Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: E. Ptak Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Faculty of Animal Science, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow, Poland Author-Name: W. Jagusiak Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Faculty of Animal Science, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow, Poland Author-Name: A. Żarnecki Author-Workplace-Name: National Research Institute of Animal Production, Balice k. Krakowa, Poland Author-Name: A. Otwinowska-Mindur Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Faculty of Animal Science, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Krakow, Poland Title: Heritabilities and genetic correlations of lactational and daily somatic cell score with conformation traits in Polish Holstein cattle Abstract: The objective of this study was to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations of lactational and daily somatic cell scores with descriptive and linear type traits in Polish Holstein-Friesian cows. Data were: test-day somatic cell scores and conformation evaluations of 24 599 primiparous cows, daughters of 802 sires. Cows calved from 2006 to 2007. The lactational somatic cell score was calculated as the average of four test-day somatic cell scores at least. The daily somatic cell score was the test-day somatic cell score closest to the date of type evaluation. A multi-trait animal model was used to estimate genetic parameters. (Co)variance components were estimated by a Bayesian algorithm via Gibbs sampling. The heritability of lactational somatic cell score was 0.20 and it was much higher than that of daily somatic cell score (0.13). Heritabilities of type traits were high to moderate for height at rump (0.46), size (0.39), overall conformation score (0.30), two linear rump traits (0.28-0.29) and three linear teat traits (0.26-0.29). The genetic correlation between lactational and daily somatic cell scores was 0.84. In many cases, daily somatic cell score showed higher genetic correlations with type traits than lactational somatic cell score. Descriptive udder and feet and legs scores were genetically correlated negatively with both lactational (-0.22 and -0.20) and daily somatic cell scores (-0.28 and -0.33). Somatic cell traits were genetically correlated positively with rump angle (0.21 and 0.19) and negatively with fore udder height (-0.26 and -0.29), udder depth (-0.23 and -0.17) and central ligament (-0.14 and -0.16). Due to higher heritability, direct selection for lower lactational somatic cell score would be more effective than selection for lower daily somatic cell score. The magnitude of obtained heritabilities and the favourable genetic correlations indicate that the selection utilizing some type traits could improve the resistance to mastitis. Keywords: conformation traits, somatic cell score, dairy cattle, genetic parameters Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 205-212 Volume: 56 Issue: 5 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/1432-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/1432-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201105-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:56:y:2011:i:5:id:1432-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: M. Nesvadbová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Morphology, Physiology and Genetics, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: A. Knoll Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Morphology, Physiology and Genetics, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Title: Evaluation of reference genes for gene expression studies in pig muscle tissue by real-time PCR Abstract: The selection of reference genes is essential for gene expression studies when using a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Reference gene selection should be performed for each experiment because the gene expression level may be changed in different experimental conditions. In this study, the stability of mRNA expression was determined for seven genes: HPRT1, RPS18, NACA, TBP, TAF4B, RPL32 and OAZ1. The stability of these reference genes was investigated in the skeletal muscle tissue of pig foetuses, piglets and adult pigs using real-time quantitative PCR and SYBR green chemistry. The expression of stability of the used reference genes was calculated using the geNorm application. Different gene expression profiles among the age categories of pigs were found out. RPS18 has been identified as the gene with the most stable expression in the muscle tissue of all pig age categories. HPRT1 and RPL32 were found to have the highest stability in piglets and adult pigs, and in foetuses and adults pigs, respectively. The newly used reference gene, TAF4B, reached the highest expression stability in piglets. Keywords: gene stability, reference genes, quantitative PCR, Sus scrofa, age categories of pigs, muscle tissue Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 213-216 Volume: 56 Issue: 5 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/1428-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/1428-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201105-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:56:y:2011:i:5:id:1428-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: L. Vostrý Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Nature Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Production, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: Z. Čapková Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Nature Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Přibyl Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Production, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Nature Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: K. Mach Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Nature Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Analysis of Czech cold-blooded horses: genetic parameters, breeding value and the influence of inbreeding depression on linear description of conformation and type characters Abstract: Genetic parameters, breeding values and inbreeding depression for 22 linear type description of conformation and type characters and 4 body measurements were evaluated in a group of 1744 horses of three original cold-blooded breeds in the Czech Republic in a long period of 18 years (1990-2007). Based on the values of Akaike's information criterion, residual variance and heritability coefficient, a model with fixed effects (sex, year of description, breed, and classifier) and with a random effect (animal) was selected. Heritability coefficients for the particular traits were in the range of 0.11 to 0.55 and genetic correlations ranged from -0.63 to 0.97. Inbreeding depression, expressed as coefficients of regression on one percent of inbreeding, was in the range of -0.0992 to 0.0242 points for the particular traits. The inclusion of inbreeding depression in the model resulted in a moderate change in h2 in one-third of the traits. In two-thirds of traits, the value of rG increased or decreased by 0.01. Standard deviations of the breeding values for linear type description of conformation and type characters were in the range of 0.30 to 0.72 and 0.62 to 6.18 for body measurement traits. Among breeding values estimated by a model without inbreeding depression and a model with inbreeding depression, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient values for the particular traits were 0.916-0.999 (sample of all horses), 0.710-0.992 (10% of the best horses) and 0.827-0.998 (10% of the worst horses). If the average value of the inbreeding coefficient is low (0.03), then it is not necessary to include the influence of inbreeding depression in the model for the genetic evaluation of individuals of original cold-blooded horses kept in the Czech Republic. Keywords: breeding value, inbreeding depression, linear description of conformation, cold-blooded horses Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 217-230 Volume: 56 Issue: 5 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/1430-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/1430-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201105-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:56:y:2011:i:5:id:1430-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: B. Niwińska Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Balice, Poland Author-Name: M. Andrzejewski Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, National Research Institute of Animal Production, Balice, Poland Title: Effect of the type of non-fibre carbohydrates in grass silage-based diets on in sacco ruminal degradability and protein value of lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L. cv. Sonet) seeds ground to different particle sizes Abstract: The study was conducted to find out the effects of the type of non-fibre carbohydrates (NFC) included in grass silage-based diets on in sacco degradability of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) of lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L. cv. Sonet) seeds ground to different particle sizes. Measurements of degradability were carried out as a 3 × 2 × 3 × 3 experimental design of treatments with carbohydrates included in diets as primary sources of NFC (starch vs. pectin vs. sugars), particle size of ground seeds (1.0 vs. 5.7 mm), period of the trial (1 vs. 2 vs. 3) and cannulated cow (1 vs. 2 vs. 3). The variables of in sacco kinetics were calculated according to the equations of Ørskov and McDonald (1979) for degradation data corrected for the particle loss. The protein value of lupin seeds for ruminants was expressed as the amount of protein digested in the small intestine, and it was estimated based on the obtained characteristics of degradability. Under our experimental conditions, the type of NFC included in the grass silage-based diets and the particle size of seeds affected the course and extent of rumen degradation of lupin seed nutrients. Higher values of DM and CP degradation were estimated after 8 and 16 h of incubation (P < 0.05). The higher rate of degradation of insoluble but potentially degradable fractions (P < 0.05) and higher effective degradability (P < 0.05) were found out in the rumen of cows receiving diets containing sucrose compared with cows receiving diets containing starch. In comparison with starch and pectin, sucrose decreased the amount of protein digested in the small intestine (P < 0.05). The results suggested that the type of NFC determined ruminal microbial activity. An enlargement of the lupin seed particle size from 1.0 to 5.7 mm decreased the rumen degradability of lupin seed nutrients (P < 0.05) and increased the amount of protein digested in the small intestine (P < 0.05). The results indicated that feeding standards should consider the influence of the grinding level of lupin seeds in order to assess their nutritional value. Keywords: cattle, rumen degradability, grass silage, non-fibre carbohydrates, lupin seeds, particle size Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 231-241 Volume: 56 Issue: 5 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/1431-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/1431-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201105-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:56:y:2011:i:5:id:1431-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Z. Ledvinka Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: L. Zita Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Hubený Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: E. Tůmová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Tyller Author-Workplace-Name: DOMINANT CZ, Voleč, Lázně Bohdaneč, Czech Republic Author-Name: P. Dobrovolný Author-Workplace-Name: Líheň Studenec s.r.o, Koněšín, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Hruška Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Education, Biology Department, University of Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic Title: Effect of genotype, age of hens and K/k allele on eggshell quality Abstract: We assessed the influence of the particular genotype, age of layers, feather growth-rate gene, and their mutual interactions on selected indicators of eggshell quality in six groups of hens of the laying type Dominant. The following genotypes were examined in the experiment: Barred Plymouth Rock, Dominant BPR 951 (K) strain, slow-feathering; Barred Plymouth Rock, Dominant BPR 901 (k) strain, fast-feathering; Blue Plymouth Rock, Dominant BLPR 954 (K) strain, slow-feathering; Blue Plymouth Rock, Dominant BLPR 894 (k) strain, fast-feathering; crossbreds of the above strains in the F1 generation Dominant D 107 blue (K), slow-feathering and Dominant D 107 blue (k), fast-feathering. The layers were fed a feed mixture NP1 (16.64 % CP) from the 20th week of age and a feed mixture NP2 (15.02% CP) from the 42nd week. Husbandry conditions met the regular requirements of laying hens. Egg production and live weight of hens were monitored for the duration of the experiment (12 months). Eggshell quality was examined at the layers' age of 27, 35 and 56 weeks. The average hen-day egg production for the duration of the experiment (12 months) was not significantly influenced by the particular genotype or the feather growth-rate gene. The varying representation of the feather growth-rate gene significantly (P ≤ 0.001) influenced the live weight; similarly, the relationship between the genotype and the representation of K/k alleles was significant. The average egg weight was influenced statistically significantly (P ≤ 0.001) by the age of hens, their genotype (P ≤ 0.05), feather growth-rate gene (P ≤ 0.001), and the relationship between the age and genotype (P ≤ 0.001). The age of hens, genotype, and the interaction of these two factors affected the egg shape index, as did the incidence of the feather growth-rate gene within the population (with a statistical significance of P ≤ 0.001). The age, genotype and the feather growth-rate gene incidence within the population also significantly affected the eggshell quality indicators. In the eggshell to egg ratio, eggshell thickness and strength, an interaction was determined between the age of hens and their particular genotype. The eggshell colour was also significantly (P ≤ 0.001) affected by hens' age, genotype (P ≤ 0.001), as well as by the feather growth-rate gene (P ≤ 0.001). No significant interaction between the age and the genotype was found for this indicator. Keywords: hens, laying type, age, genotype, K/k allele, eggshell quality Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 242-249 Volume: 56 Issue: 5 Year: 2011 DOI: 10.17221/1429-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/1429-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201105-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:56:y:2011:i:5:id:1429-CJAS