Agrocampus Ouest

About: Agrocampus Ouest is a education organization based out in Rennes, France. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Soil water. The organization has 2160 authors who have published 3219 publications receiving 75606 citations. The organization is also known as: Institut supérieur des sciences agronomiques, agroalimentaires, horticoles et du paysage & Higher Institute for agricultural sciences, food industry, horticulture and landscape management.

Genetic mapping of Cacopsylla pyri resistance in an interspecific pear ( Pyrus spp.) population

Abstract: Cacopsylla pyri (pear psylla) is one of the most serious pests of pear (Pyrus spp.) in Europe. It can cause high yield losses, and its control has become difficult since it has developed resistance to a wide range of pesticides. Pear breeders are developing new cultivars resistant to pear psyllids, and Asian species, such as Pyrus ussuriensis and Pyrus × bretschneideri, are good sources of resistance. Antixenosis and antibiosis resistance to psylla were both identified in pear; they may differ in the biological mechanism and probably have different genetic backgrounds. We crossed interspecific P. × bretschneideri × Pyrus communis hybrid PEAR3, resistant to pear psylla, with the susceptible European pear cultivar ‘Moonglow’ to obtain an F1 population for the genetic mapping of the resistance. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was carried out for antibiosis by measuring the number of surviving nymphs and the nymphal development, using a novel phenotyping protocol and a saturated genetic map made of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and microsatellite (simple sequence repeats (SSR)) markers. A stable QTL was detected on linkage group (LG) 8 of PEAR3 (R 2 = 17.2–39.1 %). In addition, QTLs were detected on LG5 (R 2 = 10.8 %) of PEAR3 and on LG15 of ‘Moonglow’ (R 2 = 13.7 %).

β-Lactoglobulin as a Molecular Carrier of Linoleate: Characterization and Effects on Intestinal Epithelial Cells in Vitro

Abstract: The dairy protein β-lactoglobulin (βlg) is known to bind hydrophobic ligands such as fatty acids. In the present work, we investigated the biological activity in vitro of linoleate once complexed to bovine βlg. Binding of linoleate (C18:2) to bovine βlg was achieved by heating at 60 °C for 30 min at pH 7.4, resulting in a linoleate/βlg molar binding stoichiometry of 1.1, 2.1, and 3.4. Two types of binding sites were determined by ITC titrations. Binding of linoleate induced the formation of covalent dimers and trimers of βlg. The LD50 on Caco-2 cells after 24 h was 58 μM linoleate. However, cell viability was unaffected when 200 μM linoleate was presented to the Caco-2 cells as part of the βlg complex. The Caco-2 cells did not increase mRNA transcript levels of long chain fatty acid transport genes, FATP4 and FABPpm, or increase levels of the cAMP signal, in response to the presence of 50 μM linoleate alone or as part of the βlg complex. Therefore, it is proposed that βlg can act as a molecular carrier an...

Whole Blood Transcriptomics Is Relevant to Identify Molecular Changes in Response to Genetic Selection for Feed Efficiency and Nutritional Status in the Pig.

Abstract: The molecular mechanisms underlying feed efficiency need to be better understood to improve animal efficiency, a research priority to support a competitive and sustainable livestock production. This study was undertaken to determine whether pig blood transcriptome was affected by differences in feed efficiency and by ingested nutrients. Growing pigs from two lines divergently selected for residual feed intake (RFI) and fed isoproteic and isocaloric diets contrasted in energy source and nutrients were considered. Between 74 and 132 days of age, pigs (n = 12 by diet and by line) received a regular diet rich in cereals and low in fat (LF) or a diet where cereals where partially substituted by lipids and fibers (HF). At the end of the feeding trial, the total number of white blood cells was not affected by the line or by the diet, whereas the red blood cell number was higher (P<0.001) in low RFI than in high RFI pigs. Analysis of the whole blood transcriptome using a porcine microarray reveals a higher number of probes differentially expressed (DE) between RFI lines than between diets (2,154 versus 92 probes DE, P<0.01). This corresponds to 528 overexpressed genes and 477 underexpressed genes in low RFI pigs compared with high RFI pigs, respectively. Overexpressed genes were predominantly associated with translational elongation. Underexpressed genes were mainly involved in the immune response, regulation of inflammatory response, anti-apoptosis process, and cell organization. These findings suggest that selection for RFI has affected the immune status and defense mechanisms of pigs. Genes DE between diets were mainly related to the immune system and lipid metabolism. Altogether, this study demonstrates the usefulness of the blood transcriptome to identify the main biological processes affected by genetic selection and feeding strategies.