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Differential lipid metabolic requirements of sexually-mature males and females may influence the regulation of lipid metabolism-associated genes and hence the content of adipose tissue. We measured the expression of eight lipid metabolism-associated genes (fatty acid synthase, FASN; acylglycerol- 3- phosphate O-acyltransferase 9, AGPAT9; peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor γ, PPARγ; lipoprotein lipase, LPL; carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 A, CPT1A; carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 B, CPT1B; acyl-COA dehydrogenase long chain, ACADL; monoglyceride lipase, MGL) in eight tissues (hypothalamus, HYP; liver; heart; pectoralis major muscle, PM; gastrocnemius muscle, GAS; abdominal fat, AF; clavicular fat, CF; subcutaneous fat, SF) of five male and five female white feather chickens using real time PCR at 217 d (when the females were at peak egg production). There were no difference between sexes, nor were there sex by tissue interactions for CPT1A and MGL. In both cases expression was greater for liver than the other tissues. When interactions of sex by tissue were significant, the FASN mRNA abundance in HYP, liver, and PM was greater for females than males. There was no sexual dimorphism for any tissue for PPARγ. Overall values were greater for adipose depots than HYP and liver with muscles intermediate for AGPAT9. LPL mRNA abundance in PM and AF was greater for females than males, with the pattern reversed for heart and SF. CPT1B mRNA abundance in GAS and CF was greater for females than males, with the relationship reversed for liver. ACADL mRNA abundance in HYP, liver, and GAS was greater for females than males, and lower in PM than males. The results demonstrated that expression of lipid metablism-associated genes varies among sexes in mature chickens depending on the gene and the tissue.

Interferon-γ-inducible lysosomal thiol reductase (GILT) plays an important role in the major histocompatibility complex-restricted antigen processing of endocytosed proteins via catalyzing the disulfide bond reduction in the endocytic pathway. Here, the cDNA of Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) GILT (CsGILT) was cloned. It contained an open reading frame of 762 nucleotides encoding a protein of 254 amino acids with an estimated molecular weight of 28.1 kDa. The characteristic structural features, including a signature sequence CQHGX2ECX2NX4C, a CXXC motif, two potential N-glycosylation sites, and eight conserved cysteines were detected in the deduced amino acid sequence of CsGILT. CsGILT was widely expressed in Chinese sturgeon with the highest expression in the spleen, and CsGILT mRNA expression was significantly up-regulated when Chinese sturgeons were challenged with polyinosinic polycytidylic acid or Vibrio anguillarum. The recombinant CsGILT displayed obvious thiol reductase activity demonstrated by catalyzing the reduction of mouse IgG(H+L) by dithiothreitol into heavy chain and light chain. CsGILT also displayed significant antioxidant activity in mouse dentritic cells as indicated by its increasing GSH level and GSH/GSSG ratio, decreasing intracellular reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide levels and lipid peroxidation, as well as enhancing the activities of the antioxidative redox enzymes including catalase and superoxide dismutase. Our results suggested an important role for CsGILT in the immune response in Chinese sturgeon to pathogen invasion possibly via a conserved functional mechanism throughout vertebrate evolution, contributing to our understanding the immune biology and protection of Chinese sturgeon.

This study was to detect the expression of heart fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) and adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP) gene mRNA in different tissues of Rugao and Luyuan chickens at 56 d and 120 d by real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase-chain reaction (FQ-RT-PCR). The primers were designed according to the sequences of H-FABP, A-FABP and GAPDH genes in Gallus gallus, which were used as target genes and internal reference gene, respectively. The levels of H-FABP and A-FABP gene expression were detected by SYBR Green I FQ-RT-PCR. The relative H-FABP and A-FABP gene mRNA expression level was calculated with 2 -ΔCt . Melting curve analysis showed a single peak of three genes. Intramuscular fat (IMF) content in breast muscle and leg muscle of the two chicken breeds at 120 d was higher than at 56 d. IMF content in breast muscle and leg muscle at 56 d and 120 d in Luyuan was significantly higher than in Rugao, however, abdominal fat of Luyuan was significantly lower than that of Rugao. The relative H-FABP gene mRNA expression level in cardiac muscle was the highest in both chicken breeds. The relative H-FABP and A-FABP gene expression of different tissues in Luyuan was higher than in Rugao. H-FABP gene mRNA expression had a negative effect on IMF of leg and breast muscles, and was significantly negatively correlated with IMF content. The relative A-FABP gene mRNA level in abdominal fat was higher than in liver. The A-FABP gene mRNA was not expressed in leg, breast and cardiac muscles. A-FABP gene mRNA expression level was significantly positively correlated with abdominal fat and had a significant effect on abdominal fat but not IMF content.

Increasing evidence indicates that major depressive disorder (MDD) is usually accompanied by altered white matter in the prefrontal cortex, the parietal lobe and the limbic system. As a behavioral abnormity of MDD, rumination has been believed to be a substantial indicator of the mental state of the depressive state. So far, however, no report that we are aware of has evaluated the relationship between white matter alterations and the ruminative state. In this study, we first explored the altered white matter using a tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) method based on diffusion tensor imaging of 19 healthy and 16 depressive subjects. We then investigated correlations between the altered white matter microstructure in the identified altered regions and the severity of ruminations measured by the ruminative response scale. Our results demonstrated altered white matter microstructure in circuits connecting the prefrontal lobe, the parietal lobe and the limbic system (p