Project description: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.
Project description:Purpose: The present study was designed to identify both differentially expressed (DE) genes and differences in proteins accumulated in the liver tissues of suckling female lambs, thus trying to identify modified metabolic pathways as a consequence of milk restriction during the suckling period. Methods: Forty Assaf lambs (average BW 4.7 kg) were penned individually, twenty of them were fed milk replacer (200 g dry matter/L) ad libitum (ADL; 192 mL/kg LBW) whereas the other group (restricted, RES) only received 120 mL/kg LBW. When they were 35 days old, four animals per group were slaughtered (8 lambs in total) and a piece of liver was excised for transcriptomic analysis. The liver transcriptome analysis was carried out using RNA sequencing methodology (RNA-seq). Results: 386 DE genes were identified by RNA-seq, 198 of them being annotated genes in the KEGG pathway. Positive values of log2-fold change (log2FC) indicated that 210 genes were up-regulated in the liver of RES relative to the ADL group, whereas negative log2FC values denoted the down-regulation of 176 genes (P < 0.05). Conclusions: According to the data obtained, a restricted milk intake during the suckling period of replacement lambs affects hepatic transcriptome and proteome associated with an altered metabolism of lipids and proteins, thus reducing feed efficiency of replacement period.
Project description:Purpose: The present study was designed to identify both differentially expressed (DE) genes in the liver tissues of fattening Merino lambs and differences in metabolites accumulated in plasma, thus trying to identify modified metabolic pathways as a consequence of milk restriction during the suckling period. Methods: Twenty-four male Merino lambs were assigned to 2 different groups (n=12 per dietary treatment). The first group (ad libitum, ADL) was kept permanently with the dams whereas the other group (restricted, RES) was milk restricted. When they reached 15 kg of live body weight, all the lambs were offered the same complete pelleted diet at the same level to ensure no differences in dry matter intake. All the lambs were slaughtered with 27 kg. For transcriptomic analysis, 4 liver samples representative from each group (8 samples in total) were selected for RNA sequencing methodology (RNA-seq). Results: 38 DE annotated genes were identified by RNA-seq, with 23 DE genes being down-regulated and 15 up-regulated in the liver of RES relative to the ADL group (P < 0.10). In general, those genes and pathways involved in protein synthesis or protease inhibitors were down-regulated in the RES group, whereas those related to proteolytic degradation were up-regultated, thus suggesting a higher catabolism of proteins in these lambs. Contrarily, RES lambs showed over-expression of xenobiotic metabolism pathways, whereas those genes related to β-oxidation of fatty acids were down expressed. Conclusions: According to the data obtained, early feed restriction during the suckling period of Merino lambs promoted long-term effects on hepatic transcriptomic profile and plasma metabolic profile wich might have modified fatty acids metabolism, catabolism of proteins and detoxification of xenobiotics, thus reducing feed efficiency of fattening period.
Project description:In this study, we studied the fibrolytic potential of the rumen microbiota in the rumen of 6 lambs separated from their dams from 12h of age and artificially fed with milk replacer (MR) and starter feed from d8, in absence (3 lambs) or presence (3 lambs) of a combination of the live yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077 and selected yeast metabolites. The fibrolytic potential of the rumen microbiota of the lambs at 56 days of age was analyzed with a DNA microarray (FibroChip) targeting genes coding for 8 glycoside hydrolase (GH) families.
Project description:Feeding animals with either concentrates supplemented with vitamin E 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) or concentrate supplemented with vitamin E (n=7, VE) for 30 days 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 longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle and subcutaneous fat (SF) with the Affymetrix® Ovine Gene 1.1 microarray was used. In LT muscle when ALF group was compared with C group, were identified 41 genes differentially expressed. Among these genes 32 were down- regulated and 9 were up- regulated. Meanwhile when VE treatment was compared with C group were identified a total of 29 genes, 26 were down- regulated and 3 genes were up- regulated. In SF when ALF treatment was compared with C, were identified only 4 genes differentially expressed, all of them up-regulated in ALF group. Meanwhile when VE treatment was compared with C group, were identified a total of 330 genes. Among them, 295 genes were up- regulated and 35 were down- regulated. In LT muscle the clusters corresponding to gene expression profiles from treatments ALF, C and VE were clearly separated from each other. In SF, ALF group, overlap with VE and C treatments, however, VE and C clearly were separate in different clusters. These differentially expressed genes were selected for a functional analysis by using DAVID. In LT muscle some of the identified significant biological processes were catabolic and lipid process (down-regulated, except CPT1B) (CPT1B, PLA2G16, SPSB1, LRTOMT, PLCD4, FBXO9, CNBP and CYP27A1) and muscle organ differentiation (down-regulated) (CPT1B, MYOD1, MYLK2 and MSTN) in ALF; whereas intracellular signaling cascade (IGF1R, DEF8, AKAP7 and CISH) was down-regulated. In SF, vitamin E supplementation had an important effect; most of the genes were up-regulated. DAVID analysis showed that biosynthesis lipid pathway was the most represented with 20 genes, such as EBP, MVD, CYP51A1, DHCR7, HMGCS1, LSS and FDFT1 implicated in cholesterol synthesis. Further exploration of the links between these genes and vitamin E will lead to a better understanding of how vitamin E affects the oxidative process that occurs in meat products.
Project description:Fifiteen male Hu-lambs were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 5 for each group). Lambs in the control (CON), HG, and HP groups received low-grain nonpelleted diet (30% concentrate), HG diet (70% concentrate), and HP diet containing the same ingredients and nutritions with HG group, respectivley. After 60-day treatment, all the lambs were slaughtered to collect ruminal epihelium samples for transcriptome analysis.
Project description:Samples of perirenal fat tissue from 8 Assaf breed suckling lambs. These animals were selected from a larger group of 17 Assaf suckling lambs for which carcass traits were measured. The 8 selected lambs were those showing the highest and the lowest values, from the larger group, for the percentage of perirenal and cavitary fat relative to the half carcass weight. Hence, considering the values for this trait, we defined the High-PF group (n = 4; average: 3.23 ± 0,.47) and the Low-PF group (n = 4; 1.65 ± 0,.16), respectively.
Project description:The common practise of artificially rearing some lambs from prolific meat breeds of sheep constitutes a welfare issue due to increased mortality rates and negative health issues. In this multidisciplinary study, we investigated the possible short and mid-term advantages of artificially feeding fresh ewe’s milk instead of commercial milk replacer on lambs’ growth, health and welfare. Romane lambs were either separated from their mothers on D3 and fed with Lacaune ewes’ milk (LAC, n=13) or milk replacer (REP, N=15), or they were reared by their mothers (MOT, n=15). On D45, they were weaned, gathered in single sex groups until the end of the study on D150. Lamb performance and biomarkers of overall health were assessed by measuring: growth, dirtiness of the perianal area, enteric pathogens in the faeces, total antioxidant status and redox status assessed by plasma reduced (GSH)/oxidized (GSSG) glutathione ratio, and immune response after vaccination against chlamydiosis. As an exploratory approach, blood cell transcriptomic profiles were also investigated. Last, Qualitative Behaviour Assessment was performed as an integrated welfare criteria. LAC and REP never differed in their average daily gain but grew less than MOT lambs in the early suckling period and just after weaning. No effect was detected afterwards. On D30, LAC and REP lambs had lower total antioxidant and higher redox status than MOT lambs but did not differ among themselves. LAC and MOT had a cleaner perianal area than REP lambs on D21, while faecal pathogen infection did not vary between the treatment groups. After vaccination, LAC also had a stronger immune response on D90 compared to REP lambs. Transcriptome analysis performed on D150 showed differential gene expression, mainly in relation to inflammatory, immune and cell cycle response, between male lambs of the LAC group and those of the MOT and REP groups. Based on Qualitative Behaviour Assessment, LAC lambs never differed from MOT lambs in their general activity and varied from REP only on D21; REP lambs were always more agitated than MOT lambs. In conclusion, artificial milk feeding impaired early growth rate, health, and emotional state mainly during the milk feeding period and at weaning. Feeding artificially reared lambs with fresh ewe's milk partly mitigated some of the negative effects induced by milk replacer but without achieving the full benefit of being reared by the mother.