Cutaneous papillomatosis and carcinomatosis in the Western barred bandicoot (Perameles bougainville)

A progressive wart-like syndrome in both captive and wild populations of the Western barred bandicoot (WBB) is hindering conservation efforts to prevent the extinction of this endangered marsupial. In this study, 42 WBBs exhibiting the papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome were examined. The disease was characterized by multicentric proliferative lesions involving cutaneous and mucosal surfaces, which were seen clinically to increase in size with time. Grossly and histologically the smaller skin lesions resembled papillomas, whereas the larger lesions were most commonly observed to be squamous cell carcinomas. Large amphophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies were observed in hyperplastic conjunctival lesions of 8 WBBs under light microscopy. Conjunctival lesions from 2 WBBs examined using transmission electron microscopy contained a crystalline array of spherical electron-dense particles of 45-nm diameter, within the nucleus of conjunctival epithelial cells, consistent with a papillomavirus or polyomavirus. Conjunctival samples from 3 bandicoots that contained intranuclear inclusion bodies also demonstrated a positive immunohistochemical reaction after indirect immunohistochemistry for papillomavirus structural antigens. Ultrastructural and/or immunohistochemical evidence of an etiologic agent was not identified in the nonconjunctival lesions examined. Here we describe the gross, histopathologic, ultrastructural, and immunohistochemical findings of a papillomatosis and carcinomatosis syndrome recently identified in the WBB.     

Morphological and molecular characterisation of a mixed Cryptosporidium muris/Cryptosporidium felis infection in a cat

To date Cryptosporidium muris has been identified by microscopy and genotyping in cats in two studies. We report morphological and genetic evidence of a mixed C. muris and C. felis infection in a cat and provide the first histological, immunohistochemical, in situ hybridisation and genetic confirmation of a C. muris infection in the stomach of a cat. The cat suffered persistent diarrhoea after the initial consultation, which remained unresolved, despite several medical interventions. Further studies are required to determine the range, prevalence and clinical impact of Cryptosporidium species infecting cats.     

小麦F1F2代籽粒醇溶蛋白遗传分析

用酸性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分离、表征４个小麦品种醇溶蛋白组成，并分析其Ｆ１，Ｆ２代２０个醇溶蛋白组分（带）的遗传模式。结果表明，醇溶蛋白呈共显性遗传，在２０个组分中，１６个组分由１个显性基因支配，２个组分则受控于２个独立基因，其余２个微小组分，由于在电泳谱上难以准确辨认，其遗传模式未能确定。有５对醇溶蛋白组分是共同遗传，表明每组组分由紧密连锁基因控制。另外，７对醇溶蛋白组分或组分群分别由等位位点的不同等位基因支配。     

The enhancement of bioactive potential in Vitis vinifera leaves by application of microspheres loaded with biological and chemical agents

An overview of a research on Vitis vinifera plants treated with a chemical (calcium and magnesium ions) and biological (Trichoderma viride) agents simultaneously loaded in alginate microspheres was presented. Microspheres were applied at two growth stages: before flowering and berries pea-size. Physicochemical characteristics of leaves after the two growth stages and grapes were measured in terms of bioactive components content and antioxidant activity. After the treatments, vine leaves reached a significant increase in almost all measured parameters (polyphenols, antioxidant capacity, β-carotene, and chlorophyll) compared to the control. The highest total chlorophyll content was found after the treatment with microspheres containing Mg²⁺/Ca²⁺ cations, and T. viride. The treatments enhanced Vitis vinifera leaves in terms of bioactive potential and can be further used as a functional food. As compared to the control, somewhat elevated values of total polyphenols and antioxidant activity were found on the grape samples.     

Enteritis associated with Clostridium perfringens type A in 9-month-old calves

Four 9-month-old Simmental male calves were presented with a history of sudden death. The necropsy and microscopic findings allowed a diagnosis of enteritis and severe intraluminal hemorrhage with blood clots in the jejunum, suggestive of jejunal hemorrhage syndrome.     

Physicochemical properties and release characteristics of calcium alginate microspheres loaded with Trichoderma viride spores

Novel agroformulations for simultaneous delivery of chemical and biologically active agents to the plants were prepared by encapsulation of Trichoderma viride spores in calcium alginate microspheres. The impact of calcium ions concentration on the viability and sporulation of T. viride spores as well as on the microsphere important physicochemical properties were investigated. Intermolecular interactions in microspheres are complex including mainly hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. T. viride germination inside matrix and germ tubes penetration out of microspheres revealed calcium alginate microspheres provide a supportive environment for T. viride growth. Differences in physicochemical properties and bioactive agents release behaviour from microspheres were ascribed to the changes in microsphere structure. Fitting to Korsmeyer-Peppas empirical model revealed the underlying T. viride release mechanism as anomalous transport kinetics (a combination of two diffusion mechanisms and the Type II transport (polymer swelling and relaxation of the polymeric matrix)). The increasing amount of T. viride spores in the surrounding medium is closely related to the release from microspheres and germination. The rate controlling mechanism of calcium release is Fickian diffusion. A decrease in the release rate with increasing calcium ion concentrations is in accordance with the calcium ions effect on the strength of the alginate network structure. T. viride germination inside microsphere diminished the amount of released calcium ions and slowed release kinetics in comparison with microspheres prepared without T. viride. The results indicated investigated agroformulations have a great potential to be used for plant protection and nutrition.     

Capillary zone electrophoresis analysis of gliadin proteins from Chinese and Yugoslav winter wheat cultivars

Gliadin proteins extracted from fifteen Chinese and Yugoslav winter wheat cultivars were fractionated using a new separation technique – Capillary Zone Electrophoresis (CZE). Different CZE conditions were defined to optimize resolution and reproducibility of gliadin separations. Excellent resolution and high reproducibility of gliadin CZE patterns were obtained by using 47 cm length, 50 μm i.d. capillaries at 15 kV and 30° C in sodium borate buffer system with acetonitrile (ACN) and sodium dodecyl sulfate. By using these CZE conditions, gliadin proteins from each cultivar were easily separated into more than 35 components. This resolution is generally superior to that of one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis and RH-HPLC. Analysis of reproducibility of gliadin CZE patterns from Chinese cultivar ‘Lumai 6’ showed that the average relative standard deviation (RSD) for peak migration times and heights was 0.21% and 4.06%, respectively. Gliadin electrophoregrams of all cultivars studied showed clear qualitative and quantitative differences, including presence or absence of some major peak, migration times and heights of peaks. Specifically, some closely related cultivars that were not differentiable by A-PAGE, were readily differentiated by CZE. In addition, winter wheat cultivars from China and Yugoslavia showed greater differences in gliadin compositions revealed by CZE. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

中国小麦品种醇溶蛋白Gli-1和Gli-2编码位点等位基因组成分析

利用酸性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(A-PAGE)方法,鉴定分析了我国部分重要小麦品种或种质醇溶蛋白Gli-1和Gli-2编码位点等位基因组成特点.36个品种的研究结果表明,我国小麦品种在醇溶蛋白几个主要位点上均存在较大的变异度,Nei氏遗传变异系数(H)达0.775.6个位点一共检测到59个不同的醇溶蛋白等位基因,其中出现频率较高的有8个等位基因,即Gli-B2g(55.56 %)、Gli-D1k(50 %)、Gli-A1a(33.33 %)、Gli-A2f(30.56 %)、Gli-B1b(22.22 %)、Gli-D1f(22.22 %)、Gli-B2b(22.22 %)和Gli-D2g(22.22 %).国外品种中很少的4个等位基因(Gli-D1f、Gli-A2f、Gli-B2g和Gli-D2g)在我国具有较高的频率.可作为1BL/1RS易位标记的Gli-B1l等位基因在中国品种中的频率较高.另外,还发现一些优质醇溶蛋白等位基因(如Gli-B1b、Gli-B2c、Gli-A2b等)在我国品种中出现的频率很低,这可能是中国小麦品种品质普遍较差的一个原因.     

Morphological and Nutritional Properties of Birdsfoot Trefoil (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lotus corniculatus</Emphasis> L.) Autochthonous Populations in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) is a highly variable and widely distributed Old World perennial forage legume found in wild and naturalized populations throughout temperate regions of Europe, Asia Minor, North Africa, North and South America, Australia, and New Zealand. Understanding the relationships among birdsfoot trefoil morphological, ecogeographic and chemical characteristics may provide insights for better utilizing of exotic germplasms. Ten birdsfoot trefoil populations were and sampled and determined in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some morphological properties, such as growth form of populations, flower color, flowering period, number of stems, length of main stem, number of racemes per stem, number of flowers per inflorescence, number of pods per racemes, number of seeds per pods, hard seeds in the first year, dry matter (DM) yield, and some chemical properties, such as content of crude protein, ash, fat, crude fiber, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, K/(Ca+Mg) ratio, and sulfur, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, selenium and tannin contents, were determined in all populations. Serbia is an important origin center of genes for many legume species. Considering the high values of their traits, some Serbian trefoil populations could serve as a valuable breeding material. In comparison with populations from other parts of the world, Serbian populations are superior in chemical properties and nutritional quality values. The investigated populations clustered in two distinct groups according to the analyzed characteristics.     

小麦回交F2代醇溶蛋白组分的遗传研究

本文利用酸性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳 ( A-PAGE,p H3 .1 )方法 ,研究了两个小麦回交 F2 群体 1 8个醇溶蛋白组分的遗传模式 ,根据醇溶蛋白带的出现与不出现特点 ,可以得到回交 F2 代各个组分的分离比例 ,然后利用 X2 分析检验其对不同基因假设模式的适合性 ,结果表明 ,1 5个醇溶蛋白带 ( α77,α79,α80 ,α84,α86,α88,α90 ,α92 ,β74,r54,r58,r59,w2 4 ,w2 6和 w34)受一个显性基因支配 ,两个带 ( r61 和 w33)分别受控于两个独立基因 ,其余 1条带由于在电泳谱上常表现模糊 ,其观察值 (出现∶不出现 )远低于期望值 ,因而它的遗传模式未能确定。另外还发现 4组蛋白带 ( α77-α80 ,α84-α86,α88-α92 和 r58-w2 4 -w2 6)总是一起遗传 ,暗示控制每组蛋白带的基因是紧密连锁的