Hepatic Activity and Transcription of Betaine-Homocysteine Methyltransferase, Methionine Synthase, and Cystathionine Synthase in Periparturient Dairy Cows Are Altered to Different Extents by Supply of Methionine and Choline

Abstract

Compared with choline, Met enhances milk yield and feed intake, and elicits a better immuno-metabolic status in periparturient cows. It is unknown whether hepatic activity and transcription of betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT), 5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyltransferase (MTR), and cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) are responsive to Met and choline supply. This study sought to characterize hepatic BHMT, MTR, and CBS transcription and activity in response to Met and choline supplementation. Forty multiparous cows were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design from -21 d through 30 d around parturition to assess effects of dietary rumen-protected Met (0% or 0.08% dry matter basis) or rumen-protected choline (0 or 60 g · cow-1 · d-1). Liver tissue obtained on days -10, 7, 20, and 30 was used for analyses. Met-supplemented cows had greater methionine adenosyltransferase 1A (MAT1A) (0.38 compared with 0.27; SEM = 0.05; P = 0.02) and phosphatidylethanolamine methyltransferase (PEMT) (0.74 compared with 0.58; SEM = 0.08; P = 0.05) expression. Greater S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) (0.93 compared with 0.74; SEM = 0.05; P = 0.01) and CBS (1.16 compared with 1.02; SEM = 0.07; P = 0.04), as well as lower MTR activity (23.4 compared with 29.7 nmol product · h-1 · mg protein-1; SEM = 2.9; P = 0.04), also were detected in Met- but not choline-supplemented cows. Although BHMT and MTR expression and BHMT enzyme activity did not change (P > 0.05), MTR enzyme activity was lower in choline-supplemented cows (23.5 compared with 29.6 nmol product · h-1 · mg protein-1; SEM = 2.9; P = 0.05). These findings indicate that greater synthesis of phosphatidylcholine and antioxidants contribute to the better performance and immuno-metabolic status in Met-supplemented cows. Failure to generate a comparable amount of endogenous Met from choline could be one reason that choline-fed cows fail to achieve comparable performance and health benefits during the periparturient period.