Liver transcriptome study in lambs. Liver transcriptome study in lambs

Feeding animals with either concentrates or alfalfa grazing has been proven to reduce the oxidative process that occurs in meat products. Indoor-kept lambs were fed a standard concentrate (n=7, C) before slaughtering all animals at 22–24 kg of live weight. Simultaneously, 7 unweaned lambs grazed in alfalfa paddocks (ALF) with their dams. Global transcriptomic data of liver with the Affymetrix® Ovine Gene 1.1 microarray was used. When ALF group was compared with C group, were identified 96 genes differentially expressed. Among these genes 92 were down- regulated and 4 were up- regulated. The clusters corresponding to gene expression profiles from treatments were clearly separated from each other. These differentially expressed genes were selected for a functional analysis by using DAVID. Three major gene clusters associated with “sterol biosynthesis (EBP, MVD, HMGCR, CYP51A1, HMGCS1, NR0B2, C14ORF1, FDFT1, SQLE, DHCR7, SC5DL, DHCR24, NSDHL) , “lipid biosynthetic process (ACACA, CYP51A1, FADS1, FADS2, SCD y SC5DL)”, “cholesterol metabolic process (EBP, MVD, HMGCR, CYP51A1, SQLE, DHCR7, HMGCS1, NR0B2, DHCR24, FDFT1, NSDHL)” were found. Overall design: 14 male lambs were employed. 7 animals were fed basal concentrate, and 7 animals grazed in alfalfa paddocks. Animals were slaughtered at 22-24 kg of live weight. Just after slaughter, a piece of liver were sampled from each animal.