The artificial insemination (AI) is one of the best assisted reproductive technologies for increasing reproductive capacity and facilitating the genetic improvement in farm animals. AI has been used in Uganda for over 60 years, but a small population of the total herd has been used. This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of AI with estrus synchronization technique and to propose ways of improving the productivity of dairy farms through AI services in Uganda. In total, 78 cows from 11 dairy farms were selected for timed-AI. Synchronization was performed according to the ovsynch programs followed by AI using frozen semen from Korean Holstein (0.5 ml straws). Pregnancy rate was varying among farms (0-50%) and the overall pregnancy rate was 28.2%. Cows in luteal phase at the time of treatment was 40.0% whereas that in follicular phase was 20.8%. After treatment, cows that showed normal estrus signal were 45.5% (25/55). Abnormal estrus was categorized into pre-estrus (9.1%), cystic ovaries (21.8%), anestrus (18.2%) and delayed ovulation (5.5%), respectively. These results imply that an assured protocol for timed-AI should be developed to improve the productivity of dairy farms through AI services in Uganda.

Macrophages play an important role in both the innate and adaptive immune responses. These include phagocytosis, killing of microorganisms, antigen presentation, and induction of immune cytokines and antimicrobial genes. Macrophage activity is reported to be controlled by diverse exogenous antigenic or endogenous metabolic molecules, and the underlying mechanisms are well documented in human and mouse macrophage cells. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is known to be one of the most potent stimuli activating macrophages through the toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway. There are other antigenic molecules, such as muramyl dipeptide (MDP) and outer membrane protein A (OmpA), that are also known to activate immune cells. On the other hand, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as acetate and butyrate are produced by gut microbiota and control host energy metabolism and signal transduction through GPR receptors. However, there are few studies demonstrating the effects of these molecules in macrophages from domestic animals, including domestic pigs. In this study, we attempted to characterize gene expression regulation in porcine macrophages (PoM2, Pig Monocytes clone 2) following treatment with LPS, MDP, OmpA, and two short chain fatty acids using porcine genome microarray and RT-PCR techniques. A number of novel porcine genes, including anti-microbial peptides and others, appeared to be regulated at the transcriptional level. Our study reports novel biomarkers such as SLC37A2, TMEN184C, and LEAP2 that are involved in the porcine immune response to bacterial antigen LPS and two short chain fatty acids.

MYC (v-myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homologue) is a regulator gene that encodes for a nuclear phosphoprotein. Porcine MYC gene was mapped on chromosome SSC 4p13 and is associated with a variety of functions such as cell proliferation and cell growth. MYC expression is coupled to a multitude of physiological processes and is regulated by hormones, growth factors, cytokines, lymphokines, nutritional status, development and differentiation. MYC is also involved in myogenesis, muscle hyperplasia and adipogenesis. In this study, we investigated SNPs in MYC gene and their association with economic traits in Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire populations. We detected a single point mutation in exon 3 of porcine MYC gene as a change of T to C at 906 base (amino acid position 302, nonsynomous mutation of alanine) in MYC-N domain. MYC mutation (T906C) was significantly associated with age at 90 kg in these breeds, signifying that this mutation can serve as a selection marker for growth traits in pigs.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an important component of innate defense mechanisms with broad-spectrum activities against various pathogenic microorganisms, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Antibiotic resistance has become a pervasive and global health burden, resulting in the immediate need to develop a new class of antibiotic substances. We screened a 16-mer random peptide library using the yeast two-hybrid system with Beclin 1 as bait and found that two 16-mer peptides (named P4 and P30) appeared to interact with Beclin1 in the β-gal assay. The two candidate cDNAs were introduced into the yeast secretory system of Pichia pastoris and their expression induced in the presence of methanol. Spectrophotometric analysis and Disc clear zone assay using the supernatant of the yeast growth media showed that both of the two peptides had strong activities against Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA (methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus), MRSA2242, and MRSA-2250, but no effect on commensal Lactobacillus strains. PCR analysis of the genomic DNA of transformed Pichia pastoris using AOX1 primers revealed that the two cDNAs were integrated into the genome at the AOX1 locus. Our result suggests that these peptides could be developed as a useful alternative to classic chemical antibiotics.

노화란 시간경과에 따라 생체기능의 불가역적인 저하로 치매, 뇌혈관질환, 고혈압, 암 등과 같은 노화관련 질병이 생겨나며, 세포들이 생명력을 잃어가는 일련의 현상이다. 노화로 인한 대표적인 질병은 퇴행성 뇌 질환에 의한 알츠하이머, 치매와 파킨슨병이 있다. 이 병들은 초기의 변화가 두드러지지 않아 조기 진단이 어렵고, 질병의 진행을 막는데 어려움이 있다. 이를 해결할 방법으로 유전자 지표를 개발하는 것이 중요한 과제라 할 수 있는데, 본 연구는 노화 동물모델인 SAMP1 마우스를 대조군인 SAMR1 마우스를 비교하여 노화의 초기단계에 차등 발현하는 유전자를 확인하여 향후 노화와 연관 지표를 발굴하기 위하여 실시되었다. 먼저, 성장단계인 8주령과 노화초기진행단계인 26주령의 뇌 조직에서의 차등발현 유전자를 발굴하고자 cDNA chip 분석을 수행하였고, 신뢰성을 가지고 생물학적 변이를 검출할 수 있는 유전자는 13,939개의 유전자를 발굴하였다. 이들 중 발현이 2-fold 이상 증감하는 유전자들을 조사한 결과, 2,029개의 유전자를 선별할 수 있었다. 또한, 기능별로 분류한 결과 노화가 진행되는 과정에서 총 증가 혹은 감소한 유전자의 개수는 660개였으며, 이 중 노화와 연관성이 높은 유전자는 74개였다. 26주령에 증가양상을 보인 것이 46개, 감소양상을 보인 유전자가 28개로 밝혀졌다. 이를 검증하기 위해 노화와 관련된 유용한 유전자인 Wnt7a, Prkcb, Dgke가 선별되어 real-time qPCR을 수행하였다. 그 결과 Wnt7a 유전자는 노화가 진행됨에 따라 발현양이 급격히 감소하여 노화 초기 단계의 지표로 활용이 가능할 것으로 사료된다. 반면에 Prkcb 유전자는 성장단계의 발현량에는 관계없이 노화초기단계에서 억제됨을 확인하였고, Dgke는 성장단계부터 유전자 발현이 억제되어 노화에 영향을 미칠 것으로 판단된다.