Abstract
We hypothesized that maternal low or high nutrition would give unique effects to morphological and molecular dynamics in adipose tissue of fetus of fatty breed Wagyu (Japanese Black) cattle which produce highly marbled beef. This study aimed to determine the effects of maternal energy intake in Wagyu cows, during gestation on fetal adipose tissue development, histochemical properties, and gene and microRNA (miRNA) expression. Cows were allocated to one of two nutritional energy groups: 120% (HIGH) or 60% nutritional requirements of (LOW). Fetuses (n = 6 per treatment) were removed from pregnant cows by cesarean section at fetal age 260 ± 8 days and euthanized. Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), thoracic cavity visceral adipose tissue (TVAT), and perirenal adipose tissue (PAT) were collected for analysis. In histochemical analysis, in SAT and PAT, HIGH fetuses had greater diameter of adipocytes than LOW fetuses (P<0.05). Only in SAT, LOW fetuses had more Leptin (LEP) mRNA and tended to have more Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor gamma (PPARG) CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins alpha (CEBPA) and Glucose transporter (GLUT) 4 mRNA(P<0.10). In all SAT, TVAT, and PAT, LOW fetuses had higher levels of the brown adipose tissue (BAT) biomarkers Uncoupling Protein (UCP) 1 and PPARG coactivator (PGC) 1α mRNA than HIGH fetuses (P<0.08). Meanwhile, in the other adipose tissue, LOW fetuses had lower PPARG, CEBPA, and Zinc Finger Protein (ZFP) 423 (in TVAT and PAT), FASN (in TVAT), LEP and GLUT4 mRNA (in PAT; P<0.10). In particular, in TVAT and PAT, LOW fetuses exhibited lower expression of WAT biomarkers (PPARG and ZFP423). Differential expression of various miRNAs related to adipogenesis between the LOW and HIGH fetuses was detected in an adipose tissue-specific manner (P<0.10). Based on adipose tissue-specific effects of maternal nutrition, these findings suggested that poor maternal nutrition in Wagyu cattle increased BAT development in SAT, TVAT and PAT, while elevated maternal nutrition stimulated fetal SAT development compared with that of TVAT and PAT.
Highlights
We demonstrated that lower or higher maternal nutrition during gestation could alter adipose tissue mass, adipocyte size, and gene expression in an adipose-tissue-specific manner in fetuses of Wagyu cattle
The present study revealed that maternal nutrition during gestation affected the development of adipose tissue by changing mass and mRNA and miRNA
Expression in an adipose depot-specific manner in fetuses of fatty breed, Wagyu cattle (Figure 7). These findings suggest that low maternal nutrition would lead to the development of brown adipose tissue (BAT) in fetal adipose tissues and this BAT activation in LOW fetuses might be a priority and delayed white adipose tissue (WAT) formation due to lower nutrition
Summary
Through its major contribution as a source of protein in people’s diets, beef plays an important role in human health. To improve meat quality-related factors such as juiciness and flavor, intramuscular adipose tissue is crucial [1, 2]. Adipose tissue in carcasses, that is, SAT, renal adipose tissue, and intermuscular adipose tissue, is basically useless or wasted adipose tissue from the perspective of human consumption. We partly use Wagyu adipose tissue as a material for processed beef in Japan, a huge amount of wasted adipose tissue is still abandoned. Wagyu (Japanese Black) cattle have a greater percentage of intramuscular fat and a greater mass of carcass adipose tissue than European cattle [3]. Wagyu is a unique animal model regarding obesity and intramuscular fat accumulation, we would like to shift the focus on its development from increasing intramuscular fat to instead reducing wasted adipose tissue. The molecular mechanism behind the accumulation of such adipose tissue in cattle is unknown
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