A dominant missense variant within LMBR1 related to equine polydactyly.

Polydactyly was recorded before 100 BCE and attracted widespread interest because of its relationship to limb health and ancestral traits in horses. However, the underlying reasons for the development of polydactyly remain unclear. To search for polydactyly-related genes, we utilize a paternal half-sib family and screen for variants that match the mode of inheritance. Through this screening process, 77 variants in 65 genes are filtered. A missense variant (EqCab3.0 chr4: <107353368> A > G) (rs1138485164) in the 3rd exon of LMBR1 is identified as a source of amino acid sequence variation. Gene editing confirms that the variant down-regulates LMBR1expression, increases the proliferative viability of mutant cells, and inhibits apoptosis. This study suggests that LMBR1 might play a role in the development of polydactyly and that the variant detected in this study is related to polydactyly in horses. However, further research is needed to determine whether a direct relationship exists.

Genome-Wide Identification of Specific Genetic Loci Common to Sheep and Goat.

Sheep and goat may become carriers of some zoonotic diseases. They are important livestock and experimental model animals for human beings. The fast and accurate identification of genetic materials originating from sheep and goat can prevent and inhibit the spread of some zoonotic diseases, monitor market product quality, and maintain the stability of animal husbandry and food industries. This study proposed a methodology for identifying sheep and goat common specific sites from a genome-wide perspective. A total of 150 specific sites were selected from three data sources, including the coding sequences of single copy genes from nine species (sheep, goat, cow, pig, dog, horse, human, mouse, and chicken), the dbSNPs for these species, and human 100-way alignment data. These 150 sites exhibited low intraspecific heterogeneity in the resequencing data of 1450 samples from five species (sheep, goat, cow, pig, and chicken) and high interspecific divergence in the human 100-way alignment data after quality control. The results were proven to be reliable at the data level. Using the process proposed in this study, specific sites of other species can be screened, and genome-level species identification can be performed using the screened sites.

Taraxacum mongolicum polysaccharide promotes white adipocyte browning by regulating miR-134-3p via Akt/GSK-3ß signalling.

In recent years, the incidence of obesity has gradually increased due to high calorie diets and lack of exercise. Reducing energy intake or increasing energy expenditure is the most effective way to promote weight loss and reduce lipid levels. Activated beige adipocytes can increase energy consumption in the body, and inducing conversion of white adipocytes to brown can prevent and treat obesity. Taraxacum mongolicum polysaccharide (TMP) is a plant polysaccharide that has been widely used for its anti-tumour and antioxidant properties. However, little is known about the role of TMP in the browning of sheep white adipose tissue. The aim of this study was to explore the potential mechanism of TMP and miR-134-3p in regulating the browning of sheep white adipocytes, as well as the regulatory relationship between TMP and miR-134-3p. Our results showed that TMP had a positive regulatory effect on the proliferation and browning of sheep white adipocytes. In addition, miR-134-3p significantly inhibited browning activity and AKT/GSK-3ß signalling. Importantly, we found that TMP function required miR-134-3p mediation in the browning of sheep white adipocytes. Overall, our results suggested that TMP recruited beige adipocytes by regulating AKT/GSK-3ß signalling via miR-134-3p.