Proteomic profiling of anterior pituitary of bull calves offered either a high or moderate plane of nutrition in early life

Enhanced nutrition during the early calfhood period has been shown to hasten the onset of puberty in bull calves. The hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian biochemical signalling axis regulates reproductive development in bulls, with the dynamics of gonadotropin pulsatility within the anterior pituitary gland, in particular, central to final sexual maturity. However, the precise molecular mechanisms regulating the influence of metabolic status on this signalling axis in bull calves is yet to be fully elucidated. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of an enhanced plane of nutrition during early life, up to 12 weeks of age, on the anterior pituitary gland proteome of bull calves. Bull calves were offered either a high or moderate plane of nutrition.