两种绵羊杂种 GDF9 基因和 FecB 基因的多态性及其与产羔数和体重关系的研究

以绵羊GDF9和FecB基因为候选基因,分别应用PCR-SSCP和PCR-RFLP方法研究了德滩寒杂种羊和陶滩寒杂种羊共63只个体的基因多态性以及基因多态性对产羔数和体重的影响。结果表明,两种基因在两种杂交绵羊群体中各有2种基因型(AA和AB,CC和CD)。在德滩寒杂种羊群体中基因型频率分别为0.09(AA)、0.91(AB)、0.53(CC)、0.47(CD);陶滩寒杂种羊群体中基因型频率分别为0.19(AA)、0.81(AB)、0.58(CC)、0.42(CD)。对德滩寒杂种羊群体研究发现:AA基因型群体平均产羔数为2.50,显著高于AB基因型群体(1.63,P<0.05);CD基因型群体平均产羔数为2.33,显著高于CC基因型群体(1.50,P<0.05)。对陶滩寒杂种羊群体研究发现:AA基因型群体平均产羔数为2.67,显著高于AB基因型群体(1.96,P<0.05);CD基因型群体与CC基因型群体平均产羔数相差不大。这些结果表明:GDF9基因的杂合子与两种杂种绵羊的产羔数之间呈显著负相关;FecB基因杂合子与陶滩寒杂种羊产羔数之间呈显著正相关。FecB基因和GDF9基因对两种绵羊杂种的初生重和断奶重无显著影响。     

Effects of maize grain and lucerne particle size on ruminal fermentation, digestibility and performance of cows in midlactation

This study evaluated the effects of, and interactions between, maize grain particle size (MPS) and lucerne particle size (LPS) on dry matter intake, milk production, milk composition, ruminal fermentation, microbial yield, chewing activity and nutrient digestibility in midlactation cows. Four multiparous Holstein cows with ruminal cannulas were assigned randomly to a 4 x 4 Latin square design, averaged 595 kg (SD = 52) of body weight and 121 days in milk (SD = 21) at the start of the experiment. Experimental periods were 21 days in length (14 days of treatment adaptation and 7 days of data collection). All diets were fed as total mixed ration and were formulated to meet or exceed the requirements of a 600 kg multiparous cow producing 20 kg milk/day with 4.0% fat. The ratio of concentrate to forage was 39:61 (dry matter basis). Treatments were arranged in a 2 x 2 factorial design; two levels of LPS (2.54 and 6.22 mm) were combined with concentrates based on either ground maize grain (711 mum) or cracked maize grain (1755 mum). Maize grain and LPS did not affect milk production and milk fat percentage. Milk protein percentage increased when MPS was decreased (p = 0.04). Milk urea nitrogen was lower for cows fed ground maize grain compared with cracked maize grain (118-134 mg/l, p = 0.05). Estimated microbial N supply increased 41.9 g/day for ground maize grain compared with cracked maize grain. Cows fed long lucerne (LL) hay spent more time ruminating compared with cows fed short lucerne (SL) hay ranging from 293 to 336 min/day (p < 0.001). Total time spent chewing by cows increased from 505 to 574 min/day (p = 0.002) for SL and LL respectively. Based on the results from this study, midlactation cows can be fed diets that contain ground maize grain and SL hay without leading to negative effects on ruminal pH and nutrient digestibility.     

湖羊产羔性状的微卫星标记与其产羔数的关联性分析

选用位于绵羊第6号染色体上与多胎基因(FecB)紧密连锁的微卫星O arAE101、BM 1329、BM 143和O arH H 55以及位于第4号染色体上的O arH H 35标记对湖羊的产羔性状进行研究。结果发现湖羊的5个微卫星位点都达到了高度多态水平(PIC>0.5),这5个微卫星位点可以用于湖羊产羔性状的遗传多样性的评估。方差分析结果表明:5个位点中O arAE101、BM 143各基因型产羔数之间存在极显著差异(P<0.01),BM 1329、O arH H 35各基因型产羔数之间存在显著差异(P<0.05),O arH H 55、BM 1329各基因型产羔数之间差异不显著(P>0.05),本研究对今后湖羊品种的标记辅助选择和分子育种具有重要的应用价值。     

Modification of 0+ perch foraging behaviour by indirect cues of predation risk

Abstract –  Intake rate and prey size selection of 0+ perch, Perca fluviatilis , from Lake Wallersee (Austria) was studied at different illumination (day light: 400 lx, twilight: 2 lx) during 5 days of habituation to novel surroundings in aquaria. The hypothesis was tested that high illumination and novelty of surroundings (transfer from holding to test aquaria) as indirect cues of predation risk influences 0+ perch foraging behaviour. Significantly lower total intake and lower proportion of large Daphnia magna (two prey size groups, 2.9 and 1.2 mm, were used) were observed at higher illumination and under novel surroundings. Habituation to novelty caused an increase in consumption of large prey and decrease in consumption of small prey. During the whole period of habituation, more large prey was ingested at twilight than at daylight; no light-induced difference in ingestion of small prey was found. Foraging 0+ perch responded to indirect nonspecific cues of predation risk by reduction of intake of large prey, which are costly in terms of handling time. This allows fish to be more vigilant without ceasing their foraging activity even in potentially dangerous situations. In the lake, young perch are most vulnerable to abundant piscivorous fish and birds during the day; in twilight perch can afford a more time-consuming foraging activity.     

单复冠基因对白羽丝毛乌骨鸡体尺性状与精液品质的影响

为观察单、复冠基因对白羽丝毛乌骨鸡的体尺性状以及精液品质的影响,寻找体尺性状和精液品质间的相互关系,对44只55周龄单、复冠白羽丝毛乌骨鸡种公鸡的体尺与精液品质进行了测定,结果表明:单冠乌鸡的体尺均值均大于复冠乌鸡;单、复冠乌鸡间精液品质无明显差异;单、复冠乌鸡的体尺性状与精液品质间的相关性均无达到显著水平;单冠乌鸡的精液品质与体尺性状间的相关性多为负相关。故在乌鸡的选育中,不仅要重视单冠基因在体尺性状方面的明显优势,还应该特别注意单、复冠乌鸡在精液品质与体尺性状相关性方面的差别。     

Improving the mechanical characteristics of faecal waste in rainbow trout: the influence of fish size and treatment with a non-starch polysaccharide (guar gum)

This study (3 × 2 randomized factorial design) describes differences in the mechanical properties of faeces from rainbow trout of three size classes (small ≈40 g, mid-size ≈150 g, large ≈650 g) and assesses the effects of a non-starch polysaccharide binder (guar gum). Observations made at the macroscopic level were reinforced by rheological measurements of viscosity and elastic modulus. Mid-sized fish excreted mechanically the most stable faeces, roughly twice as stable as those of small fish and three times more stable than faeces from large fish. The addition of 3 g kg⁻¹ of guar gum saw some mechanical characteristics improve by about 700%. Faeces from large- and mid-sized fish were more easily stabilized than those of small fish. Mechanical recovery potential for faecal samples disrupted by water turbulence was determined. Stability differences observed for different fish size had no significant effect but the improvements imparted by guar gum reduced postfiltration effluent load to about 35% for large fish, about 24% for mid-size and about 22% for small fish. Faecal leaching decreased significantly with increasing stability. Guar gum was shown to have significant potential for improving the treatability of fish faecal waste.     

Forage yield potential of alfalfa plants of varying crown size from old stands

Alfalfa (lucerne) plants can persist from one growing season to the next because of their perennial crowns. Plants with large crowns often are selected for breeding purposes. The objective of this study was to determine the forage yield potential of plants with a full range of crown sizes sampled from old stands. This was accomplished by field evaluation of clones and S₁ progenies derived from plants of different crown sizes obtained from a 1 m² of 5-year-old stands of cultivars ‘Agate’ and ‘Magnum III’. Significant differences (P < 0.05) in dry forage yield (DFY) were found among entries in both tests. However, there was no consistent trend in DEY with respect to the crown size of the parental plants. Although the crown of space-planted clones dug after 16 months showed a strong association (r > 0.7, P < 0.01) with DFY, the crown size of these clones was poorly correlated with the crown size of their parental plants. These results suggest that selections based on crown size from older stands may not lead to an improvement in either crown size or forage yield. Crown health will remain an important selection criterion when plants are sampled from old stands; crown size, however, may not be as important.     

长白山落叶松人工天然混交林空间格局研究

用点格局分布、混交度和大小比数3个林分空间结构参数,分析了长白山落叶松人工林与天然林木混交的林分空间结构。结果表明:①空间分布:入侵的天然树种呈现明显的聚集分布,落叶松除15m时的聚集分布外均呈现显著的随机分布,林分整体呈现小尺度的聚集分布,在大尺度下呈随机分布。②混交度:林分的混交度为0.84,说明它是一个由不同树种呈现强度混交结构状态组成的复杂森林群落。③大小比数:落叶松占据了优势地位,入侵的天然树种冷杉优势最明显,榆树最不具优势。     

ESTIMATION OF ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF MOOSE POPULATION IN CHINA

The geographical distribution and the abundance of Moose(Alces alces)popula-tion were studied in Northeastern China between 1985 and 1987,309 trails on the snow crossingthe 2,446km sampling lines were counted.The Moose range had been shrunked to northwest for100-200 km since 1976,and at present they covered an area about 190,000 km~2.The densitiesvaried from 0.0187 Mooses/km~2 to 0.1226 Mooses/km~2 and the average was 0.0519Mooses/km~2.The Moose population size was 9,955±397 Mooses(α=0.2,P=84.5%),about7000 of them was distributed in Daxinganling Mountains and the others were in XiaoxinganlingMountains.The present population had decreased to 53.4%in 1976,and the annual decreaserate was 6.27%.At present,Moose population is likely rare in China and should be strictly pro-tected.     

Transmission of pseudorabies virus within pig populations is independent of the size of the population

Epidemic models are often used to analyse the transmission of infectious diseases. These models, however, differ in whether they assume that transmission of a pathogen increases with population size or not. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the transmission of pseudorabies virus—expressed as the reproduction ratio R-depends on population size. Experimental groups of either ten or 40 vaccinated pigs per group were housed at equal density. We inoculated half of each group, and we estimated the transmission of the virus from the number of contact-infections, using a stochastic Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered model. We calculated that if the transmission depended on population size, the transmission in the group of 40 pigs would be four times as high as the transmission in the group of ten pigs. However, the transmission of the virus did not differ significantly between the groups, and thus we concluded that the transmission was not influenced by the size of the population. This finding suggests that control measures should not be aimed at reducing the size of the herd.