Dietary Fatty Acid Profile and Choline Altered the Transcriptome of Peripheral White Blood Cells of Pregnant Beef Cows

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

6-2025

Publication Title

Journal of Animal Science

Abstract

In cattle, embryonic elongation requires an increased uptake of fatty acids supplied by the uterine environment. During the peri elongation period, the concentration of specific phospholipids, sphingolipids, ceramides, and oxylipins composed of unsaturated fatty acids and choline are increased in the uterine luminal fluid. Therefore, our objective was to provide a dietary supplementation strategy containing rumen-inert mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids and rumen-protected choline to support embryonic elongation and embryo-maternal communication. One hundred suckled multiparous Angus cows were randomly assigned on d -30 to receive either TARG) 100 g of a rumen-inert mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acid source (Essentiom; Church and Dwight Co., Inc., Princeton, NJ) plus 60 g of a rumen-protected choline source (ReaShure; Balchem, Montvale, NJ) or CON) 114 g of a saturated fatty acid source (Energy Booster 100; Milk Specialties, Eden Prairie, MN). Treatments were top-dressed daily into a similar total mixed ration until d 30. All cows were synchronized using a 7-day CO-synch+CIDR protocol and received timed artificial insemination by the same technician on d 0. On d 16, uterine flushing was conducted in a subset of cows (CON = 20 and TARG = 23) to determine the presence and length of the embryo, and uterine luminal fluid was analyzed for the concentration of interferon tau (IFNT). Only samples with fully recovered embryos were analyzed (CON = 6 and TARG = 6). In addition, blood was collected to determine the concentration of progesterone (P4) and for RNA extraction and further RNAseq from peripheral white blood cells (PWBC). Cows subjected to uterine flushing were excluded from the experiment, and the remaining cows (CON = 29 and TARG = 26) received a blood collection on d 19 for further P4 and RNAseq analyses. On d 30, pregnancy diagnosis was conducted and only samples from cows deemed pregnant were analyzed. The effects of treatment, group, and their interaction on embryonic length, P4, and IFNT were analyzed by ANOVA. Embryonic length, P4, and IFNT did not differ between treatments, lengths averaged 6.8 ± 2.05 cm and 5.19 ± 1.79 on TARG and CON, respectively (P = 0.57). However, gene expression in PWBC was altered between treatments. On d 16, there were 22 differentially expressed genes (DEGs; FDR ≤ 0.05) in PWBC, with 11 genes being upregulated in TARG, such as PTGR1, TMEM38A, RAPGEF3, and AP3M2. On d 19, there were 702 DEGs (FDR ≤ 0.05) in PWBC with 413 downregulated and 289 upregulated in TARG with a major downregulation in canonical pathways involved in immune responses. Altogether, these preliminary results show major differences in the gene expression in PWBC during maternal recognition of pregnancy despite the lack of changes in embryonic parameters.

Volume

103

Issue

Suppl 2

First Page

119

Last Page

119

Comments

American Society of Animal Science Southern Section / Western Section 2025 Joint Meeting, April 5-8, 2025, Arlington, TX

DOI

10.1093/jas/skaf170.137

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