Effects of dietary n-3-PUFA supplementation, post-insemination plane of nutrition and pregnancy status on the endometrial transcriptome of beef heifers

This study investigated the effects of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation and post-insemination plane of nutrition on the endometrial transcriptome of beef heifers. A 2x2 factorial design was used, with heifers receiving either a control diet or an n-3 PUFA-supplemented diet before and after artificial insemination (AI), and then allocated to high or low post-insemination nutritional planes. Endometrial tissue was harvested on Day 16 post-AI for RNA sequencing analysis. Post-insemination diet significantly affected the endometrial transcriptome. In n-3 PUFA-supplemented heifers, genes involved in embryonic development and mTOR signaling pathways were differentially expressed, particularly under underfeeding conditions. Results suggest that n-3 PUFA supplementation may positively influence the expression of key fertility-related genes, especially when animals experience nutritional stress.

Carla Surlis, Paul Cormican, Sinead M. Waters, Patrick Lonergan, Kate Keogh, David N. Doyle, David A. Kenny