Transcriptome profiling reveals stress-responsive gene networks in cattle muscles

Abstract

In meat-producing animals, preslaughter operations (e.g., transportation, mixing unfamiliar animals, food and water deprivation) may be a source of stress with detrimental effects on meat quality. The objective of this work was to study the effect of emotional and physical stress by comparing the transcriptomes of two muscles (M. longissimus thoracis, LT and M. semitendinosus, ST) in Normand cows exposed to stress (n = 16) vs. cows handled with limited stress (n = 16). Using a microarray, we showed that exposure to stress resulted in differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in both muscles (62 DEGs in LT and 32 DEGs in ST, of which eight were common transcription factors (TFs)). Promoter analysis of the DEGs showed that 25 cis transcriptional modules were overrepresented, of which nine were detected in both muscles. Molecular interaction networks of the DEGs targeted by the most represented cis modules helped identify common regulators and common targets involved in the response to stress. They provided elements showing that the transcriptional response to stress is likely to (i) be controlled by regulators of energy metabolism, factors involved in the response to hypoxia, and inflammatory cytokines; and (ii) initiate metabolic processes, angiogenesis, corticosteroid response, immune system processes, and satellite cell activation/quiescence. The results of this study demonstrate that exposure to stress induced a core response to stress in both muscles, including changes in the expression of TFs. These factors could relay the physiological adaptive response of cattle muscles to cope with emotional and physical stress. The study provides information to further understand the consequences of these molecular processes on meat quality and find strategies to attenuate them.

Transcriptional response to an alternative diet on liver, muscle, and rumen of beef cattle

“…The genes with the most altered expression were SLC16A6 (log2FoldChange = + 1.29; q-value = 1.18 × 10 -18 ) and SPP1 (log2Fold-Change = − 1.96; q-value = 5.86 × 10 -41 ). SLC16A6 is a common DEG reported to harbour QTLs related to carcass and meat quality traits 43 , whereas SPP1 is a candidate gene influencing carcass traits 44 .…”

Exploring the miRNAs Profile in Dark-Cutting Beef

“…Advances in genetics revealed the role of miRNAs in modulating cellular stress responses [ 16 , 17 ]. By comparing the transcriptomes of the Longissimus thoracis and Semitendinosus muscles in cows exposed to normal or limited stress conditions, Cassar-Malek et al [ 18 ] found that variations in the degree of stress exposure led to variations in transcription factor levels. Therefore, these factors may play a role in relaying the adaptive physiological responses of cattle muscles to cope with emotional and physical stress.…”

Identification of key modules and hub genes involved in regulating the feather follicle development of Wannan chickens using WGCNA

“…The Wannan Chickens is a local breed of chicken native to China, with a distribution that extends along the river in southern and eastern Anhui. In recent years, transcriptome analysis has been employed extensively applied to study of various species and traits ( Choi, et al, 2020 ; Cassar-Malek, et al, 2022 ; Jin, et al, 2022 ), Furthermore, it has been successfully employed in the study of poultry traits ( Ren, et al, 2021 ; Pham, et al, 2022 ; Sun, et al, 2023 ). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis ( WGCNA ) has also been widely used to identify key modules of traits and important genes in a multitude of species ( Fan, et al, 2023 ; Yu, et al, 2023 ).…”