Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) is known as an important biomarker for fetal abnormality during first trimester and has a pivotal role in follicle development and corpus luteum formation. And also, it is being revealed that an expression of PAPP-A in various cells and tissues such as cancer and lesion area. PAPP-A is the major IGF binding protein-4 (IGFBP-4) protease. Cleavage of IGFBP-4 results in loss of binding affinity for IGF, causing increased IGF bioavailability for proliferation, survival, and migration. Additionally, PAPP-A can be used as a promising therapeutic target for healthy longevity. Despite growing interest, almost nothing is known about how PAPP-A expression is regulated in any tissue. This review will focus on what is currently known about the zinc metalloproteinase, PAPP-A, and its role in cells and tissues. PAPP-A is expressed in proliferating cells such as fetus in uterus, granulosa cells in follicle, dermis in wound, cancer cells, and Sertoli cells in testis. They have common characteristics of proliferation faster than normal cells with stimulating IGFs action and inhibiting IGFBPs. The PAPP-A functions and expression studies in livestock have not yet been conducted much. Further studies are needed to use PAPP-A as a marker for healthy longevity in animal science.

The identification of biomarkers of a living tissues is essentially required to understand specific functions of the cells. In previous study, we reported IGFBP 3 as one of the putative biomarkers, by showing specific expression at porcine spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) of early stage of porcine testis. In this study, we analyzed the expression of seven members of IGFBP family (IGFBPs) in SSCs and histological expression pattern of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), which plays a role on the growth promoting enzyme by cleavage of IGFBPs in testis of 5 days old pig. RT-PCR analysis showed that IGFBP 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 were expressed at high level specifically in porcine SSCs compared with whole testis. We performed immunohisotochemical staining of testis sections with PAPP-A and protein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5) which are the known biomarkers for SSCs. We were not able to find co-expression of PAPP-A and PGP9.5; PAPP-A was expressed only in Sertoli cells and PGP9.5 expression was confirmed in spermatogonium. Additionally, we were able to confirm the GATA4 expression in Sertoli and Leydig cells as a regulator of Sertoli cell function was not detected PGP9.5 expressing cells, indicating indirect evidence of that cytolocalization of PAPP-A expression is limited in Sertoli cells. These results suggested that the PAPP-A expressed in Sertoli cells may play role on regulation of development and differentiation of testicular cells through the IGF axis in neonatal porcine testis.

The study investigated the effects of adding bovine plasma protein(PP) hydrolysates on the quality properties of cooked pork patties. Pork patties were prepared as follows: manufactured with pork back-fat(control); replacement of back-fat with 40% olive oil(T1), 40% olive oil and 2% PP hydrolysates(T2), and 40% olive oil and 4% PP hydrolysates(T3). The olive oil modified the fatty acid profiles of the pork patties by lowering the saturated fatty acids(SFAs) percentage. Olive oil and 4% PP hydrolysates addition reduced the level of 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance(TBARS) values in pork patties, compared to the controls. Furthermore, the pork patties with added PP hydrolysates had higher pH values than the control. All samples containing olive oil and PP hydrolysates had increased levels of DPPH radical scavenging activity. In particular, added PP hydrolysates were more effective in increasing antioxidant activity than were the other treatments. Therefore, PP hydrolysates could be used as a natural antioxidative in cooked pork patties.

This study was performed to comprehend the plasma proteins expressed specifically during early pregnancy in pregnant or non-pregnant Hanwoo using proteomic analysis technique. Plasma samples (0, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 11 weeks after AI) were obtained from pregnant (P, n=3) or non-pregnant (NP, n=4) Hanwoo, respectively. To evaluate proteins differentially expressed, 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) was conducted. Normalized protein spots were selected for the significant expression variation deviated over two fold in its expression level between two groups. Molecular functions of the proteins were DNA binding, protein binding, hemoglobin binding, ferrochelatase and transporter activity and arylestera, respectively. According to western blotting, haptoglobin was specifically expressed only in NP group during early pregnancy; however, paraoxonase 1 was highly expressed in pregnant group. Based on these results, pregnancy was maintained successfully by the activation of specific plasma proteins associated with immune system and antioxidant regulation during early pregnancy in Hanwoo

본 연구는 고온과 고습 조건 하에서 양파 화구의 총 단백질 발현과 원형질막 H+ATPase 영향을 조사하고자 조생종 '신선황'과 중생종 '맵시황'를 이용하여 실험을 수행하였다. '신선황'과 '맵시황' 품종의 양파 회구 개화전, 반개화, 그리고 만개 단계에서 단백질의 양생에는 차이를 보이지 않았지만 결실 단계에서는 유도 및 비유도되는 단백질이 현저하게 나타났다. 양파 화구 개화 후 실시한 고온과 고습처리 18일째의 양파두 품종의 단벡질도 현저하게 감소하였고 특히 고온처리구에서 더 감소되는 경향을 보였다. 원형절막 H+ATPase 발현을 western-blot으로 살펴본 결과, '신선황' 과 '맵시황'의 경우 대조구에서 원형질막 H+ATPase 단백질 발현이 유지 되는 반면에, 고온처리구에서는 두품종 모두 원형질막 H+ATPase가 발현 되지 않았다. 고습처리구에서 중생종 '맵시황'약 원형질막 H+ATPase는 발현 되었는데 조생종 '신선황'에서 발현되지 않았다. 이는 양파 종자 성숙단계에서 고온 조건을 조우하면 고습처리 보다는 단백질 및 원형질막의 H+ATPase피해가 더 심각함을 보여 주는 결과이다.

This study was performed to identify and analyze the specifically expressed plasma proteins during early pregnancy in both pregnant and non-pregnant Hanwoo. Blood samples were collected at 0 (the day of AI), 2, 3, 4, 7, and 11 weeks after AI from pregnant (n=3) and non-pregnant (n=4) Hanwoo, respectively. The hematological parameters were measured. After 2-dimensional electrophoresis using serum, normalized protein spots were selected for the significant expression variation deviated over two fold in its expression level between two groups. Among 17 spots selected, 15 were identified as albumin, IgG1 heavy chain constant region, haptoglobin, ferrochelatase, fibrinogen, hemopexin. 5 spots were expressed only in non-pregnant specific. The spot identification of 1105 and 6106 was decreased after 3 weeks from AI. However, 2/17 spots were still unidentified. Further studies are needed to analyze the function of the proteins associated with early pregnancy.

A total of 240 weaned pigs (Landrace ×Yorkshire × Duroc, 22±3 d of age, 5.16±0.90 kg initial body weight) were used to study the effect of feeding level of microbial fermented soya protein on their blood hematology, enzymes and immune cell populations. The microbial (Aspergillus oryzae + Bacillus subtilis) fermented soya protein (FSP) was used. Pigs were allotted to four dietary treatments, each comprising of 4 pens with 15 pigs. Basal diets consisted of 15% soya bean meal (Control diet); while for treatment diets SBM was replaced with 3, 6 and 9% FSP. The experimental diets were fed from 0 to 14 day after weaning and then a common commercial diet was fed from 15 to 35 day. Blood was collected on 14 and 35 day of experiment and analyzed for hematology, plasma aspartate transaminase (AST), plasma alanine transaminase (ALT) and immune cell populations. Increasing the level of FSP in the diet of pigs linearly decreased distribution of red blood cells (P<0.01), MPV (P<0.05), MO (P<0.05), EO (P<0.05) and BA (P<0.05) on d 14. Linear and quadratic decrease in the RBC (P<0.05), Hb (P<0.05), HCT (P<0.01), PLT (P<0.001) and EO (P<0.05) and linear increase in the MCHC (P<0.001), MPV (P<0.05), WBC (P<0.05) and NE (P<0.05) on d 35 was noted. Pigs fed with 6% FSP had lower (P<0.05) levels of AST and ALT on d 14, while the levels of ALT and AST on d 35 did not differ among the dietary treatments. Thus the results suggest that microbial fermented soya protein affected the hematological indices, immune cell populations and plasma enzymes in weaned pigs.

This study was conducted to determine the replacement effect of spray dried plasma protein (SDPP) with dried porcine solubles (DPS) in weaning pigs. An ileal digestibility trial, at first, was conducted to formulate the experimental diets with SDPP or DPS. Six piglets (21-d old and 6.12kg BW) with T -cannula in the terminal ileum were used. In a feeding trial, 180 pigs (21-d old and 5.98kg BW) were alloted in a completely randomized block design. Treatments were T1 (SDPP 5%, DPS 0%), T2 (SDPP 5%, DPS 2.5%), T3 (SDPP 2.5%, DPS 0%), and T4 (SDPP 2.5%, DPS 2.5%) for phase I, and T1 (SDPP 3%, DPS 0%), T2 (SDPP 3%, DPS 1.5%), T3 (SDPP 1.5%, DPS 0%), and T4 (SDPP 1.5%, DPS 1.5%) for phase Ⅱ. Phase Ⅰ(0～1 week) diet was formulated to contain 3,300ME kcal/kg and 1.25% digestible lysine, and phase Ⅱ (2～3 week) diet contained 3,320ME kcal/kg and 1.10% digestible lysine. Chemical pompositions of the protein sources were higher in SDPP than DPS: CP (81.60 vs. 56.01), lysine (5.95 vs. 3.36), and methionine (1.85 vs. 1.22). Apparent ileal digestibilities of arginine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, threonine and phenylalanine were higher in DPS than SDPP (p<0.05). The apparent ileal digestibility of essential amino acids (average) was also higher in DPS than SDPP (p<0.05). There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in ADG and ADFI of piglets during phase Ⅰ (0～1 week) and Ⅱ (2～3 week) among treatments. However, during phase Ⅱ, T2 showed better FCR than T1 (p<0.05). During the overall period, there was no significant difference in growth performance among treatments. When DPS was partially replaced for SDPP, the diet cost was significantly reduced (p<0.05) in terms of cost/kg of body weight. In summary, the digestibility of DPS was exellent, and it would be concluded that DPS can be partially replaced in the young pigs' diet containing SDPP in order to reduce diet cost in weaning pigs.