Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Boleckova Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Matejickova Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Stipkova Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Kyselova Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: L. Barton Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Title: The association of five polymorphisms with milk production traits in Czech Fleckvieh cattle Abstract: The aim of this study was to estimate allelic and genotypic frequencies of five DNA markers that are positional and functional candidates for milk production traits in Czech Fleckvieh cattle. In addition, we evaluated the association of these markers with milk production traits and breeding values for milk production traits and also estimated linkage disequilibrium (LD) between two markers within the prolactin (PRL) gene. As part of this study, 505 Czech Fleckvieh cows were genotyped. The markers in proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PPARGC1A), secreted phosphoprotein (SPP1), cytochrome P450 family 11 subfamily B hydroxylase (CYP11B1), and the two polymorphisms in the prolactin gene (PRL) showed evidence of segregation in our study. The PPARGC1A polymorphism was associated with milk yield, milk fat and protein traits. The polymorphism in SPP1 was significantly associated with milk protein percentage. The CYP11B1 polymorphism showed positive associations with milk composition traits and breeding values for milk yield, milk fat, and protein traits. Both polymorphisms within the PRL gene were associated with milk yield, milk fat and milk protein yield (individually and grouped). Linkage disequilibrium between the two polymorphisms in PRL was not observed. In conclusion, all markers examined in this study are important markers for milk production traits in Czech Fleckvieh cattle, and both markers within the PRL gene should be evaluated in future research. Keywords: dairy cattle, PPARGC1A, CYP11B1, PRL, SPP1, milk yield, milk composition Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 45-53 Volume: 57 Issue: 2 Year: 2012 DOI: 10.17221/5131-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/5131-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201202-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:57:y:2012:i:2:id:5131-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Pjontek Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetic and Breeding Biology, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: O. Kadlečík Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetic and Breeding Biology, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia Author-Name: R. Kasarda Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetic and Breeding Biology, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia Author-Name: M. Horný Author-Workplace-Name: National Stud Farm Topoľčianky, Slovakia Title: Pedigree analysis in four Slovak endangered horse breeds Abstract: The aim of this study was to perform an analysis of genetic diversity in four endangered horse populations bred in Slovakia, describing parameters on the probability of identity by descent and gene origin. The analysed populations consisted of (reference populations in brackets) 656 (158) Hucul horses, 2052 (162) Lipizzan horses, 1951 (171) Shagya Arabian horses, and 220 (42) Slovak Sport Ponies. The equivalent complete generations ranged from 4.93 for the Slovak Sport Pony to 10.25 for the Lipizzan horses. The average value of inbreeding ranged from 2.67% for the Slovak Sport Pony to 6.26% for the Hucul. The mean average relationship coefficients varied from 3.08% for the Shagya Arabian to 9.34% for the Hucul. Individual increases in inbreeding ranged from 0.43% for the Lipizzan to 1.06% for the Hucul, while the realized effective sizes were from 117.14 to 47.67 animals. The evaluated populations were derived from 80 to 499 founders. The effective number of founders ranged from 26 to 160, while the effective number of ancestors from 7 to 32. Keywords: coefficient of inbreeding, effective population size, effective number of founders, effective number of ancestors, pedigree analysis Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 54-64 Volume: 57 Issue: 2 Year: 2012 DOI: 10.17221/5132-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/5132-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201202-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:57:y:2012:i:2:id:5132-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Michiels Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Biosciences and Landscape Architecture, University College Ghent, Ghent, Belgium Author-Workplace-Name: Laboratory for Animal Nutrition and Animal Product Quality, Department of Animal Production, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium Author-Name: J. Missotten Author-Workplace-Name: Laboratory for Animal Nutrition and Animal Product Quality, Department of Animal Production, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium Author-Name: A. Ovyn Author-Workplace-Name: Laboratory for Animal Nutrition and Animal Product Quality, Department of Animal Production, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium Author-Name: N. Dierick Author-Workplace-Name: Laboratory for Animal Nutrition and Animal Product Quality, Department of Animal Production, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium Author-Name: D. Fremaut Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Biosciences and Landscape Architecture, University College Ghent, Ghent, Belgium Author-Name: S. De Smet Author-Workplace-Name: Laboratory for Animal Nutrition and Animal Product Quality, Department of Animal Production, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium Title: Effect of dose of thymol and supplemental flavours or camphor on palatability in a choice feedings study with piglets Abstract: Thymol's antimicrobial properties urged researchers to study its effect on animal performance and intestinal health in pigs. However, thymol has the characteristic sharp odor of thyme and a bitter, aromatic, and sometimes burning sensation which may elicit feeding aversions. The objectives in the current study were: (1) to determine the effect of dose of thymol and camphor on palatability and (2) to test the hypothesis that supplemental flavours or camphor, the latter as a known Transient Receptor Potential A1 blocker, could mitigate feed avoidance caused by thymol. Two analogous choice-feeding trials were conducted. Feed intake of the test diet was expressed as proportion of the total intake and tested by means of a one-sample Student's t-test against a set value of 50%. The preference for feed supplemented with 125, 500, 1250 and 2000 mg/kg thymol was 53.7 ± 6.0% (P > 0.05), 47.5 ± 5.1% (P > 0.05), 36.8 ± 4.9% (P = 0.022), and 3.9 ± 7.9% (P = 0.005) respectively. When feed containing 2000 mg/kg thymol with either flavour A (containing intense sweeteners) or flavour B (containing the same intense sweeteners and a caramel aroma) was opposed against a control diet, the relative intake of the test diets was 19.9 ± 5.8% and 14.0 ± 4.9% (both P < 0.05) respectively. When animals were offered one of these test diets and a reference diet with 2000 mg/kg thymol, animals exhibited a preference for the feed with 2000 mg/kg thymol + flavour A, but not for the feed with 2000 mg/kg thymol + flavour B. Thus, supplemental flavours containing intense sweeteners partially overcame feed avoidance caused by thymol which was less pronounced when the caramel aroma was present. Exposure to camphor (50 and 200 mg/kg) did not improve feed preference for a diet containing 1250 mg/kg thymol. Thymol's bitter taste might be largely responsible for the recorded feed refusal at high inclusion rates. Keywords: thymol, camphor, flavour, aroma, TRPA1, palatability, feed intake, pig Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 65-74 Volume: 57 Issue: 2 Year: 2012 DOI: 10.17221/5133-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/5133-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201202-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:57:y:2012:i:2:id:5133-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, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: B. Hofmanová Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Nature Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: H. Vostrá Vydrová Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Přibyl Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: I. Majzlík Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Nature Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Estimation of genetic parameters for melanoma in the Old Kladruber horse Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of melanoma to investigate a possible genetic variation of this trait in the Old Kladruber horse. A total of 564 grey varieties of the Old Kladruber horse, 238 males and 326 females, with five generations of ancestors (n = 1245 animals) were analysed. Melanoma status was recorded for different stages. Three different analyses were conducted: a linear animal model (LM) with melanoma classified into five categories, threshold animal model (TM) with melanoma classified into five categories and threshold animal model (TMb) with melanoma classified into two categories (0 = absence, 1 = presence). All models included the fixed effects of year of evaluation, age, line, sex, greying level, random direct genetic effect, and the effect of animal's permanent environment. Heritability for melanoma occurrence was estimated for LM - 0.09, for TM - 0.27, and for TMb - 0.11. The coefficient of repeatability was estimated for LM - 0.77, for TM - 0.90, and for TMb - 0.99. The values of the Pearson's correlation coefficient and Spearmen's rank correlation coefficient among breeding values estimated by LM, TM, and TMb models were from 0.82 to 0.88 and from 0.83 to 0.90, respectively, for data with pedigree information and from 0.77 to 0.84 and 0.77 to 0.88, respectively, for a subset of animals with measurements. Results suggest that additive genetic variation of melanoma occurrence in the Old Kladruber horse seems large enough to be exploited in a specific breeding programme. Keywords: melanoma, linear model, threshold model, horse, heritability, breeding value Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 75-82 Volume: 57 Issue: 2 Year: 2012 DOI: 10.17221/5134-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/5134-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201202-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:57:y:2012:i:2:id:5134-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: I. Barnetova Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Center for Cell Therapy and Tissue Repair, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: I. Vackova Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Center for Cell Therapy and Tissue Repair, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: P. Firla Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Title: Dynamics of epigenetic remodeling in interspecies porcine zygotes Abstract: The process of active paternal chromatin demethylation after fertilization in the pig is not fully understood and very inconsistent data have been published by different research groups. We have applied the interspecies intracytoplasmic sperm injection (iICSI) to evaluate remodeling capabilities of porcine oocytes in more details. We injected mouse frozen-thawed sperm heads into porcine in vitro matured or ovulated oocytes, respectively. Embryos produced by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of boar spermatozoa into porcine ovulated oocytes (intraspecies) served as controls. Zygotes with 2-pronuclei were labeled with antibodies against certain epigenetic modifications (5-methylcytosine, 5-MeC; heterochromatin protein 1, HP1; trimethylation of H3/K4, H3/K4-me3; and dimethylation of H3/K9, H3/K9-me2). The labeling patterns were not different between zygotes produced from in vitro matured and ovulated oocytes. Both pronuclei were symmetrically labeled with 5-MeC, HP1, and H3/K4-me3 antibodies. Asymmetrical labeling was observed only with H3/K9-me2 antibody. The labeling of interspecies zygotes was similar to that of intraspecies zygotes. Moreover, the DNA demethylation was observed neither in control zygotes (intraspecies). The only difference observed between zygotes produced from in vitro matured and ovulated oocytes was in their ability to be activated. Intraspecies zygotes produced from ovulated oocytes were able to form the paternal pronucleus without additional activation; the zygotes produced from in vitro matured oocytes formed the paternal pronucleus only after additional activation with electric pulses. Our results show that the remodeling abilities of in vitro matured and ovulated oocytes are essentially similar. Moreover, it seems that reasons of inconsistent data reporting the active demethylation in the pig are more complicated and they are not associated exclusively with the oocyte quality. Keywords: pig, methylation, iICSI, zygote Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 83-94 Volume: 57 Issue: 2 Year: 2012 DOI: 10.17221/5135-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/5135-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201202-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:57:y:2012:i:2:id:5135-CJAS