The dog genome: survey sequencing and comparative analysis

A survey of the dog genome sequence (6.22 million sequence reads; 1.5x coverage) demonstrates the power of sample sequencing for comparative analysis of mammalian genomes and the generation of species-specific resources. More than 650 million base pairs (>25%) of dog sequence align uniquely to the human genome, including fragments of putative orthologs for 18,473 of 24,567 annotated human genes. Mutation rates, conserved synteny, repeat content, and phylogeny can be compared among human, mouse, and dog. A variety of polymorphic elements are identified that will be valuable for mapping the genetic basis of diseases and traits in the dog.     

中国稻瘟病菌的遗传多样性

 稻瘟病由Magnaporthe grisea,引起,是世界各水稻产区广泛分布的重要病害之一.实践证明,选用优良的抗病良种是稻瘟病综合防治的一项有效措施.然而一些抗病品种经推厂三五年后即渐趋感病,通常被认为是由于病菌生理小种迅速变化的结果.     

Venus: mass, gravity field, atmosphere, and ionosphere as measured by the mariner 10 dual-frequency radio system

Analysis of the Doppler tracking data near encounter yields a value for the ratio of the mass of the sun to that of Venus of 408,523.9 +/- 1.2, which is in good agreement with prior determinations based on data from Mariner 2 and Mariner 5. Preliminary analysis indicates that the magnitudes of the fractional differences in the principal moments of inertia of Venus are no larger than 10(-4), given that the effects of gravity-field harmonics higher than the second are negligible. Additional analysis is needed to determine the influence of the higher order harmonics on this bound. Four distinct temperature inversions exist at altitudes of 56, 58, 61, and 63 kilometers. The X-band signal was much more rapidly attenuated than the S-band signal and disappeared completely at 52-kilometer altitude. The nightside ionosphere consists of two layers having a peak density of 10(4) electrons per cubic centimeter at altitudes of 140 and 120 kilometers. The dayside ionosphere has a peak density of 3 X 10(5) electrons per cubic centimeter at an altitude of 145 kilometers. The electron number density observed at higher altitudes was ten times less than that observed by Mariner 5, and no strong evidence for a well-defined plasmapause was found.     

Complex diel cycles of gene expression in coral-algal symbiosis

Circadian regulation of plant-animal endosymbioses is complicated by a diversity of internal and external cues. Here, we show that stress-related genes in corals are coupled to the circadian clock, anticipating major changes in the intracellular milieu. In this regard, numerous chaperones are "hard-wired" to the clock, effectively preparing the coral for the consequences of oxidative protein damage imposed by symbiont photosynthesis (when O(2) > 250% saturation), including synexpression of antioxidant genes being light-gated. Conversely, central metabolism appears to be regulated by the hypoxia-inducible factor system in coral. These results reveal the complexity of endosymbiosis as well as the plasticity regulation downstream of the circadian clock.     

Population characteristics of feral cats admitted to seven trap-neuter-return programs in the United States

Internationally, large populations of feral cats constitute an important and controversial issue due to their impact on cat overpopulation, animal welfare, public health, and the environment, and to disagreement about what are the best methods for their control. Trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs are an increasingly popular alternative to mass euthanasia. The objective of this study was to determine the population characteristics of feral cats admitted to large-scale TNR programs from geographically diverse locations in the United States. Data from 103,643 feral cats admitted to TNR programs from 1993 to 2004 were evaluated. All groups reported more intact females (53.4%) than intact males (44.3%); only 2.3% of the cats were found to be previously sterilized. Overall, 15.9% of female cats were pregnant at the time of surgery. Pregnancy was highly seasonal and peaked between March and April for all of the groups. The average prenatal litter size was 4.1+/-0.1 fetuses per litter. Cryptorchidism was observed in 1.3% of male cats admitted for sterilization. A total of 0.4% of cats was euthanased because of the presence of debilitating conditions, and 0.4% died during the TNR clinics. Remarkably similar populations of cats with comparable seasonal variability were seen at each program, despite their wide geographical distribution. These results suggest that it is feasible to safely sterilize large numbers of feral cats and that the experiences of existing programs are a consistent source of information upon which to model new TNR programs.     

Genotype-by-environment effects on the performance of recombinant inbred lines of Virginia-type peanut

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is known to be sensitive to genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) effects. While previous studies have reported strong GEI effects on peanut yield, most of those studies involved a relatively small number of unrelated genotypes. We examined the extent of GEI effects in elite Virginia-type peanut using a large population of recombinant inbreed lines (RILs). Two-hundred-sixty-six F₇ RILs derived from different cultivars were grown in three environments. Net pod yield (NPY) was evaluated along with 11 other traits. ANOVA revealed that genotype and environment affected all of the examined traits, except for the triplet trait. The substantial influence of the environment was also demonstrated in a genetic-parameter analysis, in which the phenotypic variation coefficients were almost double those for genotypic variation. Still, relatively high heritability and genetic gain values were found for pod weight and NPY. Since NPY is the main target for selection, it was analyzed further. Path analysis showed that NPY is most directly influenced by pod weight and the shelling ratio. A significant GEI effect on NPY was identified using an AMMI model that described 42.7% of the total variation. This GEI component was subjected to a principal components analysis, which confirmed that the variability due to the different environments was greater than the variability that could be attributed to the different genotypes. Yet, several lines had stable yields across environments. These results demonstrate the importance of multi-location phenotyping for QTL analyses and crop improvement in peanut.     

Synergistic effects of concurrent challenge with bovine respiratory syncytial virus and 3-methylindole in calves.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential synergy between bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) and 3-methylindole (3MI) in inducing respiratory disease in cattle. ANIMALS: 20 mixed-breed beef calves. PROCEDURE: A 2 X 2 factorial design was used, with random assignment to the following 4 treatment groups: unchallenged control, BRSV challenge exposure (5 X 10(4) TCID50 by aerosolization and 5.5 X 10(5) TCID50 by intratracheal inoculation), 3MI challenge exposure (0.1 g/kg of body weight, PO), and combined BRSV-3MI challenge exposure. Clinical examinations were performed daily. Serum 3MI concentrations, WBC counts, PCV, total plasma protein, and fibrinogen concentrations were determined throughout the experiment. Surviving cattle were euthanatized 7 days after challenge exposure. Pulmonary lesions were evaluated at postmortem examination. RESULTS: Clinical respiratory disease was more acute and severe in cattle in the BRSV-3MI challenge-exposure group than in cattle in the other groups. All 5 cattle in this group and 3 of 5 cattle treated with 3MI alone died or were euthanatized prior to termination of the experiment. Mean lung displacement volume was greatest in the BRSV-3MI challenge-exposure group. Gross and histologic examination revealed that pulmonary lesions were also most severe for cattle in this group. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Feedlot cattle are commonly infected with BRSV, and 3MI is produced by microflora in the rumen of all cattle. Our results suggest that there is a synergy between BRSV and 3MI. Thus, controlling combined exposure may be important in preventing respiratory disease in feedlot cattle.