A New Micromonospora Strain with Antibiotic Activity Isolated from the Microbiome of a Mid-Atlantic Deep-Sea Sponge

To tackle the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, it is essential to identify new bioactive compounds that are effective against resistant microbes and safe to use. Natural products and their derivatives are, and will continue to be, an important source of these molecules. Sea sponges harbour a diverse microbiome that co-exists with the sponge, and these bacterial communities produce a rich array of bioactive metabolites for protection and resource competition. For these reasons, the sponge microbiota constitutes a potential source of clinically relevant natural products. To date, efforts in bioprospecting for these compounds have focused predominantly on sponge specimens isolated from shallow water, with much still to be learned about samples from the deep sea. Here we report the isolation of a new Micromonospora strain, designated 28ISP2-46^T, recovered from the microbiome of a mid-Atlantic deep-sea sponge. Whole-genome sequencing reveals the capacity of this bacterium to produce a diverse array of natural products, including kosinostatin and isoquinocycline B, which exhibit both antibiotic and antitumour properties. Both compounds were isolated from 28ISP2-46^T fermentation broths and were found to be effective against a plethora of multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. This study suggests that the marine production of isoquinocyclines may be more widespread than previously supposed and demonstrates the value of targeting the deep-sea sponge microbiome as a source of novel microbial life with exploitable biosynthetic potential.     

THE EFFECT OF PHYSIOLOGICAL STATUS ON DIET SELECTION BY GRAZING EWES

The effect of the physiological status of grazing ewes on diet selection was studied, using ewes with oesophageal fistulae. The diets of dry ewes grazing Phalaris annual grasses and subterranean clover pastures, over a range of availabilities, were compared with those of ewes in various stages of pregnancy and lactation. There were no significant differences at any stage of reproduction in the botanical composition of the diets. However, small differences in diet digestibility, soluble carbohydrate and nitrogen content were found during pregnancy and lactation. These occurred at all levels of availability of pasture. The differences did not appear to have nutritional significance in the particular pasture ecosystems studied because levels of N, soluble carbohydrates and digestibility of the diet were such that selection for survival was unlikely to be necessary.
It is concluded that dry fistulated ewes can be used to obtain samples for assessing diet N and soluble carbohydrate contents for ewes in other physiological states. The use of in vitro digestibility tests of diets of dry ewes to assess diet digestibility for ewes in other physiological states may be subject to error.     

Impact of Pea necrotic yellow dwarf virus (PNYDV) on nodulation,N2 fixation and yield in faba bean (Vicia faba,L.)

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Pea necrotic yellow dwarf virus (PNYDV) is a novel nanovirus in Europe, affecting various grain legumes. The impact of PNYDV on nodulation, symbiotic N2...     

EFFECTS OF EXPERIMENTAL NERVE ROOT COMPRESSION ON ARTERIAL BLOOD FLOW VELOCITY IN THE SEVENTH LUMBAR SPINAL GANGLION OF THE DOG: MEASUREMENT USING INTRAOPERATIVE DOPPLER ULTRASONOGRAPHY

Intraoperative Doppler ultrasonography was used to measure the effects of four experimental nerve root compression treatments (central compression, central-plus-lateral compression, lateral compression, and compression release) on arterial blood flow velocities in the seventh lumbar spinal ganglion of three dogs. Graphed blood flow velocity changes (change = treatment value − pretreatment value) were below baseline during the first three compression treatments and above baseline following compression release. Mean blood flow velocity changes for both central-plus-lateral compression and lateral compression differed (p ≤ 0.05) from changes for central compression. Changes for central-plus-lateral compression did not differ (p > 0.05) from changes for lateral compression. Changes among the first three compression treatments differed (p ≤ 0.05) from changes for compression release. No histologic abnormalities were identified in compressed nerve tissues, compared to contralateral controls. These findings indicate that stenosis within the L7-S1 intervertebral foramen may cause ischemia of the L7 spinal ganglion in dogs.     

Effect of efrotomycin in feed on the quantity, duration, and prevalence of shedding and antibacterial susceptibility of Salmonella typhimurium in experimentally infected swine

The influence of efrotomycin administered at the rate of 16 mg/kg of feed in 10 Salmonella typhimurium-inoculated pigs was determined by comparing this group with a group of 10 pigs inoculated with S typhimurium that were given nonmedicated feed. Two control groups of 4 noninoculated pigs each, 1 group medicated with efrotomycin at 16 mg/kg of feed, the other nonmedicated, also were evaluated. An inoculum of 1.7 x 10(10) colony-forming-units/pig induced colonization of S typhimurium in all 20 pigs. Evaluation of the quantity of shedding did not reveal a clear or consistent treatment-related increase in S typhimurium counts; mean differences between the nonmedicated and medicated groups never exceeded 1 log unit. On the last day of the study (day 56 of the medication), 8 nonmedicated and 9 medicated pigs were determined to be infected with S typhimurium via enrichment procedures, so there was no difference in duration of shedding, and there were no significant differences in prevalence of shedding between the nonmedicated and medicated groups at any of the sampling times. Of 1,340 S typhimurium colonies isolated from the nonmedicated and medicated groups, 1,330 were susceptible to all 12 antibacterials tested, indicating no treatment-related effect on susceptibility. At necropsy, S typhimurium was not isolated from any liver or spleen specimens, and was isolated from only 2 of 20 lymph nodes. However, S typhimurium was isolated via enrichment from the cecal contents from all 20 pigs. There were no treatment-related differences in feed consumption, weight gain, or feed efficiency. Appreciable differences in the measurements were not found between the efrotomycin-medicated and nonmedicated pigs.     

Clinical hematology practices at veterinary teaching hospitals and private diagnostic laboratories

The clinical hematology practices utilized at veterinary teaching hospitals and private veterinary diagnostic laboratories were surveyed using a questionnaire. The hematology caseload at private diagnostic laboratories was larger, and comprised predominantly of canine and feline submissions. The Coulter S Plus IV and Serono Baker 9000 were the hematology analyzers used most frequently at veterinary medical laboratories. The Abbott Cell-Dyn 3500, a multispecies analyzer capable of leukocyte differential counting, was utilized more by private laboratories. Commercial hematology control reagents were used at all laboratories; teaching hospital laboratories more often used reagents supplied by the manufacturer of the analyzer. A greater percentage of private diagnostic laboratories participated in the external quality assurance programs offered by Veterinary Laboratory Association and College of American Pathologists. While private diagnostic laboratories retained the EDTA blood specimens longer after initial testing, the teaching hospital laboratories retained blood smears and complete blood count reports longer. The complete blood count reports at veterinary teaching laboratories more often included red blood cell volume distribution width, mean platelet volume, manual hematocrit, plasma protein, and leukocyte differentials as absolute concentrations. The laboratory practices utilized by these veterinary medical laboratories were generally similar, and differences were attributed to divergent emphasis on economic accountability and clinical investigation.     

The components of fruit size in strawberry

High Correlation coefficients have been found in the application of the formula:

$\text{Fresh weight of ripe berry}\text{(g)}\text{=}\text{(Total number of achenes?C)F}\text{(Number of achenes per cm}{}^2\text{of surface}$

to data for a large number of strawberries from nine cultivars. Of the terms in the equation (Total no. of achenes — C) was found to be different in different cultivars and to be related to the position of the berry on the inflorescence, but there was no constant relationship between the achene numbers in the different ranks of berry. Whether the numbers of achenes per berry can be altered by environmental or cultural treatments was not resolved. F, a term having the dimensions of weight per area, represents weight per unit area of berry surface and seems to be constant amongst plants of a cultivar subject to uniform treatment, but differs between cultivars and treatments.The number of achenes per cm² of surface on ripe berries is a measure of berry development in the fruiting season and may be affected by environmental and managerial factors and by internal competition between fruits and leaves on the same plant.The interactions of these factors on berry size enable two stages to be recognised at which size is determined, namely during flower formation, when achene numbers and possibly F are fixed, and during fruit development after pollination when the term for spatial distribution of achenes is settled.It is suggested that an examination of the effects of different treatments on each of the size components might enable a distinction to be drawn between the influence on yield of genetic characteristics on the one hand and intrinsically variable characteristics subject to external influence on the other hand, thus clarifying the type of research and/or development needed to enable growers to achieve maximum yields.