Application of Transgenic Technology in Identification for Gene Function on Grasses

Perennial grasses have developed intricate mechanisms to adapt to diverse environments,enabling their resistance to various biotic and abiotic stressors.These mechanisms arise from strong natural selection that contributes to enhancing the adaptation of forage plants to various stress conditions.Methods such as antisense RNA technology,CRISPR/Cas9 screening,virus-induced gene silencing,and transgenic technology,are commonly utilized for investigating the stress response functionalities of grass genes in both warm-season and cool-season varieties.This review focuses on the functional identification of stress-resistance genes and regulatory elements in grasses.It synthesizes recent studies on mining functional genes,regulatory genes,and protein kinase-like signaling factors involved in stress responses in grasses.Additionally,the review outlines future research directions,providing theoretical support and references for further exploration of(i)molecular mechanisms underlying grass stress responses,(ii)cultivation and domestication of herbage,(iii)development of high-yield varieties resistant to stress,and(iv)mechanisms and breeding strategies for stress resistance in grasses.

The Complete Chloroplast Genome of <i>Poa pratensis</i>(Poaceae), a High-Quality Forage

Poa pratensis L. (Poaceae) is a hardy, persistent, attractive forage and turf grass adapted to a wide range of soils and climate. In this study, we release and detail the complete chloroplast genome sequences of P. pratensis. The whole chloroplast genome was 135,649 bp in length and comprised 131 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA genes, 8 rRNA genes. The P. pratensis chloroplast genome had a GC content of 38.3%. The result of phylogenetic analysis showed that P. pratensis was closely related to P. pratensis cv. Qinghai and P. poophagorum. This study would provide useful genetic information for the protection of P. pratensis and other related species.

Corrigendum to“Probiotic effect of ferulic acid esterase-producing Lactobacillus plantarum inoculated alfalfa silage on digestion,antioxidant,and immunity status of lactating dairy goats”[Anim Nutr 11(2022)38e47]

The authors’regret to state that the experimental strain used in the above-mentioned article was published with a wrong name.Instead of Lactobacillus plantarum A1,all the name of the strain should be changed to Lactobacillus reuteri A4-2.The authors would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Probiotic effect of ferulic acid esterase-producing Lactobacillus plantarum inoculated alfalfa silage on digestion,antioxidant,and immunity status of lactating dairy goats

A feeding experiment was conducted to determine the effects of inoculating alfalfa silage with a ferulic acid esterase-producing inoculum on feed digestibility,rumen fermentation,antioxidant,and immunity status of lactating dairy goats.Twenty dairy goats were distributed into 2 experimental groups consisting of control diet(Lp MTD/1,including Lactobacillus plantarum MTD/1 inoculated silage)against diet containing silage treated with ferulic acid esterase-producing L.plantarum A1(Lp A1).Alfalfa silage inoculated with a ferulic acid esterase-producing Lp A1 had better fermentation quality than the Lp MTD/1inoculation.The application of Lp A1 improved silage antioxidant capacity as indicated by greater total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC),superoxide dismutase(SOD)and glutathion peroxidase(GSH-Px)activities in Lp A1 treated silage versus Lp MTD/1 treatment.Compared with Lp MTD/1 treated group,inoculation of silage with Lp A1 increased apparent total tract digestibility of dietary dry matter,organic matter and crude protein,and ruminal concentrations of total volatile fatty acids,acetate,propionate and isobutyrate as well.The results of current study also demonstrated improved antioxidant capacity and immune performance of dairy goats with Lp A1 inoculation.Feeding Lp A1-treated silage increased dairy goats’serum antioxidase activity,such as T-AOC,SOD,GSH-Px and catalase,and the serum concentration of immunoglobulin A,while decreased tumor necrosis factor a,interleukin(IL)-2 and IL-6.In addition,compared with Lp MTD/1,diet containing alfalfa silage inoculated with Lp A1 endowed dairy goats’milk with greater fat and protein contents,improved dairy goat milk quality without affecting feed efficiency.

Using balance of seasonal herbage supply and demand to inform sustainable grassland management on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

To mitigate the impacts of grassland degradation on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau(QTP), in recent decades China has been implementing large-scale conservation programs and has invested about 42 billion CNY(7 billion USD). However, these programs are faced with major challenges involving trade-offs between ecological function, livestock production and income of pastoralists.Scientific assessments, as well as technical and policy issues, have not fully captured the complex ecological,social and economic dynamics of the challenges facing grassland management on the QTP. Pastoral livestock production on the QTP is characterized by imbalance in both quality and quantity between livestock seasonal nutrient requirements and herbage production, which forces pastoralists to keep larger numbers of livestock for longer periods, leading to overgrazing. To solve these problems, an integrated crop-livestock system is promoted to improve the efficiency of livestock production and conserve natural grassland as well for a sustainable system for the QTP.

Yak rumen microbiome elevates fiber degradation ability and alters rumen fermentation pattern to increase feed efficiency

Rumen microbes play an important role in ruminant energy supply and animal performance.Previous studies showed that yak(Bos grunniens)rumen microbiome and fermentation differ from other ruminants.However,little is understood about the features of the rumen microbiome that make yak adapted to their unique environmental and dietary conditions.This study was to investigate the rumen microbiome and metabolome to understand how yak adapt to the coarse forage and harsh environment in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.Nine female Qaidam yellow cattle(Bos taurus),9 dzomo(hybrids of cattle and yak)and 9 female plateau yak(B.grunniens),about 5 to 6 years old,were used in this study.Rumen fermentation parameters,fibrolytic enzyme activities,and rumen metataxonomic were determined.Then 18(6 samples per group)were selected for rumen metagenomic and metabolome analysis.Metataxonomic analysis revealed that the rumen microbiota was significantly different among plateau yak,Qaidam yellow cattle,and dzomo(P<0.05).Metagenomic analysis displayed a larger gene pool encoding a richer repertoire of carbohydrate-active enzymes in the rumen microbiome of plateau yak and dzomo than Qaidam yellow cattle(P<0.05).Some of the genes encoding glycoside hydrolases that mediate the digestion of cellulose and hemicellulose were significantly enriched in the rumen of plateau yak than Qaidam yellow cattle,but glycoside hydrolase 57 that primarily includes amylases was abundant in Qaidam yellow cattle(P<0.05).The rumen fermentation profile differed also,Qaidam yellow cattle having a higher molar proportion of acetate but a lower molar proportion of propionate than dzomo and plateau yak(P<0.05).Based on metabolomic analysis,rumen microbial metabolic pathways and metabolites were different.Differential metabolites are mainly amino acids,carboxylic acids,sugars,and bile acids.Changes in rumen microbial composition could explain the above results.The present study showed that the rumen microbiome of plateau yak helps its host to adapt to the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.In particular,the plateau yak rumen microbiome has more enzymes genes involved in cellulase and hemicellulase than that of cattle,resulting higher fibrolytic enzyme activities inyak,further providing stronger fiber degradation function.