Early postnatal feed restriction reduces liver connective tissue levels and affects H3K9 acetylation state of regulated genes associated with protein metabolism in low birth weight pigs.
Intrauterine growth retardation is associated with metabolic consequences in adulthood. Since our previous data indicate birth weight-dependent effects of feed restriction (R) on protein degradation processes in the liver, it should be investigated whether effects on connective tissue turnover are obvious and could be explained by global changes of histone H3K9me3 and H3K9ac states in regulated genes. For this purpose, female littermate pigs with low (U) or normal (N) birth weight were subjected to 3-week R (60% of ad libitum fed controls) with subsequent refeeding (REF) for further 5 weeks. The 3-week R-period induced a significant reduction of connective tissue area by 43% in the liver of U animals at 98 d of age, which was not found in age-matched N animals. Of note, after REF at 131 d of age, in previously feed-restricted U animals (UR), the percentage of mean connective tissue was only 53% of ad libitum fed controls (UK), indicating a persistent effect. In U animals, R induced H3K9 acetylation of regulated genes (e.g. XBP1, ERLEC1, GALNT2, PTRH2), which were inter alia associated with protein metabolism. In contrast, REF was mostly accompanied by deacetylation in U and N animals. Thus, our epigenetic data may give a first explanation for the observed birth weight-dependent differences in this connective tissue phenotype.
['Nebendahl|Constance|C|', 'Görs|Solvig|S|', 'Albrecht|Elke|E|', 'Krüger|Ricarda|R|', 'Martens|Karen|K|', 'Giller|Katrin|K|', 'Hammon|Harald M|HM|', 'Rimbach|Gerald|G|', 'Metges|Cornelia C|CC|']
D000107:Acetylation D000821:Animal Feed D000818:Animals D001724:Birth Weight D031204:Caloric Restriction D003238:Connective Tissue D020869:Gene Expression Profiling D005786:Gene Expression Regulation D006657:Histones D008099:Liver D011506:Proteins D013552:Swine D014158:Transcription, Genetic
H3K9me3 H3K9ac Epigenetics Connective liver tissue Gene expression IUGR