Effects of nutrient media,different cytokinin types and their concentrations on in vitro multiplication of G × N15 (hybrid of almond × peach) vegetative rootstock

The objective of this research was to assess the effects of different media i.e. Murashige and Skoog (MS) and Quoirin and Lepoivre (QL), cytokinin type i.e. 6-Benzyladenin (BA) and 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and cytokinin concentration on in vitro proliferation of the G × N15 rootstock. To evaluate the effects of different media and cytokinin type, two separate experiments were conducted as factorial based on completely randomized design, and single nodes were used as explants. The results showed that MS nutrient medium was found to be superior to QL nutrient medium. Regarding the interaction between media and growth regulators, the best interaction was found in MS medium supplemented with 1 mg l⁻¹ BAP resulting in 8.5 new micro shoots/explant while 7.75 shoots were observed in MS medium containing 1.25 mg l⁻¹ BA. The longest length of new micro-shoots (2.10 cm) was obtained in hormone-free MS medium. Findings of this study showed that there is a significant correlation between the hormone level and plantlet height and formed callus weight so that an increase in BAP and BA levels in both of MS and QL media resulted significantly in height decrease and callus weight increase. The results also suggest that the best and the worst plantlets in terms of quality were observed in hormone-free QL medium and MS medium supplemented with 1.25 mg l⁻¹, respectively. These results reflect the fact that the presence of high amounts of NH₄NO₃ and cytokinin especially BAP in culture medium triggered inhibitory effect on shoot growth.     

Effects of antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles on in vitro establishment of G × N15 (hybrid of almond × peach) rootstock

In the present investigation were evaluated the antifungal and antibacterial activities of Nano-silver (NS). Two separate experiments were done to evaluate the potential of silver nanoparticles in controlling the contamination of G × N15 micro-propagation. In the first experiment, a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with 15 treatments including five different NS concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 ppm) and three soaking time of explants (3, 5 and 7 min) with five replications was conducted. In the other experiment, NS was added to Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with concentrations of 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 ppm in a completely randomized design. Results showed that the application of 100 and 150 ppm NS both as an immersion and as added directly to the culture medium significantly reduces internal and external contaminations compared with the control group. Using NS in culture medium was more efficient to reduce fungal and bacterial contamination than immersion. High concentrations of NS had an adverse effect on the viability of G × N15 single nodes and this effect was more serious in immersed explants in NS than directly added NS ones regarding the viability of buds and plantlet regeneration. In conclusion, due to high contamination of woody plants especially fruit trees and also adverse environmental effects of mercury chloride, the NS solution can be used as a low risk bactericide in micro-propagation of G × N15 and can be an appropriate alternative to mercury chloride in the future.     

Genotype × region and genotype × production level interactions in Holstein cows

The identification of the presence of genotype by environment interaction effects on important traits in Holstein cattle allows for the use of international genetic evaluations and a more efficient design of regional genetic evaluation programmes. The aim of this study was to determine the genotype × environment interaction effects in Chilean Holstein dairy cattle through the analysis of records corresponding to calvings between 1998 and 2015. Herds were classified in the central and southern regions of Chile based on herd location as well as by high and low levels of production environments based on the fat plus protein yield averages per herd within each region. The central region has a Mediterranean climate and a confined production system while the southern region has a humid temperate climate and a production system based on grazing with supplementation. Traits studied were milk yield (MY), fat yield (FY), protein yield (PY), fat content (FC) and protein content (PC) by lactation, age at first calving (AFC) and calving interval (CI). Several four-trait mixed animal models were applied to environmental category data as different traits, which included herd-year-calving season (herd-year-birth season for AFC) and lactation number as fixed effects, and animal additive genetic, sire-herd, permanent environment and residual effects as random effects. Genetic correlations (r_g) for MY, FY, FC, PC and CI were found to decrease as differences between environmental categories increased. The r_g between the most extreme environmental categories considered in this study for AFC (0.26) was the only one found statistically lower than 0.60. Genetic correlation values statistically lower than 0.80 (P < 0.05) were observed for AFC, CI, MY, FY and PY between some environmental categories. If separate genetic evaluations are adopted as practical criteria when the value of r_g is lower than 0.60, the consequence of improving a multi-trait economic breeding objective in this population is likely to be small unless extreme environmental categories are considered. However, a moderate decrease in selection response and re-ranking of selection candidates is expected for AFC, CI and yield traits when selection is performed in different environmental conditions. Genotype × environment interaction effects involving production systems in a Mediterranean climate and confinement vs. Temperate Oceanic climate and grazing with supplementation, and between two fat plus protein yield level categories within each environment, were at most moderate for the studied traits.     

Maternal cigarette smoking, metabolic gene polymorphisms, and preterm delivery: new insights on G×E interactions and pathogenic pathways

Preterm delivery (PTD, <37 weeks of gestation) is a significant clinical and public health problem. Previously, we reported that maternal smoking and metabolic gene polymorphisms of CYP1A1 MspI and GSTT1 synergistically increase the risk of low birth weight. This study investigates the relationship between maternal smoking and metabolic gene polymorphisms of CYP1A1 MspI and GSTT1 with preterm delivery (PTD) as a whole and preterm subgroups. This case–control study included 1,749 multi-ethnic mothers (571 with PTD and 1,178 controls) enrolled at Boston Medical Center. After adjusting covariates, regression analyses were performed to identify individual and joint associations of maternal smoking, two functional variants of CYP1A1 and GSTT1 with PTD. We observed a moderate effect of maternal smoking on PTD (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.1–2.2). We found that compared to non-smoking mothers with low-risk genotypes, there was a significant joint association of maternal smoking, CYP1A1 (Aa/aa) and GSTT1 (absent) genotypes with gestational age (β = −3.37; SE = 0.86; P = 9 × 10⁻⁵) and with PTD (OR = 5.8; 95% CI: 2.0–21.1), respectively. Such joint association was particularly strong in certain preterm subgroups, including spontaneous PTD (OR = 8.3; 95% CI: 2.7–30.6), PTD < 32 weeks (OR = 11.1; 95% CI: 2.9–47.7), and PTD accompanied by histologic chorioamnionitis (OR = 15.6; 95% CI: 4.1–76.7). Similar patterns were observed across ethnic groups. Taken together, maternal smoking significantly increased the risk of PTD among women with high-risk CYP1A1 and GSTT1 genotypes. Such joint associations were strongest among PTD accompanied by histologic chorioamnionitis. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Association of TNF-α and PTPN22 SNPs with the risk and clinical outcome of type 1 diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes mellitus (T1DM) begins with aberrant inflammatory process followed by auto-destruction in genetically susceptible individuals. Therefore, we hypothesized that gain-of-function allelic variants TNF-α-238A, -308A and PTPN22 1858T could be associated not only with T1DM development but also with the clinical outcome in patients of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total of 402 subjects were enrolled in the association study. SNPs were determined by PCR-RFLP. Data was analyzed by GraphPad Prism and Sigma Stat 3.5 software. Genotypes frequencies at TNF-α-238 and -308 loci were not statistically different between patients and controls. In contrast, distribution of genotypes at the 1858 position of PTPN22 was significantly different, due to higher frequency of gain-of-function gene variants in patients than controls. Moreover, long term glucose regulation (based on HbA1c level) was significantly worse in patients with the risk TNF-α-308A allele than in patients with non-risk (G) allele. However, patients with the risk allele of both genes (TNF-α-308A and PTPN22 1858T) had the worst glycemic control, suggesting that those two work synergistically. In conclusion, in a cohort from Bosnia and Herzegovina TNF-α-308A allele is significantly associated with the worse long-term glucose control, but PTPN22 1858T allele is significantly associated with diabetes development.     

Plastome phylogenomics of Allaeanthus,Broussonetia and Malaisia (Dorstenieae,Moraceae) and the origin of B. × kazinoki

Species of Broussonetia have been essential in the development of papermaking technology. In Japan and Korea, a hybrid between B. monoica and B. papyrifera (= B. × kazinoki) known as kōzo and daknamu is still the major source of raw materials for making traditional paper washi and hanji, respectively. Despite their cultural and practical significance, however, the origin and taxonomy of kōzo and daknamu remain controversial. Additionally, the long-held generic concept of Broussonetia s.l., which included Sect. Allaeanthus and Sect. Broussonetia, was challenged as phylogenetic analyses showed Malaisia is sister to the latter section. To re-examine the taxonomic proposition that recognizes Allaeanthus, Broussonetia, and Malaisia (i.e., Broussonetia alliance), plastome and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) sequences of six species of the alliance were assembled. Characterized by the canonical quadripartite structure, genome alignments and contents of the six plastomes (160,121–162,594 bp) are highly conserved, except for the pseudogenization and/or loss of the rpl22 gene. Relationships of the Broussonetia alliance are identical between plastome and nrDNA trees, supporting the maintenance of Malaisia and the resurrection of Allaeanthus. The phylogenomic relationships also indicate that the monoecy in B. monoica is a derived state, possibly resulting from hybridization between the dioecious B. kaempferi (♀) and B. papyrifera (♂). Based on the hypervariable ndhF-rpl32 intergenic spacer selected by sliding window analysis, phylogeographic analysis indicates that B. monoica is the sole maternal parent of B. × kazinoki and that daknamu carries multiple haplotypes, while only one haplotype was detected in kōzo. Because hybridizations between B. monoica and B. papyrifera are unidirectional and have occurred rarely in nature, our data suggest that daknamu might have originated via deliberate hybrid breeding selected for making hanji in Korea. On the contrary, kōzo appears to have a single origin and the possibility of a Korean origin cannot be ruled out.

     

Many weak interactions and few strong; food-web feasibility depends on the combination of the strength of species’ interactions and their correct arrangement

Ecological communities consist of generalists who interact with proportionally many species, and specialists who interact with proportionally few. The strength of these interactions also varies, with communities typically exhibiting a few strong links embedded within many weak links. Historically, it has been argued that generalists should interact more weakly with their partners than specialists and, since weak interactions are thought to increase community stability, that this pattern increases the stability of diverse communities. Here, we studied model-generated predator-prey communities to explicitly investigate the validity of this argument. In feasible communities—those which were both locally stable and all species had positive biomass—we indeed found that species with many predators or prey are affected by them more weakly than species with few. This relationship, however, is only part of the story. While species with many predators (or prey) tend to be only weakly affected by each of them, these many weak interactions are balanced by a few strong interactions with prey (or predators). These few strong interactions are large enough that, when the effect of predator and prey interactions are combined, it seems that species with many interactions actually interact more strongly than species with few interactions. Though past research has tended to focus on either the arrangement of species interactions or the strength of those interactions, we show here that the two are in fact inextricably linked. This observation has implications for both the realistic design of theoretical models, and the conservation of ecological communities, especially those in which the strength and arrangement of species’ interactions are impacted by biodiversity-loss disturbances such as habitat alteration.     

In vitro induction and characterization of hexaploid Pennisetum × advena,an ornamental grass

Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC) - Pennisetum&nbsp;×&nbsp;advena (purple fountain grass) is an ornamental grass with considerable commercial value. In vitro induction of...     

Association analysis of the E-selectin 98G > T polymorphism and the risk of childhood ischemic stroke

Genes related to platelet and arterial endothelial function have been recently considered as independent risk factors for stroke. We aimed to analyze a relationship between the E‐selectin 98G > T polymorphism and stroke in children and to observe the transmission of E‐selectin alleles from heterozygous parents to their affected children. We studied 59 children after stroke, 112 parents, and 87 healthy children. The E‐selectin 98G > T polymorphism was analyzed with the polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) method. The frequency of the 98T allele in patients was almost twofold lower than in controls (5.1% vs. 9.8%, p = 0.145, odds ratios (OR) = 0.49) as well as carriers of the 98T allele (19.5% in controls vs. 8.5% in cases, p = 0.067, OR = 0.38). The G allele of the E‐selectin 98G > T polymorphism was more frequently transmitted to the children after stroke compared to the T allele (68% vs. 32%). In conclusion, we did not confirm the relationship between the 98G > T polymorphism of the E‐selectin gene and childhood ischemic stroke. There is still a need for further studies. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A comparison of host-defense peptides in skin secretions of female Xenopus laevis × Xenopus borealis and X. borealis × X. laevis F1 hybrids

Peptidomic analysis was used to compare the diversity of host-defense peptides in norepinephrine-stimulated skin secretions from laboratory-generated female F1 hybrids of Xenopus laevis and Xenopus borealis (Pipidae). Skin secretions of hybrids with maternal X. laevis (X_LB) contained 12 antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), comprising 8 from X. laevis and 4 from X. borealis. Magainin-B1, XPF-B1, PGLa-B1 CPF-B2, CPF-B3 and CPF-B4 from X. borealis and XPF-1, XPF-2, and CPF-6 from X. laevis were not detected and CPF-1 and CPF-7 were present in low concentration. The secretions contained caerulein and caerulein-B1 derived from both parents but lacked X. laevis xenopsin and X. borealis caerulein-B2. Skin secretions of hybrids with maternal X. borealis (X_BL) contained 14 AMPs comprising 6 from X. borealis and 8 from X. laevis. Magainin-B1, XPF-B1, PGLa-B1, CPF-B2, XPF-1, CPF-5, and CPF-7 were absent and CPF-B3, CPF-B4, CPF-1 and CPF-6 were present only in low concentration. Xenopsin and caerulein were identified in the secretions but caerulein-B2 was absent and caerulein-B1was present in low concentration. No peptides were identified in secretions of either X_LB or X_BL hybrids that were not present in the parental species. The data indicate that hybridization between X. laevis and X. borealis results in increased diversity of host-defense peptides in skin secretions but point to extensive AMP gene silencing compared with previously studied female X. laevis × X. muelleri F1 hybrids and no novel peptide expression.     

Assessing the cultivation potential of the energy crop Miscanthus × giganteus for Germany

The European Union in general and Germany in particular want to lead the way to substantially expand renewable energies for power production. Considering the extremely ambitious objectives of the German Federal Government, a strong, nationwide increase in cultivating energy crops can be anticipated. However, the expansion of biomass production, which is already in progress, has led to several environmental and ecological objections. Aside from competing for land, for food and feed production, the expansion of monocultures for biomass and biofuel production with a concentration on maize (Zea mays) and rapeseed (Brassica napus) can be problematic for biodiversity conservation. To face these challenges, the provision and cultivation of additional crop species and cultivars for biomass production would help to avoid these problems. The designated energy crop Miscanthus × giganteus represents an alternative species for extended biomass production. This giant grass is characterized by a broad range of possible applications and a high potential in producing and providing biomass in a sustainable way. In our study, we conducted a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based analysis of the cultivation potential of M. giganteus in Germany. As a result, we generated digital maps that display preferential regions for the cultivation of M. giganteus where a high productivity and quality of biomass is expected. Combining different climate- and soil-dependent scenarios, a total acreage potential of 4 million ha is predicted for Germany.     

Effect of nitrogen load on growth and photosynthesis of seedlings of the hybrid larch F1 (Larix gmelinii var. japonica × L. kaempferi) grown on serpentine soil

We studied the growth and photosynthesis of the hybrid larch F₁ (Larix gmelinii var. japonica × L. kaempferi) grown on serpentine soil and the effects of soil N load, to determine the performance of this species as reforestation material in serpentine regions. We prepared 16 experimental plots (2 m × 4 m each), eight on serpentine and eight on brown forest soil, and planted one-year-old cutting seedlings of the hybrid larch F₁ in each plot, in May 2007. Ammonium sulfate was supplied to half of the plots of each soil type in 2008 and 2009, at a load of 47 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. Although the growth and photosynthetic capacity of hybrid larch F₁ seedlings in the serpentine soil were limited, the rate of growth in serpentine soil was greater than that of Sakhalin spruce (Picea glehnii) that is dominant species in serpentine regions. There was significant interaction between soil type and N load for the growth and photosynthetic parameters. The N load adversely affected growth and photosynthetic parameters in the serpentine soil, while improved them in brown forest soil. Although the growth rate of hybrid larch F₁ without N loading showed high potential as an afforestation species in serpentine region, increasing deposition of N might be a threat to the growth and photosynthesis of the hybrid larch F₁ in serpentine soil.     

Conformational flexibility and binding interactions of the G protein βγ heterodimer

Previous NMR experiments on unbound G protein βγ heterodimer suggested that particular residues in the binding interface are mobile on the nanosecond timescale. In this work we performed nanosecond‐timescale molecular dynamics simulations to investigate conformational changes and dynamics of Gβγ in the presence of several binding partners: a high‐affinity peptide (SIGK), phosducin, and the GDP‐bound α subunit. In these simulations, the high mobility of GβW99 was reduced by SIGK, and it appeared that a tyrosine might stabilize GβW99 by hydrophobic or aromatic stacking interactions in addition to hydrogen bonds. Simulations of the phosducin‐Gβγ complex showed that the mobility of GβW99 was restricted, consistent with inferences from NMR. However, large‐scale conformational changes of Gβγ due to binding, which were hypothesized in the NMR study, were not observed in the simulations, most likely due to their short (nanosecond) duration. A pocket consisting of hydrophobic amino acids on Gα appears to restrict GβW99 mobility in the crystal structure of the Gαβγ? heterotrimer. The simulation trajectories are consistent with this idea. However, local conformational changes of residues GβW63, GβW211, GβW297, GβW332, and GβW339 were detected during the MD simulations. As expected, the magnitude of atomic fluctuations observed in simulations was greater for α than for the βγ subunits, suggesting that α has greater flexibility. These observations support the notion that to maintain the high mobility of GβW99 observed by solution NMR requires that the Gβ–α interface must open up on time scale longer than can be observed in nanosecond scale simulations. Proteins 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

High yield purification of JNK1β1 and activation by in vitro reconstitution of the MEKK1 → MKK4 → JNK MAPK phosphorylation cascade

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway forms part of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways comprising a sequential three-tiered kinase cascade. Here, an upstream MAP3K (MEKK1) phosphorylates and activates a MAP2K (MKK4 and MKK7), which in turn phosphorylates and activates the MAPK, JNK. The C-terminal kinase domain of MEKK1 (MEKK-C) is constitutively active, while MKK4/7 and JNK are both activated by dual phosphorylation of S/Y, and T/Y residues within their activation loops, respectively. While improvements in the purification of large quantities of active JNKs have recently been made, inadequacies in their yield, purity, and the efficiency of their phosphorylation still exist. We describe a novel and robust method that further improves upon the purification of large yields of highly pure, phosphorylated JNK1β1, which is most suitable for biochemical and biophysical characterization. Codon harmonization of the JNK1β1 gene was used as a precautionary measure toward increasing the soluble overexpression of the kinase. While JNK1β1 and its substrate ATF2 were both purified to >99% purity as GST fusion proteins using GSH-agarose affinity chromatography and each cleaved from GST using thrombin, constitutively-active MEKK-C and inactive MKK4 were separately expressed in E. coli as thioredoxin-His₆-tagged proteins and purified using urea refolding and Ni²⁺-IMAC, respectively. Activation of JNK1β1 was then achieved by successfully reconstituting the JNK MAPK activation cascade in vitro; MEKK-C was used to activate MKK4, which in turn was used to efficiently phosphorylate and activate large quantities of JNK1β1. Activated JNK1β1 was thereafter able to phosphorylate ATF2 with high catalytic efficiency.     

Phylogenetic relationships of Puccinia horiana and other rust pathogens of Chrysanthemum × morifolium based on rDNA ITS sequence analysis

Isolates of the most important Puccinia species that have been reported on Chrysanthemum × morifolium were collected and the sequences of their ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers ITS1 and ITS2 were determined and used as phylogenetic markers. The focus of this study was on Puccinia horiana, due to its quarantine status and its impact in commercial chrysanthemum production. Three technical adjustments were needed to reliably obtain the nucleotide sequences starting from fresh or dried samples. The complete rDNA ITS nucleotide sequences of P. horiana, Puccinia chrysanthemi, and Puccinia tanaceti isolates of varying age and geographic origin were determined. We also identified an as yet undescribed Puccinia species on six old herbarium samples from chrysanthemum. This new species is morphologically similar to P. chrysanthemi and near identical to recent rust samples from Artemisia tridentata. P. tanaceti could not be confirmed as a pathogen of chrysanthemum. Different rDNA ITS sequences were present in P. horiana, with intra-isolate and inter-isolate variability in the length of three nucleotide repeat regions in the different rDNA tandem copies. We also identified three ITS types within P. horiana, with the rarer types displaying up to 67 bp nucleotide sequence differences. These rarer ITS types were detected at low copy number in all isolates. In general, very little rDNA ITS sequence variation was observed between P. horiana isolates from 1903 and 2003, and among isolates from different continents. Phylogenetic analyses using distance, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian methods confirmed P. horiana, P. chrysanthemi, and the new Puccinia sp. as well-resolved groups, with P. horiana clustering in the clade where the economically important rust species of the Poaceae are located, and P. chrysanthemi and the new Puccinia sp. clustering in the clade where the majority of the rust fungi with hosts in the Asteraceae is located.     

Effect of point substitutions in the MnSOD, GPX1, and GSTP1 genes on the risk of familial and sporadic breast cancers in residents of the Altaĭ region of the Russian Federation

The frequencies of the polymorphic gene variants MnSOD Ala9Val, GPX1 Pro198Leu, and GSTP1 Ile105 Val were estimated in female residents of Altai krai with breast cancer. The frequency distributions of the genotypes for all genes studied in both patients and control subjects fit the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The estimated frequencies of the genotypes for the studied genes in the control group did not differ from those earlier reported for Caucasoid women living in Europe. The T(rs1050450) allele of the GPX1 gene was demonstrated to protect against sporadic breast cancer (OR = 0.74 (95% CI = 0.58-0.94), p = 0.012). Carriers of the genotype combination MnSOD CC + GPX1 CC were found to have a 1.6 times higher risk of sporadic breast cancer compared to the control group (OR = 1.59 (1.05-2.41), p = 0.0258). The polymorphic loci GSTP1 (rs1695) and MnSOD (rs4880) were not found to be significantly associated with the risk of familial or sporadic breast cancer.     

Optimized methodology for extraction of (1 → 3)(1 → 6)-β-d-glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in vitro evaluation of the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the corresponding carboxymethyl derivative

The cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an important source of β-d-glucan, a glucose homopolymer with immunostimulant properties. The standard methodologies described for its extraction involve acid and alkaline washings, which degrade part of its glucose chains and reduce the final yield. In the present study, an optimized methodology for extraction of β-d-glucan from S. cerevisiae cells, involving sonication and enzyme treatment, with a yield of 11.08 ± 0.19%, was developed. The high-purity (1 → 3)(1 → 6)-β-d-glucan was derivatized to carboxymethyl-glucan (CM-G). In vitro tests with CM-G in Chinese hamster epithelial cells (CHO-k1) did not reveal any cytotoxic or genotoxic effects or influences of this molecule on cell viability. The method described here is a convenient alternative for the extraction of (1 → 3)(1 → 6)-β-d-glucan under mild conditions without the generation of wastes that could be potentially harmful to the environment.     

Performance and carcass quality traits of Iberian × Duroc crossbred pig subject to gender and age at the beginning of the free-range finishing phase

The traditional production of the Iberian breed pig involves a long production cycle. It might be shortened by using Iberian pigs crossed with Duroc and by reducing the growing phase, but the age-related changes on productive performance and carcass quality should be addressed. Thus, productive performance, live measurements and carcass and primal cut traits were evaluated on Iberian × Duroc 50:50 crossed pigs according to animal age at the beginning of the free-range finishing phase (Montanera): 10, 12 and 14 months old (IBxD10 (n = 15), IBxD12 (n = 17) and IBxD14 (n = 18) animal batches, respectively) and gender (immunologically castrated female -consisted of the Improvac® vaccination- and surgically castrated males). During the growing period, animals were fed with restrictions; 1.49, 1.29 and 1.20 ± 0.023 (mean ± SEM) kg/day of commercial feeds to start Montanera with similar BW; 103.9, 102.9 and 102.1 ± 0.22 kg, for IBxD10, IBxD12 and IBxD14, respectively. IBxD14 animals yielded the highest average daily gain (ADG) and BW after Montanera, as well as larger rump height and croup width. In contrast, these animals had the lowest carcass yield. Although animals from IBxD10 yielded hams of inferior size, this could be of interest to the sector, as there is a certain segment of the market that demands hams of smaller size and, generally, this is difficult to obtain with the traditional Montanera production system. The gender had no major effects on performance and carcass and primal cut traits, so both immunologically castrated female and surgically castrated males are suitable for finishing in Montanera.