Selection for Duration of Fertility and Mule Duck White Plumage Colour in a Synthetic Strain of Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos)

Liu, H.C.,Huang, J.F.,Lee, S.R.,Liu, H.L.,Hsieh, C.H.,Huang, C.W.,Huang, M.C.,Tai, C.,Poivey, J.P.,Rouvier, R.,Cheng, Y.S. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2015 Animal Bioscience Vol.28 No.5

A synthetic strain of ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) was developed by introducing genes for long duration of fertility to be used as mother of mule ducklings and a seven-generation selection experiment was conducted to increase the number of fertile eggs after a single artificial insemination (AI) with pooled Muscovy semen. Reciprocal crossbreeding between Brown Tsaiya LRI-2 (with long duration of fertility) and Pekin L-201 (with white plumage mule ducklings) ducks produced the G0. Then G1 were intercrossed to produce G2 and so on for the following generations. Each female duck was inseminated 3 times, at 26, 29, and 32 weeks of age. The eggs were collected for 14 days from day 2 after AI. Individual data regarding the number of incubated eggs (Ie), the number of fertile eggs at candling at day 7 of incubation (F), the total number of dead embryos (M), the maximum duration of fertility (Dm) and the number of hatched mule ducklings (H) with plumage colour were recorded. The selection criterion was the breeding values of the best linear unbiased prediction animal model for F. The results show high percentage of exhibited heterosis in G2 for traits to improve (19.1% for F and 12.9% for H); F with a value of 5.92 (vs 3.74 in the Pekin L-201) was improved in the G2. Heritabilities were found to be low for Ie ($h^2=0.07{\pm}0.03$) and M ($h^2=0.07{\pm}0.01$), moderately low for Dm ($h^2=0.13{\pm}0.02$), of medium values for H ($h^2=0.20{\pm}0.03$) and F ($h^2=0.23{\pm}0.03$). High and favourable genetic correlations existed between F and Dm ($r_g=0.93$), between F and H ($r_g=0.97$) and between Dm and H ($r_g=0.90$). The selection experiment showed a positive trend for phenotypic values of F (6.38 fertile eggs in G10 of synthetic strain vs 5.59 eggs in G4, and 3.74 eggs in Pekin L-201), with correlated response for increasing H (5.73 ducklings in G10 vs 4.86 in G4, and 3.09 ducklings in Pekin L-201) and maximum duration of the fertile period without increasing the embryo mortality rate. The average predicted genetic response for F was 40% of genetic standard deviation per generation of selection. The mule ducklings' feather colour also was improved. It was concluded that this study provided results for a better understanding of the genetics of the duration of fertility traits in the common female duck bred for mule and that the selection of a synthetic strain was effective method of improvement.

Selection for Duration of Fertility and Mule Duck White Plumage Colour in a Synthetic Strain of Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos)

H.C. Liu,J.F. Huang,S.R. Lee,H.L. Liu,C.H. Hsieh,C.W. Huang,M.C. Huang,C. Tai,J.P. Poivey,R. Rouvier,Y.S. Cheng 아세아·태평양축산학회 2015 Animal Bioscience Vol.28 No.5

A synthetic strain of ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) was developed by introducing genes for long duration of fertility to be used as mother of mule ducklings and a seven-generation selection experiment was conducted to increase the number of fertile eggs after a single artificial insemination (AI) with pooled Muscovy semen. Reciprocal crossbreeding between Brown Tsaiya LRI-2 (with long duration of fertility) and Pekin L-201 (with white plumage mule ducklings) ducks produced the G0. Then G1 were intercrossed to produce G2 and so on for the following generations. Each female duck was inseminated 3 times, at 26, 29, and 32 weeks of age. The eggs were collected for 14 days from day 2 after AI. Individual data regarding the number of incubated eggs (Ie), the number of fertile eggs at candling at day 7 of incubation (F), the total number of dead embryos (M), the maximum duration of fertility (Dm) and the number of hatched mule ducklings (H) with plumage colour were recorded. The selection criterion was the breeding values of the best linear unbiased prediction animal model for F. The results show high percentage of exhibited heterosis in G2 for traits to improve (19.1% for F and 12.9% for H); F with a value of 5.92 (vs 3.74 in the Pekin L-201) was improved in the G2. Heritabilities were found to be low for Ie (h2 = 0.07±0.03) and M (h2 = 0.07±0.01), moderately low for Dm (h2 = 0.13±0.02), of medium values for H (h2 = 0.20±0.03) and F (h2 = 0.23±0.03). High and favourable genetic correlations existed between F and Dm (rg = 0.93), between F and H (rg = 0.97) and between Dm and H (rg = 0.90). The selection experiment showed a positive trend for phenotypic values of F (6.38 fertile eggs in G10 of synthetic strain vs 5.59 eggs in G4, and 3.74 eggs in Pekin L-201), with correlated response for increasing H (5.73 ducklings in G10 vs 4.86 in G4, and 3.09 ducklings in Pekin L-201) and maximum duration of the fertile period without increasing the embryo mortality rate. The average predicted genetic response for F was 40% of genetic standard deviation per generation of selection. The mule ducklings’ feather colour also was improved. It was concluded that this study provided results for a better understanding of the genetics of the duration of fertility traits in the common female duck bred for mule and that the selection of a synthetic strain was effective method of improvement.

Amelioration of neurodegenerative diseases by cell death-induced cytoplasmic delivery of humanin

Park, T.Y.,Kim, S.H.,Shin, Y.C.,Lee, N.H.,Lee, R.K.C.,Shim, J.H.,Glimcher, L.H.,Mook-Jung, I.,Cheong, E.,Kim, W.K.,Honda, F.,Morio, T.,Lim, J.S.,Lee, S.K. Elsevier Science Publishers 2013 Journal of controlled release Vol.166 No.3

Inhibition of the early intracellular event that triggers neurodegenerative cascades and reversal of neuronal cell death are essential for effective treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, a novel therapeutic for AD, a transducible humanin with an extended caspase-3 cleavage sequence (tHN-C3), was developed and showed multiple mechanisms of therapeutic action. These included targeted delivery of anti-apoptotic protein humanin through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to neuronal cells, specific inhibition of caspase-3 activation to inhibit the early triggering of AD progression, and delivery of humanin into the cytoplasm of neuronal cells undergoing apoptosis where it exerts its anti-apoptotic functions effectively. The tHN-C3 prevented neuronal cell death induced by H<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>2</SUB>, or soluble Aβ<SUB>42</SUB>, via Bax binding. In animal models of AD induced by amyloid beta, in Tg2576 mice, and in the rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model of stroke, tHN-C3 effectively prevented neuronal cell death, inflammatory cell infiltration into the brain, and improved cognitive memory. The therapeutic effectiveness of tHN-C3 was comparable to that of Aricept, a clinically approved drug for AD treatment. Therefore, tHN-C3 may be a new remedy with multiple therapeutic functions targeting the early and late stages of neurodegeneration in AD and other brain injuries.

<i>LAMB3</i> Mutations Causing Autosomal-dominant Amelogenesis Imperfecta

Kim, J.W.,Seymen, F.,Lee, K.E.,Ko, J.,Yildirim, M.,Tuna, E.B.,Gencay, K.,Shin, T.J.,Kyun, H.K.,Simmer, J.P.,Hu, J.C.-C. SAGE Publications 2013 Journal of dental research Vol.92 No.10

<P>Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) can be either isolated or part of a larger syndrome. Junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) is a collection of autosomal-recessive disorders featuring AI associated with skin fragility and other symptoms. JEB is a recessive syndrome usually caused by mutations in both alleles of <I>COL17A1, LAMA3, LAMB3</I>, or <I>LAMC2</I>. In rare cases, heterozygous carriers in JEB kindreds display enamel malformations in the absence of skin fragility (isolated AI). We recruited two kindreds with autosomal-dominant amelogenesis imperfecta (ADAI) characterized by generalized severe enamel hypoplasia with deep linear grooves and pits. Whole-exome sequencing of both probands identified novel heterozygous mutations in the last exon of <I>LAMB3</I> that likely truncated the protein. The mutations perfectly segregated with the enamel defects in both families. In Family 1, an 8-bp deletion (c.3446_3453del GACTGGAG) shifted the reading frame (p.Gly 1149Glufs*8). In Family 2, a single nucleotide substitution (c.C3431A) generated an in-frame translation termination codon (p.Ser1144*). We conclude that enamel formation is particularly sensitive to defects in hemidesmosome/basement-membrane complexes and that syndromic and non-syndromic forms of AI can be etiologically related.</P>

Effects of the Chicken Sex-linked Dwarf Gene on Growth and Muscle Development

Chen, C.F.,Chen, Y.H.,Tixier-Boichard, M.,Cheng, P.Y.,Chang, C.S.,Tang, P.C.,Lee, Y.P. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2009 Animal Bioscience Vol.22 No.7

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects on growth and muscle development during the growing period of the sex-linked dwarf gene in the background of a Taiwan Country chicken strain, L2, selected for egg production. Eight crossbred males, heterozygous for the DW*DW mutation, were each backcrossed to six females of the L2 strain to produce two genotypes of BC females, either normal (DW*N+/-) or dwarf (DW*DW/-). The experiment included 251 normal and 207 dwarf pullets. The effect of the dwarf gene on body weight and shank length was highly significant from 2 weeks of age. The reduction of body weight by the dwarf gene reached 34.8% and 37.4% as compared to normal sibs at 16 and 20 weeks of age, respectively. Parameters of the growth curve were estimated: the age at inflection (TI) was higher in normal pullets (66.9 days) than in dwarf pullets (61.2 days). A significant effect of the dwarf gene on single muscle fiber cross-section area was found from 12 weeks of age onwards, whereas the dwarf gene had no effect on the total number of muscle fibers. Comparing the effect of the dwarf gene on shank length at different ages revealed an earlier effect on skeleton growth, observed from 2 weeks of age, than on muscle development, which was affected from 8 to 12 weeks of age.

Strong spin-phonon coupling unveiled by coherent phonon oscillations in Ca2RuO4

Lee, Min-Cheol,Kim, Choong H.,Kwak, Inho,Seo, C. W.,Sohn, Changhee,Nakamura, F.,Sow, C.,Maeno, Y.,Kim, E.-A.,Noh, T. W.,Kim, K. W. American Physical Society 2019 Physical Review B Vol.99 No.14

Effects of Chromium Supplementation and Lipopolysaccharide Injection on the Immune Responses of Weanling Pigs

Lee, D.N.,Shen, T.F.,Yen, H.T.,Weng, C.F.,Chen, B.J. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2000 Animal Bioscience Vol.13 No.10

Sixteen specific pathogen free 4-wk-old crossbred weanling pigs were allotted into a $2{\times}2$ factorial experiment to evaluate the effects of chromium (Cr) on the immune responses after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection. Two factors included (1) no Cr or 400 ppb Cr supplementation from chromium picolinate (CrPic) and (2) LPS injection ($200{\mu}g/kg$ BW, intraperitoneally) on day 21 (d 21) and 35 (d 35) as compared with saline application. Plasma samples were obtained from all piglets before (0 h) and at 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, and 24 h after LPS injection. The changes in tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$) and leukocyte populations after LPS injection were not significant on d 21. On d 35, the plasma $TNF-{\alpha}$ level was increased at h 2 postinjection, and supplemental Cr reduced the $TNF-{\alpha}$ level. The leukocyte populations had changed profoundly and lymphocyte subsets of $CD2^+$ and $CD8^+$ were reduced at 8 h postinjection. The blood granulocytes were increased and the percentage of $CD2^+$ was reduced in the Cr-fed group on d 35. Furthermore, Cr supplementation decreased the blastogensis of concanavalin A-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) on d 21. These results suggest that 400 ppb Cr supplementation from CrPic in diets may modulate the immune responses in weanling pigs during LPS injection.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Abies nephrolepis (Pinaceae: Abietoideae)

Yi, D.K.,Choi, K.,Joo, M.,Yang, J.C.,Mustafina, F.U.,Han, J.S.,Son, D.C.,Chang, K.S.,Shin, C.H.,Lee, Y.M. Korean Biodiversity Information Facility 2016 Journal of Asia-Pacific biodiversity(Online) Vol.9 No.2

The plant chloroplast (cp) genome has maintained a relatively conserved structure and gene content throughout evolution. Cp genome sequences have been used widely for resolving evolutionary and phylogenetic issues at various taxonomic levels of plants. Here, we report the complete cp genome of Abies nephrolepis. The A. nephrolepis cp genome is 121,336 base pairs (bp) in length including a pair of short inverted repeat regions (IRa and IRb) of 139 bp each separated by a small single copy (SSC) region of 54,323 bp (SSC) and a large single copy region of 66,735 bp (LSC). It contains 114 genes, 68 of which are protein coding genes, 35 tRNA and four rRNA genes, six open reading frames, and one pseudogene. Seventeen repeat units and 64 simple sequence repeats (SSR) have been detected in A. nephrolepis cp genome. Large IR sequences locate in 42-kb inversion points (1186 bp). The A. nephrolepis cp genome is identical to Abies koreana's which is closely related to taxa. Pairwise comparison between two cp genomes revealed 140 polymorphic sites in each. Complete cp genome sequence of A. nephrolepis has a significant potential to provide information on the evolutionary pattern of Abietoideae and valuable data for development of DNA markers for easy identification and classification.

c-Cbl-Mediated Neddylation Antagonizes Ubiquitination and Degradation of the TGF-β Type II Receptor

Zuo, W.,Huang, F.,Chiang, Y.,Li, M.,Du, J.,Ding, Y.,Zhang, T.,Lee, H.,Jeong, L.,Chen, Y.,Deng, H.,Feng, X.H.,Luo, S.,Gao, C.,Chen, Y.G. Cell Press 2013 Molecular cell Vol.49 No.3

Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is a potent antiproliferative factor in multiple types of cells. Deregulation of TGF-β signaling is associated with the development of many cancers, including leukemia, though the molecular mechanisms are largely unclear. Here, we show that Casitas B-lineage lymphoma (c-Cbl), a known proto-oncogene encoding an ubiquitin E3 ligase, promotes TGF-β signaling by neddylating and stabilizing the type II receptor (TβRII). Knockout of c-Cbl decreases the TβRII protein level and desensitizes hematopoietic stem or progenitor cells to TGF-β stimulation, while c-Cbl overexpression stabilizes TβRII and sensitizes leukemia cells to TGF-β. c-Cbl conjugates neural precursor cell-expressed, developmentally downregulated 8 (NEDD8), a ubiquitin-like protein, to TβRII at Lys556 and Lys567. Neddylation of TβRII promotes its endocytosis to EEA1-positive early endosomes while preventing its endocytosis to caveolin-positive compartments, therefore inhibiting TβRII ubiquitination and degradation. We have also identified a neddylation-activity-defective c-Cbl mutation from leukemia patients, implying a link between aberrant TβRII neddylation and leukemia development.

ENDOCRINE CHANGES AND CIRCULATING INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTORS IN NEWBORN CALVES FED COLOSTRUM, MILK OR MILK REPLACER

Lee, C.-Y.,Head, H.H.,Feinstein, C.R.,Hayen, J.,Simmen, F.A. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 1995 Animal Bioscience Vol.8 No.1

To examine whether colostral growth factors are transferred to the general circulation, concentrations of plasma cortisol, insulin, prolactin, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factors(IGFs) -I and -II, IGF-binding proteins(IGFBPs) and total protein were measured in newborn calves fed colostrums, milk of milk replacer before and after feeding at 12 h intervals during the first two days after birth. Plasma protein concentrations increased with time after than in milk- or milk replacer-fed calves. The mean protein concentration was greater in colostrum-fed than in milk- or milk replacer-fed calves. Plasma cortisol levels transiently declined after each feeding regardless of the type of diet, while insulin levels tended to increase. Mean concentrations of these hormones did not differ between dietary groups, nor did they change with time after birth. Plasma concentrations of prolactin and growth hormone did not differ between dietary groups and also did not change with time after birth or after feeding. Concentrations of IGF-I and IGF-II transiently increased at the second feeding period, but these, as well as plasma IGFBP profiles, were not different between groups or before and after feeding. Results did not indicate significant transfer of colostral growth factors across the newborn ruminant small intestine.