Expression data from cold stress in Sanhe cattle

While cold stress has been shown to seriously impact cattle industry, there are only a few reports investigating the effect of cold stress on cattle. Whether severe cold stress results in alterations in gene expression and affects molecular genetic mechanisms remains unknown. We used microarrays to analyze the alterations in gene expression in peripheral blood samples in response to cold exposure and identified differentially regulated genes. This study was performed on 30 healthy Sanhe heifers with similar genetic backgrounds, weight, and age. In order to induce cold stress, the cattle were transferred outdoor and were exposed to a temperature of -32°C for 3 hours followed by housing in cowshed at 5°C for 15 hours. Blood samples with EDTA were collected from each animal before and after the cold exposure. After total RNA was isolated from blood cells, six RNA samples (three derived before and three after the cold exposure), were collected from three animals randomly selected from the 30 healthy heifers for gene expression profiling in response to severe cold stress.