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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Livestock Bio-Systems » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #336232
Title: Variation in gene expression in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus of gilts with differences in pubertal status and subjected to dietary energy restriction

Author
item WIJESENA, H - University Of Nebraska
item Lents, Clay
item Keel, Brittney
item Thorson, Jennifer
item SULLIVAN, G - University Of Nebraska
item KACHMAN, S - University Of Nebraska
item CIOBANU, D - University Of Nebraska

Submitted to: Plant and Animal Genome Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/18/2016
Publication Date: 1/18/2017
Citation: Wijesena, H.R., Lents, C.A., Keel, B.N., Thorson, J.F., Sullivan, G.A., Kachman, S.D., Ciobanu, D.C. 2017. Variation in gene expression in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus of gilts with differences in pubertal status and subjected to dietary energy restriction [abstract]. In: Proceedings Plant and Animal Genome Conference, 13-18 January 2017, San Diego, CA. P1168. Available: https://pag.confex.com/pag/xxv/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/25926.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: One of the earliest indicators of sow reproductive longevity is the age at which a gilt expresses puberty. Genetic variants and nutrition could contribute to differences in puberty onset and reproductive longevity. Some of the regulatory sequence variants responsible for the differences in gene expression could influence age at puberty. Gene expression profiles of the micro-dissected hypothalamic arcuate nucleus were analyzed in early (<155 d) and late pubertal gilts (>180 d) subjected to standard and energy restricted diets (n=37). Ninety-three percent of the RNA sequencing reads obtained by Ion proton technology were successfully aligned to the swine reference genome using Tuxedo pipeline and were quantified by HTSeq. Seventy differentially expressed genes were uncovered between early and late groups using DESeq2 R package (Padj <0.1). Among them, expression in late pubertal gilts was higher in genes associated with embryo implantation and pregnancy (HMX3), oxytocin signalling pathway (CDKN1A) and arginine vasopressin family (AVPR2). We previously reported non-synonymous SNPs from another member (AVPR1A) of the arginine vasopressin family to be associated with age at puberty. In the late puberty group there were 42 genes differentially expressed between standard and energy restricted diets. Among them, genes involved in ion transport, insulin secretion, and carbohydrate digestion (ATP1B3) and regulation of the response to lipopolysaccharides (IL12RB2) were highly expressed in gilts that received a standard diet. These genes could be candidates responsible for the variations in puberty onset and indirectly in reproductive longevity.