Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Valentovičová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ivanka pri Dunaji, Slovak Republic Author-Name: M. Simon Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ivanka pri Dunaji, Slovak Republic Author-Name: J. Antalíková Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ivanka pri Dunaji, Slovak Republic Title: Function of complement regulatory proteins in immunity of reproduction: a review Abstract: Humoral immunity has an important role during the maturation and development of the functional properties of spermatozoa. Spermatozoa may be exposed to antisperm antibodies in semen and in cervical, ovarian follicular and fallopian fluid. Antisperm antibodies can be complement-fixing or non-fixing and may affect the reproductive functions in a number of ways. Although the antisperm antibody alone can cause sperm agglutination, complement fixation is required for their immobilization. Therefore, the complement activation might be a "keystone" for the better understanding of "sperm humoral immunity" and some types of infertility. Recently, three cell surface molecules (CD molecules - CD46, CD55, CD59) present on many tissues in male and female reproductive tracts and gametes have been identified. These proteins belong to the family of complement regulatory proteins which could regulate the function of a complement system by cleavage of complement cascade in discrete sites of both activation ways (classical and alternative). In this review, the particular mechanisms of activity of complement regulatory proteins are presented as well as their function in a fertilization process and expression in human and animal tissues and organs. Keywords: complement regulation, cell surface antigens, CD46, CD55, CD59, spermatozoa Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 135-141 Volume: 50 Issue: 4 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/4007-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/4007-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-200504-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:50:y:2005:i:4:id:4007-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: L. Zavadilová Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Animal Production in Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Collaborator, via a fellowship under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Biological Resource Management for Sustainable Agriculture Systems Author-Name: J. Jamrozik Author-Workplace-Name: Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada Author-Name: L.R. Schaeffer Author-Workplace-Name: Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada Title: Genetic parameters for test-day model with random regressions for production traits of Czech Holstein cattle Abstract: Multiple-lactation random regression model was applied to test-day records of milk, fat and protein yields in the first three lactations of the Czech Holstein breed. Data included 9 583 cows, 89 584, 44 207 and 11 266 test-day records in the first, second and third lactation, respectively. Milk, fat and protein in the first three lactations were analysed separately and in a multiple-trait analysis. Linear model included herd-test date, fixed regressions within age-season class and two random effects: animal genetic and permanent environment modelled by regressions. Gibbs sampling method was used to generate samples from marginal posterior distributions of the model parameters. The single- and multiple-trait models provided similar results. Genetic and permanent environmental variances and heritability for particular days in milk were high at the beginning and at the end of lactation. The residual variance decreased throughout the lactation. The resulting heritability ranged from 0.13 to 0.52 and increased with parity. Keywords: test-day yields, random regression model, genetic parameters, Czech Holstein cattle Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 142-154 Volume: 50 Issue: 4 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/4008-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/4008-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-200504-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:50:y:2005:i:4:id:4008-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: V. Matoušek Author-Workplace-Name: University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Agriculture, České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: A. Čermáková Author-Workplace-Name: University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Agriculture, České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: N. Kernerová Author-Workplace-Name: University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Agriculture, České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: P. Králová Author-Workplace-Name: University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Agriculture, České Budějovice, Czech Republic Title: Analysis of prolificacy in sows of hyperprolific lines of Large White breed Abstract: The objective of the paper was to evaluate the results of reproductive performance of sows in some elite breeding herds of the Large White breed included in experimental herds for the production of hyperprolific lines of dam breeds. The set consisted of 98 sows with the known genotypes of ESR, FSHâ and PRLR genes. The dendrogram shows that on the basis of their genetic outfit the sows can be divided into two clusters. The first cluster can be described as a cluster with marked dominance of HPL sows and the second cluster with marked dominance of the sows of basic herd. The first cluster consisted of individuals in which the preferred genotype AA of PRLR gene was not detected. As for FSHâ gene, the beneficial genotype BB was found out in 74.10% of sows. In ESR gene the beneficial genotype DD was recorded only in 11.10% of individuals. On average for the lifetime performance they delivered by 2.08 piglets more in all born piglets and by 1.96 piglets more in live-born piglets per litter. Differences in the reproductive traits between HPL sows and the sows of basic herd in the first cluster were statistically highly significant. On the contrary, genotype AA of PRLR gene was identified in all sows of the second cluster, 61.36% of animals possessed beneficial genotype BB of FSHâ gene. As for ESR gene, beneficial genotype DD was identified within the whole cluster in 31.82% of sows. In lifetime performance the HPL sows had on average by 1.10 individuals more in all born piglets and by 1.01 more in live-born piglets (statistically significantly higher values). The unambiguous expression of a positive effect of preferred genotypes of selected candidate genes failed to be confirmed by the results of statistical analyses testing the associations of candidate genes for pig reproduction with selected parameters of breeding value and prolificacy of sows. Keywords: sow, Large White, hyperprolific line, reproduction, ESR, FSHâ, PRLR Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 155-162 Volume: 50 Issue: 4 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/4009-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/4009-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-200504-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:50:y:2005:i:4:id:4009-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Y. Akbaş Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Biometry and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey Author-Name: Ç. Takma Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Biometry and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey Title: Canonical correlation analysis for studying the relationship between egg production traits and body weight, egg weight and age at sexual maturity in layers Abstract: In this study, canonical correlation analysis was applied to layer data to estimate the relationships of egg production with age at sexual maturity, body weight and egg weight. For this purpose, it was designed to evaluate the relationship between two sets of variables of laying hens: egg numbers at three different periods as the first set of variables (Y) and age at sexual maturity, body weight, egg weight as the second set of variables (X) by using canonical correlation analysis. Estimated canonical correlations between the first and the second pair of canonical variates were significant (P < 0.01). Canonical weights and loadings from canonical correlation analysis indicated that age at sexual maturity had the largest contribution as compared with body weight and egg weight to variation of the number of egg productions at three different periods. Keywords: canonical correlation, egg production, body weight, egg weight, age at sexual maturity Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 163-168 Volume: 50 Issue: 4 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/4010-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/4010-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-200504-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:50:y:2005:i:4:id:4010-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: B. Písaříková Author-Workplace-Name: Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: S. Kráčmar Author-Workplace-Name: Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: I. Herzig Author-Workplace-Name: Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic Title: Amino acid contents and biological value of protein in various amaranth species Abstract: Amino acid content before and after heat treatment was assessed in grain of six selected amaranth varieties and four species: Amaranthus cruentus, A. hypochondriacus, A. caudatus and A. hybridus, cultivated in the Czech Republic. High content of Lys and Arg was detected in both heat treated and untreated grains, as well as satisfactory content of Cys and lower levels of Met, Val, Ile and Leu. The latter three amino acids appear as limiting. Chemical scores of essential amino acids and essential amino acid index (EAAI) were determined. EAAI value of 90.4% shows the favourable nutritional quality of amaranth protein, which is almost comparable with egg protein. Heat treatment by popping at 170 to 190°C for 30 s resulted in decreased EAAI to 85.4%. Of the essential amino acids under study, Val and Leu contents decreased significantly (P < 0.05). The relatively high content of essential amino acids in amaranth grain predetermines its use as a substitution of meat-and-bone meals. Keywords: amaranth grain, popping, essential amino acids, chemical score, EAAI Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 169-174 Volume: 50 Issue: 4 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/4011-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/4011-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-200504-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:50:y:2005:i:4:id:4011-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: R. Lahučký Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Animal Production, Nitra, Slovak Republic Author-Name: I. Bahelka Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Animal Production, Nitra, Slovak Republic Author-Name: K. Novotná Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Animal Production, Nitra, Slovak Republic Author-Name: K. Vašíčková Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Animal Production, Nitra, Slovak Republic Title: Effects of dietary vitamin E and vitamin C supplementation on the level of α-tocopherol and L-ascorbic acid in muscle and on the antioxidative status and meat quality of pigs Abstract: In total thirty pigs (Slovak Meaty) defined by DNA based test as not susceptible to malignant hyperthermia (non-mutant on RYR1) were used in the experiment. Treatment consisted in supplementation of vitamin E (500 mg α-tocopherol/kg diet as α-tocopherol acetate) (group E) and the same doses of vitamin E plus vitamin C (200 mg L-ascorbic acid/kg diet) (group E + C) to finishing pigs for the last 30 days before slaughter. The higher dietary vitamin E level resulted in higher levels of α-tocopherol in fresh (24 h), chill-stored (5 days, 4°C), chill-stored and cooked (80°C) and frozen meat (3 months, -25°C), (P < 0.05). Higher dietary vitamin C resulted in higher levels L-ascorbic acid in fresh and chill-stored meat (P < 0.05) but no significant differences vs. control pigs were observed in cooked and frozen meats. Supplementation with vitamins E and C (group E + C) had positive effects on pH (45 min) (P = 0.06) and on drip loss (P < 0.05) values as compared to control group. The rate of oxidation (malondialdehyde-MDA production) by stimulation with Fe2+/ascorbate (incubation of muscle LD for 0 and 30 min) was higher in control group as compared to both experimental groups (P < 0.05). Positive effects of vitamin E on oxidative stability measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS, MDA) were observed mainly in chill-stored meat (P < 0.05). Using TBARS method, no additional effect of vitamin C on oxidative stability of fresh, chill-stored, cooked and frozen meat was found. In conclusion, supplementation of the combination of vitamin E (500 mg α-tocopherol/kg diet) and vitamin C (200 mg L-ascorbic acid/kg diet) for 30 days before slaughter improved meat quality values (drip loss, pH), however, it seems to depend on the genetic background of animals (occurrence of mutation on RYR1). Oxidative stability of meat lipids measured as TBARS value can be improved by vitamin E supplementation to feed. Keywords: pigs, feed, vitamin E supplementation, vitamin C supplementation, α -tocopherol in meat, L-ascorbic acid in meat, lipid peroxidation, meat quality Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 175-184 Volume: 50 Issue: 4 Year: 2005 DOI: 10.17221/4012-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/4012-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-200504-0006.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:50:y:2005:i:4:id:4012-CJAS