Tissue-Specific Transcriptomic Profiling of Vitamin-Dependent Mitochondrial Pathways in Female Buffalo.

This study provides a comprehensive tissue-specific transcriptomic analysis of mitochondrial genes associated with vitamin metabolism in buffalo. Using RNA-seq data from four post-pubertal female buffalo tissues (kidney, heart, brain, and ovary), we profiled 41 nuclear-encoded mitochondrial genes involved in the metabolism of B-complex vitamins, vitamins A, C, D, folate, choline, and one-carbon pathways. The kidney exhibited the highest expression of biotin-related genes (ACACB, PC, PCCA), supporting roles in fatty acid oxidation and gluconeogenesis, while the heart showed moderate expression, and the brain and ovary lower expression, consistent with their metabolic functions. In vitamin A metabolism, the kidney showed elevated transcription of AKR1B10 and BCO2 (retinoid detoxification), whereas the heart exhibited moderate RDH14 expression, and the brain and ovary showed minimal transcriptional activity. Vitamin D-related genes were highly expressed in the kidney (FDX1) and ovary (FDXR), with lower expression in heart and brain. Vitamin B6-associated genes were prominently expressed in the ovary (PLPBP) and kidney/brain (PNPO), with low expression in the heart. B12-processing genes (MMAA, MMAB, MMADHC) showed the highest expression in the kidney, followed by the heart. The thiamine transporter SLC25A19 was transcriptionally enriched in the ovary, with moderate expression in kidney and brain. Riboflavin metabolism genes (RFK, FLAD1, SLC25A32) were more highly expressed in the kidney and heart, while choline and betaine metabolism genes (DMGDH, CHDH, SARDH) and one-carbon metabolism genes (ALDH1L1, AMT, SFXN1) were predominantly expressed in the kidney. Overall, this transcriptomic evidence reveals organ-specific expression patterns of vitamin-dependent mitochondrial pathways in buffalo, offering insights for nutritional strategies to enhance livestock metabolic efficiency and contributing to the broader understanding of mammalian mitochondrial physiology.