Pigs

Gene expression, serum amino acid levels, and growth performance of pigs fed dietary leucine and lysine at different ratios

H. García, Morales, A., Araiza, A., Htoo, J. K., and Cervantes, M., “Gene expression, serum amino acid levels, and growth performance of pigs fed dietary leucine and lysine at different ratios”, vol. 14, pp. 1589-1601, 2015.

We examined 96 pigs (28.1 ± 0.83 kg) to analyze the effect of Leu:Lys ratios on expression of the cationic amino acid transporters b^0,+ and CAT-1 in the jejunum and liver as well as myosin expression in 2 muscles to estimate the optimum standardized ileal digestible (SID) Leu:Lys ratio for growth rate and efficiency. A wheat-and wheat bran-based diets were formulated to meet the requirements of SID amino acids other than Leu (0.70%) and Lys (0.80%). L-Leu was added to the basal diet in 5 SID Leu:Lys ratios (88, 100, 120, 140, and 160% in diets 1-5).

Detection of hepatitis E virus genome in pig livers in Antioquia, Colombia

C. Gutiérrez-Vergara, Quintero, J., Duarte, J. F., Suescún, J. P., and López-Herrera, A., “Detection of hepatitis E virus genome in pig livers in Antioquia, Colombia”, vol. 14, pp. 2890-2899, 2015.

Hepatitis E is a form of endemic acute hepatitis found in humans in many countries worldwide and is caused by the hepatitis E Virus (HEV). Detection of HEV in pigs indicates that they may be carriers, possibly through zoonosis. The prevalence of HEV in pigs in Colombia is unknown. Studies in the US found that 11% of pig livers sold in grocery stores are contaminated with HEV. It is also known that HEV can be inactivated when cooked, as it is labile to high temperatures. The aim of this study was to determine HEV contamination in pig livers sold in Medellín, Antioquia.

Polymorphism analysis of IGFBP-5 gene exon 1 in Tibet Mini-pig and Junmu No. 1 White pig

A. D. Chen, Hao, L. L., Fang, X. B., Lu, K., Liu, S. C., and Zhang, Y. L., “Polymorphism analysis of IGFBP-5 gene exon 1 in Tibet Mini-pig and Junmu No. 1 White pig”, vol. 13. pp. 1643-1649, 2014.

The genetic resources and the mechanism of miniaturization in the Tibet Mini-pig have not been comprehensively studied. Polymorphisms in genes related to the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis have been investigated for years, but few on the polymorphism of IGF-binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5) in the Tibetan pig. In this study, allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) was used to analyze polymorphisms in exon 1 of the IGFBP-5 gene in two pig breeds, Tibet Mini-pigs and Junmu No. 1 White pigs.

Differential expression and effect of the porcine ANGPTL4 gene on intramuscular fat

Z. Q. Ren, Wu, W. J., Liu, W. H., Zheng, R., Li, J. L., Zuo, B., Xu, D. Q., Li, F. E., Lei, M. G., Ni, D. B., and Xiong, Y. Z., “Differential expression and effect of the porcine ANGPTL4 gene on intramuscular fat”, vol. 13, pp. 2949-2958, 2014.

In a previous study, we investigated differences in gene expression in backfat between Meishan and Large White pigs and their F1 hybrids, Large White x Meishan, and Meishan x Large White pigs. One potential differentially expressed sequence tag from the mRNA differential display was a homolog of the human angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) gene, which encodes a protein that is secreted by both liver and white adipose tissues and can inhibit lipoprotein lipase activity and stimulate white adipose tissue lipolysis.

Expression of cationic amino acid transporters, carcass traits, and performance of growing pigs fed low-protein amino acid-supplemented versus high protein diets

A. Morales, Grageola, F., García, H., Araiza, A., Zijlstra, R. T., and Cervantes, M., “Expression of cationic amino acid transporters, carcass traits, and performance of growing pigs fed low-protein amino acid-supplemented versus high protein diets”, vol. 12, pp. 4712-4722, 2013.

Free amino acids (AA) appear to be absorbed faster than protein-bound AA (PB-AA). We conducted an experiment to assess the effect of feeding pigs with a partially free (F-AA) or totally PB-AA diet on expression of selected genes and performance of pigs. The expression of cationic AA transporters b^0,+ and CAT-1 in intestinal mucosa, liver, and longissimus (LM) and semitendinosus (SM) muscles, as well as that of myosin in LM and SM, was analyzed. Twelve pigs (31.7 ± 2.7 kg) were used.

Detection of differentially expressed genes in the longissimus dorsi of Northeastern Indigenous and Large White pigs

Y. Gao, Zhang, Y. H., Jiang, H., Xiao, S. Q., Wang, S., Ma, Q., Sun, G. J., Li, F. J., Deng, Q., Dai, L. S., Zhao, Z. H., Cui, X. S., Zhang, S. M., Liu, D. F., and Zhang, J. B., “Detection of differentially expressed genes in the longissimus dorsi of Northeastern Indigenous and Large White pigs”, vol. 10, pp. 779-791, 2011.

Recent attention in pig breeding programs has focused on the improvement of pork quality in response to increasing consumer demands. Compared to the fatty-type Northeastern Indigenous (Chinese) breed of pigs, the lean-type Large White has lower intramuscular fat and inferior eating quality from the perspective of the Chinese consumer. In order to investigate the molecular basis of differences in pork quality in Chinese indigenous and Western breeds, longissimus dorsi samples were collected from three adult Northeastern Indigenous and three adult Large White pigs.

A rapid protocol for purification of total RNA for tissues collected from pigs at a slaughterhouse

V. Méndez, Avelar, E., Morales, A., Cervantes, M., Araiza, A., and González, D., “A rapid protocol for purification of total RNA for tissues collected from pigs at a slaughterhouse”, vol. 10. pp. 3251-3255, 2011.

Since RNA extraction is a crucial step in many molecular techniques, the protocols for sample collection and RNA purification need to be adapted to optimize their performance when samples are collected from animals at commercial facilities. Here we provide an RNA purification protocol for animal tissues collected from slaughterhouses. This protocol, modified from other techniques, uses TRIzol Reagent. Sample collection was performed wearing sterile gloves and facemasks, using sterile surgical instruments, and no longer than 8 min spent for each sample.

POPREP: a generic report for population management

E. Groeneveld, Westhuizen, Bv.d., Maiwashe, A., Voordewind, F., and Ferraz, J. B. S., “POPREP: a generic report for population management”, vol. 8, pp. 1158-1178, 2009.

Genetic variation provides a basis upon which populations can be genetically improved. Management of animal genetic resources in order to minimize loss of genetic diversity both within and across breeds has recently received attention at different levels, e.g., breed, national and international levels. A major need for sustainable improvement and conservation programs is accurate estimates of population parameters, such as rate of inbreeding and effective population size. A software system (POPREP) is presented that automatically generates a typeset report.