RNA sequencing reveals that methionine supply during late-gestation alters neonatal Holstein heifer calf liver transcriptome profiles

Maternal methionine supply during late pregnancy can affect offspring growth and development via nutritional programming. In the present study, we investigated if increasing the supply of methionine during late-pregnancy in Holstein cows affects transcriptome profiles in the offspring. Liver biopsies were harvested at 4 days of age from 6 calves per treatment born to cows fed a control diet or the control plus ethyl-cellulose rumen-protected methionine for the last 28 days prepartum, and were fed and managed similarly after birth

妊娠晚期母体蛋氨酸（methionine）供给可通过营养程序化（nutritional programming）影响子代的生长发育。本研究旨在探究妊娠晚期提高荷斯坦奶牛（Holstein cows）的蛋氨酸供给水平，是否会对子代的转录组（transcriptome）谱产生影响。本试验中，对照组母牛饲喂基础日粮，试验组母牛在产前最后28天饲喂添加乙基纤维素瘤胃保护性蛋氨酸（ethyl-cellulose rumen-protected methionine）的基础日粮；每组分娩的犊牛各6头，于出生后4日龄采集肝脏活检样本，且所有犊牛在出生后的饲喂与管理方式均保持一致。