Woody plant encroachment is one of the major problems worldwide because it affects negatively the herbaceous layer, which provide forage for livestock production. However, the role of ruminants particularly browsers in the dispersal of woody plant seeds still remains a concern for farmers interested in grass production. Seedpods of various woody plant species constitute a crucial part of the diet of herbivores during the dry season because of their high nutritional quality compared to herbaceous material. The interaction of associated diet quality, seed characteristics and animal species among other factors play a pivotal part in the success of livestock faecal seeds dispersion. Furthermore, dispersed seeds that successfully grow into mature woody plants become an important source of protein for herbivores. The use of woody plants as a source forage is known to be limited by plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) such as condensed tannins. The objectives of this study were to determine 1) the effects of condensed tannins and crude protein of Vachellia tortilis and Dichrostachys cinerea pods in seed recovery and germination fed to goats, and 2) the effects of diet mixing on the feed intake of plant species by goats. In the first experiment, a total of 12 female indigenous goats and 12 female Pedi sheep were utilised in this study, with the average body weights of 29.50 kg ± 1.60 (S.E) and 28.70 kg ± 1.60, respectively. Twelve goats were grouped into two groups of six goats per group, one group was fed D. cinerea pods and the other group was fed V. tortilis pods. The group of 12 sheep were divided similarly, the one group was fed D. cinerea pods and the other group was fed V. tortilis pods. Each animal was given V. tortilis and D. cinerea pods at 2.50% of their body weight. All animals were allowed to consume D. cinerea or V. tortilis pods within 24 h, after which the remaining pods were collected and weighed. Faecal collection commenced immediately after the 24 h pods feeding and was carried on until no seeds were discovered in faeces. All faeces extracted from sheep and goats were collected daily in the morning from the faecal bags. In the second experiment, a total of 24 indigenous goats with average body weight of 26.6 kg ± 0.51 were utilised. Goats were arbitrarily selected and grouped into four groups of six goats per group (goats were placed individually in 2 m2 pens). Each group was fed one of the following diets: diet one - Searsia lancea, diet two - S. pyroides, diet three - Euclea crispa and diet four - was a combination of the three plant species (Searsia lancea, S. pyroides and Euclea crispa). Searsia lancea, S. pyroides and E. crispa branches were collected every morning prior to feeding, and were weighed before offering the animals. Refusals were gathered and weighed, and intake was calculated as distinction between weight in and refusals. Plant species foliage were analysed for crude protein, condensed tannin, acid detergent lignin, acid detergent fibre and neutral detergent fibre. During the first experiment, the cumulative percentage seed recovery of V. tortilis from goats (46.00 % ± 1.90) and sheep (52.00 % ± 2.93) was significantly higher than D. cinerea from goats (13 % ± 1.47) and sheep (24.00 % ± 1.16). Germination percentage of D. cinerea seeds that passed through the gastro-intestinal tract of goats (33.12 % ± 2.94) and sheep (36.00 % ± 2.68) was significantly higher than V. tortilis seeds that passed through the gastro-intestinal tract of goats (28.98 % ± 2.68) and sheep (23.04 % ± 2.81). Average D. cinerea (34.56 % ± 1.99) and V. tortilis (26.02 %± 2.10) seeds that went through the gastro-intestinal of goats and sheep had a significantly higher germination rate than the control (i.e. no passage through the gut; D. cinerea = 2.31 % ± 1.55, V. tortilis = 5.07 % ± 2.68). The high mean cumulative percentage seed recovery of V. tortilis (18.80 %) may be attributed to the relatively higher crude protein than D. cinerea (12.20 %). This may encourage animal seed dispersal and germination of woody plant species with relatively high crude protein content. In the second experiment, Searsia lancea contained 8.50 % CP, 21.46 % acid detergent fibre (ADF), 12.50 % ADL and 39.37 % NDF. Searsia pyroides had 9.03 % CP, 27.07 % ADF, 10.89 % ADL and 40.30 % NDF. Euclea crispa had 6.19 % CP, 26.20 % ADF, 16.63 % ADL and 30.02 % NDF. Mixed diet (combination of the three plant species) had 8.96 % CP, 23.72 % ADF, 11.13 % ADL and 38.28 % NDF. Searsia lancea had 2.70 % of CTs while S. pyroides had 5.20 % CT, E. crispa had 6.44 % CT and mixed diet had 7.20 % CT. The mean dry matter intake varied significantly among dietary groups (P < 0.001). Similarly, goats offered a mixed diet consumed more CTs (P < 0.01) than those offered individual forage species. The high mean cumulative percentage seed recovery of V. tortilis may be attributed to the higher crude protein of V. tortilis (18.80 %) than D. cinerea (12.20 %). Higher passage rate may encourage animal seed dispersal and germination of plant species. The results from experiment two support the postulation that animals foraging in mixed diet systems consume more PSMs and achieve higher dry matter intake than animals confined to monocultures or single species feeding systems. Given that woody plant encroachment is already reducing farm-grazing capacities in African savannas and this problem is predicted to double by 2050, strategies that improve herbivore ability to consume woody plants will increase forage availability and inform bush control programmes and policies. Moreover, the concomitant increase in CTs by goats exposed to diets with diverse species also has positive implications for animal / Agriculture, Animal Health and Human Ecology / M. Sc. (Agriculture)

Les symbioses rhizobienne et mycorhizienne à arbuscules sont deux endosymbioses racinaires jouant des rôles importants dans le développement des plantes en améliorant leur nutrition minérale. Les lipo-chitooligosaccharides (LCOs), produits par les bacteries Rhizobia et les champignons mycorhiziens, sont essentiels pour l'établissement de la symbiose rhizobienne et stimulent la mycorhization. Chez la légumineuse Medicago truncatula, trois récepteurs-like kinase à motifs lysin (LysM), LYR3, NFP et LYK3 sont impliqués dans la perception des LCOs. Le travail présenté a eu pour objectif la caractérisation biochimique de ces récepteurs et leurs applications potentielles. Les orthologues de LYR3 de M. truncatula ont été clonés et se sont tous révélés, à l'exception de celui du lupin, capables d'établir une interaction d'affinité élevée avec les LCOs mais pas avec les chitooligosaccharides de structure apparentée. Afin de mieux comprendre les bases moléculaires de la reconnaissance des LCOs, des échanges de domaine entre les protéines LYR3 de lupin et de Medicago ont été effectués et ont révélé l'importance du troisième domaine LysM dans l'interaction. L'exploitation des capacités de reconnaissance des LCOs par LYR3 à des fins biotechnologiques a été évaluée à l'aide de récepteurs chimériques constitués du domaine extracellulaire de LYR3 et du domaine kinase des récepteurs immunitaires AtCERK1 et EFR. Il est apparu que LYR3 peut être utilisé pour élaborer des récepteurs chimériques mais leur mode d'activation reste à optimiser. Enfin l'étude des deux récepteurs symbiotiques NFP et LYK3 suggère qu'ils sont régulés par phosphorylation suite au traitement par les signaux symbiotiques. L'ensemble de ce travail apporte un éclairage nouveau sur les mécanismes de perception des LCOs et sur les modifications associées à leurs récepteurs qui en résultent. / Arbuscular mycorrhization and rhizobial nodulation are two major root endosymbioses which play important roles in plant development by improving their mineral nutrition. Produced by Rhizobia bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi, lipo-chitooligosaccharides (LCOs) were shown to be essential for the formation of the rhizobial symbiosis and to have stimulatory effects on mycorrhization. In the legume Medicago truncatula three lysin motif (LysM) receptor-like kinases LYR3, NFP and LYK3 have been shown to be involved in LCO perception. Here work is presented aimed at the biochemical characterization and application of these important receptor proteins. Cloned from several legume species orthologs of M. truncatula LYR3, except from lupin, were shown to bind LCOs with high affinity, but not structurally-related chitooligosaccharides (COs). Domain swaps between the lupin and Medicago proteins were used as a tool to decipher the molecular basis of LCO recognition and revealed the importance of the third LysM domain for LCO binding. The possibility of exploiting the LCO-binding capacity of LYR3 in biotechnology, through the composition of chimeric receptors, was investigated by combining together the extracellular domain of LYR3 protein with the kinases of Arabidopsis thaliana immune receptors, AtCERK1 and EFR. The results suggest that LYR3 could be used for constructing biologically active chimeric proteins whose mode of activation needs to be improved. Finally studies on the two LysM symbiotic receptors NFP and LYK3 suggest that they are regulated by changes in their phosphorylation after symbiotic treatments. Together this work brings light on the mechanisms underlying LCO perception and the modifications that receptors undergo after their treatment with LCO.