Previous research has demonstrated that in pregnant mice deficient in l-methionine (Met), the mixture of the dipeptide l-methionyl-l-methionine (Met-Met) with Met was more effective than Met alone in promoting mammogenesis and lactogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the role of a novel long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), named mammary gland proliferation-associated lncRNA (MGPNCR), in these processes. Transcriptomic analysis of mammary tissues from Met-deficient mice, supplemented either with a Met-Met/Met mixture or with Met alone, revealed significantly higher MGPNCR expression in the Met group compared to the mixture group, a finding recapitulated in a mammary epithelial cell model. Our findings suggested that MGPNCR hindered mammogenesis and milk protein synthesis by binding to eukaryotic initiation factor 4B (eIF4B). This interaction promoted the dephosphorylation of eIF4B at serine-422 by enhancing its association with protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). Our study sheds light on the regulatory mechanisms of lncRNA-mediated dipeptide effects on mammary cell proliferation and milk protein synthesis. These insights underscore the potential benefits of utilizing dipeptides to improve milk protein in animals and potentially in humans.
Keywords: PI3K-AKT signaling pathway; PP2A; dephosphorylation; eIF4B; lncRNA; milk protein; peptide-bound amino acids.