Type IV fimbrial subunit protein ApfA contributes to protection against porcine pleuropneumonia

ABSTRACT: Porcine pleuropneumonia caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae accounts for serious economic losses in the pig farming industry worldwide. We examined here the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the recombinant type IV fimbrial subunit protein ApfA as a single antigen vaccine against pleuropneumonia, or as a component of a multi-antigen preparation comprising five other recombinant antigens derived from key virulence factors of A. pleuropneumoniae (ApxIA, ApxIIA, ApxIIIA, ApxIVA and TbpB). Immunization of pigs with recombinant ApfA alone induced high levels of specific serum antibodies and provided partial protection against challenge with the heterologous A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 9 strain. This protection was higher than that engendered by vaccination with rApxIVA or rTbpB alone and similar to that observed after immunization with the tri-antigen combination of rApxIA, rApxIIA and rApxIIIA. In addition, rApfA improved the vaccination potential of the penta-antigen mixture of rApxIA, rApxIIA, rApxIIIA, rApxIVA and rTbpB proteins, where the hexa-antigen vaccine containing rApfA conferred a high level of protection on pigs against the disease. Moreover, when rApfA was used for vaccination alone or in combination with other antigens, such immunization reduced the number of pigs colonized with the challenge strain. These results indicate that ApfA could be a valuable component of an efficient subunit vaccine for the prevention of porcine pleuropneumonia.     

A limited role for SsrA/B in persistent Salmonella Typhimurium infections in pigs

Virulence genes regulated by the SsrA/B system are indispensable for systemic disease in BALB/c mice. The role of this regulating system in the pathogenesis of Salmonella Typhimurium infections in pigs is not documented. In the present study, the interactions of Salmonella Typhimurium and an ssrA/B mutant were compared in vitro and in vivo. The ssrA/B mutant strain displayed decreased Salmonella Pathogenicity Island 2 (SPI-2) expression levels, showed a replication defect in mouse macrophages and was attenuated in a mouse model after oral inoculation. Using real time qRT-PCR and a porcine ileal loop model, it was shown that the ssrA/B mutant strain was not significantly attenuated in overall virulence and SPI-1 expression in specific. Flowcytometric analysis demonstrated that the ssrA/B mutant strain was defective in intracellular replication in porcine macrophages. After oral inoculation of piglets with the wild type strain or the ssrA/B mutant strain, the animals of both groups excreted Salmonella and were colonized by Salmonella to the same extent. In an intravenous mixed infection model, the ssrA/B mutant strain was defective in the colonization of several internal organs. These results suggest that the ssrA/B gene of Salmonella Typhimurium plays a limited role in the persistent intestinal colonization of pigs.     

内蒙古阿拉善盟双峰驼驼乳理化性质研究

本文研究了10峰内蒙古阿拉善盟双峰驼不同泌乳时间驼乳的一般理化性质。其比重及pH值与已有报道的单峰驼驼乳结果基本一致,而酸度(%)高于单峰驼。电导率与乳中Na+、K+和Cl-含量之和有关,随三者之和的增减而增减。驼乳的蛋白质、脂肪、乳糖、干物质、灰分和钙的含量均高于牛乳,磷的含量比牛乳略低。驼乳的缓冲性与牛乳有差异:当乳样先酸化后用碱回滴时,驼乳和牛乳分别在pH4.4～6.6和pH5.0～6.6范围内出现典型的“弧形线”,驼乳的最大缓冲作用发生在pH近似4.4处,牛乳的最大缓冲作用在pH近似5.1处,但驼乳在pH4.9处仍有一个缓冲峰。双峰驼驼乳的酒精稳定性(75±2.0)%稍低于牛乳的酒精稳定性(77±1.0)%,驼乳与牛乳的酒精稳定性的变化趋势基本一致,加入Na+、K+都引起酒精稳定性降低,游离Ca2+浓度的降低或pH值的上升都会导致酒精稳定性的增加。     

Egg oxidation status,antioxidant enzyme activities,lipid classes,fatty acid composition profile and embryo survival rates during in vitro oocyte ageing in tench Tinca tinca (Linnaeus, 1758)

The effect of in vitro storage of oocytes on embryos survival rate, egg oxidation status, antioxidant enzyme activities, lipid classes and fatty acid composition profile was investigated in common tench Tinca tinca. In order to identify the role of oxidative stress in the progress of oocyte ageing the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and carbonyls as indicators of lipid and protein oxidation were measured and the activity of antioxidant enzymes were examined. Stripped ova from six females were stored in cell culture plates at 20°C for up to 10 hr post‐stripping (HPS). The stored ova were fertilized and the embryo survival rates were assessed. The results indicated that tench eggs could be successfully stored in vitro for 4 hr after stripping at 20°C. Superoxide dismutase enzyme activity increased at 6 HPS, whereas glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities decreased in oocytes during in vitro storage (p < .05) at 4 and 8 HPSs, respectively. The level of malondialdehyde did not show any significant changes during the progress of oocyte ageing. Carbonyls increased up to 2 HPS and thereafter decreased significantly. However, ova ageing did not affect the main lipid class composition and the fatty acid composition of the eggs. Lower quality eggs exhibited lower levels of cholesterol but higher levels of triacylglycerol.     

Comparison of terrestrial laser scanning and X-ray scanning in measuring Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) branch structure

While X-ray scanning is increasingly used to measure the interior quality of logs, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) could be used to collect information on external tree characteristics. As branches are one key indicator of wood quality, we compared TLS and X-ray scanning data in deriving whorl locations and each whorl’s maximum branch and knot diameters for 162 Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) log sections. The mean number of identified whorls per tree was 37.25 and 22.93 using X-ray and TLS data, respectively. The lowest TLS-derived whorl in each sample tree was an average 5.56?m higher than that of the X-ray data. Whorl-to-whorl mean distances and the means of the maximum branch and knot diameters in a whorl measured for each sample tree using TLS and X-ray data had mean differences of ?0.12?m and ?6.5?mm, respectively. One of the most utilized wood quality indicators, tree-specific maximum knot diameter measured by X-ray, had no statistically significant difference to the tree-specific maximum branch diameter measured from the TLS point cloud. It appears challenging to directly derive comparative branch structure information using TLS and X-ray. However, some features that are extractable from TLS point clouds are potential wood quality indicators.     

驼乳及其抗微生物因子的特性

驼乳是干旱和半干旱地区人们重要的食物来源之一。世界上有些国家的人民还用驼乳来治疗疾病。笔者对驼乳的营养成分进行了介绍。还重点对它的抗微生物因子（溶菌酶、乳铁蛋白和免疫球蛋白等）及其作用进行了全面的阐述。     

大麦赤霉病抗性的亲子相关分析

在二棱大麦中赤霉病抗性很强的Ｒｕｓｓｉａ６号和六棱大麦中抗性很弱的ＨＥＳ４的杂交后代Ｆ２代的５６０个个体中，以随机抽出８０个个体所展开的Ｆ３—Ｆ５系统来分析赤霉病抗性的亲子相关．结果表明，随着世代的推进，系统内标准差逐渐变小，相关系数逐渐提高，到Ｆ５抗性分离逐渐稳定，Ｆ４个体和由这个个体所展开的Ｆ５系统平均值之间的相关系数为０．６７０，Ｆ４个体所在的系统平均值和Ｆ５系统的平均值之间的相关系数为０．７９０，系统之间的相关系数大于亲代个体和次代系统平均值之间的相关系数．     

Combinatorial ShcA docking interactions support diversity in tissue morphogenesis

Changes in protein-protein interactions may allow polypeptides to perform unexpected regulatory functions. Mammalian ShcA docking proteins have amino-terminal phosphotyrosine (pTyr) binding (PTB) and carboxyl-terminal Src homology 2 (SH2) domains, which recognize specific pTyr sites on activated receptors, and a central region with two phosphorylated tyrosine-X-asparagine (pYXN) motifs (where X represents any amino acid) that each bind the growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (Grb2) adaptor. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that ShcA may signal through both pYXN-dependent and -independent pathways. We show that, in mice, cardiomyocyte-expressed ShcA directs mid-gestational heart development by a PTB-dependent mechanism that does not require the pYXN motifs. In contrast, the pYXN motifs are required with PTB and SH2 domains in the same ShcA molecule for the formation of muscle spindles, skeletal muscle sensory organs that regulate motor behavior. Thus, combinatorial differences in ShcA docking interactions may yield multiple signaling mechanisms to support diversity in tissue morphogenesis.     

Does Acidification Policy Follow Research in Northern Sweden? The Case of Natural Acidity During the 1990's

The situation in northern Sweden did not figure prominently in the intense period of research during the 1980's that laid the basis for many acidification-related policies now in effect in Europe and Sweden. Northern Sweden has not only relatively low acid deposition levels and significant sources of natural acidity, but also intense episodes of pH decline during spring flood that are a major focus of liming activity. Controversy over that liming and natural acidity has led to scientific advances. These include discovery of a correlation between sulfur in snow and the anthropogenic contribution to the subsequent spring flood ANC decline, but also that natural organic acidity is responsible for most of the spring pH decline in the region. This paper compares the developments in liming policy with the scientific developments of relevance to the region during the last decade. Considerable discrepancies are noted which create opportunities for revising remediation policies to better reflect the state of knowledge in 2000.