Comparative analyses of copy number variations between Bos taurus and Bos indicus.

BACKGROUND: Bos taurus and Bos indicus are two main sub-species of cattle. However, the differential copy number variations (CNVs) between them are not yet well studied. RESULTS: Based on the new high-quality cattle reference genome ARS-UCD1.2, we identified 13,234 non-redundant CNV regions (CNVRs) from 73 animals of 10 cattle breeds (4 Bos taurus and 6 Bos indicus), by integrating three detection strategies. While 6990 CNVRs (52.82%) were shared by Bos taurus and Bos indicus, large CNV differences were discovered between them and these differences could be used to successfully separate animals into two subspecies. We found that 2212 and 538 genes uniquely overlapped with either indicine-specific CNVRs and or taurine-specific CNVRs, respectively. Based on FST, we detected 16 candidate lineage-differential CNV segments (top 0.1%) under selection, which overlapped with eight genes (CTNNA1, ENSBTAG00000004415, PKN2, BMPER, PDE1C, DNAJC18, MUSK, and PLCXD3). Moreover, we obtained 1.74 Mbp indicine-specific sequences, which could only be mapped on the Bos indicus reference genome UOA_Brahman_1. We found these sequences and their associated genes were related to heat resistance, lipid and ATP metabolic process, and muscle development under selection. We further analyzed and validated the top significant lineage-differential CNV. This CNV overlapped genes related to muscle cell differentiation, which might be generated from a retropseudogene of CTH but was deleted along Bos indicus lineage. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a genome wide CNV comparison between Bos taurus and Bos indicus. It supplied essential genome diversity information for understanding of adaptation and phenotype differences between the Bos taurus and Bos indicus populations.

Detoxification of Mycotoxins through Biotransformation.

Mycotoxins are toxic fungal secondary metabolites that pose a major threat to the safety of food and feed. Mycotoxins are usually converted into less toxic or non-toxic metabolites through biotransformation that are often made by living organisms as well as the isolated enzymes. The conversions mainly include hydroxylation, oxidation, hydrogenation, de-epoxidation, methylation, glycosylation and glucuronidation, esterification, hydrolysis, sulfation, demethylation and deamination. Biotransformations of some notorious mycotoxins such as alfatoxins, alternariol, citrinin, fomannoxin, ochratoxins, patulin, trichothecenes and zearalenone analogues are reviewed in detail. The recent development and applications of mycotoxins detoxification through biotransformation are also discussed.

Hyalodendrins A and B, New Decalin-Type Tetramic Acid Larvicides from the Endophytic Fungus Hyalodendriella sp. Ponipodef12.

Two new decalin/tetramic acid hybrid metabolites, hyalodendrins A (1) and B (2) were isolated from plant endophytic fungus Hyalodendriella sp. Ponipodef12. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by analysis of the spectroscopic data, including NMR, HRMS and ECD, and by chemical conversion. Compounds 1 and 2 were phomasetin analogues, and both showed potent larvicidal activity against the fourth-instar larvae of Aedes aegypti with the median lethal dose (LC50) values of 10.31 and 5.93 µg/mL, respectively.

Toll-like receptor 3 pathway restricts Marek's disease virus infection.

Marek's disease virus (MDV) is an α-herpesvirus that causes immune suppression and T lymphoma in chickens. Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) is critical for the host immune response against MDV infection. Previously, our team demonstrated that pre-treatment of TLR3 agonist poly (I:C) inhibited Marek's disease virus infection in chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs). However, whether TLR3 inhibits the aggravation of MDV infection is unknown. In the current study, we found that TLR3 activation in MDV-infected CEFs effectively inhibited virus spread. Using pharmacological approaches, we revealed that pro-inflammatory cytokines and interferon-ß induced by TLR3 could restrict Marek's disease virus infection. This study contributes to elucidating the function and mechanism of the TLR3 pathway in host immune responses against MDV infection.

Double-stranded RNA induces chicken T-cell lymphoma apoptosis by TRIF and NF-κB.

Toll-like receptor-3 (TLR3), a member of the pathogen recognition receptor family, has been reported to activate immune response and to exhibit pro-apoptotic activity against some tumor cells. However it is unclear whether TLR3 has same function against chicken lymphoma. In this paper we investigated the effect of TLR3 activation on a Marek's disease lymphoma-derived chicken cell line, MDCC-MSB1. The TLR3 agonist poly (I:C) activated TLR3 pathway and inhibited tumor cells proliferation through caspase-dependent apoptosis. Using pharmacological approaches, we found that an interferon-independent mechanism involving Toll-IL-1-receptor domain-containing adapter-inducing IFN-α (TRIF) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) causes the apoptosis of MDCC-MSB1 cells. This is the first report about the function of TLR3 in chicken T-cell lymphoma, especially in signal pathway. The mechanisms underlying TLR3-mediated apoptosis may contribute to the development of new drug to treat lymphomas and oncovirus infections.