Effects of Maternal Nutrition on Fructose, Glucose, and Cationic Amino Acid Transporter Expression in Bovine Utero-Placental Tissues from Days 16 to 50 of Gestation

Abstract

Poor Maternal nutrition has been implicated to reduce nutrient transport to the conceptus. Therefore, we hypothesized that maternal nutrition and day of gestation would impact mRNA expression of nutrient transporters GLUT1, GLUT3, GLUT5, GLUT14, CAT-1, CAT-2, and CAT-3 in beef heifers. Crossbred Angus heifers (n = 49) were bred via AI, assigned to nutritional treatment (CON = 100% of requirements for 0.45 kg/d gain and RES = 60% of CON) and ovariohysterectomized on d 16, 34, or 50 of gestation. Expression of CAT-2 was the only gene in any tissue to demonstrate a day × treatment interaction. Expression of nutrient transporters were not influence by nutritional treatment (P > 0.05); however, transporters were differentially expressed by day of gestation (P ≤ 0.05). We interpret these results to indicate that day, has a greater influence than a 40% global nutrient restriction on mRNA expression of nutrient transporters in bovine utero-placental tissues.