Effects of low and high maternal protein intake on fetal skeletal muscle miRNAome in sheep

Authors: AKYUZ, BILAL - Erciyes University; HASAN SOHEL, MD MAHMODUL - Erciyes University; KONCA, YUSUF - Erciyes University; ARSLAN, KORHAN - Erciyes University; GURBULAK, KUTLAY - Erciyes University; ABAY, MURAT - Erciyes University; KALIBER, MAHMUT - Erciyes University; White, Stephen; ULAS CINAR, MEHMET - Erciyes University

Submitted to: Animals
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/27/2024
Publication Date: 5/8/2024
Citation: Akyuz, B., Hasan Sohel, M., Konca, Y., Arslan, K., Gurbulak, K., Abay, M., Kaliber, M., White, S.N., Cinar, M. 2024. Effects of low and high maternal protein intake on fetal skeletal muscle miRNAome in sheep. Animals. 14(11). Article 1594. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14111594.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14111594

Interpretive Summary: Maternal nutrition during gestation is a crucial factor affecting development. This study explores the impact of maternal dietary protein levels on gene expression of skeletal muscle in lambs. Twelve ewes were assigned to three dietary groups during pregnancy: standard (SP), high (HP), and low (LP) protein diets. Skeletal muscle samples from lambs were collected at 60 days of age for transcriptome analysis. Differential gene expression analysis revealed significant changes in both mRNA and miRNA expression patterns across dietary groups. Key biological pathways were identified linking maternal diet to skeletal muscle development, including muscle contraction, hypertrophy, and Rho GTPase signaling. In addition, the miRNA miR-410-5p was identified as a regulator of developmental processes influenced by maternal protein intake. This study demonstrates that maternal protein intake during pregnancy induces epigenetic and transcriptomic alterations in the offspring. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of developmental programming and suggest potential for strategies to optimize livestock nutrition and management practices.

Technical Abstract: Maternal nutrition during gestation is a crucial factor affecting offspring development. This study explores the impact of maternal dietary protein levels on the transcriptome and miRNAome of skeletal muscle in lambs. Twelve ewes were assigned to three dietary groups—standard (SP), high (HP), and low (LP) protein diets—during pregnancy. Skeletal muscle samples from lambs were collected at 60 days postnatal for transcriptome analysis using microarrays. Differential expression analysis revealed significant changes in mRNA and miRNA expression patterns across dietary groups. Gene ontology and pathway enrichment analyses identified key biological processes and pathways, including muscle contraction, hypertrophy, and Rho GTPase signaling, linking maternal diet to skeletal muscle development. In addition, miRNA analysis highlighted miR-410-5p as a regulator of developmental processes influenced by maternal protein intake. This study demonstrates that maternal protein intake during pregnancy induces epigenetic and transcriptomic alterations in offspring, potentially influencing postnatal growth and compensatory mechanisms. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of developmental programming and suggest potential strategies for optimizing livestock nutrition and management practices.