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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Livestock Bio-Systems » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #330935
Title: Age and nursing affect the neonatal porcine uterine transcriptome

Author
item RAHMAN, KATHLEEN - Rutgers University
item CAMP, MEREDITY - Rutgers University
item PRASAD, NRIPESH - Hudsonalpha Institute For Biotechnology
item McNeel, Anthony
item LEVY, SHAWN - Hudsonalpha Institute For Biotechnology
item BARTOL, FRANK - Auburn University
item BAGNELL, CAROL - Rutgers University

Submitted to: Biology of Reproduction
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/20/2015
Publication Date: 2/1/2016
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/62984
Citation: Rahman, K.M., Camp, M.E., Prasad, N., McNeel, A.K., Levy, S.E., Bartol, F.F., Bagnell, C.A. 2016. Age and nursing affect the neonatal porcine uterine transcriptome. Biology of Reproduction. 94(2):46.

Interpretive Summary: Previous results have shown that colostrum affects the early development of the uterus in pigs. To obtain more information on colostrum effects on uterine development, next generation sequencing was used to compare the genes expressed by the developing uterus at birth and on day 2 of age with and without colostrum treatment. Analysis revealed that the expression of many genes differed between days 0 and 2 (3283 genes) and between piglets treated with or without colostrum (milk replacer was fed instead of colostrum, 896 genes differed). Notable pathways that differed between days 0 and 2 of age included cell adhesion, cell morphogenesis and ion transport. Notable pathways that differed between piglets with and without colostrum included cell adhesion, ion transport and inflammatory response. Generally speaking, more genes differed with age than with colostrum availability, and the expression of many genes were found to overlap between the two categories, supporting a role for colostrum in the process of uterine gland development. The results of this experiment will inform future work on neonatal gland development to determine the roles of the different genes and gene pathways in successful gland development.

Technical Abstract: The lactocrine hypothesis for maternal programming of neonatal development was proposed to describe a mechanism through which milk-borne bioactive factors, delivered from mother to nursing offspring, could affect development of tissues, including the uterus. Porcine uterine development, initiated before birth, is completed postnatally. However, age- and lactocrine-sensitive elements of the neonatal porcine uterine developmental program are undefined. Here, effects of age and nursing on the uterine transcriptome for 48 h from birth (Postnatal Day [PND] = 0) were identified using RNA sequencing (RNAseq). Uterine tissues were obtained from neonatal gilts (n = 4 per group) within 1 h of birth and before feeding (PND 0), or 48 h after nursing ad libitum (PND 2N) or feeding a commercial milk replacer (PND 2R). RNAseq analysis revealed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with both age (PND 2N vs. PND 0; 3283 DEGs) and nursing on PND 2 (PND 2N vs PND 2R; 896 DEGs). Expression of selected uterine genes was validated using quantitative real-time PCR. Bioinformatic analyses revealed multiple biological processes enriched in response to both age and nursing, including cell adhesion, morphogenesis, and cell-cell signaling. Age-sensitive pathways also included estrogen receptor-alpha and hedgehog signaling cascades. Lactocrine-sensitive processes in nursed gilts included those involved in response to wounding, the plasminogen activator network and coagulation. Overall, RNAseq analysis revealed comprehensive age- and nursing-related transcriptomic differences in the neonatal porcine uterus and identified novel pathways and biological processes regulating uterine development.