Assessment of interactions between glutamine and glucose on meat quality,AMPK, and glutamine concentrations in pectoralis major meat of broilers under acute heat stress

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of dietary glutamine and glucose on pectoralis major meat quality in broilers under acute heat stress. Three hundred 35-day-old male broilers (Arbor Acres) were randomly divided into 5 groups. Broilers in the positive control group were kept in a thermoneutral environment (23 ± 1°C, RH 45%–55%) and fed a basic diet, whereas the experimental (2 × 2) group was exposed to acute heat stress (34 ± 1°C, RH 65%–75%) for 12 h and fed the basic diet that contained glutamine (0 and 10 g/kg) and glucose (0 and 10 g/kg). Compared with the positive control group, acute heat stress without glutamine and glucose supplementation increased (P < 0.05) drip loss, L* values, and AMPK concentrations, but it decreased (P < 0.05) water-holding capacity, moisture, pH, a* values, b* values, and glutamine concentrations in pectoralis major meat of chickens. However, dietary glutamine (10 g/kg) increased (P < 0.05) water-holding capacity, moisture, pH, a* values, b* values, and glutamine concentrations, while it decreased (P < 0.05) drip loss, L* values, and AMPK concentrations in heat-stressed chicken pectoralis major meat. Dietary glucose (10 g/kg) increased (P < 0.05) water-holding capacity, moisture, pH, and a* and b* values, while it decreased (P < 0.05) L* values and AMPK concentrations of pectoralis major meat in chickens exposed to acute high temperature. There were significant interactions between glutamine and glucose in the water-holding capacity, pH values, AMPK, and glutamine levels of pectoralis major meat in the heat-stressed chickens. The above results suggest that the addition of glutamine and glucose in the diet is necessary for broilers during acute heat stress condition.     

Molecular cloning,purification and immunogenicity of recombinant Brucella abortus 544 malate dehydrogenase protein

The Brucella mdh gene was successfully cloned and expressed in E. coli. The purified recombinant malate dehydrogenase protein (rMDH) was reactive to Brucella-positive bovine serum in the early stage, but not reactive in the middle or late stage, and was reactive to Brucella-positive mouse serum in the late stage, but not in the early or middle stage of infection. In addition, rMDH did not react with Brucella-negative bovine or mouse sera. These results suggest that rMDH has the potential for use as a specific antigen in serological diagnosis for early detection of bovine brucellosis.     

Effects of a high milk intake during the pre‐weaning period on nutrient metabolism and growth rate in Japanese Black cattle

This study aimed to determine the effects of feeding an increased volume of high‐fat milk during the early post‐natal life on metabolite concentrations in the blood, the expression of key genes regulating intermediary metabolism in the skeletal muscles, and the rate of growth of Japanese Black cattle. All calves were fed a high‐fat milk replacer (crude protein, 26%; crude fat, 25.5%; total dissolved nitrogen, 116%). Control calves (n = 4) were nursed with 500 g milk replacer until 3 months of age, whereas calves in the experimental group (n = 4) were nursed with 1800 g milk replacer until 3 months, and then the volume was gradually reduced until 5 months. Body weight was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group at 7 months. Plasma glucose concentrations were significantly lower in the experimental group. Expression of glucose‐transporter‐4 messenger RNA (mRNA) was lower, whereas that of glucose transporter 1, cluster of differentiation 36, and carnitine palmitoyltransferase‐1b mRNA was significantly higher in the Longissimus thoracis of the experimental group. Nutritional status during early post‐natal life appears to strongly influence the growth rate and glucose and lipid metabolism in Japanese Black cattle.     

Physiological and biochemical changes of females of Piracanjuba,subjected to induced reproduction

The aim of this experiment was to compare the level of fish female stress during induced reproduction with pituitary extract by two different methods, natural and semiextruded. The reproductive efficiency was 62.5% in the seminatural treatment and 100% in the extruded. Obtained egg volume was 5200 ml and 4000 ml, for seminatural and extruded treatments respectively. The mean number of eggs was 46.7 for the seminatural and 52.0 and for the extruded treatment. The percentage of viable eggs was, respectively, 87.2% and 8.17% for the natural treatment and extruded semimethods. Blood samples were collected to quantify cortisol and glucose levels, as well as red cell series and lymphocyte count. Fishes submitted to induction procedures showed elevated cortisol and glucose levels, compared to the control animals. The results for haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration and red blood cell count showed no significant differences among groups. Significant differences found in the number of lymphocytes and monocytes suggest the general adaptation syndrome. Our results suggest the reproductive induction process with extrusion of gametes as a more stressful method than seminatural reproduction process.     

金针菇异戊烯基焦磷酸异构酶基因的克隆及表达分析

PCR扩增了金针菇(Flammulina velutipes)异戊烯基焦磷酸异构酶基因(FvIDI)的DNA全长和开放阅读框序列.该基因的ORF全长753 bp,DNA全长923 bp,含有3个内含子和4个外显子,编码250个氨基酸,金针菇异戊烯基焦磷酸异构酶相对分子质量为28450,等电点为5.05.采用实时荧光定量PCR技术研究FvIDI基因在不同发育时期和不同温度下的表达量,结果显示,FvIDI基因在采收期菌盖中表达量最高,4℃诱导处理2～4 h和37℃诱导处理2～6 h的表达量明显高于常规温度21℃处理.     

植物表达载体pGMAR-BADH的构建

将甜菜碱醛脱氢酶基因BADH和植物表达载体pGMAR通过内切酶BamHI和KpnI双酶切,T4连接酶进行连接反应。重组质粒在大肠杆菌菌株DH5α内扩增,提取并纯化质粒。经鉴定,基因BADH已被完整、正确的插入到pGMAR载体中,并成功将BADH插入到载体pGMAR的两个MAR序列之间。     

艾纳香脱氢酶基因家族的生物信息学分析

采用RT-PCR和RACE（Rapid amplification of cDNA ends）技术,从艾纳香（Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC.）叶片中克隆到4条编码艾纳香脱氢酶（BbADH1、BbADH2、BbADH3、BbADH4）基因的cDNA序列,并对4条核苷酸及其编码的氨基酸序列进行生物信息学分析。结果显示:4条艾纳香脱氢酶序列开放阅读框均在900 bp左右,蛋白质等电点（pI）值在5.0~9.0之间,含量最多的氨基酸为亮氨酸（Leu）,最少的为色氨酸（Try）,具有明显的疏水区和亲水区,N端未发现信号肽,且无跨膜区;同源性比对结果显示,艾纳香BbADH蛋白与其他植物中ADH蛋白具有高度的相似性,且具有脱氢酶的特征功能域;系统发育分析表明,艾纳香（B. balsamifera (L.) DC.）BbADH1和BbADH3同处于一个分支,且与胡杨（Populus euphratica Oliv.）PeADH物种亲缘关系较近,而艾纳香BbADH4和BbADH2处于不同分支,且分别与葡萄（Vitis vinifera）VvADH和烟草（Nicotiana tabacum）NtADH物种亲缘关系较近。