Real-time RT-qPCR assay to detect sequences in the Piscine orthoreovirus-1 genome segment S1 associated with heart and skeletal muscle inflammation in Atlantic salmon

During the last decade, Piscine orthoreovirus was identified as the main causative agent of heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) in Atlantic Salmon, Norway. A recent study showed that PRV-1 sequences from salmonid collected in North Atlantic Pacific Coast (NAPC) grouped separately from the Norwegian sequences found in Atlantic Salmon diagnosed with HSMI. Currently, the routine assay used to screen for PRV-1 in NAPC water and worldwide cannot differentiate between the two groups of PRV-1. Therefore, this study aimed at developing a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay to target the PRV-1 genome segments specific for variants associated with HSMI. The assay was optimized and tested against 71 tissue samples collected from different regions including Norway, Chile and both coast of Canada and different hosts farmed Atlantic Salmon, wild Coho Salmon and escaped Atlantic Salmon collected in British Columbia, West Coast of Canada. This assay has the potential to be used for screening salmonids and non-salmonids that may carry PRV-1 potentially causing HSMI.     

大型贯流式泵站快速门加速启动过渡过程

为研究大型贯流式泵站机组闸门加速启动过程中的外特性参数变化及流态变化,对灯泡贯流泵机组进行三维建模,采用Fluent软件中的UDF来控制闸门的启动过程,使用铺层法动网格技术来控制闸门处网格生成与消灭,并设定S-A模型作为湍流模型,对灯泡贯流泵机组启动过程进行瞬态数值模拟.计算结果表明:当贯流泵机组快速门以10倍设计速度启动时,机组的转速与流量将以更快的速度达到额定转速与额定流量,同时瞬间最大倒灌流量相比未加速启动时增加了30%.当贯流泵机组处于倒流状态时,靠近轮毂处叶轮叶道压力面的压强呈现出从叶轮进水边向出水边逐渐递增的分布规律.当机组处于零流量的临界状态时,混乱的流态导致压力集中及脱流现象加重,叶轮进水边负压区范围扩大且程度加深.     

Gastrointestinal motility modulation by stress is associated with reduced smooth muscle contraction through specific transient receptor potential channel

Excessive stress response causes disability in social life. There are many diseases caused by stress, such as gastrointestinal motility disorders, depression, eating disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels underlie non-selective cation currents and are downstream effectors of G protein-coupled receptors. Ca²⁺ influx is important for smooth muscle contraction, which is responsible for gastrointestinal motility. Little is known about the possible involvement of TRP channels in the gastrointestinal motility disorders due to stress. The purpose of this study was to measure the changes in gastrointestinal motility caused by stress and to elucidate the mechanism of these changes. The stress model used the water immersion restraint stress. Gastrointestinal motility, especially the ileum, was recorded responses to electric field stimulation (EFS) by isometric transducer. EFS-induced contraction was significantly reduced in the ileum of stressed mouse. Even under the conditions treated with atropine, EFS-induced contraction was significantly reduced in the ileum of stressed mouse. In addition, carbachol-induced, neurokinin A-induced, and substance P-induced contractions were all significantly reduced in the ileum of stressed mouse. Furthermore, the expression of TRPC3 was decreased in the ileum of stressed mouse. These results suggest that the gastrointestinal motility disorders due to stress is associated with specific non-selective cation channel.     

Polymerisation of gluten proteins in developing wheat grain as affected by desiccation

The breadmaking quality of wheat is affected by the composition of gluten proteins and the polymerisation of subunits that are synthesised and accumulated in developing wheat grain. The biological mechanisms and time course of these events during grain development are documented, but not widely confirmed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to monitor the accumulation of gluten protein subunits and the size distribution of protein aggregates during grain development. The effect of desiccation on the polymerisation of gluten proteins and the functional properties of gluten were also studied. The results showed that the size of glutenin polymers remained consistently low until yellow ripeness (YR), while it increased during grain desiccation after YR. Hence, this polymerisation process was presumed to be initiated by desiccation. A similar polymerisation event was also observed when premature grains were dried artificially. The composition of gluten proteins, the ratios of glutenin to gliadin and high molecular weight-glutenin subunits to low molecular weight-glutenin subunits, in premature grain after artificial desiccation showed close association with the size of glutenin polymers in artificially dried grain. Functional properties of gluten in these samples were also associated with polymer size after artificial desiccation.     

Dietary fishmeal levels affect the volatile compounds in cooked muscle of farmed large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea

A comparative study on the volatile compounds in cooked muscle of wild and farmed large yellow croaker (LYC) was conducted. The two farmed LYC groups were fed with diets containing 44% (CF) and 25% (LF) of fish meal (FM) respectively. Results showed that 48 volatiles, including aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, hydrocarbons, aromatics, acids, esters, furans and miscellaneous compound, were detected in cooked fillets. The LF group had significantly lower amounts of total aldehydes and ketones, higher content of miscellaneous compound in cooked fillets than that in the CF and wild groups (p < .05). Compared with the wild group, the LF group had significantly lower amounts of total alcohols, acids and esters, while the CF group had significantly lower amounts of total aldehydes, higher content of total ketones in cooked muscle (p < .05). According to the principal component analysis (PCA), some volatiles (propanal, nonanal, etc.) could be considered as sensitive indicators to classify cooked muscle samples. In conclusion, differences in the volatiles in the cooked muscle between the wild and farmed LYC have been found. Low level of dietary FM (25%) changed the volatile profiles in cooked fillets of farmed LYC. A PCA may be useful to screen potential volatiles to classify cooked muscle samples in this study.     

夹竹桃花挥发油的GC-MS分析及β-葡萄糖苷酶对夹竹桃花的增香和豚鼠离体子宫平滑肌的作用

目的:建立夹竹桃花挥发油GC-MS的色谱分离鉴定方法,分析夹竹桃花挥发油的化学成分和对豚鼠离体子宫平滑肌的作用。方法:采用挥发油提取器提取夹竹桃花挥发油,以GC-MS法进行分析鉴定,建立了豚鼠离体子宫模型。结果:分别从无酶和有酶的夹竹桃花挥发油提取物中确证了58和57个化合物,挥发油对豚鼠离体子宫平滑肌有收缩作用。结论:对夹竹桃的挥发油化学成分进行了比较分析结果表明,β-葡萄糖苷酶对夹竹桃花有较弱增香作用,也能增加豚鼠离体子宫平滑肌收缩。     

深水网箱和池塘养殖凡纳滨对虾肌肉营养成分的比较分析

对深水网箱和池塘养殖凡纳滨对虾(Litopenaeus vannamei)肌肉常规营养成分、氨基酸和脂肪酸质量分数进行了比较分析。结果显示:1)网箱养殖对虾肌肉粗蛋白质量分数显著高于池塘养殖(P0.05),而水分、粗脂肪和粗灰分质量分数无显著差异(P0.05);2)肌肉中检测到18种常见氨基酸,网箱养殖对虾肌肉氨基酸总量(TAA)、天门冬氨酸(Asp)、异亮氨酸(Ile)、精氨酸(Arg)和脯氨酸(Pro)质量分数显著高于池塘养殖(P0.05),而必需氨基酸(EAA)、半必需氨基酸(HEAA)、鲜味氨基酸(DAA)和虾味氨基酸(PFAA)两者无显著差异(P0.05);3)肌肉中检测到30种常见脂肪酸,两者的饱和脂肪酸(SFA)、单不饱和脂肪酸(MUFA)、多不饱和脂肪酸(PUFA)、n-3多不饱和脂肪酸(EPA和DHA)质量分数差异显著(P0.05),以网箱养殖对虾较高;两者的棕榈酸(C16∶0)质量分数最高,且网箱养殖对虾EPA+DHA质量分数是池塘养殖的1.90倍。结果表明,网箱养殖对虾营养成分要优于池塘养殖,具有较高的营养价值。     

Mycobacteriosis caused by Mycobacterium marinum in reared mullets: first evidence from Sardinia (Italy)

Mycobacterium marinum is a slow‐growing non‐tuberculous mycobacterium, and it is considered the most common aetiologic agent of mycobacteriosis in wild and cultured fish. The diagnosis is principally made by histology when positive Ziehl–Neelsen stain granulomas are detected. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of mycobacteriosis in extensively cultured Mugilidae of two lagoons (Cabras and San Teodoro) from Sardinia by the use of histology, microbiology, PCR and DNA sequencing. Nine of 106 mullets examined were affected by mycobacteriosis, and the spleen was the most affected organ. The histology detected higher rate (100%) of infection in spleen than the culture and PCR (75% and 62.5%, respectively). The sequencing of hsp65 gene identified M. marinum as the primary cause of mycobacteriosis in the mullets examined. Mullets affected by mycobacteriosis were mainly fished in the San Teodoro lagoon characterized by critical environmental conditions. Histology remains the most common method in detecting fish affected by mycobacteriosis, and PCR‐based methods are essential for species identification. Our finding are worthy of attention because mycobacteriosis caused by M. marinum in reared mullets was evidenced for the first time in Sardinia, suggesting that this disease may be underestimated also in other cultured fish species.     

生物絮团对罗氏沼虾体组成和消化酶活性的影响

通过向养殖水体中泼洒糖蜜构建生物絮团养殖模式,分析生物絮团营养组成,并探讨生物絮团对罗氏沼虾体组成和消化酶活性的影响。试验分对照组和试验组(生物絮团组),其中试验组在养殖过程中泼洒糖蜜。试验在室内水泥池内(2 m×2 m×0.6 m)进行,每个处理有3个重复,每个重复225尾虾(0.26 g±0.02 g),试验周期为90 d。养殖过程中不换水,糖蜜的泼洒量根据饲料投喂量进行计算(C/N为20)。结果显示:添加糖蜜能够显著促进生物絮团的形成,到第90天时,试验组的絮团体积达21.22 mL/L;而对照组为6.03 mL/L;试验组絮团粗蛋白含量为29.47%,粗脂肪含量为4.32%,二者均显著高于对照组,而粗灰分含量为11.36%,显著低于对照组;泼洒糖蜜对罗氏沼虾体组成的影响不显著,对照组和试验组肌肉粗蛋白含量分别为21.09%和21.20%,粗脂肪含量分别为2.91%和3.06%;另外,向水体中泼洒糖蜜对罗氏沼虾消化酶活性影响显著。试验组罗氏沼虾肠脂肪酶活性、胃脂肪酶活性和胰脂肪酶活性均显著高于对照组;试验组罗氏沼虾糜蛋白酶活性、胰蛋白酶活性也均显著高于对照组。但泼洒糖蜜对肠淀粉酶、胃蛋白酶、胃淀粉酶、胰淀粉酶和纤维素酶活性没有显著影响。试验表明,生物絮团营养组成丰富,能够有效提高消化酶活性。