A Polymorphism in the Melanocortin 4 Receptor Gene (MC4R:c.92C>T) Is Associated with Diabetes Mellitus in Overweight Domestic Shorthaired Cats

Background

Feline diabetes mellitus (DM) shares many pathophysiologic features with human type 2 DM. Human genome‐wide association studies have identified genes associated with obesity and DM, including melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R), which plays an important role in energy balance and appetite regulation.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the feline MC4R gene and to determine whether any SNPs are associated with DM or overweight body condition in cats.

Animals

Two‐hundred forty domestic shorthaired (DSH) cats were recruited for the study. Of these, 120 diabetics were selected (60 overweight, 60 lean), along with 120 nondiabetic controls (60 overweight and 60 lean). Males and females were equally represented.

Methods

A prospective case‐control study was performed. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples and used as template for PCR amplification of the feline MC4R gene. The coding region of the gene was sequenced in 10 cats to identify polymorphisms. Subsequently, genotyping by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis assessed MC4R:c.92C > T allele and genotype frequencies in each group of cats.

Results

No significant differences in MC4R:c.92C>T allele or genotype frequencies were identified between nondiabetic overweight and lean cats. In the overweight diabetic group, 55% were homozygous for the MC4R:c.92C allele, compared to 33% of the lean diabetics and 30% of the nondiabetics. The differences between the overweight diabetic and the nondiabetics were significant (P < .01).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

We identified a polymorphism in the coding sequence of feline MC4R that is associated with DM in overweight DSH cats, similar to the situation in humans.     

鸡沙门氏菌脉冲场凝胶电泳分型研究

为应用脉冲场凝胶电泳(PFGE)从分子水平上对禽源沙门氏菌之间的差别进行分析和研究,本研究采用自动微生物鉴定仪对12株疑似鼠伤寒沙门氏菌和15株疑似鸡白痢沙门氏菌进行了鉴定.以限制性核酸内切酶Xba I对其全基因组DNA进行酶切、PFGE分型,Info Quest FP聚类分析软件对电泳结果进行分析.结果显示,共鉴定出11株鼠伤寒沙门氏菌、1株圣保罗沙门氏菌、6株阿姆斯特丹沙门氏菌、5株亚拉巴马沙门氏菌、1株鸡白痢沙门氏菌、2株纽波特沙门氏菌和2株肠炎沙门氏菌,一共分为12个PFGE型.实验结果表明,江苏地区存在有不常见的沙门氏菌血清型,同种血清型之间的基因型差别较小(相似值为0.85～1),不同血清型之间差别较大(相似值为0.45～0.70).PFGE能从分子水平上对禽源沙门氏菌的基因组DNA进行分型.     

Evaluation of ground grain versus pre- and post-pellet whole grain additions to poultry diets via a response surface design

1. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of pre- and post-pellet whole grain wheat additions to diets on growth performance, gizzard and pancreas development, nutrient utilisation and starch and protein (N) digestibility coefficients in broiler chickens via an equilateral triangle response surface design.

2. The three apical treatments of the equilateral triangle comprised (1A) a standard diet containing 600 g/kg ground wheat, (2B) the same diet containing 600 g/kg pre-pellet whole wheat and (3C) the same diet containing 300 g/kg ground wheat and 300 g/kg post-pellet whole wheat. Seven blends of the three apical diets were located within the triangle to complete the design and a total of 360 male Ross 308 chicks were offered the ten experimental diets from 7 to 28 d post-hatch. Model prediction and response surface plots were generated with R 3.0.3 software.

3. The most efficient FCR of 1.466 was observed in birds offered an almost equal mixture of the pre- and post-pellet whole grain apical dietary treatments, which corresponded to 172 g/kg ground grain, 256 g/kg pre-pellet whole grain, 172 g/kg post-pellet whole grain in a diet containing 600 g/kg wheat.

4. The most efficient energy utilisation (ME:GE ratio of 0.766) was observed in birds offered a blend of the ground grain and pre-pellet whole grain apical dietary treatments which corresponded to a mixture of 384 g/kg pre-pellet whole grain and 216 g/kg ground grain.

5. Pre-pellet whole grain feeding generated the most pronounced responses in increased relative gizzard contents, reduced gizzard pH and increased relative pancreas weights. Consideration is given to the likely differences between pre- and post-pellet whole grain feeding.     

畜禽抗性分子育种研究进展

近年分子遗传的理论和技术进展迅速，为动物抗性育种的研究开拓了新的空间。本文就抗性遗传概念，抗性基因的来源、标记、选择、表达及转基因动物在抗性育种的应用前景做一简介。     

氮、磷、钾配施对草原3号苜蓿干草产量的影响

采用“3414”试验设计对草原3号苜蓿进行大田施肥,通过对苜蓿干草产量进行多元回归分析和模拟寻优分析来探索氮、磷、钾肥的肥料效应。结果表明,施肥在不同程度上增加了苜蓿干草产量,增产幅度在7.20%~26.85%之间,增产最高的施肥处理是P2K1N1;在单因子施肥效应中,苜蓿干草产量随着磷肥施入量增加而增加,随着钾肥和氮肥施入量增加而先增加后降低。在两因子互作效应中,氮磷、磷钾互作对苜蓿干草产量具有一定的促进作用,氮钾互作对苜蓿干草产量具有一定抑制作用。通过模拟寻优分析得到最优施肥配比为P2O5 180.22kg/hm^2、K2O 52.82kg/hm^2、N 41.84kg/hm^2,产量达11257.09kg/hm^2。磷、钾、氮以及饲草产量的最优配比区间分别为178.2~182.33kg/hm^2、51.38~54.38kg/hm^2、40.8~42.9kg/hm^2、11247.36~11266.82kg/hm^2。     

应用于家蚕F2代分离群体的两种连锁作图方法的作图效果比较

构建精细的家蚕分子连锁图谱需要合适的作图方法。应用Mapmaker/EXP3.0和F2lnkgsilk两种作图方法,对家蚕F2代91个个体为分离群体的300个AFLP标记和69个个体为分离群体的470个RAPD标记数据进行了比较分析。用F2lnkgsilk作图方法分析得到的分群数与Mapmaker/EXP3.0作图方法相比有所增加,而总的图距却显著增加,平均图距也有较大的增加,但产生的二联体数基本相同。就单个连锁群而言,两种作图分析方法的连锁标记及其数目80%以上相同,但是标记间的排列顺序70%以上有差异;用F2lnkgsilk作图方法分析得到的单个连锁群的总图距和平均图距也相应增大。     

草地早熟禾NADH-GOGAT基因的克隆及表达分析

氮素是制约草坪草生长发育的重要因素之一,GS/GOGAT循环是植物氮同化的主要途径,谷氨酸合酶（glutamine：2-oxoglutarate amidotransferase,glutamate synthase,GOGAT）在植物氮素转化过程中发挥着重要的催化作用。本研究以草地早熟禾（Poa pratensis）为试材,基于二代测序RNA-seq相关数据,克隆得到草地早熟禾NADH-GOGAT基因,并进行生物信息学分析。结果表明：草地早熟禾NADH-GOGAT基因序列为3 236 bp,完整的开放阅读框（Open Reading Frame Finder,ORF）为1 338 bp,编码445个氨基酸残基组成的蛋白;预测NADH-GOGAT蛋白的分子量为49.89KD,等电点（isoelectric point,pI）为6.11,无信号肽,含有1个Glu_syn_central结构域,属于Glu_syn_central超级家族;二级结构以无规则卷曲、α-螺旋、延伸链和β-转角为主;同源进化分析结果表明草地早熟禾NADH-GOGAT与硬粒黑小麦氨基酸序列相似度为97%。草地早熟禾NADH-GOGAT基因在叶部的相对表达量高于根与茎,低氮浓度更有利于该基因的表达。NADH-GOGAT在干旱胁迫和水氮互作中表达差异显著（P<0.05）。草地早熟禾NADH-GOGAT基因的克隆,及相关序列分析和基因表达,对进一步研究该基因的功能和草地早熟禾GS/GOGAT循环的调控过程具有一定意义。     

中国荷斯坦牛凝血因子XI缺陷症遗传分析

凝血因子XI缺陷症（FactorXIdenciency）是荷斯坦牛的一种常染色体单基因控制的隐性遗传缺陷。该病的遗传基础是由位于牛第27号染色体的凝血因子XI基因外显子12上发生的一段76bp序列插入。本研究采用PCR方法对我国13个主要公牛站的571头荷斯坦公牛的凝血因子XI基因进行了全面检测,未发现隐性有害基因携带者和纯合个体。     

基于机器视觉的饲料生产智能包装系统设计与应用研究

为提高饲料生产订单的包装效率、智能化程度、降低包装成本,文章基于机器视觉,从硬件选择与软件设计两个层面设计饲料生产智能包装系统.采用AutoMod软件对饲料生产智能包装系统进行仿真试验,检验整个包装系统效果.结果表明,该智能包装系统包装效率高、关键设备利用率高、系统可靠性、可行性良好.