Study On Reproductive Performance Of Fat-1 Transgenic Rabbits

ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids(ω-3 PUFAs) are scarce but essential for the animals with fundamental effects in their life process. ω-3 PUFAs have a significant influence on animals’ health, especially on immune function, lipid metabolism, the prevention of cardio cerebrovascular disease. Fat-1 is a gene which encoding ω-3 PUFAs desaturase. ω-3 PUFAs desaturase can transform linoleic into α-linolenic acid, and make it into ω-3 PUFAs metabolism pathway. We have got Fat-1 transgenic rabbits by intratesticular injection in our laboratory and expressed in rabbit. With the development of transgenic technology,people take more attention on the safety of transgenic foods.In order to understand inheritance stability and continuity, we have detection the positive rate and reproductive performance of F0, F1, F2 and F3 generations transgenic rabbits. And the main results are as follows:1、The total number of F0, F1, F2 and F3 generations transgenic rabbits was 157, 73(use improvement method got 243), 75(use improvement method got 64) and 85, respectively, PCR test results showed that the positive rate reached to 17.83%, 64.38%(use improvement method, 73.25%), 93.33%(use improvement method, 56.25%) and 94.12%, and the cDNA PCR test results showed that the positive rate of F0, F1, F2 and F3 generations transgenic rabbits reached to 39.29%, 57.78%, 55.56% and 60.00%. The results also showed that the exogenous gene Fat-1 can be inherited to the next generation of rabbits.Obtained the data of fatty acids components by measuring the ear tissue of rabbits, the result showed that the ratio of ω-6/ω-3 PUFAs in positive rabbits(1.06) is very significant lower than the non-transgenic rabbits(2.87)(P<0.01). The result indicated that Fat-1 gene has successfully been expressed in rabbits, and make ω-6 PUFAs into ω-3 PUFAs.2、The result of reproductive performance of Fat-1 transgenic rabbits showed that the litter size of positive rabbits is significant lower than the non-transgenic rabbits(P<0.05). And birth weight of positive rabbits is lower than the non-transgenic rabbits, but not significant(P>0.05), but the weight at weaning is very significant lower than the non-transgenic rabbits(P<0.01). Conception rate and the sperm quality of transgenic rabbits are lower than the non-transgenic rabbits, and development of ovary and uterus in positive rabbits is not as good as in the non-transgenic rabbits. The result means that the exogenous gene can affect the reproductive performance of Fat-1 transgenic rabbits.3、Test results about the content of testosterone, prolactin and follicle-stimulating hormone in serum showed that: The content of male transgenic rabbits’ testosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone in serum are very significant lower than the male non-transgenic rabbits’(P<0.01); the content of male transgenic rabbits’ prolactin in serum is lower than the male non-transgenic rabbits’, but not significant(P>0.05). The content of female transgenic rabbits’ testosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone in serum are significant lower than the female non-transgenic rabbits’(P<0.05); the content of female transgenic rabbits’ prolactin in serum are very significant lower than the female non-transgenic rabbits’(P<0.01). The results mean that the exogenous gene can affect the body’s secretion of testosterone, prolactin and follicle-stimulating hormone.These above results show that: the exogenous gene Fat-1 is able to express and stable inheritable in the next generation of rabbits. But the exogenous gene can affect the reproductive performance of Fat-1 transgenic rabbits.