Protection of pigs against post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome by a recombinant adenovirus expressing the capsid protein of porcine circovirus type 2

Post-weaning multisystemic wating syndrome (PMWS) associated with PCV2 was one of the most costly diseases currently faced by the swine industry. In order to develop a vaccine to control this disease, we previously constructed a recombinant adenovirus expressing the capsid of PCV2. Here, we examined the protection of swine against PMWS by the recombinant adenovirus. Eighteen 32-day-old pigs were assigned to three groups each with six. Group 1 was vaccinated subcutaneously with rAd-Cap and boosted 2 weeks later. Thirty-seven days after first vaccination, Groups 1 and 2 were oronasally challenged with virulent PCV2 isolate, 4 and 7 days later, intramuscularly exposed to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). Group 3 remained unchallenged but with KLH. The results showed that high level of PCV2-specific ELISA antibody and neutralizing antibody could be induced at 37 days after first vaccination. After challenge, pigs in vaccinated group had no clearly clinical signs, although some of them had increased rectal temperatures (>/=40 degrees C) for short time. The pyrexic phase in vaccinated group was significantly lighter than that in challenge-control group (P<0.05). The relative daily weight gain in vaccinated-challenged group was similar to that in empty control group. But it was significantly high compared to the challenge-control group (P<0.05). Mean while the pathological lesions and virema presented in vaccinated group were milder than those in control group. It indicated that the recombinant adenovirus was able to confer significant protection against clinical disease and reduce pathogenic lesions induced by PCV2 challenge, even though it could not provide complete virological protection. The recombinant adenovirus might be an attractive candidate vaccine for preventing the disease associated with PCV2 infection.     

Inhibition of porcine circovirus type 1 and type 2 production in PK-15 cells by small interfering RNAs targeting the Rep gene

Porcine circovirus type 1 (PCV1) and type 2 (PCV2) are two genotypes of porcine circovirus. Both of them are presumed to be widespread in the swine population. Currently, there is no specific treatment for their infections. RNA interference (RNAi) is a sequence-specific RNA degradation mechanism mediated by small interfering RNA (siRNA), which represents a possible therapeutic application for the treatment of viral infections. In this study, three siRNA expression plasmids (pS-RepA, pS-RepB and pS-RepC) were generated to target three different coding regions of the Rep protein (Rep) of PCV. These siRNAs were used to inhibit PCV production in a porcine kidney cell line, PK-15 cells. Our results revealed that Rep gene expression was inhibited by pS-RepA, pS-RepB and pS-RepC to different degrees. Moreover, our study also showed that the production of PCV1 and PCV2 was reduced by these siRNAs. pS-RepC, which targets the middle region of Rep gene, proved to be the most efficient siRNA for inhibition of Rep expression and viral production. Taken together, our data suggest that RNAi could be investigated as a potential treatment for PCV infection.     

Seasonal and photoperiodic regulation of secretion of hormones associated with reproduction in Magang goose ganders

This study examined the reproductive endocrine profile under natural and artificial photoperiods in Magang goose ganders. Group 1 ganders (n=8) served as non-treated controls and were exposed to natural photoperiod throughout the experiment from 13th January to 17th December 2004. Group 2 ganders (n=8) were exposed to 18 h long daily photoperiod for 60 days from 13 January till 15 March 2004 and again to 16 h photoperiod for 75 days till 10th October 2004, and the 11h short photoperiod in the remainder periods of the experiment. In control ganders, plasma LH concentrations were high in normal breeding seasons (August-March) and decreased to low levels in non-breeding season from April to July. Testosterone concentrations changed similarly to that of LH throughout the seasons. Seasonal pattern of PRL concentrations was opposite to those of LH and testosterone, with low values in breeding season and high values in non-breeding season. In artificial photoperiod treated ganders, increasing photoperiod increased PRL and decreased LH and testosterone concentrations, while decreasing photoperiod reversed these changes. There were no seasonal or photoperiod caused changes in plasma T3 concentrations in both control ganders and artificial photoperiod treated ganders. These results demonstrated that in Magang goose ganders that long photoperiod stimulates PRL secretion and decreases LH secretion, which terminates reproductive season in spring and early summer, and short photoperiod stimulates LH secretion and inhibits PRL secretion rendering ganders enter into reproductive season.     

钙依赖蛋白激酶基因表达载体的构建及其对拟南芥的遗传转化

将钙依赖蛋白激酶(CDPK)基因插入到植物表达载体pBI121上,构建成特异性表达载体pBI121-CDPK,并采用农杆菌介导法将其转化进入拟南芥Arabidopsis thaliana Columbia生态型品种中,获得了卡那霉素筛选的抗性植株,通过PCR扩增验证,拟南芥基因组中含有此抗性基因.     

Effects of 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol in diesel exhaust particles on the regulation of reproductive function in immature female Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)

In a previous study, we found that 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol (PNMC), a component of diesel exhaust particles and also a degradation product of the insecticide fenitrothion, exhibits reproductive toxicity in the adult male Japanese quail. The present study investigated the toxicity of PNMC in the female Japanese quail and its ability to influence reproduction in immature females. The quail (21-day-old) were injected intramuscularly (im) with PNMC at doses 0.1, 1 or 10 mg/kg body weight daily for 3 days. There was no significant difference in body growth between the PNMC-administered and control birds. However, the weights of the oviducts were significantly lower in the PNMC-treated birds at all doses. Furthermore, the plasma concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol-17 beta were significantly decreased with 1 and 10 mg/kg of PNMC. These findings suggest that PNMC might influence the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis with decreasing in secretion of GnRH, LH and ovarian steroid hormones and subsequently disturb growth of the reproductive organs of immature female quail. This study indicates that PNMC induces reproductive toxicity at the central level and disrupts reproductive function in the immature female quail.     

Characterization,phylogenetic analyses and pathogenicity of Bipolaris setariae associated with brown stripe disease on sugarcane in Yunnan,China

Brown stripe disease is a severe foliar fungal disease of sugarcane worldwide and is widespread in all sugarcane planting areas in China. Brown stripe is a major disease that seriously affects the output and quality of the sugarcane industry in Yunnan Province, China's second-largest sugar base, while the pathogen of this disease remains not yet fully understood. To address this, we isolated and identified the fungi associated with 68 leaf samples showing typical symptoms of brown stripe from 22 sugarcane varieties in different areas of Yunnan Province. A total of 113 isolates were obtained, which were morphologically similar. Of these, 64 representative isolates were sequenced for the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), GAPDH and EF-1α loci. All representative isolates grouped with the type strain of Bipolaris setariae in the phylogenetic trees inferred with individual and concatenated sequences of ITS, GAPDH and EF1-α. Pathogenicity test results showed that B. setariae strains were able to induce typical symptoms of brown stripe. The results obtained in this study clarify that only B. setariae is associated with sugarcane brown stripe in Yunnan, China. It is recorded here for the first time as a pathogen causing sugarcane brown stripe in Yunnan, and it is able to infect many major cultivars and new varieties, posing a new threat to the sugar industry in Yunnan Province. In addition, these results provide the scientific basis for the future breeding of disease-resistant varieties and effective prevention and control of sugarcane brown stripe disease.     

生物杀虫剂组合在有机水稻种植中的作用效果

针对上海市崇明区有机水稻生产过程中病虫害防治效果不佳的问题,在水稻无化肥、无化学农药种植条件下开展了生物杀虫剂对水稻主要害虫稻纵卷叶螟和稻飞虱的田间防控效果评价。在崇明区的2个试验基地,于水稻不同生长时期,以绿僵菌、白僵菌产品分别与病毒杀虫剂MbNPV、植物源杀虫剂苦参碱和细菌杀虫剂Bt组合进行施药处理。结果表明,应用绿僵菌/白僵菌与MbNPV组合,能够有效防治稻纵卷叶螟,在稻纵卷叶螟发生较早的基地,施药后7 d和14 d的防效可达58.2%～81.2%,而在稻纵卷叶螟发生较晚的另一基地,施药后7 d防效可达61.3%和65.6%;绿僵菌/白僵菌与苦参碱组合,可用于防治稻飞虱,7 d和14 d的防效达64.7%～76.1%;绿僵菌/白僵菌与苏云金杆菌组合防治稻纵卷叶螟的14 d防效分别达64.0%和75.4%,优于对稻飞虱的防效;各组合试验结果显示,白僵菌有相对较长的持效作用,且在害虫迁入早期阶段(水稻发育分蘖盛期至拔节期)施用生物农药比在中后期(抽穗期及之后)施用的防效高。可见,生物杀虫剂组合可作为农作物绿色防控的有效手段。     

中华卵索线虫人工室内培养技术

为室内大量繁殖中华卵索线虫Ovomermis sinensis,采用个体由大到小的斜纹夜蛾Spodoptera litura、棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera和黏虫Mythimna separata作为宿主,测定被中华卵索线虫寄生后3种宿主的体长和体重,研究宿主种类对中华卵索线虫有效率、雌雄比和体长的影响以及寄生强度对线虫雌雄比的影响。结果显示,被中华卵索线虫寄生后,斜纹夜蛾、棉铃虫和黏虫生长减缓。在相同感染比例下（除宿主与线虫比为1∶15外）,3种宿主的线虫有效率之间差异不显著。当寄生强度为5时,3种宿主体内脱出的中华卵索线虫均为雌线虫;当寄生强度从10增到40时,斜纹夜蛾、棉铃虫和黏虫所脱出的雌性比分别由100.0%、90.0%、83.9%降为0;相同寄生强度下,从斜纹夜蛾体内脱出的雌性比显著高于从棉铃虫与黏虫体内脱出的雌性比。斜纹夜蛾、棉铃虫和黏虫体内脱出雌线虫和雄线虫平均体长分别为14.8、13.8、12.8 cm和8.0、7.5和7.5 cm。当中华卵索线虫与宿主按照比例20∶1～25∶1侵染斜纹夜蛾、按照15∶1侵染棉铃虫和黏虫时,能获得线虫最适雌雄比（1∶1...     

光源、性别及光处理时间对草地贪夜蛾趋光行为的影响

为研发高效、精准的监测防控设备,利用八臂行为选择装置系统测定不同光源、性别和光处理时间下草地贪夜蛾Spodoptera frugiperda的趋光行为。结果显示,在紫外光（波长365 nm）、紫光（波长420～430 nm）、蓝光（波长465～475 nm）、绿光（波长525～535 nm）、黄光（波长585～595 nm）和红光（波长655～665 nm）6种波长光源下,草地贪夜蛾混合种群（雌雄成虫比为1∶1）对紫外光光源的趋光选择率最高,为25.61%,显著高于其他处理,其次为紫光和蓝光光源,趋光选择率分别为16.30%和8.82%,对红光的趋光选择率最低,为4.76%。在紫外光刺激下,草地贪夜蛾雌成虫的趋光选择率显著高于混合种群（雌雄成虫比为1∶1）,在红光刺激下,雄成虫的趋光选择率显著高于雌成虫。另外,在紫外光刺激下,光处理时间60 min草地贪夜蛾雌成虫的趋光选择率显著高于其他处理。表明光源与性别因素均影响草地贪夜蛾的趋光行为,光处理时间对草地贪夜蛾的趋光行为影响较小,且与光源及性别因素有关。