Maternal nutrition has a major impact on the mother\u2019s offspring, for humans and other animals.<\/p>\n
Alana Wolfson \u201927 (CAHNR<\/a>) is studying if maternal nutrition in sheep could impact not just one generation of lambs, but many.<\/p>\n Wolfson, an animal science<\/a> major in the pre-veterinary concentration, is working with Sarah Reed, associate professor of animal science, to study the impact of poor maternal nutrition on a ewe\u2019s lambs and their offspring after that.<\/p>\n Wolfson is comparing the impact of under- and over-nutrition on these offspring. For sheep in the under-feeding group, they receive 60% less nutrients than is recommended and over-feeding receive 140% of that recommendation.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is really important because I\u2019m trying to look at how their dam or granddam\u2019s diet can impact their energy metabolism and the mitochondria they generate,\u201d Wolfson says. \u201cSo, basically, I\u2019m looking at how diet can impact something on such an extreme cellular level.\u201d<\/p>\n By the end of the summer Wolfson hopes to isolate mitochondria from the sheep samples and send them to a lab for analysis of DNA methylation.<\/p>\n DNA methylation is a process in which molecules known as methyl groups are added to DNA molecules to change their activity.<\/p>\n \u201cMore methylation is usually a bad sign,\u201d Wolfson says. \u201cIt means the mitochondria aren\u2019t working as well as they should. They\u2019re inhibited in some way.\u201d<\/p>\n Previous research suggests that restricted or high-fat diets are associated with a reduced number of mitochondria, poorer functioning, and changes in their structure.<\/p>\n Because mitochondria support so many normal processes in the body, changes to mitochondrial functioning translate to many health problems in the animal.<\/p>\n \u201cThe impacts would scale greatly,\u201d Wolfson says. \u201cBecause the mitochondria are responsible for energy production, and you need energy to sustain all life processes. When you breathe, when you grow and develop, you need mitochondria to support that.\u201d<\/p>\n Wolfson has been working with Reed since her freshman year. Wolfson first met Reed at orientation and was immediately interested in the research Reed was doing at UConn.<\/p>\n \u201cWe clicked right away,\u201d Wolfson says.<\/p>\n Wolfson\u2019s interest in animal health started years ago when she worked at animal shelters. There, she noticed nutrition often determined if an animal would survive or not.<\/p>\n \u201cNutrition was basically determining life or death for some of these animals,\u201d Wolfson says.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, this [research] does connect with animal welfare and that\u2019s something I\u2019m really passionate about.\u201d<\/p>\n Wolfson is completing this work as a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow for the American Physiological Society.<\/p>\n Wolfson was selected as one of 12 fellows from around the country. The fellows and their professors meet weekly to discuss their research and provide one another with feedback. In the spring, the fellows will meet in person to present research posters.<\/p>\n \u201cI like how it\u2019s a nice networking opportunity,\u201d Wolfson says. \u201cIt\u2019s cool because even though we\u2019re meeting online I get to have all these connections.\u201d<\/p>\n Wolfson has also received an IDEA grant for the fall semester to continue this project. With that new funding she will turn from studying the mitochondria to analyzing the impact of poor maternal nutrition on the sheep\u2019s cell membranes and lipids.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really cool that I get to look at different aspects and really dive into it,\u201d Wolfson says.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This work relates to CAHNR\u2019s Strategic Vision area focused on <\/em>Enhancing Health and Well-Being Locally, Nationally, and Globally<\/em><\/a> and<\/u><\/em>\u00a0<\/em>Ensuring a Vibrant and Sustainable Agricultural Industry and Food Supply.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n