Genetic Engineering Approaches to Pig Production*

Modern biotechnology promises a number of new applications in animal breeding and production. Although conventional pig breeding has achieved a high level of efficiency and productivity numerous problems have been encountered with animal health and the loss of meat quality. Selection based on phenotypic performance data of individual animals does not take into account the importance of specific genes and their relevance within a complex regulatory system. In most cases it is therefore difficult to trace back the genetic origins of clinically important disorders. The application of genetic engineering techniques in pig production will facilitate diagnosis, improvement of productivity, and animal health by allowing direct genetic manipulation. Attention must be focussed on the physical and genetic analysis of the procine genome. The isolation and characterisation of genes, DNA-markers, polymorphic DNA-fragments, and their chromosomal assignment will be important prerequisites and tools for the elucidation of genetic disorders. Especially the detection of heterozygous carriers of recessive disorders and their elimination from the breeding stock will increase selection accuracy and decrease the generation intervals. But also the rapid and simple detection of infectious diseases, which is sometimes difficult if not impossible at present, will improve animal health and welfare. Although the production of transgenic animals either by DNA-microinjection into zygotes or the use of embryonal stem cells manipulated in vitro is less straightforward than DNA-based diagnosis it will play an important role in the direct manipulation of the porcine genome and genes. Breeding programmes including the use of transgenic livestock have already been developed. There is no doubt that genetic engineering has reached a degree of practical feasibility, allowing it to play an important role in pig breeding in particular and animal production in general.     

Expression of a recombinant crustacean hyperglycemic hormone of the kuruma prawn Penaeus japonicus in methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris

ABSTRACT:   Until now, six crustacean hyperglycemic hormones (CHH) designated Pej-SGP-I, -II, -III, -V, -VI and -VII have been characterized in the kuruma prawn Penaeus japonicus . All CHH consist of 72 amino acid residues and have an amidated carboxyl (C)-terminus. In the present study, we expressed Pej-SGP-III in methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris in order to obtain a large quantity of recombinant CHH possessing biological activity. A cDNA encoding Pej-SGP-III that had been previously cloned was processed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the resulting product was ligated into an expression vector. Pichia pastoris was transformed with this vector after which a recombinant Pej-SGP-III was expressed having an additional amino acid residue (glycine) at the C-terminus (rPej-SGP-III-Gly), a form considered to be a putative precursor of this hormone. rPej-SGP-III-Gly secreted into the culture medium was purified by reversed-phase HPLC, and amidated using a peptidylglycine alpha-amidating enzyme. The amidated rPej-SGP-III (rPej-SGP-III) showed hyperglycemic activity in in vivo bioassay almost comparable to that of the natural Pej-SGP-III. rPej-SGP-III thus obtained will be a useful tool not only for its physiological study but also for the determination of its 3-D structure.     

糯米糍荔枝果实内源激素与落果的关系

以糯米糍荔枝生理落果期的田间调查和胚胎发育研究为基础,探讨了内源激素与生理落果的关系.结果表明,糯米糍生理落果高峰的主要原因是:第1次因授粉受精不良导致的生长促进类激素尤其是CTK水平过低;第2次与胚乳为胚的发育所利用而消失、IAA和GAs急剧降低有关;第3次与胚的败育造成CTK、GAs和IAA的全面下降有关;第4次发生在假种皮(果肉)迅速生长期,与种皮和假种皮ABA升至高水平有关.此外,还探讨了ABA /(IAA+GAs+CTK)与生理落果的相关性,以及胚囊、珠被和假种皮等果实内部组分内源激素的变化特点.     

Association of polymorphism of Fc receptor γ chain gene at position-29 in promoter with the susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus in southern Chinese

AIM:To detect the association between the polymorphism of Fc receptor γ chain gene at position-29 in promoter and systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE).METHODS:The genotypes at position -29 in promoter of Fc receptor γ chain gene were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method in 180 patients with SLE and 140 ethnically matched controls in southern China.RESULTS:The frequencies of TT genotype(33.3%) and T allele (54.4%) at position -29 in patients with SLE were significantly higher than those in controls (17.2% and 42.9%, respectively), whereas, the frequencies of GG genotype (24.4%) and G allele (45.6%) in patients with SLE were remarkably lower than those in controls (31.4% and 57.1%, respectively) (P＜0.05). The TT genotype and T allele at position -29 were not associated with lupus nephritis in SLE patients (P＞0.05).CONCLUSION:Our results indicate that the T allele at position -29 in promoter of Fc receptor gene probably contributes to the susceptibility to SLE, but does not play a role in the occurrence of lupus nephritis.     

20%多效唑·甲哌 FEE7 微乳剂防止小麦倒伏和增产机理研究

冬小麦二棱期喷施植物生长调节剂20%多效唑·甲哌鎓微乳剂375 mL/hm2,可以显著抑制茎秆基部节间伸长,增加各节间充实度,其中赤霉素(Gas)和生长素(IAA)降低,可显著增强小麦抗倒伏能力和降低田间倒伏率.处理还协调了穗数、穗粒数和粒重的关系,增产幅度6.2%～28.6%.增产原因可能在于促进籽粒灌浆强,增加籽粒中内源Gas、IAA、细胞分裂素(CTKs)的水平,增强了籽粒库活性,同时促进茎叶中干物质向籽粒运转.     

Histological and immunohistochemical evaluation of granulosa cells during different stages of folliculogenesis in bovine ovaries

Bovine granulosa cells (GC) vary in their morphological aspect during different stages of folliculogenesis. In this study, 10 morphologically normal bovine ovaries were collected to study the structural aspects of different stages of GC using intermediate filament protein antibodies including cytokeratin AE1/AE3 (AE1/AE3), vimentin, nectin‐4 and desmin. Hormonal immunolocalization was assessed using the immunomarkers anti‐Müllerian hormone (AMH) and inhibin alpha. In addition, tumour markers and proliferation markers using c‐erbB‐2 oncoprotein and proliferating cell nuclear antigen, respectively, were investigated. The immunolabelling of AE1/AE3 in GC was strongest in the early follicle stage and gradually decreased when reaching the Graafian follicle stage. Its immunolabelling increased again as the stage progressed from stage I to stage III. The immunolabelling of inhibin alpha was inversely proportional to that of AE1/AE3 in the developing ovarian follicles as their immunolabelling is opposite to each other during folliculogenesis. AMH was immunopositive in almost all GC stages in different intensities and percentages, except for some negative staining in the atretic IV follicles. The atretic IV follicle is a unique type of atretic follicle that shows Call‐Exner body formation, which was mainly found in older cows in this study. The distinct patterns of immunoreactivity for various types of immunomarkers in the different GC stages will play an important role in diagnostic assistance of various follicle conditions, including cystic ovaries and GC tumours.     

鸽乳的组成及其生成调控机制的研究进展

鸽乳是由鸽嗉囊组织生成并分泌的半固态营养物质,是乳鸽唯一的营养来源。乳鸽出生后不能自主觅食,需由亲鸽哺育,鸽乳对其生长发育极为重要。鸽乳的生成及分泌是一种特殊的生理过程,在禽类中极为少见,也不同于哺乳动物的泌乳过程。鸽乳主要由蛋白质、脂质、碳水化合物和矿物质等物质组成,其合成与分泌受催乳素、胰岛素和松弛素等多种激素共同调控,通过激活JAK/STAT、PI3K/Akt/TOR、AMPK和Wnt等信号通路,调控相关基因的表达,进而调节嗉囊上皮细胞增殖、变性和营养物质合成、富集等过程。本文综述了鸽乳的组成及其生成调控机制,并与哺乳动物进行了比较,进一步明确了嗉囊产生鸽乳的生理机制及与哺乳动物乳腺泌乳的异同。通过研究鸽乳的组成,可为种鸽营养需要标准制定及人工鸽乳研发提供参考;通过研究鸽乳生成的调控机制,进一步深入挖掘调控泌乳的基因,结合分子标记辅助育种技术,应用于提高种鸽的泌乳能力。     

生殖激素产品的应用和发展趋势

生殖激素是调控动物体内复杂生殖过程并影响繁殖性能的一系列的重要激素.近年来,利用生殖激素的批次化生产繁殖技术被广泛使用,提高了母猪的繁殖效率,促进了养猪业向集约化和规模化方向的发展.目前在批次化生产过程中主要采用孕马血清促性腺激素(PMSG)和人绒毛膜促性腺激素(HCG)以及化学类激素进行繁殖调控.但是这些产品的应用仍...     

4种外源激素处理对羊草种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响

研究了100~600μg/g赤霉素(GA3)和吲哚乙酸(IAA)、25~100μg/g 6-苄氨基嘌呤(6-BA)和脱落酸(ABA)对羊草种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响。结果表明,100~300μg/g GA3和IAA以及25μg/g 6-BA对羊草种子的萌发最终表现为促进作用,总体效果为GA3>IAA>6-BA。当GA3和IAA浓度大于400μg/g或6-BA浓度大于50μg/g时对羊草种子的最终发芽率均表现为不同程度的抑制;25~100μg/g的外源激素ABA对羊草种子萌发没有抑制作用。GA3处理均能显著促进羊草幼苗的伸长,IAA和6-BA则表现为不同程度的抑制作用;GA3、IAA和6-BA 3种促进激素对羊草的根长和根冠比均表现为抑制作用;25~100μg/g ABA对羊草苗长、根长以及根冠比没有显著影响。