The cDNA of cattle Ghrelin gene was amplified from abomasum fundic gland mRNA of Qinchuan Cattle by RT-PCR. PCR product was cloned into the T vector pGM-T to construct pGh-T1 for sequencing. Then the cDNA was subcloned into the prokaryotic expressing plasmid vector pET32a (+) and transformed into host Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3) for expression. The expression of pGh-32 mature Ghrelin protein was induced by IPTG and was identified by SDS-PAGE. The expression product was observed with soluble protein and inclusion body. Western blotting showed that the recombinant protein was recognized by his-antibody specifically. The protein was purified by Ni-NTA column and was used to inject rabbits to obtain polyclona antibody. ELISA result showed that the antibody titer was 1:12 800. The immunohistochemistry test between the hypothalamus arcuate nucleus and the antibody showed that fusion protein had biological activity. This will provide a basis for further study on the biological function of Ghrelin protein to growth and development and fat deposition of cattle.
Animals ; Cattle ; Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Ghrelin ; genetics ; metabolism ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2, also called IMP2) plays an essential role in the development and maturation of germ cells and embryos and is a candidate gene for goat litter size, based on a previous genome-wide selective sweep analysis. In this study, the mRNA expression level of IGF2BP2 was found to be significantly higher in a single-lamb group than in a multi-lamb group. Insertions/deletions (indels) within the goat IGF2BP2 gene, including P4-Ins-13bp and P5-Del-12bp, were verified in 918 Shaanbei White Cashmere (SBWC) female goats. The minor allelic frequencies (MAFs) of P4-Ins-13bp and P5-Del-12bp loci were 0.349 and 0.295, respectively. Analysis using the Chi-square (χ2) test showed that the genotype (χ2=14.479, P=0.006) distribution of P4-Ins-13bp was significantly different between the single-lamb and multi-lamb groups. Correlation analysis demonstrated that P4-Ins-13bp was significantly associated with goat litter size (P=0.022), and individual goats with the homozygous deletion/deletion (DD) genotype produced more litters than other goats. Therefore, considered as a potential molecular marker significantly related to lambing traits, the P4-Ins-13bp mutation of the goat IGF2BP2 gene can be used in goat breeding with practical molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS) to optimize female reproduction and improve economic efficiency in the goat industry.

Objective:To improve the understanding of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients with bone marrow (BM) monoclonal plasma cell ratio of less than 10%.Methods:The clinical characteristics, laboratory examination, response to treatment, and prognosis of 36 NDMM patients with BM plasma cell ratio of less than 10% at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2009 to December 2017 were summarized retrospectively. In the same period, other age- and gender-matched 72 NDMM patients were selected as the control group, whose BM plasma cell ratio was equal to or greater than 10%.Results:First, the patients in the study group accounted for 4.4% of the whole MM population (36/818) , among which only 11 (30.6%) were classified as International Staging System (ISS) Ⅲ, which was significantly lower than that in the control group[45 (62.5%) ] ( P=0.002) . Extramedullary disease (EMD) was more common in the study group (33.3% vs 5.6%, P<0.001) . The median quantity of serum M protein (g/L) in the less than 10% group was 1.04 (0-50.10) , which was significantly lower than that in the control group [4.50 (0-63.10) ] ( P=0.016) , similar to the median quantity of 24-h urinary light chain (510 mg vs 2800 mg, respectively, P=0.023) . Second, the median progression-free survival (PFS) times of front-line regimen in the study and control groups were 26.4 and 19.9 months, respectively ( HR=1.703, 95% CI 0.167-0.233, P=0.002) . In addition, the overall survival (OS) times were 65.8 and 46.2 months, respectively ( HR=2.626, 95% CI 0.439-0.541, P=0.058) . Third, the study group was reclassified based on the quantity of M protein. The median OS times in patients with low/high tumor load were 66.4 and 24.0 months, respectively ( HR=2.349, 95% CI 0.603-0.696, P=0.046) . The median PFS times were 33.1 and 15.5 months, respectively ( HR=1.806, 95% CI 0.121-0.399, P=0.077) . Bortezomib-based regimens did not affect the clinical outcomes. Conclusion:The subpopulation of patients with MM with BM monoclonal plasma cell ratio less than 10% has specific clinical characteristics, including an early disease stage and a lower overall tumor load. Although more patients of this minor group presented with an extramedullary disease, their response rate to the initial treatment and survival outcome are better than those of patients with BM monoclonal plasma cell ratio more than 10%.