Cycle of the seminiferous epithelium in the Java fruit bat (Pteropus vampyrus) and the Japanese lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus cornutus)

The cycle of the seminiferous epithelium in the Java fruit bat, Pteropus vampyrus, and the Japanese lesser horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus cornutus, was investigated by light microscopy and the characteristics of spermiogenesis were compared between these two species. In the Java fruit bat, the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium was divided into 11 stages and developing spermatids were subdivided into 13 steps. While in the Japanese lesser horseshoe bat, the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium was divided into 10 stages and developing spermatids were subdivided into 13 steps. Excepting slight morphological differences, the characteristics of acrosomal formation in both species were almost similar with each other. In the Java fruit bat after stage VII, the acrosome gradually elongated, flattened and finally became scoop-like in shape. In the Japanese lesser horseshoe bat after stage VIII, the acrosome elongated, flattened and then slightly shortened. Before spermiation, the acrosome became long spatula-like in shape. The elongation and flattening of spermatids in these two species were similar to those in insectivores. The finding may reflect the fact that the order Chiroptera is phylogenetically close to the order Insectivora.     

鸭髓样分化因子MyD88部分cDNA克隆及组织表达图谱分析

本试验采用RT-PCR技术克隆出鸭MyD88部分cDNA序列,克隆到的序列长为195 bp;同源性分析结果显示,鸭MyD88与鸡、火鸡、珍珠鸟的同源性最高,为97％～100％;与人、鼠、牛、猪、狗、马、兔、鲤鱼的同源性为83％～84％;与绵羊的同源性为79％;系统进化树分析表明,鸭MyD88与鸡的亲缘关系最近,与火鸡、珍珠鸟的较为接近,与狗、鼠、兔、人、猪、马、绵羊、牛的亲缘关系依次渐远,与鲤鱼的亲缘关系最远.检测MyD88在鸭7种组织中的分布情况,结果表明,在鸭的心脏、肝脏、脾脏、肺脏、腔上囊中均检测出MyD88 mRNA的转录产物,而在肾脏、脑中未见.提示MyD88在不同种属及不同组织中具有生物多样性.     

鸡内质网分子伴侣Calnexin基因的生物信息学与组织表达谱分析

为探明鸡内质网分子伴侣钙联结蛋白（Calnexin,CNX）基因特性及蛋白结构和功能,以鸡CNX基因序列为对象,利用生物信息学方法分析了12个物种该分子核苷酸和氨基酸序列的同源性及蛋白的结构和功能,并应用qRTPCR法分析了35日龄海兰白鸡30个组织中CNX mRNA组织表达谱。结果表明,CNX核苷酸序列及氨基酸序列在不同物种中具有一定保守性,该蛋白属于跨膜蛋白,不存在信号肽,酶分类可能属于EC 1.11.1.9,并与糖类特异性结合发挥活性。鸡CNX mRNA在鸡组织中广泛表达,其中在回肠、动脉和腺胃组织中表达量很高,表明CNX是鸡机体内必需蛋白分子,可能在消化系统和心血管系统中发挥更为重要作用。     

The foot and mouth disease (FMD) epidemic in the United Kingdom 2001

The foot and mouth disease epidemic commenced in February 2001 when diseased pigs were identified in an abattoir. The infection had become widespread in sheep in England and Wales before this discovery. It was decided to eradicate the disease by slaughter rather than use vaccine. The virus was a Pan-Asia O strain that caused few lesions in sheep and this made the identification of infected flocks very difficult leading to a long drawn-out epidemic. Over four million animals were slaughtered in 2000 herds and flocks. The last outbreak was in September.

Résumé

L'épizootie de fièvre aphteuse a commencé en février 2001 quand elle a été identifiée sur des porcs maladies dans un abattoir. L'infection avait beaucoup diffusé auparavant chez le mouton en Angleterre et au pays de Galles. Il a été d'écidé d'éradiquer la maladie par abattage plautôt que par vaccination. Le virus était une souche Pan-Asia de type O, provoquant des lésions limitées chez le mouton, ce qui a rendu trés difficile l'identification des troupeaux infectés et conduit à une longue queue d'épizootie. Plus de quatre millions d'animaux ont été abattus dand 2000 troupeaux. Le dernier foyer a été identifié en Septembre.     

奶山羊CIDEa基因的克隆、序列分析与组织表达

为获得奶山羊CIDEa基因序列并检测其在乳腺组织中的表达,采用RT-PCR技术从奶山羊乳腺组织扩增CIDEa基因序列,利用生物信息学软件对其进行预测分析,并采用荧光定量PCR检测CIDEa在干奶期和不同泌乳时期乳腺组织中的表达。结果表明:通过克隆测序得到奶山羊CIDEa基因CDS区660 bp,编码219个氨基酸,与GenBank公布的绵羊、牛、人和猪的核苷酸序列同源性分别为99%、96%、85%、85%。奶山羊CIDEa蛋白属于碱性、不稳定亲水蛋白,不存在跨膜结构和信号肽;蛋白主要定位在细胞质、线粒体和细胞核。CIDEa蛋白结构主要由α螺旋、β折叠和不规则卷曲组成。奶山羊CIDEa在泌乳前期、盛期和中期乳腺组织中表达量均显著高于干奶期(P<0.05)。说明CIDEa可能参与奶山羊乳腺的泌乳过程,为进一步研究其在奶山羊乳腺组织中的功能及对乳品质的调控作用奠定基础。     

Histomorphological findings and expression of matrix metalloproteinases and their tissue specific inhibitors (TIMPs) in normal tricuspid valves and in chronic tricuspid valvular disease in dogs

The histomorphological findings and immunohistochemical expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs-1, 2, 9 and 14) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs-2, 3 and 4) are reported in the parietal (pTV) and septal leaflets (sTV) of the tricuspid valves in normal dogs and dogs with chronic valvular disease (CVD). The layers of the normal sTV were not as well defined as in the pTV and the spongiosa of the sTV contained abundant mucopolysaccharides (MPS) and adipocytes. In CVD, there was expansion of the spongiosa of the pTV due to deposition of MPS, leading to formation of nodules along the free edge. In CVD, there was fibrosis of the atrialis of the sTV and formation of nodular deposits of MPS in the spongiosa and ventricularis, mainly affecting the proximal and middle parts of the leaflet. In dogs with normal pTV and sTV, MMPs-1 and 14 and TIMPs-2, 3 and 4 were expressed, while MMPs-2 and 9 were absent. In mild CVD, expression of MMPs-2, 9 and 14 were increased in the pTV, whereas small foci within the spongiosa contained MMP-9 and TIMP-3 positive cells. In advanced CVD, MMP-14 also was increased in the pTV. In mild CVD, there was increased expression of MMPs-1 and 2 and TIMP-2, but decreased expression of TIMP-4, in the sTV. Small foci with expression of MMP-14 and TIMPs-2, 3 and 4 were also present in the sTV in mild CVD. In advanced CVD, there was increased expression of MMPs-2 and 9 and TIMP-2 in the sTV. In CVD there is upregulation of various MMPs in the pTV, whereas there is a complex alteration in expression of MMPs and TIMPs in the sTV.     

奶牛LAP基因真核表达载体的构建及其在COS-7细胞中的瞬时表达

根据GenBank上发表的牛舌抗菌肽(Lingual antimicrobial peptide,LAP)基因cDNA序列设计1对特异引物,从患乳腺炎的奶牛乳腺组织中以RT-PCR方法扩增LAP基因片段,将其克隆到pMD19-T Simple载体中测序。重组质粒经EcoRⅠ+BamHⅠ双酶切回收目的基因片段,亚克隆入增强型绿色荧光蛋白表达载体pEGFP-C1中构建重组融合表达质粒pEGFP-LAP,将其脂质体转染COS-7细胞,经荧光显微镜观察到融合表达的绿色荧光蛋白,采用RT-PCR检测到LAP基因在COS-7细胞中转录。pEGFP-LAP重组表达质粒的成功构建为进一步研究奶牛LAP基因的表达特性及利用基因工程技术防治奶牛乳腺炎奠定了基础。     

Effect of constant-release melatonin implants and prolonged exposure to a long day photoperiod on prolactin secretion and hair growth in mouflon (Ovis gmelini musimon)

The aims of this study were to examine whether mouflons exposed to constant long and short day photoperiods are able to exhibit an annual cycle of hair growth and moult, and prolactin (PRL) secretion. Mouflon ewes were assigned to three groups of treatment. Ewes were maintained, either under natural photoperiod (control, n=9), or received a series of subcutaneous melatonin implants from December to April (n=8), or were exposed to a constant long day photoperiod (16-h light:8-h dark; 16L:8D) during 18 months (n=7). Blood was collected weekly to determine PRL concentrations, and hair samples were clipped weekly from the base of the neck to measure the length of predominant hair. Under constant long days and with melatonin implants, mouflons expressed an annual rhythm of PRL secretion, even though these treatments modified the times of rise or falling of PRL concentrations throughout the year. Hair growth initiation was almost coincident with the summer solstice in both control and melatonin-implanted mouflons but occurred two months earlier in long day hold mouflons (P<0.001). Long day hold mouflons had a lower hair growth rate than control and melatonin-implanted mouflons (P<0.001), and at the end of the experiment, a shorter hair length (3.4±0.24 cm; P<0.01) than control (4.3±0.17 cm), and melatonin-implanted mouflons (4.2±0.12 cm). Our data support the conclusion that in mouflon, an endogenous circannual rhythm of PRL secretion exists, and that the seasonal cycle of hair growth and moult appears to depend, at least in part, on circulating levels of PRL.     

羊传染性脓疱病毒趋化因子结合蛋白（CBP）基因的克隆及表达分析

参照GenBank中ORFV的毒力因子CBP基因的核苷酸序列设计合成1对特异性引物,采用PCR方法扩增该基因片段,并克隆入原核表达载体pGEX-4T-1中,经PCR、酶切鉴定和测序正确后,转入E.coli BL21（DE3）感受态细胞中,经IPTG进行诱导表达,并通过生物信息学软件进行分析。SDS-PAGE结果可见大小...     

The duration of the foot-and-mouth disease virus carrier state in African buffalo (i) in the individual animal and (ii) in a free-living herd

The maintenance of a virus depends on a number of factors, including the duration of infectivity and the size of the available host population. In this work, foot-and-mouth disease virus was shown to persist in individual African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) for up to at least five years; thus, the duration of infectivity is more than adequate to cover the normal periods between calving peaks. In a small isolated free-living population which varied from 30 to 100 buffalo, two immunological types of foot-and-mouth disease virus were maintained for at least 24 years and through several generations.     

Decreased expression of matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase in the kidneys of hereditary nephrotic (ICGN) mice

Matrix metalloporoteinases (MMPs), which are dominantly regulated by tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMPs), play important roles in extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and are involved in the progression of kidney diseases. In glomeruli and tubulointerstitum of hereditary nephrotic (ICR-derived glomerulonephritis: ICGN) mouse kidneys, hyper-accumulation of ECM components occurred, and MMP activity decreased. In the present study, because lower levels of MMP activity may contribute to the progression of renal fibrosis in ICGN mice, Western blotting analysis and immunohistochemical staining for MMPs and TIMPs were performed to verify the expression levels of these proteins. Levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, MT1-MMP, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in the kidneys were decreased in ICGN mice in comparison with normal ICR mice. These results indicate that small amounts and low levels of activity of MMPs cause the progression of renal fibrosis in ICGN mice.     

Codon optimization of the rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) capsid gene leads to increased gene expression in Spodoptera frugiperda 9 (Sf9) cells

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) is contagious and highly lethal. Commercial vaccines against RHD are produced from the livers of experimentally infected rabbits. Although several groups have reported that recombinant subunit vaccines against rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) are promising, application of the vaccines has been restricted due to high production costs or low yield. In the present study, we performed codon optimization of the capsid gene to increase the number of preference codons and eliminate rare codons in Spodoptera frugiperda 9 (Sf9) cells. The capsid gene was then subcloned into the pFastBac plasmid, and the recombinant baculoviruses were identified with a plaque assay. As expected, expression of the optimized capsid protein was markedly increased in the Sf9 cells, and the recombinant capsid proteins self-assembled into virus-like particles (VLPs) that were released into the cell supernatant. Rabbits inoculated with the supernatant and the purified VLPs were protected against RHDV challenge. A rapid, specific antibody response against RHDV was detected by an ELISA in all of the experimental groups. In conclusion, this strategy of producing a recombinant subunit vaccine antigen can be used to develop a low-cost, insect cell-derived recombinant subunit vaccine against RHDV.     

紫花苜蓿QTL与全基因组选择研究进展及其应用

四倍体紫花苜蓿是重要的豆科牧草之一,由于其复杂的遗传背景与二倍体作物相比遗传作图与重要性状数量性状位点(quantitative trait locus,QTL)定位研究相对滞后。然而,二倍体苜蓿的相关研究起步较早,已经建立了高密度遗传图谱和物理图谱,这些研究为四倍体苜蓿遗传作图与QTL定位奠定了基础。随着第三代分子标记与测序技术的快速发展,极大地促进了四倍体苜蓿的高密度遗传图谱构建与QTL定位研究,并借助分子标记辅助育种技术对提高苜蓿选育效率,加速育种进程具有重要意义。本文对苜蓿遗传图谱构建与QTL定位研究及发展趋势进行了总结,并对苜蓿关联作图与全基因组选择的研究进展及应用前景加以概述,旨在为读者就相关研究领域有较全面的了解。     

Changes in the gene expression of adiponectin and glucose transporter 12 (GLUT12) in lactating and non-lactating cows

Glucose delivery and uptake by the mammary gland is a rate‐limiting step in milk synthesis. Insulin resistance is believed to increase throughout the body following the onset of lactation. To study glucose metabolism in peak‐, late‐, and non‐lactating cows we analyzed the expression of an adipokine, namely, adiponectin, decreased insulin resistance, leptin, and a novel insulin‐responsive glucose transporter (GLUT12) in the adipose tissue and mammary gland by using real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Our results demonstrated that the mRNA level of adiponectin in the adipose tissue was greater in non‐lactating cows than in peak‐lactating cows. In the adipose tissue, there were no significant differences in the abundance of GLUT12 mRNA between the peak‐, late‐, and non‐lactating cows. In contrast, in the mammary gland, the mRNA level of GLUT12 was greater in non‐lactating cows than in peak‐ and late‐lactating cows. In the adipose tissue, the mRNA level of leptin and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma 2 (PPARγ2) was greater in non‐lactating cows than in peak‐lactating cows. The results of the present study suggest that in lactating cows adiponectin plays an important role in insulin resistance in the adipose tissue; in the mammary gland, GLUT12 expression is believed to be an important factor for insulin‐dependent glucose metabolism.     

臭鼻杆菌腈水解酶基因(bxn)的克隆及其在原核生物中的表达

通过PCR技术从克雷伯氏臭鼻杆菌基因组DNA中克隆到编码腈水解酶的基因(bxn),插入pET28a( )载体的NcoI和SacI之间,构建了bxn基因的原核生物表达载体pET-BX。通过SDS-PAGE鉴定出重组克隆,在大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中表达出了一种37.7 kD的特异蛋白,其表达量占宿主菌总蛋白的18.2%。在添加终浓度为4mmol/L的乳糖和28℃培养条件下,重组克隆菌可表达较高产量的特异酶蛋白,可将溴苯腈降解为无毒物质,并具有较高活性。     

鸡艾美耳球虫3-1E基因的克隆与表达

应用反转录 -聚合酶链式反应 (RT- PCR)技术 ,分别从柔嫩艾美耳球虫甘肃株 (E.tenella GS,Et GS)和堆型艾美耳球虫青海株 (E.acervulina QH,Ea QH)孢子化卵囊子孢子中提取的总 RNA扩增得到鸡球虫子孢子表面抗原 3- 1E基因 (Et GS3-1E和 Ea QH 3- 1E)。将 Et GS3- 1E与原核表达载体 p GEX- 6 P1连接 ,构建了的 p GEX- 3- 1E原核表达质粒 ,并获得融合蛋白的高效表达和纯化。序列分析表明 :Et GS3- 1E和 Ea QH 3- 1E的 ORF均为 5 13个碱基 ,共编码 171个氨基酸。Et GS3- 1E的蛋白分子量为 18.5 k D,Ea QH 3- 1E的蛋白分子量为 18.6 k D。ORF比较 ,Et GS3- 1E与文献报道的 Ea3- 1E比较 ,共有 2个核苷酸发生变异 ,核苷酸同源性为 98.8%,有 1个氨基酸发生变异 ,氨基酸同源性为 99.4 %;Ea QH 3- 1E与文献报道的 Ea3- 1E比较 ,共有 4个核苷酸发生变异 ,核苷酸同源性为 97.7%,有 3个氨基酸变异 ,氨基酸同源性为 98.3%;Et GS 3- 1E与 Ea QH 3- 1E比较 ,有 3个核苷酸发生变异 ,核苷酸同源性为 98.2 %,有 2个氨基酸发生变异 ,氨基酸同源性为 98.8%。获得了 Et GS 3- 1E融合蛋白的高效表达和纯化 ,表达率达 4 3.2 %。     

Anatomical and surface ultrastructural investigation of the tongue in the straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum,Kerr 1972)

The morphology of tongue in straw-coloured fruit bat from tropical forests was evaluated in relation to frugivorous diets and in comparison with other species that consumes other food types. Gross, stereomicroscopy, scanning electron microscope and histological methods were used. The tongue was relatively long with round tip, which closely fitted into oral cavity. Five types of mechanical papillae included crown-like and trifid filiform papillae. Also bulky, cone-shaped papillae and long conical papillae were identified. These mechanical types also showed variations in shape, size and number of processes of papillae. Transitional forms of these mechanical papillae were present. Fungiform papillae with taste pores were interposed amongst filiform types in apex and body; three ovoid-shaped vallate papillae were in triangular arrangement on root and displayed taste pores. Some bulky, cone-shaped papillae surrounded the vallate papillae. Histologically, mechanical filiform types showed highly keratinized stratified squamous epithelium and dense connective tissue core with secondary papillae. Taste buds appeared in fungiform and vallate papillae. Neutral and acidic secretions were identified in lingual glands of root. The presence of prominent filamentous processes of filiform papillae and conical papillae of the tongue in conjunction with gustatory papillae ensures adaptation to copious fruit diets. The gross morphometric and histometric parameters of the tongue did not differ remarkably from previous values obtained for some fruit bats with comparable weight. This investigation showed similarities with fruit bats such as large flying fox and Egyptian fruit bat and reflect common diet and feeding habits but varied from insectivorous and nectivorous bats.