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Effect of dioscorea opposite waste on growth performance, blood parameters, rumen fermentation and rumen bacterial community in weaned lambs

GUO Yun-xia, YANG Ruo-chen, DUAN Chun-hui, WANG Yong, HAO Qing-hong, JI Shou-kun, YAN Hui, ZHANG Ying-jie, LIU Yue-qin

2023, 22 (6): 1833-1846. DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.10.002

Abstract （292） PDF in ScienceDirect

This study investigated the effects of dioscorea opposite waste (DOW) on the growth performance, blood parameters, rumen fermentation and rumen microbiota of weaned lambs. Sixty healthy weaned Small-Tailed Han lambs (male, (22.68±2.56) kg initially) were used as the experimental animals. Four levels of concentrate: 0 (control, CON), 10% (DOW1), 15% (DOW2) and 20% (DOW3), were replaced with DOW in the basal diet as experimental treatments. The results showed that lambs fed the DOW2 diet had a higher (P<0.05) dry matter intake (DMI) than the other groups. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) among DOW groups in average daily weight gain (ADG), and replacing concentrate with DOW linearly or quadratically increased (P<0.05) the ADG, while lambs fed the DOW2 diet showed greater (P<0.05) ADG than the CON group. The relative plasma concentration of growth hormone (GH), insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin were affected by DOW, replacing concentrate with DOW linearly or quadratically (P<0.05) enhanced the plasma concentration of GH, IGF-1 and insulin, which was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the DOW2 group than in the CON, DOW1 and DOW3 groups. In addition, the DOW treatment showed a lower (P<0.05) concentration of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) than the CON group. Replacing concentrate with DOW quadratically decreased (P<0.05) the ruminal ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) and increased (P<0.05) the total of volatile fatty acids (TVFAs) at 0 and 4 h after feeding as well as linearly decreased (P<0.05) the NH₃-N at 8 h after feeding. Replacing concentrate with DOW linearly decreased (P<0.05) the propionate and increased the aceate before feeding, and linearly decreased (P<0.05) propionate and quadratically increased (P<0.05) the aceate at 4 and 8 h after feeding. Lambs fed the DOW2 diet increased the phylum Firmicutes and genera Succiniclasticum and Ruminococcus_1 groups, whereas decreased (P<0.05) the relative abundance of phylum Deferribacteres and genera intestinimonas and Ruminiclostridium. In summary, replacing the concentrate with 15% DOW was beneficial for improving the rumen fermentation and ADG by increasing the DMI and modulating the rumen microbial community.

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The succession of fecal bacterial community and its correlation with the changes of serum immune indicators in lambs from birth to 4 months

YIN Xue-jiao, JI Shou-kun, DUAN Chun-hui, TIAN Pei-zhi, JU Si-si, YAN Hui, ZHANG Ying-jie, LIU Yue-qin

2023, 22 (2): 537-550. DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.08.055

Abstract （215） PDF in ScienceDirect

Early bacterial colonization and succession within the gastrointestinal tract have been suggested to be crucial in the development of host immunity. In this study, we have investigated the changes in live weight and concentrations of selected serum parameters in relation to their fecal bacterial communities as determined by high throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene over the same period in lambs. The results showed that lambs’ growth performance, the serum parameters, fecal bacterial community and fecal bacterial functions were all affected (P<0.05) by age of the lambs. Similarity within age groups of fecal microbiota was lower in the preweaning period and increased sharply (P<0.05) after weaning at 60 days. The similarity between the samples collected from birth to 90 days of age and those collected at 120 days of age, increased (P<0.05) sharply after 30 days of age. Some age-associated changes in microbial genera were correlated with the changes in concentrations of immune indicators, including negative (P<0.05) correlations between the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae UCG-010, Eubacterium coprostanoligenes group, Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, Ruminococcaceae UCG-009, Ruminococcaceae UCG-013, Ruminiclostridium 6, Ruminococcaceae UCG-008, and Oscillibacter with serum concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), D-lactate dehydrogenase (DLA), immunoglobulin (IgA, IgM, and IgG), and cytokines (interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-12, and IL-17), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and the relative abundance of these genera increased from 45 days of age. In conclusion, these results suggested that the age-related abundances of particular genera were correlated with serum markers of immunity in lambs, and there might be a critical window in the period from birth to 45 days of age which provide an opportunity for potential manipulation of the fecal microbial ecosystems to enhance immune function.

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Comparative transcriptome analysis provides insights into the mechanism of pear dwarfing

TANG Zi-kai, SUN Man-yi, LI Jia-ming, SONG Bo-bo, LIU Yue-yuan, TIAN Yi-ke, WANG Cai-hong, WU Jun

2022, 21 (7): 1952-1967. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(21)63774-7

Abstract （279） PDF in ScienceDirect

Dwarfism is an important trait which is closely related to the efficiency of fruit orchard management and production. However, dwarfing cannot be widely applied in the cultivation of pears, especially Asian pears. Developing varieties with dwarf characteristics is a goal of paramount importance in pear breeding. In the present study, dwarf phenotype pears (DPPs) and arborescent phenotype pears (APPs) were obtained from the offspring of a cross between ‘Aiyuxiang’ and ‘Cuiguan’ pear cultivars, which exhibited dwarfed and arborescent statures, respectively. When compared with APPs, the heights of DPPs showed a 62.8% reduction, and the internode lengths were significantly shorter. Cross-grafting between DPPs and APPs demonstrated that the dwarfed phenotype of DPPs was primarily induced by the aerial portions of the plant, and independent of the root system. Observations of stem tissue sections showed that DPP cells were arranged chaotically with irregular shapes, and the average length was larger than that of the APP cells. A total of 1 401 differently expressed genes (DEGs) in shoot apices between DPPs and APPs were identified by RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq), and these DEGs were mainly enriched in the ‘phytohormone-related pathways, cell wall metabolism and cell division’ categories. Moreover, 101 DEGs were identified as transcription factors (TFs). In DPPs, several brassinosteroids (BR) signaling and cell cycle-related genes were significantly down-regulated, while genes involved in BR and GA degradation were up-regulated. Comprehensive analysis of RNA-Seq data and stem tissue sections suggested that the dwarfed phenotype of DPPs could be primarily attributed to deficiencies in cell division. Previous work using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers narrowed the location of the gene responsible for the dwarf phenotype of ‘Le Nain Vert’. Through combined analysis of our transcriptomic data with the SSR results, we identified four genes as promising candidates for the dwarf phenotype, among which, a DELLA gene could be the most promising. The results presented in this study provide a sound foundation for further exploration into the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying pear dwarfing.

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Dynamic change of fungal community in the gastrointestinal tract of growing lambs

YIN Xue-jiao, JI Shou-kun, DUAN Chun-hui, TIAN Pei-zhi, JU Si-si, YAN Hui, ZHANG Ying-jie, LIU Yue-qin

2022, 21 (11): 3314-3328. DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.08.092

Abstract （249） PDF in ScienceDirect

Although fungal communities in the gastrointestinal tract have a significant role in animal health and performance, their dynamics within the tract are not well known. Thus, this study investigated fungal community dynamics in the rumen and rectum of lambs from birth to 4 mon of age by using IT1S rDNA sequencing technology together with the RandomForest approach to determine age-related changes in the fungal ecology. The results indicated that gastrointestinal fungal community composition, diversity, and abundance altered (P<0.05) with the increasing age of the lambs. Two phyla, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, dominated the samples. Similarity within age groups of the rumen fungi increased sharply after 45 days of age, while the similarity increased (P<0.05) significantly after 60 days of age in the rectum. The age-related genera, Acremonium, Microascus, Valsonectria, Myrmecridium, Scopulariopsis, Myrothecium, Saccharomyces, and Stephanonectria, were presented in both ruminal and rectal communities, and their changes in relative abundance were consistent at both sites. The principal coordinates analysis showed significant differences (P<0.05) between the fungal communities in the rumen and rectum. Our findings demonstrate that both the age of lambs and the gastrointestinal tract region can affect the composition of these fungal communities, and this provides new insight and directions for future studies in this research area.

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The priority of management factors for reducing the yield gap of summer maize in the north of Huang-Huai-Hai region, China

LIU Yue-e, LI Yu-xin, LÜ Tian-fang, XING Jin-feng, XU Tian-jun, CAI Wan-tao, ZHANG Yong, ZHAO Jiu-ran, WANG Rong-huan

2021, 20 (2): 450-459. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63294-4

Abstract （107） PDF in ScienceDirect

Understanding yield potential, yield gap and the priority of management factors for reducing the yield gap in current intensive maize production is essential for meeting future food demand with the limited resources. In this study, we conducted field experiments using different planting modes, which were basic productivity (CK), farmer practice (FP), high yield and high efficiency (HH), and super high yield (SH), to estimate the yield gap. Different factorial experiments (fertilizer, planting density, hybrids, and irrigation) were also conducted to evaluate the priority of individual management factors for reducing the yield gap between the different planting modes. We found significant differences between the maize yields of different planting modes. The treatments of CK, FP, HH, and SH achieved 54.26, 58.76, 65.77, and 71.99% of the yield potential, respectively. The yield gaps between three pairs: CK and FP, FP and HH, and HH and SH, were 0.76, 1.23 and 0.85 t ha^–1, respectively. By further analyzing the priority of management factors for reducing the yield gap between FP and HH, as well as HH and SH, we found that the priorities of the management factors (contribution rates) were plant density (13.29%)>fertilizer (11.95%)>hybrids (8.19%)>irrigation (4%) for FP to HH, and hybrids (8.94%)>plant density (4.84%)>fertilizer (1.91%) for HH to SH. Therefore, increasing the planting density of FP was the key factor for decreasing the yield gap between FP and HH, while choosing hybrids with density and lodging tolerance was the key factor for decreasing the yield gap between HH and SH.

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Maize grain yield and water use efficiency in relation to climatic factors and plant population in northern China

LIU Yue-e, HOU Peng, HUANG Gui-rong, ZHONG Xiu-li, LI Hao-ru, ZHAO Jiu-ran, LI Shao-kun, MEI Xu-rong

2021, 20 (12): 3156-3169. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63428-1

Abstract （222） PDF in ScienceDirect

Water scarcity has become a limiting factor for increasing crop production. Finding ways to improve water use efficiency (WUE) has become an urgent task for Chinese agriculture. To understand the response of different maize populations to changes in precipitation and the effects of changes in maize populations on WUE, this study conducted maize population experiments using maize hybrids with different plant types (compact and semi compact) and different planting densities at 25 locations across China. It was found that, as precipitation increased across different locations, maize grain yield first increased and then decreased, while WUE decreased significantly. Analyzing the relationship between WUE and the main climatic factors, this study found that WUE was significantly and negatively correlated with precipitation (R (daily mean precipitation) and R (accumulated precipitation)) and was positively correlated with temperature (T_M (daily mean maximum temperature), T_M–m (T_m, daily mean minimum temperature) and GDD (growing degree days)) and solar radiation (Ra (daily mean solar radiation) and Ra (accumulated solar radiation)) over different growth periods. Significant differences in maize grain yield, WUE and precipitation were found at different planting densities. The population densities were ranked as follows according to maize grain yield and WUE based on the multi-site experiment data: 60 000 plants ha^–1 (P₂)>90 000 plants ha^–1 (P₃)>30 000 plants ha^–1 (P₁). Further analysis showed that, as maize population increased, water consumption increased significantly while soil evaporation decreased significantly. Significant differences were found between the WUE of ZD958 (compact type) and that of LD981 (semi-compact type), as well as among the WUE values at different planting densities. In addition, choosing the optimum hybrid and planting density increased WUE by 21.70 and 14.92%, respectively, which showed that the hybrid played a more significant role than the planting density in improving WUE. Therefore, choosing drought-resistant hybrids could be more effective than increasing the planting density to increase maize grain yield and WUE in northern China. Comprehensive consideration of climatic impacts, drought-resistant hybrids (e.g., ZD958) and planting density (e.g., 60 000 plants ha^–1) is an effective way to increase maize grain yield and WUE across different regions of China.

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Development of peanut varieties with high oil content by in vitro mutagenesis and screening

WANG Jing-shan, SHI Lei, LIU Yue, ZHAO Ming-xia, WANG Xia, QIAO Li-xian, SUI Jiong-ming, LI Guan, ZHU Hong, YU Shan-lin

2020, 19 (12): 2974-2982. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(20)63182-3

Abstract （148） PDF in ScienceDirect

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important oil crop globally and high oil content is one of the major targets in peanut breeding programs. Previous studies indicated that the osmotic pressure (OP) of the leaves of peanut plants subjected to drought stress was negatively correlated with kernel oil content. Based on this knowledge, we established a practical and reliable method for creating new peanut varieties with high oil content using in vitro mutagenesis and directional OP-based selection. Using embryonic leaflets of peanut variety Huayu 20 as explants, pingyangmycin (PYM) as the mutagen, and hydroxyproline (HYP) as the OP regulator, we developed 15 HYP-tolerant regenerated plants. For each regenerated plant, we selected offspring with oil content>55% (relative to 49.5% for Huayu 20). We developed and released three new peanut varieties with high yield and high oil content from the offspring of the HYP-tolerant regenerated plants. The three new varieties were named as Yuhua 4, Yuhua 9 and Yuhua 14 and their oil contents were 57.7, 61.1 and 59.3%, respectively. The results indicate that in vitro mutagenesis with PYM followed by directed screening with HYP is a useful approach for breeding peanut varieties with high oil contents.

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Effects of temperatures on the development and reproduction of the armyworm, Mythimna roseilinea: Analysis using an age-stage, two-sex life table

QIN Jian-yang, LIU Yue-qiu, ZHANG Lei, CHENG Yun-xia, LUO Li-zhi, JIANG Xing-fu

2018, 17 (07): 1506-1515. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(17)61856-2

Abstract （347） PDF （1156KB）（0）

The armyworm Mythimna roseilinea (Walker) is a major pest of grain crops in South China. So far little is known about its basic biology and ecology, making prediction of population dynamics difficult. This study examined the relationships of individual development and population growth with temperature based on an age-stage, two-sex life table of M. roseilinea reared on maize in the laboratory at 18, 21, 24, 27 and 30°C. The highest values of net reproductive rate (R₀) and fecundity were observed at 21 and 24°C, respectively. Both the intrinsic rate of increase (r) and finite rate of increase (λ) increased significantly and mean generation time (T) decreased significantly with increasing temperature. M. roseilinea was able to develop, survive and lay eggs at all temperature regimes tested. Development rates of the egg, larval, pupal, as well as the whole pre-oviposition stages had a positive linear relationship with temperature. The calculated development threshold temperatures of egg, larval, pupal, pre-oviposition and total pre-oviposition stages were 13.29, 8.39, 14.35, 7.42, and 12.24°C, respectively, and their effective accumulated temperatures were 63.59, 445.00, 211.11, 89.02, and 698.95 degree-days, respectively. These results provide insight into temperature-based phenology and population ecology of this insect pest and will allow population prediction and management available in the field.

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Comparative transcriptome analysis of shortened fruit mutant in woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) using RNA-Seq

WANG Shou-ming, LI Wei-jia, LIU Yue-xue, LI He, MA Yue, ZHANG Zhi-hong

2017, 16 (04): 828-844. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(16)61448-X

Abstract （742） PDF in ScienceDirect

Genes controlling fruit appearance determine fruit shape and size. In ethylmethane sulfonate (EMS)-mutagenized lines of Fragaria vesca accession Yellow Wonder (YW), two fruit shapes are observed: wild-type long fruit and mutated shortened fruit (sf). In this study, we first characterized sf based on morphology, histology, cytology and physiology. The sf was identified as a gibberellin (GA)-deficient mutant, and four complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries separately constructed from flower buds and small green fruits of YW and sf were sequenced to comparatively analyze transcriptome differences. A total of 29 differentially expressed GA pathway genes were identified by comparisons between YW1 and sf1, and 28 differentially expressed GA pathway genes were identified between YW2 and sf 2. In addition, the expression patterns of 45 differentially expressed genes were validated by quantificational real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and the results were highly concordant with the RNA-Seq results. This transcriptome analysis provides valuable information for understanding the molecular mechanisms of fruit development of strawberry.

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Identification of Sheep Endogenous Beta-Retroviruses with Uterus-Specific Expression in the Pregnant Mongolian Ewe

QI Jing-wei, XU Meng-jie, LIU Shu-ying, ZHANG Yu-fei, LIU Yue, ZHANG Ya-kun , CAO Gui-fang

2013, 12 (5): 884-891. DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(13)60306-8

Abstract （1481） PDF in ScienceDirect

The sheep genome harbours approximately 20 copies of endogenous beta-retroviruses (enJSRVs), and circumstantial evidence suggests that enJSRVs might play a role in mammalian reproduction, particularly placental morphogenesis. This study was aimed to assess the expression of mRNAs of an enJSRV and its receptor, HYAL2, in the uterus and conceptuses of Mongolian ewes throughout gestation, using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization analysis. The results showed that enJSRV and HYAL2 mRNAs were found to be expressed throughout gestation in the endometrium, chorion, placenta, and conceptus. The enJSRV mRNA was most abundant in the placenta on day 90 of pregnancy, in the endometrium on day 30 and 50, and in the chorion on day 70 and 110. However, HYAL2 mRNA was most abundant in the endometrium on day 30. These differences were all significantly different from each other (P<0.01). In situ hybridization showed that enJSRV and HYAL2 mRNAs were specifically expressed in endometrial luminal epithelium and glandular epithelium, trophoblastic giant binucleated cells (BNCs), endometrial caruncles, placental cotyledons, stroma, trophectoderm, as well as multinucleated syncytia of the placenta and blood vessel endothelial cells. Collectively, little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which trophoblastic differentiation and multinucleated syncytia formation are regulated by enJSRVs. However, the temporal and spatial distributions of enJSRV expression in the uterus and conceptus indicate that differentiation of BNCs and the formation of a multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast involve enJSRV and possibly its cellular receptor, HYAL2. Therefore, enJSRV and HYAL2 appear to play important roles in the female reproductive physiology in this breed of sheep.

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Effects of Dietary Energy Level on the Expression of the HSL Gene in Different Tissues of Sheep

ZHANG Ying-jie, LIU Yue-qin, CHENG Shan-yan, SONG Jie

2012, 12 (7): 1167-1172. DOI: 10.1016/S1671-2927(00)8643

Abstract （1197） PDF in ScienceDirect

A total of 36 four-mon-old hybrid lambs (Dorset×Thin-tailed Han sheep) with similar body weight (BW) were randomly allocated to three dietary treatments with different energy (7.21, 10.33 and 13.49 MJ d-1 ME) but similar protein levels. The animals were slaughtered and subcutaneous fat, longissimus dorsi muscle, femoral biceps muscle and cardiac muscle tissue samples were taken after being treated for 40 d. The samples were then subjected to quantitative PCR to determine mRNA expression of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) in different tissues in the laboratory. The findings showed that the abundance of HSL mRNA decreased with the elevation of dietary energy. In the subcutaneous fatty tissue, the HSL mRNA levels showed significant differences among the three groups (P<0.01); in the longissimus dorsi and femoral biceps muscles, the HSL mRNA level in the low energy group was significantly higher than that in the moderate and high energy groups (P<0.01). In the cardiac muscle, the HSL mRNA level in the moderate energy group was significantly different from the low and high energy groups (P<0.05). The number of HSL copies (Qty) in different tissues of sheep was different, it was greater in the subcutaneous fat than in longissimus dorsi muscle, femoral biceps muscle and heart.

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