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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #423578
Research Project: Accelerating Genetic Improvement of Ruminants Through Enhanced Genome Assembly, Annotation, and Selection

Location: Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory

Title: Liver transcriptome dynamics in Holstein cows during the periparturient transition

Author
item Bhowmik, Nayan
item DA SILVA, MARIANA - University Of Pennsylvania
item CASTANEDA, ALEJANDRO - University Of Pennsylvania
item Miles, Asha
item Li, Congjun
item Van Tassell, Curtis
item Baldwin, Ransom
item RICO, EDUARDO - University Of Pennsylvania
item Liu, Ge

Submitted to: Journal of Dairy Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/20/2025
Publication Date: 6/22/2025
Citation: Bhowmik, N., da Silva, M., Castaneda, A., Miles, A.M., Li, C., Van Tassell, C.P., Baldwin, R.L., Rico, E., Liu, G. 2025. Liver transcriptome dynamics in Holstein cows during the periparturient transition [abstract]. Journal of Dairy Science. 108(Suppl 1):214-215(abstr 2235).

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: During the peripartum phase in dairy cattle, significant physiological, metabolic, and immunological changes occur, impacting the health, productivity, and reproductive efficiency of both the cow and her calf. The liver plays a critical role in managing these challenges throughout this transition. This study aimed to investigate the alterations in hepatic global transcriptomic profiles in periparturient dairy cows in response to variations in energy balance, lipid metabolism, and immune responses. Liver biopsies were collected from six multiparous Holstein cows at 21 days before calving (-21 d) and 7 days after calving (7 d) for RNA sequencing. After quality control and read trimming, RNA-seq reads were aligned to the cattle ARS-UCD2.0 genome assembly. Differential gene expression and co-expression network analyses, along with pathway enrichment, were conducted utilizing the R packages DESeq2 and WGCNA, and the WebGestalt tool. Using a cutoff of log2 fold-change > |0.5| and a Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted p-value < 0.05, we identified 211 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between -21 d and 7 d (164 upregulated, 47 downregulated). Cows at 7 d exhibited pronounced activation of lipid metabolism, energy homeostasis, amino acid metabolism, protein metabolism, cell division, and cell cycle metabolism, reflecting increased energy demands during early lactation. However, genes involved in tissue remodeling and lipid biosynthetic processes were found to be downregulated, likely due to the negative energy balance during this phase, which triggers rapid mobilization of adipose reserves. Pathway analysis using KEGG revealed that at 7 d, endocrine system regulation and lipid and carbohydrate metabolism pathways were activated, including PPAR signaling, metabolic pathways, fatty acid degradation, glucagon signaling, adipocytokine signaling, AMPK signaling, fatty acid metabolism, peroxisome function, and pyruvate metabolism. Conversely, the p53 signaling pathway, which regulates the cell cycle and DNA damage response, was downregulated at 7 d, likely promoting cell survival and inhibiting apoptosis in mammary tissue, ultimately supporting enhanced milk production. Co-expression gene network analysis further confirmed the activation of these biological processes and KEGG pathways. In conclusion, these findings provide valuable insights into the hepatic transcriptomic adaptations that enable periparturient dairy cows to meet the metabolic demands of early lactation, offering potential targets for improving health and productivity during this critical period.