Phenotypic indicators for cultured pearl size improvement in the black‐lipped pearl oyster (Pinctada margaritifera): towards selection for the recipient growth performance

The black‐lipped pearl oyster, Pinctada margaritifera, is the most important farmed species in French Polynesia and the basis of the most valuable export industry. Mass production of black pearls relies on a surgical operation requiring tissue from a donor pearl oyster to be grafted, together with a nucleus made of shell, into the gonad of a recipient oyster. Improving pearl size through family selection remains one of the main challenges for future aquaculture development. This study analyses the relative contribution of donor and recipient oysters to pearl size. To this end, hatchery‐produced donor oysters of two batches, large and small (based on shell height), were used to supply grafts for recipients, which were then monitored individually for their growth performance by recording shell height, width, and thickness, and total live weight (flesh + shells) every 6 months (four biometric measurement times) over 20 months of culture. Pearls issued from the two batches of donors showed no significant differences in nacre weight or thickness. In contrast, recipient oyster shell height and total weight were increasingly positively correlated with these pearl size parameters over the culture period, becoming significant at 8 months post‐grafting. Potential therefore exists to use shell height and oyster weight as phenotypic indicators for selective breeding of recipient oysters with high growth performance to increase pearl size in P. margaritifera.     

不同运输条件对合浦珠母贝稚贝存活比较

比较运输方式及环境温度对合浦珠母贝稚贝运输中的存活影响,从而为稚贝运输过程中的运输方式、环境温度及运输时间的把握提供借鉴和参考。以3月龄稚贝为实验材料,运用无水干露、加水淹没及包装充氧等3种方式,分别在环境温度为5、13、21和29℃下模拟运输。每隔3 h从每组运输条件下取出1组实验贝,转移到正常养殖环境下暂养恢复,经48 h后统计其存活率。对运输时间与存活率之间进行非线性参数曲线拟合,计算每组运输条件下的致死时间(T_0)、半致死时间(T_(0.5))及全致死时间(T_1);运用双因素方差分析,Duncan氏方法比较3种运输方式及4种环境温度间的均值。结果显示:包装充氧优于其他两种运输方式,而加水淹没又优于无水干露;温度为13℃和21℃时优于其他2个环境温度,环境温度为17.60～20.05℃是稚贝运输的最佳温度。     

巨型艾美耳球虫偏菱形样蛋白EmRP免疫原性分析

在前期研究中,从巨型艾美耳球虫(Eimeria maxima)cDNA文库中筛选到了免疫保护性抗原偏菱形样蛋白EmRP,本研究为揭示该抗原的免疫保护机理,进一步检测了其免疫原性。以E.maxima卵囊cDNA为模板,用RT-PCR技术扩增EmRP,并构建真核表达质粒pVAX1-EmRP,将其经腿部肌肉注射2周龄的雏鸡,3周龄加强免疫。分别于首次免疫后和加强免疫后1周,采集血清,用ELISA方法检测血清特异性IgG水平,用荧光定量PCR方法(qPCR)检测细胞因子水平,用流式细胞术检测CD4^+T淋巴细胞和CD8^+T淋巴细胞的比例,分析EmRP诱导的免疫反应。序列分析表明,EmRP含有偏菱形样蛋白超家族成员保守区域,为非跨膜蛋白,分子量约为28.4 kD。真核表达质粒pVAX1-EmRP免疫鸡后,与对照组相比,鸡体IFN-γ、IL-2、IL-10和IL-17等细胞因子转录水平显著提升;CD8^+和CD4^+ T细胞比例显著提高,而血清特异性IgG水平与对照组差异不显著。结果表明,EmRP诱导的免疫保护作用主要是由其诱导的细胞免疫反应实现的,可以作为研制E.maxima新型疫苗的候选抗原。     

栽培种南瓜的品种群研究

作者建议在葫芦科专家Whitaker划分的品种群(cultivar groups)分类基础上,按照果实形状及果形指数为主要指标,结合其他亲缘关系,将3个栽培种南瓜Cucurbita moschata,C.pepo,C.maxima划分成18个品种群,其中2个(C.pepo的观赏瓜品种群,C.maxima的板栗瓜品种群)是作者新划分的。     

Detection of Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri from field samples using single‐tube nested PCR

A single‐tube nested PCR was developed for detection of Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc), the causal agent of citrus canker disease. The assay targets the pthA gene of Xcc and utilizes different annealing temperatures for the two primer pairs. It reliably detected as few as 1·0 × 10² Xcc cells, and was unaffected by the presence of PCR inhibitors. It was 10‐fold and 8500‐fold more sensitive than standard PCR and ELISA, respectively. Increased sensitivity was also achieved via the use of a washing method for DNA extraction, as opposed to direct extraction from leaf tissue. When evaluated for Xcc detection in 90 samples collected from affected pomelo orchards, the single‐tube nested PCR was superior to standard PCR, detecting the pathogen in 67 vs. 54 samples. It was also able to detect Xcc from samples with and without symptoms. This assay can be used as a rapid and sensitive technique for routine Xcc detection in field samples for surveillance of citrus canker.     

Determination of Naringin Content in Peel of Guangxi Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr by HPLC

[Objectives]To establish a method for determining the naringin content in the peel of Guangxi Citrus maxima(Burm.)Merr.[Methods]The high performance liquid chro...     

Pectin purified from pomelo (Citrus maxima) peel as a natural hatching agent for fish embryos

Pectin is a biodegradable polysaccharide, and it has been recently applied as a gene delivery, drug delivery, wound healing and tissue engineering agent. In this study, pectin was extracted from pomelo (Citrus maxima) peel and characterized. The extraction recovery of pectin form pomelo peel was 14.5%, and it had 72.56% degree of esterification, 1,245.56 equivalent weight, 7.82% methoxyl and 68.27% anhydrouronic acid contents. Use of pomelo pectin as a hatching enhancing agent for fish embryos and its effect on hatching enzyme 1 (ZHE1) was investigated. The pectin‐exposed zebrafish embryos (100 µg/ml) showed significantly (p < .05) higher hatching rate (96.6%) compared with untreated (control) embryos (66.6%) at 60 hpf. The mRNA expression of ZHE1 was also significantly (p < .05) elevated up to 55.6‐fold in pectin‐exposed embryos at 24 hpf. In situ hybridization results revealed remarkably strong expression of ZHE1 in pectin‐exposed embryos compared with the control group. In addition, considerably larger size of the hatching gland was observed in pectin‐exposed larvae than that of the unexposed larvae group. These results clearly indicate that pectin isolated from pomelo peel has an ability to enhance the hatching process of zebrafish embryos via upregulation of ZHE1.     

马氏珠母贝肉酶解产物的抗酒精性肝损伤作用

为探究马氏珠母贝肉酶解产物(Enzymatic hydrolysate from Pinctada martensii,EP)对酒精性肝损伤(Alcoholic liver damage,ALD)的保护作用,该研究将EP超滤分级为截留分子量>10 kD(EP-Ⅰ)、3~10 kD(EP-Ⅱ)和<3 kD(EP-Ⅲ)3个组分,检测其体外抗肝损伤活性及对ALD小鼠肝保护作用的影响。体外试验结果显示,EP-Ⅲ可显著激活体外乙醇脱氢酶(ADH)活性(P<0.01),3个超滤组分均具有一定的体外抗氧化能力且EP-Ⅲ>EP-Ⅱ>EP-Ⅰ;动物试验结果显示,与模型对照组相比,各超滤组分均能够显著降低小鼠血清中谷丙转氨酶(ALT)和谷草转氨酶(AST)活力、小鼠肝脏指数及肝脏中丙二醛(MDA)和甘油三酯(TG)含量,同时显著增强小鼠肝脏中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、乙醇脱氢酶(ADH)和乙醛脱氢酶(ALDH)活力,提高肝脏中的谷胱甘肽(GSH)含量。综上,马氏珠母贝肉酶解超滤组分对急性ALD具有一定的辅助保护作用,其中EP-Ⅲ的保护作用效果最佳,其机制可能与加快机体乙醇代谢和减缓乙醇对机体造成的氧化损伤相关。     

马氏珠母贝肉的营养成分及其游离氨基酸组成

对马氏珠母贝肉的营养成分及游离氨基酸组成进行了较系统的食品化学特性研究，结果表明：马氏珠母贝含粗蛋白７４．９％（干基），蛋白质的氨基酸组成中，富含Ｇｌｕ（２．２１％）、Ａｓｐ（１．４５）、Ｇｌｙ（１．０１％）等呈味氨基酸；蛋白质营养价高，氨基酸价为８２，第一限制氨基酸是含硫氨基酸（１９７３年（ＦＡＯ／ＷＨＯ标准）；无机盐含量丰富，尤其是微量元素Ｚｎ和Ｓｅ；游离氨基酸中，牛磺酸含量最高达１．３８％，     

珠母贝糖胺聚糖的纯化及其化学性质

珠母贝糖胺聚糖粗制品经吸附、等电点沉淀、醇沉、溴化十六浣基三甲铵（ＣＴＡＢ）络合等进行分离纯化，得一糖胺聚糖级分。经醋酸纤维素薄膜电泳显示为单一区带。化学组成分析表明：该级分氨基已糖含量较高（７１．３％），其中以氨基半乳糖为（５９％），含量少量的乙糖醛酸，含硫酸基、半乳糖、岩藻糖。元素分析表明其碳、氢、氮、硫的含量分别为３７．７％、５．８％、３．０％。对级分的残余氨基酸分析表明，８４．２％氨基酸已