Fetal programming in pregnant cows and epigenetic changes: The impact of nutrition and heat stress

Abstract

The vital functions of an adult animal are shaped by environmental influences encountered postnatally. However, recent research has shown that the prenatal period can also significantly determine an animal's future performance. This concept, referred to variously as fetal programming, developmental programming, or the developmental origins of health and disease, suggests that environmental factors during the prenatal period can have long-term effects on an individual’s postnatal growth, health, and physiological functions. This crucial concept emphasizes the ability to program the measurable genetic structures that shape the offspring’s postnatal characteristics in various ways. Initial fetal programming studies in pregnant cows focused on calf birth weight, later revealing that environmental factors such as maternal nutrient deficiency and heat stress can have diverse impacts on the fetus. It has been understood that prenatal environmental factors can negatively affect vital traits such as milk production, carcass yield, feed efficiency, and reproductive function throughout the animal's life. Epigenetic changes, which involve permanent modifications in gene expression without altering the DNA sequence, play a key role in this process. Maternal nutrition and heat stress can alter the fetus's gene expression profiles through epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone modifications. These changes can result in permanent phenotypic traits that affect the calf's health and productivity in the postnatal period. Therefore, proper management of the prenatal period and provision of appropriate environmental conditions are crucial for animal welfare and sectoral productivity. This review addresses the mechanisms affecting fetal programming processes in pregnant cows and the long-term effects of such programming.

Keywords

• foetal programming
• epigenetic
• heat stress
• nutrition
• pregnant cow

Gebe ineklerde fetal programlama ve epigenetik değişimler: Beslenme ve ısı stresinin etkisi

Öz

Yetişkin bir hayvanın yaşamsal işlevleri, doğum sonrasında maruz kaldığı çevresel etkilerle şekillenirken, son yıllarda yapılan araştırmalar, doğumdan önceki dönemin de hayvanın gelecekteki performansını belirleyebileceğini göstermektedir. Fetal programlama, gelişimsel programlama ya da sağlık ve hastalığın gelişimsel kökenleri olarak çeşitli şekillerde adlandırılan bu kavram, doğum öncesi dönemdeki çevresel faktörlerin bireyin doğum sonrası büyüme, sağlık ve fizyolojik işlevleri üzerinde uzun vadeli etkiler yaratabileceğini ortaya koymaktadır. Bu önemli konsept, yavrunun doğum sonrası özelliklerini şekillendiren ölçülebilir genetik yapıları farklı şekillerde programlayabilme yeteneğine vurgu yapar. Özellikle gebe ineklerde yavru doğum ağırlığına odaklanan ilk fetal programlama çalışmaları, daha sonra annenin yaşadığı besin eksikliği, ısı stresi gibi çevresel etkilerin de fetüs üzerinde farklı sonuçlar yaratabileceğini göstermiştir. Doğum öncesi dönemdeki çevresel faktörlerin, hayvanın yaşamının geri kalanında süt üretimi, karkas verimi, yemden yararlanma verimliliği ve/veya üreme işlevi gibi hayati özellikler üzerinde olumsuz sonuçlar doğurabileceği anlaşılmaktadır. Epigenetik değişimler ise, DNA diziliminde bir değişiklik olmaksızın gen ekspresyonunda meydana gelen kalıcı değişikliklerdir. Anne inekteki beslenme ve ısı stresi, DNA metilasyonu ve histon modifikasyonları gibi epigenetik mekanizmalar üzerinden fetusun gen ekspresyon profillerini değiştirebilir. Bu değişimler, buzağıların doğum sonrası dönemde sağlık ve verimliliklerini etkileyen kalıcı fenotipik özellikler oluşturabilir. Bu nedenle, doğum öncesi dönemin doğru yönetimi ve hayvanın ihtiyaç duyduğu uygun çevresel koşulların sağlanması, hem hayvan refahı hem de sektörel verimlilik açısından kritik öneme sahiptir. Bu derleme, gebe ineklerdeki fetal programlama süreçlerini etkileyen mekanizmaları ve bu programlamanın doğurduğu uzun vadeli etkileri ele almaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• fetal programlama
• epigenetik
• sıcak stresi
• beslenme
• gebe inek

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