Iron Content Affects Lipogenic Gene Expression in the Muscle of Nelore Beef Cattle.

Wellison Jarles Da Silva Diniz,Ana Rita Araújo Nogueira,Luiz Lehmann Coutinho,Caio Fernando Gromboni,Priscila Silva Neubern De Oliveira,Luciana Correia De Almeida Regitano,Polyana Cristine Tizioto,Aline Silva Mello Cesar,Marcela Maria De Souza,Stephen L Clarke

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161160

Abstract

Iron (Fe) is an essential mineral for metabolism and plays a central role in a range of biochemical processes. Therefore, this study aimed to identify differentially expressed (DE) genes and metabolic pathways in Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle from cattle with divergent iron content, as well as to investigate the likely role of these DE genes in biological processes underlying beef quality parameters. Samples for RNA extraction for sequencing and iron, copper, manganese, and zinc determination were collected from LD muscles at slaughter. Eight Nelore steers, with extreme genomic estimated breeding values for iron content (Fe-GEBV), were selected from a reference population of 373 animals. From the 49 annotated DE genes (FDR<0.05) found between the two groups, 18 were up-regulated and 31 down-regulated for the animals in the low Fe-GEBV group. The functional enrichment analyses identified several biological processes, such as lipid transport and metabolism, and cell growth. Lipid metabolism was the main pathway observed in the analysis of metabolic and canonical signaling pathways for the genes identified as DE, including the genes FASN, FABP4, and THRSP, which are functional candidates for beef quality, suggesting reduced lipogenic activities with lower iron content. Our results indicate metabolic pathways that are partially influenced by iron, contributing to a better understanding of its participation in skeletal muscle physiology.

Highlights

As an essential micronutrient, iron (Fe) plays a central role in several biochemical functions, by acting as an enzymatic cofactor and/or a structural protein component
Through the transcriptional profile of Longissimus dorsi tissue from eight steers genetically divergent for iron content, we identified 49 annotated differentially expressed (DE) genes
Many of these DE genes are involved in lipogenic functions, such as lipid metabolism, and triglyceride metabolic process

Summary

Introduction

Iron (Fe) plays a central role in several biochemical functions, by acting as an enzymatic cofactor and/or a structural protein component. Among these functions are energy metabolism, oxygen binding and transport, gene regulation, growth regulation, and cell differentiation [1]. Iron is an essential component of several cell enzymes such as catalases, peroxidases, cytochromes, ribonucleotide reductase, and aconitase, which are crucial for PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0161160. Gene Expression Changes Related to Cattle Muscle Fe Content.

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