Experimental dual infection of pigs with an H1N1 swine influenza virus (A/Sw/Hok/2/81) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

Dual infection of pigs with swine influenza virus (SIV) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae was carried out to compare the clinical and pathological effects of dual infection in caesarian derived and colostrums deprived (CDCD) pigs, with that of a single infection with M. hyopneumoniae. In Experiment 1, 40-day-old CDCD pigs were inoculated only with SIV (A/Sw/Hok/2/81, H1N1). The virus was isolated from nasal swabs for 5-6 days. None of these pigs showed clinical signs of infection throughout the experimental period. These results suggested that this strain can infect pigs but is only slightly pathogenic when it is inoculated singly to a CDCD pig. In Experiment 2, 60-day-old CDCD pigs were inoculated with M. hyopneumoniae and then were inoculated with SIV (A/Sw/Hok/2/81) at 1 week (MHYO-7d-SIV-7d group) or 3 weeks (MHYO-21d-SIV-7d group) after M. hyopneumoniae inoculation. Macroscopically, dark red-to-purple lung lesions were observed in all of pigs at 14 or 28 days post-inoculation. Percentages of dark red-to-purple lung lesions in dual infection groups (MHYO-7d-SIV-7d group: 18.7 +/- 4.2%, MHYO-21d-SIV-7d group: 23.0 +/- 8.0%) were significantly (P < 0.05) increased compared to those of each control group in which pigs were inoculated only with M. hyopneumoniae (MHYO-14d group: 4.7 +/- 2.9%, MHYO-28 group: 3.3 +/- 2.4%). Microscopically, bronchial epithelial lesions (epithelial disruption, degeneration, hyperplasia and formation of microabscess) were frequently observed in dark red-to-purple lung lesions of only the dual infection groups. These results demonstrate that the lung lesion of pigs inoculated with M. hyopneumoniae and SIV is more severe than that of pigs inoculated only with M. hyopneumoniae.     

Dietary apigenin suppresses IgE and inflammatory cytokines production in C57BL/6N mice

Flavonoids ubiquitously exist in plants, vegetables, fruits, and teas. We evaluated the effect of dietary apigenin, one of the well-known flavonoids, on the immune system in C57BL/6N mice. Mice were fed experimental diets containing apigenin for 2 weeks. After the experimental period, there was no significant difference in body and organ weights between the control and the apigenin group. The total immunoglobulin (Ig) E levels in mice fed apigenin were significantly suppressed, whereas levels of IgG, IgM, and IgA were not affected. We also examined the effect of the apigenin diet on cytokine expression in mice sera using a cytokine array. The production of regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor I (sTNFRI) in mice sera was down-regulated by the apigenin diet. These results suggest that a diet containing apigenin can reduce serum IgE and inflammatory cytokines such as RANTES and sTNFRI in mice.     

Effect of dietary fish oil on enhanced inflammation and disturbed lipophagy in white adipose tissue caused by a high fat diet

Fisheries Science - Fish oil containing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) attenuates chronic inflammation found in obesity, leading to a reduction in insulin resistance. The effect of fish...     

Genetic diversity of cultivated rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.) and wild rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza rufipogon</Emphasis> Griff.) in Asia,especially in Myanmar,as revealed by organelle markers

Asian rice (Oryza sativa L.) is widely cultivated in Asia, where it has been classified into Indica and Japonica Group, the latter is further classified into Tropical and Temperate Japonica Subgroup. O. rufipogon is believed to be the closest ancestor to O. sativa, but it remains unclear whether the two groups arose from a single ancestor or different ancestors. Therefore, here, we investigated the matrilineal ancestors of O. sativa using markers for organelle (chloroplast and mitochondrial) genomes, and 119 O. sativa landraces, 10 O. glaberrima Steud., 115 O. rufipogon Griff. from Asia, and 39 accessions from other wild rice species with AA genomes. We screened 18 organelle markers developed based on polymorphic loci in the organelle genomes. In addition, we used the open reading frame 100 of a chloroplast marker. The results indicated that O. rufipogon first differentiated into two lineages and then further differentiated into Indica and Japonica Group, respectively. Accessions of O. rufipogon (R-1f and R-2d types) from Myanmar appear to be the closest ancestors of Tropical Japonica Subgroup and Indica Group, respectively. Therefore, these wild strains may have made a strong contribution to the domestication of rice landraces in Myanmar.     

N2O and NO emissions from an Andisol field as influenced by pelleted poultry manure

Animal manures from intensive livestock operations can be pelleted to improve handlings and recyclings of embodied nutrients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of pelleted poultry manure on N₂O and NO fluxes from an Andisol field. In autumn 2006 and summer 2007, poultry manure (PM), pelleted poultry manure (PP), and chemical fertilizer (CF) were applied at a rate of 120 kg N ha⁻¹ in each cultivation period to Komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. peruviridis). Nitrous oxide and NO fluxes were measured using an automated monitoring system. A soil incubation experiment was also conducted to determine the influence of intact and ground pelleted manure on N₂O, NO, and CO₂ production with a water-filled pore space (WFPS) of 30 or 50%. In the field measurements, N₂O emission rates from the organic fertilizer treatments were larger than that from the CF treatment, possibly because organic C stimulated denitrification. The highest N₂O flux was observed from the PP treatment after a rainfall following fertilization, and the cumulative emission rate (2.72 ± 0.22 kg N ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) was 3.9 and 7.1 times that from the PM and CF treatments, respectively. In contrast, NO emission rates were highest from the CF treatment. The NO/N₂O flux ratio indicated that nitrification was the dominant process for NO and N₂O production from the CF treatment. Cumulative N₂O emission rates from all treatments were generally higher during the wetter cultivation period (autumn 2006) than during the drier cultivation period (summer 2007). In contrast, NO emission rates were higher in the drier than in the wetter cultivation period. The incubation experiment results showed a synergistic effect of soil moisture and the pelleted manure form on N₂O emission rates. The intact pelleted manure with the 50% WFPS treatment produced the highest N₂O and CO₂ fluxes and resulted in the lowest soil NO₃⁻ content after the incubation. These results indicate that anaerobic conditions inside the pellets, caused by rainfall and heterotrophic microbial activities, led to denitrification, resulting in high N₂O fluxes. Controlling the timing of N application by avoiding wet conditions might be one mitigation option to reduce N₂O emission rates from the PP treatment in this study field.     

Temporal shifts in diversity and quantity of nirS and nirK in a rice paddy field soil

Denitrification is an important part of the nitrogen cycle in the environment, and diverse bacteria, archaea, and fungi are known to have denitrifying ability. Rice paddy field soils have been known to have strong denitrifying activity, but the microbes responsible for denitrification in rice paddy field soils are not well known. Present study analyzed the diversity and quantity of the nitrite reductase genes (nirS and nirK) in a rice paddy field soil, sampled four times in one rice-growing season. Clone library analyses suggested that the denitrifier community composition varied over sampling time. Although many clones were distantly related to the known NirS or NirK, some clones were related to the NirS from Burkholderiales and Rhodocyclales bacteria, and some were related to the NirK from Rhizobiales bacteria. These denitrifiers may play an important role in denitrification in the rice paddy field soil. The quantitative PCR results showed that nirK was more abundant than nirS in all soil samples, but the nirK/nirS ratio decreased after water logging. These results suggest that both diversity and quantity changed over time in the rice paddy field soil, in response to the soil condition.     

A high-throughput, low cost gel-based SNP assay for positional cloning and marker assisted breeding of useful genes in cereals

Several SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) genotyping methods have been developed in the past most of which require sophisticated instrumentation and large initial investments. We describe here a high-throughput SSCP (single strand conformation polymorphism) system on our HEGS (high efficiency genome scanning) platform, which is simple, accurate, cost effective and requires neither restriction digestion of the amplification products nor elaborate post-PCR processing detection. Several parameters critical to SSCP analysis were optimized viz., gel matrix and concentration, gel running temperature, buffer composition, running conditions and PCR primer design so as to identify SNPs in amplicons ranging from 100 to 750 bp in size. A simple post-PCR processing system was developed using fluorescent dye for quick and easy detection of SNP polymorphism. HEGS-SSCP was also found to be useful in uncovering simple sequence repeat differences between different genotypes that differ by one or few di/tri nucleotide repeats. The practical utility of this system is illustrated with two successful efforts towards construction of high resolution linkage maps of a lesion mimic locus on chromosome 7 and a major quantitative trait locus conditioning field blast resistance on chromosome 4 in rice.     

Potassium behavior and clay mineral composition in the soil with low effectiveness of potassium application

ABSTRACT

Increasing exchangeable potassium (ExK) content in soil to an appropriate level is important to mitigate the transfer of radioactive cesium to crops. We focused on a buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) field with a low ExK content, despite the application of K, in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan (Field A), following the Tokyo Electric Power Company Fukushima Dai-ichi (No. 1) Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011. We examined the relationship between K concentration and clay mineral composition in the soil of Field A and compared the findings with another field in Fukushima Prefecture (Field B) to clarify whether K applied to the soil was leached or remaining fixed. Pot experiments showed that K concentration in water seepage from pots following irrigation was significantly lower in pots from Field A than in those from Field B. Soil ExK content after soybean cultivation was lower in soils of Field A than those of Field B. These results indicate that K applied to Field A was fixed in the soil. Analysis of clay mineral composition confirmed the distinctive vermiculitic nature of Field A soils. This clay mineralogy would be associated with the higher K fixation ability of Field A than Field B soils. This study demonstrated that K fixation in vermiculite was a factor preventing the increase in ExK content from K application to Field A.     

Occurrence of Mycobacterium spp. and other pathogens in lymph nodes of slaughtered swine and wild boars (Sus scrofa)

Mycobacterium spp. and other pathogens were investigated in 258 swine lymph nodes (129 with and 129 without apparent lesions), and 120 lymph nodes (60 with and 60 without lesions) from wild boars (Sus scrofa). A total of lymph nodes from swine and wild boars were collected of different animals. Submaxillar and mesenteric lymph nodes were submitted to microbiological examination and colonies suggestive of Mycobacterium spp. (alcohol-acid bacilli) were submitted to PCR Restriction Assay (PRA). In swine with lymphadenitis, Mycobacterium spp. (24.1%) and Rhodococcus equi (13.2%) were the most prevalent microorganisms, while in lymph nodes without lesions were identified a complex of microorganisms, including of environmental mycobacteria. In wild boars with lymphadenitis, ß-haemolytic Streptococcus (10.0%), Mycobacterium spp (8.4%) and R. equi (6.6%) were the most frequent. Among mycobacterias were identified predominantly Mycobacterium avium subspecies type 1 (48.3%) and M. avium subspecies type 2 (16.1%), followed by Mycobacterium intracellulare, Mycobacterium szulgai,Mycobacterium fortuitum, Mycobacterium gordonae, Mycobacterium simiae, Mycobacterium nonchromogenicum and Mycobacterium intracellulare type 2.