Project description:We assessed the transcriptomic adaptation of the calf rumen epithelium to changes in ruminal pH caused by feeding calf starter with and without forage during weaning transition. The calves were divided into a gorage provision group (HAY group, n = 3) and forage non-provision group (CON group, n = 4) 3 weeks after weaning.
Project description:We assessed the transcriptomic adaptation of the calf rumen epithelium to changes in ruminal pH caused by feeding calf starter with and without forage during weaning transition.
Project description:The aim of this study was to measure the impact of contrasting feeding regimes in the first 12 wk of life, known to impact age at puberty on the molecular control of the testes in bull calves. Holstein bull calves were designated to high (HI; n=15) or moderate (MOD; n=15) dietary groups, with diets designed to provoke growth rates of 1.0 and 0.5 kg/day, respectively. At 12 wk of age, all calves were euthanized, and testes parenchyma harvested. RNA was extracted from the testes and used for miRNAseq. Bioinformatic analysis identified 7 miRNA as differentially expressed between the HI and MOD treatment groups, with target mRNA genes invovled in pathways related to AMPK and IGF-1 signaling.
Project description:The aim of the overall study was to investigate the development of immune competence in artificially reared dairy calves and in two breeds of naturally suckled beef calves over the first 168h of life. Dairy calves were fed 5% total body weight of colostrum, with beef calves monitored to ensure natural ingestion of colostrum. Blood samples were taken from all calves at 24h 48h 72h and 168h, and analysed for alterations to immunes genes.
Project description:The objective of this study was to examine changes in hepatic gene expression of heifer calves offered varying planes of nutrition during early life. At approximately 3 weeks of age (19 ± 5 days of age) Angus X Holstein-Friesian heifer calves were offered a high (HP, n=15) or moderate plane of nutrition (MP, n=15) to achieve target growth rates of 1.2 kg/d and 0.5 kg/d, respectively. After 18 weeks of differential feeding all calves were euthanized and the liver of each calf recovered. RNA was extracted and subsequently subjected to RNAseq analysis. A total of 591 genes were identified as significantly differentially expressed between HP and MP calves. Differentially expressed genes were involved in biological pathways and processes including those related to metabolism (amino acid, vitamin and mineral metabolism) as well as those involved in organ growth and development.
Project description:Delivery of colostrum within the first several hours after birth is vital for establishing successful passive immunity in neonatal dairy calves. However, it is unclear whether the difference in colostrum feeding strategy can affect the development of the calf gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of colostrum feeding time within the first 12 h after birth on the colonic mucosal immune system in neonatal calves using a genome wide transcriptome analysis.RNA sequencing based transcriptome analysis of colon tissues collected from twenty-seven male Holstein calves which were randomly assigned to one of three colostrum feeding strategies (immediately after birth (TRT0); 6 h after birth (TRT6); 12 h after birth (TRT12)) and were euthanized at 51 h of age detected 15935 ± 210, 15332 ± 415, and 15539 ± 440 expressed genes in groups, respectively. The core transcriptome of the colon in dairy calves included 12,678 genes, with enriched “cellular process” and “metabolic process” as the top three biological functions. Expression of 802 immune related genes were detected in the colon tissue. Principal component analysis of the transcriptomes did not display a clear separation by colostrum feeding strategy, and differential abundance analyses showed no significant difference in the expression of immune related genes among the treatments.Transcriptome analysis indicates that the development of the colonic mucosal immune system in neonatal calves may be independent of the timing of initial colostrum meal within 12 h after birth.
Project description:Calves are highly susceptible to gastrointestinal infection with Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum), which can result in watery diarrhea and eventually death or impaired development. With little to no effective therapeutics, understanding the host’s microbiota and pathogen interaction at the mucosal immune system has been critical to identify and test novel control strategies. We used an experimental model of C. parvum challenge in neonatal calves to describe the clinical signs and mucosal innate immune and microbiota hallmarks in the ileum and colon during cryptosporidiosis and investigated the impact of supplemental colostrum feeding on C. parvum infection. The C. parvum challenged calves experienced clinical signs including pyrexia and diarrhea 5 days post challenge. These calves showed ulcerative neutrophil ileitis with a proteomic signature driven by inflammatory effectors, including reactive oxygen species and myeloperoxidases. Colitis was also noticed with an aggravated mucin barrier depletion and lack of full filled mucin granule in goblet cells. The C. parvum challenged calves also displayed a pronounced dysbiosis with a high prevalence of Clostridium species (spp.) and number of exotoxins, adherence factors, and secretion systems related to Clostridium spp. and other enteropathogens, including Campylobacter spp., Escherichia sp., Shigella spp., and Listeria spp. Daily supplementation with a high-quality bovine colostrum product mitigated some of the clinical signs and modulated the gut immune response and concomitant microbiota to a pattern more similar to that of healthy unchallenged calves.
Project description:Four mature, non-lactating dairy cattle were transitioned from a high forage diet (HF; 0% grain) to a high grain diet (HG; 65% grain) that was fed for three weeks. Rumen papillae biopsies were performed during the HF baseline (week 0) and after the first (week 1) and third week (week 3) of the grain challenge to create a transcript profile for the the short and long-term adaption of the rumen epithelium during ruminal acidosis. Comparison between three weekly means (n=4 for each week, 12 arrays in total)
Project description:The time-resolved impact of monensin on the active rumen microbiome in a rumen-simulating technique (Rusitec) was studied with metaproteomic and metabolomic approaches. Upon monensin treatment, decreased catabolism linked to fiber degradation was observed by the reduced abundance of proteins assigned to fibrolytic bacteria and glycoside hydrolases, sugar transporters and carbohydrate metabolism. Reduced amounts of ammonium as well as branched-chain fatty acids pointed towards a decreased proteolytic activity. The family Prevotellaceae exhibited increased resilience in the presence of monensin, with a switch of metabolism from acetate to succinate production. Prevotella species harbor a membrane bound electron transfer complex, which drives the reduction of fumarate to succinate, the substrate for propionate production in the rumen habitat. Besides the increased succinate production, a concomitant depletion of methane concentration was observed upon monensin exposure. Our study demonstrates that Prevotella sp. shifts its metabolism successfully in response to monensin exposure and Prevotellaceae represents the key bacterial family stabilizing the rumen microbiota during exposure to monensin.
Project description:The aim of this study was to examine changes in the transcriptional profile of visceral adipose tissue in heifer calves offered varying planes of nutrition during the early life period. From approximately 3 weeks of age (19 ± 5 days of age) Angus X Holstein-Friesian heifer calves were offered either a high (HP, n=15) or moderate (MP, n=15) plane of nutrition to achieve target growth rates of 1.2 kg/d and 0.5 kg/d, respectively. After 18 weeks of differential feeding all calves were euthanized and visceral adipose tissue samples harvested from each calf. RNA was extracted and subsequently subjected to RNAseq analysis. A total of 1052 genes were identified as significantly differentially expressed between calves on the High plane of nutrition and those on the Moderate plane of nutrition. Biological pathway analysis revealed an enrichement from these genes for processes and pathways including Sirtuin signalling, oxidative phosphorylation and adipogenesis.