Abstracted/indexed

The α_S2 casein (α_S2-CN) is an important component in milk, but the variation of buffalo CSN1S2 and its corresponding variants are not clear. In this study, 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified in CSN1S2 by DNA sequencing. Based on them, 11 α_S2-CN variants were inferred and named. There are eight amino acid differences between buffalo and cattle in the sequences of α_S2-CN variants. The results provide insights into the variation, characteristics and function of buffalo CSN1S2.

We measured physical meat quality of a slow-growing broiler as an alternative to fast-growing broiler, and we used slatted floor housing and free-range production as alternatives to conventional deep litter. Taking into account genotype × housing system interactions for meat pH and shear force traits, a fast-growing broiler may be more appropriate for fully slated housing and a slow-growing broiler may be more suitable for a free-range housing system.

In this review, we discuss the effects of fructooligosaccharides (FOSs) on digestion, gut microbiota composition, metabolism, intestinal morphology, immunology, and growth performance in pigs. We give an overview of the different effects of FOS considering the chemical structure, the dose and duration of FOS, and differences between sexes. In conclusion, FOS represents a nutritional strategy of interest in pigs to improve the beneficial bacteria of the gut, the immunity, and growth traits.

To speed up the progress of marker-assisted selection (MAS) in cattle breeding, kinesin family member 1A (KIF1A) genes were chosen based on our previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis results. We detected insertion/deletion (InDel) variation in these three candidate genes in 438 individual cattle (Xinjiang Brown cattle and Wagyu × Luxi crossbreed cattle). These findings may aid future analyses of InDel genotypes in cattle breeds and speed up the progress of MAS in cattle breeding.

Testicular transcriptomes were analyzed to characterize the differentially expressed genes between mulard and Pekin ducks, which will help establish gene expression datasets to assist in further determining the mechanisms of genetic sterility in mulard ducks. Paraffin sections were made to compare the developmental differences in testis tissue between the two breeds. A comparative transcriptome sequencing of testis tissues was performed, and the expression of candidate genes was verified.