Effect of heat stress on the behavioral and physiological patterns of Small-tail Han sheep housed indoors

Tropical Animal Health and Production - This study was conducted to investigate the effects of heat stress on the behavioral and physiological patterns in Small-tail Han sheep housed indoors in...     

Modulation of broilers’ caecal microflora and metabolites in response to a potential probiotic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens

Studies have found that a dietary supplement of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens improved the growth performance, increased the nutrient digestibility of hosts and modulated the intestinal microflora. A total of 360 1‐day‐old Ross broilers were randomly divided into three treatments: a control group with a basal diet, an antibiotic group with a basal diet and added colistin sulphate, and a probiotics group with a basal diet and added Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The HiSeq high‐throughput sequencing analysis of 16S rRNA was used to investigate the differences in birds’ caecal microflora, and metabolomics was used to analyse changes in caecal metabolites. Results showed that the supplementation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens significantly improved the BW and ADG compared with the control birds. Results of sequencing indicated that (i) 645, 670, 596 unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were found in birds supplemented with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens on day 7, 21 and 42, separately, (ii) due to the diversity and relative abundance of the birds’ caecal microflora, the OTUs of the caecal microflora clustered according to age and treatment, except on day 42, (iii) among the six predominate families (Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, Lactobacillaceae and Rikenellaceae), the supplementation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens significantly increased Enterobacteriaceae on day 42, (iv) Bacillus amyloliquefaciens increased the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium and Ruminococcus on day 21, increased the Faecalibacterium and Blautia and decreased the Ruminococcus on day 42. The metabolomics of caecal metabolites showed that the dietary Bacillus amyloliquefaciens changed the caecal metabolites involved of amino acid metabolism and glyceride metabolism, and the antibiotics changed the caecal metabolites that were related to carbohydrates and amino acid metabolism on day 21.     

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.     

Multimarker and rare variants genomewide association studies for bone weight in Simmental cattle

Bone weight, defined as the total weight of the bones in all the forequarter and hindquarter joints, can reflect somebody conformation traits and skeletal diseases. To gain a better understanding of the genetic determinants of bone weight, we used a composite strategy including multimarker and rare‐marker association to perform genomewide association studies (GWAS) for that character in Simmental cattle. Our strategy consisted of three models: (i) A traditional linear mixed model (LMM) was applied (Q+K‐LMM); (ii) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with p‐values less than .05 from the LMM were selected to undergo the least absolute shrinkage and selector operator (Lasso) in the second stage (LMM‐Lasso); (iii) genes containing two or more rare SNPs were examined by performing the sequence kernel association test (gene‐based SKAT). A total of 1,225 cattle were genotyped with an Illumina BovineHD BeadChip containing 770,000 SNPs. After the quality‐control procedures, 1,217 individuals with 608,696 common SNPs and 105,787 rare SNPs (with 0.001 < minor allele frequency [MAF] <0.05) remained in the sample for analysis. A traditional LMM successfully mapped three genes associated with bone weight, while LMM‐Lasso identified nine genes, which included all genes found by traditional LMM. Only a single gene, EPHB3, surpassed the significance threshold after Bonferroni correction in gene‐based SKAT. In conclusion, based on functional annotation and results from previous endeavours, we believe that LCORL, RIMS2, LAP3, PRKAR2B, CHSY1, MAP2K6 and EPHB3 are candidate genes for bone weight. In general, such a comprehensive strategy for GWAS may be useful for researchers seeking to probe the full genetic architecture underlying economic traits in livestock.     

饲用荞麦在畜牧业中的应用与研究

荞麦(Fagopyrum esulentum)原产于中国,其栽培种甜荞和苦荞在世界各地已被广泛种植,我国西南地区蕴含着丰富的野生荞麦资源。荞麦营养丰富,除含有常见的蛋白质、纤维素和糖类外,还富含芦丁等抗氧化物质,具有耐瘠薄、抗病虫害、适应性强、生长迅速等优点,特别是一些野生种叶片大、叶量多,更适合于刈割,这些优点使其成为一种很具有发展潜力的优质牧草资源。但目前荞麦的饲用价值仍未得到充分的发掘与利用。本文着重介绍了荞麦在我国的栽培、饲用历史和现状,结合荞麦饲用于猪、反刍动物及家禽等方面的研究进展,分析了荞麦在饲用化发展中将面临的问题,并对其应用前景进行了评价与展望。     

化学法和生物法制备巨菌草腐植酸的比较

对化学方法和生物方法制备巨菌草(Pennisetum sp.)腐植酸和黄腐酸进行分析比较。结果表明,硝酸、盐酸、乙酸、草酸、氨水均能降解纤维素、半纤维素或木质素从而生产腐植酸和黄腐酸,其中10.0%氨水提取巨菌草得到的腐植酸含量最高,其次为37.5%硝酸和37.5%盐酸,草酸和乙酸提取得到的腐植酸含量最低。枯草芽孢杆菌(Bacillus subtilis)、毛霉(Mucor)、根霉(Rhizopus)、青霉(Penicillium)在巨菌草腐殖质的形成中均起到了积极作用,其中根霉对木质素的降解程度最高,生成总腐植酸的含量最高。根霉发酵制备得到的总腐植酸含量是10.0%氨水提取得到的总腐植酸含量的1.45倍,毛霉发酵制备得到的总腐植酸含量是10.0%氨水提取得到的总腐植酸含量的1.29倍,而枯草芽孢杆菌和青霉发酵制备得到的总腐植酸含量比10%氨水提取得到的总腐植酸含量低。37.5%硝酸提取得到的黄腐酸含量是毛霉发酵制备得到的黄腐酸含量的1.79倍,22.5%盐酸提取得到的黄腐酸含量是毛霉发酵制备得到的黄腐酸含量的1.98倍。综上可知,生物发酵法制备得到的总腐植酸含量比化学法提取得到的总腐植酸含量要高,而化学方法提取得到的黄腐酸含量比生物发酵法制备得到的黄腐酸含量要高。     

苜蓿抗旱生理与分子机制

苜蓿(Medicago sativa)是我国乃至全世界最优质的豆科牧草之一,具有较高的经济价值、营养价值和生态价值。然而我国的苜蓿种植大多集中在干旱半干旱的西北、东北一带,水分是影响其产量的主要因素。本文通过对比光合呼吸系统、活性氧防御系统、渗透调节系统、脱落酸等在干旱胁迫下的变化分析了苜蓿抵御干旱胁迫的生理机制,同时对转录因子、蛋白酶基因和抗旱基因在苜蓿干旱胁迫下的应答过程进行了阐述,并对未来苜蓿应答干旱胁迫的研究重点进行了展望。     

低温胁迫对细茎柱花草与TPRC2001-1柱花草抗寒生理指标的影响

为了探究柱花草的抗寒性,本研究以细茎柱花草(Stylosanthes guianensis var.intermedia)和TPRC2001-1柱花草(S.guianensis‘TPRC2001-1’)营养期叶片为材料,分别进行时长为0(对照)、24h和48h的低温处理,然后对其相对电导率、丙二醛、脯氨酸、可溶性糖以及可溶性蛋白的含量等指标进行测定与分析。结果表明,两种柱花草叶片的抗寒性生理指标随着低温处理时间的增加逐步上升。低温处理后,细茎柱花草的相对电导率和丙二醛含量显著低于TPRC2001-1柱花草(P0.05),而脯氨酸、可溶性糖和可溶性蛋白的含量显著高于TPRC2001-1柱花草(P0.05)。综合各项生理指标可得,两种柱花草的抗寒性强弱为细茎柱花草TPRC2001-1柱花草。     

紫花苜蓿9个盐响应相关基因表达模式

紫花苜蓿(Medicago sativa)是世界上种植面积最大、应用最广泛的豆科牧草。由于其耐盐性中等,其在我国北方地区的产量和种植受到土壤盐渍化的限制。因此提高紫花苜蓿的耐盐性具有重要的科学和生产意义。为此,以龙牧801紫花苜蓿(M.sativa‘Longmu 801’)为试验材料,采用实时荧光定量PCR技术分析了不同浓度NaCl胁迫下9个盐胁迫蛋白质组筛选出的盐响应相关基因的表达模式。结果显示,处理时间和处理浓度对9个基因的相对表达量均有显著性影响,表明这9个基因均在紫花苜蓿盐胁迫应答中发挥着一定作用。处理1h时,G6PI、ABP19a、Trx-h1、PR bet 1、FBPA、6PGDH和ALDH这7个基因的相对表达量在不同NaCl胁迫浓度处理的紫花苜蓿中均显著上调,RRM和GDPD在NaCl处理2h后开始上调。除G6PI基因,其他8个基因在0.4%NaCl处理下相对表达量显著高于0.2%和0.8%NaCl处理。这些基因参与糖代谢、信号转导和胁迫响应。以上结果表明,紫花苜蓿的耐盐性极其复杂,涉及到多基因的表达和代谢通路的调控。研究结果有助于全面研究并了解紫花苜蓿的盐响应相关基因的表达模式,促进紫花苜蓿耐盐分子育种。