Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes and Lipid Metabolism Signaling Pathways between Muscle and Fat Tissues in Broiler Chickens

In this study, signaling pathways and key differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in lipid metabolism in muscle and fat tissues were investigated. Muscle and abdominal fat tissues were obtained from 35-day-old female broilers for RNA sequencing. DEGs between muscle and fat tissues were identified. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs were performed. A total of 6130 DEGs were identified to be significantly enriched in 365 GO terms, most of which were involved in biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions in muscle and fat tissues. Three important lipid signaling pathways (pyruvate metabolism, the insulin signaling pathway, and the adipocytokine signaling pathway) were identified among the fat and muscle tissues of broilers. The key common DEGs in these pathways included phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 2 (PCK2), acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 alpha and beta (ACACA and ACACB), and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (AMPK) gene family. Hence, our findings revealed the pathways and key genes and gene families involved in the regulation of fat deposition in the muscle and fat tissues of broilers.     

The role of ectomycorrhizal fungi in alleviating pine decline in semiarid sandy soil of northern China: an experimental approach

The decline of Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) trees on sandy land in northern China has caused serious ecological concerns. Mongolian pine is an ectomycorrhizal fungus (ECM)-dependent species. Three ECM species (Boletus sp., Lactarius deliciosus and L.sp.) were collected from Mongolian pine plantation stands to test their beneficial effects on Mongolian pine seedlings and their responses to environmental factors such as pH, drought stress and temperature. The results indicated that ECM inoculation significantly increased the rate of ECM colonization and the length of seedling shoots. The three ECM could grow in a pH range from 4 to 7, but did not grow under heavy drought stress (?1.53 MPa). High temperatures (over 37 °C) caused death of ECM. When related to soil pH, soil water content and temperature in the Mongolian pine plantations, water conditions and temperature were unfavorable for ECM growth in surface soil, but suitable in deeper soil. Therefore, it was concluded that the failure of natural regeneration in Mongolian pine plantations might be influenced by the lack of ECM in the surface soil because of high temperatures causing ECM death. Moreover, the majority of the root area is distributed in deeper soil, which alleviates the stresses on ECM development and arrests pine decline; this is beneficial for tree growth.     

中国矮生刺黄瓜品系特性的研究初报

本文利用由中国蔓生刺黄瓜自然突变产生的矮生型黄瓜为材料，通过多低自交选育及性状观察，初步了解该矮生黄瓜植物学性状除具有自封顶、植株矮化性状外，与蔓生型黄瓜无明显差异。在生物学方面，该矮生黄瓜具有早熟、雌花节率高、结果集中、生长期短等特性。通过对中国矮生刺黄瓜与不同品种蔓生黄瓜杂交后代的观察、分析，初步认为黄瓜植株高度是由单基因体系和多基因体系共同作用决定的。     

利用废菌渣生产单细胞蛋白饲料研究

本文以废菌渣为主要原料,利用酿酒酵母(Saccharomyces cerevisiae)和黑曲霉(Aspergillus niger)两菌株进行混合固态发酵生产单细胞蛋白饲料.通过单因素试验和正交试验确定最佳培养条件.结果表明,各因素对粗蛋白质含量的影响为废菌渣与麸皮的比例>培养时间>氮源>水料比;混茵固态发酵的最佳培养条件为废茵渣80%:麸皮20%,硝酸铵2%.尿素1%,KH2PO4 2%,MgSO4·7H2O 1%,水料比为2.5:1,pH为4,接种量为20%,培养时间为120 h时,此时粗蛋白质含量最高,由发酵前的9.61%提高到23.28%.     

Necrotic enteritis challenge regulates peroxisome proliferator-1 activated receptors signaling and β-oxidation pathways in broiler chickens

Necrotic enteritis (NE) is an important enteric disease in poultry and has become a major concern in poultry production in the post-antibiotic era. The infection with NE can damage the intestinal mucosa of the birds leading to impaired health and, thus, productivity. To gain a better understanding of how NE impacts the gut function of infected broilers, global mRNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed in the jejunum tissue of NE challenged and non-challenged broilers to identify the pathways and genes affected by this disease. Briefly, to induce NE, birds in the challenge group were inoculated with 1 mL of Eimeria species on day 9 followed by 1 mL of approximately 10⁸ CFU/mL of a NetB producing Clostridium perfringens on days 14 and 15. On day 16, 2 birds in each treatment were randomly selected and euthanized and the whole intestinal tract was evaluated for lesion scores. Duodenum tissue samples from one of the euthanized birds of each replicate (n = 4) was used for histology, and the jejunum tissue for RNA extraction. RNA-seq analysis was performed with an Illumina RNA HiSeq 2000 sequencer. The differentially expressed genes (DEG) were identified and functional analysis was performed in DAVID to find protein–protein interactions (PPI). At a false discovery rate threshold <0.05, a total of 377 DEG (207 upregulated and 170 downregulated) DEG were identified. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that DEG were considerably enriched in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) signaling (P < 0.01) and β-oxidation pathways (P < 0.05). The DEG were mostly related to fatty acid metabolism and degradation (cluster of differentiation 36 [CD36], acyl-CoA synthetase bubblegum family member-1 [ACSBG1], fatty acid-binding protein-1 and -2 [FABP1] and [FABP2]; and acyl-coenzyme A synthetase-1 [ACSL1]), bile acid production and transportation (acyl-CoA oxidase-2 [ACOX2], apical sodium–bile acid transporter [ASBT]) and essential genes in the immune system (interferon-, [IFN-γ], LCK proto-oncogene, Src family tyrosine kinase [LCK], zeta chain of T cell receptor associated protein kinase 70 kDa [ZAP70], and aconitate decarboxylase 1 [ACOD1]). Our data revealed that pathways related to fatty acid digestion were significantly compromised which thereby could have affected metabolic and immune responses in NE infected birds.     

湖北省钟祥市南湖水生态环境评价

位于湖北省钟祥市城关郢中镇东的南湖,面积800hm^2,集观赏和水产养殖于一体。鱼产量为700t／a。该湖紧靠城市,直接纳人了未经任何处理的大量生活和工业污水,每天流量达40000t,造成水体严重富营养化,鱼类因栖息环境恶化而大量死亡,造成很大经济损失。鉴于此,笔者对南湖水生态环境进行了调查,旨在为南湖的综合治理提供科学依据。     

西双版纳橡胶盔蚧天敌调查

通过对西双版纳州各大国有农场(景洪、勐养、勐捧、勐腊、橄榄坝、东风)、民营胶园(三达山、嘎栋、嘎洒、勐罕)及西双版纳热带花卉园内幼林地的调查,初步了解到橡胶盔蚧的天敌31种,其中云南省天敌新记录9种,分为2个纲、7个目、11个科,其中优势种为普通草蛉、川上座壳孢和寄生蜂,分别占天敌总量的26.43%、32.35%和27.48%。比较有利用前景的为普通草蛉和寄生蜂。     

Methyl donors dietary supplementation to gestating sows diet improves the growth rate of offspring and is associating with changes in expression and DNA methylation of insulin‐like growth factor‐1 gene

The study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal dietary methyl donors on the performance of sows and their offspring, and the associated hepatic insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) expression of the offspring. A total of 24 multiparous sows were randomly fed the control (CON) or the CON diet supplemented with methyl donors (MD) at 3 g/kg betaine, 15 mg/kg folic acid, 400 mg/kg choline and 150 μg/kg VB₁₂, from mating until delivery. After farrowing, sows were fed a common lactation diet through a 28‐days lactation period and six litters per treatment were selected to be fed until at approximately 110 kg BW. Maternal MD supplementation resulted in greater birthweight (p < 0.05) and increased the piglet weights (p < 0.01) and litter weights (p < 0.05) at the age of day 28, compared with that in CON group. The offspring pigs in the MD group had greater ADG (p < 0.05) and tended to lower F:G ratio (p = 0.07) compared with that of CON group from day 28 to 180 of age. The offspring pigs from MD group had greater serum IGF‐1 concentrations and expressions of hepatic IGF‐1 gene and muscular IGF‐1 receptor (IGF‐1r) protein at birth (p < 0.05), and greater hepatic IGF‐1 protein (p = 0.03) and muscular IGF‐1r gene expressions (p < 0.05) at slaughter, than that from the CON group. Moreover, the methylation at the promoter of IGF‐1 gene in the liver of newborn piglets and finishing pigs was greater in the MD group than that of the CON group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, maternal MD supplementation throughout gestation could enhance the birthweight and postnatal growth rate of offspring, associated with an increased expression of the IGF‐1 gene and IGF‐1r, as well as the altered DNA methylation of IGF‐1 gene promotor.     

木酢液对3种叶菜产量和品质的影响

木酢液是在烧制木炭过程中木材热解成分的冷凝回收液,具有特殊的烟熏气味,呈酸性,淡黄色至红褐色,组成成分相当复杂,含有200多种小分子有机成分,主要是有机酸、酚类、酮类、醇类和酯类,其中以醋酸为主要成分,占有机成分的50％左右。木酢液在美国、日本、韩国等国的农业生产中均有应用。在美国,木酢液主要应用于花园园艺;     

水稻淀粉合成代谢相关基因与千粒重QTLs的连锁分析

稻米淀粉的合成和积累是水稻千粒重形成的重要基础之一。在水稻千粒重QTLs定位分析基础上，对本研究克隆的14个水稻胚乳淀粉合成与积累相关基因及已报道的和预测的42个相关基因进行了电子定位分析，比较水稻淀粉合成代谢相关基因与千粒重QTLs的连锁关系。发现有38个基因位点与千粒重QTLs连锁，说明千粒重形成与胚乳淀粉积累与淀粉结构形成代谢密切相关。本研究结果将为进一步研究水稻产量形成的分子机理提供参考。