Dairy cows are highly susceptible after parturition to developing liver lipidosis and ketosis, which are costly diseases to farmers. A bovine microarray platform consisting of 13,257-annotated oligonucleotides was used to study hepatic gene networks underlying nutrition-induced ketosis. On day 5 postpartum, 14 Holstein cows were randomly assigned to ketosis-induction (n = 7) or control (n = 7) groups. Cows in the ketosis-induction group were fed at 50% of day 4 intake until they developed signs of clinical ketosis, and cows in the control group were fed ad libitum throughout the treatment period. Liver was biopsied at 10-14 (ketosis) or 14 days postpartum (controls). Feed restriction increased blood concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids and beta-hydroxybutyrate, but decreased glucose. Liver triacylglycerol concentration also increased. A total of 2,415 genes were altered by ketosis (false discovery rate = 0.05). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed downregulation of genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation, protein ubiquitination, and ubiquinone biosynthesis with ketosis. Other molecular adaptations included upregulation of genes and nuclear receptors associated with cytokine signaling, fatty acid uptake/transport, and fatty acid oxidation. Genes downregulated during ketosis included several associated with cholesterol metabolism, growth hormone signaling, proton transport, and fatty acid desaturation. Feed restriction and ketosis resulted in previously unrecognized alterations in gene network expression underlying key cellular functions and discrete metabolic events. These responses might help explain well-documented physiological adaptations to reduced feed intake in early postpartum cows and, thus, provide molecular targets that might be useful in prevention and treatment of liver lipidosis and ketosis.

Long-term molecular adaptations in liver from high-producing dairy cows are virtually unknown. Liver from five Holstein cows was biopsied at -65, -30, -14, +1, +14, +28, and +49 days relative to parturition for transcript profiling using a microarray consisting of 7,872 annotated cattle cDNA inserts. More than 5,000 cDNA elements represented on the microarray were expressed in liver. From this set we identified 62 differentially expressed genes related to physiological state, with a false discovery rate threshold of P = 0.20. The dominant expression pattern consisted of upregulation from day -30 through day +1, followed by downregulation through day +28. There was a threefold decrease from day -65 through day +14 in expression of IGFBP3, GSTM5, and PDPK1. These genes mediate IGF-I transport, oxidative stress, and glucose homeostasis, respectively. IGFBP3, EIF4B, and GSTM5 mRNA levels were positively correlated with blood serum total protein. Correlation analysis showed positive associations between serum nonesterified fatty acids and mRNA expression for SAA1, CPT1A, ACADVL, and TFAP2A. Transcript levels of ACSL1, PPARA, and TFAP2A were positively correlated with serum beta-hydroxybutyrate. Expression patterns for certain genes (e.g., IGFBP3, HNF4A, GPAM) revealed adaptations commencing well ahead of parturition, suggesting they are regulated by factors other than periparturient hormonal environment. Results provide evidence that hepatic inflammatory responses occurring near parturition initiate or augment adipose catabolism. In this context, cytokines, acute-phase proteins, and serum nonesterified fatty acids are key players in periparturient cow metabolism. We propose a model for integrating gene expression, metabolite, and liver composition data to explain physiological events in placenta, adipose, and liver during the periparturient period.

Liver metabolism and health in dairy cows during the periparturient period are affected by plane of nutrition prepartum. Long-term adaptations in hepatic gene expression are important for complete understanding of liver function. We examined temporal gene expression profiles during the dry period and early lactation in liver of Holstein cows fed moderate dietary energy ad libitum or restricted during the entire dry period using a microarray consisting of 7,872 annotated cattle cDNA inserts and quantitative RT-PCR. We identified 85 genes with expression patterns that were affected by level of energy intake prepartum over time. Restricted energy intake prepartum resulted in more pronounced upregulation of genes with key functions in hepatic fatty acid oxidation (CPT1A, ADIPOR2), gluconeogenesis (PC), and cholesterol synthesis (SC4MOL). Ad libitum feeding upregulated a number of genes associated with liver triacylglycerol synthesis (DGAT1) and proinflammatory cytokines (TNFAIP3). Genomic responses to ad libitum feeding were accompanied by increased incorporation of palmitate to esterified products in vitro and increased liver triacylglycerol concentration in vivo. Overall, gene expression profiles due to plane of nutrition prepartum partly explained differences in rates of liver palmitate metabolism, blood serum metabolite concentrations, and liver tissue triacylglycerol concentration. Our data show that moderate overfeeding of energy in the dry period, in the absence of obesity, results in transcriptional changes predisposing cows to fatty liver and perhaps compromising overall liver health during the periparturient period. In this context, controlled energy intake may confer an advantage to the cow by triggering hepatic molecular adaptations well ahead of parturition.

Implantation is crucial for placental development that will subsequently impact fetal growth and pregnancy success with consequences on postnatal health. We postulated that the pattern of genes expressed by the endometrium when the embryo becomes attached to the mother uterus could account for the final outcome of a pregnancy. As a model, we used the bovine species where the embryo becomes progressively and permanently attached to the endometrium from day 20 of gestation onwards. At that stage, we compared the endometrial genes profiles in the presence of an in vivo fertilized embryo (AI) with the endometrial patterns obtained in the presence of nuclear transfer (SCNT) or in vitro fertilized embryos (IVF), both displaying lower and different potentials for term development. Our data provide evidence that the endometrium can be considered as a biological sensor able to fine-tune its physiology in response to the presence of embryos whose development will become altered much later after the implantation process. Compared with AI, numerous biological functions and several canonical pathways with a major impact on metabolism and immune function were found to be significantly altered in the endometrium of SCNT pregnancies at implantation, whereas the differences were less pronounced with IVF embryos. Determining the limits of the endometrial plasticity at the onset of implantation should bring new insights on the contribution of the maternal environment to the development of an embryo and the success of pregnancy.bovine ͉ implantation ͉ microarray ͉ nuclear transfer

The cow mammary transcriptome was explored at −30, −15, 1, 15, 30, 60, 120, 240, and 300 d relative to parturition. A total of 6,382 differentially expressed genes (DEG) at a false discovery rate ≤0.001 were found throughout lactation. The greatest number of DEG (>3,500 DEG) was observed at 60 and 120 d vs. −30 d with the largest change between consecutive time points observed at −15 vs. 1 d and 120 vs. 240 d. Functional analysis of microarray data was performed using the Dynamic Impact Approach (DIA). The DIA analysis of KEGG pathways uncovered as the most impacted and induced ‘Galactose metabolism’, ‘Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor biosynthesis’, and ‘PPAR signaling’; whereas, ‘Antigen processing and presentation’ was among the most inhibited. The integrated interpretation of the results suggested an overall increase in metabolism during lactation, particularly synthesis of carbohydrates and lipid. A marked degree of utilization of amino acids as energy source, an increase of protein export, and a decrease of the protein synthesis machinery as well cell cycle also were suggested by the DIA analysis. The DIA analysis of Gene Ontology and other databases uncovered an induction of Golgi apparatus and angiogenesis, and the inhibition of both immune cell activity/migration and chromosome modifications during lactation. All of the highly-impacted and activated functions during lactation were evidently activated at the onset of lactation and inhibited when milk production declined. The overall analysis indicated that the bovine mammary gland relies heavily on a coordinated transcriptional regulation to begin and end lactation. The functional analysis using DIA underscored the importance of genes associated with lactose synthesis, lipid metabolism, protein synthesis, Golgi, transport, cell cycle/death, epigenetic regulation, angiogenesis, and immune function during lactation.