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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Nutrition, Growth and Physiology » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #403013
Research Project: Optimizing Nutrient Management and Efficiency of Beef Cattle and Swine

Location: Nutrition, Growth and Physiology

Title: Methionine and guanidinoacetic acid supplementation during the periconceptual period of gestation shifts methionine metabolism of fetal bull calves at d 63 of gestation

Author
item Crouse, Matthew
item HAUXWELL, KATHLYN - North Dakota State University
item CATON, JOEL - North Dakota State University
item WARD, ALISON - University Of Saskatchewan
item DAHLEN, CARL - North Dakota State University
item AMAT, S - North Dakota State University
item Freetly, Harvey
item Lindholm-Perry, Amanda
item Neville, Bryan
item Oliver, William
item Thorson, Jennifer
item Snider, Alexandria - Alex
item Miles, Jeremy
item Cushman, Robert - Bob

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/17/2023
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Recent research has demonstrated that feeding rumen protected methionine (MET) products increases circulating methionine while feeding guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) may result in a methyl deficiency. Therefore, we hypothesized that maternal MET or GAA supplementation from 63 days before breeding until d 63 of gestation would increase fetal hepatic methyl donors or result in a fetal hepatic methyl donor deficiency, respectively. Eighty MARC II heifers (n = 20 per treatment; initial BW = 344 ± 8 kg; day -63) were weighed and assigned to one of four breeding groups and four treatments stratified by age and starting weight. Heifers were fed a total mixed ration to gain 0.68 kg/d and received 100 g of one of four treatments top dressed: control supplement of ground corn (CON), MET (10 g/d) in a ground corn carrier, GAA (40 g/d) in a ground corn carrier, or MET + GAA (10 g/d MET + 40 g/d GAA) in a ground corn carrier. At breeding (d 0), all heifers were bred to a single sire using male sexed semen. At d 63 of gestation, 35 heifers (CON n = 10, MET n = 8, GAA n = 7, MET + GAA, n = 10) confirmed pregnant with bull calves were humanely slaughtered and fetal liver tissues were collected and sent to Metabolon Inc. for global metabolomics analysis. Data were analyzed as a 2 x 2 factorial with 2 levels of GAA and 2 levels of MET with breeding group included in the model. For this abstract, only metabolites from the methionine cycle and adjacent pathways will be reported and only metabolites with significant P-values will be discussed (P <= 0.05). There were no main effects or interactions for the abundance of methionine, GAA, creatine, SAM, SAH or homocysteine. Glycine was decreased and sarcosine increased in fetuses from MET supplemented dams. Serine was affected by a MET x GAA interaction being decreased in livers of CON, MET, and MET + GAA fetuses compared with GAA. Cystathione, S-methylcysteine, s-methylcysteine sulfoxide, and hypotaurine were greater in fetuses of MET supplemented heifers and pyridoxal phosphate was reduced in fetal liver of MET supplemented heifers. The abundance of urea was greater in GAA supplemented fetuses. These results indicate that fetuses from dams fed methionine may be able to maintain balance in methionine supply by shunting methionine through adjacent pathways including the transsulfuration pathway. We also interpret these data to imply that excess methionine is not utilized by the fetus and is metabolized to products that can be excreted. Lastly, GAA did not bypass the rumen after extended feeding and did not alter the fetal methyl supply. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Funded by (USDA-NIFA-AFRI # 2022-67015-36196).