Methods to detect and characterize introgression.

Introgression, also known as introgressive hybridization, refers to the process that genetic components from the gene pool of one population transfer to the other via constant backcrossing. Introgression is widespread in nature, which plays important roles in increasing genetic diversity and improving adaptability to the environment, and in turn, influences the evolutionary progress of animals, plants and humans. Being as an important evolutionary event, researchers pay great attention to the detection of introgression, the introgression direction, the introgression timing, the pattern of introgression and so on.

Automated measurement of cattle surface temperature and its correlation with rectal temperature.

The body temperature of cattle varies regularly with both the reproductive cycle and disease status. Establishing an automatic method for monitoring body temperature may facilitate better management of reproduction and disease control in cattle. Here, we developed an Automatic Measurement System for Cattle's Surface Temperature (AMSCST) to measure the temperature of metatarsus by attaching a special shell designed to fit the anatomy of cattle's hind leg.

Pig large tumor suppressor 2 (Lats2), a novel gene that may regulate the fat reduction in adipocyte.

Clenbuterol, a Beta(2)-adrenoceptor agonist, has been proven to be a powerful repartition agent that can decrease fat deposition. Based on results from our previous cDNA microarray experiment of pig clenbuterol administration, a novel up-regulated EST was full-length cloned (4859 bp encoding 1041 amino acids) and found to be the pig homolog of large tumor suppressor 2 (Lats2). We mapped pig Lats2 to chromosome 11p13-14 by using FISH, and western blotting demonstrated that pig Lats2 protein was most abundant in adipose.

[Detection of duplications or deletions of the PMP22 gene using real-time quantitative PCR].

Objective: To detect the duplication or deletion of peripheral myelin protein 22(PMP22) gene in Chinese patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease(CMT) or hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies(HNPP) using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Methods: Duplications or deletions of PMP22 gene were detected in 113 CMT cases, 4 HNPP cases and 50 normal controls by using real-time quantitative PCR.

Results: Thirty-six of 113 CMT cases had the PMP22 duplication, 4 HNPP cases had the PMP22 deletion.