• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제15권10호
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• pp.1398-1402
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• 2002

Hu sheep was sampled randomly from Huzhou city, Zhejiang province, China. Of the 11 genetic markers from the blood examined by starch-gel and cellulose acetate electrophoresis, polymorphisms in Hu sheep were found for 10 loci, i.e. post-albumin (Po), transferring (Tf), alkaline phosphatase (Alp), leucine aminopeptidase (Lap), arylesterase (Ary-Es), hemoglobin-$\beta$ (Hb-$\beta$)、Xprotein(X-p), carbonic anhydrase (CA), catalase (Cat) and lysine (Ly). The same data except for Po locus were collected from another 14 sheep breeds from China and other countries, in order to ascertain their genetic relationships with one another and with the Hu sheep. The sheep populations from the east and south of Central Asia can be classified into three genetic groups: 'Mongolian sheep', 'South Asian sheep' and 'European sheep'. The Hu sheep belong to the 'Mongolian sheep' group.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제17권10호
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• pp.1360-1365
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• 2004

Using the method of 'random sampling in typical colonies of the central area of the habitat', 60 Small-tailed Han sheep were obtained in Jining city, Shangdong province. The variations of Small-tailed Han sheep at 12 structural loci encoding blood proteins were detected by several electrophoresis techniques and their gene frequencies were then estimated. The same data of four other sheep populations from Near-sea Mainland in East Asia were cited for the analysis of genetic differentiation. The average heterozygosities of five populations, namely Kharkhorin sheep, Ulaanbaatar sheep, Small-tailed Han sheep, Hu sheep and Cham Tribe sheep were 0.3447, 0.3285, 0.3157, 0.3884 and 0.2300, respectively. The coefficient of gene differentiation among four populations, Kharkhorin sheep, Ulaanbaatar sheep, Small-tailed Han sheep and Hu sheep, was 0.045557, and that between these four breeds and Cham Tribe sheep was 0.088005, indicating that the level of gene differentiation among the former four sheep populations of Mongolian group was comparatively lower than that between Cham Tribe sheep and other four sheep populations. The origin of Cham Tribe sheep deserve further research. The documentary research on the evolution of Small-tailed Han sheep and Hu sheep from Mongolian sheep was further verified by the biochemical experiments in the study. It was reasonably deduced that Hu sheep, Small Tailed Han sheep and Cham Tribe sheep were decreasingly influenced by the bloodline of Mongolian sheep.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제16권5호
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• pp.743-747
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• 2003

Applying simple random sampling in typical colony methods in the central area of habitat, 14 structural loci and 31 alleles in blood enzyme and other protein variations of Hu sheep population are examined. After collecting the same data of 11 loci about the 22 sheep colonies in China and other countries, it clusters the 23 sheep populations by fuzzy cluster analysis. The study proves that the phylogenetic relationship between Hu sheep population and Mongolia populations is relatively closed. This result obtained is shown to conform to the historical data.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제20권7호
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• pp.1023-1029
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• 2007

Inhibins participate in the regulation of pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone synthesis and secretion, follicular maturation and steroidogenesis in the female. Inhibin ${\beta}_A$ gene (INHBA) was studied as a candidate gene for the prolificacy of sheep. Single nucleotide polymorphisms of the entire coding region and partial 3' untranslated region of INHBA were detected by PCR-SSCP in two high fecundity breeds (Small Tail Han and Hu sheep) and six low fecundity breeds (Dorset, Texel, German Mutton Merino, South African Mutton Merino, Chinese Merino and Corriedale sheep). Only the PCR products amplified by primers 3, 4 and 5 displayed polymorphisms. For primer 3, genotype CC was only detected in Chinese Merino sheep, genotype AA was detected in the other seven sheep breeds. Genotype BB was only detected in Hu sheep. Only Hu sheep displayed polymorphism. Eight or four nucleotide mutations were revealed between BB or CC and AA, respectively, and these mutations did not result in any amino acid change. For primer 4, genotypes EE, EG and GG were detected in Dorset and German Mutton Merino sheep, genotypes EE, EF and FF were detected in Chinese Merino sheep, only genotype EE was detected in the other five sheep breeds. Only Dorset, German Mutton Merino and Chinese Merino sheep displayed polymorphism. Sequencing revealed one nucleotide mutation ($114G{\rightarrow}A$) of exon 2 of INHBA gene between genotype FF and genotype EE, and this mutation did not cause any amino acid change. Another nucleotide change ($143C{\rightarrow}T$) was identified between genotype GG and genotype EE, and this mutation resulted in an amino acid change of $serine{\rightarrow}leucine$. For primer 5, genotypes KK and KL were detected in German Mutton Merino and Corriedale sheep, genotypes KK, LL and KL were detected in the other six sheep breeds. Genotype MM was only detected in Hu sheep. All of these eight sheep breeds displayed polymorphism. Sequencing revealed one nucleotide mutation ($218A{\rightarrow}G$) of exon 2 of the INHBA gene between genotype LL and genotype KK, and nine nucleotide mutations between genotype MM and genotype KK. These mutations did not alter amino acid sequence. The partial sequence (395 bp for exon 1 and 933 bp for exon 2) of the INHBA gene in Small Tail Han sheep (with genotype KK for primer 5) was submitted into GenBank (accession number EF192431). Small Tail Han sheep displayed polymorphisms only in the fragment amplified by primer 5. The Small Tail Han ewes with genotype LL had 0.53 (p<0.05) or 0.63 (p<0.05) more lambs than those with genotype KL or KK, respectively. The Small Tail Han ewes with genotype KL had 0.10 (p>0.05) more lambs than those with genotype KK.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제17권5호
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• pp.583-587
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• 2004

The 7 sheep microsatellite markersOarFCB48, OarAE101, MAF33, OarFCB11, MAF70, OarFCB304 and OarFCB128, which were located on chromosomes 2, 4, 6, 9, 17 and 19, were selected to PCR in Hu sheep, Tong sheep and their closely related species,the goat. They were studied with the amplifying result of 7 microsatellite sites of Hu Sheep, Tong Sheep and goats, the data of allele number and range of allele' size of amplifying were analyzed with ANOVA. The results showed that there were no significant differences (p<0.05) in microsatellite DNA sites among 3 populations. Concerning the conservation of microsatellites in closely related species, selecting microsatellite sites located on the chromosome where the Robertsonian fusion was caused between sheep and goat, may be used in research into genetic differentiation and evolutionary relationships between sheep and goats.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제17권7호
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• pp.892-896
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• 2004

A genetic examination using 14 structural loci and 7 microsatellite markers was carried out among random samples of Hu sheep (Hu), Tong sheep (Tong) and Yantse River Delta White goat (YRD); The mean heterozygosity (H), mean polymorphism information contents (PIC) and mean effective numbers of alleles (Ne) calculated based on the data from the above two types of genetic markers were compared. The standard genetic distances among the three populations based on two types of gene frequencies were calculated and compared. The results show that the mean heterozygosity (H), mean polymorphism information contents (PIC) and mean effective numbers of alleles (Ne) based on 7 microsatellite markers are greater than those based on the structural loci. The standard genetic distances based on structural loci among the three populations are: 0.0268-0.2487, the standard genetic distances based on microsatellite markers are: 0.2321-1.2313. The study indicates that structural and microsatellite markers reflect the genetic variation of the three populations consistently: Tong>Hu>YRD. The differentiation between related species or interpopulations can be expressed more effectively by microsatellite markers than structural markers. Oar FCB11, MAF33, Oar AE101, Oar FCB128 and OarFCB304 can be used as representative loci for research on genetic differentiation between sheep and goat.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제28권8호
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• pp.1140-1149
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• 2015

This research aimed to define the energy requirement of Dorper and Hu Hybrid $F_1$ ewes 20 to 50 kg of body weight, furthermore to study energy requirement changes with age and evaluate the effect of age on energy requirement parameters. In comparative slaughter trial, thirty animals were divided into three dry matter intake treatments (ad libitum, n = 18; low restricted, n = 6; high restricted, n = 6), and were all slaughtered as baseline, intermediate, and final slaughter groups, to calculate body chemical components and energy retained. In digestibility trial, twelve ewes were housed in individual metabolic cages and randomly assigned to three feeding treatments in accordance with the design of a comparative slaughter trial, to evaluate dietary energetic values at different feed intake levels. The combined data indicated that, with increasing age, the net energy requirement for maintenance ($NE_m$) decreased from $260.62{\pm}13.21$ to $250.61{\pm}11.79kJ/kg^{0.75}$ of shrunk body weight (SBW)/d, and metabolizable energy requirement for maintenance (MEm) decreased from $401.99{\pm}20.31$ to $371.23{\pm}17.47kJ/kg^{0.75}$ of SBW/d. Partial efficiency of ME utilization for maintenance ($k_m$, 0.65 vs 0.68) and growth ($k_g$, 0.42 vs 0.41) did not differ (p>0.05) due to age; At the similar condition of average daily gain, net energy requirements for growth ($NE_g$) and metabolizable energy requirements for growth ($ME_g$) for ewes during late fattening period were 23% and 25% greater than corresponding values of ewes during early fattening period. In conclusion, the effect of age upon energy requirement parameters in the present study were similar in tendency with previous recommendations, values of energy requirement for growth ($NE_g$ and $ME_g$) for Dorper and Hu crossbred female lambs ranged between the NRC (2007) recommendation for early and later maturating growing sheep.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.36-42
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• 2013

The average twin lambing rate of Bayanbulak sheep is 2% to 3%. However, a flock of sheep with a close genetic relationship and an average of 2 to 3 lambs per birth has been found recently. To determine the major genes controlling the prolificacy of the flock in the present study, the flock was designated A while 100 normal Bayanbulak sheep were randomly selected to comprise the control flock B. Ligase detection reaction method was applied to detect and analyze the 10 mutational loci of the 3 candidate prolificacy genes including bone morphogenetic protein type I receptors, bone morphogenetic protein 15, and growth differentiation factor 9. The 10 mutational loci are as follows: FecB locus of the BMPR-IB gene; $FecX^I$, $FecX^B$, $FecX^L$, $FecX^H$, $FecX^G$, and $FecX^R$ of the BMP15 gene; and G1, G8, and FecTT of the GDF9 gene. Two mutations including BMPR-IB/FecB and GDF9/G1 were found in Bayanbulak sheep. Independence test results of the two flocks demonstrate that the FecB locus has a significant effect on the lambing number of Bayanbulak sheep. However, the mutation frequency of the G1 locus in GDF9 is very low. Independence test results demonstrate that the GDF9 locus does not have a significant impact on the lambing performance of Bayanbulak sheep. Among the 10 detected loci, BMPR-IB/FecB is the major gene that influences the high lambing rate of Bayanbulak sheep.

• Animal Bioscience
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• 제34권12호
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• pp.1921-1929
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• 2021

Objective: The intestinal microbiota enhances nutrient absorption in the host and thus promotes heath. Qinghai semi-fine wool sheep is an important livestock raised in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau; however, little is known about the bacterial microbiota of its intestinal tract. The aim of this study was to detect the microbial characterization in the intestinal tract of the Qinghai semi-fine wool sheep. Methods: The bacterial profiles of the six different intestinal segments (duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon and rectum) of Qinghai semi-fine wool sheep were studied using 16S rRNA V3-V4 hypervariable amplicon sequencing. Results: A total of 2,623,323 effective sequences were obtained, and 441 OTUs shared all six intestinal segments. The bacterial diversity was significantly different among the different intestinal segments, and the large intestine exhibited higher bacterial diversity than the small intestine. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Patescibacteria were the dominant phyla in these bacterial communities. Additionally, at the genus level, Prevotella_1, Candidatus_Saccharimonas, and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005 were the most predominant genus in duodenal segment, jejunal and ileal segments, and cecal, colonic, and rectal segments, respectively. We predicted that the microbial functions and the relative abundance of the genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism were overrepresented in the intestinal segments of Qinghai semi-fine wool sheep. Conclusion: The bacterial communities and functions differed among different intestinal segments. Our study is the first to provide insights into the composition and biological functions of the intestinal microbiota of Qinghai semi-fine wool sheep. Our results also provide useful information for the nutritional regulation and production development in Qinghai semi-fine wool sheep.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제19권8호
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• pp.1079-1084
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• 2006

To determine whether a link exists between reproductive seasonality and the structure of the melatonin receptor 1A (MTNR1A) gene, the latter was studied in nonseasonal estrous breeds (Small Tail Han and Hu ewes) and seasonal estrous breeds (Dorset, Suffolk and German Mutton Merino ewes). A large fragment of the exon 2 of the MTNR1A gene was amplified and a uniform fragment of 824 bp was obtained in 239 ewes of five breeds. The 824 bp PCR product was digested with restriction endonucleases Mnl I and Rsa I, and checked for the presence of restriction sites. The presence (allele M) or absence (allele m) of an Mnl I site at base position 605 led to three genotypes MM (236 bp/236 bp), Mm (236 bp/303 bp) and mm (303 bp/303 bp) in five sheep breeds. The presence (allele R) or absence (allele r) of a Rsa I site at base position 604 led to three genotypes RR (267 bp/267 bp), Rr (267 bp/290 bp) and rr (290 bp/290 bp) in five sheep breeds. Frequencies of MM and RR genotypes were obviously higher, and frequencies of mm and rr genotypes were obviously lower in nonseasonal estrous sheep breeds than in seasonal estrous sheep breeds. Sequencing revealed four mutations (G453T, G612A, G706A, C891T) in mm genotype compared to MM genotype and one mutation (C606T) in rr genotype compared to RR genotype. For polymorphic Mnl I and Rsa I cleavage sites, the differences of genotype distributions were very highly significant (p<0.01) between Small Tail Han ewes and seasonal estrous sheep breeds. In each group, no significant difference (p>0.05) was detected. These results preliminarily showed an association between MM, RR genotypes and nonseasonal estrus in ewes and an association between mm, rr genotypes and seasonal estrus in ewes.