Aspen persistence near the National Elk Refuge and Gros Ventre Valley elk feedgrounds of Wyoming, USA

We investigated aspen (Populus tremuloides)regeneration in the Gros Ventre River Valley, the National Elk Refuge and a small part of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA to see if elk (Cervus elaphus) browsing was as damaging as previously thought. We conducted a landscape-scale survey to assess aspen regeneration across gradients of wintering elk concentrations using 68 randomly selected aspen stands in the 1090 km² study area. Forty-four percent of the stands sampled supported some newer regeneration that had reached the canopy. There were no significant differences of regeneration across elk winter range classification (p=0.25) or distance from feedgrounds (p=0.96). However, a multiple linear regression found that the concentration of elk was one of several important predictors of successful aspen regeneration (p=0.005, R ²=0.36). Our results suggest that stand-replacing regeneration occurs across the landscape at a variety of elk densities despite some trends of reduced regeneration under greater elk concentrations. We propose that high spatial and temporal variation and scattered patches of successful aspen regeneration characterize aspen persistence between periods of episodic regeneration and recruitment.     

半散放东北马鹿人工授精技术

人工授精技术的关键是母鹿的发情鉴定。半散放母鹿的发情表现分为 3种类型 :隐性发情、表现发情和发情 ,表现类型不同 ,受孕率也不同。发情母鹿的受孕率为 95 0 0 % ;表现发情母鹿的受孕率为 71 43 % ,隐性发情母鹿的受孕率为 5 0 0 0 %。人工授精输精率为 85 5 8% ,受孕率为 78 65 %。同自然繁殖的母鹿相比 ,受孕率提高近 3 0 %。     

基于RNA-Seq技术的塔里木马鹿毛色相关差异表达基因筛选及初步分析

旨在基于RNA-Seq技术对塔里木马鹿毛色相关基因进行筛选及分析。采用Illumina Hi Seq TM2000测序平台对塔里木马鹿和天山马鹿的皮肤组织进行转录组测序,所得序列经质控、组装后比对到NR、Swiss-Prot、COG、KOG、KEGG、GO和Pfam数据库中注释,并对差异表达基因进行筛选、功能注释和富集分析。结果表明,测序获得25 038个有注释信息的Unigenes,比对分析显示,塔里木马鹿与天山马鹿有922个差异表达基因,其中上调表达基因495个,下调表达基因427个;GO功能富集分析结果显示,568个差异表达基因富集到61个GO条目上,分别参与了生物学过程、细胞组分及分子功能;KEGG代谢通路富集分析发现,在差异表达基因中富集最显著的代谢通路是ECM-受体相互作用。利用实时荧光定量PCR（qRT-PCR）方法分析与塔里木马鹿毛色相关的7个候选基因的转录水平变化来验证转录组测序结果的准确性和可靠性,这些基因的表达趋势与转录组测序结果相一致。ECM-受体相互作用、蛋白质消化与吸收、PI3K-Akt信号通路及与黑色素合成相关的酪氨酸等通路可能与塔里木马鹿的毛色有关;候选基因MITF、Ggt1、VDR、PTPRF、CⅡTA、ARPC5L、POMC等可能在塔里木马鹿毛色形成过程中发挥重要作用。本研究结果为今后塔里木马鹿毛色相关基因的分子调控机制方面及挖掘潜在的新基因提供了丰富的试验数据。     

梅花鹿多杀性巴氏杆菌病病原体的分离鉴定及其荚膜分型的研究

以疑似巴氏杆菌病死亡鹿的肝、脾及心血经改良马丁琼脂平板分离培养后,进行染色、镜检、多种糖发酵试验、吲哚试验、硝酸盐还原试验、甲基红试验、V.P.试验及硫化氢试验、小白鼠接种、间接血球凝集荚膜分型试验,确定该病的病原体为多杀性巴氏杆菌。该株多杀性巴氏杆菌革兰氏阴性,发酵葡萄糖、蔗糖、果糖、甘露醇、半乳糖,产酸不产气;不分解乳糖、麦芽糖、菊糖、甜醇、山梨醇、肌醇、棉子糖、产生吲哚,还原硝酸盐,甲基红及V.P.试验阴性,不产生硫化氢,荚膜型为B型。     

Welfare of farmed deer in New Zealand. 1. Management practices

This review summarises research of management practices that potentially impact on the welfare of farmed deer. The processes of capture and initial domestication of feral deer caused many welfare problems but are now essentially complete in New Zealand. The health and production status of farmed deer, and readily visible indicators of their welfare are generally good, although preventive medicines and optimum management practices have not been universally adopted. Research into social behaviour, effects of yarding, weaning, mating, calving, shelter, shade and nutrition has identified ways of improving the welfare of farmed deer and has provided recommendations for deer industry quality assurance programmes. Research has identified transport design and practices that minimise the impact of transport on deer welfare and reduce carcass wastage caused by bruising during transport. Time in lairage prior to slaughter should be minimised and electrical stunning is a humane method of slaughter. Ongoing research is needed on management practices and farm environments to further improve the welfare of farmed deer, consistent with the goals of the New Zealand deer industry and its proactive approach to date.     

Optimal dose and timing in phytohaemagglutinin skin-testing of deer

AIM: To establish the optimal dose of the mitogen phytohaem- agglutinin (PHA) and the optimal time for measuring increased skin-fold thickness in red deer following intradermal injection, as an indicator of cell-mediated immune response.

METHODS: Three doses (10, 50 and 250 µg) of PHA were injected intradermally in the right side of the neck, and phosphate buffered saline (PBS) was injected at a fourth site as a control, in 20 captive Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) hinds. Skin-fold thicknesses were measured at 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84 and 96 h following injection.

RESULTS: The highest dose of PHA tested (250 µg) resulted in a clear and long-lasting cellular response; increases in skin-fold thickness between 48 and 84 h post-injection varied minimally and response correlated positively with liveweight. No correlations with liveweight and no clear increases in skin-fold thickness occurred at the lower doses of PHA or the PBS.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This technique could be applied with minimal training and without specialised equipment in deer, for immunological and ecological research.     

海南坡鹿MYD88cDNA的克隆及其生物信息学分析

以海南坡鹿外周血白细胞为材料,利用RT-PCR技术获得海南坡鹿髓样分化因子(myeloid diffrentiation factor 88,MYD88)基因完整的CDS序列,并对其进行了较系统的生物信息学分析.结果表明:该基因CDS区含有89l bp,编码296个氨基酸,该分子具有高度的进化保守性,编码蛋白无跨膜区,...     

马鹿生长素Ghrelin全长cDNA的克隆及序列分析

为获得马鹿(Cervus elaphus)Ghrelin全长cDNA序列并进行序列比较和分析,本试验以马鹿皱胃黏膜组织内提取的总RNA为模板,通过RT-PCR、RACE和基因克隆等技术进行克隆。结果表明:获得长度为539bp的马鹿cDNA全序列(GenBank accession no.KX857494),其中包括46bp的5′非编码区(5′UTR),351bp的开放阅读框(ORF),编码116个氨基酸残基的前原Ghrelin(preproghrelin),128bp的3′非编码区(3′UTR)和poly(A)14;Ghrelin的氨基酸同源性分析表明,马鹿Ghrelin cDNA全序列与驯鹿、梅花鹿、山羊、绵羊、牛等物种间的同源性较高,进化树分析与其亲缘关系远近一致。     

东北梅花鹿卵泡闭锁的显微结构观察

为探索东北梅花鹿卵泡闭锁的规律,试验利用光学显微镜对6只发情期东北梅花鹿卵巢上的各级闭锁卵泡进行了观察,并利用目镜测微尺和显微照相技术进行测量和拍照。观察结果表明：卵泡闭锁发生于卵泡生长的各个时期,主要表现为卵母细胞和卵泡细胞的形态变化。有两种形式：Ⅰ型表现为卵母细胞首先出现退行性变化,为原始卵泡、初级卵泡和次级卵泡的主要闭锁形式;Ⅱ型表现为卵泡细胞首先出现核致密化,胞质空泡化瓦解,分为早期、中期和后期3个阶段,在三级卵泡的闭锁中常见。     

Development of a method for forest cafeteria tests for evaluating chemical deterrents against bark stripping by sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis)

Damage caused by sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) is a serious problem in commercial and environmental (non-harvested) forests in Hokkaido, northern Japan. Cafeteria tests in forests may be useful for evaluating the efficacy of chemical deterrents against bark stripping by deer. To develop a method for forest cafeteria tests in the continuous snow cover period, two experiments were carried out. In the experiments, logs were produced from tree trunks, and used as carriers of chemical deterrents. Carriers were installed in forests and fed to deer. The first experiment was to find suitable sites and installation methods for carriers. Criteria for the local suitability and the installation methods were as follows: a) Sites where deer are active should be selected; b) Carriers should be installed along actively used deer trails; c) Installation sites of carriers should be changed in response to deer movement; d) Carriers should be produced from tree species that deer naturally prefer; and e) Each carrier should be partially buried in the snow. The second experiment evaluated the feasibility of a cafeteria test method based on the results of the first experiment. The method was used for 13 sets of the cafeteria test, in which the deterrent effectiveness of 5 chemicals (wood tar, rosin, wood vinegar, and 2 pyroligneous liquors) was examined. We obtained results from all the sets. The chemicals tested did not deter bark stripping by deer. Nevertheless, the method used in the present study was practical for the cafeteria tests.