Gene expression differences in the methionine remethylation and transsulphuration pathways under methionine restriction and recovery with D,L‐methionine or D,L‐HMTBA in meat‐type chickens

Abstract

SummaryThis study examined the molecular mechanisms of methionine pathways in meat-type chickens where birds were provided with a diet deficient in methionine from 3 to 5 weeks of age. The birds on the deficient diet were then provided with a diet supplemented with either D,L-methionine or D,L-HMTBA from 5 to 7 weeks. The diet of the control birds was supplemented with L-methionine from hatch till 7 weeks of age.We studied the mRNA expression of methionine adenosyltransferase 1, alpha, methionine adenosyltransferase 1, beta, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyltransferase, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyltransferase reductase, betaine-homocysteine S-methyltransferase, glycine N-methyltransferase, S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase and cystathionine beta synthase genes in the liver, duodenum, Pectoralis (P.) major and the gastrocnemius muscle at 5 and 7 weeks. Feeding a diet deficient in dietary methionine affected body composition. Birds that were fed a methionine-deficient diet expressed genes that indicated that remethylation occurred via the one-carbon pathway in the liver and duodenum; however, in the P. major and the gastrocnemius muscles, gene expression levels suggested that homocysteine received methyl from both folate and betaine for remethylation. Birds who were switched from a methionine deficiency diet to one supplemented with either D,Lmethionine or D,L-HMTBA showed a downregulation of all the genes studied in the liver. However, depending on the tissue or methionine form, either folate or betaine was elicited for remethylation. Thus, mRNA expressions show that genes in the remethylation and transsulphuration pathways were regulated according to tissue need, and there were some differences in the methionine form.

Digestible methionine levels for white-egg layer pullets from 7 to 12 weeks of age

“…The minimum point found for glycogen deposition in the liver was 0.348g/100g dMet, estimated by the derivative of the regression equation (Table 5). Methionine plays a role in liver fat metabolism because it is necessary for fat methylation processes, and as consequence of amino acid deficiency, there is accumulation in the liver of the birds, and a relationship between methylation and gene of lipoprotein lipase in birds in nutrient deficiency situations of the sulfur amino acids (Aggrey, González-Cerón, Rekaya, & Mercier, 2018).…”

Dietary methionine restriction alleviates oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in lipopolysaccharide-challenged broilers at early age

“…These results indicate that MR can protect the integrity of the broiler liver, and this protective effect may be attributed to the liver being the main organ for methionine metabolism. MR increases cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine γ cleaving enzyme (CSE) content in the liver, which promotes the synthesis of glutathione (GSH) and hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S) ( Aggrey et al, 2018 ). Glutathione and H 2 S play antioxidant roles, thus protecting the liver from oxidative damage ( Mou et al, 2020 ; Elwan et al, 2021 ).…”

Methionine sources at different dietary levels alters the growth and expression of genes related to homocysteine remethylation in the jejunum of broilers

“…On the other hand, DL-Met and DL-HMTBA activated both remethylation pathways, mainly in conditions of methionine deficiency. While evaluating the duodenum of broilers, some authors observed that when the birds were fed with DL-Met, the choline-betaine pathway was more stimulated, with greater expression of BHMT, while DL-HMTBA stimulated the tetrahydrofolate pathway more, with greater expression of the MTR and MTRR genes [ 12 ].…”