Transcriptome of blood leukocytes in response to conceptus proteins in dairy cattle [PBLs]

This study reproduced in vivo aspects of the temporal signaling of interferon tau (IFNT) and pregnancy associated glycoproteins (PAG) during bovine early pregnancy. The objective of this study was to analyze the short and long-term effects of IFNT, and the effect of PAG on the transcriptome of blood leukocytes. Overall design: Holstein heifers (N = 6/treatment) were estrous synchronized and received intrauterine infusions of one of the following treatments: 200 µg/mL bovine serum albumin (BSA; vehicle) from day 14 to 16 of the estrous cycle (BSA), vehicle + 10 µg/mL of IFNT from day 14 to 16 (IFNT3), vehicle + 10 µg/mL of IFNT from day 14 to 19 (IFNT6), and vehicle + 10 µg/mL of IFNT from day 14 to 16 followed by vehicle + 10 µg/mL of IFNT + 5 µg/mL of PAG from day 17 to 19 (IFNT+PAG). RNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs, N = 4/treatment) and transcriptomic data were obtained through BGI (Shenzhen, China) services.