Clinical and pathologic features of acute bovine liver disease in Australia

Acute bovine liver disease (ABLD) is a sporadic hepatic disease affecting cattle in southern Australia, characterized histologically by striking periportal hepatocellular necrosis. The cause of ABLD is unknown; however, the seasonality and acute presentation of outbreaks suggest mycotoxin involvement. We describe here the clinical and pathologic findings of ABLD in 45 naturally affected cattle from 13 outbreaks occurring from 2010 to 2019 in Victoria, Australia. Outbreaks occurred in herds located along the southern coastal plain of Victoria and were observed most frequently in lactating dairy cattle. Clinical signs commonly included a combination of mild photosensitization, progressive neurologic signs, and hypogalactia, which preceded death by ≤ 48 h. All affected animals had marked elevations in activities of glutamate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase. At autopsy, the most common lesions were serosal petechiae and/or gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and hepatomegaly with a pronounced hepatic reticular pattern. The principal histologic lesion was widespread—severe periportal hepatocellular coagulative necrosis and erythrocyte pooling—which often extended to massive necrosis. Lesions in other organs were uncommon. Our study of ABLD suggests involvement of a potent hepatotoxin that is either directly cytopathic or requires bioactivation by periportal-specific enzymes.     

中链脂肪酸抗菌和诱导防御肽表达的功能及其在仔猪饲料中的应用

近年,越来越多的研究表明,中链脂肪酸（MCFAs）抵抗病原菌是哺乳动物先天防御系统的重要组成部分,而且MCFAs也能够诱导人、猪和鸡内源性防御肽的表达,MCFAs的这些新功能尚未引起重视。MCFAs还和饲用有机酸或饲用植物精油具有协同抗菌增效作用,可以减少这些活性物质的使用量。相比于长链脂肪酸,日粮中添加MCFAs能显著地提高动物机体内氧气消耗量和线粒体呼吸速率,但产生活性氧自由基少,特别适合幼龄动物肠代谢和肝代谢所需的快速能量供应特点。日粮添加低浓度MCFAs（0.1%—0.5%,质量比）能显著提高新生或断奶仔猪存活率、粗蛋白粗脂肪消化率、饲料转化率,调节肠道菌群和改善肠上皮结构,进而促进生长。基于MCFAs的上述功能,将MCFAs与饲用有机酸或植物精油复配制备成微囊颗粒,可能是其用于仔猪抗生素替代品的尚佳方式。     

蜡样芽孢杆菌致吐毒素的毒性作用与生物合成研究进展

蜡样芽孢杆菌是一类兼性厌氧的革兰氏阳性杆菌,可以产生芽孢抵抗不良环境,并广泛存在于土壤、水、空气和多种食物中。致病性蜡样芽孢杆菌是常见的食源性条件致病菌之一,其引发的食物中毒主要是由其产生的毒素导致的。致吐毒素cereulide是致病性蜡样芽孢杆菌产生的重要毒素之一,是一种小分子亲脂性十二环肽,结构性质十分稳定。Cereulide能够引起恶心、呕吐等轻微的食物中毒症状,也可导致如肝性脑病、急性肝脏衰竭等严重致死的疾病。当前对于cereulide的毒性作用机制研究局限于其刺激传入迷走神经引起呕吐症状,以及作为钾离子载体,诱导线粒体膜电位丧失,并最终导致细胞死亡,而对于其导致的严重肝脏和脑部病变的毒性作用机制研究仍十分不足。Cereulide是由cereulide合成酶基因簇(ces)编码,非核糖体肽合成酶(nonribosomal peptide-synthetase, NRPS)系统控制合成的。Cereulide由两个羟基酸和两个氨基酸残基[-D-HIC-D-Ala-L-HIV-L-Val-]经3次迭代组成三聚体缩酚酞,其结构特殊并有很强的代表性,但因NRPS合成系统的灵活性会产生许多变体,因此cereulide的毒性与其生物合成过程息息相关。文章在现有文献报道和研究数据的基础上,总结并提出了cereulide的生物合成机理：首先,cereulide合成基因簇的CesA和CesB结构域分别识别D-α-酮羧酸、L-丙氨酸、L-α-酮异戊酸和L-缬氨酸,通过共价结合形成cereulide的主要合成单元二肽;其次,依照上述过程重复合成四肽;再通过重复反应合成第二个四肽,两个四肽通过酯化形成八肽;再次重复上述反应,形成三元络合的产物肽;最后,由于ces-NRPS的硫酯酶结构域活性中心表面结构阻止外部水分子进入,并诱导内部亲核攻击反应,最终释放出环状cereulide。目前,由产cereulide的蜡样芽孢杆菌引起的食物中毒风险被低估。并且,本团队前期研究发现部分芽孢杆菌微生态制剂中混有产cereulide的蜡样芽孢杆菌菌株。因此,产cereulide蜡样芽孢杆菌的存在对食品安全和公共健康均构成了潜在风险。文章综述了cereulide的毒性作用及机制,为进一步研发cereulide防控措施提供科学依据;总结并提出了cereulide的生物合成机理,强调了催化酮酸形成酯的酮还原酶域(KR),及形成重复单元和环肽的硫酯酶域(TE)在其合成中的重要作用,为阐明类似结构的非核糖体肽合成提供新的思路。     

玉米大斑病菌HST生物合成基因簇的结构和表达分析

【目的】分析玉米大斑病菌寄主选择性毒素（host selective toxin,HST）生物合成基因簇Cluster 397.3的结构,以及该基因簇组成基因在玉米大斑病菌侵染过程中的表达情况,为玉米大斑病菌HST的结构和功能研究奠定基础。【方法】以玉米大斑病菌23号生理小种et28a和01-23菌株,1号生理小种ny001和01-11菌株,玉米感病自交系B37为材料,利用antiSMASH技术预测玉米大斑病菌次生代谢产物合成基因簇,通过Synteny共线性分析获得玉米大斑病菌HST生物合成基因簇Cluster 397.3,并对其基因组成和结构进行分析,再利用RNA-Seq技术分析该基因簇的组成基因在玉米大斑病菌侵染玉米叶片3,5,7,10 d的表达情况。【结果】玉米大斑病菌次生代谢产物合成基因簇Cluster 397.3与交链链格孢（Alternaria alternata）ACT-毒素合成基因簇有保守的共线性,含有1个聚酮合酶（PKS）、1个氨基甲酰磷酸合成酶（CPS）、1个短链脱氢酶/还原酶（SDR）、1个锌结合氧化还原酶（ZOR）、1个保守假定蛋白（CHP）、2个细胞色素P450（P450）及2个耐药转运蛋白（DRT）等9个基因。其中PKS与ACT-毒素合成酶基因ACTTS3同源,编码的聚酮合酶包括PksD、PS-DH、Methyltransf_12、PKS_KR、PKS_NbtC superfamily和NADB_Rossmann superfamily 6个典型结构域。RNA-Seq分析结果表明,将玉米大斑病菌接种玉米叶片3,5,7,10 d后,Cluster 397.3组成基因均能表达,且以3 d时表达量整体较高;除CHP基因外,01-11菌株中基因表达量均显著高于01-23菌株。【结论】Cluster 397.3基因表达差异与玉米大斑病菌生理小种的分化和致病特异性有关,该基因簇可能参与了玉米大斑病菌寄主选择性毒素的生物合成。     

粮油作物真菌毒素污染现状及控制

真菌毒素是由某些丝状真菌产生的致癌、致畸、致突变的毒性副产物,对玉米、水稻、小麦、花生、大豆和油菜等多种粮油作物具有极大的危害性,严重威胁环境安全、食品安全和人类健康。随着世界人口的急剧增加和主要农作物种植面积的扩大,粮油农产品中的真菌毒素污染有逐年加重的趋势。本文对粮油作物中主要真菌毒素种类及污染现状进行了综述,分析了导致真菌毒素污染加重的环境影响因子,提出了粮油作物不同生长时期真菌毒素污染防控措施,特别是生物防控技术,展望了真菌毒素污染生物防控的作用模式及类型。     

Paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin analysis of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alexandrium</Emphasis> (Dinophyceae) occurring in Korean coastal waters

ABSTRACT:   Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins produced by Alexandrium isolates from Korea were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromography. Species designation of the regional isolates was determined by morphological criteria and ribotyping inferred from sequences of the 28S rDNA D1-D2 region. Toxin analysis performed at the exponential growth phase, revealed that the two strains of A. fraterculus were non-toxic, while the strains of A. tamarense and A. catenella were toxic. Toxic isolates DPC7 and DPC8 of A. catenella produced GTX1, 2, 3, 4, 5, dcGTX2, 3, C1, 2, neoSTX and STX with trace or non-detectable levels of C3 and C4, while isolates UL7, KDW981, SJW97043, SJW97046, KJC97111 and KJC97112 of A. tamarense produced GTX1, 2, 3, 4, dcGTX3, C1, 2, neoSTX with trace or non-detectable levels of C3, 4, dcSTX and STX, and no GTX5 and dcGTX2. The major toxins produced by A. catenella were C1 +2, and those of A. tamarense were C1 +2 and GTX4 in most of the isolates. A. tamarense strains other than SJW97046 produced a relatively high proportion of carbamate toxins, reflecting the high toxicity scores of shellfish intoxication in sampled coastal areas. Two representative toxic isolates, A. tamarense SJW97043 and A. catenella DPC7, were cultured for 30 days in batch mode and subjected to toxin analysis at 5-day intervals. Comparison of toxin productivity in terms of total toxin content, toxin components, and their variations with culture age revealed marked differences between the two strains.     

Establishment of a Conditional Transgenic System Using the 2A Peptide in the Female Mouse Germline

Transgenic mice are essential research tools in developmental biology studies. The 2A peptide allows multiple genes to be expressed simultaneously at comparable levels in somatic cells, but there are no reports of it being used successfully in germ cells. We constructed a Cre/loxP-based conditional vector containing the 2A peptide to significantly enhance the expression of a reporter and target gene from a constitutive promoter in oocytes. Mice with a transgene insertion containing the chicken β-actin promoter, floxed EGFP-polyA cassette, mCherry reporter, 2A peptide and target gene DNA methyltransferase 3A2 (Dnmt3a2) were crossed with TNAP- or Vasa-Cre mice to produce offspring, in which mCherry and DNMT3A2 proteins were highly expressed in oocytes upon Cre-mediated removal of EGFP-polyA. This novel transgenic mouse line based on the 2A expression system can serve as a useful tool for examining gene function during oogenesis.     

PRRSV特异性肽对CSF、PRRS免疫猪IFN-Y、IL-10分泌的影晌

应用PRRSV-GP5特异性肽刺激CSF、PRRS免疫猪外周血淋巴细胞,采用EI。IsA方法测定不同时间点淋巴细胞分泌IFN-7及IL-10的水平,分析PRRSv_GP5特异性肽刺激后,淋巴细胞培养上清中细胞因子的变化规律。结果显示,CSFV高抗PRRSV低抗体组于PRRSV免疫14d,肽刺激组中IFN-7水平显著高于对照组（P〈0．05）;其他组均差异不显著（P〉0．05）。PRRSV免疫14d,细胞培养24,72h后加PRRSV—GP5肽刺激,各组中试验组与对照组相比IL-10水平明显降低（P〈0．01）;PRRSV免疫28d,各组中肽刺激组与空白组相比,IL-10水平均无显著性差异（P〉0．05）。结果表明,PRRSV-GP5肽在PRRSV免疫早期可以促进IFN-7的分泌,并抑制IL-10的产生,但在免疫后期对淋巴细胞分泌的调节作用还需进-步研究。     

广西巴马小型猪GHRH成熟肽真核表达质粒对小鼠生长效应的影响

【目的】探讨广西巴马小型猪促生长激素释放激素（GHRH）成熟肽真核表达质粒对小鼠生长效应的影响,为进一步研究广西巴马小型猪GHRH成熟肽的促生长作用及GHRH基因疫苗的高效制备与安全使用提供参考依据。【方法】利用基因重组技术将广西巴马小型猪GHRH成熟肽序列与p EGFP-N1质粒连接构建重组真核表达质粒,然后按0.5μg/g的剂量肌肉注射经25%蔗糖溶液预处理的小鼠,观察记录小鼠体重变化情况,并分别提取重组质粒注射组小鼠的心脏、肝脏、肾脏及注射部位肌肉DNA,再以PCR检测是否存在基因质粒残留。【结果】以构建的p EGFP-GHRH重组质粒注射小鼠后,其外源GHRH成熟肽DNA可在肌肉中获得表达,但并未整合入小鼠基因组中。虽然重组质粒注射组小鼠的末重与空质粒注射组小鼠的差异不显著（P〉0.05）,但在注射后的10-25 d,重组质粒注射组小鼠体重均显著高于空质粒注射组（P〈0.05）。在相对日增重率方面,注射后的前15 d内,重组质粒注射组小鼠的相对日增重率均高于空质粒注射组。【结论】构建的广西巴马小型猪p EGFP-GHRH重组质粒能在一定时间内促进小鼠生长,即GHRH种属差异性小,在动物中有较高的保守性。     

福建沿海文蛤产地和暂养地贝类素毒化状况

采集福建沿海文蛤产地，暂养地的文蛤，结合分析其所生长的个体情况，检测其DSP和PSP，结果表明：福建沿海文蛤产地和暂养地未出现的DSP，PSP毒化状况。