Genetic parameters of postnatal mortality and birth weight in Japanese Black calves

Postnatal mortality (PM) of calves is an economically important trait, because a high mortality rate of calves decreases farm income and significantly increases production costs. In spite of the economic importance of PM, genetic studies on PM have been scarce for Japanese Black cattle. The objectives of this study were to estimate the direct and maternal heritability for PM using a Bayesian threshold model with Gibbs sampling in Japanese Black cattle. The original data consisted of 43 723 records of animals born from January 2005 to June 2006. Four binary traits of mortality were considered: D1‐14, D15‐60, D61‐180 and D1‐180 with numbers indicating the period of risk in days after birth. Direct heritabilities for PM ranged from 0.12 to 0.31 and maternal heritabilities for PM were lower than the direct heritabilities and ranged from 0.02 to 0.16. Direct genetic correlations between D1‐14 and D15‐60, between D15‐60 and D61‐180, and between D1‐14 and D61‐180 were 0.501, 0.689 and 0.062, respectively. Direct genetic correlations of birth weight with D1‐14, D15‐60, D61‐180 and D1‐180 were 0.089, 0.482, 0.434 and 0.394, respectively. These results indicated that different genes were responsible for early and late PM and early PM (D1‐14) can be genetically reduced without influencing birth weight.     

Evaluation of total mixed ration silage with brewers grains for dairy buffalo in Tarai,Nepal

To investigate the effects of total mixed ration (TMR) silage, which contained brewers grain and rice straw as a substitute for conventional concentrate on feed intake and milk production in middle‐to‐late lactation buffaloes, four multiparous Murrah buffaloes were assigned to a 3 × 3 Latin square design experiment. The TMR silage, which had higher neutral and acid detergent fiber contents and digestibility than concentrate (P < 0.05) and similar crude protein (CP) and total digestible nutrient (TDN) contents with concentrate were used for the lactation experiment. The treatments were control (CTL) fed concentrate at 0.6% of body weight (BW), and T1 and T2 fed the TMR silage at 0.6 and 1.2% of BW on a dry matter (DM) basis, respectively, with rice straw ad libitum. Daily intakes of DM, CP and TDN, and BW change were higher in T2 than in CTL and T1 (P < 0.05). Although milk composition did not differ among the treatments, milk yield (MY) was higher in T2 (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in MY/DM intake and MY/TDN intake among the treatments. The increase of BW and MY in middle‐to‐late lactation buffaloes might have been due to high TDN intake from supplementary TMR silage.     

Microbial Community and Rate of Cellulose Decomposition in Peat Soils in a Mire

A field survey was carried out from April to October, 1992 in the Miyatoko Mire in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, to determine the characteristics of the microbial community and cellulose decomposition rates in the peat soil. A total of 14 study sites were selected, including three types; hummocks (type I), hollows covered with Sphagnum (type II), hollows and streams without Sphagnum (type III). The numbers of fungi (2-1,000×10⁴ CFU g^-1) and bacteria (8.5-9,000 ×10⁵ CFU g^-1) varied with the sites and sampling dates: seasonal fluctuations were especially high in hummocks. The numbers of cellulolytic fungi (4.7-300×;10⁴ CFU g^-1) and cellulolytic bacteria (1.5-9.2×10⁵ CFU g^-1) also differed between sites. Cellulolytic fungi were predominant in the Sphagnum peat of type I, while cellulolytic bacteria were predominant in the peat soil of type III. Decomposition rates of cellulose filter paper for the 6 month period ranged from 0.01 to 0.83, and tended to be higher in the peat of type II than type I.     

The effect of isoprothiolane on the emergence of infection pegs from appressoria of Pyricularia oryzae

The effect of isoprothiolane^a (di-isopropyl 1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidenemalonate), a systemic fungicide used for rice blast control, on the infection process of Pyriculuria oryzae was studied by micromanipulation in a scanning electron microscope. Whether or not infection pegs emerged from the appressoria was examined by inverting each appressorium contact surface. Infection pegs were observed on more than 80% of the appressoria, 48 h after inoculation, on both untreated rice leaves and cellophane film. Isoprothiolane, approximately 10 μg ml^?1 in the ambient water of inoculated conidia, reduced the emergence of infection pegs on rice leaves and cellophane film by 96 and 100%, respectively.     

Characterization of a Hydrophobic Amylase Inhibitor from Corn (Zea mays) Seeds with Activity Against Amylase from Fusarium verticillioides

ABSTRACT A hydrophobic 19.7-kDa amylase inhibitor (AI) was purified from corn kernels by 95% ethanol extraction and anionic exchange chromatography. The AI has an isoelectric point of 3.6 and was very stable at different pH values and high temperatures, maintaining 47.6% activity after heating to 94 degrees C for 60 min. Amino acid analysis indicated high valine, leucine, glycine, alanine, and glutamic acid/glutamine content, and especially high valine content (41.2 mol%). This inhibitor is not a glycoprotein. It required 30-min preincubation to maximize complex enzyme-inhibitor formation when the amylase from Fusarium verticillioides was tested. The optimal pH of interaction was 6.5. It showed broad-spectrum activity including the following amylases: human saliva, porcine pancreas, F. verticillioides, as well as those from some insects of agricultural importance (Acanthoscelides obtectus, Zabrotes subfasciatus, Sitophilus zeamais, and Prostephanus truncatus). This novel hydrophobic protein not only inhibited the amylase from F. verticillioides but also decreased the conidia germination. Thus, this protein represents an approach to decrease the production of fumonisin in corn, either by using it as a molecular marker to detect fungal resistance or through genetic engineering.     

New canker diseases of Abies veitchii and Acer crataegifolium caused by Neonectria castaneicola

New perennial canker diseases of Abies veitchii and Acer crataegifolium are described. Pathogenicity of the causal fungus was confirmed on stems of young Abies and Acer trees using two monoascospore isolates from the perithecia from the two tree species. The causal fungus, producing Nectria-state-teleomorph and Cylindrocarpon-anamorph, was identified as Nectria castaneicola. It was then transferred to the genus Neonectria, as N. castaneicola (W. Yamam. et Oyasu) Tak. Kobay. et Hirooka, comb. nov. followed by the recent concept of Nectriaceae.     

Effect of parental genotypes and paternal heterosis on litter traits in crossbred goats.

The effect of parental genotype and paternal heterosis on litter size (LS), total litter birth weight (TLW) and average litter birth weight (ALW) was analysed utilizing data from a crossbreeding programme involving the exotic German Fawn goats and local Katjang goats in Malaysia. In this study, these traits were regarded as traits of the litter to consider the effect of service sire genotype. The results revealed that LS was significantly influenced by the genotype of sire. The genotypes of sire and dam had significant effects on TLW and ALW. Estimates of crossbreeding parameter showed significant and negative influence of paternal heterosis on TLW and ALW while there was no significant effect of paternal heterosis on LS. The results of this study stress the need to reconsider the use of local males in the tropics.     

Accounting for numbers of expressions of specific genotypes using a modified gene-flow method

The objective of this study was to develop a modified discounted gene-flow method and calculate numbers of cumulative discounted expressions (CDE) and value of using a Japanese Black cattle bull carrying specific alleles of interest. The discounted gene-flow method was modified to consider not only parent's genotypes but also the allele frequency in the herd. Input parameters representing a typical situation in a Japanese Black cattle herd were used to calculate the CDE and the value of using sires genotyped for recessive genes assuming biallelic loci (A and a) and a herd at Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. The quantitative trait assumed was marbling and the effect of genotype aa was 1 Beef Marbling Standards (BMS) above that of an animal with either genotype Aa or AA. The effects of gene frequency and discount and survival rates on the CDE were determined for different genotypes of sires. Benefits from using either aa sires or Aa sires above that of using unknown sires at various gene frequencies were also determined. The CDE of aa sires were larger than those of Aa sires under all gene frequencies. The differences in the CDE between aa and Aa sires ranged from 34% at gene frequency of 0.7 to 71% at gene frequency of 0.01. An increase in the discount rates and a decrease in survival rates were associated with a decrease in expressions in cases using aa and Aa sires. The benefits of using aa sires were high when the gene frequency in the herd was 0.5. The benefit of aa sires were approximately 3023 yen more than that for unknown sires in the population when the gene frequency was 0.5. At gene frequencies higher than 0.5, use of Aa sires was not beneficial. This study has demonstrated how the gene frequencies in the herd and the genotypes of sires are critical in determining the benefits of using single recessive gene in the Japanese Black cattle.     

Genetic parameters for growth performance of the Malaysian local goats and their crossbreds with the German (improved) Fawn goats

SUMMARY: Growth performance data of the local goats of Malaysia and their crossbreds with the German (Improved) Fawn goats were analysed using animal models with maternal effects, in order to estimate additive genetic and crossbreeding parameters. Two different genetic models, the Dickerson (1969, 1973) model and the Kinghorn (1980, 1983) model, were used to estimate crossbreeding parameters. Coefficients of additive breed, heterosis (dominance), and recombination (epistatic) loss were fitted in the animal models as covariates. In general, the individual breed effects for birth, 6-month, and 9-month weights, and maternal breed effects for traits until weaning, were significant, indicating large differences for growth performance between the German Fawn and the local breeds. Heterosis effects by the Dickerson model were small and non-significant, while dominance effects by the Kinghorn model, for some of traits, were large and significant. Highly significant individual recombination loss effects by the Dickerson model, and epistatic loss effects by the Kinghorn model, were obtained for birth and 9-month weights. The estimates of total heritability by an animal model incorporating maternal effects were moderate (0.18-0.35). The differences between heritabilities, estimated by different genetic models (the Dickerson model vs. the Kinghorn model), were small. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Genetische Parameter von Wachstumseigenschaften Malaysischer Lokalziegen und ihrer Kreuzung mit Deutscher Rehbrauner Ziege Die Daten wurden mittels Tiermodellen mit Maternalwirkung zur Sch?tzung additiv genetischer und Kreuzungsparameter analysiert. Zur Sch?tzung letzterer wurden Modelle von Dickerson (1969, 1973) und Kinghorn (1980, 1983) angewendet. Koeffizienten der additiven Rassenwirkungen, Heterosis (Dominanz) und Rekombinations-wirkungen wurden im Tiermodell als Kovarialbe berücksichtigt. Im allgemeinen waren individuelle Rassenwirkungen für Geburts-, 6- und 9-Monatsgewicht und maternale Rassenwirkungen für Merkmale w?hrend der S?ugezeit signifikant, eine Folge gro?er Rassenunterschiede. Das Dickerson Modell führte zu geringen, nicht signifikanten Heterosiswirkungen, w?hrend beim Kinghorn Modell diese sich für mehrere Merkmale als gro? und signifikant erwiesen haben. Hoch signifikante individuelle Rekombinationsverluste und epistatische Verluste ergaben sich bei beiden Modellen für Geburtsgewicht und 9 Monatsgewicht. Heritabilit?tswerte waren m??ig hoch (0.18 bis 0.35), enthielten auch die maternalen Wirkungen und unterschieden sich zwischen beiden Modellen nur geringfügig.