Methionine supplementation during the suckling period ( post-natal life) of ewe lambs (F0): effects observed in the female offspring (F1) along the whole life, including the lactation phase
Optimal management of female replacement animals (F0) during early developmental windows (e.g., early postnatal period, suckling phase) may promote long-term beneficial effects on efficiency traits and even a subsequent transmission of these traits to the next generation (F1). Therefore, improving knowledge about intergenerational effects caused by postnatal early nutritional events (e.g., methionine supplementation during the early life of ewe lambs) is crucial for refining strategies dedicated to animal breeding. In this study, we determined differences in the global blood methylation patterns, biochemical profile, and metabolome of female offspring (F1) born from either early methionine-supplemented (F0-MET) or control ewes (F0-MET). These F1-RES lambs presented lower live body weight throughout their whole life when compared with the F1-ADL lambs. In this study, fecal microbiome diversity in first-generation (F1) lambs from control (CTRL) and methionine-supplemented (MET) groups was evaluated using 16S rRNA sequencing. No significant differences were observed in alpha or beta diversity indices. However, DESeq2 analysis revealed a significant reduction in the abundance of the genus Treponema and the family Spirochaetaceae, both belonging to the phylum Spirochaetes, in the MET group.