Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is a recently discovered RNA virus that belongs to the family Coronaviridae and genus Deltacoronavirus. This virus causes enteric disease in piglets that is characterized by enteritis and diarrhoea. In our present investigation, 189 diarrhoeic samples were collected between July 2016 and May 2017 from Tibetan pigs inhabiting in three different provinces surrounding the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. We then applied the molecular-based method of reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCRs) to detect the presence of PDCoV in collected samples, and RT-PCR indicated that the prevalence of PDCoV was 3.70% (7/189) in Tibetan pigs. Four of 7 PDCoV-positive pigs were monoinfections of PDCoV, three samples were co-infections of PDCoV with porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV), and 52 (27.51%) samples were positive for PEDV. Four strains with different full-length genomes were identified (CHN/GS/2016/1, CHN/GS/2016/2, CHN/GS-/2017/1 and CHN/QH/2017/1), and their genomes were used to analyse the characteristics of PDCoV currently prevalent in Tibetan pigs. We found a 3-nt insertion in the spike gene in four strains in Tibetan pigs. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete genome and spike and nucleocapsid gene sequences revealed that these strains shared ancestors with the strain CHN-AH-2004, which was found in pigs from the Anhui province of China mainland. However, PDCoV strains from Tibetan pigs formed different branches within the same cluster, implying continuous evolution in the field. Our present findings highlight the importance of epidemiologic surveillance to limit the spread of PDCoV in livestock at high altitudes in China.

DNA damage caused by exogenous or endogenous factors is a common challenge for developing fish embryos. DNA damage repair (DDR) pathways help organisms minimize adverse effects of DNA alterations. In terms of DNA repair mechanisms, sturgeons represent a particularly interesting model due to their exceptional genome plasticity. Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) is a relatively small species of sturgeon. The goal of this study was to assess the sensitivity of sterlet embryos to model genotoxicants (camptothecin, etoposide, and benzo[a]pyrene), and to assess DDR responses. We assessed the effects of genotoxicants on embryo survival, hatching rate, DNA fragmentation, gene expression, and phosphorylation of H2AX and ATM kinase. Exposure of sterlet embryos to 1 µM benzo[a]pyrene induced low levels of DNA damage accompanied by ATM phosphorylation and xpc gene expression. Conversely, 20 µM etoposide exposure induced DNA damage without activation of known DDR pathways. Effects of 10 nM camptothecin on embryo development were stage-specific, with early stages, before gastrulation, being most sensitive. Overall, this study provides foundational information for future investigation of sterlet DDR pathways.

Polyploidy in sturgeons makes them highly susceptible to interspecific hybridization, and these interspecific hybrids have been described in nature as well as in captivity. Nevertheless, the fitness-related traits between sturgeon hybrids and pure species have been poorly compared as yet. In the present study, we compared the reproductive parameters such as fertilization rate and hatching rate, growth traits and genetic polymorphism in the artificially produced hybrids of the Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) and Russian sturgeon (A. gueldenstaedtii) with their purebreds. Fertilization and hatching rates were found to be significantly higher in Siberian sturgeon (♀) × Russian sturgeon (♂) hybrid group compared to purebreds. The highest cumulative survival rate was determined in purebred groups until 151 days post-hatch (dph); however, this trend changed and Russian sturgeon purebred showed the lowest cumulative survival rate (0.21%) by 913 dph. Similarly, the lowest average body weight was recorded in Russian sturgeon purebred group (264 g). In contrast, the highest average body weight was recorded in Russian sturgeon (♀) × Siberian sturgeon (♂) hybrids (435.3 g) and the highest cumulative survival rate was recorded in Siberian sturgeon (♀) × Russian sturgeon (♂) hybrids (12.32%) by 913 dph. No significant differences were found at heterozygosity levels among studied crosses. Our results showed that studied sturgeon hybrids had higher survival and growth if compared with the purebreds under provided hatchery conditions.

The aim of the present study was to estimate and compare the growth and survival traits of the hybrids and purebreds produced by crossing the Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) (S) and sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) (St) in order to determine the heterosis effect in the F1 generation. We compared the breeding conditions, mean body weight (BW) and cumulative survival in the artificially produced hybrid crosses of sterlet and Siberian sturgeon with respect to their pure parental species in indoor and outdoor aquaculture systems at different developmental stages. Fertilization and hatching rates were found to be significantly higher in S × S purebred compared to St × S hybrid. The highest values of BW were recorded in St × S hybrid (557.54 ± 179.7 g) on 862 days post-hatch (dph) while the highest cumulative survival was recorded in S × S purebred (14.3%). The recorded cumulative survival and mean BW was significantly lower in St × St purebred. The highest positive heterosis was recorded for mean BW of St × S hybrid (51.3% on 862 dph) throughout the sampling points. The studied sturgeon hybrids had higher mean BW compared to St × St purebred under suboptimal rearing conditions. Although there was no clear demonstration of the superiority in performance of reciprocal hybrids over purebreds, the St × S hybrid can be used for achieving better productivity in aquaculture systems. How to cite this article: Shivaramu S, Vuong DT, Havelka M, Lebeda I, Kašpar V, Flajšhans M. The heterosis estimates for growth and survival traits in sterlet and Siberian sturgeon purebreds and hybrids.