Energy and protein requirements for maintenance and growth of Boer crossbred kids

Meat production by goats has become an important livestock enterprise in several parts of the world. Nonetheless, energy and protein requirements of meat goats have not been defined thoroughly. The objective of this study was to determine the energy and protein requirements for maintenance and growth of 34 (3/4) Boer x (1/4) Saanen crossbred, intact male kids (20.5 +/- 0.24 kg of initial BW). The baseline group was 7 randomly selected kids, averaging 21.2 +/- 0.36 kg of BW. An intermediate group consisted of 6 randomly selected kids, fed for ad libitum intake, that were slaughtered when they reached an average BW of 28.2 +/- 0.39 kg. The remaining kids (n = 21) were allocated randomly on d 0 to 3 levels of DMI (treatments were ad libitum or restricted to 70 or 40% of the ad libitum intake) within 7 slaughter groups. A slaughter group contained 1 kid from each treatment, and kids were slaughtered when the ad libitum treatment kid reached 35 kg of BW. Individual body components (head plus feet, hide, internal organs plus blood, and carcass) were weighed, ground, mixed, and subsampled for chemical analyses. Initial body composition was determined using equations developed from the composition of the baseline kids. The calculated daily maintenance requirement for NE was 77.3 +/- 1.05 kcal/kg(0.75) of empty BW (EBW) or 67.4 +/- 1.04 kcal/kg(0.75) of shrunk BW. The daily ME requirement for maintenance (118.1 kcal/kg(0.75) of EBW or 103.0 kcal/kg(0.75) of shrunk BW) was calculated by iteration, assuming that the heat produced was equal to the ME intake at maintenance. The partial efficiency of use of ME for NE below maintenance was 0.65. A value of 2.44 +/- 0.4 g of net protein/kg(0.75) of EBW for daily maintenance was determined. Net energy requirements for growth ranged from 2.55 to 3.0 Mcal/kg of EBW gain at 20 and 35 kg of BW, and net protein requirements for growth ranged from 178.8 to 185.2 g/kg of EBW gain. These results suggest that NE and net protein requirements for growing meat goats exceed the requirements previously published for dairy goats. Moreover, results from this study suggest that the N requirement for maintenance for growing goats is greater than the established recommendations.     

Validation of endogenous reference genes for expression profiling of RAW264.7 cells infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis by quantitative PCR

Reference genes are frequently used to normalize between different biological samples the levels of mRNA measured using quantitative PCR (qPCR). The expression level of many commonly used reference genes has been shown to vary between tissues or cells, or following exposure to various treatments including infection with microbes. The selection of an appropriate reference gene for an individual experiment is therefore a crucial step in the process of accurately determining changes in gene expression. For this purpose, we analyzed the expression of nine commonly used reference genes in a murine macrophage cell line, RAW264.7, for their potential use in the analysis of differential gene expression by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) following experimental infection with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis. Only one of nine putative reference genes tested, casc3a, was found to be suitable, and combinations of two or more reference genes were disadvantageous. Based on data from the study, we recommend an approach for selection of reference genes, conducting assays with technical replicates in duplicate rather than triplicate, determining decision-limit quality control criteria for technical replicates and assessing the significance of gene expression fold differences using DeltaDeltaC(t) based on knowledge of the variation in the reference gene.     

Resistance to common bacterial blight in Phaseolus vulgaris L. recombinant inbred lines under natural infection of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli

Among the main causes of poor yield in common beans are fungal, viral and bacterial diseases. Common bacterial blight, caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli (Xap), is one of the major bacterial diseases leading to significant losses in Brazil. Chemical control is ineffective, therefore, the use of resistant varieties becomes an interesting alternative. The objective of the present work was to evaluate disease resistance under natural infection of the pathogen in 109 recombinant inbred lines (F₇) of P. vulgaris originated from the cross HAB-52 (susceptible — snapbean) × BAC-6 (resistant — common bean) in two different environments, as well as to calculate genetic parameters to assist in the selection of promising materials to be used in the CBB resistance breeding program. The data of the genetic parameters were compared to those calculated for the F₃ generation originated from the same cross. The heritability results for DI (disease index) and VI (variation index) in F₃ were 26.85% and 0.26, respectively, whereas in F₇ they were 91.77% and 1.36, respectively. These results demonstrate a potential to be explored for this advanced population, that in the future, along with other pathogen variability studies and tests in other environments, may provide more information regarding a more precise evaluation of promising genotypes to be used in common bean breeding programs aiming to obtain CBB resistant varieties. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of incubation temperature regimes and culture medium on broccoli microspore culture embryogenesis

Conditions for reliable induction of embryogenesis from isolated microspores were studied in ten genotypes of broccoli. Embryo yields were significantly increased in almost all of the broccoli genotypes by the incubation at 32.5 ^°C for 1 day, than when the standard incubation at 30 ^°C for 2 days was used. Treatments of 48 hours at 32.5 ^°C produced less than optimal results suggesting that broccoli microspores are more sensitive to high temperatures than those of B. napus. The use of the ¹/₂ NLN-13 medium yielded greater number of embryos than the standard NLN-13. The magnitude of the response to the redution of the concentration of major salts by half in the NLN medium varied with the different genotypes. High embryogenic broccoli cultivars, such as ‘Shogun’, ‘SDB9’, and ‘Green Valiant’, presented a better response to the reduction of the concentration of major salts by half in NLN-13. Reduction never produced a detrimental effect on embryo yield and seems not to have any effect in the subsequent development of embryos in plants. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Identification of sex in Carica papaya L. using RAPD markers

Brazil is currently the worlds largest producer of papaya (Carica papayaL.), producing fruits for both the domestic market and export. Only fruits from hermaphrodite plants are marketed because they have the necessary commercial characteristics, i.e. they are pear-shaped and have thicker flesh and a smaller internal cavity. Increased papaya yield has been limited mainly by the ratio of female to hermaphrodite (1: 2) plants normally occurring in orchards. This ratio causes great losses to papaya producers and the identification of the sex of seedlings during the nursery stage would be an important advance. In our study random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was used to differentiate between the sexual forms of three commercial C. papaya cultivars belonging to the Solo group. RAPD assays using the BC210 primer were able to detect hermaphrodites in all of the cultivars tested. The BC210₄₃₈molecular marker was much better at papaya sex differentiation than other markers described in the literature. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Responses to water withdrawal of tobacco plants genetically engineered with the AtTPS1 gene: a special reference to photosynthetic parameters

We have previously obtained several lines of tobacco transformed with a trehalose-6-phosphate synthase gene of plant origin (Arabidopsis thaliana), involved in the first step of the biosynthesis of trehalose, a known osmoprotectant. Two showed distinct intensity of expression: high (B5H) and low (B1F). Such lines were analyzed for trehalose-6-phosphate content and the obtained results demonstrated to be in accordance with the expression results. In order to study the responses of photosynthesis to water deficit of transgenic lines in comparison to wild type (WT), three experiments were performed under different conditions: (1) Relative water (2) Leaf gas exchange (3) Modulated Chlorophyll a Fluorescence. Different responses in RWC of plant lines to water withdrawal were detected, with transgenic line B5H indicating less water loss after the water withdrawal period. Similar responses to water deficit regarding the leaf gas exchanges were recorded for the three lines. When subjected to water deficit stress situations, higher F _v/F _m, Φ_PSII and qP were detected for the transgenic lines. Under a SWC of 20% where higher values for such parameters were detected with special relevance for the B5H line, indicating a possible higher ability to withstand severe drought stress and to resist to prolonged periods without water than the B1F and WT lines.     

2n Gamete formation in the genus Brachiaria (Poaceae: Paniceae)

Microsporogenesis of several Brachiaria species of the Brazilian collection at Embrapa Beef Cattle has been analyzed in detail. This paper reports abnormal cytokinesis in three accessions of three different species (Brachiaria humidicola, 2n = 4x = 36, Brachiaria decumbens, 2n = 4x = 36, and Brachiaria dura, 2n = 6x = 54). Chromosomes paired in bi-, tri-, and quadrivalents in these accessions, whereas chromosome segregation at meiosis I was characterized by exclusion of laggards as micronuclei. In a high number of meiocytes, the first sign of cytokinesis appeared only in metaphase II and did not divide the meiocyte into a dyad. Total absence of cytokinesis was also detected among meiocytes in the second division. Since in both cases the two metaphase plates were very close, they favored the rejoining of chromosome sets after anaphase II and formed a restitutional nucleus in telophase II. Second cytokinesis occurred after telophase II in most meiocytes. Monads, dyads, and triads with n or 2n nuclei were observed among meiotic products. The 2n gametes observed correspond to the first division restitution (FDR). The number of affected cells in each accession was variable, but the number of microspores with restitutional nucleus, including those scored in tetrads and the released ones, did not exceed 9%. Although polyploidy is common in the genus Brachiaria, its origin is still unclear. Current results suggest that 2n gametes may have contributed to the evolutionary history of the genus.     

Mating system in an experimental garden composed of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) ethnovarieties

Crossing patterns were investigated in an experimental garden of ethnovarieties ofManihot esculenta (Euphorbiaceae) inPiracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. A model of evolutionary dynamics for cassava presupposes genetic recombination by means of crossing within cassava gardens as a source that amplifies genetic diversity. Quantitative analysis of mating system parameters was performed using progeny arrays assayed for eight allozyme markers. The multilocus outcrossing rate (t _m)estimate (0.915±0.04)revealed that outcrossing was prevalent, but that a low level of self-pollination also occurred. The multilocus outcrossing rate ranged from 0.69 to 1.00 among eight varieties. The high value found for the outcrossing rate indicates that the ethnovarieties studied are preferentially allogamous. Genetic recombination occurred through crossing within the cassava garden, in agreement with an assumption of the model of evolutionary dynamics for this species.     

Breeding Panicum maximum in Brazil. 1. Genetic resources,modes of reproduction and breeding procedures

Summary Apomixis is widely distributed among tropical forage grasses, and has long been merely regarded as an impediment to breeding. Panicum maximum is presented as the first opportunity for Brazilian geneticists to develop and test original breeding schemes adapted to an apomictic species.A large and representative germplasm of P. maximum has been introduced and is currently being evaluated. Basic knowledges on biology and reproduction are also available, which demonstrate an easy manipulation of apomixis and sexuality. Several limiting traits have already been detected during evaluation, which justify breeding attempts. An ideal scheme is given to transfer new qualities to already selected varieties.