Tissue-specific fatty acid composition, cellularity, and gene expression in diverse cattle breeds

Consumer acceptance and quality of game meat "droëwors" sausages with different levels of added fat

Droëwors (dried sausage) is a unique dried meat product from South Africa, which is not smoked, fermented, nor is nitrite used in its production. The objective of the study was to compare the quality parameters and consumer acceptance of common eland meat droëwors with different quantities of added beef fat. Three treatments containing either 10, 15, or 20% (by weight) added beef fat were compared regarding chemical composition, fatty acid profiles, and sensory properties. Increasing the amount of fat in the dried product resulted in a significant decrease in the protein and ash percentages. The sausages with 10% added fat had the most favourable fatty acid profile in terms of nutritional value. Several differences were found in the sensory profiles of the products evaluated by the trained sensory panel; in particular, the evaluation scores for texture improved with increasing fat content. No differences were found between the products by the untrained consumer panel for appearance and taste. When the dataset was analysed according to gender, it was found that women evaluated the 10% fat samples more favourably. This is in line with their stated preference for low-fat meat products. For these reasons, the production of sausages with the lowest fat content can be recommended as they best meet consumer expectations.

Ewe early gestation supplementation with eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids affects the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue fatty acid profile and liver mRNA expression in the offspring

Our objectives were to assess the effects of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) supplementation to pregnant ewes during the first third of gestation on their offspring's liver, adipose, and muscle tissues fatty acid (FA) profile and liver mRNA expression after a finishing period receiving diets with different FA profiles. Twenty-four post-weaning lambs, blocked by sex and body weight, were used in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. The first factor was dam supplementation (DS) in the first third of gestation with 1.61% of Ca salts of palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) or Ca salts enriched with EPA-DHA. Ewes were exposed to rams with marking paint harnesses during the breeding. Ewes started DS at the day of mating, considered day 1 of conception. Twenty-eight days after mating, ultrasonography was used to confirm pregnancy, and nonpregnant ewes were removed from the groups. After weaning, the offspring lambs were supplemented (LS, second main factor) with two different FA sources (1.48% of PFAD or 1.48% of EPA-DHA) during the growing and fattening phase. Lambs were fed the LS diet for 56 d and sent to slaughter, where the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue samples were collected for FA analysis. Liver samples were collected for relative mRNA expression for genes associated with FA transport and metabolism. The data were analyzed as a mixed model in SAS (9.4). In the liver, the amount of C20:5 and C22:6 (P < 0.01) increased in lambs with LS-EPA-DHA, while some C18:1 cis FA isomers were greater in the lambs from DS-PFAD. In muscle, amounts of C22:1, C20:5, and C22:5 increased (P < 0.05) in lambs born from DS-EPA-DHA. The adipose tissue amounts of C20:5, C22:5, and C22:6 were greater (P < 0.01) in lambs from LS-EPA-DHA. Interactions (DS × LS; P < 0.05) were observed for DNMT3β, FABP-1, FABP-5, SCD, and SREBP-1; having greater mRNA expression in liver tissue of LS-EPA-DHA, DS-PFAD and LS-PFAD, DS-EPA-DHA lambs compared with the lambs in the other two treatments. Liver ELOVL2 mRNA relative expression (P < 0.03) was greater in the offspring of DS-PFAD. Relative mRNA expression (P < 0.05) of GLUT1, IGF-1, LPL, and PPARγ increased in the liver from LS-EPA-DHA lambs. Dam supplementation during early gestation using with different FA sources changed the lipid FA profile in MT, LT, and SAT during the finishing period depending on the tissue and type of FA source administered during the growing phase.

Abnormal erythrocyte fatty acid composition in first-diagnosed, drug-naïve patients with depression

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The correlation between fatty acids (FAs) and depression is not yet conclusive. This study examined the relationship of FAs composition with the presence and clinical characteristics of first-diagnosed, drug-naïve patients with depression.

METHODS

A total of 139 first-diagnosed, drug-naïve patients with depression and 55 healthy controls (HCs) were included in the cross-sectional study. The levels of erythrocyte membrane FAs were compared and then the correlation between clinical symptoms and fatty acid levels in depression was investigated.

RESULTS

Compared to HCs, patients with depression had higher C18:1n9t (z = -2.033, p = 0.042), C20:4n6 (z = -2.104, p = 0.035), C20:3n6 (z = -2.104, p = 0.035) and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (z = -2.127, p = 0.033), whereas the levels of C18:1n9c (z = -3.348, p = 0.001) were significantly lower. Higher C20:3n6, C20:4n6, C18:1n9t and n-6 PUFAs levels were associated with higher severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients with depression, and the correlation remained after adjusting for the related confounding factors (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with first-diagnosed, drug-naïve depression show abnormal erythrocyte fatty acid composition. Trans fatty acids (TFAs) and n-6 PUFAs levels are closely related to clinical characteristics of depression. This study indicated that increased n-6 PUFAs and TFAs are characteristic changes of first-diagnosed, drug-naïve depression.

Comparative Transcriptomics and Methylomics Reveal Adaptive Responses of Digestive and Metabolic Genes to Dietary Shift in Giant and Red Pandas

Both the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and red panda (Ailurus fulgens) belong to the order Carnivora, but have changed their dietary habits to eating bamboo exclusively. The convergent evolution characteristics of their morphology, genome and gut flora have been found in the two pandas. However, the research on the convergent adaptation of their digestion and metabolism to the bamboo diet, mediated by the dietary shift of the two pandas at the gene-expression and epigenetic regulation levels, is still lacking. We therefore used RNA sequencing among five species (two pandas and three non-herbivore mammals) and bisulfite sequencing among three species (two pandas and a carnivore ferret) to sequence key digestion and metabolism tissues (stomach and small intestine). Our results provide evidence that the convergent differentially expressed genes (related to carbohydrate utilization, bile secretion, Lys and Arg metabolism, vitamin B12 utilization and cyanide detoxification) of the two pandas are adaptive responses to the bamboo diet containing low lipids, low Lys and Arg, low vitamin B12 and high cyanide. We also profiled the genome-wide methylome maps of giant panda, red panda and ferret, and the results indicated that the promoter methylation of the two pandas may regulate digestive and metabolic genes to adapt to sudden environmental changes, and then, transmit genetic information to future generations to evolve into bamboo eaters. Taken together, our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of the dietary shift and the adaptation to a strict bamboo diet in both pandas using comparative transcriptomics and methylomics.

The yield of adipose tissue and by-products in the course of the slaughter of inbred and outbred bulls of the Ukrainian beef breed

The research focuses on analysing and generalising the distribution of internal adipose tissue and organs that are not part of the carcasses of inbred and outbred bulls of the Ukrainian beef breed. Animal stock inbreeding was determined based on five breeding records according to Wright’s method modified by Kyslovskyi. Two experimental groups of 5 bulls were formed. The average inbreeding coefficient for inbred bulls was 3.43%. Animals were bred up to 18 months of age. Following slaughter, the mass and the yield of the head, liver, lungs, heart, kidneys, and brain were determined, and 4 types of fat were separated and weighed: perirenal, from the stomach, intestines, and pericardial. Inbred animals are more prone to the accretion of internal adipose tissue. Inbred bulls have 1.8 points more of it. Fat is more intensely accumulated around inbred bulls' multichambered stomachs and kidneys. Intensive fat accumulation was observed around the hearts and intestines of outbred bulls. Adipose tissue around the heart and intestines is more variable in inbred and outbred animals – from the forestomach and kidneys. The weight of inbred bulls’ liver is less by 22.4%, kidneys – by 62.5%, heart – by 11.1%, and head – by 23.8% compared to outbred ones. The weight of their lungs is more by 10.5%. At the same time, inbred bulls tend to have brain weight gain of 12.5% and testicles – by 8.3%. Thus, inbreeding application in Ukrainian beef breeds with a small population size affects the growth of internal organs and the intensity of accumulation and distribution of interior fat. Due to more intensive accumulation of internal adipose tissue, inbred bulls have increased expenditure of forage energy for its formation. They are characterized by an increased yield of low-value raw fat, making them less efficient than outbred bulls for beef production.     

Transcriptional atlas analysis from multiple tissues reveals the expression specificity patterns in beef cattle

Background

A comprehensive analysis of gene expression profiling across tissues can provide necessary information for an in-depth understanding of their biological functions. We performed a large-scale gene expression analysis and generated a high-resolution atlas of the transcriptome in beef cattle.

Results

Our transcriptome atlas was generated from 135 bovine tissues in adult beef cattle, covering 51 tissue types of major organ systems (e.g., muscular system, digestive system, immune system, reproductive system). Approximately 94.76% of sequencing reads were successfully mapped to the reference genome assembly ARS-UCD1.2. We detected a total of 60,488 transcripts, and 32% of them were not reported before. We identified 2654 housekeeping genes (HKGs) and 477 tissue-specific genes (TSGs) across tissues. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis, we obtained 24 modules with 237 hub genes (HUBGs). Functional enrichment analysis showed that HKGs mainly maintain the basic biological activities of cells, while TSGs were involved in tissue differentiation and specific physiological processes. HKGs in bovine tissues were more conserved in terms of expression pattern as compared to TSGs and HUBGs among multiple species. Finally, we obtained a subset of tissue-specific differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between beef and dairy cattle and several functional pathways, which may be involved in production and health traits.

Conclusions

We generated a large-scale gene expression atlas across the major tissues in beef cattle, providing valuable information for enhancing genome assembly and annotation. HKGs, TSGs, and HUBGs further contribute to better understanding the biology and evolution of multiple tissues in cattle. DEGs between beef and dairy cattle also fill in the knowledge gaps about differential transcriptome regulation of bovine tissues underlying economically important traits.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01269-4.

Fattening of Polish Holstein-Friesian × Limousin Bulls under Two Production Systems and Its Effect on the Fatty Acid Profiles of Different Fat Depots

This study was designed to compare the fatty acid (FA) profiles of four types of fat depots from crossbred bulls (Polish Holstein-Friesian × Limousin, PHF × LM) fattened semi-intensively (SI) and intensively (I). Intramuscular fat was most abundant in total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), n-3 and n-6 PUFAs, and functional fatty acids C 18:2, C 18:3, C 20:4 and C 20:5 in comparison with the remaining fat types. Furthermore, note that external fat was more abundant in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than other fat types. Grass silage fed to cattle during fattening had a beneficial influence on the FA profile of beef, and an increase in the amount of concentrate in the ration did not decrease beef quality.