Ochratoxin A, which is produced by some filamentous fungi, severely impacts human and animal health by contaminating several types of food and feed. Our study contributes to the identification of the function of A. faecalis 0D-1, which is capable of producing hydrolytic enzyme(s) to biodegrade ochratoxin A into nontoxic ochratoxin α, to minimize the risk associated with ochratoxin A exposure.
Myostatin is a negative regulator of muscle growth and development in mammals, and variation in ovine myostatin gene (MSTN) has been demonstrated to be associated with variation in the muscularity of sheep. Polymerase chain reaction-single-stranded conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) was used to look for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a 304-bp amplicon from the promoter region of ovine MSTN. Sequence analyses revealed two previously identified SNPs (c.-2449G/C and c. -2379T/C) that resulted in three haplotypes (H1 (c.[-2449G; -2379C]), H2 (c.[-2449C; -2379C]) and H3 (c.[-2449G; -2379T]). The effect of these SNPs on growth and carcass traits was investigated in 357 NZ Romney lambs. General linear mixed-effect models revealed that sheep with the genotype c.-2449GC had a higher loin meat yield (p = 0.032) and proportion loin yield (p = 0.028), than those with the genotype c.-2449GG. The genotype c.-2379CC was associated with an increase in three weight traits: birthweight (p = 0.003), tailing weight (p = 0.009) and weaning weight (p = 0.028), when compared with the genotype c.-2379TC, but it was not found to have an association with growth rate. This suggests that c.-2379T/C has an effect that originates at, or before birth. Haplotype H3 was associated with a decrease in birthweight (p = 0.002), tailing weight (p = 0.003) and weaning weight (p = 0.011). Haplotype H2 was associated with increased loin yield (p = 0.012) and proportion loin yield (p = 0.002). The SNPs may have value as genetic markers for improved Romney breeding.
Keratin-associated proteins (KAPs) are constituents of wool and hair fibres and are believed to play an important role in determining the characteristics of the fibres. In the current study, a polymerase chain reaction-single stranded conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) approach was used to screen for variation in the ovine KAP15-1 gene (KRTAP15-1). Four PCR-SSCP banding patterns, representing four different variants (named A to D), were detected. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms were found within the coding region and three of these were non-synonymous. The effect of this genetic variation on wool traits was investigated in 396 Merino × Southdown-cross sheep. Of the three variants found in these sheep (A, B and C), the presence of B was found to be associated with decreased wool yield, while C was associated with increased wool yield and decreased fibre diameter standard deviation. Sheep of genotype AC had a higher wool yield than those of genotype AA or AB.
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