• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.1957-1964
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• 2020

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare overfeeding performance, fatty acid composition, blood chemistry, enzymes and genes expression overfed Xupu and Landes geese. Methods: Sixty male Xupu geese (80 d) and Landes geese (80 d) were selected. After a period of one-week of pre-overfeeding, Xupu and Landes geese were overfed three meals of 550 and 350 g/d, respectively, of a high-carbohydrate diet in the first week of the overfeeding period. The next week, geese were given four meals of 1,200 and 850 g/d, respectively, over 8 to 14 d. Finally, geese were given five meals of 1,600 and 1,350 g/d, respectively, for the last two weeks. Results: After overfeeding for 28 d: Compared with Landes geese, Xupu geese liver weight and liver-to-body weight ratio decreased (p<0.05), while final weight, slaughter weight, total weight gain, abdominal fat weight, and feed-to-liver weight ratio increased (p<0.05). The levels of elaidic acid (C18:1t9), oleic acid (C18:1n-9), eicosenoic acid, and arachidonic acid in the liver of Xupu geese significantly increased (p<0.05), and the levels of myristic acid and stearic acid significantly decreased (p<0.05), while methyleicosanoate acid significantly increased (p<0.05). Xupu geese had higher plasma concentrations of triglyceride and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (p<0.05), and decreased activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and lipase (LPS) (p<0.05). Landes geese had higher LPS activity (p<0.05), but lower cholinesterase activity (p<0.05) when compared with Xupu geese. The mRNA expression levels of fatty acid dehydrogenase (FADS) gene, elongase of long-chain fatty acid 1 (ELOVL1) gene, ELOVL5, and acyl-Co A: cholesterol acyltransferase 2 (ACAT2) gene were significantly upregulated (p<0.05) in Landes goose when compared with Xupu geese. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the liver production performance of Landes geese was better than that of Xupu geese to some extent, which may be closely related to LPS activity, as well as the expression of FADS, ELOVL1, ELOVL5, and ACAT2.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.539-550
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• 1996

Experiment was conducted to study the effect of sources of dietary fiber on the intestinal morphology of geese. Sixty white Roman geese of two-week-old were divided randomly into six groups and were fed with isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets which contain alfalfa meal, barley hull, rice hull, purified cellulose, lignin, or pectin as the major dietary source of fiber. Different sources of dietary fiber significantly influenced the villi height and the crypt depth in the duodenum, and the villi height and the muscle layer thickness in the ileum (p < 0.05). The duodenal villus in the geese that fed diets with alfalfa meal, rice hull or pectin supplemented were significantly longest ($968.5{\mu}m$), whereas the lignin group was significantly shortest villus and deepest crypt depth (p < 0.05). The thicknesses of the ileal and caecal muscle layer were significantly thicker in the geese fed with cellulose supplemented diets than in those fed with the other treatment diets. The caecum of the barley bran fed geese possessed significantly longest villi and the most thick muscle layers (p < 0.05). From scanning electronic microscopic observation, the leafy and plate-like in the duodenal villi morphology of geese represented a more effective nutrient absorption in the small intestine. The morphology of ileal villi in geese was similar from herbivorous rabbit and from the African Green monkey.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.639-647
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• 2022

Objective: This study was conducted to clone and compare the molecular characteristics of the deiodinase 2 (DIO2) gene between Sichuan White geese and Landes geese, and to analyze the association between polymorphisms of the DIO2 gene and head dimensions in Tianfu meat geese. Methods: The coding sequence of the DIO2 gene was cloned by polymerase chain reaction and vector ligation and aligned by DNAMAN software. A total of 350 Tianfu meat geese were used to genotype the polymorphisms of the DIO2 gene and measure the head dimensions. Association analysis between the polymorphisms of the DIO2 gene and head dimensions was carried out. Results: An 840-bp coding sequence of the DIO2 gene was obtained and comparison analysis identified four polymorphic loci between Sichuan White geese and Landes geese. Further analysis showed that the dominant alleles for the four polymorphic loci were G, G, A, and T and the frequency of the heterozygous genotype was higher than that of the homozygous genotype in Tianfu meat geese. Compared to that in the population of non-knob geese of Tianfu meat geese, the head dimensions in the population of knob geese were significantly higher except for nostril height. However, in the non-knob geese, beak width 1, beak width 2, nostril length, cranial width 1, and maxillary length had significant differences among different genotypes or haplotypes/diplotypes. Conclusion: These results suggested that polymorphisms of the DIO2 gene could be considered molecular markers to select larger heads of geese in the population of non-knob geese.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1221-1228
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• 2010

This study aimed to examine the effect of overfeeding on biochemical parameters and lipoprotein-lipase (LPL) mRNA expression in different tissues associated with hepatic lipogenesis in Sichuan white and Landes geese. Fifty healthy male Sichuan white geese and fifty male Landes geese (Cygnus atratus) were hatched on the same day under the same feeding conditions and were selected as experimental animals. After overfeeding for 14 days (from 14 weeks to 16 weeks) and then slaughtering, the biochemical changes of hepatic lipogenesis were evaluated. Results showed that i) in Landes geese, the plasma concentration of glucose was higher (p<0.001), while plasma concentrations of insulin and VLDL were both lower (p<0.01); ii) the LPL mRNA level in pectoralis muscle and leg muscle of the overfed groups in both breeds was higher (p<0.05) than in the control groups; iii) in Sichuan white geese, the proportion of fatty liver weight was positively correlated with plasma triacylglycerols (TG)(p<0.05) and VLDL concentrations (p<0.05), while these correlations were not significant in Landes geese; and iv) the activity of LPL had significant positive correlation with the proportions of lipids in subcutaneous adipose tissue and abdominal adipose tissue in Sichuan white geese, while in Landes geese the correlation was negative (p<0.05) with proportions of lipids in the liver, LPL activity had a significant positive correlation with the proportions of lipids in subcutaneous adipose tissue. These results suggest that the Landes geese have a better ability to use the massive amount of ingested food and to store lipids preferentially in the liver, but the Sichuan white geese have a relatively lower ability to use energetic nutrients and lipid storage is more efficient in the adipose tissues.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.285-291
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• 2018

The impact of climate change on animals has been globally documented. Especially, migration of birds has been extensively monitored as migratory birds are susceptible to any changes occurring both on breeding grounds and on wintering grounds. However, in contrast to spring migration, the patterns and the factors for autumn migration have not been well documented. In this study, we investigated the relationship with climate condition and the first arrival dates (FADs) of bean geese (Anser fabalis) and white-fronted geese (A. albifrons), the representative group of wintering birds in South Korea, using the data collected by Korean Meteorological Association during 1995-2016. Average temperature of September in wintering grounds has increased, and the FADs of the geese have advanced over the 22 years. Even when the influence of autumn temperature was statistically controlled for, the FADs of the geese have significantly advanced. This suggests that warming has hastened the completion of breeding, which speeded up the arrival of the geese at the wintering grounds. In order to assess the effect of climate condition on the arrival of the wintering migratory birds such as the geese in more detail, extensive data collection over many sampling sites and with long-term monitoring is needed.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.293-299
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• 2009

Wintering migratory species of white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons) are common visitor in South Korea, and this study examined the survivorship of white-fronted geese in the Junam Reservoir with the application of Population Viability Analysis (PVA) technique. In Junam PVA analysis was done for the next 50 years using factors of breeding population, sex ratios, survivorship in the VORTEX program. As a result white-fronted geese will reach to carrying capacity within 40 years, and population will reach to carrying capacity later when it becomes smaller. Also with a large initial population white-fronted geese will reach to carrying capacity earlier. In conclusion, for the next 50 years the white-fronted geese are expected to a long-term survival with stable condition with survivorship (0.03) and extinction rate (0.0).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1285-1290
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• 2018

Objective: This study shows the effects of dietary fiber levels on cecal microbiota composition in geese at day 70 according to pyrosequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Methods: A total of 468 1-day-old healthy male Yangzhou goslings with similar body weight were randomly divided into 3 groups with 6 replicates per group and 26 geese per replicate. Geese were fed diets with fiber levels of 2.5% (low fiber level diet, Group I) and 6.1% (Group III) during days 1-70, respectively, or 4.3% for days 1-28 and 6.1% for days 29-70 (Group II). Results: Low fiber level diet decreased body weight, average daily gain during, increased lower feed conversation rate of geese during day 1 to 70 (p<0.05). Low fiber level diet decreased the total operational taxonomic units, Chao1 index and Shannon index, whereas increased the Simpson index of cecal microbiota in geese at day 70. Low fiber level diet decreased the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Bacteroides, and Paraprevotella in cecum of geese at day 70. The similarity of cecal microbiota between low fiber level diet group and other groups was smaller. Conclusion: This study indicates that the low fiber level diet decreased diversity of microbiota, and relative abundance of some beneficial microbiota in cecum of geese at day 70, implying that the low fiber level diet has negative influence on performance by altering the diversity and population of cecal microbiota in geese.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.778-783
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• 2014

The polymorphism of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and tyrosinase (TYR) genes have been proposed to play a vital role in coat colour genesis in mammals, but their role remains ambiguous in geese at best. Here, we cloned and sequenced 1,397 bp coding region of MITF gene and a 588 bp fragment of TYR exon 1 for polymorphism analysis among 157 domestic geese showing three types of plumage colour. We detected a total of three SNPs (c.280T>C, c.345G>A, and c.369G>A) in TYR and six haplotypes (H1-H6). Among them, haplotypes H1, H2, H3, and H5 were significantly associated with white plumage trait of Zhedong White Geese. However, only diplotype H1H1 and H3H5 were significantly associated with white plumage trait of Zhedong White Geese (p<0.01). We only detected one SNP (c.1109C>T) for MITF gene and found that genotype CT and TT were significantly associated with white plumage trait of Zhedong White Geese. Briefly, our study suggested an association between polymorphisms of TYR and MITF genes and the plumage colour trait in domestic geese.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.3_spc
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• pp.457-462
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• 2021

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Enteromorpha powder supplementation on reproduction-related hormones and genes in the late laying period of Zi geese. Methods: A total of 312 (1-year-old) Zi geese with similar laying rate were randomly divided into 2 groups with 6 replicates each, each with 21 female geese and 5 male geese. The control group was fed with a basal diet and the test group was fed with a diet containing 3% Enteromorpha powder. The trial period lasted for 7 weeks. Results: Our results showed that the laying rate was improved in the test group at each week of trial (p<0.01), and the levels of estradiol in serum and prolactin in ovary were increased compared with the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Based on above results, Enteromorpha powder supplementation at 3% could promote reproductive performance during the late laying period of Zi geese.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.590-595
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• 2008

The aim of our study was to research the effect of overfeeding on plasma parameters and mRNA expression of genes associated with hepatic lipogenesis in the Sichuan white goose and Landes goose. Fifty-four male Landes geese and 57 male Sichuan white geese were hatched on the same day under the same feeding conditions. After overfeeding for 14 days, (1) extrahepatic adipose tissues grew greatly in the Sichuan white geese, while more lipid accumulated in liver tissue in the Landes geese. (2) Sichuan white geese had a higher plasma concentration of triacylglycerols (TG), lipoproteins and insulin than the Landes geese. However, the Landes geese exhibited higher increase of plasma concentrations of TG, lipoproteins and insulin, with greater decrease of the diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2) activity and DGAT2 mRNA level and a smller decrease of plasma glucose concentration. In addition, the mRNA level of MTP and LPL in liver was down- and up- regulated by overfeeding, respectively. (3) The correlations between the activity of LPL and the proportions of subcutaneous adipose tissue, abdominal adipose tissue, and liver weight, and the plasma concentration of VLDL were different in the two breeds. (4) The proportion of fatty liver weight was positively correlated to plasma concentrations of VLDL and TG in the overfed Sichuan white geese. Such a relationship did not exist in the Landes geese. (5) The activity of DGAT2 and its mRNA abundance in liver had significant negative correlations with the TG content in liver lipid and plasma insulin level in the Landes geese, while in the Sichuan white geese they had negative correlation (p>0.05) with TG concentration in liver lipid and had significant positive correlation with VLDL and TG concentrations in plasma.