Forms of selenium in vitamin-mineral mixes differentially affect the expression of genes responsible for prolactin, ACTH, and α-MSH synthesis and mitochondrial dysfunction in pituitaries of steers grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue

The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that sodium selenite (inorganic Se, ISe), SEL-PLEX (organic forms of Se, OSe), vs. a 1:1 blend (MIX) of ISe and OSe in a basal vitamin-mineral (VM) mix would differentially alter pituitary transcriptome profiles in growing beef steers grazing an endophyte-infected tall fescue (E+) pasture. Predominately Angus steers (BW = 183 ± 34 kg) were randomly selected from fall-calving cows grazing E+ pasture and consuming VM mixes that contained 35 ppm Se as ISe, OSe, or MIX forms. Steers were weaned, depleted of Se for 98 d, and subjected to summer-long common grazing of a 10.1 ha E+ pasture containing 0.51 ppm ergot alkaloids. Steers were assigned (n = 8 per treatment) to the same Se-form treatments on which they were raised. Selenium treatments were administered by daily top-dressing 85 g of VM mix onto 0.23 kg soyhulls, using in-pasture Calan gates. As previously reported, serum prolactin was greater for MIX (52%) and OSe (59%) steers vs. ISe. Pituitaries were collected at slaughter and changes in global and selected mRNA expression patterns determined by microarray and real-time reverse transcription PCR analyses, respectively. The effects of Se treatment on relative gene expression were subjected to one-way ANOVA. The form of Se affected the expression of 542 annotated genes (P < 0.005). Integrated pathway analysis found a canonical pathway network between prolactin and pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)/ACTH/α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) synthesis-related proteins and that mitochondrial dysfunction was a top-affected canonical pathway. Targeted reverse transcription-PCR analysis found that the relative abundance of mRNA encoding prolactin and POMC/ACTH/α-MSH synthesis-related proteins was affected (P < 0.05) by the form of Se, as were (P ≤ 0.05) mitochondrial dysfunction-related proteins (CYB5A, FURIN, GPX4, and PSENEN). OSe steers appeared to have a greater prolactin synthesis capacity (more PRL mRNA) vs. ISe steers through decreased dopamine type two receptor signaling (more DRD2 mRNA), whereas MIX steers had a greater prolactin synthesis capacity (more PRL mRNA) and release potential by increasing thyrotropin-releasing hormone concentrations (less TRH receptor mRNA) than ISe steers. OSe steers also had a greater ACTH and α-MSH synthesis potential (more POMC, PCSK2, CPE, and PAM mRNA) than ISe steers. We conclude that form of Se in VM mixes altered expression of genes responsible for prolactin and POMC/ACTH/α-MSH synthesis, and mitochondrial function, in pituitaries of growing beef steers subjected to summer-long grazing an E+ pasture.