Early high nutrition enhances grass-fed beef productivity through epigenetically regulated muscle metabolism, altered early adipogenesis, and rumen fermentation dynamics.

We previously reported that high nutrition early in life enhances the growth and intramuscular fat (IMF; i.e., marbling) content of grass-fattened beef cattle.

A Pilot Study: Maternal Undernutrition Programs Energy Metabolism and Alters Metabolic Profile and Morphological Characteristics of Skeletal Muscle in Postnatal Beef Cattle.

: This study investigated the long-term effects of maternal undernutrition on overall muscle metabolism, growth performance, and muscle characteristics in postnatal offspring of Wagyu (Japanese Black) cattle. : Wagyu cows were divided into nutrient-adequate (control, CNT; = 4, 120% of requirements) and nutrient-restricted groups (NR; = 4; 60% of requirements), and treated from day 35 of gestation until parturition. Diets were delivered on the basis of crude protein requirements, meeting 100% and 80% of dry matter requirements in CNT and NR groups, respectively.

Maternal Undernutrition Affects Fetal Thymus DNA Methylation, Gene Expression, and, Thereby, Metabolism and Immunopoiesis in Wagyu (Japanese Black) Cattle.

We aimed to determine the effects of maternal nutrient restriction (MNR) on the DNA methylation and gene expression patterns associated with metabolism and immunopoiesis in the thymuses of fetal Wagyu cattle. Pregnant cows were allocated to two groups: a low-nutrition (LN; 60% nutritional requirement; = 5) and a high-nutrition (HN; 120% nutritional requirement, = 6) group, until 8.5 months of gestation.

Feeding of mussel-associated leeches Hemiclepsis kasmiana on bitterling embryos: Novel interaction between parasites in a shared host.

We investigated an interaction between bitterlings and a parasitic leech Hemiclepsis kasmiana in freshwater mussel hosts. We found that leeches fed on bitterling eggs and embryos; this may exert a considerable negative effect on bitterling fitness. Host choices by females of three bitterling species may be differently affected by the presence of leeches within mussels; Tanakia limbata apparently avoided laying eggs in infested mussels while T.

Gene expression of bovine endometrial epithelial cells cultured in matrigel.

Glandular epithelial cells (GE) in the endometrium are thought to support the elongation and survival of ruminant embryos by secreting histotrophs. In the present study, the gene expression of bovine endometrial epithelial cells cultured in matrigel was analyzed and examined whether it could be an in vitro model of GE. Bovine endometrial epithelial cells (BEE) and stromal cells (BES) were isolated from the slaughterhouse uteri and cultured in DMEM/F12 + 10% FBS.