Project description:Negative energy balance (NEB) is an altered metabolic state in high yielding cows that occurs during the first few weeks postpartum when energy demands for lactation and maintenance exceed the energy supply from dietary intake. NEB can, in turn, lead to metabolic disorders and to reduced fertility. Alterations in the expression of more than 700 hepatic genes have previously been reported in a study of NEB in postpartum dairy cows. miRNAs (microRNA) are known to mediate many alterations in gene expression post transcriptionally. To study the hepatic miRNA content of postpartum dairy cows, including their overall abundance and differential expression, in mild NEB (MNEB) and severe NEB (SNEB) short read RNA sequencing was carried out.
Project description:High yielding dairy cattle undergo a state of NEB (negative energy balance) during the post-partum period when energy demand for lactation and maintenance exceeds energy intake. During this period in order to counteract NEB the liver under goes extensive metabolic and physiological change resulting in alteration in hepatic genes and miRNAs expression. We used Affymetrix Multispecies miRNA-2_0 Array with miRBase version 15 coverage to assess the liver miRNA expression in SNEB (severe NEB) and MNEB (mild NEB) Holstein Friesian cattle during the post-partum period.
