Effect of dietary betaine supplementation on lipogenesis gene expression and CpG methylation of lipoprotein lipase gene in broilers

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of betaine supplementation on mRNA expression levels of lipogenesis genes and CpG methylation of lipoprotein lipase gene (LPL) in broilers. From 22 days of age, 78 broilers were feed basal diet without betaine and basal diet supplemented with 0.1% betaine, respectively, and at 56 and 66 days of age, the traits of 15 chickens (7 males and 8 females) of each group were recorded and abdominal fat pads were collected. The mRNA expression levels of several lipogenesis gene were analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qPCR), respectively. The CpG methylation profile at the promoter region of LPL gene in 66-day-old broilers was determined by bisulfite sequencing. The average daily gain and percent abdominal fat traits were slightly improved in 56-day-old and 66-day-old broilers after dietary supplementation of betaine to diet. After adding 0.1% betaine to diet, the mRNA levels of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and adipocyte-type fatty acid-binding protein genes in abdominal adipose were significantly decreased in 56-day-old broilers, and those of LPL and FAS genes in abdominal adipose were significantly decreased in 66-day-old broilers comparing with the control group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001). Moreover, in 66-day-old broilers fed 0.1% betaine diet, a different CpG methylation pattern was observed: the CpG dinucleotides of 1st, 6th, 7th, 8th and from 10th to 50th were less methylated; however, those of 2nd, 5th and 9th were more heavily methylated. The results suggest that transcription of some lipogenesis genes was decreased by betaine supplementation and betaine may decrease LPL mRNA expression by altering CpG methylation pattern on LPL promoter region.

Deciphering the therapeutic mechanisms of Xiao-Ke-An in treatment of type 2 diabetes in mice by a Fangjiomics approach

“…Dietary betaine supplementation significantly decreases the mRNA levels of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) [27] . Therefore, betaine might contribute to the improvement in lipid metabolism by XKA.…”

Tasks of some dietary essential nutrients on epigenetics and one carbon metabolism in livestock during production

“…Betaine supplementation plays crucial roles in nutritional programming through epigenetic regulation of gene expression in pigs, ducks meat and egg type chickens. Betaine supplement was associated with retained positional effects in the -rate limiting enzyme-lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene promoter, as measured in adipocytes [51]. With addition of betaine, most of the promoters were highly hypo-methylated and many CpG sites were built to be hyper methylated.…”

DNA Methylation in Mammalian and Non-Mammalian Organisms

“…The general importance of methylation to chicken health was seen when in vivo treatment with 5-azacytidine negatively affected lymphatic organs, and increased the prevalence of autoimmune diseases in chicks (Schauenstein et al, 1991). Findings particularly relevant to humans came from experiments which used betaine as a dietary supplement (Xing et al, 2011) -a methyl donor known to reduce fat deposition. A modest reduction and change in pattern of promoter methylation was noted for the LPL gene, involved in lipoprotein catabolism; which coincided with a change in LPL levels.…”