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G Dietl

Publications and source records attributed to G Dietl.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Genetic relationships for dairy performance between large-scale and small-scale farm conditions.

Genotype by environment interaction can be detected via the estimation of genetic correlations between environments under an animal model based on data comprising genetic links between the strata. Genetic correlations were estimated for protein yield of Holstein cows within and across regions of Germany using REML under an animal model for lactation and test-day records. Subsets of the entire data were created, stratified by region or herd size within region, and comprised between 16,307 and 132,972 cows with first-lactation records. Substantial heterogeneity exists between regions in Western and Eastern Germany. In Western states, most farms are small, with typical herd sizes of 30 to 60 cows, whereas in Eastern states, mostly large herds with herd sizes of 500 to 2000 cows are common. The results show drastic differences for residual and permanent environmental variance components between Eastern and Western regions with increases of around 30% for Eastern regions. Additive genetic variances were of similar magnitude in both regions. Genetic correlations between Eastern and Western states were between 0.90 and 0.95 but dropped to 0.79 when data from an Eastern state were reduced to contain large herds only. The results indicate that differences in herd size account for more of the differences in genetic correlation than do geographic regional differences.

Animals↗

DYS STR analysis with epithelial cells in a rape case.

We report here the application of Y-chromosomal DNA analysis in a rape case, which occurred in Stuttgart, Germany. Microscopic examination of the victim's vaginal swabs and her underwear showed no sperm cells. DNA was extracted from vaginal and epithelial cells and analysed with the autosomal systems SE33, THO1 (singleplex) and with the multiplex Profiler Plus (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, USA). The results of these autosomal STR analysis gave no hint at a mixed sample and failed to identify a male profile. DYS STR analysis with the systems DYS391, DYS392, DYS393, DYS19 and DYS389 I/II showed the same characteristic features as the suspect. We used this incomplete haplotype to search in the Y-STR Haplotype Reference Database via Internet. In a Caucasian population sample of 3589 minimal haplotypes we found 71 matches. The suspect confessed the crime and was finally condemned to 4 years imprisonment.

DNA↗

Thiazolidinedione-induced activation of the transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma in cells adjacent to the murine skeletal muscle: implications for fibroblast functions.

Nuclear peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is the target of antidiabetogenic thiazolidinediones (TZD). However, recent studies failed to show that TZD has an effect in vitro on insulin-regulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscles, the major site of glucose disposal. The potential effects of TZD on cells adjacent to skeletal muscles are not well characterized but may be involved in TZD's actions. Hence, we studied these cells from mice treated with the carrier and with the TZD ciglitazone (9 nmol/g body weight). The cells were typified by lipid enrichment (floating adipocytes and macrophages), by the ectopic expression of cellular fibronectin (fibroblasts), fibronectin and PPARgamma (preadipocytes), PPARgamma and CD11b/Mac-1 (active macrophages) as revealed by flow cytometry and immunoblotting. The glucose transporter 4 proteins (GLUT4) and the uptake of glucose and long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) were determined flow cytometrically using fluorescent derivatives of glucose (NBDG) and LCFA (C16-Bodipy). The expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) in CD11b/Mac-1-positive and CD11b/Mac-1-negative cells separated by magnetic immunobeads was analyzed. The results showed that TZD treatment upregulated GLUT4 expression, and increased insulin-regulated NBDG uptake and C16-Bodipy binding and influx, at the same time as increasing the quantity of PPARgamma-expressing fibroblasts; this indicates the development of the preadipocyte phenotype. In contrast, TZD lowered the number of adipocytes (0.6-fold compared to the carrier-treated control) perhaps through an action of TNFalpha from CD11b- and PPARgamma-expressing macrophages. The data suggest that the regulatory effects of TZD on energy homeostasis involve two major targets: the PPARgamma-positive fibroblasts whose adipogenic program is promoted, and CD11b-PPARgamma-expressing macrophages which become cytotoxic and fibrogenic because of the effects of TNFalpha on neighboring adipocytes and fibroblasts, respectively.

Adipocytes↗

Long-term selection for protein amount over 70 generations in mice.

Based on the outbred mouse strain Fzt: Du, which has been obtained by systematic crossing of four inbred and four outbred lines, a long-term selection experiment was carried out for total protein amount (PA) in the carcass, starting in 1975. An unselected control line (CO) was kept under the same management but without continuous protein analysis. The protein amount of male carcasses at 42 days of age (P42) increased from 2.9 g in generation 0 to 5.2 g at generation 70, representing 97% of a theoretical selection limit. The total selection response amounts to 2.3 g, which is about 80% above the initial value and corresponds to 9 sigma p or 12 sigma A. The estimated realized heritability of protein amount decreased from 0.56 to 0.03 at generation 70, which was due to an increase in phenotypic variance from 0.065 to 0.24 g2 and a reduction in genetic variance from 0.04 to 0.01 g2. Half the selection response was obtained after about 18 to 23 generations, a half-life of 0.25 to 0.3 Ne. The maximum selection response was 0.094 g/generation and the response was 0.01 g/generation at generation 70. The measurements of body weights at 0, 10, 21, 42 and 63 days throughout the experiment showed a strong correlated effect for all weights. The PA mice are one of the heaviest lines of mice ever reported, and do not differ significantly in their body composition from control mice at 42 days. The direct selection response was due primarily to increased general growth. Body weight and protein amount are phenotypically and genetically highly correlated (rp = 0.82, rA approximately 1); however, selection for body weight led to fatter animals, whereas selection for protein opposed increased fatness (at least until selection age). This may be of general importance in animal breeding. The comparatively high selection response in this experiment seems due to the heterogeneity of the base population, the relatively high effective population size, and the duration of the experiment.

Age Factors↗

Flow-cytometric analysis of oxidative and proteolytical activities in tissue-associated phagocytes from normal and hypertrophic muscles.

The study was conducted by the known tendencies of increased stress-susceptibility and metabolic disorders in individuals with hypertrophied muscles due to innate factors or intensive exercise which can induce the overtraining syndrome. Using an animal model, muscle-associated cells from normal (N) and hypertrophic (H) skeletal muscle (m.semitendinosus) were examined in their resting and phorbolmyristate acetate (PMA) stimulated oxidation of dihydrorhodamine (DHR) as well as cathepsin B and L activities. Phagocytes were phenotyped by their casein receptors (CR) and fibroblasts by their surface collagens (I and IV). The portion of CR-cells in single cell suspension was 4-8% and 1-3% in H and N. The CR-cells were enriched by 200 g centrifugation and cultured for 5 days with and without cortisol (C), norepinephrine (NE) and indomethacin (I). NE suppressed dose-dependently CR-expression in N, with increase in H occurring. C, NE and I elevated cathepsin activities only in N. PMA stimulated DHR oxidation in H and N 5- and 2-fold. Only the oxidative rate in N reacted to C, NE and I significantly. The data suggest that the response of muscle-associated cells from hypertrophied and normal muscles to signals released in stress-coping significantly differs.

Animals↗