According to the news from the Xinhua Network on December 15 that the Chinese scientists have discovered the mechanism of pig fat cell differentiation and control, in ten years of research to tackle key problems and achieved important breakthrough in the research on utilization of biotechnology to control port fat content.

In order to explore the mechanism of controlling hog fatness, the Northwest Scien-Tech University of Agricultural and Forestry took the responsibility of the state project of “Pig Fat Cell Reproduction and Differentiation Control and Its Mechanism” in 1994. The research team under the leader of Professor Yang Gongshe, an expert in animal science, has adopted biological, molecular biological and other technologies to examine and study the fat cell growth and development, fat tissue metabolism and related genes of different types of pig breeds and achieved a series of research achievements.

The research team has discovered that the formation of pig fat is mainly due to the fattening role of fat cells in the latter half period of cell growth and development. Along with the increase of pig ages and the growth of fat cell, the content of major saturated fatty acids have significantly increased. The difference of fat metabolite is not significant among different pig breeds but very significant among different ages. The difference of the capacity of fat cell of different volumes is very significant. The larger the volume of fat cell the stronger the capacity of fat synthesis.

In the aspect of fat cell differentiation control, the wave-shape fibrin in pig body is controlling cell differentiation in the pre-phase of fat development. The wave-shape fibrin antibody can prevent the karyokinesis of fat cells, inhibit the differentiation of fat cells at the pre-phase of development period, and cause a reduction of cell internal fat cells. In addition, cell epimatrix elements and cyclic adenosine monophosphate have significant controlling effect on fat cell multiplication and differentiation and also have effect on fat genes.

This important research achievement had recently passed the achievement appraisal by the Ministry of Education. Related experts hold the view that these findings have provided important theoretic basis and production practical basis for developing lean-type pig breeds through nutritional controlling means, increasing pig production performance and improving carcass quality through the application of fat pericellular membrane immune functions. It also has broad application prospect in the aspects of food science and medical science.

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