Project description:Bovine mastitis is an inflammatory disease of the mammary gland with serious economic implications for dairy industries worldwide. We performed total RNA sequencing using whole blood cells collected from multiparous Holstein Friesian dairy cows with naturally occurring mastitis to investigate the changes in systemic gene expression and their association with inflammatory responses. Some related sequencing data are deposited in E-MTAB-9347 and E-MTAB-9348.
Project description:We report the results of MIRA-Seq based high-throughput profiling of the bovine dermal fibroblast methylome from two different breeds of cattle (n=4/breed) to determine the breed-dependent differences in methylation.
Project description:The decreased rate of pregnancy obtained in cattle using frozen in vitro embryos compared to in vivo embryos has been associated with over-accumulation of intracellular lipid, which causes cell damage during cryopreservation. It is believed that the higher lipid content of blastomeres of bovine embryos produced in vitro results in darker coloured cytoplasm which could be a consequence of impaired mitochondrial function. In this study, L-carnitine was used as a treatment to reduce embryonic lipid content by increasing metabolism in cultured bovine embryos. We have observed previously that in vivo embryos of different dairy breed collected from cows housed and fed under the same conditions differed in lipid content and metabolism. As such, breed effects between Holstein and Jersey were also accounted for general appearance, lipid composition, mitochondrial activity and gene expression. Adding L-carnitine to the embryo culture medium reduced the lipid content in both breeds due to increased mitochondrial activity. L-carnitine vs controls, in 4 replicates for each breed, with dye-swaps.
Project description:MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that participate in regulation of gene expression. Their role during mammary gland development is still largely unknown. In the present study, we performed a microarray analysis to identify miRNAs associated with high mammogenic potential of bovine mammary gland. We identified 54 miRNAs differing significantly between mammary tissue of dairy (Holstein-Friesian, HF) and beef (Limousine, LM) post-pubertal heifers. Fifty two miRNAs had higher expression in the mammary tissue of LM heifers. Enrichment analyses for targeted genes revealed that the major differences between miRNA expression in the mammary gland of HF vs. LM were associated with regulation of signalling pathways crucial for mammary gland development, such as: TGF-beta, insulin, WNT and inflammatory pathways. Moreover, a number of genes potentially targeted by differentially expressed miRNAs was associated with mammary stem cells’ activity. These data indicate that in dairy cattle high developmental potential of the mammary gland, leading to high milk productivity, not only depends on central neuro-endocrine regulation but also on specific miRNA expression pattern. miRNA profiling of Holstein Freisian (dairy breed) and Limousne heifers (beef breed) mammay glands. Two-condition experiment, LM (test) vs. HF (reference). Total RNA was isolated from quarters of 4 LM and 4 HFmammary glands.
Project description:The decreased rate of pregnancy obtained in cattle using frozen in vitro embryos compared to in vivo embryos has been associated with over-accumulation of intracellular lipid, which causes cell damage during cryopreservation. It is believed that the higher lipid content of blastomeres of bovine embryos produced in vitro results in darker coloured cytoplasm which could be a consequence of impaired mitochondrial function. In this study, L-carnitine was used as a treatment to reduce embryonic lipid content by increasing metabolism in cultured bovine embryos. We have observed previously that in vivo embryos of different dairy breed collected from cows housed and fed under the same conditions differed in lipid content and metabolism. As such, breed effects between Holstein and Jersey were also accounted for general appearance, lipid composition, mitochondrial activity and gene expression. Adding L-carnitine to the embryo culture medium reduced the lipid content in both breeds due to increased mitochondrial activity.
Project description:Feed restriction and L-carnitine infusion are known to affect the liver metabolism of dairy cows. In the present experiment the effects on liver transcriptome of feed restriction and L-carnitine abomasal infusion and the interaction of the two in mid-lactation Holstein dairy cows was assessed. Data clearly indicated a lack of transcriptomics effect by L-carnitine but a strong effect due to feed restriction. The functional analysis identified a overall reduction of cholesterol synthesis and oxidative phosphorylation and data suggested an increase flux toward gluconeogenesis and fatty acid oxidation. The liver biopsy was performed after 14 days of treatment in 8 Holstein dairy cows in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangment with 5 days washout between treatments. A dye-swap reference design (reference = mixture of RNA from several bovine tissues) was used.
Project description: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.