Molecular evidence of Leishmania spp. in spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) from The Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve,Veracruz, Mexico

Veterinary Research Communications - The black-handed spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) is a platyrrhine primate distributed in southern Mexico, Central America, and part of South America. Two...     

蓬勃发展的比利时杜鹃产业

规格和造型不容忽视 位于比利时东佛兰德省的洛克里斯蒂地区（Lochristi）是著名的杜鹃繁育和生产中心,这里活跃着150多家苗圃,杜鹃年产量为4000万株,其中95％用于出口。     

海运将成为今后切花的运输方式之一

众所周知,在切花供应链中,运输分销速度是保证瓶插周期的关键因子。定点的陆路和空运路线一直是切花运输分销的标准选择,主要原因之一就是其灵活、便利性,尤其是陆地路况和空运航线及包装场所等基础设施条件发展已日趋完善。市场对产品高质量的要求及经验教训使人们更重视采后处理,其中一个特别重要的方面是冷储藏环节,这也激发了人们更多地研究海运分销。     

皮肤免疫系统

真皮内液体注射器(IDAL注射器,--见本期《产品栏》介绍)的应用确保了真皮内免疫接种疫苗剂量的准确性。那么当抗原被接种到真皮内后,皮肤免疫系统又是如何产生坚实的免疫力以抵御疾病的呢?     

Mutations associated with pyrethroid resistance in the honey bee parasite Varroa destructor evolved as a series of parallel and sequential events

Journal of Pest Science - Managed honey bees have suffered severe seasonal losses for most of the past 30 years, while at the same time there is a growing need for food crop pollination....     

新品种保护的强化战略--CIOPORA执行秘书长埃德加·科瑞格博士访谈录

近日在位于德国汉堡的办公室,国际观赏植物和水果无性繁育育种者协会(简称CIOPORA)执行秘书长埃德加·科瑞格博士(DR.EDGARKRIEGER)接受了荷兰杂志记者的采访."育种者权利保护工作对促进花卉和水果贸易有至关重要的影响.     

In vitro activity of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin on a scuticociliate parasite of farmed turbot

The scuticociliatosis produced by the endoparasite Philasterides dicentarchi is a severe parasitic infection of farmed turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) characterized by several histopathological effects including extensive inflammation. Indomethacin is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that specifically inhibits synthesis of the proinflammatory mediator prostaglandins. The effect of indomethacin on the in vitro growth of P. dicentrarchi was investigated. In vitro growth of the scuticociliate was significantly inhibited by treatment with 100 microM indomethacin for 48 h. Higher concentrations of indomethacin (mM levels) did not affect the gelatinolytic activity of the cysteine proteinases of P. dicentrarchi. In vitro treatment with 25, 50 or 100 microM indomethacin for 3 days did not significantly affect the enzymatic activity of cysteine proteinases, as assayed with p-nitroanilide as substrate. Immunoblot analysis with anti-cysteine proteinase antibodies revealed an increase in proteinase expression (molecular weights of 80, 32 and 40-45 kDa) in parasite lysates originating from in vitro cultures incubated with 25 microM indomethacin for 72 h. Degradation of genomic DNA of the ciliates was observed in cultures incubated with 100 microM indomethacin for 1, 3 and 7 days. The results suggest that indomethacin is capable of inhibiting in vitro growth of the scuticociliate P. dicentrarchi by a mechanism related to the induction of programmed cell death, without affecting the enzymatic activation of parasite proteinases, which demonstrates the potential therapeutic use of this drug in the control of turbot scuticociliatosis.     

New PCR–RFLP diagnostics methodology for detecting <Emphasis Type="Italic">Varroa destructor</Emphasis> resistant to synthetic pyrethroids

A significant share of the current seasonal losses of honey bee colonies can be attributed to the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor. Its direct feeding behaviour and virus vectoring decimate the colony until collapse if there is no effective control management in place. The synthetic pyrethroids such as tau-fluvalinate and flumethrin were intensively used to control the mite until multiple cases of resistance were reported since the early 1990s. Previous studies have shown that there are three different mutations at amino acid position 925 (L925V, I and M) of the V. destructor voltage-gated sodium channel associated with the resistance to these compounds. Here, we report the development of a new PCR–RFLP methodology to discriminate between susceptible and pyrethroid-resistant Varroa destructor mites. This is a DNA-based assay that proved to be as accurate and robust as the previously reported TaqMan^®-based high-throughput genotyping assays but significantly cheaper and more accessible to low-resourced laboratories. It is also easier to identify resistant mites using the new assay. The beekeeping community will surely welcome this new technology since there are very few effective acaricides to deal with the mite. They are aware that pyrethroids can be very effective in absence of resistance so having the possibility to use them as alternative to other compounds as part of an integrated management strategy would be of great help for long-term controlling of the parasite.     

Sorghum bicolor prioritizes the recovery of its photosynthetic activity when re-watered after severe drought stress,while manages to preserve it under elevated CO2 and drought

Understanding plant response and resilience to drought under a high CO₂ environment will be crucial to ensure crop production in the future. Sorghum bicolor is a C₄ plant that resists drought better than other crops, which could make it a good alternative to be grown under future climatic conditions. Here, we analyse the physiological response of sorghum under 350 ppm CO₂ (aCO₂) or 700 ppm CO₂ (eCO₂) with drought (D) or without drought (WW) for 9, 13 and 16 days; as well as its resilience under long (R1: 9D + 7R) or short (R2: 13D + 3R) recovery treatments. Sorghum showed elevated rates of gs under aCO₂ and WW, which resulted in a significant decrease in Ψ_w, gs, E, Φ_PSII, F_v’/F_m′ when exposed to drought. Consequently, A was greatly decreased. When re-watered, both re-watering treatments prioritized A recovery by restoring photosynthetic machinery under aCO₂, whereas under eCO₂ plants required little recovery since plant were hardly affected by drought. However, sorghum growth rate for aboveground organs did not reach control values, indicating a slower long-term recovery. Overall, these results provide information about the resilience of sorghum and its utility as a suitable candidate for the drought episodes of the future.     

Babesia bovis contains an abundant parasite-specific protein-free glycerophosphatidylinositol and the genes predicted for its assembly

Autonomous glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) molecules (also protein-free GPIs or free GPIs) have been reported to be particularly abundant in some parasitic protozoa and mediate strong immunomodulatory effects on the host immune system. In the work at hand we have investigated the existence of free GPIs in Babesia bovis. Comparative thin layer chromatographic analysis of the protein-free glycolipid fraction of in vitro cultured B. bovis merozoites and erythrocyte membranes demonstrated the presence of an abundant parasite-specific band. Its chemical analysis revealed a GPI species containing a chain of two mannose residues, N-glucosamine and non-acylated inositol. The lipid moiety linked to inositol was diacylglycerol. The total fatty acid composition showed predominantly long-carbon chain molecules (12% of C_22:0 and 45% of C_24:0). The potential of B. bovis to assemble the presented free GPI species was verified by the existence of seven genes in its genome that putatively encode the following GPI biosynthetic enzymes: PI N-acetyl-GlcN-transferase (PIG-A and GPI-1), N-acetyl-GlcN-PI-de-N-acetylase (PIG-L), acyltransferase (PIG-W), dolichyl-phosphate mannosyl transferase (DPM-1), GPI mannosyltransferase I (PIG-M), and GPI mannosyltransferase II (PIG-V). GPI biosynthesis is vital for the intraerythrocytic parasite stage as mannosamine, an inhibitor of GPI biosynthesis, impaired in vitro growth of B. bovis merozoites. Absence of the vast majority of N-glycan metabolism encoding genes in the B. bovis genome underscores that the growth inhibitory effect of mannosamine is attributable to its interference with GPI biosynthesis and not with assembly of N-linked oligosaccharides, as has been described for higher eukaryotes. Elucidation of the structure and biosynthesis of GPI may allow to facilitate the development of future immune interventions against bovine babesiosis.