New ways and new hopes for IGR development

Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) represent advanced, bio-rational insecticides. This Special Issue reflects progress in IGR development that has been enabled by insight into the molecular principles of biosynthetic or hormone signaling pathways. The unifying principle is aiming at processes and molecular targets that are unique to arthropods and ideally to narrower insect taxa representing pests or disease vectors. While some strategies of obtaining the desired compounds for chemical intervention rely on rational, structure-based design or computational power, others exploit technologies allowing automated, high-throughput screening of large chemical libraries. All avenues leading to selective and environmentally safe pest control are valid as we face the imminent threat of the declining world insect population.     

Getting cosy in freshwater: Assumed to be brackish pike are not so brackish after all

Pike (Esox lucius) occupy coastal streams and rivers of the Baltic Sea, where they attain large sizes (>5 kg). These large sizes are perhaps due to the fact that they can tolerate relatively high salinities and can thus forage in the nearby more productive brackish environments. In an attempt to quantify the extent to which pike utilise brackish environments, and to provide some insight into the underlying causes for brackish water migrations, we tagged 30 pike from a western Baltic river with acoustic transmitters and were able to track 21 individuals for 1 year. Based on experienced from local anglers, this population was assumed to be brackish in nature, where individuals underwent freshwater migrations to spawn. Our findings however suggest that the smallest and most active individuals make short exits into brackish waters and do so on rare occasions. Our results further indicate that neither sex nor size is related to activity level. We suggest that these patterns reflect two distinct behaviours—active and passive—and that large pike can be supported by the food availability in the river, without the need to venture into coastal zones, thus defying the conventional view that Baltic pike are all brackish in nature.     

MYB转录因子参与植物非生物胁迫响应与植物激素应答的研究进展

基因的时空表达受转录因子的精确调控。植物在面对不利环境因素比如高温、低温、干旱、盐碱等胁迫时其细胞生理生化会迅速地从“舒适”状态转变进入“胁迫响应”状态。这种快速响应的状态转变依赖于植物对胁迫信号的感知及传递、激素通路(脱落酸、茉莉酸等)的激发、转录因子的活化等复杂的过程;最终植物通过胁迫相关基因的表达、次生代谢转变、抗氧化物质的积累等实现胁迫条件下细胞内环境的再平衡从而获得生存。植物MYB(v-MYB avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog)转录因子就是上述转变中的重要参与者。本文介绍了植物MYB转录因子的结构特征、分类,综述了近些年来MYB转录因子与非生物胁迫,以及植物激素应答过程相关的研究进展。     

猪繁殖性状的遗传改良策略

猪繁殖性能的提高将为养猪业带来巨大的经济效益 ,目前多数育种者将提高猪的繁殖力作为主要育种目标 ,并用数学遗传学方法和分子育种技术对繁殖性状进行改良。     

奶牛繁殖疾病的调控

本文综述了奶牛繁殖疾病的发病原因和调控措施，分析认为奶牛的营养状况是影响奶牛繁殖力的重要因素。理想的奶牛管理应做到整个泌乳期始终监测奶牛的体况和奶牛日粮中微量元素的维生素的含量，避免营养素的不平衡而引发的奶牛繁殖障碍，同时应避免奶牛过肥或过瘦。适当补充某些维生素和矿物质十分重要。     

母猪高效预混合饲料饲养试验

本试验为考察新研制的４９２５／４９２６母猪系列预混合饲料的饲养效果，在母猪胎次、体况和饲养管理条件下似、基础饲料相同条件下，分别与金牧３８６３／３８６４、康地５７４３／５７４４两种母猪系列预混料进行饲养试验。入试头数分别为２３头、３５头。结果表明：①４９２５／４９２６组较３８６４／３９６４组，窝产活仔数、初生窝重、断奶窝重分别提高０．５头／窝、０．９ｋｇ／窝、４．２５ｋｇ／窝；哺乳期母猪头平少失重     

西农萨能奶山羊血浆生长激素水平的变化及其与奶产量的关系

本实验用放免测定法(RIA)测定了38只西农萨能奶山羊(其中360～450日龄的青年羊10只,产前一月至产后90天的头胎和2胎羊各14只)血浆GH水平变化,分析了血浆GH水平与奶量的相关性。结果表明:360～450日龄的青年羊血浆GH维持在一个波动较小的范围(20.37±5.17～23.13±5.97ng/ml),头胎羊和二胎羊分娩前后及泌乳早期血浆GH水平的变化趋势相一致,在同一生理状态下,二胎羊血浆GH水平都显著地高于头胎羊。相关分析还表明:头胎羊和二胎羊血浆GH水平都与其奶量呈直线正相关关系(P<0.05)。综上结果可以认为,奶山羊血浆GN水平可作为选育高产奶山羊的一项指标。     

不同能量水平对羊生产性能及激素水平的影响

选用山羊和绵羊各21只,研究能量水平对羊采食量(DMI)、日增重(ADG)、饲料转化率(FCR)、胰岛素、生长激素和孕酮浓度的影响。结果表明:绵羊的DMI显著大于山羊的(P<0．05),低能量水平下,绵羊的DMI显著大于山羊的(P<0．05)。绵羊的ADG显著高于山羊的(P<0．05),高能量水平下两种羊的ADG显著高于低能量水平的(P <0．05),FCR在绵羊与山羊之间、不同能量水平之间及互作之间都不显著(P>0．05)。试验前期山羊血清胰岛素水平显著大于绵羊的(P<0．05),在低能量水平下,山羊的血清胰岛素浓度显著高于绵羊的(P<0．05)。试验前期山羊的孕酮水平显著高于绵羊的(P<0．05),高能量水平下的孕酮极显著地高于中、低能量水平下的孕酮(P<0．01),中等能量水平下,山羊的孕酮浓度显著高于绵羊的(P<0．05)。     

PGF2αeCG及hCG 3种生殖激素联用对母犬发情、卵泡发育及胚胎着床的影响

给休情期性成熟母犬肌注 PGF2α(0 .5 m g/ kg) ,2 4 h后肌注 e CG(5 0 IU/ kg) ,再经 12 0 h后肌注 h CG(2 0 U/ kg) ,诱导其发情。将诱导发情的母犬与公犬交配 ,于交配后 16 d,摘取卵巢、子宫 ,观察其卵泡发育和胚胎着床情况。结果表明 ,药物处理可明显促使母犬提前结束休情期而进入发情期 (9/ 10 ) ,促进卵巢内卵泡发育 (P<0 .0 1) ,并使更多的胚胎着床 ,每只母犬子宫胚胎着床点为 (17.4± 2 .2 )个 ,提示 3种生殖激素联合应用可提高母犬繁殖率