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The Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is a species indigenous to the Arctic and has developed unique lipid metabolism, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Here, the significantly increased body weight of Arctic foxes was consistent with the significantly increased serum very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and the 40% crude fat diet further increased the Arctic fox body weight. The enhanced body weight gain stems primarily from increased subcutaneous adipose tissue accumulation. The adipose triacylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine were significantly greater in Arctic foxes. The adipose fatty-acid synthase content was significantly lower in Arctic foxes, highlighting the main role of exogenous fatty-acids in fat accumulation. Considering the same diet, liver-derived fat dominates adipose expansion in Arctic foxes. Liver transcriptome analysis revealed greater fat and VLDL synthesis in Arctic foxes, consistent with the greater VLDL. Glucose homeostasis wasn’t impacted in Arctic foxes. And the free fatty-acids in adipose, which promote insulin resistance, also did not differ between groups. However, the hepatic glycogen was greater in Arctic foxes and transcriptome analysis revealed upregulated glycogen synthesis, improving glucose homeostasis. These results suggest that the superior fat accumulation capacity and distinct characteristics of hepatic and adipose lipid and glucose metabolism facilitate glucose homeostasis and massive fat accumulation in Arctic foxes.

Abstract Background The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiome of ruminants and its metabolic repercussions vastly influence host metabolism and growth. However, a complete understanding of the bidirectional interactions that occur across the host-microbiome axis remains elusive, particularly during the critical development stages at early life. Here, we present an integrative multi-omics approach that simultaneously resolved the taxonomic and functional attributes of microbiota from five GIT regions as well as the metabolic features of the liver, muscle, urine, and serum in sika deer (Cervus nippon) across three key early life stages. Results Within the host, analysis of metabolites over time in serum, urine, and muscle (longissimus lumborum) showed that changes in the fatty acid profile were concurrent with gains in body weight. Additional host transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis revealed that fatty acid β-oxidation and metabolism of tryptophan and branched chain amino acids play important roles in regulating hepatic metabolism. Across the varying regions of the GIT, we demonstrated that a complex and variable community of bacteria, viruses, and archaea colonized the GIT soon after birth, whereas microbial succession was driven by the cooperative networks of hub populations. Furthermore, GIT volatile fatty acid concentrations were marked by increased microbial metabolic pathway abundances linked to mannose (rumen) and amino acids (colon) metabolism. Significant functional shifts were also revealed across varying GIT tissues, which were dominated by host fatty acid metabolism associated with reactive oxygen species in the rumen epithelium, and the intensive immune response in both small and large intestine. Finally, we reveal a possible contributing role of necroptosis and apoptosis in enhancing ileum and colon epithelium development, respectively. Conclusions Our findings provide a comprehensive view for the involved mechanisms in the context of GIT microbiome and ruminant metabolic growth at early life. Video Abstract

The raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) is a typical omnivore possessing wide dietary adaptability and tolerance to rough feeding, which may be attributed to its intestinal microbiota. The study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary alfalfa meal levels on the growth performance, nutrient apparent digestibility, serum parameters, and intestinal microbiota of raccoon dogs. Sixty raccoon dogs were randomly divided into four dietary treatments containing 0% (AM0), 5% (AM5), 10% (AM10), and 15% (AM15) alfalfa meal for a 60-day experiment. The results showed that compared to raccoon dogs fed the AM0 diet, those fed the AM5 and AM10 diets had no significant difference in growth performance, while those fed the AM15 diet experienced a significant decrease. Raccoon dogs fed the AM5 diet had no significant effect on the nutrient apparent digestibility. Dietary supplementation with alfalfa meal significantly decreased serum urea levels and increased the antioxidant capacity of raccoon dogs. The intestinal microbiome analysis showed that the richness and diversity of colonic microbiota significantly increased in the AM15 group. With the increase in dietary alfalfa meal levels, the relative abundance of fiber-degrading bacteria in the colon of raccoon dogs, such as Treponema, Phascolarctobacterium, and Christensenellaceae R-7 group, increased. However, the relative abundance of pathogenic bacteria, including Anaerobiospirillum, decreased. In conclusion, the inclusion of 5% alfalfa meal in the raccoon dogs’ diet had no effect on growth performance, but it exhibited the potential to improve serum antioxidant capacity and intestinal microbiota. This indicates that raccoon dogs have a certain tolerance to the addition of alfalfa meal in their diet.

The gut microbiota establishment in young ruminants has a profound impact on their adult production performance. However, the critical phase for the succession of the gut microbial composition and metabolic profiles of juvenile sika deer still needs to be further investigated. Here, we analyzed the fecal microbiota and metabolites of juvenile sika deer during the birth (D1), transition (D42), and rumination (D70) periods based on 16S rRNA sequencing and gas chromatography–time–of–flight mass spectrometry (GC–TOF–MS). The results showed that the fecal bacteria and metabolites composition were significantly different in D1 compared to D42 and D70, and the number of OTUs and the Shannon index were significantly higher in D70 than in D1 (p < 0.05). The relative abundances of Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, and Lachnoclostridium showed a significant increase in D1 compared to D42 and D70, whereas the relative abundances of Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, Ruminococcaceae UCG-010, Ruminococcaceae UCG-014, Christensenellaceae R-7, and Eubacterium coprostanoligenes group were significantly decreased in D1 compared to D42 and D70 (p < 0.05). The amounts of serine, phenylalanine, aspartic acid, ornithine, citrulline, creatine, isoleucine, galactose, and ribose in the feces were significantly higher in D1 compared to D42 and D70. In contrast, the concentrations of cortexolone, resveratrol, piceatannol, fumaric acid, alpha-ketoglutarate, glycerol, uracil-5-carboxylic acid, and maleic acid were significantly decreased in D1. The enrichment analysis showed that amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism were significantly changed in D1 compared to D42 and D70. The glycine, serine and threonine metabolism; alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism; arginine biosynthesis; glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism; citrate cycle; and pyruvate metabolism were significantly enriched across the three periods (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our results suggested that the birth–transition period is a critical phase for the gut bacterial community and metabolic function shift in juvenile sika deer.

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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) comprises systemic inflammatory conditions primarily affecting the gastrointestinal tract, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. This research aims to analyze the clinical symptoms and pathogenesis of a Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced canine IBD model and evaluate the restorative effect of ginsenoside from a pathogenesis perspective. We established the DSS-induced canine IBD model and studied the pathological mechanisms. Additionally, we examined the therapeutic effect of ginsenosides by assessing the Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity Index (CIBDAI), C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, colonic tissue morphology, protein expression, and mucosal bacterial community analysis. Our findings revealed a total ginsenoside content of 22.7% in the ginsenoside extract. Animal experiments demonstrated that dogs with IBD exhibited decreased mental state, significantly increased CIBDAI and CRP levels, disrupted colonic epithelial tissue structure, decreased expression of mucin, tight junctions, and adherens junctions, as well as reduced diversity of the colonic mucosal bacterial community. Furthermore, correlation analysis highlighted a total of 38 bacterial strains correlated with physiological indices. Significantly, ginsenoside treatment could improve these symptoms and reverse the relative abundance of some bacterial communities. In conclusion, alterations in the properties of the colonic mucus layer or the reduction in MUC2, its core component, in dogs with IBD can lead to bacterial penetration of the mucus layer and subsequent contact with intestinal epithelial cells, resulting in inflammation. Remarkably, ginsenoside intervention showcased the capacity to positively influence the relative abundance of bacteria and impact the colonic mucus layer properties, thereby offering promising prospects for IBD management and recovery.

ObjectiveSelf-injurious behavior (SIB) is a clinically challenging problem in the general population and several clinical disorders. However, the precise molecular mechanism of SIB is still not clear. In this paper, the systematic investigation of the genesis and development of SIB is conducted based on behavioral and pathophysiology studies in mink (Neovison vison) models.MethodThe night-vision video was used to observe the mink behavior, and the duration was a month. HE stain was performed to characterize the pathology change in the brain of a mink. IHC assay was performed to conduct the protein level detection of Iba-1, p-CREB, CBP, and p300 in the brain tissues. Elisa assay was used to examine the levels of NfL and NfH in serum and CSF of mink. The qRT-PCR assay was used to detect the expression of Bcl-2, NOR1, FoxO4, c-FOS, CBP, and p300 in brain tissues. Western blot was used to detect the protein levels of p-CREB, CBP, and p300 in brain tissues. We also used Evans Blue as a tracer to detect whether the blood-brain barrier was impaired in the brain of mink.ResultThe behavioral test, histopathological and molecular biology experiments were combined in this paper, and the results showed that CBP was related to SIB. Mechanism analysis showed that the dysregulation of CBP in brain-activated CREB signaling will result in nerve damage of the brain and SIB symptoms in minks. More importantly, the CBP-CREB interaction inhibitor might help relieve SIB and nerve damage in brain tissues.ConclusionOur results illustrate that the induction of CBP and the activation of CREB are novel mechanisms in the genesis of SIB. This finding indicates that the CBP-CREB axis is critical for SIB and demonstrates the efficacy of the CBP-CREB interaction inhibitor in treating these behaviors.

Abstract Background Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiomes in ruminants play major roles in host health and thus animal production. However, we lack an integrated understanding of microbial community structure and function as prior studies. are predominantly biased towards the rumen. Therefore, to acquire a microbiota inventory of the discrete GIT compartments, In this study, we used shotgun metagenomics to profile the microbiota of 370 samples that represent 10 GIT regions of seven ruminant species. Results Our analyses reconstructed a GIT microbial reference catalog with > 154 million nonredundant genes and identified 8745 uncultured candidate species from over 10,000 metagenome-assembled genomes. The integrated gene catalog across the GIT regions demonstrates spatial associations between the microbiome and physiological adaptations, and 8745 newly characterized genomes substantially expand the genomic landscape of ruminant microbiota, particularly those from the lower gut. This substantially expands the previously known set of endogenous microbial diversity and the taxonomic classification rate of the GIT microbiome. These candidate species encode hundreds of enzymes and novel biosynthetic gene clusters that improve our understanding concerning methane production and feed efficiency in ruminants. Overall, this study expands the characterization of the ruminant GIT microbiota at unprecedented spatial resolution and offers clues for improving ruminant livestock production in the future. Conclusions Having access to a comprehensive gene catalog and collections of microbial genomes provides the ability to perform efficiently genome-based analysis to achieve a detailed classification of GIT microbial ecosystem composition. Our study will bring unprecedented power in future association studies to investigate the impact of the GIT microbiota in ruminant health and production. Video abstract

Enteric methane (CH4) is an important greenhouse gas emitted by ruminants. Cervidae produces less CH4 than other ruminants, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we measured and compared the gas production, nutrient digestibility, gut microbiota composition, and fermentation characteristics of roe deer (n = 4) and goats (n = 4). After the animals had adapted to the same total mixed ration for 21 days, the gas yield was measured using respiration chambers, and fecal samples were collected. The CH4 yield (g/kg DMI) was significantly lower in roe deer than in goats (p < 0.001), while the difference in carbon dioxide yield was not significant (p > 0.05). Roe deer showed lower digestibility of dry matter (p = 0.005), crude protein (p < 0.001), and neutral detergent fiber (p = 0.02) than goats. Principal coordinate analysis revealed that the bacterial and methanogen communities were significantly different between roe deer and goats, indicating a potential role of host genetics. Roe deer and goats showed enrichment of specific key bacterial and methanogen taxa. The relative abundances of Bifidobacterium, Ruminococcus, Succinivibrio, Treponema, Prevotella, Lachnoclostridium, Christensenellaceae R7, and members of the family Lachnospiraceae were higher in roe deer than in goats (p < 0.05). Methanocorpusculum and Methanobrevibacter were dominant methanogens in the guts of roe deer and goats, respectively, but their species compositions differed significantly between the host species. The predicted metabolic pathways, including those for butyrate and propionate, were significantly more abundant in roe deer than in goats (p < 0.05). The molar proportions of propionate and branched volatile fatty acids were significantly higher in roe deer and goats (p < 0.01), respectively. The variation in CH4 yield was characterized by correlations between digestibility, bacteria and methanogens between roe deer and goats, particularly for members within the taxa Lachnospiraceae and Methanosphaera. In summary, our results revealed that gut bacteria and methanogens differ significantly between high- and low-CH4 emitters and identified microbial taxa potentially involved in the mitigation of CH4 production in ruminants.

The level of plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is associated with the growth of the antler, a fast-growing bone organ of Cervidae. However, the benefits of 25(OH)D supplementation on antler growth and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, the antler growth profile and transcriptome, plasma parameters, rumen bacteria, and metabolites (volatile fatty acids and amino acids) were determined in sika deer in a 25(OH)D supplementation group (25(OH)D, n = 8) and a control group (Ctrl, n = 8). 25(OH)D supplementation significantly increased the antler weight and growth rate. The levels of IGF-1,25(OH)D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D were significantly higher in the 25(OH)D group than in the Ctrl group, while the levels of LDL-C were lower. The levels of valerate and branched-chain amino acids in the rumen fluid were significantly different between the 25(OH)D and Ctrl groups. The bacterial diversity indices were not significantly different between the two groups. However, the relative abundances of the butyrate-producing bacteria (families Lachnospiraceae and Succinivibrionaceae) and the pyruvate metabolism pathway were higher in the 25(OH)D group. The transcriptomic profile of the antler was significantly different between the 25(OH)D and Ctrl groups, with 356 up- and 668 down-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the 25(OH)D group. The up-regulated DEGs were enriched in the proteinaceous extracellular matrix and collagen, while the down-regulated DEGs were enriched in the immune system and lipid metabolism pathways. Overall, these results provide novel insights into the effects of 25(OH)D supplementation on the host metabolism, rumen microbiota, and antler transcriptome of sika deer.

Abstract Background Enteric methane from the ruminant livestock is a significant source in global greenhouse gas emissions, which is mainly generated by the methanogens inhabiting the rumen and cecum. Sika deer (Cervus nippon) not only produces less methane than bovine, but they also harbor a distinct methanogen community. Whereas, knowledge of methanogens colonization in the rumen and cecum of sika deer is relatively still unknown, which could provide more insights to the manipulation of gut microbiota during early life. Results Here, we examined the development of bacteria and methanogens in the rumen and cecum of juvenile sika deer from birth to post-weaning (1 day, 42 days and 70 days, respectively) based on next generation sequencing. The results showed that the facultative anaerobic bacteria were decreased and the cellulolytic bacteria were increased. However, methanogens established soon after birth thrived through the whole developmental period, indicating a different succession process than bacteria in the GIT, and the limited role of age and dietary change on GIT methanogens. We also found Methanobrevibacter spp. (Mean relative abundance = 44.2%) and Methanocorpusculum spp. (Mean relative abundance = 57.5%) were dominated in the rumen and cecum, respectively. The methanogens also formed specific correlations with bacteria under different niches, suggesting a role of ecology niche on methanogen community. Conclusions This study contributes to our knowledge about the microbial succession in GIT of sika deer, that may facilitate the development of targeted strategies to improve GIT function of sika deer.

Methionine is the first or second limiting amino acid for ruminants, such as sika deer, and has a variety of biological functions such as antioxidant activity, immune response, and protein synthesis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of methionine supplementation on antler growth, serum biochemistry, rumen fermentation, and the bacterial community of sika deer during the antler-growing period. Twelve 4-year-old male sika deer were randomly assigned to three dietary groups supplemented with 0 g/day (n = 4, CON), 4.0 g/day (n = 4, LMet), and 6.0 g/day (n = 4, HMet) methionine. No significant difference (p > 0.05) was found in the production performance between the three groups, but antler weight was higher in both the LMet and HMet groups than in the CON group. Methionine supplementation significantly increased the serum glutathione peroxidase activity (p < 0.05). The serum immunoglobulin G level was significantly higher in the HMet group than in the other two groups (p < 0.05). No significant effect was found on the apparent amino acid digestibility of the three groups, but cysteine and methionine digestibility were higher in the LMet group. The serum hydroxylysine level was significantly lower in the LMet and HMet groups, whereas the serum lysine level was significantly lower in the HMet group compared with the CON group (p < 0.05). The LMet group had the highest but a nonsignificant total volatile fatty acid content and significantly higher microbial protein content in the rumen than the CON group (p < 0.05). The phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria were dominant in the rumen of the sika deer. The principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) results showed a significant change in the bacterial composition of the three groups (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Prevotella and Rikenellaceae-RC9 was significantly higher in the LMet group compared with the CON group and CON and HMet groups, respectively. These results revealed that methionine supplementation improved the antioxidant activity and immune status, affecting amino acid metabolism and rumen microbial composition of the sika deer.

Velvet antler is a regeneration organ of sika deer (Cervus nippon) and an important Chinese medicine, and nutrient metabolism affects its growth. Here, we investigated the effects of arginine supplementation on antler growth, serum biochemical indices, and the rumen bacterial community of sika deer during the antler growth period. Fifteen male sika deer (6 years old) were randomly assigned to three dietary groups, which were supplemented with 0 (n = 5, CON), 2.5 (n = 5, LArg), or 5.0 g/d (n = 5, HArg) L-arginine. The IGF-1, ALT and AST concentrations in the serum of LArg sika deer were significantly higher than those in the serum of CON (P < 0.05) and HArg deer (P < 0.05). The phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria were dominant in the rumen of sika deer among the three groups. Comparison of alpha diversities showed that the ACE and Chao1 indices significantly increased in the LArg and HArg groups compared with those in the CON group. PCoA and ANOSIM results showed that the bacterial community was significantly changed between the CON and LArg groups. Moreover, the relative abundances of Fibrobacter spp. and Prevotellaceae UCG-003 increased, but those of Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Corynebacterium 1 decreased in the LArg and HArg groups compared with those in the CON group. Additionally, the relative abundances of 19 OTUs were significantly different between the LArg and HArg groups. These results revealed that arginine supplementation affected the sika deer rumen bacterial community and serum biochemical indices.

Ruminant methane, which is generated by methanogens through the consumption of hydrogen and supports the normal function of the rumen ecosystem, is a major source of greenhouse gases. Reductive acetogenesis by acetogens is a possible alternative sink that can dispose of hydrogen for acetate production. However, the distribution of rumen methanogens and acetogens along with the relationships among methanogens, acetogens, and their host are poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated the rumen methanogen and acetogen communities of 97 individual animals representing 14 ruminant species within three ruminant families Cervidae (deer), Bovidae (bovid), and Moschidae (musk deer). The results showed that the Methanobrevibacter spp. and acetogens associated with Eubacteriaceae were the most widespread methanogens and acetogens, respectively. However, other methanogens and acetogens exhibited host specificity in the rumen of reindeer and Chinese muntjac deer. Acetogen and methanogen communities were not correlated in these species, and the phylosymbiosis signature between host phylogeny and the composition of both communities was lacking. The abundance of Methanobrevibacter gottschalkii was negatively correlated with the degree of papillation of the rumen wall. Finally, co-occurrence analysis showed that the variation of the predicted methane yields was characterized by the interactive patterns between methanogens, acetogens, and concentrations of rumen metabolites. Our results show that rumen methanogen and acetogen communities have low compositional interdependence and do not exhibit parallel host evolution, which suggests that the strategies for mitigating methane production should be based on a species-specific rumen microbiota analysis.

Abstract Yak (Bos grunniens) is an important and dominant livestock species in the challenging environment of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. Rumen microbiota of the solid, liquid, and epithelium fractions play key roles in nutrient metabolism and contribute to host adaptation in ruminants. However, there is a little knowledge of the microbiota in these rumen fractions of yak. Therefore, we collected samples of solid, liquid, dorsal, and ventral epithelium fractions from five female yaks, then amplified bacterial 16S rRNA gene V4 regions and sequenced them using an Illumina MiSeq platform. Principal coordinates analysis detected significant differences in bacterial communities between the liquid, solid, and epithelium fractions, and between dorsal and ventral epithelium fractions. Rikenellaceae RC9, the families Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae, and Fibrobacter spp. were the abundant and enriched bacteria in solid fraction, while the genera Prevotella and Prevotellaceae UCG 003 were higher in the liquid fraction. Campylobacter spp., Comamonas spp., Desulfovibrio spp., and Solobacterium spp. were significantly higher in dorsal epithelium, while Howardella spp., Prevotellaceae UCG 001, Ruminococcaceae UCG 005, and Treponema 2 were enriched in the ventral epithelium. Comparison of predictive functional profiles among the solid, liquid, and dorsal, and ventral epithelium fractions also revealed significant differences. Microbiota in the ventral fraction of yak rumen also significantly differ from reported microbiota of cattle. In conclusion, our results improve our knowledge of the taxonomic composition and roles of yak rumen microbiota.

This experiment investigated the effect of vitamin A supplementation on growth, serum biochemical parameters, jejunum morphology and the microbial community in male growing-furring mink. Thirty healthy male mink were randomly assigned to three treatment groups, with 10 mink per group. Each mink was housed in an individual cage. The mink in the three groups were fed diets supplemented with vitamin A acetate at dosages of 0 (CON), 20,000 (LVitA) and 1,280,000 IU/kg (HVitA) of basal diet. A 7-day pretest period preceded a formal test period of 45 days. The results show that 20,000 IU/kg vitamin A increased the ADG, serum T-AOC and GSH-Px activities, villus height and villus height/crypt depth ratio (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression levels of IL-22, Occludin and ZO-1 in the jejunum of mink were significantly higher in the LVitA group than those in the CON and HVitA groups (p < 0.05). Vitamin A supplementation increased the diversity of jejunum bacteria, decreased the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes and increased the relative abundance of Akkermansia, uncultured bacterium f Muribaculaceae, Allobaculum, Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group, Rummeliibacillus and Parasutterella. The comparison of potential functions also showed enrichment of glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, transport and catabolism pathways in the vitamin A supplementation groups compared with the CON group. In conclusion, these results indicate that dietary vitamin A supplementation could mediate host growth by improving intestinal development, immunity and the relative abundance of the intestinal microbiota.

Background/Aims: To investigate the effect and molecular mechanism of EGF on the growth and migration of hair follicle outer root sheath (ORS) cells. Methods: Intact anagen hair follicles were isolated from mink skin and cultured with EGF in vitro to measure ORS daily growth. Meanwhile, purified primary ORS cells were treated or transfected with EGF, and their proliferation and migration were assessed by MTT assay and transwell assay, respectively. The signaling pathway downstream of EGF was characterized by using the Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitor, XAV-939. Results: EGF of 2-20 ng/ml, not higher or lower, promoted the growth of follicular ORS in vitro. EGF treatment or overexpression promoted the proliferation and migration of ORS cells. Moreover, EGF stimulation induced nuclear translocation of β-catenin, and upregulated the expression of Wnt10b, β-catenin, EGF receptor and SOX9. Inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by XAV-939 significantly reduced the basal and EGF-enhanced proliferation and migration of ORS cells. In addition, a number of follicle-regulatory genes, such as Survivin, Msx2 and SGK3, were upregulated by EGF in the ORS cells, which was also inhibited by XAV-939. Conclusion: EGF promotes the proliferation and migration of ORS cells and modulates the expression of several follicle-regulatory genes via Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Background: Hair follicles play an essential role in the growth of hair. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a catechin polyphenol in green tea, has various bioactivities. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of EGCG on the growth of mink hair follicles and investigate the possible molecular mechanisms.Methods: The length of hair follicles was recorded up to 6 days in presence of 0.1–5 μM EGCG. Primary dermal papilla cells (DPCs) and outer root sheath cells (ORSCs) were treated with 0.25–4 μM EGCG, and their growth was evaluated by MTT assay and cell cycle detection. The levels of key molecules in sonic hedgehog (Shh) and protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathways were further assessed by quantitative real-time PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence. To determine the involvement of Shh and AKT pathways in EGCG-mediated growth-promotion of ORSCs and DPCs, Shh pathway inhibitors cyclopamine and GANT61 or AKT pathway inhibitor LY294002 were employed, and then cell proliferation and cell cycle were analyzed.Results: Data from ex vivo culture showed that, in presence of 0.5–2.5 μM EGCG, the growth of mink hair follicles was promoted. In vitro, the proliferation of DPCs and ORSCs was enhanced by 0.5–4 μM EGCG treatment. More cells entered S phase upon treatment of EGCG, accompanied with upregulation of cyclin D1 and cyclin E1. Furthermore, when exposed to EGCG, the Shh and AKT signaling pathways were activated in both hair follicles and primary DPCs and ORSCs. Inhibiting either of these two pathways partly reversed the effect of EGCG on proliferation and cell cycle of DPCs and ORSCs.Conclusion: EGCG promotes the growth of mink hair follicles at concentrations of 0.5–2.5 μM. This growth-promoting effect of EGCG may be associated with the increased proliferation of DPCs and ORSCs through activating Shh and AKT signaling pathways.

The dense and diverse community of microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract of ruminant animals plays critical roles in the metabolism and absorption of nutrients, and gut associated immune function. Understanding microbial colonization in the small intestine of new born ruminants is a vital first step toward manipulating gut function through interventions during early life to produce long-term positive effects on host productivity and health. Yet the knowledge of microbiota colonization and its induced metabolites of small intestine during early life is still limited. In the present study, we examined the microbiota and metabolome in the jejunum and ileum of neonatal sika deer (Cervus nippon) from birth to weaning at days 1, 42, and 70. The microbial data showed that diversity and richness were increased with age, but a highly individual variation was observed at day 1. Principal coordinate analysis revealed significant differences in microbial community composition across three time points in the jejunum and ileum. The abundance of Halomonas spp., Lactobacillus spp., Escherichia–Shigella, and Bacteroides spp. tended to be decreased, while the proportion of Intestinibacter spp., Cellulosilyticum spp., Turicibacter spp., Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Romboutsia spp. was significantly increased with age. For metabolome, metabolites separated from each other across the three time points in both jejunum and ileum. Moreover, the amounts of methionine, threonine, and putrescine were increased, while the amounts of myristic acid and pentadecanoic acid were decreased with age, respectively. The present study demonstrated that microbiota colonization and the metabolome becomes more developed in the small intestine with age. This may shed new light on the microbiota-metabolome-immune interaction during development.

The article presents a study on a robust catalog of giraffe-specific mutations identified by generating a high-quality chromosome-level giraffe genome. These mutations are related to bone growth, vision, hearing, cardiovascular and circadian functions. It discusses the resistance of the giraffe-type FGFRL1 gene to hypertension, the skeletal and cardiovascular characteristics of the FGFRL1 gene, and the implications of the study for research on hypertension in humans.