A comparative mRNA-seq profiling of the liver, rumen villi, mammalian gland and kidney of Holstein dairy cows with high vs normal milk-urea excretion and with low vs normal (control) crude protein intake

Nitrogen (N) emissions became a huge topic under environmental and nutrient concerns in dairy farming. Nitrogen is metabolized in cows as a consequence of feed crude protein digestion which is either recycled or excreted via urine, faeces and/or milk. In dairy cows differences between cows in N-recycling and N-emissions have been postulated. This study investigated 24 Holstein dairy cows in late lactation. The experimental design comprises two dietary groups (low (LP) vs normal (NP) crude protein) and two groups of milk urea content, high (HMU) vs low (LMU). Transcriptomic profiles of the liver, rumen, mammalian gland and kidney tissues were comparatively assessed by mRNA sequencing.