Fatigue and contraction of slow and fast muscles in hypokinetic/hypodynamic rats

This investigation examined the effects of hypokinesia/hypodynamia (H/H) on fatigability and contractile properties of rat soleus (S) and gastrocnemius (G) muscles. Whole-body suspension for 1 wk was used to eliminate hindlimb load-bearing functions and simultaneously permit voluntary isotonic contractions. Train stimulations (45/min, 16 min) resulted in significantly (P less than 0.05) faster rates of fatigue to lower asymptotes in G from H/H rats. Fatigue in the S was minimal at this stimulation frequency and differences between H/H and control animals were not significant. Contractile properties (twitch and tetanic) were measured before and after train stimulations. H/H suspension resulted in an increased twitch tension in G. However, H/H did not change train or tetanic tensions per gram or other G contractile properties. Peak twitch, train, and tetanic tensions, time to peak tension, one-half relaxation time, and twitch and tetanic peak rates of tension development and decline were unchanged by H/H in S muscles. These results indicate that 1 wk of H/H-induced muscle atrophy significantly increases fatigability in G but does not effect contractile properties of fast-twitch (G) or slow-twitch (S) muscles.     

Reduced porcine islet isolation yield in the presence of hyperemic islets

When studying histological characteristics of porcine pancreata in relation to islet isolation, a remarkably high number of hyperemic islets (HIs) was encountered. The abnormalities observed in these HIs ranged from a single dilated vessel to hemorrhages extending into the surrounding exocrine tissue. The aim of the present study was to compare pancreata with and without HI on islet isolation outcomes. This study involved a histological examination of 143 purebred (74 juvenile and 69 adult) and 47 crossbred (only juvenile) porcine pancreata. Islet isolation was performed in 48 purebred adult pigs and in 25 crossbred pigs. Tissue samples were stained with Aldehyde Fuchsine. The presence of HIs was scored semi-quantitatively (HI-, HI+). We observed HIs in 48% of the purebred and in 68% of the crossbred pigs. However, only 3.3±3.1% and 3.1±4.7% of all assessed islets was hyperemic in HI+ pancreata in purebred and crossbred pigs, respectively. In both groups, significantly higher endocrine cell mass was found in the HI+ pancreata (p<0.01). When the higher endocrine cell mass was taken into account, we found significantly lower yields in the HI+ pancreata in both purebred and crossbred pigs (p=0.03 in both groups). The presence of HIs occurs frequently in porcine donor-pancreata and is associated with reduced isolation outcomes.     

Imputation of genotypes in Danish purebred and two-way crossbred pigs using low-density panels

Background

Genotype imputation is commonly used as an initial step in genomic selection since the accuracy of genomic selection does not decline if accurately imputed genotypes are used instead of actual genotypes but for a lower cost. Performance of imputation has rarely been investigated in crossbred animals and, in particular, in pigs. The extent and pattern of linkage disequilibrium differ in crossbred versus purebred animals, which may impact the performance of imputation. In this study, first we compared different scenarios of imputation from 5 K to 8 K single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genotyped Danish Landrace and Yorkshire and crossbred Landrace-Yorkshire datasets and, second, we compared imputation from 8 K to 60 K SNPs in genotyped purebred and simulated crossbred datasets. All imputations were done using software Beagle version 3.3.2. Then, we investigated the reasons that could explain the differences observed.

Results

Genotype imputation performs as well in crossbred animals as in purebred animals when both parental breeds are included in the reference population. When the size of the reference population is very large, it is not necessary to use a reference population that combines the two breeds to impute the genotypes of purebred animals because a within-breed reference population can provide a very high level of imputation accuracy (correct rate ≥ 0.99, correlation ≥ 0.95). However, to ensure that similar imputation accuracies are obtained for crossbred animals, a reference population that combines both parental purebred animals is required. Imputation accuracies are higher when a larger proportion of haplotypes are shared between the reference population and the validation (imputed) populations.

Conclusions

The results from both real data and pedigree-based simulated data demonstrate that genotype imputation from low-density panels to medium-density panels is highly accurate in both purebred and crossbred pigs. In crossbred pigs, combining the parental purebred animals in the reference population is necessary to obtain high imputation accuracy.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12711-015-0134-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Effects of modulators of sarcoplasmic Ca2+ release on the development of skeletal muscle fatigue.

The reduced release of Ca2+ from sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) is considered a major determinant of muscle fatigue. In the present study, we investigated whether the presence of dantrolene, an established inhibitor of SR Ca2+ release, or caffeine, a drug facilitating SR Ca2+ release, modifies muscle fatigue development. Accordingly, the effects of Ca2+ release modulators were analyzed in vitro in mouse fast-twitch [extensor digitorum longus (EDL)] and slow-twitch (soleus) muscles, fatigued by repeated short tetani (40 Hz for 300 ms, 0.5 s(-1) in soleus and 60 Hz for 300 ms, 0.3 s(-1) in EDL, for 6 min). Caffeine produced a substantial increase of tetanic tension of both EDL and soleus muscles, whereas dantrolene decreased tetanic tension only in EDL muscle. In both EDL and soleus muscles, 5 microM dantrolene did not affect fatigue development, whereas 20 microM dantrolene produced a positive staircase during the first 3 min of stimulation in EDL muscle and a slowing of fatigue development in soleus muscle. The development of the positive staircase was abolished by the addition of 15 microM ML-7, a selective inhibitor of myosin light chain kinase. On the other hand, caffeine caused a larger and faster loss of tension in both EDL and soleus muscles. The results seem to indicate that the changes in fatigue profile induced by caffeine or dantrolene are mainly due to the changes in the initial tetanic tension caused by the drugs, with the resulting changes in the level of contraction-dependent factors of fatigue, rather than to changes in the SR Ca2+ release during fatigue development.     

An exploratory study of behavioural differences between young pigs susceptible and non-susceptible to stress syndrome

The behaviour of eight stress-susceptible and eight normal juvenile pigs was compared by visual observation to test the possibility for pre-determining, to some degree, the stress susceptibility on behavioural grounds. Data were analysed according to observation time and the physiological status of each animal. During the feeding period (08.00–10.00 h), the general level of activity of all the pigs was higher, as expected; 13 of 20 behaviours were more frequent.From 08.00 to 10.00 h, stress-susceptible animals drank more often and investigated the environment and their peers by naso-ear and naso-anal contacts more frequently than normal animals, while they were seen lying less often. However, frequency of all behaviours was similar from 10.00 to 12.00 h. It is suggested that behavioural recognition of stress-susceptible swine could be a simple, reliable and non-stressful method, although it still remains complementary to physiological detection.     

Effects of taurine depletion on intrinsic contractility of rat ventricular papillary muscles

Contractile parameters in Krebs-Henseleit media containing various calcium concentrations were compared in left ventricular papillary muscles of two groups of rats: control and taurine depleted. All tests were carried out with the muscles at initial length, Lmax, the length that produced maximal active tension. From measurements of after- and un-loaded contractions, the velocity-tension curves and the derived maximum velocity of shortening were not different between the groups. Time to peak shortening and extent of shortening were not altered, while relaxation times and contraction duration were significantly prolonged for taurine-depleted muscles. Peak isometric tension and its rate of development were significantly reduced in taurine-depleted muscles compared with controls. Postrest (3 min) stimuli and paired stimuli (200-ms interval) evoked similar potentiated contractile responses in both groups, such that the ratio of their peak tensions remained unchanged. For taurine-depleted muscles the force-frequency relationship (a negative staircase) was parallel to, but lower than, control. These experiments suggest that taurine deficiency leads to reductions in action potential triggered calcium release from internal stores, and deficits in calcium sequestration. This may result from disfacilitation of calcium binding to the sarcoplasmic reticulum and other storage sites during taurine deficiency.     

The effect of muscle fatigue on the isometric contractile characteristics of skeletal muscle in the cat

The rise time of an isometric twitch, the tetanic tension, the twitch tetanus ratio, the frequency-tension relationship, and the height of the MUAP (motor unit action potential) were measured in fast twitch (medial gastrocnemius) and slow twitch (soleus) muscles of the cat immediately before, in the middle, and immediately after fatiguing isometric contractions at tensions of 30, 50 and 80% of each muscle's initial strength (tetanic tension recorded from the unfatigued muscle). Although the twitch-tetanus ratio was always less for the soleus than for the medial gastrocnemius muscles, the twitch-tetanus ratio for any one muscle was constant throughout the duration of fatiguing isometric contractions at any of the tensions examined. In contrast, the twitch tension and tetanic tension of the muscles were both less after the contractions, the largest reduction occurring for both muscles during contractions sustained at the lowest isometric tensions. The time to peak tension of an isometric twitch was prolonged for both muscles following the contractions. This was associated with a corresponding shift in the frequency tension relationship such that at the point of muscular fatigue, the muscles tetanized at lower frequencies of stimulation than did the unfatigued muscle. In contrast, the amplitude of the MUAP showed only a modest reduction throughout the duration of the fatiguing contractions.     

Comparing genomic prediction accuracy from purebred,crossbred and combined purebred and crossbred reference populations in sheep

Background

The accuracy of genomic prediction depends largely on the number of animals with phenotypes and genotypes. In some industries, such as sheep and beef cattle, data are often available from a mixture of breeds, multiple strains within a breed or from crossbred animals. The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy of genomic prediction for several economically important traits in sheep when using data from purebreds, crossbreds or a combination of those in a reference population.

Methods

The reference populations were purebred Merinos, crossbreds of Border Leicester (BL), Poll Dorset (PD) or White Suffolk (WS) with Merinos and combinations of purebred and crossbred animals. Genomic breeding values (GBV) were calculated based on genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP), using a genomic relationship matrix calculated based on 48 599 Ovine SNP (single nucleotide polymorphisms) genotypes. The accuracy of GBV was assessed in a group of purebred industry sires based on the correlation coefficient between GBV and accurate estimated breeding values based on progeny records.

Results

The accuracy of GBV for Merino sires increased with a larger purebred Merino reference population, but decreased when a large purebred Merino reference population was augmented with records from crossbred animals. The GBV accuracy for BL, PD and WS breeds based on crossbred data was the same or tended to decrease when more purebred Merinos were added to the crossbred reference population. The prediction accuracy for a particular breed was close to zero when the reference population did not contain any haplotypes of the target breed, except for some low accuracies that were obtained when predicting PD from WS and vice versa.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that crossbred animals can be used for genomic prediction of purebred animals using 50 k SNP marker density and GBLUP, but crossbred data provided lower accuracy than purebred data. Including data from distant breeds in a reference population had a neutral to slightly negative effect on the accuracy of genomic prediction. Accounting for differences in marker allele frequencies between breeds had only a small effect on the accuracy of genomic prediction from crossbred or combined crossbred and purebred reference populations.     

Pharmacological blockade of sarcoplasmic reticulum induces a negative lusitropic effect

The relaxation and the inter-beat mechanical tension are termed lusitropic functions. It is generally assumed that they are primarily determined by Ca(2+) homeostasis of cardiac cell and by interactions of Ca(2+) with the contractile machinery. In the present study we studied the effects of various pharmacological interventions on the excitation-contraction coupling in right ventricular papillary muscles of adult rabbits at various stimulation rates. The maximal force of isometric contraction (MG, a.u.), the time to peak of isometric contraction (TTP, ms), the maximal speed of relaxation (dF/dt(relax)), the diastolic tension (DT, a.u.) and the total tension (MG+DT, a.u.) were measured. To affect excitation-contraction coupling, caffeine (5 mmol x l(-1)), ryanodine (1 micromol x l(-1)) and dantrolene sodium (50 micromol x l(-1)) were used. Whereas caffeine and ryanodine elicited a pronounced negative lusitropic effect, the effect of dantrolene was less dramatic with preserved frequency dependence. The results indicate that the key element for affecting the lusitropic functions is the ryanodine receptor of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The lusitropic effects of dantrolene, that affects cardiac excitation-contraction coupling but only minimally the ryanodine receptors of SR, were considerably less pronounced. The findings agree with the assumption that the lusitropic disturbances are closely related to the defects of SR ryanodine receptors of cardiac myocytes.     

Sarcomere shortening in pressure overload hypertrophy

Sarcomere shortening during contraction was measured by using laser diffraction, in thin, rabbit right ventricular (RV) trabeculae from normal hearts (N) (n = 5) and from hearts subjected to RV pressure overload by pulmonary banding (H) (n = 5). Banding resulted in substantial RV hypertrophy after 2 wk. Hypertrophied preparations had the same resting muscle length (H = 3.15 +/- 0.29 mm) and resting sarcomere lengths (H = 2.16 +/- 0.005 micron) as the normal preparations (3.10 +/- 0.37 mm, 2.16 +/- 0.008 micron, respectively). Total tension at the peak of isometric twitches was the same as normal in the hypertrophied muscles (N = 8.06 +/- 1.20, H = 8.51 +/- 1.95 g/mm2). However, the amount of auxotonic sarcomere shortening was much less than normal in the hypertrophied preparations (N = 0.39 +/- 0.028, H = 0.19 +/- 0.034 micron; P less than 0.001). In isotonic contractions in which the ratio of muscle shortening to resting muscle length was the same in both the normal and hypertrophied muscles (ratio of 0.05 in both groups), the extent of sarcomere shortening relative to resting sarcomere length was less in the hypertrophied muscles than in the normal preparations (N = 0.14 +/- 0.01), H = 0.07 +/- 0.01; P less than 0.01). Series elasticity was the same as normal in the hypertrophied muscle P less than 0.05). Less auxotonic sarcomere shortening for a given level of isometric tension development and less isotonic sarcomere shortening per unit muscle shortening indicate that there is less than normal work per sarcomere during contraction in hypertrophied myocardium. These findings may have important implications for intracellular compensatory adaptation in pressure overload cardiac hypertrophy.     

The peripheral nerve allograft in the primate immunosuppressed with Cyclosporin A: II. Functional evaluation of reinnervated muscle.

Isometric contractile function was evaluated in primates receiving peripheral nerve allografts and autografts. Twelve adult male cynomolgus monkeys received both sural nerve allografts and autografts to the ulnar nerve in opposite forearms. Half the animals received Cyclosporin A (CsA) immunosuppression (25 mg/kg per day); the remaining animals received placebo. One year following nerve engraftment, isometric contractile muscle function was evaluated in reinnervated abductor digiti quinti and intact abductor pollicis brevis muscles. Maximal twitch tension (Pt), tetanic tension (P(o)), time to peak tension (tpt), rate of rise of twitch tension (DP/dt), and muscle fatigue were evaluated at optimal muscle length (L(o)). All reinnervated muscles distal to nerve autografts and allografts in both Cyclosporin A-immunosuppressed and placebo-treated animals generated equivalent maximal twitch tension, tetanic tension, and time to peak tension, with no significant difference between groups (p > 0.05 by ANOVA). There was a tendency toward increased muscle fatiguability in Cyclosporin A-treated animals (p > 0.05). However, the rate of rise of twitch tension was significantly faster in the reinnervated and intact muscles of Cyclosporin A-treated primates (p < 0.05). Evidence of excellent functional reinnervation across nerve allografts and autografts similar to that seen in histologic and electrophysiologic studies was noted. Cyclosporin A immunosuppression did not significantly enhance recovery of muscle function distal to nerve allografts in this model.     

Depolarization-contraction coupling in short frog muscle fibers. A voltage clamp study

Short muscle fibers (1.5 mm) were dissected from hindlimb muscles of frogs and voltage clamped with two microelectrodes to study phenomena related to depolarization-contraction coupling. Isometric myograms obtained in response to depolarizing pulses of durations between 10 and 500 ms and amplitudes up to 140 mV had the following properties. For suprathreshold pulses of fixed duration (in the range of 20-100 ms), the peak tension achieved, the time to peak tension, and contraction duration increased as the internal potential was made progressively more positive. Peak tension eventually saturates with increasing internal potentials. For pulse durations of greater than or equal to 50 ms, the rate of tension development becomes constant for increasing internal potentials when peak tensions become greater than one-third of the maximum tension possible. Both threshold and maximum steepness of the relation between internal potential and peak tension depend on pulse duration. The relation between the tension-time integral and the stimulus amplitude-duration product was examined. The utility of this relation for excitation-contraction studies is based on the observation that once a depolarizing pulse configuration has elicited maximum tension, further increases in either stimulus duration or amplitude only prolong the contractile response, while the major portion of the relaxation phase after the end of a pulse is exponential, with a time constant that is not significantly affected by either the amplitude or the duration of the pulse. Hence, the area under the tension-response curve provides a measure of the availability to troponin of the calcium released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum in response to membrane depolarization. The results from this work complement those obtained in experiments in which intramembrane charge movements related to contractile activation were studied and those in which intracellular Ca++ transients were measured.     

Genomic evaluation of both purebred and crossbred performances

Background

For a two-breed crossbreeding system, Wei and van der Werf presented a model for genetic evaluation using information from both purebred and crossbred animals. The model provides breeding values for both purebred and crossbred performances. Genomic evaluation incorporates marker genotypes into a genetic evaluation system. Among popular methods are the so-called single-step methods, in which marker genotypes are incorporated into a traditional animal model by using a combined relationship matrix that extends the marker-based relationship matrix to non-genotyped animals. However, a single-step method for genomic evaluation of both purebred and crossbred performances has not been developed yet.

Results

An extension of the Wei and van der Werf model that incorporates genomic information is presented. The extension consists of four steps: (1) the Wei van der Werf model is reformulated using two partial relationship matrices for the two breeds; (2) marker-based partial relationship matrices are constructed; (3) marker-based partial relationship matrices are adjusted to be compatible to pedigree-based partial relationship matrices and (4) combined partial relationship matrices are constructed using information from both pedigree and marker genotypes. The extension of the Wei van der Werf model can be implemented using software that allows inverse covariance matrices in sparse format as input.

Conclusions

A method for genomic evaluation of both purebred and crossbred performances was developed for a two-breed crossbreeding system. The method allows information from crossbred animals to be incorporated in a coherent manner for such crossbreeding systems.     

Generation of tension by skinned fibers and intact skeletal muscles from desmin-deficient mice

We have investigated the physiological role of desmin in skeletal muscle by measuring isometric tension generated in skinned fibres and intact skeletal muscles from desmin knock-out (DES-KO) mice. About 80% of skinned single extensor digitorum longus (EDL) fibres from adult DES-KO mice generated tensions close to that of wild-type (WT) controls. Weights and maximum tensions of intact EDL but not of soleus (SOL) muscles were lowered in DES-KO mice. Repeated contractions with stretch did not affect subsequent isometric tension in EDL muscles of DES-KO mice. Tension during high frequency fatigue (HFF) declined faster and this deficiency was compensated in DES-KO EDL muscles by 5 mM caffeine which had no influence on HFF in WT EDL. Furthermore, caffeine evoked twitch potentiation was higher in DES-KO than in WT muscles. We conclude that desmin is not essential for acute tensile strength but rather for optimal activation of intact myofibres during E-C coupling.     

Genetic determinism of boar taint and relationship with growth traits,meat quality and lesions

Breeding entire males is an alternative to surgical castration to improve their welfare. However, entire males may have a major quality defect called boar taint. Boar taint is partly due to the presence of androstenone in fat. In this study, we estimated the genetic parameters between androstenone and production traits to evaluate the consequences of selection against boar taint for traits of interest. We focused on growth traits, meat quality, lesions, hormone levels and computerised tomography measurements in purebred Piétrain (P) or Piétrain cross Large White (X) entire males. The number of measured animals varied from 670 P and 734 X for hormones concentrations to 553 P and 645 X for computerised tomography measurements. Skin lesions were measured on live pigs shortly after mixing, at the end of the fattening period, and on carcasses. Heritabilities of traits measured by tomography ranged from low to high: femur density (P: 0.34, X: 0.69), loin eye area (P: 0.53, X: 0.88) and loin eye density (P: 0.12, X: 0.18). The mean number of lesions at each stage was lower in purebred pigs than in crossbreds (entering the fattening stage 4.01 in P and 4.68 in X; before slaughter 3.72 in P and 4.22 in X; on carcass 4.50 in P and 4.96 in X). We also observed a decrease in the average number of lesions between the two stages in live pigs. We found high genetic correlations between stages in purebred pigs (0.74 to 0.76) but low correlations (−0.30 to 0.29) in crossbred pigs. Selection aiming to decrease fat androstenone is feasible (h² = 0.57 in P and h² = 0.71 in X). It would have overall positive effects on meat production and quality traits. Selection aiming to reduce plasma oestradiol would strongly reduce the level of fat androstenone (rg = 0.89 in P and rg = 0.84 in X). Selection against oestradiol is easier and less invasive since it would only require a blood sample rather than a fat biopsy in live animals.     

Population structure and breed composition prediction in a multi-breed sheep population using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism genotypes

Knowledge of population structure and breed composition of a population can be advantageous for a number of reasons; these include designing optimal (cross)breeding strategies in order to maximise non-additive genetic effects, maintaining flockbook integrity by authenticating animals being registered and as a quality control measure in the genotyping process. The objectives of the present study were to 1) describe the population structure of 24 sheep breeds, 2) quantify the breed composition of both flockbook-recorded and crossbred animals using single nucleotide polymorphism BLUP (SNP-BLUP), and 3) quantify the accuracy of breed composition prediction from low-density genotype panels containing between 2000 and 6000 SNPs. In total, 9334 autosomal SNPs on 11 144 flockbook-recorded animals and 1172 crossbred animals were used. The population structure of all breeds was characterised by principal component analysis (PCA) as well as the pairwise breed fixation index (F_st). The total number of animals, all of which were purebred, included in the calibration population for SNP-BLUP was 2579 with the number of animals per breed ranging from 9 to 500. The remaining 9559 flockbook-recorded animals, composite breeds and crossbred animals represented the test population; three breeds were excluded from breed composition prediction. The breed composition predicted using SNP-BLUP with 9334 SNPs was considered the gold standard prediction. The pairwise breed F_st ranged from 0.040 (between the Irish Blackface and Scottish Blackface) to 0.282 (between the Border Leicester and Suffolk). Principal component analysis revealed that the Suffolk from Ireland and the Suffolk from New Zealand formed distinct, non-overlapping clusters. In contrast, the Texel from Ireland and that from New Zealand formed integrated, overlapping clusters. Composite animals such as the Belclare clustered close to its founder breeds (i.e., Finn, Galway, Lleyn and Texel). When all 9334 SNPs were used to predict breed composition, an animal that had a majority breed proportion predicted to be ≥0.90 was defined as purebred for the present study. As the panel density decreased, the predicted breed proportion threshold, used to identify animals as purebred, also decreased (≥0.85 with 6000 SNPs to ≥0.60 with 2000 SNPs). In all, results from the study suggest that breed composition for purebred and crossbred animals can be determined with SNP-BLUP using ≥5000 SNPs.     

Development of rat muscle during short- and long-term hindlimb suspension

Histochemical and contractile properties of developing rat soleus (Sol) and plantaris (P) muscles were studied after hindlimb suspension to determine the effects of reduced activity levels on muscle development. Suspension (S) began at age 18 days and lasted for 14, 28, and 206 days, and results were compared with age-matched controls. Body weights were normal until 14 days and Sol growth was inhibited more than P, weighing 38 and 47% of controls at 46 and 224 days compared with 68 and 59% in P. The Sol did not develop into a slow-twitch (ST) muscle as evidenced by faster times to peak tension and half-relaxation times, faster times to develop 50% of maximum tetanic tension (Po) and a mean of 33% fewer ST fibers. Twitch tension and Po were lower in S-Sol and S-P, but force/cross-sectional area was unchanged. Fiber areas were smaller, but no structural changes characteristic of disuse atrophy were found. Fiber type populations were unchanged in P, and contractile properties were only minimally affected, demonstrating the greater importance of activity for ST muscles during development.     

Polymorphism of the pig 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type1 (HSD17B1) gene and its association with reproductive traits

17beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD17B1) is a key enzyme of 17beta-estradiol biosynthesis, which might play an important role in follicular development of the ovary. In this study, we isolated the complete coding sequence of porcine HSD17B1 gene and its unique intron sequences of porcine HSD17B1 gene, identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP: A/C) in intron 4, and developed a PCR-MvaI-RFLP genotyping assay. Association of the SNP and litter size was assessed in two populations (purebred Large White and a experimental synthetic Line (DIV) sows). Statistical analysis demonstrated that, in the first parity, AC animals in experimental synthetic Line (DIV) sows had 0.52 more piglets born compared to the CC animals (P<0.05). In the all parities, pigs with the AA genotype had an additional 1.11 and 0.96 piglets born alive compared to the CC animals (P<0.05) in both experimental synthetic Line (DIV) and purebred Large White, respectively. Experimental synthetic Line (DIV) sows inheriting the AC genotype had additional 0.84 piglets born alive compared to the CC animals (P<0.01) in all parities. In addition, significant additive effect of -0.55+/-0.24 piglets/litter and -0.48+/-0.22 piglets/litter on piglet born alive was detected in both experimental synthetic Line (DIV) sows and purebred Large White lines (P<0.05), respectively. Therefore, HSD17B1 gene was significantly associated with litter size in two populations and could be a useful molecular marker in selection for increasing litter size in pigs.     

An experimental comparison of selection alternatives to plateaued response

Three alternative selection methods for extending selection limits or breaking response plateaus were compared over ten generations in a replicated model experiment using two unrelated populations of Drosophila melanogaster that no longer responded to purebred selection for high egg number, a heterotic polygenic trait. The three methods were: (1) reciprocal recurrent selection (RRS) with selection within each of the plateaued populations based solely on crossbred performance, (2) a modification of reciprocal recurrent selection (MRRS) with selection within each population based on both purebred and crossbred performance, and (3) purebred selection within a new synthetic population formed by crossing the two plateaued populations.--Conflicting estimates were obtained for heritability of purebred egg number in each of the plateaued populations. The realized heritability values and estimates from diallel analyses indicated an absence of additive genetic variation for both populations; however, estimates from conventional intraclass correlation methods were positive. The diallel analyses revealed significant amounts of nonadditive gene effects for purebred egg number in each population, while the significant gene effects for crossbred egg numbers were additive. Estimates of the genetic correlation between purebred and crossbred egg number were negative (-0.85 +/- 0.68 and -0.32 +/- 0.25) for the two base populations.--All three alternatives to continued purebred selection gave significant responses, with the average gain per generation from MRRS being significantly superior to the other two methods. Observed purebred and crossbred responses under RRS were in agreement with quantitative genetic theory. Such was not the case for MRRS, which suggested the possibility of major gene segregation.--Evidence supporting a negative genetic correlation between purebred and crossbred performance and the possibility of overdominance is presented and discussed.     

Contractile properties of expiratory abdominal muscles: effect of elastase-induced emphysema

The present study examined the intrinsic contractile properties and endurance of the transverse abdominis and external oblique abdominal expiratory muscles in adult hamsters and compared their performance with the diaphragm. Experiments were performed in vitro on isolated bundles of muscle stimulated electrically. In control animals peak twitch tension was similar in the two muscles. In contrast, the twitch contraction time and one-half relaxation time of the transverse abdominis were significantly greater than that of the external oblique. The isometric tension generated over a range of stimulus frequencies (i.e., the force-frequency relationship) was a greater percent of the maximum value in response to subtetanizing frequencies (10-40 Hz) in the transverse abdominis than in the external oblique. For both abdominal muscles, however, the tension generated over this range of stimulus frequencies was less than that of the diaphragm. The endurance of the transverse abdominis during repeated contractions was significantly greater than that of the external oblique but similar to the diaphragm. The effect of chronic hyperinflation produced by elastase-induced emphysema on the contractile function of the two muscles was assessed in a second group of adult hamsters. In emphysematous animals peak twitch tension, contraction time, and one-half relaxation time of the twitch and force-frequency curves of muscles from emphysematous animals were similar to values obtained in control animals for both the external oblique and transverse abdominis. However, the endurance of both the transverse abdominis and external oblique muscles was greater in emphysematous than control animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)