农林科学最新文献

Piglets may experience a variety of stress injuries, but the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying these injuries are not well understood. In this study, we analysed the ileum of Large White (LW) and Mashen (MS) piglets at different times of starvation using chemical staining and transcriptome analysis. The intestinal barrier of piglets was damaged after starvation stress, but the intestinal antistress ability of MS piglets was stronger than LW piglets. A total of 8021 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in two breeds. Interestingly, the immune capacity (CHUK, TLR3) of MS piglets increased significantly after short-term starvation stress, while energy metabolism (NAGS, PLA2G12B, AGCG8) was predominant in LW piglets. After long-term starvation stress, the level of energy metabolism (PLIN5, PLA2G12B) was significantly increased in MS piglets. The expression of immune (HLA-DQB1, IGHG4, COL3A1, CD28, LAT) and disease (HSPA1B, MINPPI, ADH1C, GAL3ST1) related genes were significantly increased in two breeds of piglets. These results suggest that short-term stress mainly enhances immunity and energy metabolism in piglets, while long-term starvation produces greater stress on piglets, making it difficult for them to compensate for the damage to their bodies through self-regulation. This information can help improve the stress resistance of piglets through molecular breeding.

Background: The thyroid gland is an important endocrine gland in animals that secretes thyroid hormones and acts on various organs throughout the body. lncRNAs are long non-coding RNAs that play an important role in animal reproduction; however, there is a lack of understanding of their expression patterns and potential roles in the thyroid gland of the Small Tail Han (STH) sheep. In this study, we used RNA-Seq technology to examine the transcriptome expression pattern of the thyroid from the luteal phase (LP) and follicular phase (FP) of FecB BB (MM) STH sheep.

Results: We identified a total of 122 and 1287 differential expression lncRNAs (DELs) and differential expression mRNAs (DEGs), respectively, which were significantly differentially expressed. These DELs target genes and DEGs can be enriched in several signalling pathways related to the animal reproduction process.

Conclusions: The expression profiles of DELs and DEGs in thyroid glands provide a more comprehensive resource for elucidating the reproductive regulatory mechanisms of STH sheep.

The intensive labour and time required for conventional methods to identify bacterial fish pathogens have revealed the need to develop alternative methods. Raman spectroscopy has been used in the rapid optical identification of bacterial pathogens in recent years as an alternative method in microbiology. Strains of bacterial fish pathogens (Vibrio anguillarum, Lactococcus garvieae and Yersinia ruckeri) that often cause infectious diseases in fish were here identified and analyzed in terms of their biochemical structures in different media and at different incubation times, and the data were specified by using Raman spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that Raman spectroscopy presents species-specific Raman spectra of each disease-causing bacteria and that it would be more appropriate to choose general microbiological media over selective media for routine studies. Additionally, it was found that species-specific band regions did not differ in 24- and 48-hour cultures, but there could be a difference in peak intensity which may lead to difficult characterization of spectrum. The current study, conducted for the first time with bacterial fish pathogens under different incubation conditions, is believed to provide a basis for the routine use of Raman spectroscopy for quick pathogen identification and the precise determination of the methodology for further research.

This study analysed the genetic diversity and population structure of eight sheep breeds in Turkey and nearby countries. Moderate genetic diversity was observed, with the Sakiz (SKZ) exhibiting the highest diversity based on heterozygosity and allelic richness (AR) values. Genetic distances revealed differentiation between the populations, with the most significant divergence between the Cyprus Fat Tail (CFT) and SKZ breeds. PCA demonstrated SKZ and Chios (CHI) clustering together, indicating genetic similarity. Karakas (KRS), Norduz (NDZ), Afshari (AFS), Moghani (MOG) and others showed overlap, reflecting genetic relationships. Ancestry analysis found that KRS was predominantly inherited from the second ancestral population, while SKZ and NDZ were primarily derived from the first and second ancestral lineages. This illustrated the populations' diverse origins. Most genetic variation (96.84%) was within, not between, populations. The phi-statistic (PhiPT) indicated moderate differentiation overall. Phylogenetic analysis further demonstrated the genetic distinctiveness of the SKZ breed. ROH and FROH analyses showed that SKZ exhibited the highest homozygosity and inbreeding, while KRS displayed the lowest. This study elucidates these breeds' genetic diversity, structure and relationships. Key findings include moderate diversity, evidence of differentiation between breeds, diverse ancestral origins and distinct ROH patterns. This provides insights into the population's genetic characteristics and conservation requirements.

SNX29 is a potential functional gene associated with meat production traits. Previous studies have shown that SNX29 copy number variation (CNV) could be implicated with phenotype in goats. However, in Diannan small-ear (DSE) pigs, the genetic impact of SNX29 CNV on growth traits remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the associations between SNX29 CNVs (CNV10810 and CNV10811) and growth traits in 415 DSE pigs. The results revealed that the CNV10810 mutation was significantly associated with backfat thickness in DSE pigs at 12 and 15 months old (P < 0.05), while the CNV10811 mutation had significant effects on various growth traits at 6 and 12 months old, particularly for body weight, body height, back height and backfat thickness (P < 0.05 or P < 0.001). In conclusion, our results confirm that SNX29 CNV plays a role in regulating growth and development in pigs, thus suggesting its potential application for pig breeding programmes.

Previous researches revealed a copy number variation (CNV) region in the bovine fibroblast growth factor 13 (FGF13) gene. However, its effects remain unknown. This study detected the various copy number types in seven Chinese cattle breeds and analysed their population genetic characteristics and effects on growth traits and transcription levels. Copy number Loss was more frequent in Caoyuan Red cattle and Xianan cattle than in the other breeds. Association analysis between CNV and growth traits of Qinchuan indicated that the CNV was significantly related to chest depth, hip width and hucklebone width (P < 0.05). Additionally, the growth traits of individuals with copy number Loss were significantly inferior to those with copy number Gain or Median (P < 0.05). Besides, we found two splicing isoforms, AS1 and AS2, in FGF13 gene, which resulted from alternative 5' splicing sites of intron 1. These isoforms showed varied expression levels in various tissues. Moreover, CNV was significantly and negatively associated with the mRNA expression of AS1 (r = -0.525, P < 0.05). The CNVs in bovine FGF13 gene negatively regulated growth traits and gene transcription. These observations provide new insights into bovine FGF13 gene, delivering potentially useful information for future Chinese cattle breeding programs.

The objective of the present study was to identify genomic regions influencing economic traits in Murrah buffaloes using weighted single step Genome Wide Association Analysis (WssGWAS). Data on 2000 animals, out of which 120 were genotyped using a double digest Restriction site Associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing approach. The phenotypic data were collected from NDRI, India, on growth traits, viz., body weight at 6M (month), 12M, 18M and 24M, production traits like 305D (day) milk yield, lactation length (LL) and dry period (DP) and reproduction traits like age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI) and first service period (FSP). The biallelic genotypic data consisted of 49353 markers post-quality check. The heritability estimates were moderate to high, low to moderate, low for growth, production, reproduction traits, respectively. Important genomic regions explaining more than 0.5% of the total additive genetic variance explained by 30 adjacent SNPs were selected for further analysis of candidate genes. In this study, 105 genomic regions were associated with growth, 35 genomic regions with production and 42 window regions with reproduction traits. Different candidate genes were identified in these genomic regions, of which important are OSBPL8, NAP1L1 for growth, CNTNAP2 for production and ILDR2, TADA1 and POGK for reproduction traits.

Orychophragmus violaceus (OV) and chicory (Cichorium intybus L., CC) can be used as fresh or dry forage for animals. To determine whether OV and/or CC have beneficial effects on performance and egg quality, a total of 1212 28-wk-old Beijing You Chicken (BYC) laying hens with similar performance were randomly allocated to 4 groups with 3 replicate pens per group, and 101 birds per pen. The birds were fed a basal diet (control), the basal diet + OV (3.507 kg/d/pen), the basal diet + CC (2.525 kg/d/pen), and the basal diet + OV + CC (OVC, 1.7535 kg/d/pen OV + 1.2625 kg/d/pen CC) for 3 wks after one wk of adaptation. The results showed that egg-laying rate was not affected by OV, CC and OVC (p > 0.05), but weekly average egg mass was significantly increased by OV and CC (p < 0.05). The feed egg ratio in the CC group (2.82) was significantly lower than that in the other three groups (p < 0.05). The eggshell thickness (EST), albumen height (AH) and Haugh unit (HU) were decreased by OV and CC (p < 0.05); while yolk color (YC) was increased in the CC and OVC groups (p < 0.05). Egg grade was decreased by OV (p < 0.05). Sensory evaluation showed that there was a trend for increased YC in OV, CC and OVC (p = 0.089). Serum total protein was significantly lower in OV group than those in the control and CC group (p < 0.05); serum albumin content was significantly decreased in OV, CC and OVC groups (p = 0.006). Serum glutathione peroxidase activity in CC and OVC groups was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the present study suggests that CC had a better effect on the performance of the native laying hens than OV. The OV and CC affected egg quality, while YC was increased in CC and OVC groups. The OVC improved YC and serum antioxidative properties of native laying hens without affecting the performance.

At various stages of ovarian follicular development, more than 99% of follicles will be eliminated through a degenerative process called atresia. The regulatory mechanisms of atresia have been elucidated to some extent, involving hormones, growth factors, cytokines, and other factors. However, the stimuli initiating atresia in follicular granulosa cells remain unknown. In this study, we isolated the granulosa cells from porcine ovarian follicles (3-5 mm diameter) divided into healthy follicles (HFs) and early atretic follicles (EAFs). We applied high-throughput RNA sequencing to identify and compare differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HFs and EAFs. A total of 31,694 genes were detected, of which 21,806 were co-expressed in six samples, and 243 genes (p < 0.05; FDR < 0.05) were differentially expressed (DEGs), including 123 downregulated and 120 upregulated in EAFs. GO analysis highlighted hormone metabolism, plasma membrane localization, and transporter activity. The pathway analysis indicated that 51 DEGs, involved in steroidogenesis, cell adhesion molecules, and TGF-beta signaling pathways, were highly related to atresia. Additionally, the interaction network of DEGs (p < 0.01; FDR < 0.05) using STRING highlighted LHR, ACACB, and CXCR4 as central nodes. In summary, this transcriptome analysis enriched our knowledge of the shifted mechanisms in granulosa cells during early atresia and provided novel perspectives into the atresia initiation.

The present study was designed with the aim to study morphometric characterization as well as phylogeny and diversity of the local Surguli goat at their breeding tract district Kohat through mitochondrial DNA region, i.e., Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit One (CO1) gene. Morphometric data and blood samples were collected from thirty (30) pure goats. Morphometric analysis showed that sex had significant effect (p < 0.05) on body weight, body length, hearth girth and horn length while no significant effect (p > 0.05) was observed for other characteristics. The results also indicated that age had significant effect (p < 0.05) on height at rump, ear length, horn length and tail length while no significant effect (p > 0.05) was observed for other characteristics. The phylogenetic analysis through CO1 nucleotide sequences within nucleotide range 1-767 showed nine polymorphic sites segregating into eight haplotypes. The mean intraspecific diversity and mean interspecific diversity were calculated as 0.23 and 2.36%, respectively. Phylogenetic tree revealed that Capra Ibex and native Surguli goat have common ancestors. The morphometric and molecular results obtained from the present study can be exploited as a selection tool for breeding and overall improvement.