Selection against domestication alleles in introduced rabbit populations.

Humans have moved domestic animals around the globe for thousands of years. These have occasionally established feral populations in nature, often with devastating ecological consequences. To understand how natural selection shapes re-adaptation into the wild, we investigated one of the most successful colonizers in history, the European rabbit.

Inclusive inheritance for residual feed intake in pigs and rabbits.

Non-genetic information (epigenetic, microbiota, behaviour) that results in different phenotypes in animals can be transmitted from one generation to the next and thus is potentially involved in the inheritance of traits. However, in livestock species, animals are selected based on genetic inheritance only. The objective of the present study was to determine whether non-genetic inherited effects play a role in the inheritance of residual feed intake (RFI) in two species: pigs and rabbits.

Genetic parameters of resistance to pasteurellosis using novel response traits in rabbits.

Background: Pasteurellosis (Pasteurella infection) is one of the most common bacterial infections in rabbits on commercial farms and in laboratory facilities. Curative treatments using antibiotics are only partly efficient, with frequent relapses. Breeding rabbits for improved genetic resistance to pasteurellosis is a sustainable alternative approach.

Genome Sequences of 17 Pasteurella multocida Strains Involved in Cases of Rabbit Pasteurellosis.

This article reports draft genome sequences of 17 strains isolated from naturally infected rabbits. The total lengths of the assembled contigs ranged between 2.21 and 2.

Estimating direct genetic and maternal effects affecting rabbit growth and feed efficiency with a factorial design.

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the significance of neonatal environment on feed efficiency. For that purpose, rabbits from a line selected for residual feed intake (RFI) during 10 generations (G10 kits) were cross-fostered with non-selected control does (i.e.

Genetic Parameters for Resistance to Non-specific Diseases and Production Traits Measured in Challenging and Selection Environments; Application to a Rabbit Case.

Breeding for disease resistance is a challenging but increasingly necessary objective to overcome the issues with the reduced use of antibiotics and growing concern for animal welfare while limiting economic losses. However, implementing such strategies is a complex process because animals face numerous diseases, and the environments on selection farms differ from those on commercial farms. We evaluated whether selection for resistance to non-specific diseases based on a single visual record in selection (S) and challenging (Ch) environments is possible.

Direct and correlated responses to selection in two lines of rabbits selected for feed efficiency under ad libitum and restricted feeding: III. Digestion and excretion of nitrogen and minerals.

Two rabbit lines have been created to result in better feed efficiency: the ConsoResidual line was selected for a lower residual feed intake under ad libitum feeding, and the ADGrestrict line was selected for higher ADG under restricted feeding (-20% of ad libitum). The present study aimed to analyze the digestion and excretion of N and minerals from 29 to 63 d of age of these 2 lines compared with an unselected control line (G0) under 2 feeding levels (ad libitum or restricted). The ADGrestrict line had greater digestibility compared with G0 (+1.

Multiple-trait structured antedependence model to study the relationship between litter size and birth weight in pigs and rabbits.

Background: Some genetic studies need to take into account correlations between traits that are repeatedly measured over time. Multiple-trait random regression models are commonly used to analyze repeated traits but suffer from several major drawbacks. In the present study, we developed a multiple-trait extension of the structured antedependence model (SAD) to overcome this issue and validated its usefulness by modeling the association between litter size (LS) and average birth weight (ABW) over parities in pigs and rabbits.

Dwarfism and Altered Craniofacial Development in Rabbits Is Caused by a 12.1 kb Deletion at the HMGA2 Locus.

The dwarf phenotype characterizes the smallest of rabbit breeds and is governed largely by the effects of a single dwarfing allele with an incompletely dominant effect on growth. Dwarf rabbits typically weigh under 1 kg and have altered craniofacial morphology. The dwarf allele is recessive lethal and dwarf homozygotes die within a few days of birth.

Direct and correlated responses to selection in two lines of rabbits selected for feed efficiency under ad libitum and restricted feeding: II. Carcass and meat quality.

To get insights into selection criteria for feed efficiency, 2 rabbit lines have been created: the ConsoResidual line was selected for residual feed intake (RFI) with ad libitum feeding and the ADGrestrict line was selected for ADG under restricted feeding. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact on carcass and meat quality of the genetic selections. This comparison was performed using 2 different feeding strategies corresponding to the selection design.

Direct and correlated responses to selection in two lines of rabbits selected for feed efficiency under ad libitum and restricted feeding: I. Production traits and gut microbiota characteristics.

To get insights into selection criteria for feed efficiency, 2 rabbit lines have been created: the ConsoResidual line was selected for residual feed intake (RFI) with ad libitum feeding and the ADGrestrict line was selected for ADG under restricted feeding (-20% of voluntary intake). The first objective of this study was to evaluate, after 9 generations of selection, the direct and correlated responses to selection on production traits in the 2 lines for traits recorded during growth. Second, applying the 2 feeding conditions used for selection to both selected lines plus the control unselected line (generation 0, G0) in a 2 × 3 factorial trial, the line performances were compared and the gut microbiota of the lines was characterized.

Levels and Patterns of Genetic Diversity and Population Structure in Domestic Rabbits.

Over thousands of years humans changed the genetic and phenotypic composition of several organisms and in the process transformed wild species into domesticated forms. From this close association, domestic animals emerged as important models in biomedical and fundamental research, in addition to their intrinsic economical and cultural value. The domestic rabbit is no exception but few studies have investigated the impact of domestication on its genetic variability.

The direct-maternal genetic correlation has little impact on genetic evaluations.

Obtaining unbiased estimates of the direct-maternal genetic correlation proves far from straightforward for several reasons. Consequently, the use of such over- or underestimated correlations may introduce errors in genetic evaluation models. The objective of our study was to evaluate how the value of the direct-maternal genetic correlation affects EBV.

Resistance to infectious diseases is a heritable trait in rabbits.

Selection for disease resistance is a powerful way to improve the health status of herds and to reduce the use of antibiotics. The objectives of this study were to estimate 1) the genetic parameters for simple visually assessed disease syndromes and for a composite trait of resistance to infectious disease including all syndromes and 2) their genetic correlations with production traits in a rabbit population. Disease symptoms were recorded in the selection herds of 2 commercial paternal rabbit lines during weighing at the end of the test (63 and 70 d of age, respectively).

Genetic modeling of feed intake.

With the development of automatic self-feeders and electronic identification, automated, repeated measurements of individual feed intake (FI) and BW are becoming available in more species. Consequently, genetic models for longitudinal data need to be applied to study FI or related traits. To handle this type of data, several flexible mixed-model approaches exist such as character process (CPr), structured antedependence (SAD), or random regression (RR) models.

Rabbit genome analysis reveals a polygenic basis for phenotypic change during domestication.

The genetic changes underlying the initial steps of animal domestication are still poorly understood. We generated a high-quality reference genome for the rabbit and compared it to resequencing data from populations of wild and domestic rabbits. We identified more than 100 selective sweeps specific to domestic rabbits but only a relatively small number of fixed (or nearly fixed) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for derived alleles.

The length of productive life can be modified through selection: an experimental demonstration in the rabbit.

The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of selecting for functional longevity in rabbits, defined as an ability to delay involuntary culling. Functional longevity was measured as the total number of AI performed after the first kindling. Breeding values were estimated using a discrete survival model.

Genetic parameters for two selection criteria for feed efficiency in rabbits.

Improvement of feed efficiency can be achieved by genetic selection directly on feed to BW gain ratio or for alternative traits. In the present study, 2 different traits were explored in the growing rabbit and their heritability and genetic correlations with traits recorded between weaning (30 d) and 63 d of age: i) residual feed intake (RFI), to select animals having low ad libitum feed intake independently from their production level, and ii) ADG under restricted feeding (ADGR; with a restriction level of 80% compared with ad libitum feeding of a control group), to select animals having high growth rate despite limited feed intake. To study these traits, 2 rabbit lines were established named i) ConsoResidual line and ii) ADGrestrict line.

The genetic structure of domestic rabbits.

Understanding the genetic structure of domestic species provides a window into the process of domestication and motivates the design of studies aimed at making links between genotype and phenotype. Rabbits exhibit exceptional phenotypic diversity, are of great commercial value, and serve as important animal models in biomedical research. Here, we provide the first comprehensive survey of nucleotide polymorphism and linkage disequilibrium (LD) within and among rabbit breeds.

Tissue healing during degradation of a long-lasting bioresorbable gamma-ray-sterilised poly(lactic acid) mesh in the rat: a 12-month study.

Aim: The purpose was to evaluate soft-tissue healing after poly(lactic acid) (PLA(94)) mesh implantation in a rat model.

Methods: Full-thickness abdominal wall defects were created in 108 Wistar rats, and reconstructed with 83 PLA(94) and 25 lightweight polypropylene (PPL) meshes. The meshes were previously gamma-ray sterilised with 25, 75 or 125 kGy to accelerate PLA(94) degradation.

In vitro degradation and in vivo biocompatibility of poly(lactic acid) mesh for soft tissue reinforcement in vaginal surgery.

This study was aimed at evaluating the in vitro degradation, the in vivo biocompatibility and at comparing the effects of two methods of sterilization on poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA(94)) resorbable mesh. The mesh was manufactured to be used as surgical soft tissue reinforcement in the vaginal area. Samples of 100 mg of PLA(94) mesh (10 x 10 mm(2)) were immersed in isoosmolar 0.

Behaviors of keratinocytes and fibroblasts on films of PLA50-PEO-PLA50 triblock copolymers with various PLA segment lengths.

The growth of human primary keratinocytes and fibroblasts on PLA-PEO-PLA copolymer films was investigated as an intermediate stage of a strategy aimed at making implantable dermo-epidermal substitutes. Four PLA-PEO-PLA triblock copolymers with the same PEO block and different DL-lactic acid/ethylene oxide molar ratios (LA/EO) (0.8, 1.

Prefabricated tracheal prosthesis with partial biodegradable materials: a surgical and tissue engineering evaluation in vivo.

Large and circumferential tracheal defects remain at this time an unsolved problem for reconstructive surgery. Many types of prosthetic and tissue grafts have been used but with limited comfortable results. Major complications are anastomotic dehiscence, graft ischemia and stenosis due to the poor vascularization of the prosthetic complex.

Ammonium bicarbonate as porogen to make tetracycline-loaded porous bioresorbable membranes for dental guided tissue regeneration: failure due to tetracycline instability.

The goal of this work was to manufacture a bioresorbable porous membrane aimed at both promoting osseous regeneration in oral surgery and delivering an antibiotic drug locally. The selected design consisted of a porous poly (D,L-lactic acid) matrix having a closed smooth face on one side to prevent inner migration of conjunctive and epithelial cells, and the rest of the membrane presenting open porosity to allow in-growth of osseous neotissue. The antibiotic drug was tetracycline because of its large antibacterial spectrum and its osteogenetic activity.

Role of Gal11, a component of the RNA polymerase II mediator in stress-induced hyperphosphorylation of Msn2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Msn2 transcription factor is a key element in mediating the environmental stress response (ESR), leading to the induction of 100-200 genes through the cis-acting Stress Response Element (STRE) in response to various physico-chemical stresses and nutritional variations. This activation is accompanied by a stress-induced hyperphosphorylation of Msn2. By a systematic screening we identified two proteins essential in this process: (i) the cyclin-dependent Ssn3/Srb10 protein kinase, part of a module of the RNA polymerase II mediator, which has already been shown to be involved in hyperphosphorylation and degradation of Msn2 upon stress, and (ii) Gal11, a component of the mediator.