Genome-wide detection of selective signatures in a Jinhua pig population

The aim of this study was to detect evidence for signatures of recent selection in the Jinhua pig genome. These results can be useful to better understand the regions under selection in Jinhua pigs and might shed some lights on groups of genes that control production traits. In the present study, we performed extended haplotype homozygosity(EHH) tests to identify significant core regions in 202 Jinhua pigs. A total of 26 161 core regions spanning 636.42 Mb were identified, which occupied approximately 28% of the genome across all autosomes, and 1 158 significant(P0.01) core haplotypes were selected. Genes in these regions were related to several economically important traits, including meat quality, reproduction, immune responses and exterior traits. A panel of genes including ssc-mir-365-2, KDM8, RABEP2, GSG1L, RHEB, RPH3AL and a signal pathway of PI3K-Akt were detected with the most extreme P-values. The findings in our study could draw a comparatively genome-wide map of selection signature in the pig genome, and also help to detect functional candidate genes under positive selection for further genetic and breeding research in Jinhua and other pigs.     

Sorghum extrusion process combined with biofortified sweet potato contributed for high iron bioavailability in Wistar rats

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sorghum and sweet potato on the bioavailability of iron, gene expression of proteins involved in iron metabolism and the plasma antioxidant capacity in animals fed with whole sorghum grains processed by dry heat or extrusion, combined or not with sweet potato flour with high content of carotenoids. Five experimental groups were tested (n = 7): dry heat sorghum flour (DS); extruded sorghum flour (ES); whole sorghum flour + sweet potato flour (DS + SP); extruded sorghum flour + sweet potato flour (ES + SP) and positive control (FS). The evaluations included: hemoglobin gain, hemoglobin regeneration efficiency, gene expression of divalente metal transporter 1 (DMT-1), duodenal citochroma B (DcytB), ferroportin, hephaestin, transferrin and ferritin and total plasma antioxidant capacity (TAC). The ES + SP group showed higher (p < 0.05) expression of DcytB, ferroportin and hephaestin when compared to the control group. The DS group showed high (p < 0.05) expression of DMT-1 and the ES showed high mRNA expression of transferrin and ferritin. The changes in the sorghum physicochemical properties from extrusion process reduced the iron and phytate content, and increased the gene expression of proteins involved in iron metabolism, improving iron bioavailability. The combination of sweet potato and sorghum flour (dry or extruded) improved the iron capture and total antioxidant capacity, probably due to the presence of β-carotene and antioxidant compounds.     

基于YOLO v3与图结构模型的群养猪只头尾辨别方法

在利用视频监控技术对群养猪只进行自动行为监测时,对猪只准确定位并辨别其头尾位置对提高监测水平至关重要,基于此提出一种基于YOLO v3(You only look once v3)模型与图结构模型(Pictorial structure models)的猪只头尾辨别方法。首先,利用基于深度卷积神经网络的YOLO v3目标检测模型,训练猪只整体及其头部和尾部3类目标的检测器,从而在输入图像中获得猪只整体及头尾部所有的检测结果;然后,引入图结构模型,描述猪只的头尾结构特征,对每个猪只整体检测矩形框内的头尾部位组合计算匹配得分,选择最优的部位组合方式;对部分部位漏检的情况,采取阈值分割与前景椭圆拟合的方法,根据椭圆长轴推理出缺失部位。在实际猪场环境下,通过俯拍获得猪舍监控视频,建立了图像数据集,并进行了检测实验。实验结果表明,与直接利用YOLO v3模型相比,本文方法对头尾定位的精确率和召回率均有一定提高。本文方法对猪只头尾辨别精确率达到96.22%,与其他方法相比具有明显优势。     

规模化猪舍废气复合净化系统设计与试验

为解决规模化猪舍废气排放造成的环境污染问题，设计了一种猪舍废气复合净化系统。该系统采用化学法与水洗法相结合，通过PLC（可编程逻辑控制器）控制系统实时采集净化系统内的pH值、电导率、液位和压差等动态环境数据，智能控制洗涤泵启停和电磁阀通断，自动完成供水、加酸、喷淋和排废4个工作环节。同时，控制系统采用MCGS触摸屏与PLC建立通讯，通过创建人机交互界面实现系统环境数据监测、运行状态流动显示、按需配置系统参数和报警信息输出等多种功能，实现了系统操作的人性化和过程的可视化。系统可根据实际应用中对净化效率和运行成本的要求，实现多种控制模式，均有效抑制了猪舍废气排放。试验结果表明，系统对主要污染成分氨气的平均去除率可达到85%，整体运行可靠、控制简单，经济成本量化清晰。该系统在江西某种猪场实施应用，成效显著，可为畜禽养殖环境废气净化处理的工程应用提供参考。     

吉林省生猪生产水足迹时空分异及优化布局研究

生猪养殖是畜牧业的重要组成部分,其生产和发展对水资源需求及水环境污染影响较大。水足迹区别于传统的取水指标,既可用于核算畜牧业耗水量,也可用于衡量畜牧业产生的水污染。为了研究吉林省生猪生产和发展对水资源需求及水环境的影响,基于水足迹理论及核算方法,对2000-2016年生猪生产水足迹进行量化,分析其绿水足迹、蓝水足迹、灰水足迹及总水足迹的时间变化和空间分布特征。结果表明：2000-2016年吉林省生猪的总水足迹呈下降趋势,其中绿水足迹呈上升趋势,蓝水足迹和灰水足迹呈下降趋势；吉林省各县(市、区)生猪绿水足迹、蓝水足迹、灰水足迹和总水足迹的空间分布总体为中部地区最高、东部地区最低,地域差异明显。因此,吉林省生猪养殖应优化布局,中部地区生猪养殖应大力发展,东部地区适当增加,而西部地区需加以控制。     

非洲猪瘟疫情对生猪产业链上市公司市场价值的影响研究

[目的] 研究旨在应用实证方法分析非洲猪瘟疫情对生猪产业链上市公司市场价值造成的影响,进而得出疫情对生猪产业链上养殖、屠宰、加工、消费等环节利益相关者收益的影响。[方法]采用事件研究法,选取涉及生猪产业链上市公司,按主营业务统计为肉制品加工、养殖、饲料和兽药4种类型的32家相关上市公司,通过设计指标对生猪产业链上市公司股票异常收益率波动进行计算和检验。[结果]研究结果表明：非洲猪瘟疫情事件对生猪养殖行业的影响最大；对兽药行业的影响周期最长；肉制品加工行业的影响程度和周期仅次于兽药行业,对饲料行业的影响最小。[结论] “非洲猪瘟”事件对猪产业链上的饲料、养殖、肉制品加工、兽药类上市公司市场价值存在显著的负面影响。     

Selecting the hologenome to breed for an improved feed efficiency in pigs—A novel selection index

Most traits in animal breeding, including feed efficiency traits in pigs, are affected by many genes with small effect and have a moderately high heritability between 0.1 and 0.5, which enables efficient selection. Since the microbiota composition in the gastrointestinal tract is also partly heritable and was shown to have a substantial effect on feed efficiency, the host genes affect the phenotype not only directly by altering metabolic pathways, but also indirectly by changing the microbiota composition. The effect of the microbiota composition on the breeding value of an animal is the conditional expectation of its breeding value, given the vector with microbiota frequencies, that is The breeding value of an animal can therefore be decomposed into a heritable contribution that arises from an altered microbiota composition and a heritable contribution that arises from altered metabolic pathways within the animal, so Instead of selecting for breeding value , an index comprising the two components and with appropriate weights, that is , can be used. The present study shows how this breeding strategy can be applied in pig genomic selection breeding scheme for two feed efficiency traits and daily gain.     

Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of PPARγ expression in porcine uteroplacenta for regulating of placental angiogenesis through VEGF-mediated signalling

Non-infectious prenatal mortality severely affects the porcine industry, with pathological placentation as a likely key reason. Previous studies have demonstrated that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) deficiency causes defects in the uteroplacental vasculature and induces embryonic losses in mice. However, its role in porcine placental angiogenesis remains unclear. In the present study, PPARγ expression was investigated in porcine uteroplacental tissues at gestational day (GD) 25, GD40 and GD70 via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), Western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Moreover, the roles of PPARγ in porcine placental angiogenesis were investigated using a cell model of porcine umbilical vein endothelial cells (PUVECs) to conduct proliferation, migration and tube formation assays in vitro and a mouse xenograft model to assess capillary formation in vivo. The results showed that PPARγ was mainly located in the glandular epithelium, trophoblast, amniotic chorion epithelium and vascular endothelium, as indicated by the higher expression levels at GD25 and GD40 than at GD70 in endometrium and by higher expression levels at GD40 and GD70 than at GD25 in placenta. Moreover, PPARγ expression was significantly downregulated in placenta with dead foetus. In PUVECs, knocking out PPARγ significantly inhibited proliferation, migration and tube formation in vitro and inhibited capillary formation in mouse xenografts in vivo by blocking S-phase, promoting apoptosis and downregulating the angiogenic factors of VEGF and its receptors. Overall, the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of PPARγ expression in porcine uteroplacental tissue suggests its vital role in endometrial remodelling and placental angiogenesis, and PPARγ regulates placental angiogenesis through VEGF-mediated signalling.     

Effects of platelet-rich plasma on chondrocyte apoptosis and NLRP3/IL-1β signaling pathway in rabbits with osteoarthritis

AIM To explore the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on rabbit osteoarthritis and its possible mechanism. METHODS The rabbits with knee osteoarthritis were prepared and then divided into model group, sodium hyaluronate (SH) group and PRP group, and another sham operation group was set up, with 6 rabbits in each group. The gross morphological changes of rabbit cartilage were observed. HE staining was used to evaluate the pathomorphological changes of the cartilage. TUNEL staining was used to detect the apoptosis of chondrocytes. The expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3)/interleukin-1β （IL-1β） signaling pathway-related molecules was observed by immunohistochemical staining, and the protein levels of caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax were determined by Western blot. Chondrocytes were isolated and processed according to grouping, and the NLRP3 and IL-1β levels of the cells were measured by ELISA. RESULTS Compared with sham operation group, Pelletier score, Mankin score, chondrocyte apoptotic rate, the positive protein expression rates of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), caspase-1 and IL-1β, and the protein levels of caspase-3 and Bax in model group were increased significantly (P<0.05), while the protein expression of Bcl-2 was decreased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with model group, Pelletier score, Mankin score, the apoptotic rate of chondrocytes, the positive protein expression rates of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 and IL-1β, and the protein levels of caspase-3 and Bax in SH group and PRP group were decreased significantly (P<0.05), while the protein expression of Bcl-2 was increased significantly (P<0.05). In PRP group, Pelletier score, Mankin score, the apoptotic rate of chondrocytes, the positive protein expression rates of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 and IL-1β, and the protein levels of caspase-3 and Bax were lower than those in SH group, while the protein expression of Bcl-2 was higher than that in SH group (P<0.05). Compared with control group, the expression of NL?RP3 and IL-1β in MCC950 (NLRP3 ihibitor) group were significantly reduced (P<0.05), the expression of NLRP3 in eucalyptol (IL-1β inhibitor) group was not significantly changed (P>0.05), and the expression of IL-1β was significantly reduced (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Platelet-rich plasma promotes the repair of cartilage in osteoarthritis rabbits, which has better effect than SH. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NLRP3/IL-1β pathway and the reduction of chondrocyte apoptosis.     

猪lncRNA TCONS_00791383对骨骼肌卫星细胞增殖分化的影响

为了探究lncRNA TCONS_00791383对猪骨骼肌卫星细胞增殖和分化的影响。本研究利用qRT-PCR技术检测出生7 d内大白仔猪6种组织（心、脾、肺、肾、背肌和腿肌）以及猪骨骼肌卫星细胞增殖分化前后TCONS_00791383的表达水平；通过设计反义核苷酸（antisense oligonucleotides，ASO）片段在猪骨骼肌卫星细胞中对TCONS_00791383进行敲低，检测敲低TCONS_00791383之后增殖分化标志基因的表达量变化；通过trans （co-expression）对TCONS_00791383进行靶基因预测，使用DAVID对其进行GO富集和KEGG通路分析。结果显示，TCONS_00791383在猪心脏中表达量最高，在脾和肾组织中不表达。在骨骼肌卫星细胞从增殖到分化的过程中，TCONS_00791383的表达量逐渐上升，且在分化后30 h表达量达到最高。在使用ASO片段敲低TCONS_00791383之后，与对照组相比，在分化24 h，增殖标志基因Pax3、Pax7表达量显著或极显著降低（P<0.05，P<0.01），分化标志基因MyoG表达量极显著降低（P<0.01），在分化48 h，增殖标志基因Pax3表达量极显著降低（P<0.01），Pax7表达量显著降低（P<0.05），分化标志基因MyHC表达量显著降低（P<0.05）。预测得到的相关靶基因富集到AMPK、ATP等多个与骨骼肌卫星细胞增殖和分化过程相关的重要信号通路。本研究表明，lncRNA TCONS_00791383可能促进猪骨骼肌卫星细胞的增殖和分化。