Breeding for improved appearance of large rainbow trout in two production environments

A quantitative genetic analysis was performed to study potential to breed for improved body shape, skin colour and skin spottiness of large rainbow trout in sea and fresh water production environments, and in different stages of growth. The results showed that heritabilities in both production environments were moderate for body shape and skin colour and very high for skin spots. For body shape and skin spots, genetic correlation between the two production environments was high (r_A≥0.90), revealing weak genotype‐by‐environment interactions across the environments. For skin colour, genetic correlation between the environments was positive (0.78) but lower than for body shape and skin spots, indicating moderate genotype‐by‐environment interactions. Genetic correlations between 2‐ and 3‐year‐old fish were high for body shape and skin spots (r_A≥0.93) and moderate for skin colour (0.85), showing that differences among families persisted strongly during growth. The positive correlations between the environments and between the ages imply that selection in fresh water environment at a single point of time should lead to favourable correlated genetic responses in the sea and at the other stages of growth.     

The effects of long-day photoperiod on growth, body composition and skin colour in immature gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.)

Immature gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) with a mean initial weight of 25.6 g were reared over 11 months to market size under different photoperiods: 16L:8D; 24L:0D and a control. Differences in final mean weight were significant between the three treatments (P<0.001): 16L:8D, 465.0 g; 24L:0D, 445.9 g; control, 402.6 g. Fish from the 24L:0D consumed most while 16L:8D fish converted it most efficiently. The lipid content of fillets was lower (P<0.05) for the 24L:0D (5.37±0.16 g 100 g^?1 of fillet) than for the control (6.02±0.12 g), and the moisture content lower for the control than for either treatment groups. Skin luminosity (L^*) was directly related to the number of hours of light exposure.     

Epidermal proteases of the Japanese eel

A fluorescent-sensitive assay was used to demonstrate the protease activity in the dorsal skin of Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica). Two distinct extracts were separately prepared from skin mucus and epidermal cell layers, with no mutual contamination. The epidermal extract was sensitive to various substrates, whereas there was no, or only marginal, susceptibility to the same substrates for the mucous extract. Optimum hydrolysis pHs of the epidermal extract was variable and below pH 7.0, and the optimum hydrolysis temperatures were between 40 and 50 °C. In addition, Tos-Phe-Ch₂Cl, chymostatin, CdCl₂, CuCl₂, HgCl₂ and ZnCl₂ inhibited protease activities to different extents. Several other reagents specifically affected the protease activities, and their induced effects were useful for the identification of epidermal proteases. The findings indicate that a proteolytic factor, exhibiting various enzymological specificities, is retained within epidermal cell layers of Japanese eel. This factor is composed of 4 distinct proteases, such as cathepsins L and B-like proteases, a serine protease and an aminopeptidase.     

The effect of culture on morphology, lipid and fatty acid composition, and polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) skin cells

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) skin cell cultures were obtained by trypsinization of the tissue and grown in Leibovitz L-15 medium. Lipid class compositions, and fatty acid profiles of total lipids and individual phospholipid classes were determined at different times of culture. The metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was investigated by incubating primary cultures after 7 and 14 days with [1-¹⁴C]18:2n-6 and [1-¹⁴C-]18:3n-3. The change in morphology between epithelial-like primary cultures and fibroblastic-like secondary subcultures was accompanied by alterations in the lipid composition. Polar lipids became predominant by 14 days in culture. The relative proportions of phosphatidylcholine (PC), the most abundant phospholipid, phosphatidylinositol and cholesterol increased significantly, while sphingomyelin decreased. Saturated fatty acids, 18:1n-9, n-6 and n-9PUFA were more abundant in total lipid in cultures at 14 days and 4 months than in cells initially isolated which contained higher percentages of longer chain monoenes and n-3PUFA. The changes in fatty acid composition with time in culture were observed in all the major phospholipid classes. Rainbow trout skin cells in culture desaturated and elongated both 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3, with 20:4n-6 and 20:5n-3 being the most abundant products, respectively. PC presented the highest incorporation of radioactivity, especially following incubation with 18:3n-3. Lipid metabolism in general increased with the age of primary cultures, with both the amount of C18 PUFA incorporated and metabolized by desaturation/elongation significantly increased in 14 day cultures compared to 7 day cultures. Product/precursor ratios calculated for both n-6 and n-3 fatty acids showed that, while 6 desaturase activity was increased significantly with cell age, 5 desaturase activity was more affected by the fatty acid series, with 18:3n-3 being more readily transformed to 20:5n-3 than 18:2n-6 to 20:4n-6. Further desaturation of 20:5n-3 to hexaenes was low. Overall, the data suggested that the trout skin cell cultures were more similar to mammalian skin fibroblasts than mammalian epidermal/keratinocyte cultures.     

养殖刺参溃疡病杀鲑气单胞菌的分离、致病性及胞外产物特性分析

从患溃疡病的养殖刺参(Apostichopus japonicus)病灶处分离出1株优势菌H1,以浸浴、创伤浸浴、体腔注射和体壁肌肉注射等方式进行感染实验,证实菌株H1为养殖刺参溃疡病病原菌,并证明该菌通过体表创伤侵入的方式感染刺参,以创伤浸浴和体壁肌肉注射感染的LD50(半数致死量)分别为2.26×107CFU/尾和1.80×107CFU/尾。经形态学观察、生理生化特性分析和mini API系统鉴定,确定菌株H1为杀鲑气单胞菌杀日本鲑亚种(Aeromonas salmonicida ma-soucida)。提取菌株H1的胞外产物(ECP)进行致病性实验,结果表明ECP可导致刺参死亡,其对刺参的LD50为5.24μg蛋白/g体质量。H1-ECP具有酪蛋白酶、明胶蛋白酶、几丁质酶和淀粉酶活性,并具有溶血素活性;对底物偶氮酪蛋白(Azocasin)作用的酶比活力可达到674.5活力单位/mg蛋白,最适作用温度为50℃;对热不稳定,70℃作用30 min时,酪蛋白酶活性降到0;100℃作用30 min,ECP对刺参的毒性消失;ECP酶活可被10 mmol/L EDTA完全抑制,可被5 mmol/L PMSF抑制98.8%,Ca2 和Mg2 可使酶活性分别提高约9%和4%。结论认为,该病原菌通过体表创伤侵入方式感染宿主刺参,菌株H1胞外产物是其对刺参致病的因子之一。     

Characterization of MicroRNA* Species in Peking Duck Skin

A substantial fraction of miRNA* species are conserved in animals and can repress activities of target genes. This study aims to investigate the miRNA* species in duck skin by using Solexa sequencing. We obtained a total of 96 miRNA* species in two skin small RNA libraries and identified 56 miRNA/miRNA* (miR/miR*) pairs. Nucleotide bias of miRNA* indicated that the priority was C>A>U>G for the first nucleotide and U>C>A>G for the last nucleotide. Comparison analyses showed that 3′-U accounted for a higher proportion in the 56 miR/miR* pairs. Among the top 20 expressed miRNA* species, 17 were shared by two libraries and most of the miRNA* species were highly conservative, especially in the “seed region”. miR-199a* were expressed highly in our samples, which was also previously shown abundant in mouse hair follicle. Furthermore, four miRNA* species were predicted to target their genes in signal pathways of feather follicle development and feather morphogenesis despite very low levels.     

H-Y抗血清的制备及检测研究

选用８ ～１２ 周龄纯系的 Ｂ Ａ Ｌ Ｂ／ Ｃ 母鼠， 用同日龄的 Ｂ Ａ Ｌ Ｂ／ Ｃ 公鼠采取皮肤移植和脾细胞注射２ 种方式免疫， 制备 Ｈ Ｙ 抗血清， 经精子微量细胞毒性试验， 筛选抗血清。皮肤移植５ 只小鼠中只有１ 只产生较好的抗血清， 脾细胞注射的４ 只小鼠都能产生较好的抗血清， 产生抗血清的小鼠占５５ ％ 。抗血清与昆明鼠正常８ｃｅｌｌ 早期桑椹胚培养５ ～６ 、１８ 和２４ ｈ 后， 退化率达４３３ ％ ， 经 Ｘ２ 检验差异不显著（ Ｐ ＞ ００５） ， 符合自然性比例。     

Effects of cage netting colour and density on the skin pigmentation and stress response of Australian snapper Pagrus auratus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

The unnaturally dark pigmentation of cultured Australian snapper Pagrus auratus can be improved through dietary astaxanthin supplementation and by holding fish in tanks with a white background. The practical application of these laboratory‐based findings was examined with two experiments to establish if the advantages of transferring fish to light coloured tanks before harvest could be achieved on‐farm using white cages and to determine the effects of fish density on skin colour. For the first experiment, snapper (mean TL=29.7 cm) were transferred from a commercial snapper sea cage to black or white netted cages and fed diets supplemented with unesterified astaxanthin (supplied as Lucantin^® Pink, BASF) at 0 or 39 mg kg^?1 for 42 days. Skin colour was measured using the CIE (black–white), (green–red), (blue–yellow) colour scale. Snapper held in white netting cages became significantly lighter (higher ) than snapper held in black cages; however, values were not as high as previous laboratory‐based studies in which snapper were held in white plastic‐lined cages. Snapper fed astaxanthin displayed significantly greater and values, and total carotenoid concentrations after 42 days. In addition, total carotenoids were higher in fish from black than white cages. The second experiment was designed to investigate whether density reduced the improvements in skin colour achieved by holding fish in white coloured cages and whether cage colour affected stress. Snapper (mean weight=435 g) were acclimated to black cages and fed 39 mg kg^?1 astaxanthin for 44 days before transferring to black or white plastic‐lined cages at 14 (low), 29 (mid) or 45 (high) kg m^?3 for 7 days after which time skin colour, plasma cortisol and plasma glucose concentrations were measured. Skin lightness () was greater in snapper transferred to white plastic‐lined cages with the lightest coloured fish obtained from the lowest density after 7 days. Density had no effect on plasma cortisol or glucose levels after 7 days, although plasma cortisol was elevated in snapper from black cages. For improved skin colouration we recommend feeding unesterified astaxanthin at 39 mg kg^?1 for approximately 6 weeks and transferring snapper to white plastic‐lined cages or similar at low densities for short periods before harvest rather than producing fish in white netting sea cages subject to biofouling.     

中华富铁康900对断奶仔猪的饲喂效果试验

试验选用体重约8kg的三元杂交(杜长大)猪60头,随机分成3组,每组2个重复,分别饲喂含不同剂量中华富铁康900的饲粮,研究中华富铁康900对仔猪生产性能、肤色的影响。结果表明,以中华富铁康900取代饲粮中部分硫酸亚铁,显著提高仔猪平均日增重(P<0.05),显著降低料重比(P<0.05),明显改善仔猪肤色。根据试验效果,仔猪饲粮中中华富铁康900的添加量为2×10-4～4×10-4。