Amino acid profiles of rumen undegradable protein: a comparison between forages including cereal straws and alfalfa and their respective total mixed rations

Optimizing the amino acid (AA) profile of rumen undegradable protein (RUP) can positively affect the amount of milk protein. This study was conducted to improve knowledge regarding the AA profile of rumen undegradable protein from corn stover, rice straw and alfalfa hay as well as the total mixed ratio diets (TMR) based on one of them as forage source [forage‐to‐concentrate ratio of 45:55 (30% of corn stover (CS), 30% of rice straw (RS), 23% of alfalfa hay (AH) and dry matter basis)]. The other ingredients in the three TMR diets were similar. The RUP of all the forages and diets was estimated by incubation for 16 hr in the rumen of three ruminally cannulated lactating cows. All residues were corrected for microbial colonization, which was necessary in determining the AA composition of RUP from feed samples using in situ method. Compared with their original AA composition, the AA pattern of forages and forage‐based diets changed drastically after rumen exposure. In addition, the extent of ruminal degradation of analysed AA was not constant among the forages. The greatest individual AA degradability of alfalfa hay and corn stover was Pro, but was His of rice straw. A remarkable difference was observed between microbial attachment corrected and uncorrected AA profiles of RUP, except for alfalfa hay and His in the three forages and TMR diets. The ruminal AA degradability of cereal straws was altered compared with alfalfa hay but not for the TMR diets. In summary, the AA composition of forages and TMR‐based diets changed significantly after ruminal exposure, indicating that the original AA profiles of the feed cannot represent its AA composition of RUP. The AA profile of RUP and ruminal AA degradability for corn stover and rice straw contributed to missing information in the field.     

Gas and short‐chain fatty acid production from feeds commonly fed to red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) and incubated with rumen inoculum from red deer and sheep

Efficient red deer supplementary feeding depends on estimations of the nutritive value of offered feeds, frequently estimated with the use of equations derived from domestic ruminants. The aim of this study was to compare the 24‐hour in vitro true dry matter degradability (ivTD₂₄), in vitro gas production (GP) kinetic parameters, GP in 24 hr of incubation (GAS₂₄) and short‐chain fatty acid (SCFA) and microbial biomass (MBS) produced after 24‐hour incubation of feeds in inoculum prepared from sheep and red deer rumen fluid. Eleven feeds, frequently consumed by red deer in Slovenia, which occur either naturally (two fresh grasses, chestnut fruits and common and sessile oak acorns) or are fed as winter supplemental feeds (two grass hays, two grass silages, apple pomace, fresh sugar beetroot), were investigated. The in vitro GP kinetic parameters, GAS₂₄ and ivTD₂₄, did not differ between animal species. Amounts of SCFAs were greater (p < 0.05) when feeds were incubated in sheep inoculum, while molar proportions of acetic and propionic acids did not differ. Molar proportions of butyric acid produced during incubation of high fibre feeds did not differ between animal species, but were higher (p < 0.05) when feeds high in starch or sugar were incubated in red deer inoculum. Greater production of SCFA by sheep rumen microbes suggests better coverage of host animal with energy precursors, while greater production of MBS by red deer rumen microbes suggests better coverage of host animal with protein. Results also suggest that rumens of sheep and red deer are inhabited by different microbial communities, which did not affect the extent of in vitro GP and degradation of feeds used in the present experiment. However, the possibility exists that the divergent nutrient use could be a consequence of different priming by different feeds of the donor animal diets.     

Using the indicator amino acid oxidation technique to study threonine requirements in horses receiving a predominantly forage diet

Threonine has been reported to be the second limiting amino acid in typical equine diets, but its actual requirement has not been determined in horses. To evaluate amino acid metabolism and requirements, the indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) method has been successfully used in other species. The objective of this research was to estimate threonine requirements in mature horses fed timothy hay and concentrate in 4:1 ratio using the IAAO method. Six Thoroughbred mares (579.9 ± 46.7 kg) received each of 6 levels of threonine intake, 41, 51, 61, 70, 80 and 89 mg/kg BW/day, in a randomly determined order. Each study period was 7‐day long, and on day 6, blood samples were collected before and 90 min after feeding to measure amino acid concentrations using HPLC. On day 7, horses underwent IAAO procedures, which included a 2‐hr primed, constant intravenous infusion of [¹³C]sodium bicarbonate to measure total CO₂ production and a 4‐hr primed, constant oral administration of [1‐¹³C]phenylalanine to estimate phenylalanine oxidation to CO₂. Blood and breath samples were collected to measure blood [¹³C]phenylalanine, using GC‐MS analysis and breath ¹³CO₂ enrichment, using an infrared isotope analyser. Increasing threonine intake levels did not affect plasma phenylalanine oxidation by the ANOVA test (p > 0.05) but resulted in a linear decrease in phenylalanine oxidation (p = 0.04) without a breakpoint by the orthogonal linear contrast. This study is the first attempt to evaluate threonine requirements in horses by the IAAO method; however, threonine requirements are still unknown in mature horses at this time.     

羔羊日粮精粗比对其肉及脂肪组织中脂肪酸组成的影响

为了研究不同精粗比日粮对广河羊羔肉品质的影响,在广河县羔羊肉生产区,选择不同精粗比饲喂的6月龄健康陶寒杂交(陶赛特羊♂×小尾寒羊♀)断奶去势公羔各3只进行屠宰,取股二头肌、背最长肌、肱二头肌3个部位肌肉和肾周脂肪、皮下脂肪、尾部脂肪3个部位脂肪,用气象色谱法分析其脂肪酸的种类及含量。结果表明,在所有组织中均检测出38种脂肪酸,其中饱和脂肪酸17种,不饱和脂肪酸21种。脂肪组织中饲喂低精粗比日粮的亚油酸(C18∶2n6c)、α-亚麻酸(C18∶3n3)、饱和脂肪酸(SFA)、多不饱和脂肪酸(PUFA)及其与饱和脂肪酸比值(P/S)、n3系多不饱和脂肪酸和n6系多不饱和脂肪酸均显著高于饲喂高精粗比日粮(P<0.05);饲喂低精粗比日粮的所有组织中花生四烯酸(C20∶4)的含量显著高于饲喂高精粗比日粮(P<0.05);与饲喂高精粗比日粮的羊羔肉相比,饲喂低精粗比日粮既节省了生产成本又明显改善和提高了羊羔肉中脂肪酸的营养价值。     

蛋鸡OC-116基因的克隆和序列分析

参考原鸡（G. gallus） OC-116编码基因序列（登录号：NM_204569.1）设计3对引物，特异性地从仙居鸡子宫组织中克隆OC-116编码基因的N端、中段和C端，测序鉴定后通过酶切连接获得家鸡OC-116的全长编码基因。根据本研究的测序结果，初步发现突变概率较高的碱基有：第1233位（A→G）、1336位（C→G）、1358位（T→G）、1391位（T→G）、1491位（T→G）、1754位（G→T）、1841位（T→C）、1843位（C→T）、1983位（C→T）和2057位（T→C）；其中第1358,1754,1841,1983和2057位的碱基突变均为同义突变，第1233、1336、1391、1491和1843位是错义突变。而且突变碱基主要属于T：G颠换类型，其次是T：C转换类型。另外根据同源性分析，家鸡的OC-116编码基因在进化过程中很保守。总之，本研究已经从仙居鸡子宫组织中克隆到OC-116编码基因，为进一步研究该基因的功能奠定基础。     

The integration and insertion site of GbVe1 gene in the genome of transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)

[Objective] The aim of this study was to obtain the flanking sequences of T-DNA in the transgenic cotton containing a GbVe1 over-expression cassette. [Method] The T-DNA insertion copy number in the transgenic GbVe1 cotton was analyzed by southern blot. Flanking sequences of the transgenic lines with putative single T-DNA insertion copy were obtained using high-efficiency Thermal asymmetric interlaced polymerase chain reaction (hiTAIL-PCR). The T-DNA insertion sites were further confirmed by PCR with specific primers. [Result] RB-flanking sequences (119-1 018 bp) and LB-flanking sequences (243-516 bp) were obtained from three transgenic lines with low copy number of T-DNA insertion. The AT content was more than 63% in these flanking sequences. A same single insertion site in the intron of Gohir.D01G157600.1 was found in the two transgenic lines 7/100826-152 and 12/100826-393, while two separated insertion sites, one also in the intron of Gohir.-D01G157600.1 and the other in the intergenic region of A12 chromosome, were found in the transgenic line 1/w-ch14. A deletion of 21 bp was found in the insertion site in the intron of Gohir.D01G157600.1. The T-DNA insertion in the intron of Gohir.D01G157600.1 was further confirmed by the specific PCR. [Conclusion] The flanking sequences of T-DNA in the transgenic GbVe1 cotton were obtained and the specific transformation event in the intron of Gohir.D01G157600.1 was further confirmed by PCR.     

禽腺病毒血清4型贵州株全基因序列分析

为了解禽腺病毒血清4型(FAdV-4)地方流行毒株的分子进化情况,基于实验室分离的2株FAdV-4贵州株GZ-BJ株和GZ-QL株,分别对2株FAdV-4毒株进行PCR分段扩增,扩增产物克隆至载体,提取质粒进行PCR和双酶切鉴定后筛选出重组质粒进行测序,将测序结果依次拼接得到病毒的全基因组,获得FAdV-4贵州株的全基因序列,并对其进行序列和遗传进化分析。结果显示,通过PCR分段扩增成功获得了2株FAdV-4贵州株(GZ-BJ株和GZ-QL株)的全基因序列,长度分别为43352、43723 bp,FAdV-4 GZ-BJ株全基因序列长度比FAdV-4 GZ-QL株短371 bp,少6个ORF(22K、putative 9.1 ku、u-exon、ORF17、ORF28、ORF42),二者的氨基酸同源性为57.1%。2株FAdV-4贵州株同国内外不同地区FAdV-4毒株核苷酸同源性在88.7%~100%,与FAdV-4经典毒株ON1比对,2株FAdV-4贵州株和国内FAdV-4分离株均缺失ORF19、ORF27、ORF30。系统进化树分析显示,2株FAdV-4贵州株GZ-BJ株和GZ-QL株仍属于Ⅰ群C种FAdV。研究结果表明,2株贵州株FAdV-4 GZ-BJ株和FAdV-4 GZ-QL株较国内外FAdV-4毒株均存在进化与突变,且FAdV-4 GZ-BJ株变化较大,但尚未改变其血清型,这为探索FAdV-4致病机理的分子机制研究提供依据。     

Lipid-rich bovine serum albumin improves the viability and hatching ability of porcine blastocysts produced in vitro

The effects of lipid-rich bovine serum albumin (LR-BSA) on the development of porcine blastocysts produced in vitro were examined. Addition of 0.5 to 5 mg/ml LR-BSA to porcine blastocyst medium (PBM) from Day 5 (Day 0 = in vitro fertilization) significantly increased the hatching rates of blastocysts on Day 7 and the total cell numbers in Day-7 blastocysts. When Day-5 blastocysts were cultured with PBM alone, PBM containing LR-BSA, recombinant human serum albumin or fatty acid-free BSA, addition of LR-BSA significantly enhanced hatching rates and the cell number in blastocysts that survived compared with other treatments. The diameter, ATP content and numbers of both inner cell mass and total cells in Day-6 and Day-7 blastocysts cultured with PBM containing LR-BSA were significantly higher than in blastocysts cultured with PBM alone, whereas LR-BSA had no effect on mitochondrial membrane potential. The mRNA levels of enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism and β-oxidation (ACSL1, ACSL3, CPT1, CPT2 and KAT) in Day-7 blastocysts were significantly upregulated by the addition of LR-BSA. The results indicated that LR-BSA enhanced hatching ability and quality of porcine blastocysts produced in vitro, as determined by ATP content, blastocyst diameter and expression levels of the specific genes, suggesting that the stimulatory effects of LR-BSA arise from lipids bound to albumin.     

Effect Of Replacing Fish Meal With Blood Meal On Chemical Composition Of Supplement For Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus)

The objective of the work was to evaluate the effect on the nutrient content of replacing fish meal (FM) with blood meal (BM) in fish supplement. Three isonitrogenous diets (35% crude protein) were formulated using FM as the main source of animal protein (BM0); 50% replacement of FM with blood meal (BM50); or 100% replacement of FM with BM (BM100). The chemical composition (ash, crude protein, crude fat and crude fibre) and amino acid composition were determined. Replacement of FM with BM did not affect the proximate composition of the diet apart from ash content which decreased with the level of substitution. Substituting fish meal with blood meal reduced the levels of methionine, lysine, isoleucine, leucine, proline, valine and increased the levels of arginine, phenylanine and alanine in the diet. Amino acid indices revealed that BM0 had more amino acids with the highest chemical scores followed by BM50 and BM100. In all the diets, methionine was the most limiting amino acid. The essential amino acid index of the diets reduced with the level of replacement of FM (0.94, 0.88 and 0.77). The study showed substitution of up to 50% FM with BM gave a useful protein diet and 100% gave almost a poor protein diet.