Building methodological consensus to ensure rigor and reproducibility in zebrafish fertility research.

The summary included in the text: Zebrafish are an increasingly popular model for studying the genetic and environmental factors that shape male and female fertility; however, the field currently lacks a standardized approach to fertility assessment. The current lack of consensus makes comparisons across studies more challenging and is an obstacle to reproducibility in the fields of reproductive biology and toxicology. Here, we review the diversity of spawning approaches used in zebrafish reproductive toxicology research to asses fertility and provide evidence that spawning parameters can result in meaningful differences in egg production and spawning success.

Comprehensive review on oyster mushroom species (Agaricomycetes): Morphology, nutrition, cultivation and future aspects.

Huge volumes of organic matter are produced on earth via photosynthesis and their disposal is a serious threat to the environment and public health all over the world. Nevertheless, these agricultural wastes possess a chemical composition conducive to mushroom cultivation. Lignocellulosic wastes, comprising cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, offer vital nutrients for mushroom growth. Oyster mushrooms are well known for their unique ability to degrade lignocellulosic materials, making them valuable contributors to the process of organic waste decomposition and nutrient cycling in ecosystems. Employing agricultural by-products as a substrate for mushroom cultivation presents a sustainable approach to waste reduction and the production of nutritionally enriched food. Cultivating oyster mushrooms, presents an economically feasible and environment friendly method of transforming waste materials into highly nutritious food. These edible mushrooms are widely grown worldwide, comprising around 27 percent of the total global production. Oyster cultivation has rapidly increased in Asia due to its low production technology, easy availability of substrates, temperature tolerance and high yield capacity. Oyster mushrooms are sought after as a functional food due to their appealing taste, aroma, flavor, nutritional benefits and medicinal properties. They contain high levels of protein, fiber, vitamins B complex, C and D2, as well as minerals like potassium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc and essential amino acids. These mushrooms are versatile, as they thrive in both tropical and temperate regions without requiring complex controlled environmental conditions for growth. This review article provides insights into the cultivation aspects of important oyster species including a novel species called Hypsizygus ulmarius. Oyster mushroom cultivation is rapidly growing in developing countries, where it can contribute to food security for the world's growing population, which is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050.

Intestinal lesions and parasites associated with senescence and prespawn mortality in Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).

Prespawn mortality (PSM) presents a major problem for the recovery of spring Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations. In the Willamette River, Oregon, PSM exceeds 90% in some years but factors explaining it are not well understood. We examined intestinal tissue samples using histological slides from over 783 spring Chinook Salmon collected between 2009 and 2021, which included tissues from PSM fish, artificially spawned captive broodstock (BS) and normal river run fish, comprised of trapped (Live) and naturally post-spawned river (RPS) fish collected from the river. We observed degeneration of the intestinal epithelium and loss of villous structure, with concurrent severe enteritis. A natural progression of decline in epithelial integrity (EI) through the summer and fall until spawning and subsequent death was also observed. Live fish exhibited high EI scores (mean = 68%), BS exhibited variable EI scores (35%) and RPS exhibited severe loss of EI (14%). PSM fish exhibited prominent loss of intestinal epithelium with EI scores (13%), very similar to RPS fish, despite having been collected earlier in the year. Hence, we argue that low EI scores are strongly linked with PSM. Ceratonova shasta and Enterocytozoon schreckii were common in all groups, but neither were linked to either PSM or a decline in EI.

Bioconversion of rice straw by Lentinula edodes under different spawn formulations.

To attend to the growing world demand for mushrooms, it is interesting to increase the system's productivity, improve quality and reduce production costs. This study aimed to optimize the production and quality of fruiting bodies of the edible and medicinal mushroom Lentinula edodes (shiitake), in agroresidues substrate using appropriate strain and spawn formulation. The evaluation was conducted using two strains under seven different spawn formulations (Control [C]: Sorghum grain + 2.5% CaCO3; (2) C + 2.5% sawdust; (T3) C + 5% sawdust; (T4) C + 2.5% peat; (T5) C + 5% peat; (T6) C + 1.25% sawdust + 1.25% peat; (T7) C + 2.5% sawdust + 2.5% peat) that were inoculated into the blocks at a proportion of 2% (w/w). The substrate was formulated with 63% rice straw, 20% sawdust, 15% wheat bran, and 2% CaCO3 and sterilized. The incubation period was 87 days. Two flushes were obtained. Adding small aliquots of peat and sawdust to the inoculum gave significantly higher morphological results than the control in all variables analyzed. The days required for the first harvest ranged from 87 to 94 days. The average weight of basidiomes ranged from 6.38 to 28.75 g. The productivity data show superior results for the treatments in which the spawn was supplemented with sawdust and peat. Enhanced bioconversion with supplemented spawn shows promises for yield and composition improvement, crucial for commercial viability. It can be concluded that shiitake production using agroresidues such as straw can be increased using a suitable strain/spawn for optimal production.

Large-Scale Field Cultivation of Morchella and Relevance of Basic Knowledge for Its Steady Production.

Morels are one of the most highly prized edible and medicinal mushrooms worldwide. Therefore, historically, there has been a large international interest in their cultivation. Numerous ecological, physiological, genetic, taxonomic, and mycochemical studies have been previously developed. At the beginning of this century, China finally achieved artificial cultivation and started a high-scale commercial development in 2012. Due to its international interest, its cultivation scale and area expanded rapidly in this country. However, along with the massive industrial scale, a number of challenges, including the maintenance of steady economic profits, arise. In order to contribute to the solution of these challenges, formal research studying selection, species recognition, strain aging, mating type structure, life cycle, nutrient metabolism, growth and development, and multi-omics has recently been boosted. This paper focuses on discussing current morel cultivation technologies, the industrial status of cultivation in China, and the relevance of basic biological research, including, e.g., the study of strain characteristics, species breeding, mating type structure, and microbial interactions. The main challenges related to the morel cultivation industry on a large scale are also analyzed. It is expected that this review will promote a steady global development of the morel industry based on permanent and robust basic scientific knowledge.

Domestication of a magic therapeutical wine glass fungus (Podoscypha petalodes) from Pakistan.

The Podoscypha is a recognized therapeutically significant genus of mushrooms. A Podoscypha species under a Morus sp. Was found from the largest man-made forest Changa-Manga, Kasur during the exploration of fungal flora of Pakistan. Detailed morpho-anatomical and phylogenetic analysis identified it as P. petalodes, a part of common native flora of many regions of the world like Pakistan. The culturabilty and cultivation potential of this fungus was assessed for the first time using different media and substrates. Maximum cultural growth was observed on the Compost Extract Agar (CEA) medium at 28 °C. Mycelium of cultured strains on CEA medium was used for the spawn production on wheat, sorghum and barley grains. Cultivation potential in the form of spawn running period, harvesting time duration and yield was investigated on variety of substrates. A mixed substrate of sawdust and tea waste at 28 °C showed the optimum yield. Tea-waste was used as the casing material in all substrates and proved very effective. These results depicted that Podoscypha petalodes possesses the cultivation potential. Its cultivation on large scale can solve the major health concerns of the growing population. It would provide the people easy accessibility of economical, effective and natural medicine throughout the year that restrict in case of only natural production at specific time of the year.

Optimization of mycelial growth and cultivation of wild Ganoderma sinense.

Ganoderma sinense, a well-known medicinal macrofungus of Basidiomycetes, is widely used in traditional medicine for promoting health and longevity in East Asia. The fruiting bodies of G. sinense contain polysaccharides, ergosterol, and coumarin, which have antitumor, antioxidant, and anticytopenia activities. Mushroom cultivation requires suitable conditions for the formation of fruiting bodies and yield. However, little is known about the optimal culture conditions for mycelial growth and cultivation of G. sinense. In this study, the successful cultivation of a G. sinense strain collected from the wild was reported. The optimal culture conditions were identified by examining one factor at a time. The results of this study revealed that the nutritional requirements for the optimal mycelial growth of G. sinense were fructose (15 g/l) as the carbon source and yeast extract (1 g/l) as the nitrogen source. The optimal pH and temperature for G. sinense were 7 and 25-30°C, respectively. The mycelia grew fastest in treatment II (69% rice grains + 30% sawdust + 1% calcium carbonate). G. sinense produced fruiting bodies under all tested conditions and showed the highest biological efficiency (2.95%) in treatment B (96% sawdust, 1% wheat bran, 1% lime). In summary, under optimal culture conditions, G. sinense strain GA21 showed satisfactory yield and a high potential for commercial cultivation.

The key technologies of Ganoderma lucidum liquid spawn preparation and scale expansion.

Ganoderma lucidum possesses a variety of valuable pharmacological activities, and it has long been used to prevent and treat various human diseases. Up to now, far too little attention has been paid to the liquid spawn of G. lucidum, and the development of the G. lucidum industry is constrained by them. This work aimed to study the key technologies and scale-up preparation of G. lucidum liquid spawn, to achieve large-scale preparation of liquid spawn and solve the problem of unstable quality of G. lucidum. The plate culture, primary shake flask culture, shake flask preparation, and fermentor preparation of G. lucidum liquid spawn were explored in the process of liquid fermentation. The results showed that plate broth volume significantly affected mycelial growth rate. Biomass in the primary shake flask culture is significantly influenced by the picking position of plate mycelium. An artificial neural network coupled with a genetic algorithm was used for carbon and nitrogen sources concentration optimization to increase biomass and substrate utilization. The optimized parameter combination is as follows: glucose, 14.5 g L-1; yeast extract powder, 8.5 g L-1. Under this condition, the biomass (9.82 g L-1) and biomass on reducing sugar (0.79 g g-1) increased by 18.03% and 27.41% compared to the control, respectively. The metabolic activity of liquid spawn prepared by different fermentation scales was diverse, and the liquid spawn prepared by the fermentor has better activity. Conceivably, the liquid spawn process can more conducive be applied to large-scale industrial production.

Medicinal Mushrooms: Past, Present and Future.

The survival of Homo sapiens is continually under threat from agencies capable of inflicting calamitous damage to the overall health and well-being of humankind. One strategy aimed at combatting this threat is focused on medicinal mushrooms and derivatives thereof. Mushrooms themselves have been consumed as part of the human diet for centuries, whereas 'mushroom nutriceuticals' is a more recently adopted term describing mushroom-derived products taken as dietary supplements to enhance general health and fitness. Among the most extensively studied pharmacologically active components of mushrooms are polysaccharides and polysaccharide-protein complexes, triterpenes, lectins, and fungal immunomodulatory proteins. Medicinal mushrooms have been credited with a wide range of therapeutic properties including antitumour/anti-cancer, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, cholesterol-lowering and genoprotective activities as well as protection against atherosclerosis, cardiovascular, chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions. This review examines the past, present and future of medicinal mushroom development including the two legs concept for the mushroom industry and the pyramid model summarizing the various human applications of mushrooms. It considers numerous issues the industry needs to address to exploit fully the opportunities presented by the continued increasing demand for medicinal mushrooms, and by the future overall expansion of the medicinal mushroom movement.

Effects of Secretoneurin and Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonist on the Spawning of Captive Greater Amberjack (Seriola dumerili).

The greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili), a pelagic marine species with a global distribution, has considerable worldwide potential as an aquaculture species. However, difficulties have been encountered in inducing spontaneous spawning in cultured fish stocks. In this study, we analysed the key regulatory factors, secretoneurin (SN) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), in greater amberjack. Active peptides of SN and GnRH, SdSNa, and SdGnRH, respectively, were obtained by comparative analysis of homologous proteins from different species. Amino acid substitutions of the SdGnRH decapeptide at position 6 with a dextrorotatory (D) amino acid and at position 10 with an ethylamide group yielded a super-active agonist (SdGnRHa). The injection of SdSNa and SdGnRHa elevated luteinizing hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and oxytocin levels in the sera of sexually mature fish, whereas it reduced the level of follicle-stimulating hormone. Furthermore, in response to the SdSNa and SdGnRHa injections, we detected an increase in the expression of genes associated with oocyte development and spermatogenesis. We established that the greater amberjack cultured along the southern coast of China reached sexual maturity at three years of age, and its reproductive season extended from February to April. Spawning of the cultured greater amberjack was successfully induced with a single injection of SdGnRHa/SdSN/DOM/HCG. Our findings indicate that similar to GnRHa, SNa is a potential stimulator of reproduction that can be used to artificially induce spawning in marine fish.

Transcriptomic Profiling Revealed Signaling Pathways Associated with the Spawning of Female Zebrafish under Cold Stress.

As one of the critical abiotic factors, temperature controls fish development and reproduction. However, the effects of low temperature on the transcriptional regulation of zebrafish reproduction remain largely unclear. In this study, the fecundity of zebrafish was examined after exposure to cold temperatures at 19.5 °C, 19 °C, 18.5 °C, or 18 °C. The temperature at 19 °C showed no significant influence on the fecundity of zebrafish, but temperature at 18.5 °C or 18 °C significantly blocked the spawning of females, suggesting the existence of a low temperature critical point for the spawning of zebrafish females. Based on these observations, the brains of anesthetized fish under cold stress at different cold temperatures were collected for high-throughput RNA-seq assays. Key genes, hub pathways and important biological processes responding to cold temperatures during the spawning of zebrafish were identified through bioinformatic analysis. The number of down-regulated and up-regulated genes during the temperature reduction from egg-spawning temperatures at 19.5 °C and 19 °C to non-spawning temperatures at 18.5 °C and 18 °C were 2588 and 2527 (fold change ≥ 1.5 and p-value ≤ 0.01), respectively. Venn analysis was performed to identify up- and down-regulated key genes. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that the hub pathways overrepresented among down-regulated key genes included the GnRH signaling pathway, vascular smooth muscle contraction, C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol signaling system and insulin signaling pathway. GO enrichment analysis of down-regulated key genes revealed the most important biological processes inhibited under non-spawning temperatures at 18.5 °C and 18 °C were photoreceptor cell outer segment organization, circadian regulation of gene expression and photoreceptor cell maintenance. Furthermore, 99 hormone-related genes were found in the brain tissues of non-spawning and spawning groups, and GnRH signaling pathway and insulin signaling pathway were enriched from down-regulated genes related to hormones at 18.5 °C and 18 °C. Thus, these findings uncovered crucial hormone-related genes and signaling pathways controlling the spawning of female zebrafish under cold stress.

DNA Barcoding Mushroom Spawn Using EF-1α Barcodes: A Case Study in Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus).

Oyster mushrooms (genus Pleurotus) are widespread and comprise the most commonly cultivated edible mushrooms in the world. Species identification of oyster mushroom spawn based on cultural, morphological, and cultivated characteristics is time consuming and can be extraordinarily difficult, which has impeded mushroom breeding and caused economic loss for mushroom growers. To explore a precise and concise approach for species identification, the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 28S rDNA, and the widely used protein-coding marker translation elongation factor 1α (EF-1α) gene were evaluated as candidate DNA barcode markers to investigate their feasibility in identifying 13 oyster mushroom species. A total of 160 sequences of the candidate loci were analyzed. Intra- and interspecific divergences and the ease of nucleotide sequence acquisition were the criteria used to evaluate the candidate genes. EF-1α showed the best intra- and interspecific variation among the candidate markers and discriminated 84.6% of the species tested, only being unable to distinguish two closely related species Pleurotus citrinopileatus and Pleurotus cornucopiae. Furthermore, EF-1α was more likely to be acquired than ITS or 28S rDNA, with an 84% success rate of PCR amplification and sequencing. For ITS and 28S rDNA, the intraspecific differences of several species were distinctly larger than the interspecific differences, and the species identification efficiency of the two candidate markers was worse (61.5 and 46.2%, respectively). In addition, these markers had some sequencing problems, with 55 and 76% success rates of sequencing, respectively. Hence, we propose EF-1α as a possible DNA barcode marker for oyster mushroom spawn.

Intra-population variation in reproductive timing covaries with thermal plasticity of offspring performance in perch Perca fluviatilis.

Life history theory posits that organisms should time their reproduction to coincide with environmental conditions that maximize their fitness. Population-level comparisons have contributed important insights on the adaptive value of reproductive timing and its association to environmental variation. Yet, despite its central role to ecology and evolution, the causes and consequences of variation in reproductive timing among individuals within populations are poorly understood in vertebrates other than birds. Using a combination of observational field studies and a split-brood experiment, we investigated whether differences in breeding time were associated with changes in hatching success, reproductive allocation and reaction norms linking offspring performance to temperature within an anadromous Baltic Sea population of perch Perca fluviatilis. Field observations revealed substantial variation in reproductive timing, with the breeding period lasting almost 2 months and occurring in temperatures ranging from 10 to 21℃. The hatching success of perch decreased as the reproductive season progressed. At the same time, the reproductive allocation strategy changed over the season, late breeders (the offspring of which were introduced into a high resource environment and increased predation pressure) produced more and smaller eggs that resulted in smaller larvae, compared with early breeders. The split-brood experiment in which eggs were incubated in different temperatures (10, 12, 15, 18°C) showed that differences in reproductive timing were associated with a change in the shape of the reaction norm linking offspring performance to water temperature indicative of adaptive phenotypic plasticity, with the offspring of early breeders performing best in low temperatures and the offspring of late breeders performing best in high temperatures. The seasonal changes in reproductive traits and the shape of the thermal performance suggest time-dependent adaptive differences among individuals within the population. Management actions aimed at preserving and restoring variation in the timing of reproductive events will thus likely also influence variation in associated life history traits and thermal performance curves, which could safeguard populations against environmental challenges and changes associated with exploitation and global warming.

Effects of hormonal treatment before water warming on synchronisation of spawning time, oocyte size, and egg quality in pikeperch (Sander lucioperca).

Inducing reproduction during periods of the year when spawning typically does not occur is an important goal for the feasibility of commercial fish farming. Pre-seasonal propagation of pikeperch generally occurs about 3 months before the natural spawning season. The objective of this study was to assess effects of imposing a thermal schedule for control of water temperature and differing salmon gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue (sGnRHa) dosages on final stages of oocyte growth, and egg quality by optimizing protocol duration and synchronizing spawning time. In Experiment 1, there was analysis of thermal schedule effects for water temperature control when hormonal administrations occurred before or after water warming (WARMING and STABLE, respectively). In Experiment 2, there was assessment of the sGnRHa dosage effects during the warming schedule. In both experiments there was analysis of oocyte diameter from time of sGnRHa administration until the late stages of maturation. There was greater synchrony in time of spawning in specimens of the WARMING group with lesser variability in time from sGnRHa administration to spawning. In Experiment 2, values for reproductive variables were variable among the different groups, without any differences between treatments. Oocyte diameter at the time of sGnRHa administration was correlated with embryo survival. For effective pre-seasonal pikeperch propagation, the selection of breeders based on oocyte diameter, and administration of 5 µg/kg sGnRHa immediately upon transport to hatchery, followed by a 1 °C/d temperature increase to 10 °C, are effective methods for induction of spawning during periods when spawning does not naturally occur.

Long-term monitoring of marine turtle nests in northeastern Brazil / Monitoramento de longo prazo de ninhos de tartarugas marinhas no nordeste do Brasil

Abstract: This study monitored marine turtle nests in a region known as the Potiguar Basin, which stretches from the northern region of Rio Grande do Norte State (5°4'1.15" S, 36°4'36.41" W) to eastern Ceará State (4°38'48.28" S, 37°32'52.08" W) in Brazil. We collected data from January 2011 to December 2019 to identify species of sea turtles that spawn in the basin, to analyze the nesting spatial-temporal pattern and nests characteristics, and to record effects of environmental and anthropic factors on nests. A field team examined sea turtle tracks and nests signs. Turtle clutches were monitored daily until hatchings emerged from the nests. We monitored nests of hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata; n = 238) and olive Ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea; n = 103). The nesting season for E. imbricata occurred between December and May and for L. olivacea from March to August. Hawksbills had clutch size, incubation time, number of unhatched eggs, and dead hatchlings higher than olive Ridley turtles; nevertheless, they presented lower hatching success. Precipitation between 0 and 22 mm and relative humidity (RH) higher than 69% increased the hatching success rate for E. imbricata; however, rainfall above 11 mm and RH 64% had the same effect for L. olivacea. Signs of egg theft and human presence (e.g. vehicle traffic and plastic residues on the beach) were recorded and are considered threats to nests. The results of our long-term monitoring study in the Potiguar Basin provide basis for the implementation of mitigation measures and adoption of management policies at nesting beaches in this Brazilian region.

Resumo: Este estudo permitiu o monitoramento de ninhos de tartarugas marinhas em uma região conhecida como Bacia Potiguar, que se estende da região norte do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte (5 ° 4'1,15 "S, 36 ° 4'36,41" W) até o leste do Estado do Ceará (4 ° 38'48,28 "S, 37 ° 32'52,08" W), no Brasil. Coletamos dados de janeiro de 2011 a dezembro de 2019 com o objetivo de identificar as espécies de tartarugas marinhas que desovam na bacia, analisar o padrão espaço-temporal de nidificação, as características dos ninhos, e registrar os efeitos de fatores ambientais e antrópicos. Uma equipe de campo examinou rastros de tartarugas marinhas e sinais de ninhos. As ninhadas das tartarugas foram monitoradas diariamente até que os filhotes emergissem dos ninhos. Monitoramos ninhos de tartarugas-de-pente (Eretmochelys imbricata; n = 238) e tartarugas-oliva (Lepidochelys olivacea; n = 103). A época de nidificação para E. imbricata ocorreu entre dezembro e maio e para L. olivacea de março a agosto. Tartarugas-de-pente apresentaram maior tamanho das ninhadas, tempo de incubação, número de ovos não eclodidos e número de filhotes mortos quando comparado com tartarugas-oliva; no entanto, apresentaram menor sucesso de eclosão. Precipitação entre 0 e 22 mm e umidade relativa (UR) maior que 69% aumentaram a taxa de sucesso de eclosão para E. imbricata; entretanto, chuvas acima de 11 mm e UR 64% tiveram o mesmo efeito para L. olivacea. Sinais de roubo de ovos e presença humana (por exemplo, tráfego de veículos e resíduos de plástico na praia) foram registrados e são considerados ameaças aos ninhos. Os resultados do nosso estudo de monitoramento de longo prazo na Bacia Potiguar fornecem base para a implementação de medidas de mitigação e adoção de políticas públicas em praias de desova nesta região brasileira.

Reproduction of Hypoptopoma inexspectatum (Holmberg, 1893) (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) in the Southern Pantanal floodplain, upper Paraguay River basin, Brazil / Reprodução de Hypoptopoma inexspectatum (Holmberg, 1893) (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) na planície de inundação do Pantanal Sul, bacia do alto rio Paraguai, Brasil

This work aimed to describe the reproductive biology of Hypoptopoma inexspectatum in southern Pantanal. A total of 538 individuals were sampled and analyzed from February 2009 through January 2011 in southern Pantanal. We did not observe differences in sex-ratio, and both sexes presented positive allometric length/weight relationship (LWR). Reproduction occurs mainly from January to February. Females reached first maturation (L50) with 37.80 mm and males with 45.80 mm. Absolute fecundity is estimated in mean=177.43 (sd±127.06) oocytes and relative fecundity in 3.12 (sd±2.23) oocytes/mg. Fecundity is positively correlated with standard length (Spearman r= 0.43; p=0.013), and total spawning is a used spawning strategy for H. inexspectatum.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo descrever a biologia reprodutiva de Hypoptopoma inexspectatum na região do Pantanal Sul. Foram amostrados e analisados entre fevereiro de 2009 a janeiro de 2011 um total de 538 indivíduos. Não foi observada diferença na proporção sexual e ambos os sexos apresentam relação alométrica de peso/comprimento positiva. A reprodução ocorreu principalmente entre os meses de janeiro e fevereiro. Fêmeas atingiram o tamanho de primeira maturação (L50) com 37,80 mm e machos com 45,80 mm. A fecundidade absoluta média foi 177,43 (dp±127,06) ovócitos e a fecundidade relativa foi de 3,12 (dp±2,23) ovócitos/mg. A fecundidade foi positivamente correlacionada com o comprimento padrão (Spearman r= 0,43; p=0,013) e a desova parcelada foi a estratégia de desova utilizada por H. inexspectatum.

Genetic architecture and genomic selection of female reproduction traits in rainbow trout.

BACKGROUND: Rainbow trout is a significant fish farming species under temperate climates. Female reproduction traits play an important role in the economy of breeding companies with the sale of fertilized eggs. The objectives of this study are threefold: to estimate the genetic parameters of female reproduction traits, to determine the genetic architecture of these traits by the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL), and to assess the expected efficiency of a pedigree-based selection (BLUP) or genomic selection for these traits. RESULTS: A pedigreed population of 1343 trout were genotyped for 57,000 SNP markers and phenotyped for seven traits at 2 years of age: spawning date, female body weight before and after spawning, the spawn weight and the egg number of the spawn, the egg average weight and average diameter. Genetic parameters were estimated in multi-trait linear animal models. Heritability estimates were moderate, varying from 0.27 to 0.44. The female body weight was not genetically correlated to any of the reproduction traits. Spawn weight showed strong and favourable genetic correlation with the number of eggs in the spawn and individual egg size traits, but the egg number was uncorrelated to the egg size traits. The genome-wide association studies showed that all traits were very polygenic since less than 10% of the genetic variance was explained by the cumulative effects of the QTLs: for any trait, only 2 to 4 QTLs were detected that explained in-between 1 and 3% of the genetic variance. Genomic selection based on a reference population of only one thousand individuals related to candidates would improve the efficiency of BLUP selection from 16 to 37% depending on traits. CONCLUSIONS: Our genetic parameter estimates made unlikely the hypothesis that selection for growth could induce any indirect improvement for female reproduction traits. It is thus important to consider direct selection for spawn weight for improving egg production traits in rainbow trout breeding programs. Due to the low proportion of genetic variance explained by the few QTLs detected for each reproduction traits, marker assisted selection cannot be effective. However genomic selection would allow significant gains of accuracy compared to pedigree-based selection.

Characterizing transcriptome in female scallop Chlamys farreri provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of reproductive regulation during ovarian development and spawn.

Bivalve mollusks are descendants of an early-Cambrian lineage and have successfully evolved unique strategies for reproduction. Nonetheless, the molecular mechanisms underlying reproductive regulation in mollusks remain to be elucidated. In this study, transcriptomes of ovary at four reproductive stages in female Chlamys farreri were characterized by RNA-Seq. Regarding signaling pathways, ECM-receptor interaction pathway, mTOR signaling pathway, Fanconi anemia pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway and Hedgehog signaling pathway were enriched during ovarian development processes. In addition, pathways related to energy metabolism such as Nitrogen metabolism and Arachidonic acid metabolism were enriched at spawn stage. Interestingly, Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction was significantly enriched involved in ovarian development and spawn, and indicated the potential functions of nervous system on reproductive regulation in C. farreri. What's more, this study identified and characterized fourteen genes involved in "sex hormones synthesis and regulation", "ovarian development and spawn" and "maternal immunity" during the four reproductive stages in C. farreri. We determined that CYP17 uniquely affected gamete release by influencing the physiological balance among the steroid hormones and showed that receptors of the 5-HT and GABA neurotransmitters were tightly associated with ovarian maturation. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the maternal effect gene Zar1 in bivalve mollusks, likewise the maternal immunity genes displayed coordinated and cooperative expression during reproductive periods, which strengthened the environmental adaptation mechanisms of bivalves. Taken together, this study provides the first dynamic transcriptomic analysis of C. farreri at four key reproductive stages, which will assist in revealing the molecular mechanisms underlying bivalves on reproductive regulation in ovarian development and spawn.

Evaluation of waste paper for cultivation of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) with some added supplementary materials.

Mushroom cultivation is an economically feasible bio-technological process for conversion of various lignocellulosic wastes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of waste paper supplemented with corn stalk and wheat bran for oyster mushroom cultivation. Pure culture of Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.: Fr.) Kummer) was purchased from YB Plant Micropropagation Plc; Mekelle, Ethiopia. Then, the pure culture was used as inoculum for spawn preparation using sorghum prepared in Microbiology laboratory, Department of Biology, Aksum University. Waste paper supplemented with corn stalk and wheat bran with 0%, 25% and 50% were prepared. The substrates were mixed with the spawn that has been inoculated with pure culture of oyster mushroom aseptically for their productivity and biological efficiency (BE) for cultivation of P. ostreatus mushroom. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Higher (26.20 ± 19.36) mean weight, pileus diameter (7.90 ± 2.66 cm), total yield (646.4 ± 273.1 g) and BE (64.64 ± 273%) were obtained from waste paper (50%) supplemented with cornstalk (25%) and wheat bran (25%). And lower (17.92 ± 81.95%) BE were obtained from waste paper (100%). Moreover, the highest (3.88 ± 0.32 cm) mean stalk length was obtained from waste paper (50%) supplemented with corn stalk (50%). This study revealed that waste paper supplemented with corn stalk and wheat bran resulted in high BE and total yield. Thus, utilization of waste paper appears to be a promising alternative for the cultivation of oyster mushroom when supplemented with other substrates.

Recycling of agro-wastes for Ganoderma lucidum mushroom production and Ganoderma post mushroom substrate as soil amendment.

The in vitro growth of Ganoderma mycelia on six agro-wastes namely, broad bean stalks (BBS), cotton stalk (CS), maize straw (MS), rice straw (RS), sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and wheat straw (WS) supplemented with wheat bran (WB) or corn gluten (CG) was evaluated. Among the substrates used, CS appeared best followed by SCB and RS. WB showed best supplementation for mycelial growth. CO2 emission values exhibited accurate measurements to decide the suitability of such agro-waste for growth rather than visual observations. CS+RS+SCB+WB in combination proven its superiority for in vitro growth and active spawn development substrate. In mushroom house, this particular formula proved its superiority and was on par with recommended EG formula; it gave the highest yield (195.16 g Kg-1), biological efficiency (19.52%), protein (16.69%), polysaccharides (3.613%) and minerals (3433 mg/100 g). Spawn running period was the shortest in treatments inoculated with agro-waste-based spawns. With 40% biochar, days required to the complete mycelium colonization and fructification were 10.60 and 23.00, respectively. At 10% biochar, highest yields (238.40 g Kg-1), biological efficiencies (23.84%), protein (19.58%) and minerals (4092 mg/100 g) were obtained. The higher the biochar level, the higher the reduction in emitted CO2, the loss in C and the increase in N of Ganoderma post mushroom substrates (GPMSs). Under greenhouse conditions, almost all the tested GPMSs, at 0.125 or 0.25%, encouraged the reproduction of reniform nematodes and improved plant growth criteria.