MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'Animal Biotechnology' source. Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:37:22 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3113729&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20024782%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Lyahyai J, Serrano C, Ranera B, Badiola JJ, Zaragoza P, Martin-Burriel I Scrapie is the archetype of prion diseases, fatal neurodegenerative disorders that affect humans and animals. Gene expression analysis of normal and infected sheep may provide clues to clarify the molecular mechanisms involved in the neuropathology of these diseases. Real time quantitative PCR has become a powerful and accurate technique for examination of transcription patterns in different biological conditions. One of the critical steps in the comparison of transcription profiles is the selection of stable genes for normalization of expression data. In this work, we have investigated the effect of scrapie on the stability of eight commonly used housekeeping genes in the central nervous system of sheep.... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3113729 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:20:28 +0100 3113729 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3113728&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20024783%26dopt%3DAbstract This study has assessed the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) identified in the adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) and heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) genes with the content of intramuscular fat (IMF) in a population of male Beijing-You chickens. A previously described SNP in the chicken A-FABP gene had a significant (P < 0.05) effect on IMF content. Chickens inheriting the homozygous BB genotype at A-FABP had a significantly higher content of IMF in thigh muscles and breast muscles than did those inheriting the AA and AB genotypes. A novel SNP, identified here, in the H-FABP gene was also significantly (P < 0.05) associated with IMF content in thigh and breast muscle. Chickens inheriting the genotypes of DD and CD had much higher content ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3113728 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:20:25 +0100 3113728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3113727&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20024784%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jiang M, Chen Y, Wang Y, Loor JJ, Ye Y, Wen Y, Zi X, Cai Y, Drackley JK The cDNA coding for stomach lysozyme in yak was cloned. The cloned cDNA contains a 432 bp open reading frame and encodes 143 amino acids (16.24 KDa) with a signal peptide of 18 amino acids. Further analysis revealed that its amino acid sequence shares many common properties with cow milk lysozyme. Expression of this gene was also detected in mammary gland tissue by RT-PCR. Phylogenetic relationships among yak stomach lysozyme and 8 cow lysozymes indicated that the yak enzyme is more closely related to both cow milk lysozyme and the pseudogene PsiNS4 than cow stomach lysozyme. Recombinant yak lysozyme purified by Ni(2+)-column showed a molecular weight of 33.78 kDa and exhibited lytic activity against Staph... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3113727 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:20:22 +0100 3113727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3113717&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20024785%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bai WL, Yin RH, Dou QL, Yang JC, Zhao SJ, Ma ZJ, Yin RL, Luo GB, Zhao ZH The aim of this study was to investigate the polymorphism of the CSN1S1 gene promoter region in 4 Chinese yak breeds, and compare the yak CSN1S1 gene promoter region sequences with other ruminants. A Polymerase Chain Reaction-Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism protocol was developed for rapid genotyping of the yak CSN1S1 gene. One hundred fifty-eight animals from 4 Chinese yak breeds were genotyped at the CSN1S1 locus using the protocol developed. A single nucleotide polymorphism of the CSN1S1 gene promoter region has been identified in all yak breeds investigated. The polymorphism consists of a single nucleotide substitution G-->A at position 386 of the CSN1S1 gene promoter region, resulting in t... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3113717 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:20:19 +0100 3113717 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3113716&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20024786%26dopt%3DAbstract The objective of the present study was to investigate the associations of ACCalpha gene polymorphisms with chicken growth and body composition traits. The Northeast Agricultural University broiler lines divergently selected for abdominal fat content and the Northeast Agricultural University F(2) Resource Population were used in the current study. Body weight and body composition traits were measured in the aforementioned two populations. A synonymous mutation was detected in the exon 19 region of ACCalpha gene, then polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was developed to genotype all the individuals derived from the aforementioned populations. Association analysis revealed that the polymorphism was associated with abdominal fat weight and perce... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3113716 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:20:14 +0100 3113716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3113715&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20024787%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Madsen MB, Birck MM, Fredholm M, Cirera S Obesity is an increasing problem worldwide and research on candidate genes in good animal models is highly needed. The pig is an excellent model as its metabolism, organ size, and eating habits resemble that of humans. The present study is focused on the characterization of the fat mass and obesity associated gene (FTO) in pig. This gene has recently been associated with increased body mass index in several human populations. To establish information on the expression profile of FTO in the pig we performed quantitative PCR in a panel of adult pig tissues and in tissues sampled at different developmental stages. Expression of the FTO transcript was detected in all tissues tested with significantly higher levels in brain tissues (cortex,... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3113715 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:20:10 +0100 3113715 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3113714&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D20024788%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the full-length cDNA and genomic sequence of three genes of porcine TnI family were cloned and sequenced. The full-length cDNA of TNNI1, TNNI2, and TNNI3 genes were 989 bp, 734 bp, and 831 bp in length, which contained an open reading frame of 564, 549, and 636 nucleotides, respectively. Three Troponin I shared 54.4 approximately 58.3% similarity with each other in their predicted amino acid sequences. The TNNI1, TNNI2, and TNNI3 displayed the same genomic structure as other vertebrates and spanned over 9785 bp, 2373 bp, and 3648 bp genomic regions, respectively. The regulatory elements in the proximal promoter of TNNI2 and TNNI3 were conserved among human, mouse, and pig, but regulatory element differences existed in the TNNI1 promoter among them. Expression profiling showe... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3113714 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:20:06 +0100 3113714 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033678&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19937494%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Caballero I, Piedrahita JA The efficiency of the Serratia marcescens nuclease encoded by the NucA gene, with or without a nuclear localization signal (NLS), and the commonly used diphtheria toxin A (DTA) were compared for their ability to ablate cells in culture. Constructs containing the test genes driven by the beta-actin promoter coupled with enhancer elements from the cytomegalovirus promoter and rabbit beta-globin gene (pCAG) and the blasticidin resistance gene driven by the phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) promoter were generated and electroporated into porcine fetal fibroblasts. Three independent replicates were completed. Following blasticidin selection, the number of surviving colonies was counted to assess the efficiency of the toxic gene. Both NucA and DTA proved to be... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033678 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:42:03 +0100 3033678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033677&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19937495%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Uebing-Czipura AU, Dawson HD, Rutherford MS, Scherba G Recently, we established and phenotypically characterized an immortalized porcine olfactory bulb neuroblast cell line, OBGF400 (1). To facilitate the future application of these cells in studies of neurological dysfunctions and neuronal pathogen interactions, a comprehensive knowledge of their genomic variability and overall gene expression capacity was pursued. Accordingly, the OBGF400 cells were subjected to karyotyping and more extensive transcriptome analyses. Cytogenetic characterization of these cells revealed a genetic mosaicism of neuronal hyperdiploidy. A direct comparison of the OBGF400 cell transcriptome pattern, generated by utilizing the Affymetrix GeneChip(R) Porcine Genome Array, to that of a non-neural, por... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033677 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:42:03 +0100 3033677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033676&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19937496%26dopt%3DAbstract This article discusses viral vector characteristics and potential applications in agriculturally important animal species. It discusses advantages and disadvantages of using viral vectors in genetic engineering of agricultural animals. PMID: 19937496 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033676 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:42:03 +0100 3033676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033674&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19937497%26dopt%3DAbstract This study demonstrated that the yak MUC1 exhibits abundant polymorphisms in both its gene and protein, and the polymorphisms are due to the expression of VNTR in MUC1 gene. The possible cluster of the VNTR was also discussed in different ruminants. PMID: 19937497 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033674 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:42:03 +0100 3033674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033673&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19937498%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hu H, Liu YG, Zhao SM, Deng WD, Gao SZ An ovine PSMA6 gene was obtained from muscle full-length cDNA library of black-boned sheep. The sequences for the PSAM6 gene of Romney sheep and Yunling black goat were also generated in this study. Sequence analysis revealed that nucleotide sequence of this gene was not homologous to any of the known sheep genes, and its open reading frame encodes a protein that contains the putative conserved domain of proteasome subunit alpha type 6 (PSAM6). The nucleotide sequence had higher identity with other animals. However, one mutation of A to G at the site of 383 bp, leading to an amino acid mutation of Asn to Ser, was found only in the black-boned sheep. Tissue expression analysis indicated that this gene was generally expressed in most tissue... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033673 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:42:03 +0100 3033673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033671&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19937499%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we evaluated haplotypes of the bovine FCGRT (encoding the FcRn heavy chain) and their relationship to the IgG concentration in bovine colostrum. Four single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), classified into five haplotypes, were identified in a total of 49 Holstein-Frisians cows. Haplotype 5 was found to be significantly associated with a high IgG level ([OR] = 9.90, 95%CI = 1.11-88.34, p = 0.016) and haplotype 2 exhibited a similar trend ([OR] = 2.89, 95%CI = 1.17-7.11, p = 0.019). PMID: 19937499 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033671 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:42:03 +0100 3033671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3033669&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19937500%26dopt%3DAbstract The objectives of this study were to evaluate the transfection effectiveness of retroviral vector PLNCX2 in yak sperm-mediated gene transfer (SMGT) and the effect of SMGT on sperm motility and fertilizability. Human lactoferrin (hLF) DNA was ligated into PLNCX2 to construct recombinant plasmid PLNCX2-hLF, then, using PLNCX2-hLF+FuGene 6 to generate SMGT yak spermatozoa for fertilizing bovine oocytes. The result showed that DNA-binding rate increased with the extension of incubation period and DNA treatment did not decrease sperm motility. Oocytes inseminated with SMGT-spermatozoa had a lower (P < 0.05) cleavage rate (57.7%) than the control (73.4%), but development up to blastocyst stage was not different (26.8 vs. 31.7%). It appears that PLNCX2 is useful for generating transgenic yaks ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3033669 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:42:03 +0100 3033669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2548950&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19544205%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, bovine TLR2 gene was taken as a candidate gene for mastitis resistance. Through PCR-SSCP analysis and sequencing, three missense mutations at T385 G, G398A, and G1884A were detected in the coding region that encoded extracellular domain. Altogether 240 dairy cattle of three breeds (Holstein, Simmental, and Sanhe cattle) were genotyped and allele frequencies were determined. The effects of TLR2 polymorphisms on somatic cell score (SCS) were analyzed and significant association was found between T385 G and SCS. The mean of genotype GG was significantly lower than those of genotype TT and TG. No significant associations were found with SCS for G398A and G1884A. Information provided in this research will be useful in further studies to determine the role of TLR2 gene in the mast... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2548950 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:16:03 +0100 2548950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2548949&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19544206%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Fernandes LT, Tomás A, Bensaid A, Pérez-Enciso M, Sibila M, Sánchez A, Segalés J The aim of this exploratory work was to use a microarray-based approach to study the global transcriptome profile of caesarean-derived, colostrum-deprived (CDCD) piglets experimentally infected with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2). PCV2-inoculated piglets developed a subclinical infection, as confirmed by serology, in situ hybridization and quantitative PCR. Total RNA from mesenteric lymph nodes and lungs was obtained by duplicate from 2 control and 2 PCV2-inoculated piglets and was hybridized to Affymetrix Porcine GeneChip. Among the 24,123 probesets studied, 25 and 33 were found to be significantly differentially expressed (DE) between control and PCV2 groups for mesenteric ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2548949 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:16:03 +0100 2548949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2548948&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19544207%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pena RN, Cánovas A, Varona L, Díaz I, Gallardo D, Ramírez O, Noguera JL, Quintanilla R Three genes are the major determinants of heritable hypercholesterolemia diseases in humans: APOB, LDLR and LDLRAP1, which encode for proteins that physically interact to promote cholesterol uptake in the cell. We have carried out association analyses of these variants with serum cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations in a half-sib Duroc pig population. Given the structure of the population (six paternal half-sib families), we have used a statistical model that considers separately the allele transmission through dams (at population level) and through sires (within-families from heterozygous sire). Only polymorphisms showing a relevant substitution effect for both male- ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2548948 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:16:03 +0100 2548948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2548947&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19544208%26dopt%3DAbstract This study confirms that intramuscular expression of GHRH mediated by PLGA microspheres significantly enhances intergenerational growth. PMID: 19544208 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2548947 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:16:03 +0100 2548947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2548946&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19544209%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Long H, Zhao S, Lei T, Han J, Yuan J, Qi Y, Yang Z Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) is a serine/threonine kinase homologue attributed to the mitotic cyclin-dependent kinase family. Both the kinase activity and the biological effects of CDK5 in central nervous system are mainly dependent on association with its regulatory subunit 1 known as CDK5R1 (p35). In the present study, the full-length coding regions of CDK5 and CDK5R1 were cloned from pigs. Radiation hybrid mapping localized porcine CDK5 to chromosome 18q12-13, whereas CDK5R1 was electro-localized to chromosome 12q12. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that CDK5 mRNA is ubiquitously present in all porcine tissues examined, with relatively high levels in cerebral cortex, cerebellum, testicle and lung. We also ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2548946 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:16:03 +0100 2548946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2548945&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19544210%26dopt%3DAbstract This study was designed to investigate the effect of somatostatin on oocytes maturation and subsequent embryo development in cattle. Bovine granulosa cells separated from oocytes, cultured for 24 h and transfected with pEGFP-N1 vector with mouse SST gene (Experimental) and with out plasmid transfection (Control). RT-PCR and Real-Time PCR were used to estimate the expression of bovine receptors of androgen, estrogen beta, growth hormone, and follicular stimulating hormone. Culture media concentrations of hormones were measured by kits using radioimmunoassay. COCs aspirated from ovaries were co-cultured with granulosa cells layers (transfected or control) at 38.5 degrees C in CO(2) incubator for maturation. We found a significant (2.37X) increase in estrogen receptor beta expression in exper... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2548945 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:16:03 +0100 2548945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2548944&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19544211%26dopt%3DAbstract This study presents a detailed investigation of the LRP/LR mRNA expression levels in eleven normal ovine tissues. Using real-time quantitative PCR, the highest LRP/LR expression was found in neocortex (p < 0.05). Slightly lower levels were found in the heart and obex. Intermediate levels were seen in hippocampus, cerebellum, spleen, thalamus, mesenteric lymph node, and the lowest levels were present in liver, kidney, and lung. In general, the LRP/LR mRNA levels were much higher in neuronal tissues than in peripheral tissues. The observation that differences in LRP/LR mRNA expression levels are consistent with the corresponding variation in PrP(Sc) accumulation suggests that the 37-kDa/67-kDa laminin receptor may be involved in the regulation of PrP(Sc) propagation. PMID: 19544211 [P... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2548944 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:16:03 +0100 2548944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2548943&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19544212%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sharma D, Kumar S, Deb SM, Mitra A, Niranjan SK, Naskar S, Sharma A A fragment of 570 bp corresponding to exon 5 and 6 of integrin beta 2 (ITGB2) gene was amplified for screening D128G mutation in one hundred and fifty two buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) which causes bovine leukocyte adhesion deficiency syndrome (BLAD) in cattle, as well as to ascertain polymorphism. TaqI PCR-RFLP revealed no such mutation thus indicating the absence of bubaline leukocyte adhesion deficiency (BuLAD) allele in animals under study. However, the polymorphism studies using MspI restriction enzyme revealed two genotypic patterns viz. AA pattern (bands of 293, 141, 105, and 31 bp) and BB pattern (bands of 293, 105, 77, 64, and 31 bp). The sequences of A and B alleles were submitted to the GenBank (EU853... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2548943 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:16:03 +0100 2548943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2548942&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19544213%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Avilés C, Azor PJ, Pannier L, Hamill RM, Membrillo A, Molina A Calpains play an important role in the postmortem tenderization process of meat and several SNP in the mu-calpain gene (CAPN1) have been reported to be associated with tenderness in beef cattle. Our objectives were to identify the previously reported CAPN1 331G>C SNP and to detect new polymorphisms in this gene in Spanish maternal beef breeds. A fragment (exon 8 to 10) of the bovine CAPN1 gene was sequenced and genotyped in a sample of the main Spanish maternal beef breeds including Retinta, Morucha, and Avilenã Negra-Ibérica. These breeds are characterized for their high meat quality, their adaptation to adverse environmental conditions, and their good maternal aptitude. This adaptation makes it ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2548942 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:16:03 +0100 2548942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2548941&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19544214%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kumar OS, Rao GJ, Singh D, Sharma MK One of the predominant causes of poor reproduction in buffaloes is low levels of ovarian estrogens. A rate limiting enzyme in estrogen biosynthesis is cytochrome P450 aromatase (P450 AROM), the product of CYP19 gene. In the present study CYP19 cDNA was cloned and its 5'UTR was characterized by 5'RACE in granulosa cells of large follicles. CYP19 transcripts with four different 5'UTRs (206, 114, 90 and 3 bases) were found in buffalo granulosa cells of large ovarian follicles. Interestingly, a predominant aromatase transcript with short 5'UTR (3 nucleotides) was found. Further studies are required to understand the relevance of these transcripts and their translational efficiency in granulosa cells of large follicles during folliculogenesis of... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2548941 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:16:03 +0100 2548941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2548940&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19544215%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Feng T, Zhao YZ, Chu MX, Zhang YJ, Fang L, Di R, Cao GL, Li N KISS-1 and GPR54 were regarded as key regulators for the puberty onset and fundamental gatekeepers of sexual maturation in mammals. To explore the possible association between variations in KISS-1 and GPR54 with sexual precocity, mutation screening of exon 1 of KISS-1 and exon 1, exon 3, and partial exon 5 of GPR54 was performed in a sexual precocious breed (Jining Grey goats) and sexual late-maturing breeds (Inner Mongolia Cashmere, Angora, and Boer goats) by PCR-SSCP. The results showed that five novel mutations were identified in exon 1 and partial exon 5 of GPR54 including C96 T, T173C, G176A, G825A, and C981 T. The Jining Grey goats with genotype BB or AB had 1.07 (P < 0.05) or 0.40 (P < 0.05) kids more t... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2548940 Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:16:03 +0100 2548940 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2472277&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19370454%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Alvarez I, Traore A, Tamboura HH, Kabore A, Royo LJ, Fernandez I, Ouedraogo-Sanou G, Sawadogo L, Goyache F A total of 123 sheep belonging to the Djallonke, Mossi, and Burkina-Sahel breeds, along with 41 Spanish Xalda sheep were genotyped for 27 microsatellites. The pair Djallonke-Mossi had the highest between breeds molecular coancestry. Admixture analysis informed on the parental role of the Burkina-Sahel and Djallonke breeds. The Mossi breed was a hybrid population nearer to the Djallonke breed. Only half of the Mossi individuals were correctly assigned to their breed. The Burkina-Sahel and Djallonke breeds can be considered ancestrally different genetic entities. Differentiation between the Djallonke and Mossi breeds may be due to introgression of Sahelian sheep. PMID: ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2472277 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:10:04 +0100 2472277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2472234&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19370455%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Fan B, Du ZQ, Rothschild MF The association of the FTO gene with obesity has been implicated in various human populations. The FTO gene is also most likely involved in the regulation of energy balance and feed intake. Here, the FTO gene was studied as a candidate gene for fatness and growth rate traits in pigs. The amino acid sequence of the FTO gene showed high conservation among human, pig, and other important domestic animals. Twelve variants including ten SNPs and two indels were detected, and then five SNPs within different genomic regions were genotyped in the ISU Berkshire x Yorkshire pig resource family. The linkage disequilibrium analyses revealed that most of these FTO variants were not in strong LD with each other. The SNPs c.46-139A > T within intron 1 and a syn... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2472234 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:10:04 +0100 2472234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2472210&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19370456%26dopt%3DAbstract The objectives of the present study were to estimate the allele and genotype frequencies of the POU1F1/HinfI polymorphisms in beef cattle belonging to four different genetic groups and to determine the effects of these polymorphisms on growth traits in cattle. The 451-bp PCR products of POU1F1 gene digested with HinfI exhibited three genotypes and two alleles, which were at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P > 0.05). Genotype BB was the predominant genotype and B the predominant allele in the studied populations. There was significant difference between Limousin x Qinchuan and Qinchuan in the distribution of genotypes (P < 0.0001). The association of the polymorphism of the POU1F1 gene with growth traits among Qinchuan, Limousin x Qinchuan, Angus x Qinchuan and Germany Yellow x Qinchuan c... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2472210 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:10:04 +0100 2472210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2472192&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19370457%26dopt%3DAbstract This study envisages role of beta-defensin peptides in innate immunity of mammary gland. PMID: 19370457 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2472192 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:10:04 +0100 2472192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2472177&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19370458%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Singh SK, Rout PK, Agarwal R, Mandal A, Singh SK, Shukla SN, Roy R Leptin, the hormonal product of the leptin (obese) gene (LEP), has multiple physiological effects and plays a pivotal role in the control of body growth, immune function, and reproduction. LEP gene polymorphism has been analyzed in cattle, buffalo, and pigs, and the polymorphic pattern has been associated with energy balance, milk production, and live weight and fertility trait in different livestock species. The present study has been designed to analyze polymorphism in exon 2 and intron 2 region of leptin gene in Indian goats. Genotyping was carried out in 111 kids including 70 samples from Barbari and 41 samples from Jamunapari breeds. The amplified product of exon 2 and intron 2 region of leptin gene was 15... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2472177 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:10:03 +0100 2472177 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2126311&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19160083%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wall R, Powell A, Sohn E, Foster-Frey J, Bannerman D, Paape M Escherchia coli causes mastitis, an economically significant disease in dairy animals. E. coli endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) when bound by host membrane proteins such as CD-14, causes release of proinflammatory cytokines recruiting neutrophils as an early, innate immune response. Excessive proinflammatory cytokines causes tissue damage, compromising mammary function. If present, soluble CD-14 (sCD-14) might out compete membrane bound CD-14, lessening the severity of the inflammatory response. To test this hypothesis transgenic mice, expressing sCD-14 in their milk (31 to 316 mug/ml), were evaluated. A cell culture study demonstrated, in the presence of LPS, milk from transgenic mice increased secretion of cyto... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2126311 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:02:00 +0100 2126311 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2126310&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19160084%26dopt%3DAbstract The objective of this work was to implant the polymorphism G938A, naturally existent in Piedmontese breed, into in vitro propagated foetal myoblasts, from Nellore cattle. Single strand DNA (ssDNA) oligonucleotides were used to direct the same nucleotidic transition (G938A) to exon 3. Two transfection protocols (cationic lipid solution and electroporation) were tested and, 48 hours after transfection, RNA and DNA were extracted from myoblasts. Reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed, using primers flanking the mutation region. The PCR products were cloned and analyzed by DNA sequencing, and it was possible to detect the nucleotidic CT transition at position 938, in the electroporated myoblasts. The existence of a positive signal in the transfection indicates... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2126310 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:02:00 +0100 2126310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2126309&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19160085%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the bovine GHSR gene was mapped to BTA1 between BL26 and BMS4004. Two different bovine GHSR CDS (GHSR1a and GHSR1b) were sequenced. Six polymorphisms (five SNPs and one 3-bp indel) were also identified, three of them leading to amino acid variations L24V, D194N, and Del R242. These variations are located in the extracellular N-terminal end, the exoloop 2, and the cytoloop 3 of the receptor, respectively. PMID: 19160085 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2126309 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:02:00 +0100 2126309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2126308&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19160086%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chuang CK, Lee KH, Fan CT, Su YS Based on the highly conserved sequences of small nuclear RNA and small cytoplasmic RNA between vertebrate species, three porcine type III RNA polymerase III promoters, pY1, pY3 and pU6, were identified by using genomic DNA walking. To test the functional relationship of these sequences, the human H1 promoter of pSUPER-EGFP-l-neo vector was substituted with these three promoters to create the ppPol III-MCS vectors. The strength of each promoter was measured by its ability to derive expression of shRNA to repress expression of luciferase via RNA interference in the pig kidney epithelial cell line LLC-PK1. We determine that the ranking of promoter strength in descending order is pU6 > pY1 > pY3. PMID: 19160086 [PubMed - in process] (Sour... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2126308 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:02:00 +0100 2126308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2126307&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D19160087%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the full-length cDNA of pig Cd127 was cloned and sequenced. Pig CD127 cDNA contains an open reading frame (1,380 bp) encoding 459 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that pig CD127 is most homologous to that of cow (Bos taurus) with 87% amino acid identity and less homologous to that of chicken (Gallus gallus) with 36% amino acid identity among those of species. Structurally, pig CD127 has well-conserved cytoplasmic tail that transmits a signal and little diversity of extracellular domain, compared with those of other mammalian species. Expression analysis indicates that the mRNA transcript of pig CD127 is mainly detected in lymphoid tissues, but still detected in nonlymphoid tissues. Future studies will be focused on determining a more defined expression pattern of ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2126307 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:02:00 +0100 2126307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1881125&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18855245%26dopt%3DAbstract This study analyzed the promoter region of the cPepT1 gene. Using deletion analysis, positive-acting (- 314 to - 261, - 169 to - 155, and - 120 to - 60) and negative-acting (- 419 to - 386 and - 214 to - 169) regions were mapped in transfected chick embryo fibroblasts (CEF). The addition of neither amino acids Phe, Arg, or Val, nor the dipeptides Gly-Sar (glycyl-sarcosine), Gly-Pro, Gly-Phe, Met-Pro, Met-Lys or Lys-Lys, had an effect on cPepT1 promoter activity in transfected CEF. The cPepT1 promoter was more active in CEF and primary chicken intestinal cells than in chicken liver cells. This study represents a functional characterization of the molecular regulation of the chicken PepT1 gene. PMID: 18855245 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1881125 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:01:45 +0100 1881125 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1881124&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18855246%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, treatment of transfected cells with TSA decreased the genome DNA methylation level, increased histone acetylation, and eGFP gene expression was activated. Donor cells with reduced DNA methylation did not improve subsequent cloned embryo development; however, transgene expression was improved in cloned embryos. PMID: 18855246 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1881124 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:01:45 +0100 1881124 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1881123&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18855247%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Shi XJ, Ma GP, Li BL, Yang JL, Li YX, Liu XH, Liu QG There is increasing evidence of the association of the new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (nvCJD) in humans with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle. Many countries established legislation of banning central nervous system (CNS) tissues, which are regarded as BSE-specified risk materials (SRM), in human food supply because of the potential transmission of BSE to humans. A real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR assay using the bovine glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNA template for the detection of CNS tissues in raw and cooked beef products was developed in this study. The results showed that (1) this method can detect CNS tissues from bovine and ovine origins, but not from porcine and avian ones; (2)... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1881123 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:01:45 +0100 1881123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1881122&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18855248%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Philipp U, Vollmar A, Distl O Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a myocardial disorder characterized by left ventricular dilatation and impaired systolic contraction. Irish wolfhounds (IW) and other large breed dogs are most commonly disposed to DCM. We analyzed the titin-cap (TCAP, telethonin) gene as candidate for DCM. Genomic DNA was analyzed in eight DCM affected and five DCM-free IWs. cDNA was sequenced in one DCM-affected IW and two unaffected dogs, one Tibetan terrier and one Dachshund. Compared to the Boxer reference sequence, one sequence difference was identified in the 3'UTR and two in the intron sequence. In the IWs the sequences were monomorphic. In order to rule out a breed-specific haplotype that predisposes to DCM, the polymorphisms were genotyped in 24 Elo dogs, ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1881122 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:01:45 +0100 1881122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1881121&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18855249%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the full-length cDNA of pig CD82 was cloned and sequenced. Pig Cd82 cDNA contains an open reading frame (801 bp) encoding 266 amino acids. Sequence alignment results indicated that pig CD82 cDNA evidenced 85.45%, 85.63%, 77.03%, and 77.78% identity with human, cattle, rat, and mouse, respectively. In the expression study, the constitutive expression of swine Cd82 mRNA was detected in a variety of tissues, including lymphoid tissues as well as nonlymphoid tissues. Future studies will be focused on the functional role of CD82 during the course of pig infectious diseases or tumor development. PMID: 18855249 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1881121 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:01:45 +0100 1881121 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1881120&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18855250%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Reed KM, Chaves LD Trace sequences from the 2X alpaca genome sequencing effort were examined to identify simple sequence repeats (microsatellites) for genetic studies. A total of 6,685 repeat-containing sequences were downloaded from GenBank, processed, and assembled into contigs representing an estimated 4,278 distinct sequences. This sequence set contained 2,290 sequences of length > 100 nucleotides that contained microsatellites of length >/= 14 dinucleotide or 10 trinucleotide repeats with purity equal to 100%. An additional 13 sequences contained a GC microsatellite of length >/= 12 repeats (purity = 100%) were also obtained. Primer pairs for amplification of 1,516 putative loci are presented. Amplification of genomic DNA from alpaca and llama by PCR was demonstr... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1881120 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:01:45 +0100 1881120 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1881119&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18855251%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Shu JT, Bao WB, Zhang XY, Zhang HX, Chen GH The current study was designed to investigate the effects of the purH gene on chicken muscle inosine monophosphate (IMP) content. Muscle IMP content was measured in five chicken breeds. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected by PCR-SSCP and DNA sequencing. Two SNPs were detected, A/T substitution at position 8023 in exon 9, and T/C substitution at position 17446 in exon 16. The results indicated that only T17446C polymorphism was associated with IMP content. The haplotype effect was higher than the single genotype effect. We tentatively conclude that purH gene is a candidate locus or linked to a major gene that affects muscle IMP content. Haplotypes are superior to single genotypes as potential molecular markers for mea... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1881119 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:01:45 +0100 1881119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1597649&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18607785%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cirera S, Fredholm M The porcine surfactant protein B (SFTPB) is a single copy gene on chromosome 3. Three different cDNAs for the SFTPB have been isolated and sequenced. Nucleotide sequence comparison revealed six nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), four synonymous SNPs and an in-frame deletion of 69 bp in the region coding for the active protein. Northern analysis showed lung-specific expression of three different isoforms of the SFTPB transcript. The expression level for the SFTPB gene is low in 50 days-old fetus and it increases during lung development. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) showed significant down regulation of the SFTPB in pigs with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae lung infection. PMID: 18607785 [PubMed - in process]... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1597649 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:45:20 +0100 1597649 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1597648&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18607786%26dopt%3DAbstract We present here a detailed analysis of ASB6 transcripts in pigs. We demonstrate the existence of an alternative transcript resulting from intron retention. This secondary transcript, if functional, encodes a protein without SOCS box. A comparison of mammalian ASB6 transcripts is performed to demonstrate the importance of transcripts encoding for a truncated ASB6 protein. PMID: 18607786 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1597648 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:45:20 +0100 1597648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1597647&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18607787%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we characterized the full-length cDNA, genomic DNA sequence, expression profile and polymorphism of the porcine CTSD gene. The full-length cDNA of porcine CTSD gene and the predicted protein sequence shared high identities wih other mammalian orthologous. Northern-blot analysis and Reverse transcription (RT)-PCR results indicated that the CTSD gene has one transcript of approximately 2.0 kb in normal tissues and was expressed ubiquitously in pigs, without significant differences in porcine heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, stomach, fat, triceps brachi, biceps femoris, and longissimus muscles. The porcine CTSD gene spans approximately 9.0 kb including nine exons. All exon/intron boundaries adhere to the GT/AG rule. Altogether 35 nucleotide polymorphisms of CTSD gene were di... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1597647 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:45:20 +0100 1597647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1597646&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18607788%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Daniłowicz E, Akouchekian M, Drogemuller C, Haase B, Leeb T, Kuiper H, Distl O, Iras FC Different cytokines are secreted in response to specific microbial molecules referred to as pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Interleukin 6 (IL6) and interleukin 10 (IL10), both secreted by macrophages and lymphocytes, play a central role in the immunological response. In this work we obtained the genomic structure and complete DNA sequence of the porcine IL6 and IL10 genes and identified polymorphisms in the genomic sequences of these genes on a panel of ten different pig breeds. Comparative intra- and interbreed sequence analysis revealed a total of eight polymorphisms in the porcine IL6 gene and 21 in the porcine IL10 gene, which include single nucleotide polymorphism... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1597646 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:45:20 +0100 1597646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1597645&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18607789%26dopt%3DAbstract This study uses sequences from four turkey muscle cDNA libraries to demonstrate how mtDNA sequences gleaned from collections of ESTs can be used to estimate SNP parameters and thus help predict the validity of SNPs. PMID: 18607789 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1597645 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:45:20 +0100 1597645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1597644&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18607790%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we have determined the genomic structure of 5'- and 3'-regions in the bovine ADAM12 gene. We could obtain characteristics of lower homology of its exon 2 with human counterpart. Human exon S19 encodes for the sequence specific to a shorter secreted form of ADAM12S. The bovine ADAM12 gene had no canonical 3'-splice acceptor site at 5'-side of the putative exon S19, suggesting that the cattle could not produce a ADAM12S counterpart. To identify the regulatory elements, a 12 kb 5'-flanking region of the gene was cloned and luciferase reporter assay was carried out. Reporter plasmids with different length of proximal promoter region indicated the similar patterns of promoter activities between 3T3-L1 preadipose and Cos-1 nonadipose cells. However, 2.0 and 0.2 kb fragments locate... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1597644 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:45:20 +0100 1597644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1597643&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18607791%26dopt%3DAbstract This study examined the association between expression of heart- and adipocyte-fatty acid binding-protein genes (H- and A-FABP) with intramuscular fat percentage (IFP) in two Chinese chicken breeds (Beijingyou [BJY] and Jingxing [JX]). The results showed that age and breed had significant effects on the FABP expression. A-FABP mRNA levels were dramatically higher in BJY than in JX chickens and in males than in females. The results indicate that transcription of H- and A-FABP genes was significantly correlated with IFP in two breeds of chicken. PMID: 18607791 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1597643 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:45:20 +0100 1597643 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1597642&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18607792%26dopt%3DAbstract This study aimed to analyze allelic frequency differences at position - 1689 (g. A > G) and + 15 (g. A > G) of the alpha-lactalbumin gene in Holstein (Bos taurus) and Nellore (Bos indicus) cows. Blood samples were analyzed from 34 Holstein, 104 Nellore, and 99 Dairy Nellore cows using PCR-RFLP. The different RFLP patterns were sequenced and a novel sequence variation on nucleotide - 46 was identified. An adenine at this position was designated as the A allele and a guanine was designated B allele. The frequencies of alleles A - 1689, A - 46, and A + 15 differed between Holstein and both Nellore breeds. The results show that differences in alpha-lactalbumin allelic variants in the 5'-flanking and the 5'-UTR region might be associated with differences in milk production between Holstei... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1597642 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:45:20 +0100 1597642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584901&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18228171%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Young AE, Bannasch DL Canine chondrodysplasia is a heritable defect of endochondral ossification characterized by disproportionately short limbs. It is directly linked to significant health concerns, such as intervertebral disc disease. Some human skeletal dysplasias exhibit similar disproportionate dwarfisms and are associated with mutations in the RMRP and SHOX genes. These phenotypic similarities indicated RMRP and SHOX as candidate genes in dogs. They were sequenced in three chondrodysplastic and three normal-legged breeds. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter regions of both genes and in exon 2 of SHOX were found in affected and unaffected breeds, indicating that they are not associated with canine chondrodysplasia. PMID: 18228171 [PubMed - indexed for MEDL... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584901 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:02:54 +0100 1584901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584900&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18228172%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zaunbrecher GM, Dunne PW, Mir B, Breen M, Piedrahita JA Advancements in somatic cell gene targeting have been slow due to the finite lifespan of somatic cells and the overall inefficiency of homologous recombination. The rate of homologous recombination is determined by mechanisms of DNA repair, and by the balance between homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). A plasmid-to-plasmid, extra chromosomal recombination system was used to study the effects of the manipulation of molecules involved in NHEJ (Mre11, Ku70/80, and p53) on HR/NHEJ ratios. In addition, the effect of telomerase expression, cell synchrony, and DNA nuclear delivery was examined. While a mutant Mre11 and an anti-Ku aptamer did not significantly affect the rate of NHEJ or HR, transi... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584900 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:02:54 +0100 1584900 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584899&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18228173%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Li C, Bin Y, Curchoe C, Yang L, Feng D, Jiang Q, O'Neill M, Tian XC, Zhang S The genes insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) and H19 express paternally and maternally, respectively, in humans, mice, sheep, and cattle. Additionally, IGF2 has been shown to be regulated by at least four promoters in a tissue- or development-specific manner. In the domestic pigs, the promoter- and tissue-specific imprinting pattern of IGF2 has not been well characterized, nor is the imprinting pattern of H19. In the present study, we identified two polymorphisms in each of IGF2 (exons 2 and 9) and H19 (exons 1 and 5) and determined the imprinting status of these two genes in 13 organs / tissues of week-old pigs. IGF2 P1 transcript is bi-allelically expressed (not imprinted) in all major organs studi... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584899 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:02:54 +0100 1584899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584898&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18228174%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Rogatcheva MB, Chen K, Larkin DM, Meyers SN, Marron BM, He W, Schook LB, Beever JE Availability of the human genome sequence and high similarity between humans and pigs at the molecular level provides an opportunity to use a comparative mapping approach to piggy-BAC the human genome. In order to advance the pig genome sequencing initiative, sequence similarity between large-scale porcine BAC-end sequences (BESs) and human genome sequence was used to construct a comparatively-anchored porcine physical map that is a first step towards sequencing the pig genome. A total of 50,300 porcine BAC clones were end-sequenced, yielding 76,906 BESs after trimming with an average read length of 538 bp. To anchor the porcine BACs on the human genome, these BESs were subjected to BLAST analys... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584898 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:02:54 +0100 1584898 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584897&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18228175%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kaminski S, Help H, Brym P, Rusc A, Wójcik E SNiPORK is an oligonucleotide microarray based on the arrayed primer extension (APEX) technique, allowing genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes of interest for pork yield and quality traits. APEX consists of a sequencing reaction primed by an oligonucleotide anchored with its 5' end to a glass slide and terminating one nucleotide before the polymorphic site. Extension with one fluorescently labeled dideoxynucleotide complementary to the template reveals the polymorphism. Ninety SNPs were selected from those associated directly or potentially with pork traits. Of the 90 SNPs, 5 did not produce a positive signal. For 85 SNPs, 100% repeatiblity was proved by double genotyping of 13 randomly chosen boars. In... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584897 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:02:54 +0100 1584897 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584896&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18432397%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, two enucleation methods, the squeezing and the aspiration methods, were compared. The efficiency of these two methods to enucleate pig oocytes and the in vitro and in vivo viability of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) pig embryos, were evaluated. In the squeezing method, the zona pellucida was partially dissected and a small amount of cytoplasm containing metaphase II (MII) chromosomes and the first polar body (PB) were pushed out. In the aspiration method, the PB and MII chromosomes were aspirated using a beveled micropipette. After injection of fetal fibroblasts into the perivitelline space, reconstructed oocytes were fused and activated electrically, and then cultured in vitro for 6 days or transferred to surrogates. The squeezing method resulted in a higher proportio... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584896 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:02:54 +0100 1584896 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584895&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18432398%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Reed KM, Faile GM, Kreuth SB, Chaves LD, Sullivan LM Bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) provide an important resource in genetic mapping. An initial set of BACs corresponding to microsatellite markers in the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) was isolated from the CHORI-260 turkey BAC library. The selected markers were distributed on both macro- and microchromosomes and included a genetically unlinked marker. End sequences were obtained for a subset of the recovered BACs and compared to the chicken whole genome sequence. Close association of the turkey BAC-end sequences and original marker sequences was generally conserved in the chicken genome. Gene content of the turkey BACs is predicted from the comparative sequence alignments. PMID: 18432398 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLIN... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584895 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:02:54 +0100 1584895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584894&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18432399%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chitko-McKown CG, Leonard JC, Moscatello D, Miller LC, Freking BA Two cell lines, designated MARC.OVSM, and MARC.OKF, were initiated from the aorta and kidney, respectively, obtained from the Texel ram used to make the CHORI-243 Ovine BAC library. These cell lines have been submitted to the NIA Aging Cell Repository at the Coriell Cell Respositories, Camden, NJ, USA, and will be made publicly available. PMID: 18432399 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584894 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:02:54 +0100 1584894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584893&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18432400%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we show that expression of the Westmead DMBA8 nonmetastatic cDNA 1 (WDNM1) gene was increased upon SFM and/or TNFalpha treatment, with a corresponding increase in apoptotic cells, and gradually decreased following re-stimulation with serum in HC11 mammary epithelial cells. TNFalpha induced WDNM1 expression showed the NFkappaB-dependent mechanism since it's expression was abrogated in IkappaBalphaM (super-repressor of NFkappaB)-transfected cells, but not those transfected with control vector. Furthermore, overexpression of WDNM1 suppressed growth and differentiation, and accelerated apoptosis of HC11 cells. Thus, our results demonstrate that WDNM1 gene expression, regulated by the TNFalpha-NFkappaB signal pathway, is associated with HC11 cell apoptosis. PMID: 18432400 [Pu... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584893 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:02:54 +0100 1584893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584892&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18432401%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Dai JW, Liu SC, Hao LL, Zhang YL, Zhang Q, Ren XH, Jiang QY Somatostatin (SS) and growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) are synthesized and secreted by the hypothalamus, which can control the synthesis and secretion of the growth hormone (GH) from the hypophysis as well as regulate the GH concentrations in animals and humans. In this article, we describe the regulation of animal growth using plasmid DNA encoding both the GHRH gene and the SS gene fused with the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) gene. We constructed a series of expression plasmids to express the GHRH and HBsAg-SS fusion genes individually as well as collectively. The fusion gene and GHRH were successfully expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, as proven by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain rea... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584892 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:02:54 +0100 1584892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584891&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18432402%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Liu GY, Gao SZ, Ge CR, Zhang X The cDNAs for Machado-Joseph disease protein 1 homolog (MJD1), cell division control protein 42 homolog precursor(CDC42) and necdin (NECD) genes of pig were amplified using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) based on the conserved coding sequence information of the MJD1, CDC42, and NECD genes from mouse and other mammals and the referenced porcine EST sequence information. Tissue expression analysis showed the swine MJD1, CDC42, and NECD genes were obviously differentially expressed in different tissues including muscle, heart, liver, backfat, kidney, lung, small intestine, and large intestine. Our experiment established the primary foundation for further research on these three swine genes. PMID: 18432402 [PubMed - ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584891 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:02:54 +0100 1584891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584890&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D18432403%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we describe intraspecies variation in the alphaC connector region of the bovine fibrinogen Aalpha gene. Sequencing and genotyping of six bovine breeds revealed 7 to 10 tandem repeats in the alphaC connector region. In addition, we observed length differences between B. indicus and B. taurus, with the B. indicus having longer fibrinogen alphaC connectors (10-repeat alleles) than B. taurus (7- and 9-repeats). The difference in tandem repeats may be related to the function of blood coagulation system. PMID: 18432403 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584890 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:02:54 +0100 1584890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584933&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17364439%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Xu HT, Fan BL, Yu SY, Huang YH, Zhao ZH, Lian ZX, Dai YP, Wang LL, Liu ZL, Fei J, Li N Based on the known partial cDNA sequence of dragline silk protein an artificial gene monomer, a 360 bp sequence, was designed and polymerized to encode an analog of dragline silk protein. Six tandem copies of monomer were cloned into pBC1 vector and microinjected into the pronuclei of fertilized Kunming White eggs. Transgenic mice were screened by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Southern blot which revealed that 10 mice (5 male, 5 female) among 58 mice were transgenic positive. Milk of five F0 mice and eight F1 mice was analyzed by Western blot, and two F0 mice and seven F1 mice expressed recombinant dragline silk protein. In transgenic mice milk a maximum of concentration of recombinant... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584933 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584932&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17364440%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Yang ZQ, Zhou GB, Hou YP, Yan CL, Zhu SE For the purpose of ascertaining parameters to embryo transfer on some domestic animals, mouse morulae were used as a model to investigate the effect of in-straw thawing on in vitro and in vivo-development of vitrified embryos. Embryos were vitrified in 0.25 ml straws preloaded with dilution solution (0.5 M Sucrose) and thawed in the straw by mixing the vitrification solution (Ethylene glycol + Ficoll 70 + Sucrose) and the dilution solution at 25 degrees C. The embryos were randomly divided into six groups and expelled from the straws after they had been suspended in the in-straw mixture for 3 min, 5 min, 8 min, 12 min, 16 min, and 20 min, respectively, and then they were collected under a microscope for in vitro culture or direct transf... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584932 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584931&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17364441%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mercadé A, Sánchez A, Folch JM CDP-diacylglycerol synthase (CDS) catalyzes the conversion of phosphatidic acid to CDP-diacylglycerol, an important precursor for the synthesis of phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerol, and cardiolipin. We amplified and sequenced 2,053 bp of the pig CDS1 mRNA. The structure of the pig CDS1 gene was determined, being very similar to that of the human, rat, and mouse genes with respect size and organization of the 13 exons. In addition, we identified three polymorphic positions in exons 10 and 11. One of them, the A/C1006, was genotyped in samples belonging to Iberian, Landrace, Large White, Pietrain, and Meishan pig breeds. Expression of this gene was also analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in different tissues sh... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584931 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584930&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17364442%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chmurzynska A, Szydlowski M, Stachowiak M, Stankiewicz M, Switonski M Associations between FABP3 (alternatively named H-FABP) gene polymorphisms and fatness traits were tested in two pig breeds (Polish Large White and Polish Landrace) and one synthetic line - 990. Three known single nucleotide polymorphisms, detected by HinfI, MspI and HaeIII restriction enzymes, were analyzed. Moreover, three new polymorphisms in the 5' regulatory region were identified: C(-221)T, C(-160)G and T(-158)G, but only the third one was widely distributed and correlated with backfat thickness in line 990. The obtained results suggest that the FABP3 gene is linked with an unknown gene directly affecting backfat thickness, but the analyzed polymorphisms do not influence fatness traits. PMID: 17364... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584930 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584929&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17364443%26dopt%3DAbstract This study was first employed to investigate the developmental potential of mouse hatched blastocyts (HBs) vitrified by a two-step open-pulled straw (OPS) method. HBs were obtained by culture of morulae in vitro. First, the embryos were placed in four cryprotectant solutions - that is, 10% ethylene glycol (EG), 10%E + 10%D (10% EG and 10% dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) in mPBS), EFS30 (30% EG, Ficoll, and sucrose) and EDFS30 (15% EG, 15% DMSO, Ficoll, and sucrose)--at 25 degrees C for 0.5 to 10 min, respectively, to determine their optimal survival after rapid dilution in 0.5 M sucrose. Secondly, based on the above best survival, the embryos were plunged into liquid nitrogen after first pretreatment in 10%E for 0.5 min and then 0.5 min equilibration in EFS30 (Group 1), or 10%E + 10%D and EDFS3... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584929 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584928&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17364444%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Muramatsu Y, Lejulole HY, Taniguchi Y, Yamada T, Sasaki Y, Konfortov BA, Yasue H We previously detected 368 expressed sequence tags showing early embryonic death-associated changes of expression patterns in the fetal placenta of the cow carrying somatic nuclear-derived cloned embryo. In the present study 7 (presumed expressed sequence tags for HYPC, SPTBN1 and TNNC2, and four expressed sequence tags for unknown novel genes) out of the 368 expressed sequence tags were mapped to bovine chromosomes by analyzing deoxyribonucleic acids of bovine/murine somatic cell hybrid panel with polymerase chain reaction using primers specific for those bovine genes. PMID: 17364444 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584928 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584927&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17364445%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hreidarsdóttir GE, Cirera S, Fredholm M Carboxypeptidase E (CPE) is an important enzyme responsible for the proteolytic processing of prohormone intermediates. A naturally occurring point mutation, leading to an accumulation of many neuroendocrine peptides has been characterized within exon 5 of the CPE gene in mice. In the present study the sequence of the cDNA for the porcine CPE gene including all the coding region and the 3'-UTR region was generated. Comparisons with bovine, human, mouse, and rat CPE cDNA sequences showed that the coding regions of the gene are highly conserved both at the nucleotide and at the amino acid level. A very low nonsynonymous/synonymous substitution ratios between the proteins was found indicating that purifying selection is acting on the C... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584927 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584927 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584926&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17364446%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chu MX, Mu YL, Fang L, Ye SC, Sun SH DNA polymorphism of the ovine prolactin receptor gene (PRLR) was investigated and used to study its effect on litter size in sheep. By means of PRLR gene sequence homology between sheep and human, three primer pairs were designed for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification within intron 1 and exon 10 of the PRLR gene in sheep. In these parts of the gene the single nucleotide polymorphisms were detected by PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) in 314 Small Tail Han ewes. These poly-morphisms were used to study the associations with litter size. The results indicated that there were three genotypes (AA, AB and BB) detected by three primer pairs. For three primer pairs the frequency of allele A was 0.96, 0.79, 0.68; and the ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584926 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584925&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17453646%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Imai K, Matsughige T, Watanabe T, Sugimoto Y, Ihara N The goal of this study is to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) for carcass traits applicable for a DNA-based breeding system in a Japanese Black cattle population. A purebred paternal half-sib family from a commercial line composed of 65 steers was initially analyzed using 188 informative microsatellites giving a 16-cM average interval covering 29 autosomes. A significant QTL for marbling was detected in the centromeric portion of bovine chromosome (BTA) 9. After additional marker genotyping across a larger sample size composed of 169 individuals, this locus was refined to a 20-cM confidence interval between microsatellites BM1227 (24 cM) and DIK2741 (50 cM) at a 1% chromosome-wise threshold. The allele substitution effe... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584925 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584924&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17453647%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Vijh RK, Tantia MS, Mishra B, Kumar ST Estimation of genetic variability and relationship among different livestock breeds is important for management of genetic resources for their sustainable utilization and conservation. This is more important when the livestock species, like camel, have shown a sharp decline in head count during the last decade. In the present study we estimated genetic variability and relationship among four camel breeds of India using 23 microsatellite loci. A total of 252 alleles were observed across all the four populations with mean number of alleles per locus as 8.04, 7.30, 6.39, and 7.43 for Bikaneri, Jaisalmeri, Kutchi, and Mewari breeds, respectively. The mean observed heterozygosity of the four breeds were 0.58, 0.57, 0.56, and 0.60 for Bikaneri,... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584924 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584923&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17453648%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wang Q, Li H, Leng L, Wang Y, Tang Z, Li N, Zhang F Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABP) belong to a superfamily of lipid binding proteins that exhibit a high affinity for long chain fatty acids and appear to function in metabolism and intracellular transportation of lipids. The current study was designed to investigate the effects of heart (H)-FABP gene on chicken growth and body composition traits. The Northeast Agricultural University divergent broiler lines for abdominal fat and a broiler X silkie F2 population were used in this study. Body weight and body composition traits were measured in the populations. Primers were designed according to the chicken H-FABP gene sequence. Polymorphisms between parental lines were detected by DNA sequencing. PCR-RFLP and PCR-fragment leng... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584923 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584923 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584922&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17453649%26dopt%3DAbstract This article describes the isolation of the two alternative splice variants of EPLIN mRNA in pigs. The chromosome assignment and several polymorphism sites were also identified to lay a foundation for potential breeding applications. Gene expression analysis by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed that both of transcripts were expressed in almost all tissues examined but in variable amounts in adult pigs. The temporal expression analysis indicated that they are not coexpressional through muscle development: EPLIN-alpha was detected in developing skeletal muscle, but EPLIN-beta was not. PMID: 17453649 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584922 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584921&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17453650%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Civánová K, Knoll A The aim of the study was to introduce a convenient method for identification of differences among individual animals in genes supposed to influence meat performance in pigs. The set of seven candidate genes (IGF2, FOS, MC4R, DGAT1, MYF4, MYF, and MC3R) was used. To determine the genotypes, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and minisequencing using SNaPshot system (Applied Biosystems; Forster City, CA, USA) were applied. The efficiency of this gene panel for routine testing in pigs was verified in the Black Pied Prestice pig breed by the statistical general linear model. The results showed that both the method and the gene panel are convenient for meat quality testing and offer reproducible results. PMID: 17453650 [PubMed - indexed for ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584921 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584921 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584920&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17453651%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Vidal O, Sánchez A, Amills M, Noguera JL We have sequenced 3,013 bp of the pig acyl coenzyme A long-chain synthetase 1 (ACSL1) gene. Sequence analysis allowed us to identify three conserved elements in the predicted amino acid sequence, two of them related to the ATP/AMP signature motif and the third involved in enzyme catalysis and fatty acid substrate specificity. In addition, we have identified five C --> T and one G --> A transition polymorphisms located in exon 16 (SNPe16), exon 17 (SNPe17) and the 3' UTR (SNPa to d), which have been genotyped in 143 pigs from the Landrace, Large White, Piétrain, Iberian, and Duroc breeds. PMID: 17453651 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584920 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584919&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17453652%26dopt%3DAbstract This report also differs from the earlier findings that MDGI is intermediate of FABP-heart and adipose. PMID: 17453652 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584919 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584918&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17453653%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, DC pulse, ethanol, CB, and 6-DMAP all affected the parthenogenesis of porcine oocytes matured in vitro, but their combination of DC pulse + CB + 6-DMAP showed the best result in both of cleavage and blastocyst development. PMID: 17453653 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584918 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584917&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17612837%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Cheng L, Liao X, Yu X, Tong J Type I markers are useful for comparative mapping and other genetic analyses, but relatively difficult to develop. In the present study a microsatellite (SSR)-enriched cDNA library was constructed for the first time using the fast isolation by AFLP of sequences containing repeats (FIASCO) method in a small fish, Chinese rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus). A total of 97.4% of the expressed sequence tags (ESTs) contained targeted CA-repeats, in which 29 unique EST-SSRs were identified. Ten out of the 28 loci for which primer pairs were designed were polymorphic with alleles ranging from three to seven (mean 4.50). Some of these EST-SSRs can be amplified in other species. These results proved that cDNA-FIASCO is an efficient way to isolate novel EST-SSR... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584917 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584917 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584916&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17612838%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wise TG, Schafer DJ, Lambeth LS, Tyack SG, Bruce MP, Moore RJ, Doran TJ RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful method of sequence-specific gene knockdown that can be mediated by DNA-based expression of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) molecules. A number of vectors for expression of shRNA have been developed with promoters for a small group of RNA polymerase III (pol III) transcripts of either mouse or human origin. To advance the use of RNAi as a tool for functional genomic research and future development of specific therapeutics in the chicken species, we have developed shRNA expression vectors featuring chicken U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) promoters. These sequences were identified based on the presence of promoter element sequence motifs upstream of matching snRNA sequences that a... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584916 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584915&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17612839%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhang YL, Ren XH, Liu SC, Dai JW, Hao LL, Jiang QY Biodegradable nanospheres or microspheres have been widely used as a sustained release system for the delivery of bioagents. In the present study, injectable sustained-release growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) (1-32) microspheres were prepared by a double emulsion-in liquid evaporation process using biodegradable polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) as the carrier. The entrapment efficiency was 89.79% and the mean particle size was 4.41 mum. The microspheres were injected into mouse tibialis muscle. After 30 days, mice injected with GRF (1-32) microspheres (group I) gained significantly more weight than any other treatment group, including mice injected with the naked plasmid (group II) (10.26 +/- 0.13 vs. 9.09 +/- 0.56; P &... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584915 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584915 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584914&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17612840%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Tantia MS, Vijh RK, Mishra B, Kumar ST The sequence of myostatin gene (growth differentiation factor 8 [GDF 8]) in Indian riverine buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is reported. The genomic DNA as well as mRNA were sequenced. The sequence is conserved across all the livestock species. Five nonsynonymous changes as compared to cattle were found in this study and were also confirmed by mRNA sequence. Two intronic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in buffalo. PMID: 17612840 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584914 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584913&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17612841%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hojman P, Eriksen J, Gehl J Gene transfer to skeletal muscle leads to long-term, stable expression of transferred genes. An exiting development is the use of inducible expression systems. Using the inducible Tet-On system, it has been customary to administer doxycycline in drinking water with added sucrose to ameliorate the bitter taste. During a study aiming at regulating electrotransferred genes through the Tet-On system, we observed excessive drinking behavior among mice. Removal of sugar from the drinking water led to normal drinking behavior and most importantly did not affect the level of gene expression. Based on this study, the practice of adding sucrose to drinking water in doxycycline induction studies should be abandoned. PMID: 17612841 [PubMed - indexed for MED... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584913 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584912&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17612842%26dopt%3DAbstract This study focused on the association of polymorphisms of the FADS2 gene with fatty acid profiles in egg yolk of eight Japanese quail lines selected for high and low omega-6:omega-3 PUFA ratio (h2 = 0.36-0.38). For the identification of polymorphisms within the FADS2 gene 1350 bp of cDNA sequence were obtained encoding 404 amino acids. Five synonymous SNPs were found by comparative sequencing of animals of the high and low lines. These SNPs were genotyped by single base extension on 160 Japanese quail. The association analysis, comprising analysis of variance and family based association test (FBAT), revealed significant effects of SNP3 and SNP4 genotypes on the egg yolk fatty acid profiles, especially the omega-6 and omega-3 PUFAs (P < 0.05). No effects of the other SNPs were found - i... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584912 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584911&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17612843%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhao XM, Quan GB, Zhou GB, Hou YP, Zhu SE Little is known on the cryopreservation of mouse pronuclear (PN) stage embryos. In the present experiment the mouse 2-PN stage embryos were cryopreserved by conventional freezing, straw, or open-pulled straw (OPS) vitrificaiton methods. The conventional freezing solution was 1.5 mol/L ethylene glycol (EG), and vitrification solutions were EFS30 (30% EG, Ficoll, and sucrose), EFS40 (40% EG, Ficoll, and sucrose), EDFS30 (15% EG, 15%dimethyl sulfoxide [DMSO], Ficoll, and sucrose), or EDFS40 (20% EG, 20%DMSO, Ficoll, and sucrose). The blastocyst rate of 2-PN stage embryos cryopreserved by conventional method (30.4%) was lower than those vitrified by straw method with EDFS (56.9% to 69.1%), by OPS method (66.0% to 85.7%), and that of contro... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584911 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584910&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17612844%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Gahr SA, Rexroad CE, Rise ML, Hunt P, Koop B The pituitary plays significant roles in the regulation of physiological processes. In the current study, expressed sequence tag data was obtained for 1,920 clones from a normalized mixed-sex pituitary cDNA library. From these 3,840 sequences, a total of 524 contigs were assembled and 1,256 unique singletons identified. Assignment of functional annotation was performed through BLAST and gene ontology term assignment. Through in silico comparative mapping homologs were identified for 354 of the unigene sequences. These data provide the first functional information on many of the transcripts present in the rainbow trout pituitary. PMID: 17612844 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584910 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584910 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584909&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17934897%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, the genome-wide DNA methylation patterns of CCGG sites were detected with fluorescent-labeled methylation sensitive amplified polymorphism (F-MSAP) in three chicken strains (White Leghorn, White Plymouth Rock, and their F(1) hybrids). The average incidence of DNA methylation was approximately 29.4% in muscle, 27.2% in liver, 27.2% in heart, and 26.1% in kidney, respectively. Also, the significant differences of the DNA methylation levels were found among the different tissues (P < 0.05) or strains (P < 0.05), implying that such differences may be related to gene expression during tissue differentiation, growth, and development though the relation between methylation and gene expression is currently hard to assess. PMID: 17934897 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Sour... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584909 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584908&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17934898%26dopt%3DAbstract This study was designed to clone the full-length cDNA of the chicken APOB gene, to characterize the expression profile, and investigate the differential expression between layer and broiler of the chicken APOB gene. The full-length cDNA sequence (14,150-bp) that contained a 13,896-bp ORF encoding 4,631 amino acids was obtained by RT-PCR, RACE, and bioinformatics analysis. qReal-Time PCR analysis showed that the chicken APOB gene was highly expressed in kidney, liver, and intestine. The results of differential expression showed that the APOB gene was more highly expressed in intestine and kidney in Bai'er layer than in broiler, but there was no significant difference in liver between the two breeds. The results of this study provided basic molecular information for studying the role of APOB... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584908 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584907&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17934899%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: van Wijk HJ, Harlizius B, Liefers SC, Buschbell H, Dibbits B, Groenen MA Marker density of a QTL region on pig chromosome 4 was increased. New microsatellites were identified by in silico mining of BAC-end and genomic shotgun sequences. Among 8,784 BAC-end sequences predicted within the region, 148 microsatellites were identified. In addition, 27,450 CA/TG repeats were identified within the genomic shotgun sequences, of which 157 were most likely located on SSC4q. A selection of 61 new microsatellites was mapped, together with previously mapped markers. The results showed that the human-pig comparative map in combination with BAC-end and genomic sequence resources provides an excellent source for a highly efficient and targeted development of markers. PMID: 17934899 [PubMe... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584907 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584907 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584906&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17934900%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chu MX, Jiao CL, He YQ, Wang JY, Liu ZH, Chen GH The Jining Grey is a prolific local goat breed in P.R. China. Bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) gene that controls high fecundity of Inverdale, Hanna, Lacaune, Belclare, Cambridge, and Small Tailed Han ewes was studied as a candidate gene for the prolificacy of Jining Grey goats. According to the sequence of ovine BMP15 gene, six pairs of primers were designed to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms in exon 1 and exon 2 of the BMP15 gene in both high fecundity breed (Jining Grey goats) and low fecundity breeds (Boer, Liaoning Cashmere, and Inner Mongolia Cashmere goats) by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP). Two pairs of primers (F1/R1 and F2/R2) were used to amplify the exon 1. Four pairs of primers (F3/R3, F4... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584906 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584905&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17934901%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Yu SL, Chung HJ, Sang BC, Park CS, Lee JH, Yoon DH, Lee SH, Choi KD The 788-gene microarray was manufactured using selected elements from three different cDNA libraries in order to identify molecular processes that determine phenotypic characteristics between loin (M. longissimus thoracis) and round (M. semimembranosus) muscles. Microarray analyses identified 24 differentially expressed genes between the two muscles investigated. Five of the genes were verified by quantitative RT-PCR and three of them were mapped on bovine chromosomes using 5,000 rad bovine radiation hybrid (RH) panel. The map locations indicated that they were mapped in the same chromosomal regions where IMF and growth QTLs were located, suggesting that they are most possible positional candidate genes for th... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584905 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584904&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17934902%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Yamada T, Taniguchi Y, Sasaki Y, Muramatsu Y, Konfortov BA, Yasue H Eight expressed sequence tags for unknown novel genes showing early embryonic death-associated changes of expression patterns in the fetal placenta of the cow carrying somatic nuclear-derived cloned embryo were assigned to bovine chromosomes using deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) of bovine/murine somatic cell hybrid panel. PMID: 17934902 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584904 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584904 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584903&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17934903%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mausberg EM, Drögemüller C, Leeb T, Dolf G, Rüfenacht S, Welle M Alopecia X is a noninflammatory, progressive, bilateral symmetric alopecia in dogs. The disease is mainly found in Nordic breeds. The breed predisposition and a strong familial accumulation suggest a hereditary background. We analyzed the cathepsin L2 gene (CTSL2) as a candidate for alopecia X. The comparative sequencing of 14 affected and 18 control animals revealed ten polymorphisms; however, none of these polymorphisms affected the coding sequence. Haplotype analysis did not reveal an association of one particular CTSL2 haplotype with the disease phenotype; therefore, we conclude that the CTSL2 gene is probably not the causative gene for alopecia X. PMID: 17934903 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLI... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584903 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584902&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17934904%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Vestrheim O, Lundin M, Syed M The major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) genes are only constitutively expressed in certain immune response cells such as B cells, macrophages, dendritic cells and other antigen presenting cells. This cell specific expression pattern and the presence of conserved regions such as the X-, X2-, Y-, and W-boxes make the MHCII promoters especially interesting as vector constructs. We tested whether the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) MHCII promoters can function in cell lines from other organisms. We found that the salmon MHCII alpha and MHCII beta promoters could drive expression of a LacZ reporter gene in adherent lymphoblast cell lines from dog (DH82) and rabbit (HybL-L). This paper shows that the promoters of Atlantic salmon MHCII alp... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584902 Mon, 01 Jan 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1584902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584955&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16621755%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kamiński S, Brym P, Ruść A, Wójcik E, Ahman A, Mägi R An oligonucleotide microarray-which allows for parallel genotyping of many SNPs in genes involved in cow milk protein biosynthesis-was used to identify which of the 16 candidate SNPs are associated with milk performance traits in Holstein cows. Four hundred cows were genotyped by the developed and validated microarray. Significant associations were found between four single SNPs, namely DGAT1 (acyloCoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase), LTF (lactoferrin), CSN3 (kappa-casein), and GHR (growth hormone receptor) and with fat and protein yield and percentage. Many significant associations between combined genotypes (two SNPs) and milk performance traits were found. The associations between the combined... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584955 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584954&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16621756%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhao C, Liu Z, Fan B, Dai Y, Wang L, Zheng M, Wang M, Niu H, Xi F, Li N, Zhang D Differential glycosylation of natural hLf and rhLf from hLf-transgenic mice, which harbored a 146 Kb BAC insert that includes the intact hLf gene sequence, was studied in the present report. There were significant differences between the immunoblotting results of rhLf and natural hLf, which were denatured with nonreducing SDS sample buffer. The differences disappeared after rhLf and natural hLf samples were digested with N-glycosidase F, respectively. The results showed that there were significant differences (P<0.01) between the glycosylation of natural hLf and rhLf that were purified, respectively, from milk samples of seven hLf-transgenic mouse lines. PMID: 16621756 [PubMed - indexed for... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584954 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584953&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16621757%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Neill JD, Ridpath JF, Liebler-Tenorio E The Peyer's patches of the small intestine are important sites of antigen processing. The follicles of the Peyer's patches receive the antigen transported by the M cells at the mucosal surface and then play a major role in development of both protective humoral and mucosal immune responses. Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) was employed to derive the global gene expression profile of B lymphocytes isolated from the IPPF. Analysis of the SAGE data revealed the identity of genes and the level to which they are expressed by IPPF B lymphocytes. This analysis indicated that they were metabolically active and that the transcripts encoding proteins necessary for a response to antigen presentation were expressed. These transcripts includ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584953 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584952&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16621758%26dopt%3DAbstract In conclusion, SNPs were found in abundance throughout this regulatory region. Whether or not these polymorphisms have an effect on the regulation of the bovine lactoferrin gene is yet to be elucidated. However, the identification of lactoferrin promoter variants may serve as a marker for healthier animals, thereby accelerating the improvement of animals through breeding. PMID: 16621758 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584952 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584951&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16621759%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kwak S, Jung JE, Jin X, Kim SM, Kim TK, Lee JS, Lee SY, Pian X, You S, Kim H, Choi YJ Using normal swine kidney epithelial (SKE) cells that were shown to be senescent at passages 12 to 14, we have established one lifespan-extended cell line and two lifespan-extended cell lines by exogenous introduction of the human catalytic subunit of telomerase (hTERT) and simian virus 40 large T-antigen (SV40LT), all of which maintain epithelial morphology and express cytokeratin, a marker of epithelial cells. SV40LT- and hTERT-transduced immortal cell lines appeared to be smaller and exhibited more uniform morphology relative to primary and spontaneously immortalized SKE cells. We determined the in vitro lifespan of primary SKE cells using a standard 3T6 protocol. There were two steps of t... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584951 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584951 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584950&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16621760%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Shi X, Xia C, Pan B, Wang M Interferon-a genes were cloned from six breeds of three species of two genera (three Chinese native cattle breeds of yellow cattle, wild yak and HuanHu domestic yak, one European breed of Holstein cow, and two water buffalo breeds of FuAn water buffalo and FuZhong water buffalo) by direct PCR. The PCR products were directly inserted into the expression vector to be sequenced and expressed. Sequence analysis showed that IFN-a genes of six clones were composed of 498 nucleotides, encoding a mature polypeptide with 166 amino acids. Compared with the published BoIFN-a subtypes, the IFN-a gene of Holstein cow had only one point mutation with the BoIFN-aA subtype. The IFN-a gene of yellow cattle was similar to the BoIFN-aD subtype with amino acid identity... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584950 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584949&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16621761%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, SNP-based markers were developed for integrating the cDNA/RFLP-based map (1) with microsatellite markers of the second-generation turkey genome map (2). Forty-eight primer sets were designed and tested and 33 (69%) correctly amplified turkey genomic DNA by PCR. Putative SNPs were detected in 20 (61%) of the amplified gene fragments, and 10 SNP markers were subsequently genotyped by PCR/RFLP for segregation analysis. Eight SNP markers were incorporated into the turkey genetic map. PMID: 16621761 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584949 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584948&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16621762%26dopt%3DAbstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the level and function of circulating immune cells with average daily gain, live and carcass measurements, feed intake, and feed conversion. Production performance was monitored throughout the pig's lifetime. Pigs were moved in weekly batches through the nursery and growing/finishing rooms at specific target weights. Animals were individually weighed at birth and at weaning, and then every two weeks while they were "on test" until they were "off test" and sent to the slaughterhouse. At six to seven weeks of age, the pigs were bled in the nursery. The percentage of immune cell subsets and lymphocyte proliferation was estimated using swine monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometric analysis. The predictive effect of the immu... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584948 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584947&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16621763%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wang XM, Liu B, Zhao SH, Fan B, Zhu MJ, Yu M, Xiong TA, Li K The predicted full-length cDNA sequence of the porcine Sar1b gene was characterized by assembling pig ESTs from GenBank. The coding sequence (CDS) shares high sequence identity with the corresponding sequences of human (93%) and mouse (91%). The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) displayed that porcine Sar1b gene is expressed in all eight tissues (liver, small intestine, stomach, heart, lung, spleen, muscle and fat). Analysis of the somatic cell hybrid panel (SCHP) and the INRA-University of Minnesota porcine radiation hybrid (IMpRH) panel indicated the gene maps to SSC2 (1/2 q24)-q29 and most closely links to the interleukin-4 (IL4) gene. One base-pair deletion polymorphism in the 3' untranslat... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584947 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584946&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16688886%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chen K, Knorr C, Borbemann-Kolatzki K, Huang L, Rohrer GA, Brenig B We isolated and characterized the highly polymorphic tetra-nucleotide microsatellite S0719 on SSC7q14-q15 adjacent to the porcine testis-specific phosphoglycerate kinase 2 (PGK2) gene and assigned it to the USDA-MARC linkage map on SSC7 position 77.5 cM closely linked to markers SW859 (76.3 cM) and SWR2036 (79.0 cM). In a panel of 344 individuals representing 11 pig breeds (European, Chinese, and North American), a total of 32 alleles were observed, and the overall breeds' calculated PIC (polymorphism information content), HE (heterozygosity), and NE (effective allele number) were 0.94, 0.94, and 16.41. Breed-specific PIC and HE ranged from 0.66 to 0.87, whereas NE was as low as 2.95 and as high as 7.96. Consi... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584946 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584946 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584945&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17127523%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Harbottle H, Thakur S, Zhao S, White DG Antimicrobial resistant strains of bacteria are an increasing threat to animal and human health. Resistance mechanisms to circumvent the toxic action of antimicrobials have been identified and described for all known antimicrobials currently available for clinical use in human and veterinary medicine. Acquired bacterial antibiotic resistance can result from the mutation of normal cellular genes, the acquisition of foreign resistance genes, or a combination of these two mechanisms. The most common resistance mechanisms employed by bacteria include enzymatic degradation or alteration of the antimicrobial, mutation in the antimicrobial target site, decreased cell wall permeability to antimicrobials, and active efflux of the antimicrobial ac... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584945 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584944&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17127524%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Summers AO Bacteria carrying resistance genes for many antibiotics are moving beyond the clinic into the community, infecting otherwise healthy people with untreatable and frequently fatal infections. This state of affairs makes it increasingly important that we understand the sources of this problem in terms of bacterial biology and ecology and also that we find some new targets for drugs that will help control this growing epidemic. This brief and eclectic review takes the perspective that we have too long thought about the problem in terms of treatment with or resistance to a single antibiotic at a time, assuming that dissemination of the resistance gene was affected by simple vertical inheritance. In reality antibiotic resistance genes are readily transferred horizontally,... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584944 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584944 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584943&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17127525%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Salyers A, Shoemaker NB A potential concern about the use of antibiotics in animal husbundary is that, as antibiotic resistant bacteria move from the farm into the human diet, they may pass antibiotic resistance genes to bacteria that normally reside in a the human intestinal tract and from there to bacteria that cause human disease (reservoir hypothesis). In this article various approaches to evaluating the risk of agricultural use of antibiotics are assessed critically. In addition, the potential benefits of applying new technology and using new insights from the field of microbial ecology are explained. PMID: 17127525 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584943 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584942&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17127526%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Bengtsson B, Wierup M The banned use of antimicrobial growth promoters resulted in a considerably decreased use of antimicrobials in food animal production in Sweden (65%), Denmark (47%), Norway (40%) and Finland (27%). The current prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in animal bacterial populations is also considerably lower than in some other countries in the EU. In the swine production, no or limited effect was found in the finisher production (>25 to 30 kg). Temporary negative effects occurred during the post weaning period (7-30 kg). In Denmark, the cost of production from birth to slaughter per pig produced increased by approximately 1.0 euro with a high variability between pig producers. In the broiler production the termination had no significant negative effect o... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584942 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584941&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17127527%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Mackie RI, Koike S, Krapac I, Chee-Sanford J, Maxwell S, Aminov RI Antibiotics are used at therapeutic levels to treat disease; at slightly lower levels as prophylactics; and at low, subtherapeutic levels for growth promotion and improvement of feed efficiency. Over 88% of swine producers in the United States gave antimicrobials to grower/finisher pigs in feed as a growth promoter in 2000. It is estimated that ca. 75% of antibiotics are not absorbed by animals and are excreted in urine and feces. The extensive use of antibiotics in swine production has resulted in antibiotic resistance in many intestinal bacteria, which are also excreted in swine feces, resulting in dissemination of resistance genes into the environment. To assess the impact of manure management on groundwater... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584941 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584940&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17127528%26dopt%3DAbstract This article reviews the dynamics of pig health emphasizing how technology and management marginally affect the course of disease. Further, management techniques that incorporate technology in disease control, elimination, and eradication are reviewed. Antimicrobials are a key biotechnical tool for maximizing pig health. PMID: 17127528 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584940 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584940 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584939&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17127529%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jensen HM During the late 1990s, all use of antibiotic growth promotors for production animals was gradually banned in Denmark. At the same time, the legislation on prescription of medicine was tightened and registration of usage became mandatory. Following the ban, the prevalence of diarrhoea - often caused by Lawsonia intercellularis - increased, which led to an expected increased use of therapeutic antibiotics. However, the consumption never reached the same amount of antibiotics as distributed before the ban. As a consequence, production performance dropped with a reduction of 18 g to 50 g per day in daily gain and mortality increased by an extra 0.6% to 1.5%, especially in the weaner period. The cost of this is at least from 1 to 3 US dollars per animal. No reliably subst... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584939 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584939 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584938&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17127530%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Baker R Since World War II the use of antimicrobial products associated with food animal production has increased. Antimicrobials along with evolving production practices have significantly increased throughput, animal welfare, and improved health. Concerns surrounding the growing significance of emerging and in some cases rapidly disseminating antibiotic (antimicrobial) resistant bacterial pathogens among human and livestock populations has stimulated a reassessment of this application. The negative publicity has led many consumers and activist groups to believe that protein derived from food animals grown in the absence of those drugs is safer than products derived from the conventionally reared. There is a general fear that antimicrobial usage in agriculture threatens the s... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584938 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584937&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17127531%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pettigrew JE Antibiotics improve health and productive performance of pigs. There is increasing evidence that other dietary ingredients may provide similar, but probably not identical, benefits. A properly prepared immune egg product, spray-dried plasma, or a high level of dietary zinc can provide protection against enteric infection in young pigs. Spray-dried plasma also increases growth rate dramatically, and zinc increases it substantially. The evidence in refereed publications also indicates that organic acids increase growth rate substantially, but does not clearly identify the most effective acid or combination of acids. Whey proteins, lactose, mannan oligosaccharide, or a high level of dietary copper provides a modest but useful increase in growth rate. It is not clear ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584937 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584936&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17127532%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Stein HH, Kil DY Diets formulated to maximize performance of weanling pigs need to support the development of intestinal tissue, support intestinal colonization with beneficial, mainly lactic acid-producing bacteria, and support development of the intestinal and overall immune system. This objective is not likely to be achieved using one single strategy, but there is strong evidence that diets formulated with cereal grains other than corn, with a low concentration of crude protein and with the use of direct-fed microbials, will improve intestinal health and performance of weanling pigs. Further improvements may be observed if the grain part of the diet is fermented prior to feeding or if the diet is fed in a liquid form, but the need for specialized equipment limit the impleme... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584936 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584935&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17127533%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wagstrom EA While the contribution of antimicrobial use in pork production to resistant bacteria in human health is uncertain, pork producers have the responsibility to deliver safe and wholesome pork to consumers. The development of a comprehensive producer education and awareness program focused on the responsible use of antimicrobials in pork production is described. The Take Care - Use Antibiotics Responsibly program is based on principles and guidelines that provide the producer and veterinarian the basis for antibiotic use decision-making. The goal of the program is to protect public health while preserving animal health and welfare. PMID: 17127533 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584935 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584934&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D17127534%26dopt%3DAbstract This article provides an overview of what we have learned about antibiotic resistance as an issue in animal agriculture and where that knowledge could lead us in the future. To preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics, more action is needed to ensure their prudent use, particularly in the case of antibiotic growth promoters and antibiotics deemed critically important for human and animal health. PMID: 17127534 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584934 Sun, 01 Jan 2006 05:00:00 +0100 1584934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584973&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15926258%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Roy R, Zaragoza P, Gautier M, Eggen A, Rodellar C Fatness traits, such as fat deposition, carcass composition, fat content, and the percentage of fat in milk, are economically relevant to cattle production. Fatty acid synthase (FASN) and glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase mitochondrial (GPAM) are two enzymes that play a central role in de novo lipogenesis. Both could be putative candidate genes for quantitative trait loci (QTL). Several clones containing the fatty acid synthase (FASN) and glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase mitochondrial (GPAM) genes were isolated after screening the INRA bovine bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library using PCR. Five microsatellite loci were derived from the BAC clones containing the genes of interest with heterozygosity values rangin... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584973 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584973 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584972&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15926259%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, enlightened by its character of maternal heredity in vertebrates, we used control region sequence as a matrilineage marker for Elliot's pheasant (Syrmaticus ellioti) of Ningbo Zoo population. In Ningbo Zoo, 36 individuals of Elliot's pheasant were descendants from three female founders introduced in 1988. Three control region haplotypes (Ha, Hb, Hc) were identified by six variable nucleotide positions among the control region sequences over 36 individuals. The number of haplotypes was accorded with the number of female founders. Total 20 individuals (C04, C06, C08-11, C14, C20, C21, C23-29, C32, C34-36) shared haplotype a, while 12 individuals (C01, C05, C07, C12, C13, C16-19, C22, C30, C33) shared haplotype b and 4 individuals (C02, C03, C15, C31) shared haplotype c. Those ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584972 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584971&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15926260%26dopt%3DAbstract We describe BARC-8BOV, a normalized cDNA library developed from mRNA isolated from four distinct intestinal locations (duodenal, jejunal and ileal small intestine, colon) of Holstein dairy cattle resulting in 19,110 5'-EST deposited into the NCBI GenBank EST database. Assembly and clustering of these 19,110 clone sequences yielded 11,208 unique elements (3,419 contigs and 7,789 singletons) with an average length of 695 base pairs. Analysis strongly suggests normalization and tissue pooling were effective at increasing the discovery rate of new bovine sequence. A total of 1,123 sequence elements not previously identified in cattle, but with similarity to known genes in other animal species, were identified and shown to be involved in numerous critical biological processes. An additional 745... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584971 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584971 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584970&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15926261%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study we established an RNAi transfection protocol for primary porcine alveolar macrophages and evaluated potential off-target effects of siRNA introduction into these cells. Porcine alveolar macrophages were transfected using a fluorescence-labeled siRNA to compare transfection reagents from different suppliers. Under optimized transfection conditions, up to 95% of macrophages were fluorescent at 12 and 24 h post-transfection using an amine-based transfection reagent. An siRNA targeting GAPDH suppressed macrophage endogenous GAPDH transcript levels as much as 60% through 24h. Further, we did not detect a significant interferon response following siRNA transfection. These data suggest that RNAi will be an efficient and convenient approach for studying loss of gene function in prima... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584970 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584970 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584969&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15926262%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Jungerius BJ, Gu J, Crooijmans RP, van der Poel JJ, Groenen MA, van Oost BA, te Pas MF Linkage disequilibrium (LD) refers to the correlation among neighboring alleles, reflecting non-random patterns of association between alleles at (nearby) loci. A better understanding of LD in the porcine genome is of direct relevance for identification of genes and mutations with a certain effect on the traits of interest. Here, 215 SNPs in seven genomic regions were genotyped in individuals of three breeds. Pairwise linkage disequilibrium was calculated for all marker pairs. To estimate the extent of LD, all pairwise LD values were plotted against the distance between the markers. Based on SNP markers in four genomic regions analyzed in three panels from populations of Large White, Dutch L... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584969 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584968&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15926263%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Ning ZY, Zhao DM, Yang JM, Cui YL, Meng LP, Wu CD, Liu HX Determination of tissue-specific expression of cellular prion protein (PrPc) is essential for understanding its poorly explained role in organisms. Herein we report on quantification of PrP mRNA in golden hamsters, a popular experimental model for studying mechanisms of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), by real-time RT-PCR. Total RNA was isolated from four different regions of the brain and six peripheral organs of eight golden hamsters. PrP mRNA copy numbers were determined using absolute standard curve method with real-time quantitative PCR instrument. It was found that high mRNA levels were present in all four regions of the brain examined, including obex, neocortex, cerebellum, and thalamus. In periph... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584968 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584967&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15926264%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Hansen C, Yi N, Zhang YM, Xu S, Gavora J, Cheng HH If the poultry industry hopes to continue to flourish, the identification of potential quantitative trait loci (QTL) for production-related traits must be pursued This remains true despite the sequencing of the chicken genome. In view of this need, a scan of the chicken genome using 72 microsatellite markers was carried out on a meat-type x egg-type resource population measured for production and egg quality traits. Using a Bayesian analysis, potential QTL for a number of traits were identified on several chromosomes. Evidence of eight QTL regions associated with a total of eight traits (specific gravity, albumin height, Haugh score, shell shape, total number of eggs, final body weight, gain, and feed efficiency) was found. Tw... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584967 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584967 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584966&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16335804%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Reed KM, Knutson TP, Krueth SB, Sullivan LR, Chaves LD Sequence similarity was used to predict the position of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) in the genome of the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). Turkey EST sequences were compared with the draft assembly of the chicken whole-genome sequence and the chicken EST database by BLASTN. Among the 877 ESTs examined, 788 had significant matches in the chicken genome sequence. Position of orthologous sequences in the chicken genome and the predicted position of the EST loci in the turkey genome are presented Genetic assignments suggest a high level of accuracy for the COMPASS predictions. PMID: 16335804 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584966 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584965&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16335805%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Nonneman D, Waldbieser GC Efforts to construct a genetic linkage map of channel catfish have involved identification of random genomic microsatellite markers, as well as anchored Type I loci (expressed genes) from channel catfish. To identify Type I markers we constructed a directional cDNA library from brain tissue to obtain expressed catfish sequences that could be used for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker development. These cDNA sequences surprisingly contained a high proportion of microsatellites (about 14%) in noncoding regions of expressed sequence tags (ESTs), many of which were not associated with known sequences. To further identify cDNAs with microsatellites and reduce the number of sequencing reactions needed for marker development, we enriched this libra... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584965 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584965 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584964&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16335806%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Zhang ZH, Zheng X, Hu XL, Zhu MY, Hou R, Shen FJ, Zhang L, Liao MJ, Lv XP cDNA encoding pituitary (PRL) of giant panda was obtained using RT-PCR and expressed in E. coli. The results revealed that panda PRL cDNA encodes a precursor protein of 229 amino acids including a putative signal peptide of 30 amino acids and a mature protein of 199 residues with one potential N-glycosylation site. Sequence comparison indicated that panda PRL shares a high degree of identity to other known PRL sequences ranging from 98% with mink PRL to about 50% with rodent PRL. Six cysteine residues and 29 conserved residues distributed in four domains (PD1, PD2, PD3, and PD4) of PRL were observed. through multiple sequence alignment. Fourteen key residues of binding sites 1 and 2 involved in receptor ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584964 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584963&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16335807%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Sodhi M, Mukesh M, Mishra BP, Mitkari KR, Prakash B, Ahlawat SP Elucidation of genetic variability and genetic relationship among breeds has direct relevance with the issues of sustainable use of domestic animal genetic resources. In the present study, genetic polymorphism was evaluated using 22 microsatellite loci in unrelated samples of Red Kandhari and Deoni cattle breeds inhabiting the same geographical area of Marathwada region in Maharashtra state (western India). This work was mainly aimed at assessing the current genetic diversity to understand whether the two zebu populations in question are genetically differentiated. A total of 164 alleles were detected with an average of 5.82 and 5.86 alleles per locus (MNA) in Red Kandhari and Deoni breeds, respectively. The estim... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584963 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584963 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584962&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16335808%26dopt%3DAbstract The objectives of this research were to validate the use of human microarrays in the analysis of porcine gene expression, to assess the variability of the data generated, and to compare gene expression in boars with different levels of steroidogenesis. Cytochrome b5 (CYB5) expression was used to assess array detection sensitivity. Samples having high or low CYB5 RNA levels were hybridized to microarrays to determine if the known expression difference could be detected. Six hybridizations were conducted using human microarrays containing 3840 total spots representing 1718 characterized human ESTs. To analyze gene expression in boars with different levels of steroidogenesis, testis RNA from four boars with high levels of plasma estrone sulphate was hybridized to testis RNA from four boars wi... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584962 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584962 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584961&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16335809%26dopt%3DAbstract This study was performed to pursue the optimal condition for the cryopreservation of mouse morulae by a two-step OPS method and to investigate the feasibility of the optimal condition for vitrification of embryos at other developmental stages. First, the mouse morulae were vitrified in OPS using one-step procedure-that is, embryos were vitrified after direct exposure to EDFS30 (15% ethylene glycol (EG), 15% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), Ficoll and sucrose), or two-step method-that is, embryos were first pretreated in 10%E + 10%D (10% EG and 10% DMSO in mPBS) for 30 sec, then exposed to EDFS30 for 15 to 60 sec, respectively. After vitrification and warming, the embryos were morphologically evaluated and assessed by their development to blastocysts, expanded/hatched blastocysts, or to term afte... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584961 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584961 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584960&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16335810%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Kogut MH, He H, Kaiser P Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the major pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) found in the cell wall of gram-negative bacteria and, in mammals, is recognized by the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in conjunction with the serum protein, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), and the CD14 co-receptor. We have found that chicken heterophils constitutively express multiple TLRs including TLR4. Interestingly, ultrapure LPS from Salmonella minnesota directly induced the functional activation of heterophils without the presence of LBP. However, the role of LBP and CD14 in the recognition of LPS and the induction of innate immunity, including cellfunctional activation and the transcription of cytokine and chemokine genes in chicken heterophils, is not know... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584960 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584960 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584959&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16335811%26dopt%3DAbstract This study was designed to clone and characterize the genes of heart fatty acid-binding protein and intestine fatty acid-binding protein in the chicken. PCR primers were designed according to the chicken EST sequences to amplify cDNA of H-FABP and I-FABP genes from chicken heart and intestinal tissues. Analysis of sequence showed that the cDNA of the chicken H-FABP gene is 75 to 77% homologues to human, mouse, and pig H-FABP genes, and the chicken I-FABP gene is 71 to 72% homologues to human, mouse, and pig I-FABP genes. In addition, Northern blot analysis indicated that of the two genes, similar to the copartner of the mammal, H-FABP gene was expressed in a wide variety of tissues, and I-FABP gene was expressed only in intestinal tissues. The expression levels of the chicken H-FABP mRNA i... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584959 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584958&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16335812%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Flisikowski K, Maj A, Zwierzchowski L, Adamowicz T, Switoński M, Hiendleder S, Pareek C The major assumption of this study is that polymorphism of a gene could be used to investigate its allele-specific expression as well as its methylation and imprinting status. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the polymorphism of the coding region of the bovine IGF2 gene and to determine the sequence of its gene exon 6 in Bos taurus and Bos indicus cattle. A single nucleotide "C" deletion/insertion polymorphism was found in both cattle subspecies and a G/T transversion (RFLP-MboII) in the Bos indicus IGF2 gene. A 407-bp fragment of bovine IGF2 exon 6 was sequenced and the sequences (including variable nucleotides) were deposited in the GenBank database. A comparative ana... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584958 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584957&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16335813%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we designed 11 primer sets based on the human and mouse UCP2, UCP3 sequences and successfully amplified full regions of porcine UCP2 and UCP3 by polymerase chain reactions (PCR). Comparison of the UCP2 and UCP3 genic structures revealed a highly conservative region was putatively presented, showing the second transmembrane domain may be the UCPs' cardinal function region. Altogether 23 nucleotide polymorphisms of UCP2 and UCP3 genes were discovered in Yorkshire, Wuzhishan, and Lepinghua pigs. These polymorphisms included 3 missense mutations, 16 intronic substitutions, and 4 intronic deletions. The substitution of Ala-55-Val in UCP2 is actually the most common mutation in human. We also calculated genotypic frequencies of five polymorphisms in three pig breeds. PMID: 163... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584957 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584956&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D16342425%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Schook L, Beattie C, Beever J, Donovan S, Jamison R, Zuckermann F, Niemi S, Rothschild M, Rutherford M, Smith D The opportunities for utilizing swine biomedical models are immense, particularly in models that address lifestyle issues (nutrition, stress, alcohol, drugs of abuse, etc.). However, in order to fully capitalize upon the promise, there needs to be a more general recognition of these cofactors, such as nutrition, as key modulators of phenotype via genomic, epigenetic, and postgenomic mechanisms. Furthermore, increased interactions between nutrition scientists and clinical and fundamental researchers in other disciplines, including developmental biology, immunology, neuroscience, oncology, and cardiovascular and gastrointestinal physiology, are required. Closing discus... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584956 Sat, 01 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0100 1584956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584988&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15248596%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, two directionally cloned cDNA libraries were constructed from 60 day-old bovine whole fetus and fetal placenta. We have characterized 5357 and 1126 clones, and then identified 3464 and 795 unique sequences for the fetus and placenta cDNA libraries: 1851 and 504 showed homology to already identified genes, and 1613 and 291 showed no significant matches to any of the sequences in DNA databases, respectively. Further, we found 94 unique sequences overlapping in both the fetus and the placenta, leading to a catalog of 4165 genes expressed in 60 day-old fetus and placenta. The catalog is used to examine expression profile of genes in 60 day-old bovine fetus and placenta. PMID: 15248596 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584988 Sat, 01 May 2004 04:00:00 +0100 1584988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584987&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15248597%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Su HY, Cheng WT Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) mediates many of the actions of growth hormone. Overexpression of IGF-1 was reported to have endocrine and paracrine/autocrine effects on somatic growth in transgenic mice. To study the paracrine/autocrine effects of IGF-1 in mammary gland, transgenic mice were produced by pronuclear microinjection of a construct containing a bovine alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-LA) promoter linked to an ovine IGF-1 cNDA. This alpha-LA promoter has previously been shown to direct expression of a human factor VIII gene specifically to the mammary gland of transgenic mice. Three transgenic mouse lines were established as a result of microinjection of 398 embryos. Transgene expression was found in mammary gland at day 1 of lactation from these three... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584987 Sat, 01 May 2004 04:00:00 +0100 1584987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584986&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15248598%26dopt%3DAbstract We reported here a transgenic mice model with high-level expression of recombinant human lactoferrin in mammary gland. Transgene construct used here was a human bacterial artificial chromosome containing intact lactoferrin-encoding transcript unit, approximately 90 kb 5'-flanking sequences and 27.2 kb 3'-flanking sequences. We obtained totally 10 transgenic mice whereas two of them lacked of part of upstream sequences of the gene. Milk of eight transgenic mice line was detected by Western blot and radioimmunoassay and seven lines expressed recombinant human lactoferrin at high but variable level (0.29, 0.53, 0.90, 1.23, 2.76, 3.58, and 8.02 mg/mL, respectively). The variability of expression indicates that even the 90 kb 5' flanking sequence of the transgene can't overcome position effects... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584986 Sat, 01 May 2004 04:00:00 +0100 1584986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584985&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15248599%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Pursel VG, Mitchell AD, Bee G, Elsasser TH, McMurtry JP, Wall RJ, Coleman ME, Schwartz RJ The goal of this research was to determine whether directing expression of an insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) transgene specifically to striated muscle would alter the growth characteristics in swine. Transgenic pigs were produced with a fusion gene composed of avian skeletal alpha-actin regulatory sequences and a cDNA encoding human IGF-I. Six founder transgenic pigs were mated to nontransgenic pigs to produce 11 litters of G1 transgenic and sibling control progeny. Birth weight, weaning weight, and proportion of pig survival did not differ between transgenic and control pigs. The ADG of pigs as they grew incrementally from 20 to 60 kg, 60 to 90 kg, and 90 to 120 kg, respectively, d... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584985 Sat, 01 May 2004 04:00:00 +0100 1584985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584984&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15248600%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Agca C, Bidwell CA, Donkin SS Bovine pyruvate carboxylase (PC; EC 6.4.1.1) cDNA was cloned by reverse transcription (RT) PCR. The coding region plus 3' untranslated region (UTR) of PC mRNA is 3926 bases and encodes 1178 amino acid PC precursor protein. A 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends protocol was used to clone the 5' end of the mRNA. Six 5'UTR variants ranging from 68 to 363 bp were cloned. Bovine PC 5'UTR (bPC5') variants contain 68 (bPC5'A), 263 (bPC5'B), 363 (bPC5'C), 89 (bPC5'D), 275 (bPC5'E), and 178 bp (bPC5'F). All variants contain a common coding sequence. An RNase protection assay and RT-PCR analysis confirms the presence of the 5'UTR variants. The abundance of PC mRNA, determined by Northern blot analysis, indicates that PC is more abundant in gluconeogenic and... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584984 Sat, 01 May 2004 04:00:00 +0100 1584984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584983&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15248601%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Li GH, Zhang Y, Sun DX, Li N Mastitis is a major cause of economic loss to the dairy industry. Lactoferrin (Lf) is known to contribute to resistance against bacterial infections. Hence, we decided to characterize the relevance between mastitis resistance and the variants of Lf gene. By using PCR-SSCP, five fragments within 5' region and all exons of bovine lactoferrin gene were amplified and identified the nucleotide diversity. For the five segments within the 5'-region: Lf5'-1, Lf5'-2, Lf5'-3, Lf5'-4, and Lf5'-5 from upstream to downstream, we found that three had base variation. Totally, mutations were observed in Lf5'-1, Lf5'-3, and Lf5'-5, exons 4, 8, 9, 11, 15, and intron 4. We analyzed the effects of all mutated loci on milk production traits with least squares method. ... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584983 Sat, 01 May 2004 04:00:00 +0100 1584983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584982&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15248602%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Xia C, Liu J, Wu ZG, Lin CY, Wang M The interferon-alpha genes from three chicken lines were cloned by a direct PCR technique, and the effects of recombinant protein expressed in a prokaryotic system on highly pathogenic H9N2 influenza viruses were investigated. The cloned ChIFN-alpha gene encoded a protein of 193 amino acids with a signal sequence of 31 amino acids and mature peptides of 162 amino acids. Comparison of ChIFN-alpha sequences, detected six amino acids substitutions at positions 50, 58, 65, 81, 181, and 183. Homology analysis indicated that ChIFN-alpha genes could be subdivided into two lineages, SH-ChIFN-alpha and WJ-ChIFN-alpha. In addition, both SH-ChIFN-alpha and WJ-ChIFN-alpha were expressed with the N-terminal 6 consecutive histidine residues in a high-leve... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584982 Sat, 01 May 2004 04:00:00 +0100 1584982 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584981&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15248603%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we have designed 17 primer sets based on the human and mouse LEPR sequences and successfully amplified coding regions of 15 porcine LEPR exon fragments by polymerase chain reactions (PCR). Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of Intron 2, Exons 2, 6, and 18 were found in Landrace, Yorkshire, and Duroc by mutagenetically separated-PCR (MS-PCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP). Chi-square statistics was used to calculate homogeneity of genotypic frequencies of 4 gene polymorphisms for three breeds of animals. Effects of Intron 2, Exon 2, and Exon 18 polymorphisms on the reproduction trait such as litter sizes of sows were evident (p < 0.05) in Duroc and Yorkshire. There was no (p > 0.05) significant influence on the production trait of a... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584981 Sat, 01 May 2004 04:00:00 +0100 1584981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584980&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15595696%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Liu WS, de León FA Three genes, SRY, ANT3, and CSF2RA, were mapped to the bovine Y chromosome (BTAY) by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and/or radiation hybrid (RH) mapping. FISH analysis indicated that the bovine SRY gene maps to the distal region of BTAYq, while ANT3 and CSF2RA are located in the pseudoautosomal region (PAR) of BTAYp and BTAXq. RH mapping with a 7000-rad cattle hamster whole-genome radiation hybrid panel further defined the ANT3 and CSF2RA position in relationship to previously mapped 12 PAR markers, and resulted in a relatively high resolution RH map for the PAR of BTAY. PMID: 15595696 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584980 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1584980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584979&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15595697%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Chu MX, Li BX, Wang JY, Ye SC, Fang L Small Tail Han sheep that has significant characteristics of high prolificacy and nonseasonal ovulatory activity is an excellent local sheep breed in P.R. China. The lambing percentage averaged 260% in Small Tail Han sheep. Growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) gene, which was essential for growth and differentiation of early ovarian follicles, was considered as a possible candidate gene for litter size in Small Tail Han sheep. The genetic polymorphism of a part of the GDF9 gene was detected in 130 ewes of Small Tail Han sheep by PCR-SSCP. The results indicated that there were two genotypes (AA and AB) detected by two primer pairs. In both exon 1 and exon 2 of the GDF9 gene in Small Tail Han sheep, frequencies of AA genotype were 0.846 an... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584979 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1584979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584978&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15595698%26dopt%3DAbstract This study was designed to clone and characterize the adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) gene in the chicken. PCR primers were designed according to mammalian A-FABP gene sequence to amplify partial cDNA of A-FABP gene from chicken adipose tissues, and the full length of the gene was cloned by 5'RACE and 3'RACE. Analysis of sequence showed that the cDNA of the chicken A-FABP gene was 74 and 73% homologous with porcine and human A-FABP gene, respectively. The similarity was 77, 28, and 23% at the predicted amino acid level with human A-FABP, human L-FABP, and human I-FABP, respectively. RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis indicated that the chicken A-FABP gene, similar to that of the mammal, is only expressed in fat tissues. This is the first report to identify and characterize A-F... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584978 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1584978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584977&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15595699%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Fernandez C, Barroso A, Cañón J, Dunner S Myostatin is an extracellular negative regulator of muscle growth with an important role in bovine muscular hypertrophy. It belongs to the transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) superfamily, and has structural and functional characteristics similar to those of its other, members. Based on these characteristics, we designed three gene constructs in order to create a series of dominant negative (DN) alleles for murine myostatin. As a first requirement for any DN strategy, we first showed that each of the three mutant DN monomers were able to interact with wild type mature myostatin (wt-Mstn), both in a pull-down and a mammalian two-hybrid assay. In addition, the degree of DN-Mstn/wt-Mstn interaction was similar to that of wt... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584977 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1584977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584976&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15595700%26dopt%3DAbstract We describe cloning and sequencing of the calpain small (regulatory) subunit (cpns) cDNA from rainbow trout. This represents the first fish and lower vertebrate full cDNA of cpns. The rainbow trout cpns cDNA was used to retrieve the zebra fish and Japanese flounder homologues. We present evidence that fish cpns, unlike the conventional mammalian predominant isoform, cpnsl, is lacking the glycine-rich region of domain V. Because the glycine-rich region is known to play a role in membrane targeting, this divergent cpns suggests potentially different functional and activation mechanisms of the fish calpain system. A phylogenetic tree for the cpns gene superfamily has been constructed and the evolution of cpns considered. PMID: 15595700 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotec... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584976 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1584976 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584975&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15595701%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Wyszyńska-Koko J, Kurył J MYF6 gene codes for the bHLH transcription factor belonging to MyoD family. Its expression accompanies the processes of differentiation and maturation of myotubes during embriogenesis and continues on a relatively high level after birth, affecting the muscle phenotype. The porcine MYF6 gene was amplified and sequenced and compared with MYF6 gene sequences of other species. The amino acid sequence was deduced and an interspecies homology analysis was performed. Myf-6 protein shows a high conservation among species of 99 and 97% identity when comparing pig with cow and human, respectively, and of 93% when comparing pig with mouse and rat. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was revealed within the promoter region, which appeared to be T... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584975 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1584975 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584974&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D15595702%26dopt%3DAbstract Authors: Meng QY, Chen ZQ, Yu ZQ, Xie QF, Li N The ectopic expression of a sheep growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) from muscle tissues, using a myogenic plasmid expression vector pM-GHRH, has been shown to result in enhanced animal growth. Animal injected with pM-GHRH alone exhibited a daily weight gain rate of 0.84+/-0.02%/d (p < 0.05), while that of the control animal was only 0.73+/-0.04%/d. A more significant growth enhancement was observed in the group treated with pM-GHRH plus 0.25% bupivacaine. The animal displayed a daily weight gain rate of 0.87+/-0.03%/d (p<0.01). In addition, the group treated by pM-GHRH and bupivacaine had higher levels of growth hormone (GH) in their blood (1.18+/-0.33 ng/mL) compared with the group treated by pM-GHRH vector alone (p < 0.05)... Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584974 Thu, 01 Jan 2004 05:00:00 +0100 1584974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1584989&cid=s_37503_70_f&fid=37503&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fentrez%2Fquery.fcgi%3Ftmpl%3DNoSidebarfile%26db%3DPubMed%26cmd%3DRetrieve%26list_uids%3D14703076%26dopt%3DAbstract In this study, we cloned and sequenced a new exon, which also initiates transcript 2, and determined the order of 5 exons in the PAFr gene. In addition, two other variants of transcript 2 were found, but no additional variants of transcript 1 were found. Transcript 2 has three variants that were detected in porcine tissues other than in white blood cells. PMID: 14703076 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Animal Biotechnology) Animal Biotechnology journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1584989 Sat, 01 Nov 2003 05:00:00 +0100 1584989