TY - JOUR
T1 - Residual Feed Intake in Beef Cattle Is Associated With Differences in Hepatic mRNA Expression of Fatty Acid, Amino Acid, and Mitochondrial Energy Metabolism Genes
AU - Taiwo, Godstime
AU - Idowu, Modoluwamu D
AU - Wilson, Matthew
AU - Pech Cervantes, Andres A
AU - Estrada Reyes, Zaira
AU - Ogunade, Ibukun
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - We evaluated the mRNA expression of genes involved in hepatic fatty acid, amino acid,and mitochondrial energy metabolism in crossbred beef steers with divergent low andhigh residual feed intake (RFI). Low-RFI beef steers (n = 8; RFI = - 1.93 kg/d) and high-RFIbeef steers (n = 8; RFI = + 2.01kg/d) were selected from a group of 56 growing crossbredbeef steers (average BW = 261 ± 18.5 kg) fed a high-forage total mixed ration after a 49-dperformance testing period. At the end of the 49-d performance testing period, liverbiopsies were collected from the low-RFI and high-RFI beef steers for RNA extraction andcDNA synthesis. The mRNA expression of 84 genes each related to fatty acid metabolism,amino acid metabolism, and mitochondrial energy metabolism were analyzed usingpathway-focused PCR-based arrays. The mRNA expression of 8 genes (CRAT,SLC27A5, SLC27A2, ACSBG2, ACADL, ACADSB, ACAA1, and ACAA2) involved fattyacid transport and b-oxidation were upregulated (FC ≥ 2.0, FDR ≤ 0.05) in low-RFI,compared to high-RFI steers. Among those involved in amino acid metabolism, hepaticmRNA expression of a gene encoding for aminoadipate aminotransferase, an enzymerelated to lysine degradation, was downregulated (FC = -5.45, FDR = 0.01) in low-RFIsteers, whereas those of methionine adenosyltransferase I and aspartateaminotransferase 2, which both link amino acid and lipid metabolism, were upregulated(FC ≥ 2.0, FDR ≤ 0.05). Two mitochondrial energy metabolism genes (UQCRC1 andATP5G1) involved in ATP synthesis via oxidative phosphorylation were upregulated (FC ≥2.0, FDR ≤ 0.05) in low-RFI beef steers, compared to high-RFI beef steers. The results ofthis study demonstrated that low-RFI beef steers exhibit upregulation of molecularmechanisms related to fatty acid transport, fatty acid b-oxidation, and mitochondrialATP synthesis, which suggest that low-RFI beef steers have enhanced metabolic capacityto maximize capture of energy and nutrients from feeds consumed.
AB - We evaluated the mRNA expression of genes involved in hepatic fatty acid, amino acid,and mitochondrial energy metabolism in crossbred beef steers with divergent low andhigh residual feed intake (RFI). Low-RFI beef steers (n = 8; RFI = - 1.93 kg/d) and high-RFIbeef steers (n = 8; RFI = + 2.01kg/d) were selected from a group of 56 growing crossbredbeef steers (average BW = 261 ± 18.5 kg) fed a high-forage total mixed ration after a 49-dperformance testing period. At the end of the 49-d performance testing period, liverbiopsies were collected from the low-RFI and high-RFI beef steers for RNA extraction andcDNA synthesis. The mRNA expression of 84 genes each related to fatty acid metabolism,amino acid metabolism, and mitochondrial energy metabolism were analyzed usingpathway-focused PCR-based arrays. The mRNA expression of 8 genes (CRAT,SLC27A5, SLC27A2, ACSBG2, ACADL, ACADSB, ACAA1, and ACAA2) involved fattyacid transport and b-oxidation were upregulated (FC ≥ 2.0, FDR ≤ 0.05) in low-RFI,compared to high-RFI steers. Among those involved in amino acid metabolism, hepaticmRNA expression of a gene encoding for aminoadipate aminotransferase, an enzymerelated to lysine degradation, was downregulated (FC = -5.45, FDR = 0.01) in low-RFIsteers, whereas those of methionine adenosyltransferase I and aspartateaminotransferase 2, which both link amino acid and lipid metabolism, were upregulated(FC ≥ 2.0, FDR ≤ 0.05). Two mitochondrial energy metabolism genes (UQCRC1 andATP5G1) involved in ATP synthesis via oxidative phosphorylation were upregulated (FC ≥2.0, FDR ≤ 0.05) in low-RFI beef steers, compared to high-RFI beef steers. The results ofthis study demonstrated that low-RFI beef steers exhibit upregulation of molecularmechanisms related to fatty acid transport, fatty acid b-oxidation, and mitochondrialATP synthesis, which suggest that low-RFI beef steers have enhanced metabolic capacityto maximize capture of energy and nutrients from feeds consumed.
M3 - Article
VL - 70
SP - 8
JO - Frontiers in Animal Science
JF - Frontiers in Animal Science
ER -