Intracerebroventricular Infusion of Leptin into Mature Merino Rams of Different Metabolic Status: Effects on Blood Concentrations of Glucose and Reproductive and Metabolic Hormones

In mature Merino rams, nutrition is one of the external cues that most strongly affects the reproductive centres of the preoptic-hypothalamic continuum. The signalling pathways that link dietary status and the activity of the neurones that produce gonadotrophin-releasing hormone signals are thought to be partly hormonal in nature to reflect the amount of body reserves. Among the hormones thought to be involved are insulin and leptin. This study tested whether recombinant bovine leptin infused (0.4 microg/h) into the third cerebral ventricle would stimulate pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in mature Merino rams when their energy status was low or decreasing, during both chronic (fasting) and acute reductions of energy balance. Leptin may interact with other hormones that depend on energy availability, so we also monitored changes in circulating concentrations of insulin, thyroid hormones, growth hormone, prolactin and adrenocorticotrophin. Overall, our data do not support this hypothesis. The dietary regimes induced clear responses in the metabolic profiles of the animals but there was no clear effect of central leptin administration on LH pulse frequency. The relationships between the hormonal systems measured in the present study add weight to the contention that leptin plays only a permissive role in the nutritional control of the reproductive axis and that other hormonal signals (particularly insulin) or pathways are acting in concert with leptin to stimulate the reproductive axis.     

Properties of cod metallothionein,its presence in different tissues and effects of Cd and Zn treatment

One isoform of the low-molecular-weight metal-binding protein metallothionein (MT) has been isolated from the liver of Atlantic cod by size-exclusion and ion-exchange chromatography. Cod MT contained 33% cysteine, no aromatic amino acids or arginine. As is the case for other piscine MTs, the N-terminus of cod MT lacked the asparagine in position 4 which is present in mammalian MTs. In addition, cod MT differed from all other vertebrate MTs described in that the N-terminal methionine was not acetylated. Antibodies were raised in rabbits against hepatic MT from cod by repeated injections of native protein mixed with adjuvant. Anti-cod MT antisera cross reacted with similarly-sized proteins in liver, brain, anterior kidney, posterior kidney, spleen, intestine, gills and ovaries. The putative MT in cod brain migrated differently to that of the other tissues in native gel electrophoresis. Intraperitoneally injected Cd (1 mg/kg) was nearly entirely associated with the MT-peak in hepatic and renal cytosols, whereas a single injection of Zn (10 mg/kg) resulted in increases in all cytosolic Zn pools of the liver and no apparent change in cytosolic Zn, Cu, Ni or Cd in kidney.     

Ventricular septal defect repair in a small dog using cross-circulation

SUMMARY A haemodynamically significant ventricular septal defect was diagnosed in a 3-month-old male Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. A median sternotomy was performed and the 6.5 kg dog placed on cardiopulmonary bypass using pump-assisted cross-circulation. A 10 mm diameter peri-membranous ventricular septal defect was closed using a continuous suture of 4–0 polypropylene, via a 2.5 cm incision in the right ventricular outflow tract. The duration of cardiopulmonary bypass was 90 minutes. Complications in the immediate postoperative period were mild and easily managed.     

Effect of CO2 enrichment on photosynthesis,growth and yield of tomato

Net photosynthesis of tomato plants was measured as CO₂ uptake in various light intensities, CO₂ concentrations, O₂ concentrations and temperatures during short-term experiments. Net photosynthesis increased significantly with increasing CO₂ concentration at all light intensities, even at the lowest one. The optimal temperature for photosynthesis increased with CO₂ enrichment. The changes in photosynthesis when the $\text{CO}{}_2\text{O}{}_2$ ratio was varied suggest that the effect of CO₂ enrichment is a result of a reduction in photorespiration.To determine whether the increase in photosynthesis caused by CO₂ enrichment would produce a greater yield, tomato plants were cultivated from seed to harvest in a tightly-closed greenhouse that was enriched with CO₂ continuously during the entire growing-period. The control greenhouse was ventilated by openings in the roof and door. The temperature of the 2 greenhouses was kept the same. Plants enriched with CO₂ showed a significant increase in fresh and dry weight and yield of tomatoes. The results are discussed in relation to earlier work in which CO₂ enrichment was discontinued when there was a need for ventilation.     

Isolation and characterization of Streptomyces species from potato common scab lesions in Norway

The present survey was conducted to isolate and characterize Streptomyces species from common scab lesions of potato in Norway. Bacteria were isolated from scab lesions on tubers sampled in two consecutive years at different locations in Norway spanning ～1400 km from south to north. In total, 957 independent isolations from individual tubers were performed, with 223 putative pathogenic isolates obtained from 29 different potato cultivars and 130 different fields. Streptomyces europaeiscabiei was the most abundant species isolated from common scab lesions (69%), while 31% of the isolates obtained were S. turgidiscabies. Streptomyces scabies was not found. Pathogenicity of selected Streptomyces isolates was tested on potato. The ability of the bacterial isolates to infect potato was consistent with the presence of the txtAB operon. The results revealed no pattern in geographical distribution of S. europaeiscabiei and S. turgidiscabies; both could be found in the same field and even the same lesion. Four different pathogenicity island (PAI) genotypes were detected amongst the txtAB positive isolates: nec1+/tomA+, nec1–/tomA+, nec1+/tomA? and nec1?/tomA?. The current findings demonstrate that there is genetic variability within species and that the species are not spread solely by clonal expansion. This is thought to be the most comprehensive survey of Streptomyces species that cause common scab of potato in a European country.     

The effect ofCorynebacterium sepedonicum on symptoms and yield of four potato cultivars

Summary Inoculating the roots of potato cvs Ostara, Laila, Kerrs Pink, and Pimpernel withCorynebacterium sepedonicum caused severe rotting of tubers and between 12 and 51 % decrease in yield. There was a significant cultivar/infection interaction. The numbers of tubers decreased significantly except for cv. Laila, which also showed little rotting of tubers, and the average tuber weight decreased most in cv. Pimpernel. The concentration ofC. sepedonicum was high in most inoculated tubers including those not showing symptoms.

---

Zusammenfassung Wurzeln von gekeimten Saatknollen der Sorten Ostara, Laila, Kerrs Pink und Pimpernel wurden durch Tauchen in Suspensionen vonCorynebacterium sepedonicum inokuliert. Dies erbrachte einen betr?chtlichen und signifikanten Ertragsrückgang, vor allem bei der Sorte Pimpernel (Tabelle 1); desweiteren zeigte sich eine signifikante Sorte/Infektion-Wechselwirkung. Inokulation ergab, mit Ausnahme von Laila, eine signifikante Senkung der durchschnittlichen Knollenzahl (Tabelle 2); am gr?ssten war der Rückgang bei Kerrs Pink, w?hrend das durchschnittliche Knollengewicht am meisten zurückging bei Pimpernel (Tabelle 3). Der Ertragsrückgang bei Laila erfolgte durch Reduktion des durchschnittlichen Knollengewichtes, bei den anderen Sorten jedoch durch Rückgang der durchschnittlichen Knollenzahl. Diese Beobachtung l?sst darauf schliessen dass die Entwicklung der Infektion bei Laila nach der Knollen-Initiierung einsetzte, w?hrend sie bei den anderen Sorten schon früher einsetzte und somit die Knollenzahl beeinflusste. Im Gegensatz zu den anderen Sorten zeigten einige Tochterknollen von Laila ?ussere Symptome, in Verbindung mit starker F?ule, w?hrend in der Entwicklung interner Symptome nur geringe Unterschiede zwischen den Sorten gefunden wurden (Tabelle 4). Dennoch waren die Konzentrationen vonC. sepedonicum in den meisten symptomlosen Tochterknollen inokulierter Pflanzen hoch (Tabelle 4). Die Ergebnisse zeigen dass die Sorte Laila gegen eineC. sepedonicum-Infektion resistenter als die anderen geprüften Sorten ist, dass jedoch hohe Konzentrationen des Erregers in symptomlosen Knollen von inokulierten Pflanzen gegen eine Verwendung bei der Züchtung sprechen.

---

Résumé Des racines de tubercules de semence germés (variétés Ostara, Laila, Kerrs Pink et Pimpernel) sont inoculées par immersion dans des suspensions deCorynebacterium sepedonicum. Cela provoque une diminution conéquente et significative du rendement, en particulier pour la variété Pimpernel (tableau 1), et il existe une interaction significative variété/infection. L'inoculation diminue significativement le nombre moyen de tubercules (tableau 2) sauf pour la variété Laila; la diminution est la plus importante pour la variété Kerrs Pink, tandis que le poids moyen de tubercules diminue le plus pour la variété Pimpernel (tableau 3). La diminution du rendement pour la variété Laila est provoquée par une réduction du poids de tubercules. Cette observation suggère que le développement de l'infection pour la variété Laila débute après l'initiation de tubérisation, alors que pour les autres variétés, elle commence plus t?t et de ce fait influence le nombre de tubercules. Peu de tubercules fils de la variété Laila montrent des sympt?mes externes associés à une pourriture importante en comparaison avec les autres variétés, alors que de petites différences s'observent entre toutes les variétés au niveau du développement de sympt?mes internes (tableau 4). Les concentrations deC. sepedonicum sont cependant élevées dans la plupart des tubercules fils ne présentant pas de sympt?mes et provenant de plantes inoculées (tableau 4). Les résultats montrent que la variété Laila est plus résistante à l'infection deC. sepedonicum que les autres variétés testées, mais les fortes concentrations du pathogène dans les tubercules sans sympt?me provenant de plantes inoculées empêchent son utilisation en multiplication.