• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.410-417
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• 2016

During the lactation cycle of the bovine mammary gland, autophagy is induced in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) as a cellular homeostasis and survival mechanism. Interferon gamma ($IFN-{\gamma}$) is an important antiproliferative and apoptogenic factor that has been shown to induce autophagy in multiple cell lines in vitro. However, it remains unclear whether $IFN-{\gamma}$ can induce autophagy and whether autophagy affects milk synthesis in BMECs. To understand whether $IFN-{\gamma}$ affects milk synthesis, we isolated and purified primary BMECs and investigated the effect of $IFN-{\gamma}$ on milk synthesis in primary BMECs in vitro. The results showed that $IFN-{\gamma}$ significantly inhibits milk synthesis and that autophagy was clearly induced in primary BMECs in vitro within 24 h. Interestingly, autophagy was observed following $IFN-{\gamma}$ treatment, and the inhibition of autophagy can improve milk protein and milk fat synthesis. Conversely, upregulation of autophagy decreased milk synthesis. Furthermore, mechanistic analysis confirmed that $IFN-{\gamma}$ mediated autophagy by depleting arginine and inhibiting the general control nonderepressible-2 kinase (GCN2)/eukaryotic initiation factor $2{\alpha}$ ($eIF2{\alpha}$) signaling pathway in BMECs. Then, it was found that arginine supplementation could attenuate $IFN-{\gamma}$-induced autophagy and recover milk synthesis to some extent. These findings may not only provide a novel measure for preventing the $IFN-{\gamma}$-induced decrease in milk quality but also a useful therapeutic approach for $IFN-{\gamma}$-associated breast diseases in other animals and humans.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1646-1652
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• 2016

Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is a central regulator of cell growth and metabolism and is sufficient to induce specific metabolic processes, including de novo lipid biosynthesis. Elongation of very-long-chain fatty acids 1 (ELOVL1) is a ubiquitously expressed gene and the product of which was thought to be associated with elongation of carbon (C) chain in fatty acids. In the present study, we examined the effects of rapamycin, a specific inhibitor of mTORC1, on ELOVL1 expression and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6 n-3) synthesis in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs). We found that rapamycin decreased the relative abundance of ELOVL1 mRNA, ELOVL1 expression and the level of DHA in a time-dependent manner. These data indicate that ELOVL1 expression and DHA synthesis are regulated by mTORC1 in BMECs.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.1757-1768
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• 2023

Objective: The number of bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) is closely associated with the quantity of milk production in dairy cows; however, the optimal levels and the combined effects of hormones and essential amino acids (EAAs) on cell proliferation are not completely understood. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the optimal combination of individual hormones and EAAs for cell proliferation and related signaling pathways in BMECs. Methods: Immortalized BMECs (MAC-T) were treated with six hormones (insulin, cortisol, progesterone, estrone, 17β-estradiol, and epidermal growth factor) and ten EAAs (arginine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, threonine, tryptophan, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, and valine) for 24 h. Results: Cells were cultured in a medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) as FBS supplemented at a concentration of 10% to 50% showed a comparable increase in cell proliferation rate. The optimized combination of four hormones (insulin, cortisol, progesterone, and 17β-estradiol) and 20% of a mixture of ten EAAs led to the highest cell proliferation rate, which led to a significant increase in cell cycle progression at the S and G2/M phases, in the protein levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and cyclin B1, cell nucleus staining, and in cell numbers. Conclusion: The optimal combination of hormones and EAAs increased BMEC proliferation by enhancing cell cycle progression in the S and G/2M phases. Our findings indicate that optimizing hormone and amino acid levels has the potential to enhance milk production, both in cell culture settings by promoting increased cell numbers, and in dairy cows by regulating feed intake.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.1289-1302
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• 2024

Objective: There is a strong relationship between the content of beneficial fatty acids in milk and milk fat metabolic activity in the mammary gland. To improve milk quality, it is therefore necessary to study fatty acid metabolism in bovine mammary gland tissue. In adipose tissue, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG), the core transcription factor, regulates the fatty acid metabolism gene network and determines fatty acid deposition. However, its regulatory effects on mammary gland fatty acid metabolism during lactation have rarely been reported. Methods: Transcriptome sequencing was performed during the prelactation period and the peak lactation period to examine mRNA expression. The significant upregulation of PPARG drew our attention and led us to conduct further research. Results: According to bioinformatics prediction, dual-luciferase reporter system detection, real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, miR-130a and miR-130b could directly target PPARG and inhibit its expression. Furthermore, triglyceride and oil red O staining proved that miR-130a and miR-130b inhibited milk fat metabolism in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs), while PPARG promoted this metabolism. In addition, we also found that the coexpression of miR-130a and miR-130b significantly enhanced their ability to regulate milk fat metabolism. Conclusion: In conclusion, our findings indicated that miR-130a and miR-130b could target and repress PPARG and that they also have a functional superposition effect. miR-130a and miR-130b seem to synergistically regulate lipid catabolism via the control of PPARG in BMECs. In the long-term, these findings might be helpful in developing practical means to improve high-quality milk.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.414-421
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• 2014

This study was conducted to determine the effects of saturated long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) on cell proliferation and triacylglycerol (TAG) content, as well as mRNA expression of ${\alpha}s1$-casein (CSN1S1) and genes associated with lipid and protein synthesis in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs). Primary cells were isolated from the mammary glands of Holstein dairy cows, and were passaged twice. Then cells were cultured with different levels of palmitate or stearate (0, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 ${\mu}M$) for 48 h and fetal bovine serum in the culture solution was replaced with fatty acid-free BSA (1 g/L). The results showed that cell proliferation tended to be increased quadratically with increasing addition of stearate. Treatments with palmitate or stearate induced an increase in TAG contents at 0 to 600 ${\mu}M$ in a concentration-dependent manner, and the addition of 600 ${\mu}M$ was less effective in improving TAG accumulation. The expression of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase alpha, fatty acid synthase and fatty acid-binding protein 3 was inhibited when palmitate or stearate were added in culture medium, whereas cluster of differentiation 36 and CSN1S1 mRNA abundance was increased in a concentration-dependent manner. The mRNA expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, mammalian target of rapamycin and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 with palmitate or stearate had no significant differences relative to the control. These results implied that certain concentrations of saturated LCFA could stimulate cell proliferation and the accumulation of TAG, whereas a reduction may occur with the addition of an overdose of saturated LCFA. Saturated LCFA could up-regulate CSN1S1 mRNA abundance, but further studies are necessary to elucidate the mechanism for regulating milk fat and protein synthesis.