Maternal Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation and Rate of Maternal Weight Gain Affects Placental Expression of Energy Metabolism and Transport-Related Genes

Abstract

Maternal nutrients are essential for proper fetal and placental development and function. However, the effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation under two rates of maternal weight gain on placental genome-wide gene expression have not been investigated so far. Furthermore, biological processes and pathways in the placenta that act in response to early maternal nutrition are yet to be elucidated. Herein, we examined the impact of maternal vitamin and mineral supplementation (from pre-breeding to day 83 post-breeding) and two rates of gain during the first 83 days of pregnancy on the gene expression of placental caruncles (CAR; maternal placenta) and cotyledons (COT; fetal placenta) of crossbred Angus beef heifers. We identified 267 unique differentially expressed genes (DEG). Among the DEGs from CAR, we identified ACAT2, SREBF2, and HMGCCS1 that underlie the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. Furthermore, the transcription factors PAX2 and PAX8 were over-represented in biological processes related to kidney organogenesis. The DEGs from COT included SLC2A1, SLC2A3, SLC27A4, and INSIG1. Our over-representation analysis retrieved biological processes related to nutrient transport and ion homeostasis, whereas the pathways included insulin secretion, PPAR signaling, and biosynthesis of amino acids. Vitamin and mineral supplementation and rate of gain were associated with changes in gene expression, biological processes, and KEGG pathways in beef cattle placental tissues.

The nasopharyngeal, ruminal, and vaginal microbiota and the core taxa shared across these microbiomes in virgin yearling heifers exposed to divergent in utero nutrition during their first trimester of gestation and in pregnant beef heifers in response to mineral supplementation

“…Considering the current evidence, it is important to explore whether bovine maternal nutrition/microbiome during pregnancy influences feto-maternal crosstalk, subsequently influencing offspring microbiome development. Maternal vitamin and mineral supplementation before calving has been well documented to be associated with improved fetal programming and offspring health and productivity in cattle (Mee et al, 1995; Wilde, 2006; Van Emon et al, 2020; Diniz et al, 2021; Menezes et al, 2021). However, whether VTM supplementation-associated positive outcomes observed pre- and post- calving are dependent on alterations in the ruminal microbiota remains unexplored.…”

“…In the present study, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the nasopharyngeal, ruminal and vaginal microbiota of virgin yearling heifers from dams given different nutritional diets during their first trimester of gestation, and in pregnant beef heifers in response to direct feeding of a mineral and vitamin (VTM) supplement during the first 6 months of gestation. Of note, a well-defined positive impact of maternal VTM supplementation exists on offspring health and performance in beef cattle, and the role of VTM on fetal programming assessed during the first trimester of pregnancy have been documented (Mee et al, 1995; Wilde, 2006; Van Emon et al, 2020; Diniz et al, 2021; Menezes et al, 2021). Questions remain, however, pertaining to whether these maternal VTM supplementation-associated positive outcomes are dependent on VTM-induced alterations of ruminal microbiota.…”

The Nasopharyngeal, Ruminal, and Vaginal Microbiota and the Core Taxa Shared across These Microbiomes in Virgin Yearling Heifers Exposed to Divergent In Utero Nutrition during Their First Trimester of Gestation and in Pregnant Beef Heifers in Response to Mineral Supplementation

“…In the present study, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the nasopharyngeal, ruminal and vaginal microbiota of virgin yearling heifers from dams given different nutritional diets during their first trimester of gestation, and in pregnant beef heifers in response to direct feeding of a mineral and vitamin (VTM) supplement during the first 6 months of gestation. Of note, a well-defined positive impact of maternal VTM supplementation exists on offspring health and performance in beef cattle, and the role of VTM on fetal programming assessed during the first trimester of pregnancy have been documented [25][26][27][28][29]. Questions remain, however, pertaining to whether these maternal VTM supplementation-associated positive outcomes are dependent on VTM-induced alterations of ruminal microbiota.…”

Late Gestation Maternal Feed Restriction Decreases Microbial Diversity of the Placenta While Mineral Supplementation Improves Richness of the Fetal Gut Microbiome in Cattle

“…This is a limitation of the study, as individual intake restriction could not be confirmed. Recently, mineral supplementation has been implicated to aid placental adaptations in beef heifers when offered pre- and post-breeding [ 55 ]. Our data do not reflect these findings when mineral supplementation begins in late gestation, as no differences in placental efficiency were observed between S+ or S− pregnancies ( p = 0.31).…”

“…Because the allantois is the site of fetal waste deposition until the last ~20 days of gestation [ 56 ], this lack of microbial diversity may in fact be reflective of the fetal gut microbiome, which may contribute microbes to the allantois throughout gestation. Overall, the lack of microbial diversity observed in FR placentae implicate a less robust microbiome, which may interact in unknown ways with metabolic markers and signaling pathways affecting fetal health [ 55 ].…”