Quadruple or quintuple conversion of hlb, sak, sea (or sep), scn, and chp genes by bacteriophages in non-beta-hemolysin-producing bovine isolates of Staphylococcus aureus

In 13 of 43 non-beta-hemolysin-producing bovine isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, two truncated beta-hemolysin (hlb) genes were demonstrated by PCR and sequencing, and one truncated hlb gene was located beside the integrase (int) gene of phage origin. The staphylokinase (sak) gene was detected in all 13 isolates in which the truncated hlb genes were detected by PCR. Enterotoxin A (sea) and enterotoxin P (sep) genes were also detected in 5 and 2 of the 13 isolates, respectively. Moreover, the scn and chp genes encoding staphylococcal complement inhibitor (SCIN) and chemotaxis inhibitory protein of S. aureus (CHIPS) were detected in 13 and 4 of the 13 isolates, respectively. The bacteriophage induced by mitomycin C treatment was able to lysogenize one beta-hemolysin-producing isolate of S. aureus, and the sak and scn genes were detected from the lysogenized isolate. These results suggest quadruple or quintuple conversion of hlb, sak, sea (or sep), scn, and chp genes by bacteriophages among non-beta-hemolysin-producing bovine isolates of S. aureus.     

Pathological changes in the myocardium of hypocalcaemic parturient cows

Three parturient cows in lateral recumbency which were moaning and had tachycardia, arrhythmia and dyspnoea were thoroughly examined. They were hypocalcaemic (0.70-1.27 mmol/litre) and were euthanized within four days, because they failed to respond to calcium treatment. By light microscopy the most characteristic pathological changes in the heart were necrotic changes scattered throughout the myocardium. Electron microscopy revealed abnormalities in the myocytes which were characterised by focal myofibrillar lysis, irregular splitting, streaming and spreading of the Z band and myofibrillar disarray.     

Isolation of Salmonella from diarrheic feces of pigs

A survey of Salmonella was carried out in fecal samples of 887 pigs with diarrhea collected from 235 pig farms between April 1996 and March 2001. Salmonella was isolated from 84 feces (9.5%) of 887 pigs and from 45 (19.1%) of 235 farms. The higher prevalence was found in weaned pigs (12.4%) and fattening pigs (17.3%) than in sows (4.2%) and suckling pigs (4.5%). Isolation rates of S. Typhimurium were higher from weaned and fattening pigs than from the others. Therefore, risk of horizontal infection of S. Typhimurium will increase, if no adequate health managements are practiced when weaned and fattening pigs have diarrhea.     

An immunohistochemical study of endocrine cells in the abomasum of vagotomized calf

The effect of thoraco-vagotomy on the distribution and frequency of chromogranin-, serotonin-, somatostatin- and gastrin-immunoreactive cells in the abomasum of the calf were investigated by immunohistochemistry. Calves were vagotomized at 1 week old and sampled 2 and 4 weeks later. The endocrine cells generally decreased in number in vagotomized calves as compared to non-operated control calves. However, the detailed responses of endocrine cells to vagotomy varied depending on the endocrine cell type, region of gastric mucosa, and period after vagotomy. The present result suggests that the vagus nerve has an influence on the intrinsic regulatory system by endocrine cell control in the ruminant abomasum.     

Changes in platelet life span in dogs with mitral valve regurgitation

Platelet life span was measured in dogs with experimentally-induced mitral regurgitation (MR) by using an in vitro whole-blood biotinylation technique to evaluate the effects of shear stress induced by MR. Mitral regurgitation was created in healthy dogs by ablation of the mitral valve chordae tendineae. Mitral regurgitation was identified by auscultation and postoperative color Doppler echocardiography. Platelets were biotinylated. and derivatized blood was reinfused into the dogs. Biotinylated platelet disappearance was measured over time to determine platelet life span. Pre- and postablation platelet life span was compared in each dog. Platelet life span was shorter in dogs with experimentally induced MR. Shear stress from MR was postulated to shorten platelet life span. Alternations in platelet function and life span may contribute to the progression of cardiovascular disease in dogs with MR. Further studies are required to determine if platelet dysfunction is related to disease progression in these patients.     

Effects of oral administration of "rumen-bypass" vitamin D3 on vitamin D and calcium metabolism in periparturient cows

Eleven late-pregnant Jersey cows were assigned to two groups; a group (PO-RBVD group) consisting of five cows treated with an oral administration of 10 million I.U. of an encapsulated form of vitamin D3 ("rumen-bypass" VD3; RBVD3) and another group (IMVD group) consisting of the other six treated with an intramuscular injection of 10 million I.U. of vitamin D3 (VD3). The cows received the RBVD3 or VD3 administration at 7 days before the expected parturition. The changes in the plasma concentrations of vitamin D metabolites, ionized Ca (Ca++) and inorganic phosphorus (iP) were evaluated. Of the vitamin D metabolites, the plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in PO-RBVD group increased significantly after the RBVD3 administration and remained in high levels that were significantly higher than those in IMVD group. This suggested that RBVD3 was absorbed rapidly and excellently from the post-ruminal digestive tract without the degradation by ruminal microorganisms. The plasma Ca++ and iP concentrations in PO-RBVD group tended to be higher after the administration and around parturition than those in IMVD group. From these observations, it was suggested the oral RBVD3 administration had more potent ability to prevent parturient paresis compared with the VD3 injection used widely in Japan.     

Pathological evaluation of host-specific AAL-toxins and fumonisin mycotoxins produced by Alternaria and Fusarium species

Host-specific AAL-toxins and mycotoxin fumonisins are structurally related and were originally isolated from the tomato pathotype of Alternaria alternata and from Fusarium verticillioides, respectively. Previous reports on the production of fumonisin derivatives by the tomato pathotype suggested a possible involvement in the pathogenicity of the pathogen. Here, we have evaluated the role of fumonisin in A. alternata–tomato interactions. The results indicate that highly pathogenic isolates of A. alternata tomato pathotype produce AAL-toxin as the sole toxin, strongly implicating it as a pathogenicity factor. The related compound, fumonisin, is also toxigenic and has infection-inducing activity on susceptible tomato plants.     

The relation between pathogenicity and plaque size of Getah virus Kanagawa strain in suckling mice

The relation among biological properties, particularly pathogenicity for suckling mice, and plaque size was studied in four virus strains: Getah virus strain Kanagawa; two strains obtained by plaque cloning of the Kanagawa strain, Getah Kanagawa SP (G-K-SP) strain which forms small plaques (SP) only and strain G-K-LP which forms large plaques (LP) only; and strain Haruna which forms SP only. There were no marked differences among the four strains in serological properties, growth curves and sensitivity to pH, trypsin and temperature. Strain G-K-LP showed higher pathogenicity for suckling mice than strain G-K-SP. However, the pathogenicity of strain Haruna, which forms SP only, was as high as that of strain G-K-LP. Some of the clones in SP of strain Kanagawa kill all mice in 5 to 6 days after inoculation while the others required 9 to 11 days or longer before causing death. The present study showed that the pathogenicity of Getah viruses shortly after being isolated from the field, such as the Kanagawa strain, is different between large and small plaques, and even among small plaques, at least in suckling mice, and that the pathogenicity has no relation to plaque size.     

Use of microsatellite marker Pi26 for rapid discrimination of five Japanese genotypes of Phytophthora infestans

Microsatellite markers were tested to rapidly discriminate five Japanese genotypes (US-1, JP-1, JP-2, JP-3, and JP-4) of Phytophthora infestans. Collected from 1958 to 2007, 111 isolates of Japanese P. infestans were examined using a fluorescent-labeled primer and capillary electrophoresis. Microsatellite marker Pi26 generated specific products for each genotype without any differences in terms of isolation area or year for a particular genotype. The Pi26 marker is a powerful tool for obtaining information on the structure of Japanese populations of P. infestans.     

Condensation reactions of phenolic resins III: self-condensations of 2,4-dihydroxymethylphenol and 2,4,6-trihydroxymethylphenol (1)

This study reexamined the kinetics of the condensation reactions of hydroxymethylphenols with the purpose of elucidating the reaction mechanisms. This report discusses experimental results on the self-condensations of 2,4-dihydroxymethylphenols (2,4-DHMP) and 2,4,6-trihydroxymethylphenol (THMP), focusing on the order of reaction. The relations between the initial rates of reaction and the initial concentrations of reactants were investigated. Results quite different from those of previous reports were obtained. The order of reaction of the selfcondensation of 2,4-DHMP was found to be 1.1, which did not change with the alkali/2,4-DHMP molar ratio. The order of reaction of the self-condensation of THMP was found to vary with both the concentration of THMP and the alkali/THMP molar ratio. In the region of THMP concentrations above 1.5mol/l, the order of reaction was confirmed to be 2.0, which did not change with the alkali/THMP molar ratio. In the region of THMP concentrations below 1.0mol/l, the order of reaction varied with the alkali/THMP molar ratio, showing fractional numbers of 1.2–1.6. These results indicate that unimolecular reaction(s) and bimolecular reaction(s) take place simultaneously as the ratedetermining step in the condensation reactions of 2,4-DHMP and THMP and that the reaction mechanism changes with the species of reactant and, in some cases, with the reaction conditions.Part of this study was presented at the Wood Adhesives 2000 symposium, South Lake Tahoe, Nevada, USA, June 2000