Genetic association between different criteria to define sexual precocious heifers with growth,carcass, reproductive and feed efficiency indicator traits in Nellore cattle using genomic information

The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for different precocious calving criteria and their relationship with reproductive, growth, carcass and feed efficiency in Nellore cattle using the single‐step genomic BLUP. The reproductive traits used were probability of precocious calving (PPC) at 24 (PPC24), 26 (PPC26), 28 (PPC28) and 30 (PPC30) months of age, stayability (STAY) and scrotal circumference at 455 days of age (SC455). Growth traits such as weights at 240 (W240) and 455 (W455) days of age and adult weight (AW) were used. Rib eye area (REA), subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), rump fat thickness (RFT) and residual feed intake (RFI) were included in the analyses. The estimation of genetic parameters was performed using a bi‐trait threshold model including genomic information in a single‐step approach. Heritability for PPC traits was moderate to high (0.29–0.56) with highest estimates for PPC24 (0.56) and PPC26 (0.50). Genetic correlation estimates between PPC and STAY weakened as a function of calving age. Correlation with SC455, growth and carcass traits were low (0.25–0.31; ?0.22 to 0.04; ?0.09 to 0.18, respectively), the same occurs with RFI (?0.09 to 0.08), this suggests independence between female sexual precocity and feed efficiency traits. The results of this study encourage the use of PPC traits in Nellore cattle because the selection for such trait would not have a negative impact on reproductive, growth, carcass and feed efficiency indicator traits. Stayability for sexual precocious heifers (PPC24 and PPC26) must be redefined to avoid incorrectly phenotype assignment.     

“Arte et Labore”—A Blackburn Rovers fan's legacy in human complex trait genetics

Through his own research contributions on the modelling and genetic analysis of quantitative traits and through his former students and postdocs, Robin Thompson has indirectly left a major legacy in human genetics. In this short note, we highlight examples of the long‐lasting relevance and impact of Robin's work in human genetics. A lone early study of marker‐assisted selection developed many of the tools and approaches later exploited (often after reinvention) by the human genetics community in GWAS studies and for prediction. Furthermore, a particularly clear example of the pervasive impact of Robin's work is that REML has become the default method to estimate variance components and that genetic predictions exploiting linkage disequilibrium in the population are starting to become used in precision medicine applications.     

基于组学技术研究反刍动物瘤胃微生物及其代谢功能的进展

瘤胃微生物对反刍动物的生产效率和健康状况以及温室气体的排放起着至关重要的作用,而采用不同的研究方法和手段揭示瘤胃生态系统中微生物群落的结构组成和代谢功能是该研究领域的热点和重点。本文综述了采用多组学(宏基因组学、宏转录组学、宏蛋白质组学和代谢组学)技术,结合不断发展的仪器分析和生物信息技术,研究反刍动物瘤胃微生物组成、基因组功能及代谢方面的最新进展,旨在为进一步调控瘤胃微生物以提高反刍动物生产和减轻环境污染提供新的技术手段和理论基础。     

猪主要经济性状的基因组选择研究

旨在系统比较GBLUP、SSGBLUP、BayesA、BayesB、BayesC、BayesLASSO、BSLMM和BayesR等8种方法对猪重要经济性状基因组选择的准确性。本研究以本实验室收集的2 585头大白猪达100kg日龄、达100kg背膘厚和母猪乳头数3个性状为分析对象,结合猪50K基因芯片分型数据,以加性模型为基础,利用5倍交叉验证比较8种方法的基因组选择准确性。研究发现,基因组选择的准确性与不同性状估计遗传力呈正相关。交叉验证结果表明,预测准确性最高的性状为达100kg日龄,但不同方法在不同性状中表现并不完全相同,在达100kg日龄和达100kg背膘厚中SSGBLUP基因组预测准确性均为最高,而在母猪乳头数中BayesA的基因组预测准确性最高。综上表明,对小样本开展基因组预测时,中、高等遗传力性状可以选择SSGBLUP方法,低等遗传力性状可以选择BayesA方法。如何优化和选择一种广泛适用于所有性状的方法,可能是未来研究的方向。     

猕猴桃溃疡病菌biovar 3群体MLVA分型技术的建立与应用

 丁香假单胞菌猕猴桃致病变种生物型3(Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae biovar 3,Psa3)是猕猴桃溃疡病菌的世界流行群体,但仅在中国存在复杂的遗传多样性。开发适于Psa3群体分型的MLVA(multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis)技术是探索中国Psa3起源与流行学特性的基础。本研究对7个Psa3菌株进行了全基因组测序,结合已公布的86个全基因组数据,进行比较分析发现,中国Psa3至少存在7个亚群;在各亚群间存在多态性的24个串联重复序列中,其中10个可以通过琼脂糖凝胶电泳区分开且变异指数合适,据此建立了适于Psa3的MLVA技术。采用该技术对分别来自贵州和陕西的62和9个Psa3菌株进行群体分型,分型结果与全基因组分析高度一致,证明该MLVA体系分型准确。MLVA分型结果表明:贵州主产区修文县Psa3有3个MLVA群体,其中亚群4的组内分化明显,代表最早发生的群体;而亚群 1和3的结构单一,且多在新果园发现,是新传入群体。总之,本研究建立了一套可用于Psa3群体分型的MLVA技术,将有助于解析中国各猕猴桃产区Psa3群体结构,以及探索中国Psa3的起源、传播和流行学特征。     

应用基因芯片检测中国野生葡萄抗白粉病基因表达

 本文研究了利用Affymetrix的欧洲葡萄基因表达芯片检测中国野生葡萄基因表达的可行性,并检测了葡萄白粉菌(Uncinular necator)人工接种诱导后48 h后的基因表达情况。结果表明,该芯片可以在感病材料中检测出表达的基因11 906个,抗病材料中检测到表达的基因11 839个,在二者中同时检出表达的基因11 839个,能够检出的基因数占该芯片基因探针组总数的71.3%,因此用欧洲葡萄基因芯片检测中国野生葡萄中基因表达水平是完全可行的;并利用此芯片检测出在人工接种诱导后,抗病材料中和感病材料相比表达上调的基因共1 920个,占检测出基因总数的16.21%;表达下调的基因数1 760个,占检测出基因总数的14.87%;表达上调和下调的幅度(signal log ratio)都在1~7倍之间。     

牛副流感病毒3型毒株的分离鉴定及基因组遗传变异分析

从新疆地区某牛场出现发热、咳嗽等症状的多例病牛的肺组织中分离得到3株牛副流感病毒3型,分别命名为XJ03、XJ022、XJ023,对其中两株病毒XJ03和XJ023的基因组进行序列测定,测序结果显示,XJ03和XJ023毒株基因组全长分别为15474 bp(Gen Bank登录号为KU198929)和15475 bp,其核苷酸同源性为99.89%。同代表性的牛副流感病毒基因组比对发现,与我国的山东毒株SD0835同源性最高为99.3%,均属C型BPIV。在C型毒株中,与南韩12Q061分离株(C型)同源性最低为97.5%。F、N、HN、L、P、M蛋白基因氨基酸序列分析显示,与SD0835毒株相应序列对比,同源性分别为99.63%、92.15%、99.48%、99.28%、98.50%和100%,部分氨基酸发生了新的变异。试验结果将为今后更好地开展BPIV3防控奠定基础。     

Characterization of wheat-triticale doubled haploid lines by cytological and biochemical markers

Five wheat-triticale doubled haploid (DH) lines— M08, V209, DH220-14-2, DH696-3-4 and M16 —derived from anther culture of F₁s resulting from crosses involving hexaploid or octoploid triticale × hexaploid wheat, were characterized by cytological and biochemical markers. Cytological evidence from genomic in situ hybridization and C-banding indicated that DH lines M08 and V209 (2n= 42) each contained a pair of 1BL/1RS translocation chromosomes. DH220-14-2 (2n= 42) was also a translocated line with two pairs of chromosomes containing small fragments of rye. One of the translocation fragments carried the Sec-1R gene originating from the satellite region of 1RS; the origin of the other one remains unknown. DH696-3-4 (2n= 42) contained a 3D(3R) substitution. In M16 (2n= 44), three pairs of rye chromosomes, 3R, 4R and 6R, were present, 4R as an addition and 3D(3R) and 6D(6R) as substitutions. Biochemical, isozyme and storage protein markers confirmed the cytological conclusions. The advantages of transferring alien chromosomes or chromosome fragments into wheat and creating alien aneuploid lines by anther culture of hybrid F¹s are discussed.