A high-quality assembly revealing the PMEL gene for the unique plumage phenotype in Liancheng ducks.

Background: Plumage coloration is a distinctive trait in ducks, and the Liancheng duck, characterized by its white plumage and black beak and webbed feet, serves as an excellent subject for such studies. However, academic comprehension of the genetic mechanisms underlying duck plumage coloration remains limited. To this end, the Liancheng duck genome (GCA_039998735.

Residual analysis for the identification of potential MIR-derived biomarkers of heat stress in dairy cattle.

Numerous prediction equations have been developed based on mid-infrared (MIR) spectra and some could be potentially used as biomarkers of heat stress. However, practical experience shows that confusion between the effect of heat stress and other effects like lactation stage or feeding variation over the year can easily occur. On this basis, the objective of this study was to identify potential milk components predicted by MIR as biomarkers of heat stress based on a 2-step approach allowing to correct for those effects.

Effect of inulin on small extracellular vesicles microRNAs in milk from dairy cows with subclinical mastitis.

Milk contains microRNAs (miRNA) that are shielded by small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). Beyond variations among individuals, many factors including nutrition play a role in shaping miRNA expression profiles. This study is to explore milk-derived sEVs-miRNA variations induced by inulin supplementation in subclinical mastitis-suffering cows.

Adding behavior traits to select for heat tolerance in dairy cattle.

The increase in periods of heat waves leads to an increase in heat stress events in dairy cattle leading to welfare issues, production losses, and health issues. However, the low frequency of milk recording data makes genetic evaluation for heat tolerance still a challenge. A possible solution could be to add behavior data captured through sensors which are recorded permanently, mostly reported on a daily basis.

Dietary supplementation with calcitriol or quercetin improved eggshell and bone quality by modulating calcium metabolism.

This study was aimed to investigate the effects of dietary calcitriol or quercetin supplementation on eggshell and bone quality of laying hens. In trial 1, 72 Hy-Line Brown layers (80-week-old) with weak-shelled strength (25 to 30 N) were assigned into 4 dietary treatments with 6 replicates of 3 birds and fed a basal diet (4% calcium level) or basal diets supplemented with 0.5% calcium, 5 μg/kg calcitriol or 500 mg/kg quercetin for 4 weeks.

Alginate oligosaccharide supplementation improves boar semen quality under heat stress.

Heat stress is a serious problem that affects animal husbandry by reducing growth and reproductive performance of animals. Adding plant extracts to the diet is an effective way to help overcome this problem. Alginate oligosaccharide (AOS) is a natural non-toxic antioxidant with multiple biological activities.

Alginate Oligosaccharides Enhance Antioxidant Status and Intestinal Health by Modulating the Gut Microbiota in Weaned Piglets.

Alginate oligosaccharides (AOSs), which are an attractive feed additive for animal production, exhibit pleiotropic bioactivities. In the present study, we investigated graded doses of AOS-mediated alterations in the physiological responses of piglets by determining the intestinal architecture, barrier function, and microbiota. A total of 144 weaned piglets were allocated into four dietary treatments in a completely random design, which included a control diet (CON) and three treated diets formulated with 250 mg/kg (AOS250), 500 mg/kg (AOS500), and 1000 mg/kg AOS (AOS1000), respectively.

The role of alginate oligosaccharide on boar semen quality: A research review.

Alginate is the general term of a polysaccharide which is widely used in the area of pharmaceutics and the food industry and is known for its unique biological activities. However, due to the low water solubility and large viscosity of alginate, its development and utilization in the agricultural field are limited. Alginate oligosaccharide (AOS) is a degradable product derived from alginate and has attracted much attention in recent years because of its specific characteristics such as a low molecular weight, high water solubility, and non-toxicity.

Unique feather color characteristics and transcriptome analysis of hair follicles in Liancheng White ducks.

Avian feather color is a fascinating trait, and the genetic mechanism of duck plumage formation is still in the preliminary stage. In this study, feather color of Liancheng White ducks was analyzed by determination of melanin content and RNA-seq analysis. In this research, 9 ducks from Mallards (n = 3), Liancheng White (n = 3) and Pekin ducks (n = 3) were used by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Masson-Fontana staining to reveal the difference of feather melanin content.

Acetylation and Phosphorylation Regulate the Role of Pyruvate Kinase as a Glycolytic Enzyme or a Protein Kinase in Lamb.

Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) play an essential role in meat quality development. However, the effect of specific PTM sites on meat proteins has not been investigated yet. The characteristics of pyruvate kinase M (PKM) were found to exhibit a close correlation with final meat quality, and thus, serine 99 (S99) and lysine 137 (K137) in PKM were mutated to study their effect on PKM function.

Decreased eggshell strength caused by impairment of uterine calcium transport coincide with higher bone minerals and quality in aged laying hens.

Background: Deteriorations in eggshell and bone quality are major challenges in aged laying hens. This study compared the differences of eggshell quality, bone parameters and their correlations as well as uterine physiological characteristics and the bone remodeling processes of hens laying eggs of different eggshell breaking strength to explore the mechanism of eggshell and bone quality reduction and their interaction. A total of 240 74-week-old Hy-line Brown laying hens were selected and allocated to a high (HBS, 44.

Zinc glycinate alleviates LPS-induced inflammation and intestinal barrier disruption in chicken embryos by regulating zinc homeostasis and TLR4/NF-κB pathway.

The effect of an immune challenge induced by a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure on systemic zinc homeostasis and the modulation of zinc glycinate (Zn-Gly) was investigated using a chicken embryo model. 160 Arbor Acres broiler fertilized eggs were randomly divided into 4 groups: CON (control group, injected with saline), LPS (LPS group, injected with 32 µg of LPS saline solution), Zn-Gly (zinc glycinate group, injected with 80 µg of zinc glycinate saline solution) and Zn-Gly+LPS (zinc glycinate and LPS group, injected with the same content of zinc glycinate and LPS saline solution). Each treatment consisted of eight replicates of five eggs each.

Alginate oligosaccharide extends the service lifespan by improving the sperm metabolome and gut microbiota in an aging Duroc boars model.

Introduction: Alginate oligosaccharide (AOS), as a natural non-toxic plant extract, has been paid more attention in recent years due to its strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and even anti-cancer properties. However, the mechanism by which AOS affects animal reproductive performance is still unclear.

Methods: The purpose of this study is to use multi-omics technology to analyze the effects of AOS in extending the service lifespan of aging boars.

Comparative effects of phosphorylation and acetylation on glycolysis and myofibrillar proteins degradation in postmortem muscle.

The study investigated the different effects between protein phosphorylation and acetylation on glycolytic enzyme activity and myofibrillar protein degradation. Lamb longissimus thoracis lumborum muscles were homogenized and then inhibitors were added for incubation at 4 °C. Phosphatase inhibitor was added to produce a high phosphorylation level (PI group) and lysine deacetylase inhibitor was added to produce a high acetylation level (DI group).

Effects of different electrostatic field intensities assisted controlled freezing point storage on water holding capacity of fresh meat during the early postmortem period.

In this study, the effect of different intensity electrostatic fields on the water holding capacity (WHC) of fresh meat during the early postmortem period in controlled freezing point storage (CFPS) were investigated. Significantly lower cooking loss were found in low voltage electrostatic field (LVEF) and high voltage electrostatic field (HVEF) compared to the control group (CK) (p < 0.05).

Protein Phosphorylation Induced by Pyruvate Kinase M2 Inhibited Myofibrillar Protein Degradation in Post-Mortem Muscle.

Myofibrillar protein degradation is primarily related to meat tenderness through protein phosphorylation regulation. Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), a glycolytic rate-limiting enzyme, is also regarded as a protein kinase to catalyze phosphorylation. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between myofibrillar protein degradation and phosphorylation induced by PKM2.

Inulin-induced differences on serum extracellular vesicles derived miRNAs in dairy cows suffering from subclinical mastitis.

MicroRNA (miRNA) profiles vary with the nutritional and pathological conditions of cattle. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of inulin supplement on miRNA profiles derived from serum extracellular vesicles (EVs). Our goal was to determine the differences in miRNA expressions and analyse the pathways in which they are involved.

Changes in water holding capacity of chilled fresh pork in controlled freezing-point storage assisted by different modes of electrostatic field action.

Electrostatic field-assisted low-temperature preservation is considered a novel technology, which provides an effective means of extending the shelf-life of meat. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different output time modes of a high voltage electrostatic field (HVEF) on the water holding capacity (WHC) of chilled fresh pork during controlled freezing-point storage. Under a direct current HVEF generator, chilled fresh pork samples were treated by the single, interval, or continuous HVEF treatment, with a control check group receiving no HVEF treatment.

Integrative profiling of gene expression and chromatin accessibility elucidates specific transcriptional networks in porcine neutrophils.

Neutrophils are vital components of the immune system for limiting the invasion and proliferation of pathogens in the body. Surprisingly, the functional annotation of porcine neutrophils is still limited. The transcriptomic and epigenetic assessment of porcine neutrophils from healthy pigs was performed by bulk RNA sequencing and transposase accessible chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq).

Invited review: From heat stress to disease-Immune response and candidate genes involved in cattle thermotolerance.

Heat stress implies unfavorable effects on primary and functional traits in dairy cattle and, in consequence, on the profitability of the whole production system. The increasing number of days with extreme hot temperatures suggests that it is imperative to detect the heat stress status of animals based on adequate measures. However, confirming the heat stress status of an individual is still challenging, and, in consequence, the identification of novel heat stress biomarkers, including molecular biomarkers, remains a very relevant issue.

Pectin modulates intestinal immunity in a pig model via regulating the gut microbiota-derived tryptophan metabolite-AhR-IL22 pathway.

Background: Pectin is a heteropolysaccharide that acts as an intestinal immunomodulator, promoting intestinal development and regulating intestinal flora in the gut. However, the relevant mechanisms remain obscure. In this study, pigs were fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet supplemented with either 5% microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) or 5% pectin for 3 weeks, to investigate the metabolites and anti-inflammatory properties of the jejunum.

Taxifolin increased semen quality of Duroc boars by improving gut microbes and blood metabolites.

Taxifolin (TAX), as a natural flavonoid, has been widely focused on due to its strong anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-virus, and even anti-tumor activity. However, the effect of TAX on semen quality was unknown. The purpose of this study was to analyze the beneficial influences of adding feed additive TAX to boar semen in terms of its quality and potential mechanisms.