Divergent Transcriptome Signature in Blood of Cows Exposed to Vaccination pre- or postpartum

Abstract Text: Cows in the periparturient period have been found to reveal immunosuppression, frequently associated with increased susceptibility to uterine and mammary infections. To better understand the causes and the molecular regulatory mechanisms accounting for this phenomenon, we examined the impact of a vaccination challenge of cows prior to (BC) or after calving (AC) on the modulation of gene expression. Whole blood transcriptome analysis using RNAseq revealed a divergent transcriptional profile specific for each cow group and showed a substantially higher number of loci affected in BC cows in response to vaccination compared to AC cows (2,235 vs. 208). Consequently, the number and variety of regulated signalling pathways involved in immunomodulation were considerably lower in AC cows. The divergent transcriptional reprogramming in response to vaccination in the cow groups provides evidence for a suppressed immune capacity of early lactating cows on the molecular level.

Keywords:

transcriptome

RNAseq

vaccination

lactation

cattle