TWENTY TO FORTY PERCENT OF EMBRYONIC LOSS IN PIGS OCCURS DURING THE FIRST 20 DAYS OF PREGNANCY. AT THIS TIME THE DEVELOPING EMBRYOS ARE FED BY SECRETIONS FROM THE UTERUS, AND INCREASED UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THESE SECRETIONS ARE GENERATED BY THE UTERUS AND USED BY THE EMBRYOS CAN ADVANCE STRATEGIES TO DECREASE EMBRYONIC LOSS. MANY CELLS GENERATE ENERGY BY CONVERTING GLUTAMINE INTO GLUTAMATE AND THEN Α-KETOGLUTARATE THAT ENTERS THE TCA CYCLE, A PROCESS CALLED GLUTAMINOLYSIS. OUR PRELIMINARY WORK SUGGESTS THAT THE DEVELOPING PLACENTAE OF EMBRYOS USE GLUTAMINE TO SUPPORT THEIR DEVELOPMENT. THE LONG-TERM GOALS OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF GLUTAMINOLYSIS IN THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLACENTAE OF PORCINE EMBRYOS. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE TO: 1) DETERMINE IF EMBRYOS USE GLUTAMINOLYSIS TO SUPPORT SYNTHESIS OF NUCLEOTIDES AND LIPS; AND 2) DETERMINE IF INACTIVATION OF GLUTAMINOLYSIS AFFECTS THE PLACENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY EMBRYOS. NEW KNOWLEDGE FROM THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL INFORM AS TO THE ROLES OF GLUTAMINE IN RAPID GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CONCEPTUS TROPHECTODERM OF PIGS THAT SETS THE STAGE FOR RAPID GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE EMBRYO/FETUS. THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED FROM THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE THE FRAMEWORK FOR MECHANISM-DRIVEN TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH INTO STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE REPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCIES IN ANIMAL AGRICULTURE.

Texas A&M Agrilife Research, College Station TX

Investigators