Synthetic rubber surface as an alternative to concrete to improve welfare and performance of finishing beef cattle reared on fully slatted flooring

open8noopenBrscic, M.; Ricci, R.; Prevedello, P.; Lonardi, C.; De Nardi, R.; Contiero, B.; Gottardo, F.; Cozzi, G.Brscic, Marta; Ricci, Rebecca; Prevedello, P.; Lonardi, Chiara; DE NARDI, Roberta; Contiero, Barbara; Gottardo, Flaviana; Cozzi, Giuli

Effect of concrete slats, three mat types and out-wintering pads on performance and welfare of finishing beef steers

peer-reviewedBackground The objective was to investigate the effect of placing mats on concrete slatted floors on performance, behaviour, hoof condition, dirt scores, physiological and immunological variables of beef steers, and to compare responses with animals on out-wintering pads. Continental crossbred beef steers [n = 360; mean (±SD) initial live weight 539 kg (42.2)] were blocked by breed and live weight and randomly assigned to one of five treatments; (1) Concrete slats alone, (2) Mat 1 (Natural Rubber structure) (Durapak Rubber Products), (3) Mat 2 (Natural rubber structure) (EasyFix), (4) Mat 3 (modified ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam structure) and (5) Out-wintering pads (OWP’s). Results Animals on the OWPs had a greater (P  0.05) as the other treatments. Animals on the OWPs had reduced lying percentage time compared with all the other treatments. Dry matter (DM) intake was greater for animals on the OWPs compared with all the other treatments. Carcass weight, kill out proportion, carcass fat score, carcass composition score, FCR and physiological responses were similar (P > 0.05) among treatments. No incidence of laminitis was observed among treatments. The number of hoof lesions was greater on all mat types (P < 0.05) compared with concrete slats and OWP treatments. Dirt scores were greater (P < 0.05) for animals on OWPs when measured on days 42, 84, 105, 126 and 150 compared with animals on slats. Conclusions Under the conditions adopted for the present study, there was no evidence to suggest that animals housed on bare concrete slats were disadvantaged in respect of animal welfare compared with animals housed on other floor types. It is concluded that the welfare of steers was not adversely affected by slats compared with different mat types or OWPs

ML3 is a NEDD8- and ubiquitin-modified protein.

NEDD8 is an evolutionarily conserved 8 kD protein that is closely related to ubiquitin and that can be conjugated like ubiquitin to specific lysine residues of target proteins in eukaryotes. In contrast to ubiquitin, for which a broad range of substrate proteins is known, only a very limited number of NEDD8 target proteins have been identified to date. Best understood, and also evolutionarily conserved, is the NEDD8-modification (neddylation) of cullins, core subunits of the cullin-RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligases that promote the poly-ubiquitylation of degradation targets in eukaryotes. Here, we show that ML3 is a NEDD8- as well as ubiquitin-modified protein in Arabidopsis thaliana and examine the functional role of ML3 in the plant cell. Our analysis indicates that ML3 resides in the vacuole as well as in ER bodies. ER bodies are Brassicales-specific ER-derived organelles and, similarly to other ER body proteins, ML3 orthologues can only be identified in this order of flowering plants. ML3 gene expression is promoted by wounding as well as by the phytohormone jasmonic acid and repressed by ethylene, signals that are known to induce and repress ER body formation, respectively. Furthermore, ML3 protein abundance is dependent on NAI1, a master regulator of ER body formation in Arabidopsis thaliana. The regulation of ML3 expression and the localization of ML3 in ER bodies and the vacuole is in agreement with a demonstrated importance of ML3 in the defense to herbivore attack. Here, we extent the spectrum of ML3 biological functions by demonstrating a role in response to microbial pathogens

Auxin efflux by PIN-FORMED proteins is activated by two different protein kinases, D6 PROTEIN KINASE and PINOID

International audienceThe development and morphology of vascular plants is critically determined by synthesis and proper distribution of the phytohormone auxin. The directed cell-to-cell distribution of auxin is achieved through a system of auxin influx and efflux transporters. PIN-FORMED (PIN) proteins are proposed auxin efflux transporters, and auxin fluxes can seemingly be predicted based on the—in many cells—asymmetric plasma membrane distribution of PINs. Here, we show in a heterologous Xenopus oocyte system as well as in Arabidopsis thaliana inflorescence stems that PIN-mediated auxin transport is directly activated by D6 PROTEIN KINASE (D6PK) and PINOID (PID)/WAG kinases of the Arabidopsis AGCVIII kinase family. At the same time, we reveal that D6PKs and PID have differential phosphosite preferences. Our study suggests that PIN activation by protein kinases is a crucial component of auxin transport control that must be taken into account to understand auxin distribution within the plant