Effect of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on transcription factor regulation in the bovine endometrium

Dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation is postulated to have positive effects on fertility. The impact of dietary n-3 PUFA supplementation on physiological and biochemical processes involved in reproduction is likely to be associated with significant alterations in gene expression in key reproductive tissues which is in turn regulated by transcription factors. Beef heifers were supplemented with a rumen protected source of either a saturated fatty acid or high n-3 PUFA diet per animal per day for 45 days and uterine endometrial tissue was harvested post slaughter. A microarray analysis was conducted and bioinformatic tools were employed to evaluate the effect of n-3 PUFA supplementation on gene expression in the bovine endometrium. Clustering of microarray gene expression data was performed to identify co-expressed genes. Functional annotation of each cluster of genes was carried out using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Furthermore, oPOSSUM was employed to identify transcription factors involved in gene expression changes due to supplementary PUFA. Gene functions which showed a significant response to n-3 PUFA supplementation included tissue development, immune function and reproductive function. Numerous transcription factors such as FOXD1, FOXD3, NFKB1, ESR1, PGR, FOXA2, NKX3-1 and PPARα were identified as potential regulators of gene expression in the endometrium of cattle supplemented with n-3 PUFA. This study demonstrates the complex nature of the alterations in the transcriptional regulation process in the uterine endometrium of cattle following dietary supplementation which may positively influence the uterine environment.