Search

Abstract: The chicken major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays an important role in the immune response, disease resistance, productivity, and other important economic traits of the chicken. Therefore, a description of the polymorphisms of this region is crucial for understanding the genetic pattern of the MHC. The tandem repeat LEI0258 is located within the B region of the chicken MHC and is surprisingly strongly associated with serology. This marker has been used worldwide to provide a picture of the core area of the chicken MHC-B region and to categorize chicken MHC haplotypes. Thus, insight into the evolutionary pattern of LEI0258 may be useful for understanding MHC diversity. In the current study, 30 alleles of LEI0258 from 12 populations were screened and sequenced, and alleles that have previously been published in GenBank were also analyzed. The resulting 124 alleles were classified into four clusters according to the SNPs and indels found within the sequences flanking the repeats. Furthermore, a recombination region was identified between −30 and +43 that suggests that recombination may have played a role in the evolution of this MHC. Finally, strong evidence regarding the selection and evolutionary dynamics of the LEI0258 region is presented. Generally speaking, microsatellite is a classic anonymous marker which changes by genetic drift rather than by direct selection. Although, the genotypes of LEI0258 in MHC-B correlate with serology, its mechanism of inheritance and evolution was unclear. This study not only establishes a framework of further diversity or association studies in LEI0258, but also unraveling the reason what driving force and formulate the evolutionary dynamics of this region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Kisspeptin, encoded by the KISS1 gene, and its receptor GPR54 are essential in puberty onset and male fertility due to their central regulatory roles. However, the roles of KISS1 /GPR54 in peripheral tissues remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the temporal expression patterns of KISS1 / GPR54 in goat testes and epididymides and its spatial expression patterns in pubertal goats. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that kisspeptin/GPR54 were localized in Leydig, Sertoli, and germ cells of pubertal goats' testis, as well as in principal and basal cells of the epididymis. RT-PCR revealed a marked variation in the KISS1 / GPR54 expressions in the testes and epididymides from the age of first week to adulthood. KISS1 and GPR5 4 mRNA levels in testes decreased from the age of first week to two months and then increased from two months to puberty and adulthood. The KISS1 and GPR5 4 mRNA levels in Leydig cells decreased from the age of one week to two months and increased from two months to puberty, and then decreased from puberty to adulthood. Only GPR5 4 mRNA levels in the epididymides increased from the age of one week to two months and puberty, and then decreased from puberty to adulthood. RT-PCR analysis showed the different spatial expression patterns of KISS1 / GPR54 in pubertal goat tissues. The KISS1 mRNA level was high in the hypothalamus, moderate in pancreas, liver, epididymis and testis; and low in the other tissues. The GPR54 expression was high in the pancreas and testis; moderate in pituitary, hypothalamus and mesenteric lymph node; and low in the other tissues. In conclusion, the KISS1 / GPR54 system possessed distinct temporal expression profiles in goats' testes and epididymides, as well as different spatial expression patterns in pubertal goat tissues, which implied the possible local role of this system in goats' testes, epididymides, and other peripheral tissues. • Kisspeptin was immunolocalized in goats' Leydig, Sertoli cells and round spermatids. • GPR54 protein was immunolocalized in primary spermatocytes, Sertoli and Leydig cells. • Kisspeptin/GPR54 was localized in the goats' principal and basal epididymal cells. • Variations in expressions of KISS1 / GPR5 4 mRNAs in goats' testes and epididymis during developmental stages. • Variations in expressions of KISS1 / GPR5 4 mRNAs in different tissues of pubertal goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We constructed novel KISS1-54 and -10 DNA vaccines with fused tPA signal peptide. • KISS1-54 DNA vaccine could induce stronger humoral response than that KISS1-10 vaccine. • KISS1-54 DNA vaccine could suppress reproductive hormone secretion more effectively than KISS1-10 DNA vaccine. • KISS1-54 DNA vaccine could inhibit fertility more effectively than KISS1-10 DNA vaccine. Abstract Background Most studies on immunocastration currently focused on male animals. However, immunization of male animals does not completely inhibit sexual behavior and fertility. This study aimed to compare the immunocastration effect of KISS1 DNA vaccines encoding different lengths of kisspeptins in female rats for effective castration effects on both male and female rats. Methods Fifteen female rats were randomly divided into three groups. The rats in T1 group or T2 group was orally given respectively KISS1-54 or KISS1-10 DNA vaccines with fused tPA signal peptide, and the control group (Group C) was orally administered with empty vector vaccine, at a dose of 5 × 109 CFU/rat at weeks 0, 3 and 6 of the study. Blood samples were collected by retroorbital bleeding before primary immunization and at weeks 3 and 9 after primary immunization. Results Both KISS1-54 and KISS1-10 DNA vaccines induced the body's humoral immune response, and the anti-kisspeptin antibody titres in the T1 group were significantly higher than that in T2 and C groups (p < 0.05). The rats in T1 group has lower serum kisspeptin and estradiol levels than those in T2 and C groups and smaller litter size of rats than those in the control group after mating (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed between T2 and C groups. The levels of KISS1 and GPR54 mRNA in the hypothalamus and ovaries of the T1 group were significantly lower than that in control group. However, the levels of KISS1 mRNA in the T2 group were significantly lower than that in the control group only in ovaries (p < 0.05). Conclusion The oral KISS1-54 DNA vaccine with fused tPA signal peptide was more effective than that KISS1-10 DNA vaccine in suppressing fertility of female rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have successfully identified hundreds of genetic variants associated with economically important production traits in beef cattle. Environmental factors, such as farm, year, and season, have been included in GWASs to represent systematic effects that can mask environmentally specific genetic effects. Genome-wide gene × environment interaction (GWEI) studies have emerged in recent years, although few have been conducted for livestock because of the considerable associated challenges. Because of the popularity of meta-analyses in GWASs, these analyses have also been applied to detect genotype by environment (G × E) interactions. In this study, we use a meta-analytic approach based on a mixed model to combine five years, which were defined as multiple environments, to identify novel genes involved in G × E interactions for carcass weight (CW) and bone weight (BW) in Chinese Simmental beef cattle. We found two and five novel candidate genes for CW trait and BW trait, respectively. These genes were RIMS2, PRKAR2B, GPR133, AKAP1, PCDH10 , and AADAT , with PRKAR2B overlapping for the two carcass traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Kisspeptin/GPR54 was expressed in Leydig, Sertoli and germ cells of goat testes. • Kisspeptin plays a direct regulation role on testosterone secretion in Leydig cells. • Kisspeptin can directly stimulate Kiss1 / GPR54 mRNA expression in Leydig cells. • Kisspeptins play an autocrine role in goat Leydig cells. Kisspeptin, encoded by the Kiss1 gene, and its receptor GPR54 have a central regulatory role in the male reproduction. However, their functions in peripheral tissues, such as testes, remain unclear. This study investigated the local expressions and function of Kiss1 / GPR54 in goats' testes. The mRNA expression of Kiss1 / GPR54 in pubertal goat Leydig cells was detected through reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), and its protein expression in Leydig cells or the testis was examined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Isolated and cultured Leydig cells were treated with different concentration of kisspeptin (0, 1, 10 and 100 μM) and kisspeptin antagonist for 4, 24 or 72 h. The direct effect of kisspeptin on testosterone secretion and Kiss1 / GPR54 mRNA expression was evaluated by ELISA and RT-PCR. Kiss1 / GPR54 mRNA and protein were expressed in Leydig cells and spermatids, and GPR54 were expressed in Sertoli cells. Kisspeptin treatment significantly stimulated testosterone secretion in Leydig cells, with the highest levels found under 24 h of treatment with 10 μM kisspeptin. Treatment with kisspeptin + kisspeptin antagonist significantly reduced the kisspeptin-stimulated testosterone secretion in Leydig cells. Kisspeptin treatment significantly enhanced the expression of Kiss1 / GPR54 mRNA in Leydig cells. These data suggest the local expressions of Kiss1 / GPR54 in goats' testes and its autocrine role in Leydig cells, which is helpful in understanding the regulation role of kisspeptin/GPR54 system in other peripheral tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]