绵羊肺腺瘤病毒NM株前病毒gag基因的克隆与序列分析

参照GenBank中已发表的绵羊肺腺瘤病毒(JSRV)的全基因序列，设计合成3对引物，对JSRVNM株的gag基因分3段进行PCR扩增，经琼脂糖凝胶电泳分析，分别呈3条531、888和949 bp的特异条带，将其分别克隆人pMD-18T载体中，进行序列测定并拼接序列，得到完整的gag基因序列。分析结果表明，与南非代表株(基因序列号NC-001494)的gag基因序列比较，核苷酸同源性为89．0%，推导出的氨基酸同源性为90％。与美国代表株(基因序列号AF105220)的gag基因序列比较，核苷酸同源性为86．3％，氨基酸同源性为87％。     

实时荧光定量PCR构建绵羊PrP基因标准品质粒和标准曲线

羊痒病是一种传染性的致死性神经退行性疾病,常引起绵羊和山羊发病,该病在欧洲流行了大约250年,但是它的流行病学和传播机制还不是很清楚.正常的朊蛋白（PrPc）不能引起神经退行性病变,虽然目前已经对许多组织的PrP mRNA进行了检测,但是对它的生物学功能还知之甚少,对PrP基因表达的机制尚不清楚.研究显示,不同组织来源的细胞中朊蛋白的表达程度差异很大,主要出现于神经细胞中.PrPc在细胞中的高水平表达可促使PrPc向PrPsc转变,目前的研究中,对绵羊PrP mRNA的转录机制尚未阐释清楚.因此,对绵羊外周和中枢系统PrP mRNA的表达进行定量,有助于探讨各组织器官中的PrP在羊痒病的发生过程中的作用.     

几种绵羊常用粗饲料GI的测定及其代谢能模型化研究

在测定5类9种粗饲料及3个混合粗饲料的常规成分基础上,实测了它们的粗饲料分级指数(GI):大青山草地早熟禾3.4758、沙打旺3.3731、苜蓿1.7202、混粗C21.1797、青干草1.1029、混粗C10.7852、羊草0.5684、玉米青贮0.4152、玉米秸0.1985、谷草0.1728、混粗D0.0805、苏丹草0.0687,并就GI与饲料相对值(RFV)对粗饲料品质的分级进行了比较,表明GI要优于RFV,同时证明:GI还可以用于混合粗饲料的优化与牧草刈割期的确定。研究并建立了预测粗饲料代谢能(ME)的模型:ME(MJ/kg)=-11.7492 0.5959IVDM(D%)-0.0044[IVDM(D%)]2,其中IVDMD为体外干物质消化率。     

Finding best exotic breed proportion in crossbred lactating sheep kept under farmers’ conditions in Ethiopia determined by use of nested Legendre polynomials with limited data

ABSTRACT

The present study was conducted to estimate milk production performance and fit lactation curves for groups of ewes of Local and of Awassi crosses, with a variable blood level, reared under farmer’s environment. The Weigh-Suckle-Weigh method plus hand milking was used to estimate milk yield for ewes. A total of 466 observations from 115 ewes were used. Estimated least-squares adjusted means for the milk production over 120 days were 0.56?kg day^?1 (Local), 0.67 (<30% Awassi), 0.86 (30–50% Awassi), and 0.96 (>50% Awassi). Groups with 30–50% Awassi and >50% Awassi ewes produced significantly (p?<?0.05) more milk than Local ewes. Significant differences were observed between <30% Awassi and >50% Awassi crossbred groups. The best crosses (>50% Awassi) produced over 70% more milk than the local ewes which demonstrates the potential that exists in increasing milk production through the initiated crossbreeding programme with sheep in Ethiopia.     

Ergovaline does not alter the severity of ryegrass staggers induced by lolitrem B

AIM: To investigate a possible interaction between lolitrem B and ergovaline by comparing the incidence and severity of ryegrass staggers in sheep grazing ryegrass (Lolium perenne) containing lolitrem B or ryegrass containing both lolitrem B and ergovaline.

METHODS: Ninety lambs, aged approximately 6 months, were grazed on plots of perennial ryegrass infected with either AR98 endophyte (containing lolitrem B), standard endophyte (containing lolitrem B and ergovaline) or no endophyte, for up to 42 days from 2 February 2010. Ten lambs were grazed on three replicate plots per cultivar. Herbage samples were collected for alkaloid analysis and lambs were scored for ryegrass staggers (scores from 0–5) weekly during the study. Any animal which was scored ≥4 was removed from the study.

RESULTS: Concentrations of lolitrem B did not differ between AR98 and standard endophyte-infected pastures during the study period (p=0.26), and ergovaline was present only in standard endophyte pastures. Ryegrass staggers was observed in sheep grazing both the AR98 and standard endophyte plots, with median scores increasing in the third week of the study. Prior to the end of the 42-day grazing period, 22 and 17 animals were removed from the standard endophyte and AR98 plots, respectively, because their staggers scores were ≥4. The cumulative probability of lambs having scores ≥4 did not differ between animals grazing the two pasture types (p=0.41).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There was no evidence for ergovaline increasing the severity of ryegrass staggers induced by lolitrem B. In situations where the severity of ryegrass staggers appears to be greater than that predicted on the basis of concentrations of lolitrem B, the presence of other tremorgenic alkaloids should be investigated.     

Meta‐analysis of the energy and protein requirements of hair sheep raised in the tropical region of Brazil

The objective of this study was to estimate, through mathematical models, energy and protein requirements for maintenance and gain of hair sheep raised in the tropical region of Brazil. To determine the equation parameters, a meta‐analysis of seven independent experiments of nutrient requirements was performed, comprising a total of 243 experimental units (animals), which were conducted under tropical conditions, using hair sheep in growing and finishing phases and endowed of the following quantitative data for each animal: body weight (BW ), empty body weight (EBW ), average daily gain (ADG ), empty body gain (EBG ), heat production (HP ), metabolizable energy intake (MEI ), retained energy (RE ), metabolizable protein intake (MPI ) and body protein content. The regression equations generated were as follows: for Net Energy for maintenance, (NE _m): ; for Net Energy for gain, (NE _g): ; for Metabolizable Protein for maintenance,(MP _m): MPI _(g/day) = 24.8470 (±7.3646) + 560.28 (±99.6582) × EBG _(kg/day); for Net Protein for gain, (NP _g): . The NE _m requirement was 0.246 MJ EBW^?0.75 day^?1. The metabolizable energy for maintenance requirement was 0.391 MJ EBW^?0.75 day^?1. Considering an ADG of 100 g, the NE _g requirement ranged from 0.496 to 1.701 MJ/day for animals with BW ranging from 10 to 40 kg respectively. The efficiencies of use of the metabolizable energy for maintenance and gain were 0.63 and 0.36 respectively. The MP _m requirement was 3.097 g EBW^?0.75 day^?1. Considering an ADG of 100 g, the NP _g requirement ranged from 12.4 to 10.5 g/day for animals with BW ranging from 10 to 40 kg respectively. The total metabolizable energy and protein requirements were lower than those reported by the NRC and AFRC systems. Thus, our results support the hypothesis that nutrient requirements of hair sheep raised in tropical regions differ from wool sheep raised in temperate regions. Therefore, the use of the equations designed in this study is recommended.     

Effect of water restriction on milk yield and quality in Lacaune breed ewes

The effect of water restriction on body weight, body condition score, milk yield, and milk composition and rheological characteristics in intensively reared Lacaune ewes was evaluated. After 7 days of adaptation, the trial lasted 28 days. Thirty lactating ewes (48 ± 5 months of age; mean value ± standard deviation) at the beginning of third lactation month were divided into three groups (n = 10), corresponding to the following water restriction treatment: a group control received no drinking water restriction (W100), and two groups received water to the extent of 80% and 60% of W100 daily consumption (W80 and W60 group respectively). The effects of water restriction were assessed at the beginning of experiment (D0), at D14 and D28. The W60 group resulted in a significant decrease in body weight, body condition score, milk yield and feed consumption of hay due to the experimental treatment; whereas a marked increase in both W60 and W80 groups of milk lactose, urea, sodium, sodium chloride content and titratable acidity was observed. Rheological parameters of milk, rennet coagulation time and curd‐firming time were positively affected by water restriction treatments, with a decrease in both experimental groups of the time required for the formation of a stable and firm curd. Results highlight the importance of water consumption in dairy sheep. The scarce availability of water, significantly affecting ewes milk production, is worthy of particular attention in arid area where water stress‐resistant breeds should be considered. This study underlines that milk yield, being closely linked to the availability of water of the breeding habitat due to its high water content (about 81%), could be reached in area where water is not a limiting factor without reducing the genetic expression of the animals. Less severe water restrictions, such as 20% of daily voluntary water intake, produce no detrimental effect on milk yield.