Genetic variants of the unsaturated fatty acid receptor GPR120 relating to obesity in dogs

G protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 120 is an unsaturated fatty acid receptor, which is associated with various physiological functions. It is reported that the genetic variant of GPR120, p.Arg270His, is detected more in obese people, and this genetic variation functionally relates to obesity in humans. Obesity is a common nutritional disorder also in dogs, but the genetic factors have not ever been identified in dogs. In this study, we investigated the molecular structure of canine GPR120 and searched for candidate genetic variants which may relate to obesity in dogs. Canine GPR120 was highly homologous to those of other species, and seven transmembrane domains and two N-glycosylation sites were conserved. GPR120 mRNA was expressed in lung, jejunum, ileum, colon, hypothalamus, hippocampus, spinal cord, bone marrow, dermis and white adipose tissues in dogs, as those in mice and humans. Genetic variants of GPR120 were explored in client-owned 141 dogs, resulting in that 5 synonymous and 4 non-synonymous variants were found. The variant c.595C>A (p.Pro199Thr) was found in 40 dogs, and the gene frequency was significantly higher in dogs with higher body condition scores, i.e. 0.320 in BCS4–5 dogs, 0.175 in BCS3 dogs and 0.000 in BCS2 dogs. We conclude that c.595C>A (p.Pro199Thr) is a candidate variant relating to obesity, which may be helpful for nutritional management of dogs.     

Partial replacement of fish meal with plant protein sources using organic acids to practical diets for juvenile yellowtail,Seriola quinqueradiata

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of phosphorus (P), citric acid (CA) and formic acid (FA) supplementation on growth and loading of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in juvenile yellowtail fed fish meal (FM) and alternate plant protein (APP) diets. Six diets designated as F49 (490 g kg^?1 FM‐based), F49 + P (490 g kg^?1 FM with 5 g kg^?1 inorganic P), F31 + CA (310 g kg^?1 FM containing 200 g kg^?1 APP with 5 g kg^?1 CA), F31 + FA (310 g kg^?1 FM having 200 g kg^?1 APP with 4 g kg^?1 FA), F23 + CA (230 g kg^?1 FM containing 300 g kg^?1 APP with 5 g kg^?1 CA) and F23 + FA (230 g kg^?1 FM having 300 g kg^?1 APP with 4 g kg^?1 FA) were formulated. Yellowtails were fed one of the diets for 12 weeks under on‐site conditions at water temperature 22.0–27.0 °C. F49 + P gave the best growth, while F23 + CA the lowest. Specific growth rate and feed conversion ratio of F31 + CA were similar with control group. Addition of CA to APP diets significantly increased retention of P; hence, its excretion was lowered. The results of this study suggest that FM could be replaced up to 70% with the addition of 5 g kg^?1 CA to a low P‐containing plant protein sources diet without inorganic P supplementation in juvenile yellowtail diets, which in turn would enable a reduction in environmental pollution from aquafeeds.     

尼日利亚热带雨林地区的内陆山谷中土壤发育和肥力特征: 矿物成分和粒度分布

The particle-size distribution and mineralogical composition of the clay (< 2 μm) and fine-sand (0.25--0.10 mm) fractions in soils of two inland valleys in Abakaliki and Bende, Southeast Nigeria, were investigated to provide basic information on soil-forming processes and agricultural potentials. These soils were silty or clayey, deriving from Cretaceous or Tertiary shale materials. The particle-size distribution and its computation on a clay-free basis revealed relatively remarkable lithologic breaks in a couple of pedons. The effect of lithologic discontinuities on soil mineralogical composition was not, however, conspicuous. Petrographic investigation revealed that quartz predominantly comprised the fine-sand fraction in the soils at both study sites. Nevertheless, the clay mineralogical composition of the soils was a mixture of kaolinite, irregularly interstratified smectite-illite intergrades (S/I), hydroxyl-Al interlayered 2:1 type clays (HICs), vermiculite, smectite, halloysite and illite along with fine-sized quartz in Abakaliki. The soils of Bende predominantly contained smectite, which was partially interlayered with hydroxyl-Al and kaolinite. It is suggested that seasonal floodwater has slowed the disintegration of weatherable clay minerals inherited from the shale, while quartz originating from the sandstone is predominant in the fine-sand fraction. Additionally, a possible soil-forming process observed at the both study sites was ferrolysis, which was indicated by a clear decreasing pattern of HICs downward in the soil profiles. The entry of S/I and vertical distribution patterns for a couple of clay minerals in the pedon suggested that the soils in Abakaliki have developed under the significant influence of aeolian dust delivered by the harmattan. The findings might describe a site-specific deposition pattern of harmattan dusts as well as hydromorphic soil-forming processes in the wetlands of the inland valleys.     

Purified Culture Systems for Bovine Oviductal Stromal Cells

Isolated stromal cells from the ampullary and isthmic parts of bovine oviductal tissues were cultured in monolayer and spheroid (cell aggregate) systems. Prostaglandin F2α (PGF) plays a crucial role in oviductal contraction and is produced by oviductal epithelial cells in cattle. Since stromal cells of many organs produce PGF, PGF production by bovine oviductal stromal cells was investigated. After PGF synthesis was confirmed, the utility of isolation and culture methods for oviductal stromal cells was evaluated by PGF production in the present study. The homogeneity of the cells was > 99%. PGF production of the cells was increased by tumor necrosis factor-α. The stromal cells aggregated and formed a spheroid by the treatments with several reagents. PGF production was higher in the spheroid culture than in the monolayer culture. The isolation and culture methods described here will facilitate studies of the physiological function of bovine oviductal stromal cells.     

Epidermal hyperplasia of walleye, Stizostedion vitreum vitreum (Mitchill), associated with retrovirus-like type-C particles: prevalence, histologic and electron microscopic observations

Epidermal hyperplasia consisting of discrete translucent raised outgrowths of cells were observed on the skin of walleye, Stizostedion vitreum vitreum (Mitchill), during their spawning period in the spring. The cells constituting the hyperplastic growths were limited to the epidermal layer, and were associated with surface budded, 120-nm-diameter, retrovirus-like particles located in the expanded intercellular spaces. These tumour-like growths were distinct from the other virus-associated skin lesions of walleye including dermal sarcoma, lymphocystis disease and herpesvirus-associated hyperplasia. Lesions could be differentiated by careful observation in the field and comparison of portions of each growth by histologic and electron microscopic observations.     

Factors that limit maintenance of recombinant rumen bacterium in sheep rumen

Factors limiting the maintenance of recombinant ruminal bacterium in the rumen were evaluated in vitro , using batch culture prepared from rumen fluid of sheep. Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens expressing a foreign xylanase gene ( B. fibrisolvens NO4) was used as a tested recombinant that was selectable on an erythromycin-containing agar medium. The recombinant tended to reduce its level slowly in the rumen fluid of sheep on a high hay diet, while its initial decrease was more apparent in the rumen fluid of sheep on a high concentrate diet. Incubation with cell-free ruminal fluid revealed a significant decrease of inoculated recombinant, suggesting the presence of antibacterial factors limiting maintenance of the recombinant. In particular, during the first 12 h of incubation this inhibition was more notable in culture prepared from rumen fluid of sheep given the high concentrate diet. Autoclaving the cell-free rumen fluid inactivated the inhibition. Numbers of the recombinant for inoculation did not influence the final level of survived recombinant, that is, the initial depression was larger as more recombinant was inoculated. Subculturing with xylan before inoculation and/or direct addition of xylan to the batch culture did not improve survival of the recombinant. From these results it is suggested that the level of survived recombinant is limited to 10^2–4/mL of in vitro batch culture with restricted energy supply and that initial depression of the recombinant is mainly caused by the heat-sensitive antibacterial factors not associating with microbial cells in the rumen.     

Effect of the strain combination of the donor and recipient on the production efficiency of W‐bearing sperm in mixed‐sex germline chimeric chickens

Effect of the strain combination of the donor and recipient on production efficiency of W‐bearing sperm in mixed‐sex chimeric testes was analyzed. The combinations of the donors and recipients were White Leghorn (WL) and Rhode Island Red (RIR), and vice versa. Generated mixed‐sex chimeras that had the male phenotype at sexual maturity were classified into four groups: (1) a female WL donor and a male RIR recipient; (2) a male WL donor and a female RIR recipient; (3) a female RIR donor and a male WL recipient; (4) a male RIR donor and a female WL recipient. The mean number of W‐bearing sperm detected by in situ hybridization among 10 000 sperm observed were 147, 165, 30 and 45 in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The numbers in groups 1 and 2 were both significantly higher than those of groups 3 and 4 (P < 0.05). The combination of a WL donor and a RIR recipient produced W‐bearing sperm more efficiently than the reverse combination.     

Effect of mate selection on fuzzy selective mating criteria in closed dairy multiple ovulation and embryo transfer nucleus programs

In order to control rates of response and inbreeding, mate selection using fuzzy selective mating criteria (FMC) was investigated in adult multiple ovulation and embryo transfer nucleus schemes for dairy cattle. Stochastic simulation was used to model the closed nucleus scheme. This mate selection was examined in four alternative mating and male selection schemes: (i) a hierarchical scheme; (ii) a hierarchical sibship scheme (two males per sibship); (iii) a factorial scheme (two sires per dam); and (iv) a factorial sibship scheme (two males per sibship and two sires per dam). Genetic response and inbreeding rate tended to be reduced by increasing the trade-off parameter of FMC between the expected breeding value and inbreeding of progeny. Inbreeding rates in all schemes were reduced by reducing the variance of family size through selection and the average coancestry of mating pairs through mate allocation.