Fulltext search in archive

Drying kinetics of Malaysian Moringa oleifera leaves was investigated using a convective-air dryer. The drying parameters were: temperature (40, 50, 60, 70 °C), air velocity (1.3 m s^-1, 1.7 m s^-1). The drying process took place in the falling rate period and there was an absence of a constant rate period in this experiment. Six mathematical models (Lewis, Henderson and Pabis, Wang and Singh, Peleg, Page, and logarithmic) were selected for the description of drying characteristics of the leaves. The Wang and Singh model was determined as the best model based on the highest overall coefficient determinant (R²) and the lowest overall root mean square error (RMSE). The effective diffusivity (D_eff) was also calculated which was in the range of 3.98 × 10^-11 m² s^-1 to 1.74 × 10^-10 m² s^-1. An Arrhenius relation was constructed to determine the activation energy for the samples in the convective air dryer. The activation energy for M. oleifera leaves was 39.82 kJ mol^-1 and 33.13 kJ mol^-1 at drying velocities of 1.3 m s^-1 and 1.7 m s^-1, respectively.

Assessments of molecular weight distribution and activity/efficacy of Auricularia heimuer polysaccharides (AAP) are of substantial significance for its extraction process optimisation. In the present study, single-factor orthogonal test and response surface methodology were employed to optimise extraction conditions of AAP. Furthermore, a rat hyperlipidaemia model was established to compare the lipid-lowering activity of polysaccharides obtained by three extraction methods. Conditions for enzymatic hydrolysis were optimised as pH 5.0, 1% cellulase, 2.5% substrate concentration and enzymolysis time of 1.5 h, leading to an up to 31.8% polysaccharide yield and 89.13% of polysaccharides within the molecular weight range of 5 000 Da to 10 000 Da. The results of animal experiments showed that the lipid-lowering activity of enzymolysis-extracted polysaccharides was significantly higher than that of water- and ultrasonic-extracted ones (P < 0.01). So the present study revealed that enzymatic hydrolysis-extracted polysaccharides showed the strongest hypolipidaemia activity, providing a basis for the development of A. heimuer-based functional foods and drugs.

Three novel bread additives were developed, namely wheat bran (WB), wheat aleurone-rich flour (ARF) fraction and germinated soybean [sprouted soy-based additive (YASO)]. Their applications were tested in bread dough systems. The additives showed different chemical compositions targeting different nutritional effects in bread. In each case, three different concentration ranges were used (WB 10-30%, ARF 10-30%, YASO 10-50%). Rheological differences were sensitively detected by the Mixolab technique in the mixed dough. So the rheological effects caused by compositional changes were reflected by the results of the above-mentioned technique. Based on Mixolab curves, optimal levels of applied additives (WB 14%, ARF 25% and YASO 30%) were defined. These are acceptable from a compositional and rheological point of view as well. The optimised mixtures were tested with the measurements of Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) in slurry form, and characteristic effects of additives were observed. Based on Mixolab and RVA techniques, valuable rheological 'fingerprints' could be generated. These support the conscious and planned modification of rheological properties of bread products and the application of novel bread additives.

We aimed to increase the ginsenosides present in fermented red ginseng and enhance cordycepin production by Cordyceps militaris using solid-state fermentation. After 50 days of fermentation, red ginseng solid-state fermented with C. militaris demonstrated considerably higher contents of Rb3 (9.16%), Rd (513.93%), Rg2 (63.12%), Rg3 (20R; 112.53%), and Rg3 (20S; 101.17%) than untreated red ginseng. As the fermentation time increased, the production of cordycepin gradually increased, yielding approximately 34.8 mg kg^-1 of cordycepin after 50 days of fermentation. In conclusion, red ginseng fermented by C. militaris could be used as natural herbal medicine or dietary supplement with several health-beneficial effects.

Cell wall digestibility is an important quality trait of modern silage maize cultivars. The symbiotic relationship between microbes and ruminant livestock enables the efficient upcycling of otherwise for human consumption unsuitable rumen digestible fibre or cell wall components into highly nutritious milk and meat. Before entering the Czech National List of Plant Varieties, new silage maize germplasm is extensively tested for different cell wall digestibility parameters. Recently published, the undigestible neutral detergent fibre (uNDF) cell wall digestibility approach promises even greater practical relevance. The aim of our study was, therefore, to assess the potential of the uNDF method, compared with current standard procedures, using a vast set of official Czech plant variety trial evaluations and Czech silage analyses from the 2018 cropping season. The uNDF method yielded a twice as high phenotypic standard deviation, compared with the current standard approaches. This is good news for plant breeders, official variety testing organisations, and farm professionals alike, enabeling faster variety improvement and simpler variety selection. On the other hand, due to the low differentiation potential, we discourage the use of the absolute lignin content when selecting for digestible silage maize varieties. Since between the digestibility traits enzymatic soluble organic substance (ELOS) and cellulase digestibility (DCS), a Pearson correlation close to one was observed, the substitution of one of these analytics by the uNDF method, may render valuable additional information in a highly economical manner.

Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis Westend. f.sp. tritici Eriks (Pst), is one of the most important diseases of bread wheat worldwide. Breeding resistant wheat cultivars is the most economical, effective and environmentally friendly way for controlling wheat stripe rust in China. The Romanian wheat line Fundulea 900 showed good resistance to wheat stripe rust at the adult stage. The present study aimed to map the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for stripe rust resistance in 176 F_2:6 recombinant inbred lines (RIL) derived from the cross of Fundulea 900 × Thatcher. The RIL population was phenotyped for stripe rust (YR) severity at Mianyang in the Sichuan province and Baoding in the Hebei province in the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 cropping seasons. SSR markers combined with a preferred screened group (PSG) analysis were used to identify the QTLs for stripe rust in the population. Three QTLs for stripe rust resistance were mapped on chromosomes 1AL, 7BL and 7DS, respectively. All three QTLs originated from Fundulea 900 and were detected in all the environments. The QTL on 7DS was provided by the known resistance gene Yr18/Lr34. The two QTLs on chromosomes 1AL and 7BL were explained by 9.2 to 21.5% and 5.1 to 10.1% of the phenotypic variance, respectively and might be new QTLs. The QTLs identified in the study and their closely linked markers can be used for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in wheat breeding programmes.

Agronomic traits are usually determined by multiple quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that can have pleiotropic effects. A multiparent advanced generation intercross (MAGIC) population is well suited for genetically analysing the effects of multiple QTLs on the traits of interest because it contains more QTL alleles than a biparental population and can overcome the problem of confounding the population structure of the natural germplasm population. We previously developed the B. juncea MAGIC population, derived from eight B. juncea lines with great diversity in agronomic and quality traits. In this study, we show that the B. juncea MAGIC population is also effective for the evaluation of multiple QTLs for complex agronomic traits in B. juncea. A total of twenty-two QTLs for nine seed-related traits were identified, including one QTL for each oil content, seed number per silique and thousand-seed weight; two QTLs for each acid detergent lignin and neutral detergent fibre; three QTLs for each acid detergent fibre and protein content; four QTLs for the seed maturity time; and five QTLs for the white index. Some of these QTLs overlapped. These results should be helpful for further fine mapping, gene cloning, plant breeding and marker-assisted selection (MAS) in B. juncea.

Rabies remains an infectious disease among humans and animals, and requires the development of an effective vaccine essential to prevent rabies. Advances in molecular biology and biotechnology have led to the development and improvement of many rabies vaccines. Before the third-generation of the vaccine, rabies vaccines were based on the virus itself. Thus, even if effective, these vaccines may not be completely safe, resulting in a strong demand for the development of effective subunit vaccines that do not raise concerns about virus replication and infection in the host. This study investigated the ability of the glycoprotein of the rabies virus to be expressed in tobacco plants (Nicotiana benthamiana) and to induce an immune response in mice. Using a transient transfection, a soluble glycoprotein was successfully expressed in N. benthamiana. Fusing of five histidine residues at the C-terminus enabled the glycoprotein to be easily purified by affinity chromatography. The glycoprotein expressed in the plants was found to be N-glycosylated post-translationally, and the mice immunised with this glycoprotein generated neutralising antibodies against the rabies virus. These results suggest that a glycoprotein produced in the endoplasmic reticulum of N. benthamiana is bioactive, and might be used to generate a subunit vaccine against the rabies virus.

The farnesyltransferase α-subunit (FTA) may be involved in the regulation of defence responses against pathogens in plants. In this study, this gene was amplified from Catharanthus roseus (CrFTA gene). The cDNA was found to be 1 403 bp long, and encodes a putative protein of 331 amino acids that contains a conserved PPTA motif. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the sequence of CrFTA is the most similar to that from Coffea canephora. The qRT-PCR assays indicated that CrFTA is expressed in the leaves, stems, and roots. During a Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Ca. L. asiaticus) infection, the CrFTA expression levels significantly increased and reached 18-fold that measured in the control group, after which its expression decreased gradually from 22 days after top-grafting (DAT) to the end of the experiment. Spray application of Manumycin A (ManuA), a specific inhibitor of farnesyltransferase, on the leaves of C. roseus plants caused a significant decrease in the CrFTA expression and a significant increase in the Ca. L. asiaticus positivity percentage after top-grafting with the Ca. L. asiaticus-infected shoots compared with the groups not treated with ManuA. Furthermore, ABA had no significant effect on the relative expression of CrFTA and the number of Ca. L. asiaticus-positive plants. These results suggest that CrFTA most likely plays a role in mediating the tolerance to a Ca. L. asiaticus infection in C. roseus.

Heat stress is one of the major wheat (Triticum aestivum) production constraints in South Asia (SA), particularly in the Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP) of India and Bangladesh. Malnutrition is also a severe problem among children and women in SA. Wheat varieties with high grain Zn/Fe are a sustainable, cost-effective solution in the fight against hidden hunger. Thirty wheat genotypes were characterised under the optimum temperature and heat stress conditions in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 to study the response of the stress on the yield, physiological traits and grain Zn/Fe content. A significant genetic variation was observed for all the traits under the optimum temperature and stress conditions. The yield was reduced by an average of 59.5% under heat stress compared to that of the optimum temperature. A strong positive association of the canopy temperature depression (CTD) with the grain yield (GY) was observed under the heat stress. A negative correlation of the grain Zn/Fe with the yield was observed under the optimum temperature and heat stress conditions, while the association between the grain Zn and Fe was positive. The genotypes BRW 3723, BRW 3759, BRW 3797, BRW 160, HD 2967, HD 2640 were found to be heat-tolerant in both years. Among the tolerant genotypes, BRW 934, BRW 3807 and BRW 3804 showed a high zinc content and BRW 934, BRW 3797, BRW 3788 and BRW 3807 showed a high iron content, respectively. These genotypes can be explored in future breeding programmes to address the problem of nutritional deficiency.

Coloured rice has pigments deposited in the grain pericarp; red rice is the most common type of coloured rice. Red rice is rich in essential nutrients and has been grown and consumed in China for a long time. In this study, we report the genetic characterisation and preliminary molecular mapping of a mutant gene encoding red pericarp in rice (Oryza sativa L.). To analyse the genetic basis of the red pericarp mutant, a reciprocal cross between GER-3 (red pericarp, indica cv.) and 898 (white pericarp, indica cv.) was made. The genetic analysis results confirmed that there was only one dominant gene, temporarily designated Rp (Red pericarp) controlling the segregation of the red pericarp in the F₂ population. For the molecular mapping of Rp, an F₂ population derived from an inter-subspecific cross between Gene Engineering Rice-3 (GER-3) and C418 (japonica cv., white pericarp) was constructed. The genotype of the pericarp colour of the F₂ individuals in the mapping population was validated by progeny testing of the F_2:3 families. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and the bulked segregation analysis (BSA) method were used; Rp was mapped to the short arm of chromosome 7 between the SSR markers RM21182 and RM21268, with a genetic distance of 3.5 and 12.0 cM, respectively. In this paper, the potential origin of the red pericarp mutant gene Rp was also discussed.

A decrease in the tiller number and male sterility will lead to a decline in the rice yield. Therefore, it is significant to study the molecular mechanism of controlling the tiller number and regulating the male reproductive development. The mutant st2 (single tiller 2) was induced by ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) in the indica maintainer line Xinong 1B and showed single tillering and male sterility. I₂-KI staining showed that the st2 pollen was aborted. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation underlined that the anther of st2 became smaller, the wax of the epidermis reduced, the inner wall shrank and the Ubisch body decreased, the pollen collapsed, and the germination pore developed abnormally. The genetic analysis discovered that the trait was controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene located on chromosome 3. LOC_Os03g05540 encoding a tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain was identified as the candidate gene by sequencing. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis indicated that ST2 was highly expressed in the stem apical meristem (SAM) and the initial stage of meiosis during the anther development. The subcellular localisation indicated that ST2 is a nuclear and plasmic localisation protein. The homology analysis demonstrated that ST2 was evolutionarily conserved. These results laid a foundation for further study of the ST2 function.

Powdery mildew (PM) is a major fungal disease in the Cucurbita species in the world, which can cause significant yield loss. The Mildew Locus O (MLO) family genes play important roles in the PM stress response. In this paper, twenty, twenty-one, and eighteen candidate MLO genes in Cucurbita moschata, Cucurbita maxima and Cucurbita pepo, respectively, were identified and designated as CmoMLO, CmaMLO and CpeMLO, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that these MLOs were divided into five clades and the number of MLOs belonging to clade V in the Cucurbita species was more than that in other crops. Furthermore, the expression analysis in the susceptibility (S) and resistance (R) lines showed that CpeMLO1, CpeMLO2 and CpeMLO5 might be involved in the susceptibility response. CpeMLO4 and CpeMLO6 showing opposite expression patterns in the R/S lines might be involved in the resistance response. All these data would be beneficial for future functional analysis of MLOs in the Cucurbita species.

FAT atypical cadherin 1 (FAT1) is a member of the atypical cadherin superfamily and is involved in the planar cell polarity signalling pathway which regulates hair follicle morphogenesis, cycling, and orientation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sheep FAT1 gene expression, polymorphisms and its association with wool quality traits in Chinese Merino sheep. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the FAT1 mRNA was differentially expressed in the adult skin of Chinese Merino and Kazak sheep. Seven SNPs (termed SNPs 1-7) were identified in exon 2 of sheep FAT1 gene by Sanger sequencing. SNPs 2 and 7 (novel SNPs) were significantly associated with wool crimp (P < 0.05). SNPs 4 and 5 (rs161528993 and rs161528992) were significantly associated with wool fibre length (P < 0.05). SNP 7 was highly significantly associated with average wool fibre diameter (P < 0.01). Similarly, FAT1 haplotypes were significantly associated with wool crimp (P < 0.05), and the haplotypes H1-H3 and H5 were significantly associated with higher wool crimp (P < 0.05). Bioinformatics analysis showed that the wool quality trait-associated SNPs (SNPs 2, 4, 5 and 7) might affect the pre-mRNA splicing by creating or abolishing the binding sites for serine/arginine-rich proteins, and in addition, SNPs 2 and 4 might alter the FAT1 mRNA secondary structure. Our results suggest that FAT1 influences wool quality traits and its SNPs 2, 4, 5 and 7 might be useful markers for marker-assisted selection and sheep breeding.

Modern single space feeding systems for fattening pigs allow the detailed assessment of an individual animal's feeding behaviour. In an experiment involving 96 fattening pigs, the influence of deoxynivalenol (DON) contaminated feed (> 4 500 µg/kg DON) on the zootechnical performance and feeding behaviour was compared with a feed with low DON concentration (< 900 µg/kg DON), this served as the control group. Additionally, in separate treatments, two commercial mycotoxin binders were added to the DON-contaminated feeds to assess if an expected DON effect could be attenuated. The high DON content significantly (P < 0.03) reduced daily feed intake (500-600 g/day). The DON group showed 240 g less daily gain compared to the control with 728 g/day. Both mycotoxin binders were seen to additionally depress weight gain by approximately 65 g/day (P < 0.01). The treatment did not affect the individual feeding behaviour as assessed by daily visits to the feeder, feed intake per visit and the highest feed intake per visit per day. These were influenced only by the pig and its pen, indicating that the animals developed a distinct behaviour within their respective groups. Behaviour analyses of persistency and day-to-day variation showed that the persistency was reduced and variation was increased when DON without or with binder was present. The DON contents therefore seemed to lead to a more erratic and less consistent behaviour that remained dependent on the animal group.

The paper demonstrates the dependability of assignment testing in the identification of an appropriate breed to monitor comprehensive genetic information from molecular markers to analyse the collection of real population data covering 22 horse breeds registered in the Czech Republic, including native breeds and genetic resources. If 17 microsatellites are used, the mean number of alleles per locus corresponds to 10.4. The count of alleles at the individual loci ranges between five (HTG07) and 17 (ASB17). The loci ASB02, ASB23, HMS03, HTG10, and VHL20 exhibit the highest gene diversity and observed heterozygosity (both above 80%), with the mean value of 0.77 and 0.73, respectively. The moderate total inbreeding coefficient (5.2%) is estimated across all the loci and breeds. The levels of apparent breed differentiation span from zero between the Czech Warmblood and Slovak Warmblood to 0.15 between the Shetland Pony and Standardbred. The phylogenetic breed relationships are revealed via the NeighbourNet dendrogram constructed from Reynolds' genetic distances, which clearly separate the Coldblood draught, Hot/Warmblood, and Pony horses. Our results reveal that the Bayesian approach (the Rannala and Mountain technique) provides the most intensive prediction power (83.6%) out of the GeneClass tools and that the Bayes Net algorithm exhibits the best efficiency (78.4%) from the WEKA machine learning workbench options, considering the use of the five-fold cross-validation technique. The algorithms could be trained on large real reference data sets, and thus there appears another viable perspective for machine learning in horse ancestry testing. In this context, it is also important to stress the fact that innovated computational tools will potentially lead towards structuring a novel webserver to allow the identification of horse breeds.

Silk sericin plays a protective role in a variety of mammalian cells during cryopreservation. This study aimed to determine the effects of sericin supplementation to a freezing extender on sperm quality and lipid peroxidation in dairy bull sperm cryopreservation. Each semen sample of five Holstein-Friesian crossbred bulls was divided into four aliquots and diluted in a tris-egg yolk extender supplemented with different concentrations of sericin [0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1.0% (wt/vol)]. Sperm motility (CASA), viability, acrosome integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential (fluorescent staining) and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde - MDA test) were analysed. The results show that the 0.25% and 0.5% sericin groups had the highest total sperm motility (P < 0.05). Sperm viability, acrosome integrity, and mitochondrial function were higher in the group supplemented with 0.25% sericin compared to the control and 1.0% (P < 0.05). Sericin supplementation with 0.25% and 0.5% significantly decreased MDA concentrations compared with the control (P < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation of the semen freezing extender with sericin at the concentration of 0.25% significantly improved the post-thaw semen quality and reduced lipid peroxidation in Holstein-Friesian crossbred bulls.

The present study aimed to develop a long-term fresh boar semen extender by adding l-cysteine and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) into Beltsville thawing solution (BTS)-based extender. Semen samples were collected from six boars, diluted at a concentration of 3 × 10⁹ spermatozoa/100 ml and allocated into 10 groups as follows: BTS, Merck III^®, Androstar^® Plus, Modena^TM, DHA 1.5 mg/ml, 3 mg/ml, and 6.25 mg/ml, l-cysteine 2.5 mM, 5.0 mM, and 10 mM. All extended semen samples were stored at 18 °C and were evaluated for progressive motility, viability, acrosome integrity, pH, and osmolality on days 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 of storage. The results documented that on day 3, l-cysteine at 2.5 mM showed the significantly highest percentage (78.8%) of progressive motility, but not different from Modena^TM (78.8%) and Androstar^® Plus (71.3%) (P < 0.05). On day 5, l-cysteine at 2.5 mM maintained progressive motility and viability up to 73.8% and 77.9%, respectively, but not different from Modena^TM (78.8% and 74.8%) and Androstar^® Plus (70.0% and 76.8%) (P < 0.05). On day 7, superior progressive motility (71.3%, 77.5% and 72.5%) and viability (72.8%, 77.3% and 69.8%) were found for l-cysteine at 2.5 mM, Modena^TM and Androstar^® Plus groups, respectively, when compared to the other groups (P < 0.01). However, in the present study, DHA supplementation failed to maintain fresh boar semen qualities during storage. In conclusion, adding l-cysteine at a concentration of 2.5 mM in a BTS-based extender is the optimal concentration for the preservation of fresh boar semen at 18 °C for seven days.

Reproductive rhythms, as a response to environmental seasonality, may maximize the survival possibility of both newborns and parents, which is vital for ex situ conservation and sustainable management in wildlife. Forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii) is a critically endangered ungulate of China. In order to estimate its reproduction characteristics and performance in northern China, a historical distribution area, the parturition pattern of the northernmost captive forest musk deer in Huailai Musk Deer Farm from 2017 to 2018 was analyzed. We found that the parturition of forest musk deer was highly seasonal with a peak on May 27^th, and 75% of parturitions were completed within 22 days from May to June, which could be an adaptation to the seasonality of local food resources. The parturition peak was four weeks before the best hydrothermal conditions when food resources were maximally provided. The time lag between the parturition date and the peak of food availability was affected by climatic conditions during lactation as warmer temperatures in the 4^th and 5^th week and heavier precipitation in the 4^th week of lactation shortened the time lag by five days (P < 0.05). The synchronization between parturition rhythms and seasonality of climatic conditions indicated that the forest musk deer could be farmed in Northeastern Taihang Mountains and northern China, where there is a suitable climate for the musk deer reproduction. Sustainable musk production and musk deer release into the wild where there are suitable climatic conditions has been proved to be practicable, which can benefit the ex situ conservation of endangered forest musk deer and musk resources sustainability.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of using the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cell wall (YCW) as an aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) adsorbent in broiler chicken feed on performance and carcass characteristics. The present study used a randomized complete block with four treatments in a 2 (with or without AFB₁) × 2 (with or without YCW) factorial design. No interaction effect (P > 0.05) between AFB₁ and YCW was found on the studied performance variables. The addition of YCW to the diets stimulated the feed intake of chickens during 1-21 days of age. However, YCW did not significantly increase (P > 0.05) weight gain nor did it change feed conversion. The presence of AFB₁ in the diet did not affect (P > 0.05) performance parameters. The addition of YCW to the feed containing AFB₁ significantly increased (P < 0.05) the post-fasting live weight (781.12 g), chilled carcass weight (554.41 g), and leg weight (163.34 g) compared to feed without AFB₁ and YCW (764.84 g; 533.41 g; 161.88 g), feed with only YCW (764.22 g; 546.87 g; 159.34 g), and feed with only AFB₁ (735.41 g; 510.56 g; 152.75 g). In conclusion, YCW effectively reduced some of the deleterious effects of AFB₁ in broilers.

Copy numbers of alpha amylase genes (AMY), which encode starch-digesting enzymes, are markedly increased in modern humans and domesticated dogs as an adaptive evolutionary mechanism in response to increased consumption of starch-rich foods acquired either by farming or domestication. In this study, we surveyed total AMY gene copy numbers in 150 domestic pigs (50 pigs of Berkshire breed, 50 of Landrace breed, and 50 of Large White breed) and 51 wild boars (30 Sus scrofa leucomystax and 21 S. s. riukiuanus) to identify whether the gene copy number has changed during the domestication of pigs. The relative copy number of AMY genes was measured using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and it varied from 2.7 to 10.8 per haploid genome among individuals. However, in the four remaining populations, excluding S. s. riukiuanus, the average copy number was approximately six, and no significant differences were observed between the three selected pig breeds and S. s. leucomystax wild boar. Conversely, S. s. riukiuanus had an average of 7.2 copies. The results indicating six AMY copies per haploid genome were consistent with the porcine genome reference sequence (Sscrofa11.1). These results suggest that there has been no significant increase in the AMY gene copy number during the domestication process of pigs.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 8 (USP8), a member of the ubiquitin-specific protease (USP) family, was originally identified as playing a role in the regulation of growth and cell cycle. However, its functional role in myogenesis is unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of USP8 in proliferation and differentiation of sheep skeletal muscle satellite cells. The results showed that the expression level of USP8 was significantly increased on days 2 and 3 following the induction of the differentiation process. Furthermore, knocking down USP8 resulted in a significant increase in myogenin-positive cells, and promoted early differentiation of satellite cells by regulating the expression level of paired box 7 (PAX7). Additionally, knocking down USP8 suppressed muscle satellite cell proliferation, possibly explaining that the relative mRNA level of USP8 was linearly related to muscle fibre density of Hu sheep. Overall, our research demonstrates that USP8 plays a role in proliferation and early differentiation of skeletal muscle satellite cells.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of two dietary protein levels on performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality parameters in fast- (Ross 308), medium- (JA757), and slow-growing (ISA Dual) chickens to assess the interaction of the two factors. Each genotype was divided into a control group fed a commercial type of feed mixture and an experimental group fed a low-protein diet (LP). The trial was terminated after a common period of fattening of each genotype, and 20 chickens per group (sex ratio 1 : 1) were selected for the carcass and meat analysis. The results indicated that the LP diet decreased growth (P < 0.001) and increased feed consumption (P < 0.001) more in the fast-growing than in the slow-growing genotypes; however, reduced mortality was detected in fast-growing chickens. The LP diet had a negative effect on the European performance efficiency factor (P < 0.001) in fast- (-10%) and medium-growing (-6%) but not in slow-growing chickens. The main effect of the genotype on the carcass characteristics included the highest (P < 0.001) dressing out and breast percentage in fast-growing chickens and the highest (P < 0.001) percentage of thigh and abdominal fat in the slow-growing genotype. The LP diet had only a minor effect on the carcass traits. Regarding meat quality characteristics, slow-growing chickens were characterized by higher contents of dry matter (P < 0.001) and crude protein (P < 0.001) and lower contents of ether extract (P < 0.001) and cholesterol (P < 0.001) compared to medium- and fast-growing chickens. The individual effects of the genotypes were manifested by the largest cross-sectional area of the muscle fibres of pectoralis major in fast-growing chickens (P < 0.001). The results of the present study indicate a significant interaction of the dietary protein levels and genotypes in growth performance and a negligible effect on the carcass composition and physical and chemical quality of meat

The objective of this study was to investigate genotype by environment interaction as well as genetic parameters for somatic cell score (SCS) in first lactation Holstein cows in Iran. Data were collected by the National Animal Breeding Centre of Iran during 2003 to 2018. Data consisted of 1 031 885 SCS test-day records of 145 817 first lactation Holstein cows. Records were classified into the cold and moderate climate on data of synoptic stations. Variance components and genetic parameters were estimated using a random regression model and restricted maximum likelihood method. The analyses were performed using the AI-REML algorithm of the DMU package. The mean SCS was 1.859 (1.598) and 1.823 (1.522) for the cold and moderate climate, respectively. Genetic variance of SCS was lower than the corresponding permanent environmental variance. The permanent environmental variance in the moderate climate was higher than that of the cold climate during lactation. The highest values of heritability were observed in the early stage of lactation. However, the estimates of heritability during the lactation curve were low. The estimates of heritability for the entire 305-day lactation were higher in the cold climate than those in the moderate climate. Genetic correlation between the cold and moderate climate ranged from 0.25 to 0.81. The results indicated the existence of genotype × environment interaction and hence the need for different breeding program for SCS in the studied climates.

The aim of this study was to present the trend of inbreeding and to estimate the effect of inbreeding on the growth ability of lambs in the three most common sire breeds in the Czech Republic: Suffolk (SF; n = 49 345), Charollais (CH; n = 14 189) and Texel (T; n = 10 481). The growth ability of lambs was evaluated between 2000 and 2019 based on the weight at 100 days of age. The average inbreeding coefficient for Suffolk, Charollais and Texel was 0.013, 0.012 and 0.011, respectively. The average number of known generations was 5.260 for Suffolk, 3.355 for Charollais and 3.709 for Texel. To evaluate growth ability, lambs were divided into four groups according to the inbreeding coefficient (F = 0.00, 0.00 < F ≤ 0.062 5, 0.062 5 < F ≤ 0.125, F > 0.125). The results of this study show the negative effect of inbreeding on the growth ability of lambs was significant (P < 0.05). The regression coefficients of the weight for Suffolk, Charollais and Texel lambs for a change of 1% in inbreeding were estimated to be -0.028, -0.053 and -0.048, respectively.

The aim of the present research was to determine the changes in macromineral and trace element concentrations in ewes' blood during the lactation period. Thirty-six Travnik pramenka ewes at the average age of 3-5 years were included in research and they were evaluated at three stages of lactation: early stage (40 ± 5 days of lactation), medium stage (80 ± 5 days of lactation) and late stage (120 ± 5 days of lactation). In ewes' blood concentrations of macroelements (Ca, P, K, Na, Mg) and trace elements (Fe, Cu, Zn, Mo, Co, Se, Cd, As) were determined. The average concentrations of macroelements and trace elements in the blood of ewes during lactation were mostly within the reference values. Se concentrations in blood were close to the deficient ones, while concentrations of Cd and As were negligible. Concentration of Ca in blood was the lowest in the early lactation stage, higher in the late stage, and the highest in the medium stage (88.25 mg/l, 96.43 mg/l and 103.43 mg/l, respectively). A significant increase in the concentrations of Mg, Co and Cd and a significant decrease in the concentrations of Na, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mo and Se were found in blood with lactation progress. Significant correlations between the studied parameters were found, especially between macroelements (Ca : K, P : Na, K : Na, K : Mg). Positive correlations were found between some macroelements and trace elements (Ca : Co, Ca : Cd, K : Co, Na : Zn, Na : Se) and between trace elements (FepageContainerHideShow('srchdetcjs-202104-0004', false);