ABSTRACT. Insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs) play a key role in modulating insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), and are considered candidate genes for growth traits in livestock. In this study, we identified the complete coding sequences of IGFBP-1 to -6 in the Nanjiang brown goat, and assessed gene tissue expression patterns by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Expression of mRNA for the six gene targets was detectable in liver, heart, and longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle. Expression levels of IGFBP-1, -2 and -5 mRNA were higher in liver than in heart and LD muscle (P < 0.01), while IGFBP-6 expression was highest in LD muscle, and IGFBP-3 and -4 were predominantly expressed in LD muscle and liver. Higher IGFBP-2, -3, -4, and -6 mRNA levels were observed in LD, compared to triceps brachii muscle (P < 0.01). Additionally, the target genes had different temporal expression profiles during postnatal development. Histological assessment of muscle sections revealed a constant increase in muscle fiber diameter with aging. These results suggest that IGFBPs

ABSTRACT. Taenia pisiformis larvae cause significant health problems to rabbits. At present, it is not known whether the recombinant antigen from the T. pisiformis oncosphere is able to confer protective immunity against T. pisiformis larval infection. The full-length cDNA was cloned into a pET32a (+) vector, and the recombinant protein was then expressed in BL21 (DE3) cells. Vaccination with the purified rTpUbc2 coupled with QuilA was carried out in New Zealand rabbits to evaluate the immunoprotective effect against T. pisiformis infection. The full-length open reading frame of the TpUbc2 gene was 444 bp, and encoded a 16.63-kDa protein. Finally, rTpUbc2 was used to evaluate the ability to induce immunoprotective responses in rabbits. A 79.3-90.8% reduction (P < 0.01) in the recovery of larvae was observed in the experimental group compared to the control group. Specific anti-rTpUbc2 antibodies from immunized rabbits had significantly higher levels of IgG (P < 0.01) compared to the control group; however, no significant difference in IgA levels was found between groups 6149 Protection against Taenia pisiformis larvae ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 13 (3): 6148-6159 (2014) (P > 0.05). Our data support the use of rTpUbc2 as a potential candidate to develop a vaccine against T. pisiformis larvae.

ABSTRACT. Hypoxia influences many physiological processes, such as respiration, cardiovascular, neurophysiology, and digestion. Skeletal muscle is an important motor organ, which relies on oxygen of oxidation; however, the study of hypoxia in skeletal muscle is lacking. In order to understand the effect of hypoxia on skeletal muscle, we determined the expression level of four hypoxia-related genes (ADAM17, ARG2, MMP, and HIF1A) in two distinct skeletal muscle tissues from Tibetan pigs that live at different altitudes (500 and 3650 m). Consistent with the well-characterized role of four hypoxia-related genes in the adaptation to high altitude, we found that, compared with the plain pigs, the plateau pigs had higher mRNA abundances of the four genes and lower myofiber ratio in skeletal muscle. The negative correlation between the myofiber ratio and mRNA abundance of the four hypoxia-related genes highlights their critical roles in skeletal 11588 J. Zhang et al. ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 14 (3): 11587-11593 (2015) muscle. These findings may be important for understanding skeletal muscle adaptation to high altitude and hypoxia-related muscle diseases in humans.

ABSTRACT. DNA methylation is a stable epigenetic mark mediating gene expression. Methylation is crucial for diverse biological processes, including aging and embryo development. FASN (fatty acid synthase) plays an important role in de novo lipogenesis, through catalyzing the reductive synthesis of long-chain fatty acids. In this study, we investigated the FASN gene expression pattern and corresponding DNA methylation status in the inner layer of backfat from Jinhua pigs at different developmental stages. Our results showed that FASN gene expression increases with age and is positively associated with adipocyte volume (r = 0.98, P < 0.01). In addition, the DNA methylation level for the first exon (0.11, CGI 3) of the FASN gene is approximately 8-fold lower than levels for its promoter (0.94, CGI 1&2) (two-way ANOVA, P CGI < 0.01). The association analysis revealed that both promoter (r = -0.944, P < 0.01) and first exon methylation (r = -0.774, P < 0.01) are significantly and negatively correlated with FASN gene expression. Our results will benefit future investigations of the epigenetic mechanism underlying FASN gene expression.