Project description:Understanding the developmental origins of reproductive disorders cannot be achieved without understanding normal development and the connected transcriptomics of the fetal ovary. To better understand this, we profiled and analysed RNA from fetal ovaries across gestation (62-276 days, n=19). The platform used detected 25,133 genes for each sample across gestation. Principal Component analysis of the data clustered the samples in three stages of development [early I (up to 98 days), early II (98-135 days) and late (> 135 days)]. Differential expression of genes between the three stages will then be used to delineate the pathways which are up-/down-regulated during these developmental stages.
Project description:To characterize miRNA expression throughout gestation, we utilized small RNA sequencing to evaluate matched chorioallantois and serum samples from mares at 4 m gestation (n = 3), 10 m gestation (n = 3) and postpartum (n = 3), as well as serum from diestrus mares (n = 6).
Project description:Ovarian follicular granulosa cells surround and nurture oocytes, and produce sex steroid hormones. It is believed that during development the ovarian surface epithelial cells invaginate into the ovary and develop into granulosa cells when associating with oogonia to form follicles. Using bovine fetal ovaries (n = 53) we identified a novel cell type, termed GREL for Gonadal Ridge Epithelial-Like. Using 25 markers for GREL and other cells we conducted immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy and chronologically tracked all somatic cell types during development. Before 70 days of gestation the gonadal ridge/ovarian primordium is formed by proliferation of GREL cells at the surface epithelium of the mesonephros. Primordial germ cells (PGCs) migrate into the ovarian primordium. After 70 days, stroma from the underlying mesonephros begins to penetrate the primordium, partitioning the developing ovary into irregularly-shaped ovigerous cords composed of GREL cells and PGCs/oogonia. Importantly we identified that the cords are separated from the stroma by a basal lamina. Around 130 days of gestation as the stroma expands laterally below the GREL cells on the surface thus establishing a sub-epithelial basal lamina and an epithelial-stromal interface, and it is at this stage that a mature surface epithelium develops from the GREL cells. The stroma continues to partition the ovigerous cords into smaller groups of cells eventually forming follicles containing an oogonium/oocyte surrounded by GREL cells, which become granulosa cells. Thus in contrast to the prevailing theory, the ovarian surface epithelial cells do not invaginate into the ovary to form the granulosa cells of follicles. Microarray analysis of gene expression was conducted on different cell types cultured from fetal ovaries to identify possible markers of somatic cells during development. Two different cell types: Gonadal Ridge Epithelial-Like cells (n=2, 130 days gestation) and adult fibroblasts (n=1) were cultured from digested bovine fetal ovaries and gene expression compared with each other by Bovine Genome Affy array analysis in Partek Genomics Suite software, to identify possible markers of somatic cells during development.
Project description:Normal development in the brain requires temporal changes in gene expression. A better understanding of the genomics of the fetal brain during late gestation can help to improve our understanding of the molecular events that enable the newborn to survive extra-uterine life. The purpose of the present study is to model changes and coherence of gene expression in cerebral cortex, brainstem, hippocampus, and hypothalamus throughout the second half of gestation. We used the sheep as an animal model to identify co-expressed genes in different regions of the ovine fetal brain, from mid-gestation (80 days) to one day of postnatal life. In the ewe, gestation length varies from 142 to 152 days, with an average of 147 days. Using a newly-available ovine array and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we tested the hypothesis that the resulting products of genes expressed in a similar pattern through the last stage of gestation in different brain regions are functionally related and could play an important role in the normal fetal development.
Project description:Normal development in the brain requires temporal changes in gene expression. A better understanding of the genomics of the fetal brain during late gestation can help to improve our understanding of the molecular events that enable the newborn to survive extra-uterine life. The purpose of the present study is to model changes and coherence of gene expression in cerebral cortex, brainstem, hippocampus, and hypothalamus throughout the second half of gestation. We used the sheep as an animal model to identify co-expressed genes in different regions of the ovine fetal brain, from mid-gestation (80 days) to one day of postnatal life. In the ewe, gestation length varies from 142 to 152 days, with an average of 147 days. Using a newly-available ovine array and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we tested the hypothesis that the resulting products of genes expressed in a similar pattern through the last stage of gestation in different brain regions are functionally related and could play an important role in the normal fetal development. Tissues from cortex, brainstem, hippocampus and hypothalamus were collected from non treated fetuses at 80 (80d, n=4), 96M-bM-^@M-^S100 (100d, n=4), 120 (120d, n=4), 130 (130d, n=4), and 142M-bM-^@M-^S144 (145d, n=4) days of gestation and on the first (1d, n=4) day after delivery. Each group included one set of twin fetuses. None of the ewes showed any signs of impending labor.
Project description:Microarray analysis of human fetal microglia from the mid-trimester period was performed. DEGs were identified between early and late stages of the mid-trimester gestation. Genes expressed in the human fetal microglia were also compared with mouse microglia core signature.
Project description:The impact of late-term fetal bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) transient infections (TI) on fetal growth and methylome was examined by inoculating pregnant heifers with a noncytopathic (ncp) type 2 BVDV suspended in media or media alone (sham-inoculated controls) on day 175 of gestation to generate TI (n=11) and control heifer calves (n=12). Blood samples were collected at birth. White blood cells (WBC) were separated for DNA extraction. Fetal infection in calves was confirmed by positive virus serum neutralizing antibody titers at birth and control calves were seronegative. Both control and TI calves were negative for BVDV RNA in WBCs by RT-PCR. DNA methyl seq analysis of WBC DNA demonstrated 2,349 differentially methylated cytosines (p≤0.05) including 1,277 hypomethylated cytosines, 1.072 hypermethylated cytosines, 84 differentially methylated regions based on CpGs in promoters and 89 DMRs based on CpGs in exons of TI WBC DNA compared to controls. Fetal BVDV infection during late gestation resulted in epigenomic modifications predicted to affect fetal and organ development pathways suggesting potential consequences for postnatal growth and health of TI cattle.
Project description:Bovine pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (boPAGs) are extensively glycosylated secretory proteins of trophoblast cells. Roughly 20 different boPAG members are known but their distribution patterns and degree of glycosylation during pregnancy are not well characterized. The objective of the present study was the development of a parallel reaction monitoring-based assay for the profiling of different boPAGs during pregnancy and after gestation. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of N-glycosylation on our analytical results. BoPAGs were purified from cotyledons of four different pregnancy stages. The assay detects 25 proteotypic peptides from 18 boPAGs in a single run. The significantly highest protein abundances were found for boPAG 1 in both, glycosylated and deglycosylated samples. Strongest effects of glycosylation were detected during mid and late pregnancy as well as in afterbirth samples. Furthermore, we identified different boPAG-clusters based on the observed relative protein abundances between glycosylated and deglycosylated samples. A linkage between the impact of glycosylation and potential N-glycosylation sites or phylogenetic relation was not detected. In conclusion, the results of this study provide new starting points to address further research on boPAGs to better understand their physiological role during pregnancy.
Project description:We hypothesized that poor maternal nutrition during gestation would reduce the growth and development of offspring muscle prenatally, reduce the number of myogenic progenitor cells, and result in changes in the global expression of genes involved in prenatal muscle development and function. Ewes were fed a control (100% NRC)-, restricted (60% NRC),- or over-fed (140% NRC) diet beginning at day 30 of gestation until day 45, 90, and 135 of gestation or until parturition. In offspring, we report altered secondary: primary muscle fiber ratios and percent PAX7 positive cells during fetal development. In addition, changes in muscle mRNA expression were observed between maternal dietary treatments and over timepoints during gestation. In conclusion, poor maternal nutrition during gestation contributes to altered offspring muscle growth during early fetal development which persists throughout the fetal stage.