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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 #411932
Research Project: Optimizing Nutrient Management and Efficiency of Beef Cattle and Swine

Location: Nutrition, Growth and Physiology

Title: Methionine and guanidinoacetic acid supplementation of beef heifers during the periconceptual period impacts fetal hepatic transcriptome

Author
item HAUXWELL, KATHLYN - North Dakota State University
item Cushman, Robert
item CATON, JOEL - North Dakota State University
item DINIZ, WELLISON - Auburn University
item WARD, ALISON - University Of Saskatchewan
item Lindholm-Perry, Amanda
item Snider, Alexandria
item FREETLY, HARVEY - Retired ARS Employee
item DAHLEN, CARL - North Dakota State University
item AMAT, SAMAT - North Dakota State University
item Neville, Bryan
item Thorson, Jennifer
item Oliver, William
item Miles, Jeremy
item Crouse, Matthew

Submitted to: Ruminant Physiology International Symposium Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/16/2024
Publication Date: 8/1/2024
Citation: Hauxwell, K.M., Cushman, R.A., Caton, J.S., Diniz, W.J., Ward, A.K., Lindholm-Perry, A.K., Snider, A.P., Freetly, H.C., Dahlen, C.R., Amat, S., Neville, B.W., Thorson, J.F., Oliver, W.T., Miles, J.R., Crouse, M.S. 2024. Methionine and guanidinoacetic acid supplementation of beef heifers during the periconceptual period impacts fetal hepatic transcriptome [abstract]. Ruminant Physiology International Symposium Proceedings, August 26-29, 2024, Chicago, Illinois. Abstract Program p. 73-74.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Methyl donor availability is important for fetal growth and developmental programming. However, data regarding methyl donor supply to the bovine fetus and subsequent impacts on transcript abundance are limited. Differential gene expression (DEG) analysis was used in the present study to investigate maternal supplementation of methionine (MET), an obligate methyl donor, and guanidinoacetic acid (GAA), a methyl donor consumer, during the periconceptual period on fetal development. Heifers (n = 80; MARC II) were assigned to 1 of 4 treatments totaling 100 g/d of supplement with ground corn carrier: MET (10 g/d), GAA (40 g/d), MET+GAA (10 g/d Met+40 g/d GAA), or carrier alone (CON; 0 g/d Met+0 g/d GAA). Supplementation was started 63 d before and ended 63 d after breeding. Heifers pregnant with male fetuses (MET, n = 8; GAA, n = 7; MET+GAA, n = 10; CON, n = 10) were harvested on d 63 of gestation. Fetal liver (n = 35) RNA was extracted and subjected to transcript abundance analysis using RNA-Seq. The DEG analysis revealed 76 upregulated and 123 downregulated genes from MET vs. CON, 65 upregulated and 96 downregulated genes from GAA vs. CON, and 148 upregulated and 57 downregulated genes from MET+GAA vs. CON treated heifers (P