Molecular characterization and nutritional regulation of sodium-dependent glucose cotransporter 1 (Sglt1) in blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala)

Fish has poor utilization capacity for glucose metabolism. The possible reasons are related to the core regulatory elements of glucose metabolism: transport proteins. Studies on the species and functions of Sglt1 in aquatic animals are scarce, therefore further studies are needed. In this study, the full length of blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) sglt1 (Masglt1) was 2965 bp including 5′-UTR region of 168 bp and a 3′-UTR region of 820 bp. Masglt1 have a highest sequence homology in Cypriniformes fish. MaSglt1 protein was identified as a transmembrane protein with 14 α-helix structures locating plasma membrane by the methods of predicted tertiary structure and immunohistochemical staining. MaSglt1 protein has a hollow channel forms which could be specifically coupled with two Na+ ions to recognize glucose and carry out transmembrane transport. High sglt1 mRNA was found in the intestine and kidney. The mRNA levels of intestinal sglt1 had a positive correlation with dietary starch levels at 3 h after feeding, and the mRNA was significantly higher than that at 24 h, however, the mRNA levels of renal sglt1 presented results opposite to those of intestinal sglt1. The mRNA levels of renal sglt1 had a positive correlation with dietary starch levels at 24 h after feeding, and the expression was significantly higher than that at 3 h. These results confirmed that Masglt11 was mainly found in the intestine and kidney and was located in the cell membrane, playing a role in glucose homeostasis.

Dietary amylose/amylopectin ratio influences the expression of amino acid transporters and enzyme activities for amino acid metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract of goats

This study was designed to investigate the effects of dietary starch structure on muscle protein synthesis and gastrointestinal amino acid (AA) transport and metabolism of goats. Twenty-seven Xiangdong black female goats (average body weight = 9.00 ± 1.12 kg) were randomly assigned to three treatments, i.e., fed a T1 (normal corn 100%, high amylose corn 0%), T2 (normal corn 50%, high amylose corn 50%) and T3 (normal corn 0%, high amylose corn 100%) diet for 35 days, respectively. All amino acids in the ileal mucosa were decreased linearly as amylose/amylopectin increased in diets (P<0.05). The plasma valine (linear, P=0.03), leucine (linear, P=0.04), and total amino acids content (linear, P=0.03) increased linearly with the increase in the ratio of amylose in the diet. The relative mRNA levels of SLC38A1 (linear, P=0.01), SLC3A2 (linear, P=0.02), and SLC38A9 (linear, P=0.02) in the ileum increased linearly with the increase in the ratio of amylose in the diet. With the increase in the ratio of amylose/amylopectin in the diet, the mRNA levels of ACADSB (linear, P=0.04), BCAT1 (linear, P=0.02), and BCKDHB (linear, P=0.01) in the ileum decreased linearly. Our results revealed that the protein abundances of p-mTOR (P<0.001), p-4EBP1 (P<0.001), and p-S6K1 (P<0.001) of T2 and T3 were significantly higher than that of T1. In general, a diet with a high amylose ratio could reduce the consumption of amino acids in the intestine, allowing more amino acids to enter the blood to maintain higher muscle protein synthesis through the mTOR pathway.

Effects of supplementation of nonforage fiber source in diets with different starch levels on growth performance, rumen fermentation, nutrient digestion and microbial flora of Hu lambs

The objectives were to evaluate the effects of fiber source and dietary starch level on growth performance, nutrient digestion, rumen parameters and rumen bacteria in fattening Hu lambs. A total of 360 Hu lambs (BW = 24.72 ± 0.14 kg, 2 months old) were subjected to a 2×3 factorial arrangement. Lambs randomly assigned 6 treatments with 6 repetitions (10 lambs per repetition) of each treatment. Six treatments were formulated to include the fiber sources with three starch levels. The experiment lasted a 63 d. The amount of feed, orts and total feces were sampled on 42nd day of the experiment. Rumen fluid samples were collected after 2 h of morning feeding on day 56. Rumen contents were collected last day after the selected lambs were slaughtered. Increasing the starch content decreased the digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (NDF, P = 0.005). Increasing the starch level increased the proportions of propionate (P = 0.002) and valerate (P = 0.001) and decreased the proportion of acetate (P &lt; 0.001) and the ratio of acetate to propionate (P = 0.005). The abundance of Fibrobacter succinogenes was affected by an interaction between the fiber source and the starch level (P &lt; 0.001). Fibrobacter succinogenes tended to be greater in lambs fed SH than in lambs fed BP (P = 0.091), which was a greater in lambs fed high starch levels than in lambs fed low starch levels (P = 0.014). Increasing the starch level increased Streptococcus bovis abundance (P = 0.029) and decreased total bacteria (P = 0.025). At the genus level, increasing the starch level reduced the abundance of Butyrivibrio_2 (P = 0.020). Nevertheless, the final bodyweight (BW) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) digestibility were greater (P &lt; 0.01) in lambs fed soybean hull (SH) than in lambs fed BP. The proportion of butyrate was greater (P = 0.005), while the rumen pH was lower (P = 0.001) in lambs fed beet pulp (BP) than in those fed SH. The abundances of Succiniclasticum, Candidatus_Saccharimonas, Ruminococcus_1 and Christensenellaceae_R-7 were greater in lambs fed SH than in those fed BP (P &lt; 0.050), whereas the abundance of Fibrobacter was lower (P = 0.011). The predominant microbial phyla in all of the groups were Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Fibrobacteres. Changing the starch level for fiber sources mainly changed the rumen community in terms of the phylum and genus abundances. Lambs fed SH with low starch level increased the final BW without affecting TVFA concentrations.