GSE110192
Liver transcriptomic and proteomic profiles of preweaning lambs are modified by milk replacer restriction
Purpose: The present study was designed to identify both differentially expressed (DE) genes  and differences in proteins accumulated in the liver tissues of suckling female lambs, thus trying to identify modified metabolic pathways as a consequence of milk restriction during the suckling period. Methods: Forty Assaf lambs (average BW 4.7 kg) were penned individually, twenty of them were fed milk replacer (200 g dry matter/L) ad libitum (ADL; 192 mL/kg LBW) whereas the other group (restricted, RES) only received 120 mL/kg LBW. When they were 35 days old, four animals per group were slaughtered (8 lambs in total) and a piece of liver was excised for transcriptomic analysis. The liver transcriptome analysis was carried out using RNA sequencing methodology (RNA-seq). Results: 386 DE genes were identified by RNA-seq, 198 of them being annotated genes in the KEGG pathway. Positive values of log2-fold change (log2FC) indicated that 210 genes were up-regulated in the liver of RES relative to the ADL group, whereas negative log2FC values denoted the down-regulation of 176 genes (P < 0.05). Conclusions: According to the data obtained, a restricted milk intake during the suckling period of replacement lambs affects hepatic transcriptome and proteome associated with an altered metabolism of lipids and proteins, thus reducing feed efficiency of replacement period. Overall design: A transcriptomic analysis was carried out using next-generation sequencing (RNA-seq) from liver samples: 4 animals from ADL group and 4 animals from RES group, 8 samples in total.