International Journal of Molecular Sciences Article Placental Transcriptome Adaptations to Maternal Nutrient Restriction in Sheep Chelsie B. Steinhauser 1,†, Colleen A. Lambo 2,†, Katharine Askelson 1, Gregory W. Burns 3, Susanta K. Behura 4,5, Thomas E. Spencer 4, Fuller W. Bazer 1 and Michael Carey Satterfield 1,* 1 Department of Animal Science, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA;
[email protected] (C.B.S.);
[email protected] (K.A.);
[email protected] (F.W.B.) 2 Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA;
[email protected] 3 Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA;
[email protected] 4 Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA;
[email protected] (S.K.B.);
[email protected] (T.E.S.) 5 Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA * Correspondence: csatterfi
[email protected]; Tel.: +1-979-845-6448 † These authors contributed equally to this work. Abstract: Placental development is modified in response to maternal nutrient restriction (NR), resulting in a spectrum of fetal growth rates. Pregnant sheep carrying singleton fetuses and fed either 100% (n = 8) or 50% (NR; n = 28) of their National Research Council (NRC) recommended intake from days 35–135 of pregnancy were used to elucidate placentome transcriptome alterations at both Citation: Steinhauser, C.B.; Lambo, day 70 and day 135. NR fetuses were further designated into upper (NR NonSGA; n = 7) and lower C.A.; Askelson, K.; Burns, G.W.; quartiles (NR SGA; n = 7) based on day 135 fetal weight.