Dietary Sodium Butyrate Supplementation Promotes Oxidative Fiber
Formation in Mice
Shuai Chang a, Xiaoling Chen a, Zhiqing Huang a, Daiwen Chen a, Bing Yu a, Hong Chen b, Jun Hea,
Junqiu Luoa, Ping Zheng a, Jie Yu a and Yuheng Luoa
aKey Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P. R. China; bCollege of Food Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Yaan, Sichuan, P. R. China
ABSTRACT
Sodium butyrate (SB), a sodium salt of butyric acid, has been shown to improve the animal production performance. The aim of this work was to test the effect of feeding mice with diets containing different dose of SB (1, 3, and 5%) on oxidative fiber formation. Dietary SB supplementation had no effect on body weights and food intakes. Dietary SB supplementation upregulated the expressions of oxidative fiber-related protein including MyHC I, MyHC IIa, myoglobin, and troponin-I-slow. Dietary SB supplementation also upregulated the expressions of phospho-FoxO1 and MEF2C protein, but did not affect total FoxO1 protein expression. Taken together, these results indicate that dietary SB supplementation promotes oxidative fiber formation in mice, which might be through inactivation of FoxO1 and upregulation of MEF2C expression.
KEYWORDS
FoxO1; MEF2C; oxidative fibers formation; sodium butyrate
Distribution of the CD4 Alleles in Sus scrofa Demonstrates the Genetic
Profiles of Western Breeds and Miniature Pigs
Tomoko Eguchi-Ogawaa,b, Tatsuya Matsubara c, Daisuke Toki d,e, Naohiko Okumura d, Asako Andof,
Hitoshi Kitagawa c and Hirohide Uenishi a,g
aAnimal Genome Research Unit, Agrogenomics Research Center, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan; bOffice of Evaluation, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan; cUnited Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan; dAnimal Research DIvision, Institute of Japan Association for Techno-innovation in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan; eDaisuke Toki, National Livestock Breeding Center, Nishigo, Fukushima, Japan; fDivision of Basic Medical Science and Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular Life Science, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan; gAnimal Bioregulation Unit, Division of Animal Sciences, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
ABSTRACT
Widely used antipig CD4 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) fail to recognize CD4 alleles characteristic of miniature pig lines such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) miniature pigs and microminipigs. We surveyed polymorphisms in the coding sequence of the porcine CD4 gene among Western and Oriental pig breeds and Japanese wild boars and investigated their distribution. Of the 13 alleles that we identified among the 47 animals, 2 in group I and 3 in group II were found exclusively in Western breed pigs. Group IV alleles, which included mAb-nonbinding alleles, were found frequently in Oriental breed pigs, suggesting that the mAb-nonbinding allele arose from the gene pool of Oriental pigs. Group IV alleles were also found in Duroc and Large
White pigs, suggesting genetic inflow from Oriental pig breeds into Western breeds. Comparison of the CD4 sequences of species in Cetartiodactyla suggested that the group IV alleles in Sus scrofa occurred before the divergence of this species from the other artiodactyls. The different antibody specificities of the various CD4 alleles may facilitate the discrimination of T-cell populations in transplantation studies using miniature pigs. The significance of the preservation of CD4 polymorphisms to immune function in pigs warrants further investigation.
KEYWORDS
Allele frequency; CD4; genetic polymorphisms; miniature pig; swine
Effects of MicroRNA-27a on Myogenin Expression and Akt/FoxO1 Signal
Pathway during Porcine Myoblast Differentiation
Shurun Zhang a, Xiaoling Chen a, Zhiqing Huang a, Daiwen Chen a, Bing Yu a, Jun Hea, Ping Zheng a, Jie Yu a, Junqiu Luoa, Yuheng Luoa and Hong Chen b
aKey Laboratory for Animal Disease-Resistance Nutrition of China Ministry of Education, Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, P. R. China; bCollege of Food Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Yaan, Sichuan, P. R. China
ABSTRACT
Skeletal myoblast differentiation is controlled by a multitude of transcription factors and signal pathways. Myogenin is a critical transcriptional regulator in the initiation and maintenance of myoblast differentiation. The Akt/FoxO1 signal pathway plays an important role in myoblast differentiation. MicroRNAs are a kind of small noncoding RNAs that have been regarded as important
regulators in skeletal muscle cell proliferation and differentiation. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of microRNA-27a (miR-27a) on myogenin expression and Akt/FoxO1 signal pathway during porcine myoblast differentiation. Here, we found that the expression of miR-27a was gradually diminished at the early differentiation stage and then rebounded. Overexpression of miR- 27a suppressed the mRNA and protein expression levels of myogenin during porcine myoblast
differentiation, whereas inhibition of miR-27a promoted the mRNA and protein expression levels of myogenin. In addition, overexpression of miR-27a decreased the level of P-Akt/Akt and increased the protein level of FoxO1; however, inhibition of miR-27a increased the level of P-Akt/Akt and decreased the protein level of FoxO1. The present study demonstrated that miR-27a could inhibit myogenin expression and Akt/FoxO1 signal pathway during porcine myoblast differentiation.
KEYWORDS
Akt/FoxO1 signal pathway; miR-27a; myogenin; porcine myoblast differentiation
Effects of Soy Lecithin Extender on Dog Sperm Cryopreservation
Andressa Dalmazzo, João Diego A. Losano, Carolina C. Rocha, Roberta H. Tsunoda, Daniel de Souza Ramos Angrimani, Camilla M. Mendes, Mayra Elena O. D´Ávila Assumpção, Marcilio Nichi and Valquíria H. Barnabe
University of São Paulo, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Department of Animal Reproduction, São Paulo, Brazil
ABSTRACT
Semen cryopreservation is an essential biotechnology in canine reproduction and during the cryopreservation process commonly egg yolk are used. The discrepancy in the egg yolk composition and the potential risk of disease dissemination are obstacles for semen exportation and use. Therefore, studies aiming to substitute egg yolk are extremely important. In this context, soy lecithin contains a low-density lipoprotein fraction, is an interesting alternative. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare extenders based on soy lecithin (several concentrations and forms) with egg yolk during the cryopreservation process of dog sperm. For this purpose, we used twelve dogs. Semen was evaluated at different time points (after refrigeration, glycerolization, and thawing), by motility analysis (CASA) and functional tests (e.g., membrane integrity—eosin/ nigrosin, acrosome integrity—fast green/Bengal rose, mitochondrial activity—3’3 diaminobenzidine, Chromatin susceptibility to acid-induced denaturation—SCSA, and susceptibility to oxidative stress—thiobarbituric acid reactive substances). The results indicated that egg yolk and lower concentrations of lecithin had similar effects on mitochondrial activity and motility. Thus, soy lecithin is a potentially viable alternative to egg yolk for the cryopreservation of dog semen.
KEYWORDS
Cooling; dogs; egg yolk; soy lecithin; thawing
Functional Identification of Allograft Inflammatory Factor 1-Like Gene
in Luning Chicken
Yan-ying Zhao, Ya-qiu Lin and Ya-ou Xu
College of Life Science and Technology, Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu, P. R. China
ABSTRACT
Allograft inflammatory factor-1 (AIF-1) is an inflammation-related protein mainly produced by immune cells, such as monocyte/macrophages and activated T lymphocytes. It is essential for the survival and proinflammatory activity of immune cells. However, the function of AIF-1 in chicken still has not been defined. In the present study, AIF-1-like (AIF1L) gene was identified in Luning chicken. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the molecular weight of the chicken AIF-1 protein was 16290.8 Da. AIF1L contained a Ca2þ binding EF hand and could interact with actin filament. Its transcript was found in all tested tissues including spleen, brain, heart, kidney, liver, thymus, bursa of Fabricius, lung, and a relative low-level expression was detected in leg muscle. Furthermore, AIF1L expression in peripheral blood lymphocyte was depressed in a dose-dependent manner with cadmium exposure and peripheral blood lymphocyte viability decrease displayed a similar pattern with AIF1L expression. The results indicated that newly identified chicken AIF1L might be associated with lymphocyte viability.
KEYWORDS
Allograft inflammatory factor-1; cadmium; Luning chicken; lymphocyte
Genetic Polymorphism and Bottleneck Analysis of Balkhi, Hashtnagri, and
Michni Sheep Populations Using Microsatellite Markers
Muhammad Ibrahim , Sohail Ahmad, Irfan Safdar Durrani, Aqib Iqbal, Iqbal Munir and Zahoor Ahmad Swati
Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan
ABSTRACT
Pakistan is rich in sheep genetic resources. Balkhi, Hashtnagri, and Michni are neighboring sheep populations found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. In this study, we analyzed the genetic structures and bottleneck incidents within these sheep populations using 31 microsatellite DNA markers. Total numbers of 116, 100, and 95 alleles, with average numbers of 3.20, 3.26, and 3.74 alleles per locus were observed, respectively, in Balkhi, Hashtnagri, and Michni population. Mean observed heterozygosity was 0.402 in Balkhi, 0.416 in Hashtnagri, and 0.522 in Michni population. All the three sheep populations showed significantly high inbreeding. Michni population was found to be in mutation drift equilibrium, showing the absence of genetic bottleneck. The data of Balkhi and Hashtnagri indicated the presence of genetic bottleneck in these populations. These results suggest a moderate level of genetic diversity within Michni population that may be useful for breed improvement programs. Hashtnagri and Balkhi populations having low within breed genetic variability may contain some valuable characteristics that need to be conserved.
KEYWORDS
Balkhi; genetic bottleneck; Hashtnagri; Michni; microsatellites
In Silico Structural Studies and Molecular Docking Analysis of Delta6-desaturase
in HUFA Biosynthetic Pathway
Suvra Roya, Hirak jyoti Chakrabortya, Vikash Kumara, B K Behera a, R S Ranab and Gireesh Babu c
aICAR - CIFRI, Barrackpore, India; bICAR - Krishi Anusandhan Bhawan I, New Delhi, India; cICAR – CIFE, Mumbai, India
ABSTRACT
Fish are an important source of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) such as eicosapentaenoic acid EPA (20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid DHA (22:6 n-3) and play a significant role in human nutrition. The fatty acyl delta6-desaturase (Δ6 desaturase) is a rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) that converts polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) such as linoleic (18:2n-6) and α-linolenic (18:3n-3) acids into HUFA. In this study, fatty
acyl Δ6 desaturase was identified from pangasius (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) and further analyzed for sequenced-based characterization and 3D structural conformation. Sequenced-based analysis revealed some important secondary information such as physicochemical property. e.g., isoelectric point, extinction coefficient, aliphatic index, and grand average hydropathy, among
others, and also post-translational modification sites were identified. An evolutionary-conserved stretch of amino acid residue and a functionally significant conserved structural ancestor, N-terminal cytochrome b5 and membrane FADS-like superfamily, were identified. Protein association analysis showed a high confidence score with acyl-CoA synthetase, elovl5, elovl2, and phospholipase A2. Herein, we report, for the first time, a 3D native structure of Δ6 desaturase protein by homology modeling approach; molecular docking analysis was performed with linoleic (18:2n-6) and α-linolenic (18:3n-3) acids, which are the two key substrates in the HUFA biosynthetic pathway. This work provides insight into the structural and functional characterization of Δ6 desaturase, which is involved in HUFA biosynthesis as a rate-limiting enzyme.
KEYWORDS
3D structure; Delta6- desaturase; Homology modelling; HUFA biosynthesis; In silico characterization; Pangasianodon hypophthalmus
LncRNAs in Secondary Hair Follicle of Cashmere Goat: Identification,
Expression, and Their Regulatory Network in Wnt Signaling Pathway
Wen L. Bai a, Su J. Zhaob, Ze Y. Wang a, Yu B. Zhu a, Yun L. Dang a, Yu Y. Cong a, Hui L. Xuea, Wei Wang a, Liang Deng a, Dan Guoc, Shi Q. Wang c, Yan X. Zhu c and Rong H. Yin a
aCollege of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, P. R. China; bInstitute of Biotechnology, Sichuan Animal Science Academy, Chengdu, P. R. China; cAcademy of Animal Husbandry Science of Liaoning Province, Liaoyang, P. R. China
ABSTRACT
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a novel class of eukaryotic transcripts. They are thought to act as a critical regulator of protein-coding gene expression. Herein, we identified and characterized 13 putative lncRNAs from the expressed sequence tags from secondary hair follicle of Cashmere goat. Furthermore, we investigated their transcriptional pattern in secondary hair follicle of Liaoning Cashmere goat during telogen and anagen phases. Also, we generated intracellular regulatory networks of upregulated lncRNAs at anagen in Wnt signaling pathway based on bioinformatics analysis. The relative expression of six putative lncRNAs (lncRNA-599618, -599556, -599554,-599547, -599531, and -599509) at the anagen phase is significantly higher than that at telogen. Compared with anagen, the relative expression of four putative lncRNAs (lncRNA-599528, -599518,
-599511, and -599497) was found to be significantly upregulated at telogen phase. The network generated showed that a rich and complex regulatory relationship of the putative lncRNAs and related miRNAs with their target genes in Wnt signaling pathway. Our results from the present study provided a foundation for further elucidating the functional and regulatory mechanisms of
these putative lncRNAs in the development of secondary hair follicle and cashmere fiber growth of Cashmere goat.
KEYWORDS
Cashmere goat; lncRNA expression; Regulatory network; Secondary hair follicle; Wnt signaling pathway
Molecular Characterization and Comparison of Phospholipase C zeta (PLCZ1)
Gene Between Swamp (Bubalus carabanensis) and Riverine (Bubalus bubalis)
Buffaloes: Its Implications and Future Perspectives
Eufrocina P. Atabaya, Roseline D. Tadeoa, Edwin C. Atabayb, Emma V. Venturinab, Rafael A. Fissorec
and Claro N. Mingalaa aPhilippine Carabao Center, National Headquarters, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines; bPhilipine Carabao Center, Central Luzon State University, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines; cDepartment of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts,
Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
ABSTRACT
Phospholipase C zeta, a novel sperm-specific protein which is widely known to induce oocyte activation following fertilization, had already been characterized in various mammalian species, but not in water buffaloes thus far. The present study was conducted to initially characterize and compare the sequences of PLCZ1 gene of swamp and riverine buffaloes. Semen samples were collected; total RNA was extracted and reverse-transcribed. PLCZ1 cDNA was then amplified, and submitted for sequencing. Buffalo PLCZ1 gene yielded a sequence of 1905 base pair nucleotides translated into 634 bp amino acids. In general, the buffalo PLCZ1 gene was found to have high sequence identity with cattle and other domestic species. Similarly, significant residues and motifs in PLCZ1 gene sequence are found conserved in water buffaloes. However, there are variations in sequences identified between types of water buffaloes that may play a role in species-specific differences in terms of gene and protein expression, physiological mechanisms, and biological functions. The molecular information on buffalo PLCZ1 gene is highly valuable in subsequent works such as correlation studies on the identified gene variations with semen quality and fertility,
and the development of biomarkers for bull fertility.
KEYWORDS
Gene homology; molecular characterization; phospholipase C zeta; sequence analysis; water buffalo
