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Title: Use of Transcriptional Profiling to Understand Genetic Mechanisms Responding to Fasting and MC4-R Genotypes in Pigs

Author
item LKHAGVADORJ, SENDER - IOWA STATE UNIV.
item QU, LONG - IOWA STATE UNIV.
item CAI, WEIGUO - IOWA STATE UNIV.
item COUTURE, LOIVER - IOWA STATE UNIV.
item WANG, LANFANG - IOWA STATE UNIV.
item ANDERSON, LLOYD - IOWA STATE UNIV.
item DECKERS, JACK - IOWA STATE UNIV.
item NETTLETON, DAN - IOWA STATE UNIV.
item TUGGLE, CHRISTOPHER - IOWA STATE UNIV.
item Barb, Claude
item Hausman, Gary
item REKAYA, ROMDHANE - UGA-DEPT. OF ANIMAL/DAIRY

Submitted to: Midwestern Section of the American Society of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/20/2008
Publication Date: 3/17/2008
Citation: Lkhagvadorj, S., Qu, L., Cai, W., Couture, L., Wang, L., Anderson, L., Deckers, J., Nettleton, D., Tuggle, C., Barb, C.R., Hausman, G.J., Rekaya, R. 2008. Use of Transcriptional Profiling to Understand Genetic Mechanisms Responding to Fasting and MC4-R Genotypes in Pigs [abstract]. Midwestern Section of the American Society of Animal Science. Poster 113 p. 36.

Interpretive Summary: none.

Technical Abstract: In pork production, feed is the largest variable cost. The determination of genetic mechanisms that control feed intake and feed efficiency remains a major challenge. In pigs, a melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) missense mutation (D298N) was associated with increased feed intake, growth, and fatness traits. In this study, we used transcriptional profiling of fat and liver tissues with the purpose of identifying genetic mechanisms that respond to feed deprivation and/or MC4-R genotypes. Prepubertal Yorkshire gilts homozygous MC4R D298N (n=4) and MC4R wildtype (n=4) were either allowed feed ad libitum or fasted for 3 days in a complete 2 x 2 factorial design. Total RNA was isolated from liver and fat tissues from all pigs, and analyzed using hybridization to the 24,123 probe set Affymetrix Porcine GenechipTM. A mixed linear model was fit to each tissue and each gene using SAS Proc Mixed. The microarray results indicate that in response to feed deprivation, 7,029 genes in fat (p<0.03, q<0.05) and 1,831 genes in liver (p<0.0006, q<0.05) were differentially expressed, whereas no MC4-R genotype effect on gene expression was observed in either tissue. Furthermore, Gene Ontology clustering analyses showed both liver and fat responded to fasting by modulating several energy pathways. Genes representing lipid biosynthesis such as sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1c, fatty acid synthase, aconitase-1, acetyl CoA carboxylase alpha, acetyl CoA synthase were downregulated in the fat due to fasting and their expression levels were confirmed by qPCR. Along with blood hormone assays, confirmation of expression of additional candidate genes will be performed to determine key pathways that respond to fasting in pigs.