The growth curve determination and economic trait correlation for Qinchuan bull population.

Carcass weight, as a measure of meat yield, and body measurements are directly correlated traits in livestock. However, longitudinally collected phenotype records of local breeds are not comprehensive. The research was performed on Qinchuan bull population to understand their growth and development, and data from Qinchuan bull that was weighed and measured at birth, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age was analyzed. Furthermore, Logistic, Brody, Gompertz, and Bertallanffy were used to fit the growth curves for weight and body size traits. The results showed that the four curve models have good fitting degrees for the weight and body size (R2 > 0.99), and the Bertallanffy model exhibited a good fit to the measured data of body weight, and the model estimated the inflection point of body weight as (5.43 months of age, 122.01 kg). Particularly, the limited mature body weight can reach 557.8 kg by the Brody model. Body weight was significantly positively correlated with body height, hip height, body length, chest circumference, abdominal girth, and calf girth (p < 0.0001), and the correlation between body weight and body length was the highest (r = 0.975). The regression equation predicting body weight was Y = -275.691 + 3.28 X3 + 1.311 X4 - 0.397 X5.

Research progress of m6A regulation during animal growth and development.

Environmental factors, genetic factors, and epigenetics are involved in animal growth and development. Among them, methylation is one of the abundant modifications of epigenetics. N6-methyladenosine(m6A) is extensive in cellular RNA, of which mRNA is the most common internal modification. m6A modification regulates life activities dynamically and reversibly, including expressed genes, RNA metabolism, and protein translation. The m6A modifications are closely related to human diseases involving heart failure, tumors, and cancer. It is relatively in-depth in the medical field. However, there are few studies on its biochemical function in animals. We summarized the latest paper related to the chemical structure and role of the writers, the erasers, and the readers to study exerting dynamic regulation of m6A modification of animal growth and development. Furthermore, the key roles of m6A modification were reported in the process of RNA metabolism. Finally, the dynamic regulation of m6A modification in animal growth and development was reviewed, including brain development, fertility, fat deposition, and muscle production. It reveals the key roles of m6A modification and the regulation of gene expression, aiming to provide new ideas for m6A methylation in animal growth and development.