Serine-to-glycine ratios in low-protein diets regulate intramuscular fat by affecting lipid metabolism and myofiber type transition in the skeletal muscle of growing-finishing pigs

Serine and glycine are 2 of the first-affected nonessential amino acids in low crude protein (CP) diets for pigs. Therefore, we explored the effects of different dietary serine-to-glycine ratios on growth performance and lipid metabolism in growing-finishing pigs. A total of 160 crossbred healthy barrows, with a similar body weight of around 59.50 kg, were randomly allotted into 1 of 5 treatments (8 pens per treatment and 4 pigs per pen). The serine-to-glycine ratios of the 5 dietary treatments were as follows: diet A (NORMAL group), 1.18:1 (16% CP); diet B (LOW group), 1.2:1 (12% CP); diet C (S2G1 group), 2:1 (12% CP); diet D (S1G2 group), 1:2 (12% CP); and diet E (S1G1 group), 1:1 (12% CP).We found that the pigs fed a low CP diet (12% CP), when maintaining serine-to-glycine ratio at 1:2 and a total amount of 1.44%, had the same average daily gain as the pigs fed a normal CP diet (16% CP) (P > 0.05), but they had increased intramuscular fat (P < 0.05). Furthermore, they exhibited higher expression of genes involved in lipid oxidation (P < 0.05), which was regulated by modulating methylation levels in the promoters of acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (ACOX1) and acyl-CoA dehydrogenase medium chain (ACADM). When compared with the pigs fed a normal CP diet, these pigs had more oxidative myofibers (P < 0.05), which were regulated by AMPK-PGC-1α and Calcineurin-MEF2/NFAT pathways in a coordinated manner. Our findings suggested that a dietary serine-to-glycine ratio of 1:2 is beneficial for improving meat quality in pigs fed a low CP diet.     

大菱鲆MKK基因家族全基因组鉴定及其在生物和非生物应激下的表达分析

为了阐明大菱鲆丝裂原活化蛋白激酶激酶(mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases,MAPKKs或MKKs)基因家族在生物和非生物应激响应中的作用，本实验首先通过生物信息学方法对大菱鲆MKK基因家族进行了全基因组水平的鉴定，利用多个应激相关转录组数据集分析了大菱鲆MKK家族成员在不同组织及不同生物和非生物应激下的表达模式。结果显示，本研究在大菱鲆全基因组水平上共鉴定出9个MKK基因家族成员，它们不均匀地分布在7条染色体上，并分别对其编码蛋白的理化性质、蛋白二级结构和亚细胞定位进行了预测。基于系统发育分析，将SmMKKs划分为5个亚家族。内含-外显子结构、保守基序和多重序列比对分析结果不仅为大菱鲆MKK亚家族分类提供了证据，而且表明SmMKKs在进化上高度保守。SmMKKs在不同组织及不同生物和非生物应激下的基因表达模式分析表明，SmMKKs具有明显的组织特异性表达。另外，结果显示，粘孢子虫和肿大细胞病毒感染后，SmMKK6a呈极显著差异表达；热应激处理后，SmMKK6a呈极显著差异表达；高盐或低盐胁迫后，SmMKK4a、SmMKK4b、SmMKK6a...     

辣椒中L型凝集素类受体激酶CaLecRKs鉴定及其对辣椒疫霉的响应

L型凝集素类受体激酶(LecRKs)广泛参与植物的先天免疫过程。目前未见在辣椒Capsicum annuum中全基因组鉴定LecRKs的报道。本研究对辣椒中的CaLecRK进行了全基因组鉴定, 并在接种辣椒疫霉Phytophthora capsici条件下通过基因表达分析探究其对辣椒疫霉的响应情况, 旨在挖掘参与辣椒抗疫病防御反应的CaLecRK基因。研究结果表明, 辣椒基因组中共鉴定出24个CaLecRK, 以其构建系统发育树发现, 可将24个CaLecRK分为7个分支。基因表达分析结果显示, 有4个CaLecRK基因(CaLecRK2.2、CaLecRK3.2、CaLecRK8.1和CaLecRK10.1)受辣椒疫霉诱导, 和接菌后0 h相比, 接菌处理后12 h 或36 h基因表达差异显著, 推测其在辣椒抗疫病防御反应中发挥了重要作用。     

过表达ZmCIPKHT基因增强植物耐热性

高温胁迫对植物正常生长发育及产量的影响越来越显著。为了适应外界环境的变化,植物进化出了一系列应对高温胁迫的分子遗传机制。类钙调磷酸酶B蛋白(CBL)互作蛋白激酶(CIPK),在ABA信号转导途径上积极参与植物对高温胁迫的响应。在前期全基因组关联分析的基础上,本实验克隆了一个与玉米耐高温性状相关的候选基因ZmCIPKHT, qRT-PCR结果表明ZmCIPKHT基因受高温胁迫的显著诱导。室内表型鉴定的实验发现过表达ZmCIPKHT的转基因拟南芥植株在高温胁迫下,比野生型的存活率显著提高,生长状态更好。玉米原生质体瞬时转化实验证明ZmCIPKHT蛋白定位于细胞核中。酵母双杂交实验验证了ZmCIPKHT蛋白与玉米CBLs家族中的ZmCBL4蛋白存在互作关系。同时, ZmCIPKHT转基因拟南芥在高温胁迫条件下,脱落酸(ABA)通路相关基因的表达水平有其相应的变化,揭示了ZmCIPKHT可能依赖于ABA信号转导通路来增强植物的耐热性。这些结果为解析玉米CBL-CIPK信号通路依赖于ABA途径对植物非生物胁迫响应的分子机制提供了新的实验根据。     

东方蜜蜂微孢子虫丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶基因的 生物信息学分析

旨在解析东方蜜蜂微孢子虫丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶（serine/threonine protein kinase）基因STPK的理化性质和分子特性，并对东方蜜蜂微孢子虫和其他微孢子虫的STPK进行结构域和保守基序预测及系统进化分析，以期丰富东方蜜蜂微孢子虫的STPK信息，并为深入开展STPK的功能研究提供基础。通过Expasy网站上的相关软件预测和分析STPK的理化性质、信号肽、磷酸化位点、二级结构和三级结构。使用MEME软件预测东方蜜蜂微孢子虫和其他物种STPK的保守基序。通过Mega 11.0软件对东方蜜蜂微孢子虫和其他物种的STPK进行氨基酸序列多重比对，并采用邻接法构建基于STPK的系统进化树。结果显示：东方蜜蜂微孢子虫STPK基因含2 595个核苷酸，编码的STPK蛋白含864氨基酸。分子量约为101.08 kDa，分子式为C₄₅₂₈H₇₁₅₀N₁₁₆₂O₁₃₇₉S₃₆，脂溶系数为88.48，等电点为5.47；STPK包含40个丝氨酸磷酸化位点，24个酪氨酸磷酸化位点及23个苏氨酸磷酸化位点。东方蜜蜂微孢子虫与其他9个微孢子虫及柑橘凤蝶（Papilio xuthus）的STPK均含有2个相同的结构域（PK_Tyr_Ser_Thr和Pkinase）与5个相同的保守基序（Motif 1, Motif 2, Motif 3, Motif 4和Motif 5）。东方蜜蜂微孢子虫与其他9个微孢子虫的STPK序列一致性介于38.14%~61.06%，东方蜜蜂微孢子虫和蜜蜂微粒子虫的STPK序列一致性最高（61.06%）。东方蜜蜂微孢子虫STPK（AAJ76_500008712）与颗粒病微粒子虫（Nosema granulosis）STPK（KAF9763807.1）聚为一支，微孢子虫属（KAH9412228.1）、脑炎微孢子虫（KAG5858968.1）和兔脑炎微孢子虫（ECU01_1320）的STPK聚为一支，康氏泰罗汉孢虫（KAF7683612.1）和蝗虫微孢子虫（AAT12343.1）聚为一支。研究结果明确了STPK的理化性质和分子特性，揭示东方蜜蜂微孢子虫和上述其他9种微孢子虫的STPK具有较高的保守性。     

腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶在奶牛疾病中的作用研究进展

随着奶牛养殖规模化、集约化程度的不断提高，奶牛养殖过程中乳腺炎、酮病和脂肪肝等疾病的发病率也逐年增加。腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶（AMP-activated protein kinase，AMPK）作为一种能量感受器可以反映细胞能量状态。AMPK在葡萄糖、脂质和蛋白质代谢以及线粒体生物发生和自噬等过程中发挥重要调控作用。AMPK被认为是多种疾病潜在的干预或治疗靶点，在奶牛代谢性疾病中的研究也较为广泛。综述了AMPK在奶牛乳腺炎、酮病、脂肪肝中的调控作用研究进展，以期为这些疾病的靶向治疗提供参考。     

日本鳗鲡TBK1基因的克隆与免疫功能分析

为了阐明鱼类TANK结合激酶1 (TBK1)在免疫应答密切相关的NF-κB、I型IFN及MAPK信号通路中的调控作用，本实验通过cDNA末端快速扩增技术(SMART RACE)从日本鳗鲡中克隆了TBK1基因cDNA全长序列，命名为AjTBK1，利用实时荧光定量PCR (qRT-PCR)检测了在体和离体状态下不同病原体相关分子模式(PAMPs)及嗜水气单胞菌对日本鳗鲡AjTBK1基因表达水平变化的影响，通过构建绿色荧光蛋白pEGFP-TBK1和pCMV-TBK1真核表达质粒对Aj TBK1亚细胞定位以及Aj TBK1过表达对NF-κB、AP-1、IFN-β启动子荧光素酶活性的激活作用进行研究。蛋白质序列分析显示，日本鳗鲡AjTBK1编码731个氨基酸，其三维丝带空间结构与人类TBK1相似，具有保守的激酶结构域(KD)、泛素样结构域(ULD)、二聚化支架结构域(SDD)以及C端结构域(CTD)，在系统发育树中与其他鱼类TBK1家族聚为一支。qRT-PCR检测发现AjTBK1在多种组织中广泛表达，且在肝脏和肠中高表达。经LPS、poly I:C、嗜水气单胞菌免疫注射后，AjTBK1基因表达水...     

玉米钙依赖蛋白激酶全基因组鉴定及抗旱表达分析

【目的】分析研究玉米钙依赖蛋白激酶全基因组鉴定及抗旱表达。【方法】使用NCBI Blast、DNAMAN和MotifScan等程序分析玉米钙依赖蛋白激酶CDPK的蛋白结构域和系统发育。采用Real-time RT-PCR方法分析CDPK基因在干旱胁迫处理玉米幼苗中的表达,评价CDPK基因对玉米干旱胁迫反应能力。【结果】鉴定出了在玉米中含有39个CDPK基因。将CDPK基因分为4个组。每个群体中的成员有共同的蛋白质基序和外显子及内含子结构,共同的进化起源。39个玉米CDPK基因根据它们的系统发育关系分组,并锚定在特定的玉米染色体上。多数CDPK基因在玉米干旱胁迫中的表达水平发生改变,CDPK基因参与对干旱胁迫的响应。【结论】从玉米基因组数据库中鉴定出了39个CDPK基因,大多数玉米CDPK基因在不同组织和不同发育阶段表现出不同的表达水平,CDPK基因在玉米发育中发挥不同的作用。多数CDPK基因在干旱胁迫下的表达量均发生变化。     

Response of laying hens to L-arginine,L-citrulline and guanidinoacetic acid supplementation in reduced protein diet

A study was conducted with Hy-Line Brown laying hens to examine the effects of reduced protein diet, deficiency of arginine (Arg), and addition of crystalline Arg, citrulline (Cit) and guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) as substitutes for Arg. Hen performance, egg quality, serum uric acid, liver and reproductive organ weights, and energy and protein digestibility were measured using a completely randomized design with 5 treatments. Treatments were a standard diet (17% protein diet; SP), a reduced diet (13% protein diet deficient in Arg; RP) and RP with added Arg (0.35%, RP-Arg), GAA (0.46% equivalent to 0.35% Arg, RP-GAA) or Cit (0.35%, RP-Cit) to the level of SP. It was hypothesized that performance would decrease with Arg deficient RP diet and the addition of GAA or Cit in RP would allow birds to perform similar or greater than Arg-added RP treatment. The experiment was conducted from 20 to 39 wk of age but the treatment effect was seen only after 29 wk of age. The birds offered RP had reduced egg and albumin weights (P < 0.01), lower yolk color score (P < 0.01), lower protein intake and excretion (P < 0.01) than those offered SP. When Arg or Cit were added to RP to make them equivalent to SP, feed intake (FI) and egg production were not different than those of RP (P > 0.05). The birds offered RP-GAA decreased FI and egg production (P < 0.01) compared to those offered RP. The addition of Arg, Cit or GAA to the RP had no effect on egg quality parameters, protein and energy digestibilities (P > 0.05). However, birds offered the RP-Cit diet tended to have higher Haugh unit (P = 0.095) and lower shell breaking strength (P = 0.088) compared to all other treatments while those offered RP-GAA had higher energy digestibility (P < 0.05) than all other groups but RP. The limited performance response of hens fed RP with added Arg, GAA, or Cit may be due to deficiency of some other nutrients in RP such as phenylalanine, potassium or non-essential amino acids and other components of soybean meal in the diet.     

过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ调控机体炎症信号通路的研究进展

过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ(Peroxisome Proliferators-activated Receptorγ,PPARγ)是调控炎症反应的关键物质之一,其通过减弱核因子Kappa B(Nuclear Factor-kappa B,NF-κB)、c-Jun氨基末端激酶(c-Jun N-terminalKinase,JNK)活性,降低炎症因子含量从而缓解炎症反应,另一方面PPARγ与腺苷酸激活蛋白激酶(AMP-activated Protein Kinase,AMPK)互相抑制,共同维持动物正常机能。本文综述了PPARγ对动物炎症通路的调控作用,为其进一步研究和应用提供参考。