Is there a direct role for erythrocytes in the immune response?

ABSTRACT: Erythrocytes are highly abundant circulating cells in the vertebrates, which, with the notable exception of mammals, remain nucleated throughout the entire life cycle. The major function associated with these cells is respiratory gas exchange however other functions including interaction with the immune system have been attributed to these cells. Many viral, prokaryotic and eukaryotic pathogens directly target this cell type and across the vertebrate group a significant number of related pathologies have been reported. Across the primary literature mechanisms of interaction, invasion and replication between viruses and erythrocytes have been well described however the functional response of the erythrocyte has been poorly studied. A fragmented series of reports spanning the vertebrates suggests that these cells are capable of functional responses to viral infection. In contrast, in-depth proteomic studies using human erythrocytes have strongly progressed throughout the past decade providing a rich source of information related to protein expression and potential function. Furthermore information at the gene expression level is becoming available. Here we provide a review of erythrocyte-pathogen interactions, erythrocyte functions in immunity and propose in light of recent -omics research that the nucleated erythrocytes may have a direct role in the immune response.     

Flow cytometry and its applications in veterinary medicine

Flow cytometry is a technique for analysing and separating populations of cells (and subcellular components). The cells are generally stained with fluorescent markers (eg, fluorescent antibodies or DNA-binding dyes). Each cell is analysed individually, at high speed. Thus, assays may be performed on small samples (less than 10,000 cells). A subpopulation of interest can be separated from the remainder of the cells to a high degree of purity (up to 99 per cent). The application of flow cytometry to veterinary science is increasing and is discussed here.     

Nitrogen Fertilizer and Protein, Lipid, and Non-structural Carbohydrate Concentrations During the Course of Maize Kernel Filling

A field experiment was carried out at four location-years in Southwestern Quebec, Canada in 1990 and 1991, to evaluate the effects of nitrogen (N) application on protein, lipid, non-structural carbohydrate (NSC), and remaining grain components concentrations of maize ( Zea mays L.) grain during kernel development. Three N fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, urea, and calcium ammonium nitrate) were compared for plants receiving pre-plant incorporated N fertilizer at 180 kg ha^-1 as well as a control which received no N fertilizer. The results indicated that between 20 and 30 days after pollination (DAP) protein concentration of maize kernels declined sharply, thereafter only slightly, irrespective of the treatment. At most stages and in all four location-years protein concentration was raised significantly by N-application without clear difference between N-fertilizer sources. At 20 DAP seeds of N-fertilized plants contain 25.5 mg g^-1 more than those without N-application (control); later on, this difference was lower (12.8 mg g^-1) but remained constant over time if averaged over N-sources and location-years. At most growth stages and in most location-years the lipid concentration did not respond to N fertilizer application. Lipid concentration followed an "N" shaped curve over the course of grain development. Non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentration increased significantly during grain filling and showed little effect due to N application. However, at most growth stages in the four location-years, the concentration of remaining grain components tended to decline with N application. A significant negative correlation existed between the changes in protein concentration and NSC concentration during kernel development.     

Conversion of pectenotoxin-2 to pectenotoxin-2 seco acid in the New Zealand scallop, Pecten novaezelandiae

SUMMARY: Comparison of pectenotoxin (PTX) profiles between the toxic dinoflagellate Dinophysis acuta and scallops Pecten novaezelandiae collected at Wedge Point, Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand was carried out by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) with turbo-ionspray ionization. Although the major PTX homolog in D. acuta was pectenotoxin-2 (PTX2), the scallops contained pectenotoxin-2 seco acid (PTX2SA) as the predominant toxin. Pectenotoxin-2 isolated from D. acuta was rapidly converted to PTX2SA and its epimer 7- epi -pectenotoxin-2 seco acid (7- epi -PTX2SA) in the scallop extracts. These results indicate that PTX2SA and 7- epi -PTX2SA arose from the conversion of PTX2 by scallop tissue. The results indicate that New Zealand scallops have an ability to reduce the cytotoxicity of PTX2 by conversion to PTX2SA.     

Duration of anti-adhesive and bactericidal activities of milk from vaccinated sows on Escherichia coli O149 in the digestive tract of piglets during the nursing period.

Piglets were exposed orogastrically to Escherichia coli to enable study of the duration of anti-adhesive and bactericidal activities of milk of sows vaccinated with a K88 enriched E coli vaccine. There was a marked increase in the number of the challenge strain in the digestive tract of weaned piglets of all ages (between 888 and 2144 per cent). In contrast, there was a decrease in their number (75 per cent) in the day-old colostrum-fed piglets. When the piglets were two weeks old milk was still capable of reducing the rate of proliferation of the pathogen but at five weeks it proliferated at equal rates in the digestive tract of both suckling and weaned litter-mates. The rate of adhesion of the K88 positive E coli to the small intestine of colostrum deprived piglets was high (5 x 108/g). Rate of adhesion fell gradually in weaned piglets from 5.4 x 107/g at two weeks to 2.0 x 106/g at four to five weeks of age. In contrast, resistance of the small intestine of suckling pigs to adhesion by K88-positive E coli remained relatively stable through the five week period of nursing bacterial counts ranging from 5 x 104/g to 3 x 104/g of tissue.     

Disorder-sensitive phase formation linked to metamagnetic quantum criticality

Condensed systems of strongly interacting electrons are ideal for the study of quantum complexity. It has become possible to promote the formation of new quantum phases by explicitly tuning systems toward special low-temperature quantum critical points. So far, the clearest examples have been appearances of superconductivity near pressure-tuned antiferromagnetic quantum critical points. We present experimental evidence for the formation of a nonsuperconducting phase in the vicinity of a magnetic field-tuned quantum critical point in ultrapure crystals of the ruthenate metal Sr3Ru2O7, and we discuss the possibility that the observed phase is due to a spin-dependent symmetry-breaking Fermi surface distortion.     

Chemical fossils: the geological fate of steroids

Steroids are used to illustrate some of the significant advances that have been made in recent years in understanding the biological origin and geological fate of the organic compounds in sediments. The precursor sterols are transformed, initially by microbial activity and later by physicochemical constraints, into thermodynamically more stable saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons in mature sediments and petroleums. The steps in this transformation result in a complex web linking biogenesis, diagenesis, and catagenesis. Indeed, the complexity and variety of biological lipids such as the steroids are evidently matched in the corresponding geolipids. The extent of preservation of the biochemical imprint in the structures and stereochemistry of these geolipids, even over hundreds of millions of years, is startling, as is the systematic and sequential nature of the geochemical changes they evidently undergo. This new understanding of molecular organic geochemistry has applications in petroleum geochemistry, where biological marker compounds are valuable in the assessment of sediment maturity and in correlation work.     

Total foliar glycoalkaloids and resistance of wild potato species toEmpoasca fabae (Harris)

Levels of total glycoalkaloids (TGA) in foliage of 10 wild, tuberbearingSolanum (Tourn.) L. species differentially resistant to infestation by the potato leafhopper,Empoasca fabae (Harris), were determined. Levels of TGA ranged from a high of 688 mg/100 g fresh wt. in a resistant species,S. polyadenium Greenm. to a low of 13 mg/100 g fresh wt. in a susceptible species,S. bulbocastanum Dun. Foliar concentration of TGA and nymphal infestation by the potato leafhopper were highly correlated (r = ?0.75, p = 0.01). The significant correlation of TGA levels and potato leafhopper resistance suggests that foliar TGA may be a significant factor in the defense of wild potato species against this pest.     

THE WATTLE BARK INDUSTRY

The growing stock in the artificially established pine plantations in the Republic, the different silvicultural systems under which they have developed and the bearing this could have on the quality of the timber are described briefly.

The timber characteristics responsible for the undesirable behaviour of sawn constructional timber on seasoning are discussed and the silvicultural and management systems which could be applied to improve the timber quality are briefly indicated. The role which tree-breeding could play in improving the quality and profitability of future tree crops is sketched.