The Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of Myostatin Gene and Their Associations with Growth and Carcass Traits in Daheng Broiler

Myostatin (MSTN) is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth. In order to investigate whether there is a correlation between MSTN polymorphisms and chicken production performance, in this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MSTN gene were examined across 180 Daheng broilers by direct sequencing of PCR product, and the correlations between the genotype and body weight at the age of 1-10 weeks and carcass traits at the age of 73 day were analyzed. Five SNPs (rs313622770, rs313744840, rs316247861, rs314431084, rs317126751) of MSTN gene were identified across Daheng broiler samples, and four haplotypes were reconstructed based on the five SNPs. Results of association analysis showed that four (rs313622770, rs313744840, rs316247861 and rs317126751) of these SNPs had significant association with some growth traits (p 0.05), but there were no significant effect on carcass traits and the four SNPs were strong linkage. For rs314431084, there was no significant correlation between different genotypes and growth or carcass traits. The AA genotype of rs313622770, GG genotype of rs313744840, CC genotype of rs316247861, TT genotype of rs317126751 were good for chicken growth. Diplotypes were significantly associated with chest muscle and leg muscle weight (p 0.05). Overall, these results provide evidence that polymorphisms in MSTN gene are associated with growth traits in chicken. The SNPs in MSTN gene could be utilized as potential markers for marker-assisted selection (MAS) during chicken breeding.

The Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of Myostatin Gene and Their Associations with Growth and Carcass Traits in Daheng Broiler

Myostatin (MSTN) is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth. In order to investigate whether there is a correlation between MSTN polymorphisms and chicken production performance, in this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MSTN gene were examined across 180 Daheng broilers by direct sequencing of PCR product, and the correlations between the genotype and body weight at the age of 1-10 weeks and carcass traits at the age of 73 day were analyzed. Five SNPs (rs313622770, rs313744840, rs316247861, rs314431084, rs317126751) of MSTN gene were identified across Daheng broiler samples, and four haplotypes were reconstructed based on the five SNPs. Results of association analysis showed that four (rs313622770, rs313744840, rs316247861 and rs317126751) of these SNPs had significant association with some growth traits (p 0.05), but there were no significant effect on carcass traits and the four SNPs were strong linkage. For rs314431084, there was no significant correlation between different genotypes and growth or carcass traits. The AA genotype of rs313622770, GG genotype of rs313744840, CC genotype of rs316247861, TT genotype of rs317126751 were good for chicken growth. Diplotypes were significantly associated with chest muscle and leg muscle weight (p 0.05). Overall, these results provide evidence that polymorphisms in MSTN gene are associated with growth traits in chicken. The SNPs in MSTN gene could be utilized as potential markers for marker-assisted selection (MAS) during chicken breeding.(AU)

Establishment and application of molecular ID in the main inbred lines of Chinese cabbage.

Chinese cabbage is an important cruciferous vegetable in China. The differences in the morphology and other characteristics of the different varieties of Chinese cabbage are generally caused by their different genes. Using the simple sequence repeat (SSR) DNA molecular markers is an effective way to identify different genotypes. The identification of a genetic relationship is a key point in the breeding process, and it plays an important role in guiding parent selection and breeding of high-yield varieties. Moreover, the establishment of genomic fingerprints is significant for plant variety protection. Three to five SSR sites were selected from each of the 10 Chinese cabbage chromosomes on the basis of the abundance of SSR loci on them. According to the differences in the SSR polymorphic bands, a genomic fingerprint comprising 36 different loci was established in the 20 main inbred lines of Chinese cabbage, and this fingerprint was converted digitally into a molecular ID with 36 numbers based on the 36 SSR sites. The utility of this core set SSRs was demonstrated in 20 main inbred lines of Chinese cabbage, which could be placed into six clusters that were largely consistent with previous classification based on morphology data. Moreover, the molecular ID of an F1 hybrid can be deduced from its parents molecular IDs, and its purity can be determined by selecting one or two SSR loci from the 36 different loci.

Relationship between cytokine gene polymorphisms and acute rejection following liver transplantation.

Acute rejection (AR) recurrence after liver transplantation (LT) is one of the major complications that leads to chronic graft dysfunction. It has been reported that the polymorphisms in some cytokine genes are associated with human liver allograft rejection. This study mainly investigated the associations between polymorphisms in the genes encoding interleukin-10 (IL10), transforming growth factor-b1 (TGFB1), and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF), and the risk of AR recurrence. We enrolled 359 LT recipients; they were divided into two groups: an AR group (N = 165) and a non-AR group (N = 194) according to whether they experienced rejection within the first month following liver transplantation. After providing informed consent, blood was collected and DNA was extracted. The single nucleotide polymorphisms of IL10 (-1082, -819, and -592), TGFB1 (+869 and +915), and TNF (-308) were investigated according to the methods used in previous studies. A significant difference was observed in the distribution of allelic frequencies at position +869 in TGFB1 between the AR and non-AR groups (P = 0.000). However, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were found in the genotype distributions in IL10, TNF, and TGFB1 between the AR and non-AR groups. Our study suggests that the +869 gene polymorphism of TGFB1 is significantly associated with liver graft rejection, while the other gene polymorphisms investigated in IL10, TNF, and TGFB1 are probably not risk factors for AR in LT recipients.

Isolation and characterization of the Chrysanthemum nitrate transporter CmNRT1.

In this study, the nitrate transporter gene CmNRT1 was isolated from the chrysanthemum variety 'Nannongxuefeng'. The full-length cDNA contains an open reading frame of 1761 bp encoding 587 residues. Using qRT-PCR, we found that CmNRT1 was induced by 10 mM NO3(-) in roots and shoots. Two Arabidopsis thaliana transgenic plants expressing CmNRT1 were selected for functional analyses. Root (15)N influx in wild-type and transgenic A. thaliana lines under 10 or 0.2 mM (15)NO3 was tested. Our results indicate that CmNRT1 encodes a constitutive component for a low-affinity transporter.

Meta-analysis of the association between the rs7903146 polymorphism at the TCF7L2 locus and type 2 diabetes mellitus susceptibility.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease caused by genetic and environmental factors. T2DM has been associated with specific polymorphisms in the TCF7L2 gene. This study evaluates the relationship between the rs7903146 locus polymorphism of the TCF7L2 gene and T2DM susceptibility through meta-analysis; the overall aim is to provide a basis for evidence-based medicinal treatment of T2DM. Cohort and case-control studies from Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, CBM, CNKI, and academic conferences/dissertations that examined the correlation between T2DM and rs7903146 polymorphisms were evaluated. We determined whether the TCF7L2 rs7903146 locus was associated with T2DM susceptibility by comparing alleles and genotypes. The Stata 11.0 software was applied for meta-analysis, and a random-effects model was adopted for heterogeneity testing and odds ratio (OR) calculation. A fixed-effect model was used for quantitative analysis of the heterogeneity between different studies, and for calculating the percentage of variability I(2). A total of 10 studies related to the rs7903146 loci and T2DM susceptibility were enrolled; this included 3404 cases of T2DM patients and 6473 control cases. Meta-analysis showed that the T allele of rs7903146 was significantly correlated with the risk of T2DM, with both a dominant fixed-effect model (OR = 1.653, 95%CI = 1.416-1.653) and a co-dominant-fixed effect model (OR = 1.525, 95%CI = 1.350-1.723). Meta-analysis revealed that the T allele of rs7903146 was also correlated with T2DM susceptibility.

Regulation of CD4⁺FOXP3⁺ T cells by CCL20/CCR6 axis in early unexplained recurrent miscarriage patients.

Expression and function of CCR6/CCL20 in CD4(+)FOXP3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) was investigated in unexplained recurrent miscarriage (URM) patients. Flow cytometry, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blots, and Transwell migration assays were used to analyze the expression and function of regulatory T cells in peripheral blood (PB) and decidual samples of women with URM and of healthy controls. Proportions of CD4(+)FOXP3(+) T cells and CCR6(+)CD4(+)FOXP3(+) T cells were lower in URM patients than in healthy controls for both PB lymphocytes and decidual samples (P < 0.05). Expression levels of FOXP3 and CCR6 mRNA were lower in URM patients than in control subjects for PB and decidual samples (P < 0.05). CCL20 protein levels were lower in URM patients than in controls (P < 0.05). An effect of Treg migration was significantly blocked (by 89.13%) using a neutralizing anti-CCL20 antibody in vitro. Furthermore, CCL20-stimulated Tregs exhibited a 3.21-fold increase in migration and this was blocked using a neutralizing anti-CCL20 antibody. IL-10 concentration in culture supernatants of CD4(+)CD25(+)CD127(dim/-) Tregs of URM patients was significantly lower than that in controls. Anti-CCL20 antibody inhibited IL-10 and IL-4 expression but increased IFN-r and IL-17 levels when there was cell-cell contact between PB CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells and CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells. No difference was detected when cell-cell contact was prevented by a semi-permeable Transwell membrane. CCL20-CCR6 could drive immune activity of CD4(+)FOXP3(+) Tregs, followed by their migration to the feto-maternal microenvironment. These results elucidated the mechanism by which Tregs exert this suppressive effect.

Effects of curcumin on hippocampal expression of NgR and axonal regeneration in Aß-induced cognitive disorder rats.

Curcumin has been widely used for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but its mechanism is still not clear. Inhibitory factors of axonal regeneration have been shown to cause a series of pathophysiological changes in the early period of AD. In this study, the co-receptor (Nogo receptor; NgR) of three axonal growth-inhibitory proteins was examined, and effects of curcumin on spatial learning and memory abilities and hippocampal axonal growth were investigated in amyloid ß-protein (Aß)1-40-induced AD rats. Results showed that the expression of NgR in the AD group significantly increased and the number of axonal protein-positive fibers significantly reduced. The spatial learning and memory abilities of AD rats were significantly improved in the curcumin group. Furthermore, hippocampal expressions of NgR mRNA and protein decreased, and the expression of axonal protein significantly increased. There was a negative correlation between the expression of NgR and axonal growth. Together, these results suggested that curcumin could improve the spatial learning and memory abilities of AD rats. The mechanism might be related with its lowering of hippocampal NgR expression and promoting axonal regeneration.

Effects of polymorphisms in the bovine growth differentiation factor 9 gene on sperm quality in Holstein bulls.

Members of the transforming growth factor-ß (TGFß) superfamily are critical regulators of germ cell development that act as extracellular ligands of the signal transduction pathways regulating proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and other aspects of cell behavior. Growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) is a member of the TGFß superfamily that plays a critical role in ovarian follicular development and ovulation rate in females; however, its role in the testis has not been well elucidated. Therefore, in this study we investigated the effects of GDF9 mutations on the quality of fresh and frozen semen of Holstein bulls. Two reported single nucleotide polymorphisms of GDF9, A485TA and A625C, were analyzed in 129 Holstein bulls. Analysis of variance revealed that the A485T polymorphism had significant effects on the acrosome integrity rate (P < 0.05), whereas the A625T polymorphism was significantly associated with sperm concentration (P < 0.05). In addition, a significant additive effect on sperm concentration was detected for the A485T polymorphism (P < 0.05), whereas the polymorphisms A485TA and A625C had significant dominant effects on acrosome integrity rate and sperm motility in frozen semen, respectively (P < 0.05). This study is the first to show a significant association of GDF9 with sperm quality traits, and the results implied that GDF9 is involved in the initiation or maintenance of spermatogenesis; however, further verification is needed.