Animal Research and One Health最新文献

Genotyping plays an important role in breeding and population studies. Currently available genotyping technologies, including solid-phase chips and sequencing, often have several limitations in their application to local chickens in China, including high costs, insufficient diversity, and poor universality. In the present study, we developed a chicken 5 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array suitable for breeding and genetic analysis using genotyping by targeted sequencing technology. The chip design was based on genomic data from 33 local breeds, and 5847 SNPs were selected for the final chip design. Among these SNPs, 3427 sites were associated with economic traits in broiler chickens. Our chip contained 25,000 high-quality SNP markers captured from 5 K regions with highly efficient target site capture. Population analyses of the eight breeds showed high detection rates and minor allele frequencies for SNP markers on the array, enabling clear differentiation of different populations and families within populations. The genetic diversity trend obtained using the chip was consistent with the results obtained from microsatellite analyses. Additionally, the 5 K array was applied to a genome-wide association study of broilers, resulting in the identification of several growth- and meat quality-related loci. Therefore, the newly developed chip is efficient, cost-effective, and well suited for application in local Chinese chickens, which will accelerate poultry breeding improvements and enhance conservation efforts.

pH value is a crucial index used to evaluate pork quality due to its direct impact on specific meat characteristics. This study investigated the genetic mechanisms influencing pH values through measurements taken from the longissimus dorsi muscle of Beijing Black pigs at 2 h (pH_2h) and 24 h (pH_24h) postmortem. A total of 614 Beijing Black pigs were subsequently genotyped using the Illumina Porcine 50K SNP Chip. Heritability estimates for pH_2h and pH_24h were found to be 0.19 and 0.25, respectively, with a genetic correlation of 0.53. Furthermore, we conducted both a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and an RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis, the latter of which identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high and low pH groups. We identified 31, 6, and 32 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the pH_2h, pH_24h, and pH_2–24h traits, respectively. The GWAS results revealed the presence of the SYT5 gene in both the pH_2h and pH_2–24h traits, while the SNX13 gene was simultaneously identified in the pH_24h and pH_2–24h traits. The RNA-seq results also found SYT5 to be highly expressed, while SNX13 did not exhibit differential expression. Moreover, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses based on the DEGs revealed potential links between pH levels and the glycogen metabolic process as well as associations with the regulation of cell proliferation and calcium ion transmembrane transport. Ultimately, SYT5 and SNX13 emerged as key candidate genes affecting pH values at 2 and 24 h, respectively. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the genetic mechanisms affecting pork quality and safety and offer insights for enhancing meat quality through genetic improvement.

The aims of this study were to investigate the heavy metal pollution status and distribution and to analyze the relationships among metal concentrations of different links in the dairy production chain. Chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) levels in water, fodder, milk, blood, hair, and feces samples collected from cows from five dairy farms in China were measured. The concentrations of Cr, As, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn were 4.61–11.11, 0.06–0.46, 0.17–0.29, 2.84–4.23, 4.11–7.72, and 7.23–19.91 mg/kg in silage; 12.72–40.85, 0.76–2.40, 0.05–0.16, 4.73–9.16, 44.14–78.46, and 4148.51–4845.20 μg/L in milk; 33.59–60.73, 0.09–3.57, 0.29–1.78, 20.14–39.20, 821.34–1007.45, and 2665.10–4929.95 μg/L in blood; 0.59–1.06, 0.02–0.09, 0.08–0.11, 1.70–2.09, 6.45–8.64, and 9.73–1.56 mg/kg in hair; 31.75–296.35, 0.33–5.96, 0.18–0.53, 3.35–9.06, 12.27–41.39, and 56.54–196.34 mg/kg in feces, respectively. The concentrations of heavy metals in hair were higher than those in the other samples and when combined with the results from the silage and tissue samples, we can assume that cow's hair can be used as a biological indicator for heavy metal contamination in the dairy production chain.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the determination methods (free feeding [FF] and tube feeding [TF]) on the available energy of ingredients (wheat, paddy, and brown rice). A total of 101 adult Hy-Line Brown roosters (35 weeks old) with an initial body weight of 2.72 ± 0.21 kg were used, in which 96 roosters were randomly assigned to the FF group and TF group, and the remaining five birds were selected to determine the endogenous energy loss. Each group consisted of 12 dietary treatments. In the FF group, each diet treatment comprised 2 replicates with 2 birds per replicate and 4 replicates with 1 bird per replicate for each diet in the TF group. The 12 dietary treatments included a basal diet (BD) and 11 test diets, in which wheat, paddy, and brown rice replaced 30% corn, soybean meal, and wheat bran in the BD. The experiment was performed three times. There was a significant effect of source on apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and true metabolizable energy (TME) in paddy (p < 0.05). Results showed that AME in wheat, paddy, and brown rice measured by the FF method were greater than those values gained by the TF method (p < 0.05). The average AME and TME values were 3537, 3140, and 3893 kcal/kg dry matter (DM) and 3555, 3163, and 3933 kcal/kg DM for wheat, paddy, and brown rice, respectively, measured by the FF method. The means of AME and TME evaluated by the TF method were 3270, 2988, and 3764 kcal/kg DM and 3642, 3357, and 4135 kcal/kg DM for wheat, paddy, and brown rice, respectively. In conclusion, the determination method has a considerable effect on available energy, and the TF method underestimates the AME of ingredients.

To analyze the prevalence of feline viral diseases in China, including feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), feline calicivirus (FCV), feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1), and feline coronavirus (FCoV) infectious diseases from 2018 to 2020, swab samples from 304 cats and serum samples from 193 cats in 18 cities were collected. The etiological investigation results of 304 cats showed that 256 (84.21%) cats were positive, infected with at least one virus, and the positive rates for FPV, FCV, FHV-1, and FCoV were 61.51%, 10.86%, 4.61%, and 55.92%, respectively. The mixed infection exhibited high complexity, and a total of eight mixed infection patterns were detected. The risk factor analysis of each pathogen in different clinical scenarios indicated that FPV positive status was significantly related to all the studied diseases, FCV positive status exhibited the most significant association with gingivostomatitis and conjunctivitis, and FHV-1 positive status was significantly related to upper respiratory tract disease, but FCoV positive status was not significantly related to any disease. Additionally, the prevalence of FPV exhibited a strong seasonality and was related to age, while the prevalence of FCV, FHV-1, and FCoV had nothing to do with season or age. FCV infection was sex related in cats, whereas the prevalence of FCV, FHV-1, and FCoV was not sex related. FPV, FCV, FHV-1, and FCoV were unrelated to breed or residential density. Antibody detection results of 193 serum samples by the virus neutralizing method indicated that the current commercial vaccines might not protect hosts against wild strains of FPV, FCV, and FHV-1 in China. In general, this study enriches epidemiological survey data of common viral diseases in cats in China and provides a theoretical basis for further development of vaccines.

This study explored the combined effects of vitamin B₁₂ and fumarate supplementation on methane (CH₄) emission and propionate synthesis in dairy cows through simulated rumen fermentation in vitro. The experimental animals were 3 cows with an average milk yield of 23 ± 2.8 kg/d, a body weight of 618 ± 100 kg, and a parity of 3 ± 1 that were selected as rumen fluid donors. The TMR diet fed to cows is a fermentation substrate. Experiments adopted 2 × 2 factorial design, including control group, vitamin group (1 mg/g DM vitamin B₁₂), fumarate group (100 mg/g DM), and combined addition group (1 mg/g DM vitamin B₁₂ and 100 mg/g DM). All treatments had no effect on the dry matter degradation (DMD). Both vitamin B₁₂ and fumarate reduced CH₄ emission, increased the propionate concentration, and reduced the acetate/propionate ratio without any observed interaction. Vitamin B₁₂ made Prevotella and Prevotellaceae_ UCG-003 increase in quantity, and fumarate increased the abundance of Succinivibrionaceae_UCG-002 and Selenomonas, both of which are propionate-producing bacteria. At the species level, the supplementation of vitamin B₁₂ and fumarate slightly changed the abundance of some strains, but it was not statistically significant. Shifts in the abundance of propionate-producing bacteria and methanogenic archaea species suggest an increase in propionate production and a decrease in CH₄ emission. In conclusion, the addition of vitamin B₁₂ and fumarate changed the fermentation mode of the rumen and reduced the emission of CH₄ by affecting the structure of the rumen microbial community, but no obvious interaction was found between the two.

The honey bee dance communication system is one of the most intriguing animal communication signals. It allows foragers to share information related to food sources with nestmates using the waggle dance, which involves the transmission of location information through orientation and duration. Honey bee transcriptomes are dynamic with different stages, expressing an ensemble of differential genes that give rise to substantial behavior diversity. Here, we have provided a global view of mRNA expression profiles in three different stages of waggle dancers including dancing start (DS), dancing end (DE), and dancing cessation (DC). This study yielded 212 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Among them, we identified 92 DEGs between DS and DC, 118 DEGs between DE and DC, and 2 DEGs between DS and DE. Further, gene ontology (GO) and KEGG analysis suggested that hormone-mediated signaling pathways and participation in pathways controlling the circadian rhythm, nicotinate, and nicotinamide metabolism were attributed to upregulated genes in DS. In addition, the D1 dopamine receptor in dopaminergic pathways, the peptide signaling involving apidaecin, and neprilysin-2 may play important roles in intricate behavioral processes.

Fungi are dependent on animal manure as a cultivation medium and may be vulnerable to feed-derived β-agonist contamination. To test whether β-agonists incorporated in animal feed can transport into fungi through manure, a greenhouse study was conducted with Tricholoma gambosum grown in a culture medium amended with medicated cattle manure. Cattle were orally administrated with a single (ractopamine, 670.0 μg/kg BW/day) or a mixture of β-agonists (clenbuterol, ractopamine, and salbutamol at the doses of 5.3, 223.3, and 50.0 μg/kg BW/day, respectively) for 28 days. Three batches of T. gambosum were harvested. A liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry-based method was developed to quantify the number of β-agonists taken up by T. gambosum from animal manure. The analytical recoveries for β-agonists were between 66.61% and 91.78% with relative standard deviations between 1.70% and 12.18%, and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.3 ng/g. The ractopamine residues in T. gambosum from batch 1 were 1.3 ng/g and were below the LOQ in batches 2 and 3 in the single treatment group. In the mixed treatment group, ractopamine concentrations were 0.42 and 0.50 ng/g in batches 1 and 2, respectively, and the salbutamol concentration was 1.94 ng/g in batch 1, while clenbuterol was undetectable in all three batches. These results indicated that the β-agonists transferred to T. gambosum in trace amounts and presented a limited risk to consumers.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a common chronic gastrointestinal disease in humans, has emerged as a global public health challenge. Dihydromyricetin (DHM) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, which can alleviate inflammation. In this study, we explored the effect and underlying mechanism of DHM on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice and porcine jejunum epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that DHM alleviated loss of weight, diarrhea, and damage of colon structure in colitis mice. For the intestinal microbial, a significant rise in the amount of the potentially beneficial genera and a decline in the amount of harmful genera were observed in DHM-treated colitis mice. Metabolomic analysis of cecal content revealed that DHM restored phenylalanine metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, and arachidonic acid metabolism disorders caused by intestinal inflammation. Moreover, DHM decreased the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species in LPS-treated IPEC-J2 cells. DHM also reduced the expression of MyD88 and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). In summary, we found that 125 mg/kg DHM administration alleviated diarrhea, reinstated intestinal barrier function, modulated intestinal dysbiosis, and suppressed the expression of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and NF-κB. Therefore, DHM may be a potentially therapeutic agent for IBD.