Joint Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis Prevails the Biological Mechanisms Underlying the Pro-Survival Fight in In Vitro Heat-Stressed Granulosa Cells.

Abstract

Simple SummaryThis study integrates the differentially expressed genes and important metabolites found in the transcriptome and metabolome analyses of in vitro acute heat-stressed bovine granulosa cells. Proteins and vitamin B catabolism were the most; tryptophan, proline, pyridoxine, and riboflavin (downregulated metabolites in heat stress) were enriched in many joint pathways. Genes AOX1, PYGM, NOS2, and SLC16A3 (all upregulated metabolites in heat stress) were found to have central roles in metabolic changes in response to heat stress. The negative effects of acute heat stress can be attributed to oxidative stress-driven changes at the inflammation metabolism nexus.Previous studies reported the physical, transcriptome, and metabolome changes in in vitro acute heat-stressed (38 °C versus 43 °C for 2 h) bovine granulosa cells. Granulosa cells exhibited transient proliferation senescence, oxidative stress, an increased rate of apoptosis, and a decline in steroidogenic activity. In this study, we performed a joint integration and network analysis of metabolomic and transcriptomic data to further narrow down and elucidate the role of differentially expressed genes, important metabolites, and relevant cellular and metabolic pathways in acute heat-stressed granulosa cells. Among the significant (raw p-value < 0.05) metabolic pathways where metabolites and genes converged, this study found vitamin B6 metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, histidine metabolism, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism. Important significant convergent biological pathways included ABC transporters and protein digestion and absorption, while functional signaling pathways included cAMP, mTOR, and AMPK signaling pathways together with the ovarian steroidogenesis pathway. Among the cancer pathways, the most important pathway was the central carbon metabolism in cancer. Through multiple analysis queries, progesterone, serotonin, citric acid, pyridoxal, L-lysine, succinic acid, L-glutamine, L-leucine, L-threonine, L-tyrosine, vitamin B6, choline, and CYP1B1, MAOB, VEGFA, WNT11, AOX1, ADCY2, ICAM1, PYGM, SLC2A4, SLC16A3, HSD11B2, and NOS2 appeared to be important enriched metabolites and genes, respectively. These genes, metabolites, and metabolic, cellular, and cell signaling pathways comprehensively elucidate the mechanisms underlying the intricate fight between death and survival in acute heat-stressed bovine granulosa cells and essentially help further our understanding (and will help the future quest) of research in this direction.