers in the selection of phenotypes of interest. Large datasets have been generated under predefined physiological contexts; however, no overview of bovine DNA methylation currently exists. Achieving such a view would require the integration of data from numerous studies. Bovine Epimap Explorer is a user-friendly web application designed for the interactive exploration and visualization of processed DNA methylation data from bovine blood samples. It enables researchers to filter, visualize, and compare key methylation features, such as differentially methylated cytosines (DMCs), across various biological conditions including Age_Correlation, SubfertileVsFertile, MastitisVsControls, Interindividual_Variability, YoungVsOld_Mitochondria. The platform supports multiple visualization modes, including smoothed genome browser tracks, group-wise boxplots, volcano plots, Venn diagram and methylation density distributions. It integrates gene annotations and statistical metrics such as q-values, methylation differences, standard deviation, and correlation, while providing interactive filters and data download options. Bovine EpiMap Explorer aims to facilitate access to high-throughput DNA methylation datasets and accelerate research in animal epigenetics.