Fertility of Bos indicus and Bos indicus x Bos taurus crossbreed cattle after estrus synchronization

Ninety-five cows (79 Boran and 16 Boran-Brahman crossbreeds) and 107 heifers (55 Boran and 52 Boran x Friesian F1 crossbreeds) were used to determine estrus response, estrus response interval and pregnancy rate following synchronization with prostaglandin (PGF(2)alpha), a progesterone-releasing intravaginal device (PRID) and Synchro-mate B (SMB). The proportion of cattle responding to synchronization treatment was 62.5, 43.5 and 57.7% for cows and 85.7, 68.0 and 81.5% for heifers using PGF(2)alpha, PRID and SMB, respectively. The overall mean response was 59 and 81.8% for cows and heifers, respectively. The estrus response of the control animals over a 45-d breeding period was 72.7 and 90% for cows and heifers, respectively. The estrus response interval for cows was 31.8, 22.1 and 18.0 h and it was 51.1, 38.0 and 21.6 h for heifers with PGF(2)alpha, PRID and SMB treatment, respectively. Mean pregnancy rate for cows was 50.0, 34.8, 46.2 and 68.8% and for heifers it was 60.7, 40.0, 55.6 and 77.8% in the PGF(2)alpha, PRID, SMB and control groups, respectively. Based on these findings, it was concluded that both PGF(2)alpha and SMB produce a satisfactory estrus response and pregnancy rate in the cattle studied.     

A quantitative histological study of testicular and epididymal development in Boran and Boran x Friesian bulls in Ethiopia

Quantitative histological techniques were used to characterize the pattern of testicular and epididymal development in 42 Boran and 49 Boran x Friesian bulls aged between 6 and 23 mo. Bulls were divided into five age groups having four-month intervals. Between 6 and 23 mo of age, body weight increased from 124 to 293 kg and 179 to 267 kg (P<0.01) in Boran and Boran x Friesian bulls, respectively. Scrotal circumference measurements increased from 6 to 23 mo by 10.2 and 8.9 cm in Boran and Boran x Friesian bulls. Paired testes weight increased significantly (P<0.001) over the same period from 29 to 304 g and 59 to 291 g in Boran and Boran x Friesian bulls, respectively. Both caput and cauda epididymal segment weights also increased significantly (P<0.001) with age. There were significant (P<0.05) genotype differences in seminiferous tubule diameter, which increased by 137 and 90 mum with increasing age in Boran and Boran x Friesian bulls, respectively. Patent seminiferous tubules were first observed at 206 and 188 d of age in Boran and Boran x Friesian bulls, respectively. The appearance of elongated spermatids and spermatozoa in the seminiferous tubules and epididymal tubules occurred at later ages in Boran than in Boran x Friesian bulls.     

Peripheral plasma progesterone concentration in zebu (Bos indicus) cows during pregnancy

Plasma progesterone concentrations were determined weekly during gestation averaging 283 +/- 2 d in Ethiopian zebu (Bos indicus) cows. Mean progesterone levels increased from 0.2 +/- 0.1 ng/ml at oestrus (service) to 3.1 +/- 1.6 ng/ml on d 7 and 8.1 +/- 2.1 ng/ml on d 21. Progesterone levels remained elevated throughout pregnancy. Hormone concentration differed significantly between cows (P less than 0.001) and with the wk of pregnancy (P less than 0.05); it tended to be higher during the last trimester of pregnancy. Mean levels dropped sharply to below 1 ng/ml during the last wk of pregnancy with considerable variation (C.V. = 39 to 63%) among cows. These data indicate that pregnancy in Ethiopian zebu cows can be reliably diagnosed by determining circulatory plasma progesterone levels.     

Combining Multi-Element Analysis with Statistical Modeling for Tracing the Origin of Green Coffee Beans from Amhara Region,Ethiopia

Biological Trace Element Research - Characterization of coffee terroirs is important to determine authenticity and provide confidence for consumers to select the right product. In this regard,...     

Functional,structural and phylogenetic analysis of domains underlying the Al sensitivity of the aluminum‐activated malate/anion transporter,TaALMT1

Triticum aestivum aluminum‐activated malate transporter (TaALMT1) is the founding member of a unique gene family of anion transporters (ALMTs) that mediate the efflux of organic acids. A small sub‐group of root‐localized ALMTs, including TaALMT1, is physiologically associated with in planta aluminum (Al) resistance. TaALMT1 exhibits significant enhancement of transport activity in response to extracellular Al. In this study, we integrated structure–function analyses of structurally altered TaALMT1 proteins expressed in Xenopus oocytes with phylogenic analyses of the ALMT family. Our aim is to re‐examine the role of protein domains in terms of their potential involvement in the Al‐dependent enhancement (i.e. Al‐responsiveness) of TaALMT1 transport activity, as well as the roles of all its 43 negatively charged amino acid residues. Our results indicate that the N‐domain, which is predicted to form the conductive pathway, mediates ion transport even in the absence of the C‐domain. However, segments in both domains are involved in Al³⁺ sensing. We identified two regions, one at the N‐terminus and a hydrophobic region at the C‐terminus, that jointly contribute to the Al‐response phenotype. Interestingly, the characteristic motif at the N‐terminus appears to be specific for Al‐responsive ALMTs. Our study highlights the need to include a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis when drawing inferences from structure–function analyses, as a significant proportion of the functional changes observed for TaALMT1 are most likely the result of alterations in the overall structural integrity of ALMT family proteins rather than modifications of specific sites involved in Al³⁺ sensing.     

Effects of work and diet on progesterone secretion, short luteal phases and ovulations without estrus in postpartum F1 crossbred dairy cows

The effects of work and diet supplementation on progesterone secretion and on incidence of short luteal phases and ovulations without estrus was investigated in 40 postpartum F(1) crossbred dairy cows. These cows were allocated to 1 of 4 treatment groups: Group SPNW, supplement-nonworking; Group SPW, supplement-working; Group NSNW, nonsupplement-nonworking; and Group NSW, nonsupplement-working. After calving, working cows pulled sledges with a load of 300 to 450 Newtons(N); 4 hours per day 4 days per week, for a total of 100 days over a 1-year period. All cows were fed natural grass hay ad libitum while the supplemented cows were fed 3 kg of concentrate per head per day. The proportion of cows which showed behavioral estrus by 1 year post partum was 100, 100, 60 and 20% for Group SPNW, SPW, NSNW and NSW cows, respectively. Based on plasma progesterone concentrations, ovulation started 62 days earlier than onset of behavioral estrus. A total of 73 ovulations occurred by 1 year post partum. Forty-nine (67.1%) and 26 (32.9%) ovulations occurred in the supplemented and nonsupplemented cows while 33 (45.2%) and 40 (54.8%) ovulations occurred in the working and nonworking cows, respectively. Of the total ovulations, 26 (35.6%) were not associated with behavioral signs of estrus and occurred in 13 (32.5%) cows. The incidence of ovulation without estrus was higher (P<0.05) in working (42.4%) than in nonworking (30%) cows and in nonsupplemented (41.7%) than in supplemented (32.7%) cows. Short luteal phases occurred in 32.5% of the cows before the establishment of normal estrous cycles. In working cows, diet supplementation off-set the negative effect of work on the onset of estrus and conception. However, a relatively higher number of cows in Group SPW had ovulations without estrus before a normal estrous cycle was established. The incidence of short luteal phases or ovulations without estrus did not influence the pregnancy rate in subsequent normal estrus periods. In conclusion, in the supplemented cows, work did not influence the proportion of cows showing estrus and conceiving, but it significantly delayed the postpartum anestrus interval. In the nonsupplemented cows, reproductive activity was impaired in both working and nonworking cows, but was pronounced in working cows. However, once pregnancy was established there was no effect of work on the maintenance of pregnancy. Our study shows that with appropriate feeding regimens lactating crossbred cows could be used for draught purposes without any detrimental effects on fertility, but calving intervals would be extended. Finally, the physiological mechanisms involved in anestrus and ovulations without estrus and the significance of such phenomena in affecting postpartum reproductive performance and fertility in working cows require further investigation.     

Effects of Leucaena pallida and Sesbania sesban supplementation on testicular histology of tropical sheep and goats

Thirty Ethiopian highland rams with an average body weight of 23.7kg (S.D.=1.23) and age of 18 months and 25 East African bucks with an average body weight of 18.6kg (S.D.=2.06) and age of 14 months were used to study the long term effects of supplementation with the leaves of Leucaena pallida and Sesbania sesban on testicular histology. Within species, animals were blocked based on body weight and scrotal circumference and randomly assigned, within blocks, to five nutritional treatment groups in a complete randomised block design. All animals were provided with unchopped teff (Eragrostis tef) straw ad libitum and were supplemented with either 150g of wheat bran (control), leucaena (200 or 400g) or sesbania (200 or 400g) leaves for a period of 6 months. At the end of the experimental period, all animals were surgically castrated and testicular samples were collected and prepared for histopathological examination. In sheep 200g S. sesban induced relatively more necrosis of the seminiferous tubules than 200g L. pallida, but with similar degree of tubular degeneration. However, lesions in testis of goats fed on 200g S. sesban and 200g L. pallida did not differ. The effect of 400g S. sesban and 400g L. pallida in sheep indicated that the former hardly induced lesions except depressive effect on spermatogenesis. Similar results were observed in goats. About 400g S. sesban induced milder lesions in sheep and goats than were 200g S. sesban. The lesions were compared and discussed in relation to the phytochemical composition of the supplementary feeds.     

A bactericidal monoclonal antibody elicits a change in its antigen, OspB of Borrelia burgdorferi, that can be detected by limited proteolysis

mAb CB2, directed against outer surface protein B (OspB), causes bacteriolysis of Borrelia burgdorferi in the absence of complement. How this happens is unknown. We examined the effect of mAb binding on OspB tertiary structure by using limited proteolysis to probe changes in protein conformation. Truncated OspB (tOspB) that lacked N-terminal lipid was cleaved by four enzymes: trypsin, endoproteinase Arg-C, endoproteinase Asp-N, and endoproteinase Glu-C. CB2 affected the cleavage by trypsin and Arg-C, but not by AspN or Glu-C. None of the enzymes cleaved CB2 under these conditions. Both trypsin and Arg-C cleaved tOspB near the N-terminus; CB2 slowed the rate of cleavage, but did not affect the identity of the sites cleaved. Irrelevant mAb had no effect, indicating that the effect was specific. CB2 was active against tOspB of strain B31, but not against tOspB of strain BEP4, to which it does not bind, suggesting that binding was required to elicit the effect on cleavage. With trypsin, CB2 showed a maximal effect at 8 mol of tOspB to 1 mol of mAb. At this ratio, not enough CB2 was present to bind all the tOspB; therefore, either CB2 shows turnover or CB2 acts by binding tOspB and effecting a change in this tOspB such that it, in turn, propagates the effect in other molecules of tOspB. Regardless of the mechanism, these data show that CB2 elicits a change in tOspB that can be measured by its reduced susceptibility to protease cleavage.     

Proteomic analysis of lamellar bodies isolated from rat lungs

Background  

Lamellar bodies are lysosome-related secretory granules and store lung surfactant in alveolar type II cells. To better understand the mechanisms of surfactant secretion, we carried out proteomic analyses of lamellar bodies isolated from rat lungs.