Analysis of functional candidate genes related to ubiquitination process for meat quality in commercial pigs

During the conversion from muscle to meat, the degradation of myofibrillar proteins impacts on the water holding capacity of meat. Besides the calpain/calpastatin proteolytic system, the activity of ubiquitin proteasome system also causes the degradation of intermediate filament proteins and integrins that leads to an increase of drip loss formation in the muscle cells. The current study sought to evaluate the effects on meat quality of the four functional candidate genes, UBXN1, UBE3B, TRIP12 and ZRANB1, that related to the ubiquitination processes. Nine novel polymorphisms were identified in the transcribed and 3´-UTR regions of these genes. Seven of these novel SNPs were genotyped in a total of about 570 animals derived from the two populations, German Landrace (GL) and the commercial crossbreed of Pietrain × (German Large White × German Landrace) (PiF1). The SNPs of the four candidate genes exhibited strong associations with the indicators of water holding capacity, including muscle conductivity (UBXN1, UBE3B, TRIP12); drip loss (UBXN1, UBE3B), pH values (UBXN1, TRIP12 and ZRANB1) and meat redness (UBE3B). The SNPs of the four candidate genes had also significant association with carcass traits such as loin eye area, loin fat depth and meat to fat ratio. Moreover, the variation of transcript abundances of UBXN1, ZRANB1 and TRIP12 were significantly associated with the respective polymorphisms. At the same time, their transcript abundances were correlated with muscle conductivity, pH and drip loss, respectively. UBE3B transcript abundance was associated with meat redness. The integration of association and expression data imply the existence of causal polymorphisms in the cis-regulatory regions of these candidate genes, which are in incomplete linkage disequilibrium with the detected SNPs, and which primarily affect their transcript abundance and, in consequence, traits related to water holding capacity. Thus the study revealed the consistent triangular relationship among genotype - phenotype - transcript abundance across the four candidate genes. In fact, the detected SNPs were in linkage phase with alleles of causal sites increasing the transcript abundances, and enhancing the purge loss in the case of UBXN1 and UBE3B, whereas decreasing drip loss formation in the case of TRIP12 and ZRANB1 genes. Moreover, interactions observed among these genes of the ubiquitination system and the ryanodine 1 receptor (RYR1) indicate options for further improvement of meat quality, in particular in RYR1 heterozygous animals, by considering genotypes at these loci. The results of this study provide genetic evidences to support UBXN1, UBE3B, TRIP12 and ZRANB1 as the functional candidate genes for water holding capacity of pork.Während der Fleischreifung, wenn Muskelgewebe zu Fleisch wird, so wird die Wasserbindungskapazität des Gewebes durch den Abbau myofibrillärer Proteine beeinflusst. Neben dem Calpain/Calpastatin Proteolysesystem ist die Aktivität des Ubiquitin-Systems für den Abbau von Proteinen der Intermediärfilamente sowie von Integrinen mitverantwortlich. Dies verursacht einen erhöhten Flüssigkeitsverlust der Muskelzellen. Die vorliegende Studie versucht, die Auswirkungen von vier funktionellen Kandidatengenen aus dem Ubiquitinierungsprozess, UBXN1, UBE3B, TRIP12 und ZRANB1, auf die Fleischqualität auszuwerten. Neun neue Polymorphismen wurden in der transskribierten Sequenz sowie im 3’UTR der Gene identifiziert. Sieben dieser neuen SNP wurden in insgesamt etwa 570 Tieren genotypisiert, die aus zwei Populationen stammen, Deutsche Landrasse (GL) und Pietrain × (Deutsches Edelschwein × Deutsche Landrasse) (PiF1). Die SNP der vier Kandidatengene wiesen eine signifikante Assoziation mit Indikatoren der Wasserbindungskapazität auf, nämlich der Muskelleitfähigkeit (UBXN1, UBE3B, TRIP12), dem Flüssigkeitsverlust (Drip) (UBXN1, UBE3B), dem pH-Wert (UBXN1, TRIP12 und ZRANB1) und der Rotfärbung des Fleisches (UBE3B). Die SNP der vier Kandidatengene zeigten zudem signifikante Assoziationen mit Schlachtkörpermerkmalen wie der Kotelettfläche, Lendenfettdicke und dem Fleisch-Fett Verhältnis. Darüber hinaus war die Varianz der Transkriptmenge von UBXN1, ZRANB1 and TRIP12 signifikant mit den jeweiligen Polymorphismen korreliart. Gleichzeitig war die Transkriptmenge mit Muskelleitfähigkeit, pH Wert und Flüssigkeitsverlust assoziiert. Die Transkriptmenge von UBE3B war assoziiert mit der Rotfärbung des Fleisches. Die Zusammenführung von Assoziations- und Expressionsdaten weist auf die Existenz kausaler Mutationen in den cis-regulatorischen Regionen der Kandidatengene hin, welche sich in einem unvollständigen Kopplungsungleichgewicht mit den entdeckten SNP befinden. Diese beeinflussen in erster Linie die Transkriptmenge und, als Konsequenz, Merkmale der Wasserbindungskapazität. Die vorliegende Studie demonstiert die konsistente dreiseitige Beziehung zwischen Phänotyp, Genotyp und Transkriptmenge bei allen vier Kandidatengenen. Tatsächlich befanden sich die detektierten SNP in einer Kopplungsphase mit Allelen kausaler Mutationen, welche die Transkriptmenge erhöhen und im Fall von UBXN1 und UBE3B den Flüssigkeitsverlust erhöhen, wohingegen dieser im Fall von TRIP12 and ZRANB1 verringert wurde. Darüber hinaus weisen Interaktionen zwischen den Genen des Ubiquitin-Systems und dem Ryanodin 1 Rezeptor (RYR1) auf Möglichkeiten der weitergehenden Verbesserung der Fleischqualität hin, besonders in RYR1 heterozygoten Tieren, indem der Genotyp an diesen Loci berücksichtigt wird. Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie unterstützen UBXN1, UBE3B, TRIP12 und ZRANB1 als funktionellen Kandidatengene für die Wasserbindungskapazität von Schweinefleisch

GROUND WATER POLLUTION AT THE NORTHERN PART OF HOCHIMINH CITY

Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Eart

Effect of Molecular Charge Asymmetry on Even-to-odd Ratio of High-order Harmonic Generation

Recently, asymmetric molecules, such as HeH$_2^+$, CO, OCS, HCl, have been evolved much attention since its rich information in the high-order harmonic generation (HHG), whose ratio of adjacent even and odd harmonics characterizes the asymmetry of molecules. In this paper, we study the dependence of even-to-odd ratio on the asymmetric parameters, in particular, the nuclear-charge ratio, and the permanent dipole, by exploiting a simple but general model of asymmetric molecules $Z_1Z_2$ subjected to an intense laser pulse. The HHG is simulated by the numerical method of solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. We find out that this even-to-odd ratio strongly depends on the nuclear-charge ratio. In particular, the even-to-odd ratio reaches its maximum when the nuclear-charge ratio is about from 0.5 to 0.7. Besides, the dependence on the permanent dipole of the even-to-odd ratio has a non-trivial law. To explain, we calculate the analytical ratio of the transition dipole according to the emission of even and odd harmonics, and this ratio is well consistent with the even-to-odd ratio of the HHG

A comparison for donor-acceptor interactions between E(PH3)2 and NHEMe ligands (E = C to Pb) of W(CO)5 complexes using energy decomposition analysis method with natural orbitals for chemical valence theory

Quantum chemical calculations at the BP86/TZ2P+ level of theory are performed for a comparison of density functional theory (DFT) between tetrylones [(CO)5W-{E(PH3)2}] (W5-EP2) and tetrylenes [(CO)5W-{NHEMe}] (W5-NHEMe) when E = C to Pb. The EDA-NOCV results suggest that the W-E bond dissociation energies (BDEs) in tetrylone complexes increase from the lighter to the heavier homologues. The W-E bond dissociation energies (BDEs) trend in W5-EP2 comes from the increase in (CO)5W←E(PH3)2 donation and strong electrostatic attraction, and that the ligands E(PH3)2 (EP2) are strong s-donors and very weak π-donors. The W-E BDEs trend in tetrylene complexes W5-NHEMe is opposite to that of the W5-EP2 complexes which decrease from the lighter to the heavier homologues. The NHEMe ligands are strong s-donors and weak π-acceptors. NOCV pairs were used in a description of the chemical bond between the W(CO)5 fragment and the ligands in the transition-metal complexes and the results indicated that the NOCV pairs lead to very valuable description of the bonding situation of the fragment-ligand bond in complexes. Keywords. Density functional theory; Bond dissociation energies (BDEs); Energy decomposition analysis (EDA); Natural Orbitals for Chemical Valence (NOCV)

Extract and fraction of cashew nut testa ameliorate the hyperglycemic mice induced by Streptozotocin and high-fat diet

Drug strategy is a standard method for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), a non-communicable disease with increasing prevalence, which may cause side effects. Therefore, natural compounds with limited adverse effects have come back into vogue for treating T2D. This study aims to evaluate the effects on rehabilitating hyperglycemic mice of cashew nut testa (husk) extract and fraction known as potential bio-substances for improvement in T2D. First, the hyperglycemic mice were induced with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 weeks and then were injected with streptozotocin (STZ, dozen for injection was 40 mg/kg/week) for 2 weeks. Next, the confirmed hyperglycemic mice were treated with pioglitazone (HG+PG group), total extract (HG+TE group), and saponin-rich fraction (HG+SRF group) for 3 weeks. Then, the evaluation was based on body mass; blood glucose (BG) level; BG tolerance, lipid profile, pancreatic histology and the expression IRS-1 in the pancreas. The results showed that body mass and BG level significantly increased in hyperglycemic mice. After substance treatment, there was no change in body mass in TE and SRF groups. However, BG level of HG+TE group mice significantly decreased compared to hyperglycemic mice and only BG tolerance of HG+SRF group was improved. Besides, HG+TE and HG+SRF groups modulated the triglyceride, HDL and LDL close to those expressed in normal mice. In addition, histological images of the pancreas revealed the restoration in both HG+TE and HG+SRF groups. Simultaneously, the IRS-1 expression in HG+TE group pancreas was restored to its expression in normal mice. These results demonstrate that the TE and SRF of cashew nut testa could ameliorate BG, lipid profile and pancreatic IRS-1 expression and restore the damaged pancreas and islets in hyperglycemic mice