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Responses in adipocyte dimensions to divergent selection for predicted carcass lean content in sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

S. C. Bishop ,
N. D. Cameron ,
B. K. Speake ,
J. Bracken ,
I. A. J. Ratchford  and
R. C. Noble
S. C. Bishop
Affiliation:
Roslin Institute (Edinburgh), Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9PS
N. D. Cameron
Affiliation:
Roslin Institute (Edinburgh), Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9PS
B. K. Speake
Affiliation:
Biochemical Sciences Department, Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive Ayr KA6 5HW
J. Bracken
Affiliation:
Biochemical Sciences Department, Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive Ayr KA6 5HW
I. A. J. Ratchford
Affiliation:
Biochemical Sciences Department, Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive Ayr KA6 5HW
R. C. Noble
Affiliation:
Biochemical Sciences Department, Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive Ayr KA6 5HW
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Abstract

Adipocyte dimensions of subcutaneous fat, sampled by biopsy at the 13th rib, were measured in 20-week-old rams from lines of Texel-Oxford and Scottish Blackface sheep, both divergently selected for carcass lean content. A total of 163 animals were measured, with close to equal numbers per breed-line combination. In both breeds, the high (lean) selection line had significantly lower backfat depths (0·71 mm in the Texel-Oxford and 0·83 mm in the Scottish Blackface, s.e.d. = 0·14 and 0·13 mm, respectively), but body weight did not differ between the lines. The ultrasonic fat depth differences between the Texel-Oxford selected lines were accompanied by increases in adipocyte diameter, area, diameter standard deviation within each sample and implied cell number, calculated as the ratio of ultrasonic fat depth to average adipocyte diameter. In the Scottish Blackface sheep there were no selection line differences in adipocyte dimensions, but there was an increase in implied cell number in the line selected for increased fatness. Across breeds, ultrasonic fat depth was correlated with both adipocyte diameter and implied adipocyte number (r = 0·58 and 0·75, respectively), but these latter two measurements were uncorrelated with each other.

Keywords

adipocyteslean massselectionsheepultrasonic backfat
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 60 , Issue 2 , April 1995 , pp. 215 - 221
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1995

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