Project description:Few studies reported for obtaining the grass carp resistant to hemorrhagic disease via gene editing in commercial fish. Here, we demonstrate that the expression and activity of grass carp PI4KB (gcPI4KB) are vital for GCRV-I and GCRV-II replication. Due that obvious cytopathic effect (CPE) in the present available cell lines is only caused by GCRV-I, but GCRV-II is the current popular and fatal strain in grass carp, GCRV-I and GCRV-II are used in cell lines and in grass carp, respectively. The in vitro studies in CIK cells revealed that gcPI4KB interacted with NS80 and VP3 of GCRV-I, and that gcPI4KB was recruited by NS80 for promoting the generation of GCRV VIBs. Since the negative regulatory role of gcPI4KB in GCRV infection was confirmed by in vitro data,we performed gene editing of gcPI4KB in grass carp. We found that PI4KB F0 crispants juvenile grass carp have obvious advantages in promoting growth and in resisting GCRV-II infection. Compared with uninfected WT grass carp, the uninfected PI4KB F0 crispants juvenile grass carp exhibit a higher expression level of many genes involved in growth- and development-related metabolic pathways such as the FoxO signaling pathway and insulin signaling pathway. Compared with WT grass carp without infection, PI4KB F0 crispants juvenile grass carp without infection or WT grass carp infected with GCRV-II, higher expression levels for many genes involved in metabolic diseases and viral infection were observed in the liver from PI4KB F0 crispants juvenile grass carp infected with GCRV-II. Altogether, the present study suggests the mechanism of gcPI4KB in facilitating GCRV replication, the signaling pathways regulated by gcPI4KB, and the possibility to obtain the grass carp resistant to hemorrhagic disease via gene editing of PI4KB.
Project description:Grass carp is the most produced freshwater fish species in China. However, frequent outbreaks of bacterial diseases caused by Aeromonas ssp. have led to huge economic losses in grass carp farming. Various omics technologies have been used to study the response of grass carp to these pathogens. For instance, the transcriptional profile of the spleen from grass carp challenged with A. hydrophila, which revealed significant enrichment of gene clusters, including phagocytosis, complement system, cytokines, antigen processing and presentation, pattern recognition receptors, cell adhesion molecules, apoptosis, and antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, a large number of differentially expressed genes related to inflammation were identified in the intestinal transcriptome of grass carp infected with A. hydrophila. However, the immune response of grass carp infected with A. veronii remains unresolved at the multi-omics level. In the present study, an intestinal infection model was established in grass carp using the isolated A. veronii strain EL07, and the differentially expressed genes and proteins in the intestinal and differentially expressed metabolites in serum were analyzed. The results may contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of grass carp enteritis caused A. veronii.
Project description:Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus), the world’s largest aquaculture fish species, exhibits superior growth in females compared to males. However, the lengthy sexual maturation period of four to five years poses a significant obstacle to the genetic reproduction and breeding of grass carp. Consequently, classical methods such as gonadogenesis or sex reversal through steroid treatment, employed for breeding all-female grass carp, demand considerable time and effort. In this study, we developed an super-fast breeding strategy for generating all-female grass carp in a total of half a year, using a surrogate production method. We first characterized grass carp female germline stem cells (GSCs) from genetic female juveniles at three months post-fertilization (mpf). The female GSCs with XX chromosomes were then transplanted into germ cell-depleted zebrafish larvae at five days post-fertilization (dpf). The transplanted grass carp XX germ cells underwent rapid spermatogenesis in the zebrafish recipient. At three months after transplantation, all zebrafish recipients had developed into males capable of producing the all-X sperm of the grass carp. By using these sperm to fertilize wildtype grass carp eggs, we successfully produced an all-female grass carp offspring. This groundbreaking achievement highlights the potential of surrogate production in the genetic breeding of valuable fish species, and opens a new avenue for advancing genetic breeding in aquaculture.
Project description:Purpose:Salinity is an important environmental factor that affects the physiological activities of fish. The goals of this study are investigating the effect of different saline-alkali stress on grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Methods: Grass carp individuals, averaging 12 cm in body length, were obtained from Duofu fish farm (Wuhan, China) and cultured at recirculating aquaculture system for 2 weeks before the experiment began. For the challenge, all grass carp were randomly divided into three groups, and then cultured at saline-alkali water with the concentration of 0, 3‰ and 6‰. After 30 days, some grass crap cultured at 3‰ and 6‰ saline-alkali water were injured. At the same time, gill samples of grass carp were collected from 0, 3‰ (grass carp was not injured), 3‰ (grass carp was injured), 6‰ (grass carp was not injured) and 6‰ (grass carp was injured)saline-alkali groups. Total RNA of all samples was isolated using TRIzol® Reagent (Invitrogen) according to the manufacturer's introduction. RNA integrity was assessed using an Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer (Agilent, USA). Samples with RNA integrity numbers (RINs) ≥ 7.5 were subjected to cDNA library construction using TruseqTM RNA sample prep Kit (Illumina). Results:A total of 15 were processed for transcriptome sequencing, generating 94.99Gb Clean Data. At least 5.76Gb clean data were generated for each sample with minimum 91.87% of clean data achieved quality score of Q30. Clean reads of each sample were mapped to specified reference genome. Mapping ratio ranged from 88.59% to 92.84%. The expression of genes was quantified and differentially expressed genes were identified based on their expression.Criteria for differentially expressed genes was set as Fold Change(FC)≥1.5 and Pvalue<0.05. Fold change(FC) refers to the ratio of gene expression in two samples. These DEGs were further processed for functional annotation and enrichment analysis. Conclusions: Our study represents Effects and molecular regulation mechanisms of saline-alkali stress on the healthy grass carp by using RNA-seqtechnology. Our results show that saline-alkali stress will impair the immune system of grass carp.
Project description:Cocksfoot grass (Dactylis glomerata) collected from Wytham, Oxford, UK, was tested for Cocksfoot streak virus infection. Small RNA of the grass was extracted and converted to DNA according to Ho, T., et al. (2008) Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 368:433-7, with primers modified to contain 454 adapter nucleotide sequences. The DNA then passed quality control through Bioanalyzer and Nanodrop before sequenced by 454 Life Sciences. Keywords: siRNA
Project description:Beef represents a major diet component and source of protein in many countries. With an increment demand for beef, the industry is currently undergoing changes towards natural produced beef. Consumers not only concern about product quality, but also for the well-being of animals. Therefore, the consumption of grass-fed meat is continuously growing. However, the nutritional true differences between feeding systems are still unclear. The aim of this study was to examine latissimus dorsi muscle quality and animal welfare by transcriptome and metabolome profiles, and to identify biological pathways related to the differences between grass- and grain-fed Angus steers. By RNA-Seq analysis of latissimus dorsi muscle, we have recognized 241 differentially expressed genes (FDR < 0.1). The metabolome examination of muscle and blood revealed 163 and 179 altered compounds in each tissue (P-value < 0.05), respectively. Accordingly, alterations in glucose metabolism, divergences in free fatty acids and carnitine conjugated lipid levels, and altered β-oxidation, have been observed. In summary, this study demonstrates a unique transcriptomic and metabolic signature in the muscle of grain and grass finished cattle. Results support the accumulation of anti-inflammatory n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in grass finished cattle, while higher levels of n6 PUFAs in grain finished animals may promote inflammation and oxidative stress. Furthermore, grass-fed animals produce tender beef with lower total fat and higher omega3/omega6 ratio than grain fed animals, which could potentially benefit consumer health. Finally, blood cortisol levels strongly indicate that grass fed animals experience less stress than the grass fed individuals The steers came from a closed Wye Angus herd with very similar genetics. The grass-fed group was comprised of steers that received alfalfa and orchard grass hay, clover and orchard grass pasture, or orchard grass and alfalfa pasture. The grass-fed individuals consumed grazed alfalfa upon availability and bales during winter and were not exposed to any corn, any form of grain or feed by-products. The alfalfa and grass hay were harvested from land that has had minimal fertilizer and no application of pesticides or inorganic chemicals. The control group was fed a conventional diet consisting of corn silage, soybean, shelled corn and minerals. The pastures were managed as organic landsâwithout fertilizers, pesticides or any chemical additives. At the slaughter plant, 10 ml whole blood sample from the jugular vein was collected in EDTA tubes and directly storage at -80°C. Then, a small piece of longissimus dorsi muscle was obtained from each hot carcass at the level of the 12th intercostal space and immediately frozen in dry ice for posterior analysis.
Project description:This study identifies key microbiome and epithelial cell subtypes involved in grass digestion and VFA metabolism in the rumen. By integrating multi-omic data, we reveal novel links between microbial activity, epithelial cell function, and grassland foraging, providing critical insights into mechanisms underlying grass prevalence and their implications for optimizing ruminant health and productivity. This research enhances our understanding of the grass-microbiome- rumen axis and its role in sustainable grazing systems.
Project description:Because antibiotics have been widely used to prevent severe losses due to infectious fishery diseases, the liberal application and overuse of antibiotics has led to the spread and evolution of bacterial resistance, food safety hazards, and environmental issues. The use of some antibiotics, including florfenicol and enrofloxacin, is allowed in aquaculture in China. Accordingly, to better address the concerns and questions associated with the impact of administered enrofloxacin and florfenicol to grass carp, here we investigated the immune response, bacterial diversity, and transcriptome of the intestine of C. idella treated with these oral antibiotics. The aim of this study was to provide an in-depth evaluation of the antibiotic-induced patterns and dynamics of the microbiota grass carp and the potential mechanism involved.
Project description:We have employed whole genome microarray expression profiling as a discovery platform to identify genes to alter the transcript accumulation levels in grass-clump dwarf lines, which are synthetic hexaploid lines from triploid hybrids crossed between tetraploid wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum cv. Langdon or T. turgidum ssp. carthlicum) and diploid wheat progenitor Aegilops tauschii (KU2025). No up-regulation of defense-related genes was observed under the normal temperature, and down-regulation of wheat APETALA1-like MADS-box genes, considered to act as flowering promoters, was found in the grass-clump dwarf lines. Together with small RNA sequencing analysis of the grass-clump dwarf line, unusual expression of the miR156/SPLs module could explain the grass-clump dwarf phenotype.
Project description:The Gauging Response in Allergic Rhinitis to Sublingual and Subcutaneous Immunotherapy (GRASS) study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of individuals with timothy grass allergy who received 2 years of placebo, subcutaneous (SCIT), or sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) and were followed for a total of 3 years. Here we utilized longitudinal transcriptomic profiling of nasal brush and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples after allergen provocation collected in the GRASS study to uncover airway and systemic expression pathways mediating responsiveness to immunotherapy.