Methionine and guanidinoacetic acid supplementation during the periconceptual period of gestation shifts methionine metabolism of fetal bull calves at d 63 of gestation

Authors: Crouse, Matthew; HAUXWELL, KATHLYN - North Dakota State University; CATON, JOEL - North Dakota State University; WARD, ALISON - University Of Saskatchewan; DAHLEN, CARL - North Dakota State University; AMAT, S - North Dakota State University; Freetly, Harvey; Lindholm-Perry, Amanda; Neville, Bryan; Oliver, William; Thorson, Jennifer; Snider, Alexandria - Alex; Miles, Jeremy; Cushman, Robert - Bob

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/17/2023
Publication Date: 11/6/2023
Citation: Crouse, M.S., Hauxwell, K., Caton, J.S., Ward, A., Dahlen, C.R., Amat, S., Freetly, H.C., Lindholm-Perry, A., Neville, B.W., Oliver, W.T., Thorson, J., Snider, A.P., Miles, J.R., Cushman, R.A. 2023. Methionine and guanidinoacetic acid supplementation during the periconceptual period of gestation shifts methionine metabolism of fetal bull calves at d 63 of gestation. Journal of Animal Science. 101(Supplement 3):172. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skad281.208.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skad281.208

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Recent research has demonstrated that feeding rumen protected methionine (MET) products increases circulating methionine while feeding guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) may result in a methyl deficiency. Therefore, we hypothesized that maternal MET or GAA supplementation from 63 days before breeding until d 63 of gestation would increase fetal hepatic methyl donors or result in a fetal hepatic methyl donor deficiency, respectively. Eighty MARC II heifers (n = 20 per treatment; initial BW = 344 ± 8 kg; day -63) were weighed and assigned to one of four breeding groups and four treatments stratified by age and starting weight. Heifers were fed a total mixed ration to gain 0.68 kg/d and received 100 g of one of four treatments top dressed: control supplement of ground corn (CON), MET (10 g/d) in a ground corn carrier, GAA (40 g/d) in a ground corn carrier, or MET + GAA (10 g/d MET + 40 g/d GAA) in a ground corn carrier. At breeding (d 0), all heifers were bred to a single sire using male sexed semen. At d 63 of gestation, 35 heifers (CON n = 10, MET n = 8, GAA n = 7, MET + GAA, n = 10) confirmed pregnant with bull calves were humanely slaughtered and fetal liver tissues were collected and sent to Metabolon Inc. for global metabolomics analysis. Data were analyzed as a 2 x 2 factorial with 2 levels of GAA and 2 levels of MET with breeding group included in the model. For this abstract, only metabolites from the methionine cycle and adjacent pathways will be reported and only metabolites with significant P-values will be discussed (P