C-型凝集素(C-type lectins，CTLs)是一种依赖Ca²⁺的碳水化合物识别蛋白超家族，也是昆虫天然免疫中一类重要的模式识别受体(pattern recognition receptor，PRR)，可介导昆虫的体液免疫和细胞免疫。我们从小菜蛾基因组中克隆到了一个新的含有双碳水化合物识别结构域(carbohydrate-recognition domain，CRD)的C-型凝集素，命名为PxIML。PxIML的开放阅读框长969 bp，编码322个氨基酸残基。该蛋白序列含有一个信号肽和一个带有EPN(Glu₁₂₄-Pro₁₂₅-Asn₁₂₆)和QPD(Gln₂₇₄-Pro₂₇₅-Asp₂₇₆)基序的双碳水化合物识别结构域。表达谱分析发现，PxIML在脂肪体中的表达显著高于血淋巴和中肠。苏云金芽胞杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis-8010，Bt8010)感染小菜蛾18 h后，PxIML在全虫和脂肪体中的表达受到抑制，而被粘质沙雷氏菌IAE6(Serratia marcescens-IAE6)和毕赤酵母(Pichia pastoris)感染后，PxIML在全虫和脂肪体中的表达显著上升。重组PxIML(rPxIML)能与所测试的病原体相关分子模式(pathogen-associated molecular patterns，PAMPs)，以及肠杆菌IAE5(Enterobacter sp. IAE5)、粘质沙雷氏菌IAE6、金黄色葡萄球菌(Staphylococcus aureus)、大肠杆菌BL21(Escherichia coli BL21)和Bt8010以依赖Ca²⁺的方式结合，但与毕赤酵母不结合。在Ca²⁺存在的条件下，rPxIML对Bt8010、肠杆菌IAE5和金黄色葡萄球具有较强的凝集活性，但对大肠杆菌BL21的凝集活性弱，对粘质沙雷氏菌IAE6和毕赤酵母不凝集。此外，rPxIML还能与血细胞结合，促进血细胞对包被rPxIML凝胶珠的吸附，增强酚氧化酶活性，促进黑化反应。我们的研究结果表明，PxIML在病原体识别和介导小菜蛾随后的体液免疫和细胞免疫中起着重要作用。

Yeasts and organic minerals are used in diets to improve health, productive performance and some carcass characteristics of ruminants and non-ruminants. Thirty-two lambs (Pelibuey×Katahdin; BW=(30.55±1.67) kg; n=8) were used in a 56-d feeding experiment to study the effects of different levels of live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae; yeast), selenium (Se) and chromium (Cr) mixed (Se-Cr), and a mixture of yeast-Se-Cr on growth performance and carcass traits. Animals were stratified by body weight (BW) and randomly assigned to one of four treatments: 1) control group (0.0 g kg–1 yeast); 2) yeast (1.50 g kg–1 dry matter intake (DMI) d–1); 3) Se-Cr premix (1.5 mg kg–1 DMI d–1 for each mineral); and 4) yeast-Se-Cr mixture. There were no treatment effects on final BW; whereas lambs fed Se-Cr or yeast-Se-Cr had higher (P<0.05) DMI than animals supplemented with only yeast. Average daily gain (ADG), gain:feed ratio, chop area, dorsal fat and carcass yield were similar (P>0.05) among treatment groups. In conclusion, supplementation with yeast, Se-Cr mixed or yeast-Se-Cr did not improve ADG, final BW, back fat content and carcass yield of growing of Pelibuey×Katahdin lambs. Supplementation with Se-Cr and yeast-Se-Cr increased DMI, and approximately 250 g ADG animal–1 d–1 was produced with no negative effects on growth and health of the animals.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate whether supplementation with a probiotic could enhance digestion and reduce mortality in the volcano rabbit in captivity. Two enclosures at Chapultepec Zoo, Mexico (114 individuals) were used in a crossover design (two periods of 60 days) with the following treatments: control group and supplementation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (2×108 CFU/exhibit/day). Supplementation with the probiotic negatively affected (P<0.01) the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and energy. Mortality increased (P<0.04) following supplementation with the probiotic (4.26% vs. 8.89%), primarily in the juvenile rabbits. The results indicate that yeast supplementation in the volcano rabbit negatively affects digestion and mortality in captivity.

Nowadays, lamb meat represents only 7% of all meat produced in the world. In recent years the demand for standardized lamb meat cuts has been considered of great importance and the marketing occurs predominantly in the form of frozen cuts. Herewith, the main of this work was to evaluate the stability and safety of lamb meat during frozen storage. Meats were vacuum packed in high barrier multilayer plastic films and stored during 12 mon at (-18±1)ºC. The meat stability was assessed by physical and chemical (lipid oxidation, objective color, pH value, cooking losses and instrumental texture), microbiological (total count of psychrotrophic, coliform count at 45°C, coagulase-positive staphylococci and the presence of Salmonella) and sensory analysis (acceptance test and visual evaluation). The vacuum packed lamb meat remained stable as to most physical and chemical indexes. Microbiological indexes showed good stability throughout the storage period according to Brazilian legislation standards to pathogenic microorganisms. Although a significant reduction in tenderness (shear force increase from 3 to 8 kg), it showed a good sensorial acceptance for all attributes tested, including texture, with scores of around 7 (like moderately) during the 12 mon of storage. Therefore, it can be concluded that, under the conditions applied in this study, lamb meat presents a shelf life of at least 12 mon when stored at -18°C.