养猪生产中后代性别的预选——发展现状和应用前景

动物精子的性别可通过流式精子分选仪和DNA标识进行鉴定,而利用鉴定性别的精子(即性控精子)并借助人工授精技术或其它授精技术产生的后代,在过去5年中估计已多达30000个(其中大多数是母牛)。有关文献资料证明,能有效地区分X精子和Y精子的唯一标记物是精子染色体中的DNA。众所周知,目前世界各地采用的方法是Beltsville精子分选技术,该技术根据X精子群和Y精子群中DNA相对含量上的差异,用荧光染液(Hoechst33342染液)标记精子,随后利用流式细胞仪分选经荧光标记的精子,从而达到分离精子的目的。目前,X精子或Y精子正常的生产速度是每小时1500万个,该项技术已在家畜、实验动物和动物园动物中应用,如果将该技术应用在人上,在预选后代性别比例上可达90%～95%的成功率。因动物品种不同,性控精子在动物体内的授精部位也不相同。常规的人工授精技术、宫内授精技术、输卵管内授精技术、用于胚胎移植的体外受精(in-vitro fertilization,IVF)技术或子宫角深部授精技术均能有效地使动物怀孕,至于利用哪种技术进行性控精子的精则取决于动物品种。尽管所有动物都能获得高纯度的分选精子,但是在实际生产中利用低剂量精子还难以让母猪怀孕。子宫角深部授精技术每次授精0.5～1.00亿个性控精子已能产生可喜的效果:利用特制的输精管,输入常规人工授精所需精子量的五十分之一的性控精子,足以使动物怀孕。性控精子通过常规的授精技术能够被猪成功利用前,还需重新设计输精管,同时输精的次数和每次授精时精子数量也需作进一步的研究。分选精子的低温保存技术已被牛人工授精普遍采用。尽管已能利用冷冻的性别分选精子生产小猪,但是性别分选精子经冷冻和解冻处理后在常规生产中的应用还未达到最理想的效果。本文将讨论猪精子性别分选的最新研究成果及其发展趋势,并重点探讨将性别分选技术应用于养猪生产中必须对其进行必要的技术开发。     

Determination of total lipid and lipid subclasses in meat and meat products

Current interest in physiological and nutritional activities of the sterol, polyunsaturated fatty acid, and polar lipid fractions of meats and other foods indicates that analytical methods for lipids should be evaluated on their ability to recover and quantitate these classes. Current methods of lipid isolation furnish an extract that is dependent on the solvent(s) used, the type of food material, the temperature of extraction, and the relative proportions of the lipid classes present. Extraction with ethers or other relatively nonpolar solvents removes principally the neutral fats and nonpolar lipids. For an approximation of the crude fat content, such extraction is often sufficient, because the nonpolar fraction generally constitutes over 90% of the total lipids present. The polar lipids include the biochemically important (omega-3) and (omega-6) polyunsaturated fatty acid classes; thus, the method of lipid extraction of food products becomes relevant for a more complete and valuable characterization of their nutritional value. The various methods of lipid determination for meat products are examined for their total recovery of these important lipid groups. A sequential extraction in conjunction with subsequent analytical methods is recommended.     

Assessment of Genetic Diversity for Grain Yield and Yield Component Traits in Some Genotypes of Rice (Oryza Sativa L.)

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - Even though there are abundant rice genetic resources, only a fraction is used in breeding programs leading to a narrow genetic base for improved...     

Ovulation rate and litter size in gilts immunized against androstenedione and 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of the immunization of gilts against ovarian steroids on ovulation rate and litter size. In Exp. 1, gilts (n = five gilts/treatment) at 165+/-1.6 d of age were immunized against either carrier (Control), androstenedione, or 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone. Age at puberty and estrous cycle length averaged 208+/-5.5 (P = 0.67) and 20.3+/-2.8 d (P = 0.41), respectively, and were not affected by treatment. The androstenedione- and 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone immunized gilts had higher (P < 0.02) ovulation rates than Controls (14.2, 14.2, and 11.4+/-0.8, respectively). Total pigs born (P = 0.66) and pigs born live (P = 0.65) for the androstenedione-treated group were not different from Controls. Gestation length was not different (P = 0.36) between any of the treatments and the Controls (115+/-0.9 d). Procedures used in Exp. 2 were similar to those in Exp. 1, except that only Control (n= 18) and 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (n = 16) treatments were included and only litter size at farrowing was measured. Total pigs and pigs born live were higher in the 17a-hydroxyprogesterone-treated gilts than in the Controls (12.6 vs 10.5+/-0.6, P < 0.02; and 11.4 vs 9.2+/-0.6; P < 0.01, respectively). Data from this study indicate that litter size in gilts can be increased by immunization against 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone.     

trans-Dominant Inhibition of Geminiviral DNA Replication by Bean Golden Mosaic Geminivirus rep Gene Mutants

ABSTRACT Geminiviruses are a group of single-stranded DNA viruses that cause major losses on a number of important crops throughout the world. Bean golden mosaic virus (BGMV) is a typical bipartite, whitefly-transmitted geminivirus that causes a severe disease on beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) in the Western Hemisphere. The lack of natural resistance to geminiviruses has led to attempts to engineer resistance, particularly through the use of pathogen-derived resistance strategies. The rep gene contains several conserved domains including nucleoside triphosphate (NTP)-binding and DNA-nicking domains and is the only geminiviral gene necessary for replication. Previous analysis by our group and others has demonstrated that the NTP-binding and DNA-nicking domains are necessary for geminiviral DNA replication. The ability of the rep gene and rep gene mutants to interfere with geminiviral DNA replication, when expressed in trans, was examined using a transient assay in a tobacco suspension cell culture system. Wild-type (wt) and mutant rep genes were cloned into plasmids under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter for in planta expression and coinoculated into tobacco cells with infectious clones of various geminiviruses. The wt rep gene from BGMV-GA was able to support replication of BGMV-GA DNA-B. Several different rep gene mutants, with function-abolishing mutations in the NTP-binding or DNA-nicking domains, were potent trans-dominant inhibitors of geminiviral DNA replication.     

Production and oxidation of wool grease after shearing

OBJECTIVE: To measure the production and amount of oxidation of wool grease secreted immediately after shearing. To identify components of wool grease that might act as a carrier to facilitate lateral diffusion of topically applied insecticides. DESIGN: Fine-wool Merino sheep were shorn and residual greasy wool was collected from the sheep's flank. The quantity of grease produced, and the amount of oxidation was measured during 18 days after shearing. Wool grease was fractionated into five component groups based on their polarity and the degree of oxidation in these fractions determined. RESULTS: There was a 24% increase in grease production within 2 days after shearing but secretions returned to pre-shearing amounts after 4 days. During this period wool grease oxidized rapidly. Of the grease fractions examined, sterol and wax esters remained essentially unoxidized whereas free sterols such as cholesterol and lanosterol, fatty acids and polar lipids, aldehydes and alcohols were extensively oxidized within 7 days after shearing. CONCLUSION: The transient increase in grease production after shearing may facilitate diffusion of topically applied synthetic pyrethroid insecticides. Oxidation of grease components may then contain the insecticide and limit further diffusion. Incorporating the insecticide in non-oxidising fractions of wool grease may make insecticide dispersion more efficient.     

Modification of standard freezing media to limit capacitation and maximise motility of frozen-thawed equine spermatozoa

OBJECTIVE: To investigate cryopreservation-induced capacitation-like changes in equine spermatozoa frozen in three different media using chlortetracycline (CTC) fluorescence staining analysis. PROCEDURE: Semen collected from three stallions was diluted in one of three centrifugation media and, after centrifugation and removal of supernatant, extended in corresponding freezing media containing additional egg yolk, glycerol, lactose and Equex paste. The semen was frozen in 5 mL straws and the spermatozoa assessed for motility and membrane quality after thawing. RESULTS: Following centrifugation, spermatozoa diluted with modified Kenney's Centrifugation Medium (MKCM) displayed a higher percentage of (normal) F pattern (94.3%) compared with spermatozoa in Kenney's Centrifugation Medium (KCM) (84.9%) and Glucose-EDTA Centrifugation Medium (GECM) (85.2%). Conversely, the percentage of spermatozoa displaying the (capacitated) B pattern was higher in the KCM (14.1%) and GECM (13.8%) than in the MKCM (5.0%). Following freezing-thawing, there were lower percentages of spermatozoa displaying the AR (acrosome reacted) pattern in modified Kenney's Freezing Medium (MKFM) (45.6%) compared with Kenney's Freezing Medium (KFM) (61.4%) and lactose-EDTA Freezing Medium (LEFM) (61.1%). There was a correspondingly higher percentage of spermatozoa displaying the B pattern in MKFM (52.3%) compared with KFM (37.9%) and LEFM (38.6%). There was no significant difference between the freezing media in the percentage of spermatozoa displaying the F pattern. The percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa was also influenced by the type of freezing medium (P < 0.001). Post-thaw percentages of progressively motile spermatozoa, frozen in MKFM, KFM, and LEFM, were 31.4, 25.8 and 23.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: MKFM was the preferred medium for cryopreservation of equine spermatozoa due to its superior protection against changes in motility and membrane quality compared with the other freezing media studied.     

Welfare assessment of broiler breeders that are food restricted after peak rate of lay

1. Broiler breeder females were reared on one of three growth curves (ad libitum, conventional or modified restriction) and given rations containing a high or low concentration of crude protein. After the peak rate of lay they were fed ad libitum or a decreasing quantity of food in response to declining egg production. The welfare of the birds was assessed by determining the changes in indices of welfare at 36, 48 and 60 weeks of age. 2. Body weight increased rapidly in restricted birds fed ad libitum post-peak and water intake declined. 3. Post-peak food restriction was associated with a decrease in resting and increased drinking and spot-pecking activities. Birds that were food restricted during rearing spent more time foraging and spot-pecking at 36 and 48 but not 60 weeks of age. 4. Immune function increased with age but was not affected by the experimental treatments. The heterophil-lymphocyte ratio in birds fed ad libitum during rearing was numerically lower at 36 and higher at 48 and 60 weeks of age compared with restricted birds. 5. There was no effect of treatment on plasma corticosterone concentration. Creatine kinase activity was high at 60 weeks in treatments that were characterised by poor reproductive status and the activities of other enzymes reflected differences in reproductive status and mortality. 6. There was no long-term welfare or production advantage from feeding low protein rations or more generous feeding during the rearing period compared with conventional food restriction programmes.     

Tomato leaf curl Karnataka virus from Bangalore, India, Appears to be a Recombinant Begomovirus

ABSTRACT The genome of Tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV) from Bangalore, India, a whitefly-transmitted geminivirus, was cloned (pIND9) and sequenced. The circular DNA of 2,759 nucleotides (U38239) is organized similarly to that of other begomoviruses with monopartite genomes. Comparison of the nucleotide sequence of pIND9 with other tomato-associated begomoviruses from India (Tomato leaf curl Bangalore virus [ToLCBV, Z48182]) and Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus-Severe (ToLCNdV-Svr, U15015) showed moderate DNA sequence identities (82 to 87%) between capsid protein (CP) genes but low identities (66 to 67%) for the intergenic regions and the replication-associated protein (Rep) genes (75 to 81% identity). Phylogenetic trees generated with nucleotide sequences of the Rep and CP genes of 26 begomoviruses indicated that this ToLCV is distinct from other begomoviruses and that it may be a recombinant virus derived from at least three different viral lineages. Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) inoculated with the cloned DNA monomer of ToLCV (pIND9) via particle bombardment developed leaf curling and yellowing symptoms. The virus was transmitted by Bemisia tabaci biotype B from tomatoes infected via particle bombardment to healthy tomatoes and by sap inoculation from infected tomatoes to tomato, Nicotiana benthamiana and N. tabacum. This ToLCV is a distinct member of the genus Begomovirus from India that differs from the previously characterized Tomato leaf curl Sadasivanagar virus isolate Bangalore 1 (L12739), ToLCBV (Z48182), ToLCBV isolate Bangalore 4 (AF165098), and the bipartite ToLCNdV (U15015, U15016). Thus, this ToLCV is named Tomato leaf curl Karnataka virus (ToLCKV).