Additional File 2: Table S1. Variance in the chlorophyll content (SPAD value) in three environments (HB, YY, and YC). Table S2. Candidate genes detected by the six GWAS models. Table S3. Results of the GO and KEGG analyses of key candidate genes. Table S4. Summary of the variance in heritability. Table S5. Expression patterns of key candidate genes in different tissues. Table S6. Comparison of the haplotypes of key candidate genes in terms of the chlorophyll content (CC) of 290 inbred lines. Table S7. Phenotypic data of CC (SPAD values).
Introduction Stereotypic behaviours, especially oral stereotypic behaviours, are frequently expressed in farm animals. Tongue-rolling is the most common oral stereotypic behaviour in dairy cows ( Bos taurus ). If animals frequently display stereotypic behaviours, this is an indication of poor welfare. It has been suggested that animals express stereotypic behaviours as a way of coping with stress. As a result, animals with stereotypic behaviours may have lower levels of stress hormones than animals without stereotypic behaviours. Methods In this study, 916 Holstein cows in the first lactation were subjected to scan sampling behavioural observations 200 times for 10 days. All cows were assigned to either a stereotypic behaviours group (SB) or a control group (CON). The SB group was further subdivided into a tongue-rolling group (TR) and an other-stereotypic behaviours group (OS). The TR group was also split into an only tongue-rolling group (OTR) and a mixed tongue-rolling and other stereotypic behaviours group (TROS). Some cows in the TR group belonged to an extreme tongue-rolling group (ETR). Hair and saliva samples were collected from 601 cows to test cortisol concentrations and dairy herd improvement (DHI) data were collected from a total of 762 cows. Results There were no differences in hair or saliva cortisol concentrations between the groups ( p >0.05), and the frequencies of tongue-rolling were not associated with cortisol concentrations ( p >0.05). For DHI in cows, the milk protein percentage ( p = 0.028), milk true protein percentage ( p = 0.021) and milk crude protein percentage ( p = 0.023) of cows in the ETR group were significantly lower than those in the CON group. For cows in ETR group, as the frequencies of tongue-rolling increased, the milk protein percentage ( p = 0.034, r = 0.365), milk true protein percentage ( p = 0.022, r = 0.393) and milk crude protein percentage ( p = 0.035, r = 0.363) increased. Discussion We investigated the relationship between stereotypic behaviours and stress by using a non-invasive sampling method to minimise harm to the cows. We suggest that tongue-rolling may not be a way for cows to cope with stress, at least in terms of cortisol concentrations.
Heat stress (HS) negatively affects the development of hair follicles. The present study investigated the effect of vitamin A (VA) on the development of rabbit dermal papilla cells (DPCs) under HS and the underlying regulatory mechanisms. Addition of 0.4 mg/L VA to the culture medium significantly enhanced cell proliferation (P < 0.001) and inhibited the apoptosis of DPCs (P < 0.01). VA decreased the proportion of DPCs in G0/G1 stage of the cell cycle under HS along with the expression of caspase 3, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), and microRNA 195 (miR-195) (P < 0.05). VA also activated the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and Wnt10b/β-catenin signaling pathways. The results of the dual luciferase reporter assay showed that IGF1 expression was modulated by miR-195-5p. Over-expression of miR-195-5p in DPCs with HS+VA treatment significantly reduced cell viability and IGF1 signaling (P < 0.01) and increased apoptosis (P < 0.01) compared with the HS+VA group. The positive effects of VA on proliferation and apoptosis of DPCs under HS were significantly attenu-ated by blocking Wnt10b and β-catenin signaling with IWP-2 and XAV-939, respectively. These results demonstrate that VA can promote hair follicle development following HS via modulation of miR-195/IGF1 and Wnt10b/β-catenin signaling pathways.
Abstract Background Abnormal or stereotyped behaviours in dairy cows are common in large-scale indoor farms and are usually accompanied by high physiological stress levels. Feed tossing is an abnormal behaviour commonly seen in cows while being fed, making farm management difficult. However, the reasons behind this behaviour have not been sufficiently reported. The objective of this study was to explore the changes in rumen fermentation, serum indicators, inflammatory conditions and the performance of cows with feed tossing behaviour. Holstein cows with similar lactation stages in the same barn were subjected to behaviour observations two times per day for 21 consecutive days. Ten cows with feed tossing behaviour (FT) and ten cows without abnormal behaviours (CON) were selected for further sampling. Plasma samples, rumen fluid, milk yield data of cows, and an indoor environment temperature-humidity index (THI) were collected. Results There was no significant difference in average daily milk yield during the observation period between feed-tossing cows ( n = 68) and the other cows ( n = 112). The number of cows showing FT behaviour had a moderately strong negative linear correlation with the THI of the environment. Compared to the CON cows, the FT cows had higher cortisol, norepinephrine and urea nitrogen levels in plasma, as well as higher plasma levels of inflammatory indicators, including total protein, lactate dehydrogenase, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase levels, and the ratio of aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase. The FT cows had no significant variations from the CON cows regarding their rumen fermentation indicators, such as pH, ammonia nitrogen, and volatile fatty acids. In addition, 16S rRNA analysis revealed that there might be no clear association between the diversity and abundance of rumen bacteria and feed tossing behaviour. Conclusions Our findings suggested that cows might have suffered from high levels of physiological stress and immune state for a long period when they exhibited FT behaviour. The environmental THI could affect the FT behaviour of cows; as the THI increases, the willingness of cows to throw decreases. This work provided the first evidence that feed tossing might be a response associated with high levels of physiological stress and immune. It also explored our insights into a commonly observed behavioural response to cow welfare traits.
This study focused on investigating the natural grassland and human-disturbed grassland within the Xilin River basin, which was established in 2013. Different slope positions within these grassland areas were selected to analyze the effects of various utilization methods. Soil respiration dynamics were measured daily using the ADC soil respiration analyzer. The key findings can be summarized as follows: Diurnal patterns of soil respiration showed distinct single peak curves for both land use types and different slope positions. Peak activity consistently occurred between 13:00 and 14:30 each day. Average soil respiration rates varied significantly among different slope positions. In the human-disturbed grassland, the highest rate was observed at the slope top with a value of 2.61 ± 0.80 μmol·m-2·s-1, followed by 1.51 ± 0.32 μmol·m-2·s-1, 1.31 ± 0.68 μmol·m-2·s-1, and 0.75 ± 0.25 μmol·m-2·s-1. This difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The relationship between soil respiration and soil temperature was well-described by an exponential equation in the univariate model. The R2 values ranged from 0.76 to 0.87, and the corresponding Q10 values ranged from 1.59 to 2.17. However, the linear bivariate model (R = a + bT + cW) provided a more accurate representation of the impact of hydrothermal factors on soil respiration. The R2 values in this model ranged from 0.82 to 0.89. These findings highlight the diurnal patterns of soil respiration, the influence of slope position on soil respiration rates, and the significance of both soil temperature and moisture in determining soil respiration dynamics in the studied grassland areas.
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