Effektivität der Zuchtwertschätzung mit transformierten Daten, überprüft mit Mutter-Töchter-Paaren eines Wachtelexperimentes

Abstract. Title of the paper: Effectiveness of genetic evaluation with transformed data by using dam-daughter pairs of Japanese quails In estimation of variance components with REML it has been assumed that the data were normally distributed. Egg production traits of poultry have been shown to exhibit markedly non-normal distributions. In this study, six traits from an unselected quail line were analysed. The original data were transformed using the well-established power transformation to approach normality. The genetic evaluation was carried out with a multipletrait animal model, based on transformed and untransformed data, respectively. Two traits of laying performance, of egg weight and body weight were analysed simultaneously. To compare the efficiency of breeding values the method of simulated selection with biological data (dam-daughter pairs) was used. To select the dams with intensities between 10% and 90% we used individual records and BLUP-breeding values, estimated with transformed and untransformed data. The response of such a selection was estimated using the corresponding daughter records. Only for the trait laying Performance up to 200 days of life we could indicate an advantage of the transformation. It was shown, that by changing from one trait to multiple-trait genetic evaluation non-normality could be compensate. For 10% intensity the selection for individual laying performance provided an unexpected high response in comparing with the BLUP-method.

Visualization of carbohydrate-binding molecules expressed by myelomono- and erythropoietic cells derived from human bone marrow: an immunoenzymatic double-staining study

Interactions between human haematopoietic and bone marrow stromal cells are governed by complex carbohydrate-mediated adhesion processes. In order to evaluate corresponding carbohydrate-binding sites on human myelo- and erythropoietic cells which were able to react with mono- or oligosaccharides, we established an immunocytochemical double-staining assay. In a first step, cell lineages were visualized using Lewis(x) (CD15) or glycophorin C-specific monoclonal antibodies. The second step included polyacrylamide-conjugated carbohydrate structures. According to our results, the carbohydrate-binding potential of granulopoietic cells increased during the process of maturation, contrasting a reduction of carbohydrate-binding sites on erythroid precursor cells during differentiation. With respect to previous in vitro studies, these findings shed some light on certain aspects of bone marrow homing as well as on the trafficking of mature cellular elements into circulation. It is tempting to speculate that carbohydrate-mediated adhesion mechanisms may be involved in the various functional defects of progenitor cells in chronic myelogenic leukaemia, especially regarding their complex interactions with the marrow microenvironment.

Comparative quantitative analysis of macrophage populations defined by CD68 and carbohydrate antigens in normal and pathologically altered human liver tissue

Liver macrophages, which are involved in the different types of hepatitis, may indirectly induce hepatic fibrogenesis, since they have the possibility to activate hepatic stellate cells and fibroblasts by secretion of TGF-beta, TNF-alpha and IL-1. To evaluate variations of the number of liver macrophages and their subpopulations, a quantification was carried out in normal human liver tissue, fatty liver, fatty liver hepatitis and hepatitis B. Identification was performed by the mab PG-M1 (anti-CD68) and, comparatively, four lectins, Griffonia simplicifolia agglutinin I (GSA-I), Erythrina cristagalli agglutinin (ECA), peanut agglutinin (PNA) and soybean agglutinin (SBA). A slight decrease in the frequency of macrophages in pericentral fields was observable in fatty liver and fatty liver hepatitis as compared to normal liver tissue. On the other hand, the number of CD68+ cells was significantly enhanced in hepatitis B with moderate and severe inflammatory activity. The highest incidence of macrophages was found in portal tracts of liver with fatty liver hepatitis and, particularly, hepatitis B. The fraction of cells stained by ECA, PNA or SBA did not increase significantly under pathological conditions. In contrast, the percentage of GSA-I binding macrophages was higher in liver parenchyma of hepatitis B and in portal tract macrophages in fatty liver hepatitis and also hepatitis B. In conclusion, our results indicate that GSA-I may aid in the detection of the subpopulation of activated macrophages which are assumed to play a pivotal role in liver pathology.

Polypeptide turnover in brown adipose tissue mitochondria during acclimation of rats to cold

During the initial phase of cold-induced growth of brown adipose tissue in rats there is a selective increase in the incorporation of infused [3H]phenylalanine into mitochondrial membrane polypeptides of molecular weight 25 000–35 000. This is interpreted as a selective increase in the synthesis of a 32 000 polypeptide, of which the proportion is known to increase in brown adipose tissue mitochondria when the tissue has a high capacity for thermogenesis, as in the cold-acclimated rat. This polypeptide is known to be associated with the thermogenic proton conductance pathway. A simultaneous selective decrease in degradation or the formation from larger mitochondrial membrane polypeptides may also occur. In fully cold-acclimated rats, in which a new steady state is reached, there is a general increase in turnover of all mitochondrial membrane polypeptides but no marked selective changes in pattern of incorporation of radioactive amino acid or in rates of disappearance of radioactivity from groups of polypeptides. Isolated brown adipose tissue mitochondria incorporate [3H]phenylalanine principally into polypeptides of molecular weight 25 000–35 000. No change in the pattern of incorporation occurred in mitochondria isolated from brown adipose tissue of cold-exposed (2 weeks) rats. On the basis of these and preceding results it is concluded that the cold-induced change in mitochondrial composition in brown adipose tissue, which occurs at the same time as tissue and mitochondrial growth, is brought about by selective changes in cytosolic protein synthesis and possibly also by selectively altered degradation or conversion of mitochondrial polypeptides.