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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #407558
Research Project: Improving Dairy Cow Feed Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability Using Genomics and Novel Technologies to Identify Physiological Contributions and Adaptations

Location: Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory

Title: Transcriptomic profiling of gastrointestinal tracts in dairy cattle during lactation reveals molecular adaptations for milk synthesis

Author
item GAO, YAHUI - University Of Maryland
item Liu, Ge - George
item MA, LI - University Of Maryland
item FANG, LINGZHAO - Aarhus University
item Li, Congjun - Cj
item Baldwin, Ransom - Randy

Submitted to: Journal of Advanced Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/21/2024
Publication Date: 6/24/2024
Citation: Gao, Y., Liu, G., Ma, L., Fang, L., Li, C., Baldwin, R.L. 2024. Transcriptomic profiling of gastrointestinal tracts in dairy cattle during lactation reveals molecular adaptations for milk synthesis. Journal of Advanced Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2024.06.020.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2024.06.020

Interpretive Summary: Lactation in dairy cattle is a critical period that demands significant adjustments in the rumen and digestive system to meet the increased nutrient requirements for milk production. To study the molecular basis of the adaption of dairy cattle for milk synthesis, we used RNA-seq to outline gene expression patterns in epithelial cells derived from three gastrointestinal tract tissues, including the rumen, duodenum, and colon at 8-time points. This study will provide comprehensive insights into cattle lactation and reveal the specific characteristics of gastrointestinal tract tissues to understand the complexity of transcriptomic activities during lactation and we gained profound insights into cattle lactation and molecular adaptation for milk synthesis.

Technical Abstract: Lactation in dairy cattle is a critical period that demands significant adjustments in the rumen and digestive system to meet the increased nutrient requirements for milk production. Understanding the biological functions of the epithelia of the rumen and digestive tract tissues is crucial for improving milk-related traits. In this study, we utilized next-generation sequencing and transcriptomic profiling to investigate the molecular basis of adaptation in the gastrointestinal tracts (epithelia of the colon, duodenum, and rumen) of dairy cattle during dry and entire lactation periods. By capturing gene expression patterns at multiple time points, we facilitated direct comparisons within and among tissues during different lactation stages, including early and peak lactation. Our computational analyses encompassed global transcriptome profiling at different lactation stages, identification of stage-specific genes, time series clustering of RNA-seq data, co-expression gene network analysis, tissue-specific expression patterns, functional enrichment, and cell type deconvolution. Through this comprehensive approach, we gained profound insights into cattle lactation, unveiling tissue-specific characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract and shedding light on the intricate molecular adaptations for milk synthesis occurring during lactation.