Vitamin A functions and requirements in fish

Vitamin A (VA) is an essential dietary nutrient for fish and plays an important role in a range of physiological processes including vision, reproduction, embryogenesis, growth and differentiation and maintenance of epithelial cells. Knowledge of effects of VA on aquatic organisms is limited, but new information continues to be published. The aim of the present review is to present an overview of the dietary requirements and functions of VA in fish of commercial importance in aquaculture production. The effects of VA on reproduction and early embryonic development are described, and the estimated dietary requirements for VA of several species of fish are discussed. New research findings on how VA requirements vary with the life stages of fish are explored that will expand understanding of the complex role of VA. Sources of VA in feeds are described, and the potential need to consider how changes in fish feed formulations towards higher use levels of sustainable ingredients may affect dietary VA supplementation recommendations is discussed.     

黄条鰤仔稚幼鱼消化酶活性变化研究

为了解黄条鰤(Seriola aureovittata)早期发育阶段的消化生理特性，测定了黄条鰤胚胎、仔稚幼鱼阶段脂肪酶、淀粉酶、胰蛋白酶和碱性磷酸酶活性变化。结果显示，在黄条鰤仔鱼出膜前胚胎阶段，即能检测到脂肪酶、淀粉酶和碱性磷酸酶活性；初孵仔鱼体内(1 d)初次检测出胰蛋白酶的活性。脂肪酶和碱性磷酸酶比活力在仔鱼孵化后迅速增强(P<0.05)，在4 d开口时，2种酶比活力达最高值；淀粉酶比活力在7 d时达最大值；胰蛋白酶比活力在仔鱼阶段缓慢上升，15 d时比活力最大。稚鱼阶段内脏团中脂肪酶、碱性磷酸酶和胰蛋白酶活性基本维持稳定，幼鱼阶段内脏团脂肪酶、碱性磷酸酶和胰蛋白酶活性都呈现上升趋势；稚鱼和幼鱼阶段内脏团中淀粉酶活性下降并基本稳定于较低水平。研究表明，黄条鰤仔稚幼鱼发育过程中，各种消化酶活性变化明显，且与其发育阶段和食性密切相关。在尚未摄食饵料的早期仔鱼体内已存在消化酶，认为其是母源传递而来，不是由外源性饵料所致；幼鱼阶段内脏团脂肪酶、碱性磷酸酶和胰蛋白酶比活力明显提高，这反映出随苗种生长发育，其肠道结构和消化机能逐渐完善，并且对脂肪、蛋白质的需求逐渐增强。     

盐度对珍珠龙胆石斑鱼幼鱼渗透调节与耗氧率的影响

为研究盐度对珍珠龙胆石斑鱼（）渗透调节与耗氧率的影响，设计实验一，将（162.5±12.1）g珍珠龙胆石斑鱼置于不同盐度（6、12、18、24、30）下养殖10 d，测定血清渗透压及Na⁺、Cl^-、K⁺离子浓度。实验结果表明，随盐度的升高血清渗透压及Na⁺、Cl^-、K⁺离子浓度也随着升高，各组[Na⁺]：[Cl^-]比值无显著差异（>0.05）；经回归分析得到血清等渗点渗透压为365.95 mOsm/kg，所对应盐度为12.75。实验二，将（26.4±2.7）g幼鱼置于不同盐度（6、12、18、24、30）下养殖30 d，测定在开始暴露后0 h、3 h、24 h、72 h鳃Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase活性及表达和第30天耗氧率，结果表明鳃Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase活性随盐度的增大呈“U”形变化；鳃Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase α1基因表达量波动较大，在72 h后随盐度增大先降低后增加，变化趋势与酶活性一致；第30天耗氧率随盐度的增加先降低后增加又降低。综上所述，珍珠龙胆石斑鱼幼鱼10 d内能够完全适应6~30盐度急性变化，耗氧率除了受离子渗透调节的影响，还可能与其生活史阶段有关。     

贵州魔芋软腐病菌多基因分子鉴定及其致病力分析

为明确贵州魔芋软腐病菌种类?致病力及分布特点, 采用组织分离法对贵州主要魔芋种植区软腐病样进行病原菌分离, 对icdA, mdh, mtlD, proA, rpoS 等5个管家基因进行了扩增?序列测定, 分别用单基因和多基因联合系统发育树对病菌进行鉴定, 同时采用组织块接种方法测定了不同菌株的致病力?通过组织分离法共分离魔芋软腐病菌株47株; 采用5个管家基因进行分子鉴定, 将病菌分别鉴定为海芋果胶杆菌Pectobacterium aroidearum?胡萝卜果胶杆菌Pectobacterium carotovorum和方中达迪基氏菌Dickeya fangzhongdai 3个种, 其中海芋果胶杆菌P.aroidearum为贵州魔芋软腐病主要致病菌, 占分离菌株的70%, 广泛分布在多个地区; 其次为方中达迪基氏菌D. fangzhongdai, 占分离菌株的28%, 也普遍存在于贵州各魔芋种植区; 胡萝卜果胶杆菌P. carotovorum最少, 占分离菌株的2%?致病力测定结果表明, 菌株间致病力存在一定的差异, 其中海芋果胶杆菌不同菌株之间致病力差异较大, 低?中?高致病力菌株都有, 方中达迪基氏菌差异较小, 仅有中?高致病力菌株?本研究确定了贵州魔芋软腐病菌种类?致病力及在贵州的分布特点, 首次报道了海芋果胶杆菌?方中达迪基氏菌是贵州魔芋软腐病的主要病原菌, 进一步加深了对魔芋软腐病及其发生流行的认识, 为软腐病的科学防控提供了科学依据?     

Quantitative morphology in canine cutaneous soft tissue sarcomas

Stained cytological specimens from 24 dogs with spontaneous soft tissue sarcomas [fibrosarcoma (n = 8), liposarcoma (n = 8) and haemangiopericytoma (n = 8)], and 24 dogs with reactive connective tissue lesions [granulation tissue (n = 12) and dermal fibrosis (n = 12)] were analysed by computer‐assisted nuclear morphometry. The studied morphometric parameters were: mean nuclear area (MNA; µm²), mean nuclear perimeter (MNP; µm), mean nuclear diameter (MND mean; µm), minimum nuclear diameter (D_min; µm) and maximum nuclear diameter (D_max; µm). The study aimed to evaluate (1) possibility for quantitative differentiation of soft tissue sarcomas from reactive connective tissue lesions and (2) by using cytomorphometry, to differentiate the various histopathological soft tissue sarcomas subtypes in dogs. The mean values of all nuclear cytomorphometric parameters (except for D_max) were statistically significantly higher in reactive connective tissue processes than in soft tissue sarcomas. At the same time, however, there were no considerable differences among the different sarcoma subtypes. The results demonstrated that the quantitative differentiation of reactive connective tissue processes from soft tissue sarcomas in dogs is possible, but the same was not true for the different canine soft tissue sarcoma subtypes. Further investigations on this topic are necessary for thorough explication of the role of quantitative morphology in the diagnostics of mesenchymal neoplasms and tumour‐like fibrous lesions in dogs     

Effect of starvation on survival and biochemical profile of newborn juvenile lined seahorses,Hippocampus erectus (Perry, 1810)

This study assessed the effect of starvation on survival and nutritional status of newborn juveniles H. erectus (<10 days) to optimize rearing protocols, thereby helping to reduce wildlife exploitation. Maximum starvation time (MST) was estimated through the survival of juveniles continuously starved from birth. Resistance to starvation and the effect of food re‐introduction after 1, 2, 4 and 6 days of starvation on survival and metabolite concentrations (total proteins, total lipids, acylglycerides, cholesterol, glucose) were also determined. Survival amongst continuously starved animals decreased from 6.6 ± 0.5 to 0% from days 9 to 10 of starvation. Seahorses under different starvation–refeeding treatments all had 100% survival up to day 5 of experiments. After 10 days, however, a 4‐day starvation period followed by refeeding showed negative effects with <50% survival. During continuous starvation, lipids were the first energy reserve used to maintain basal metabolism, followed by proteins. Except for cholesterol, all metabolite concentrations differed between continuous starvations and feeding. Despite high seahorse survival after 5 days in the absence of food, the recovery of the metabolic status is possible after a starvation period of no more than 2 days, since irreversible physiological changes compromising the ultimate survival of the organisms take place after this time.     

The transition time from the juvenile phase to the adult phase differs in soybean cultivars ‘Enrei’ and ‘Peking’

Plants develop juvenile phase to adult phase in vegetative stage. Although soybean is a very important crop worldwide, there has been only one study of the juvenile–adult phase change. In this study, we determined that the juvenile–adult phase change occurred at different stages in two soybean cultivars that differ in their photosensitivity. Cultivar ‘Enrei’ (E1e2e3E4) is weakly photosensitive and cultivar ‘Peking’ (E1E2E3E4) is strongly photosensitive. In ‘Enrei’, the leaf size gradually increased at a constant leaf position regardless of the difference in day length. In ‘Peking’ plants transferred to short‐day conditions at several leaf development stages, leaf size gradually increased at different leaf positions. Expression of miR156 by ‘Enrei’ transferred to short‐day conditions had nearly the same pattern as that of ‘Enrei’ grown under long‐day conditions. In ‘Peking’, the expression of miR156 had different patterns in younger leaves of plants subjected to either a short‐day treatment or long‐day conditions. These results indicate that the E2 and E3 loci that regulate photosensitivity also regulate the expression of miR156 and the juvenile–adult phase change in soybean.