Clostridium piliforme infection (Tyzzer disease) in horses: retrospective study of 25 cases and literature review

Tyzzer disease (TD) is caused by Clostridium piliforme, a gram-negative and obligate intracellular bacterium. The disease occurs in multiple species. A triad of lesions, namely colitis, hepatitis, and myocarditis, is described in cases of TD in some species, such as rats and mice. We carried out a retrospective analysis of 25 equine cases with a diagnosis of TD; 24 of 25 cases occurred in foals <45 d old; the remaining foal was 90 d old. There were 12 males and 12 females; no sex information was available for one foal. The affected breeds were Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, Arabian, Paint, and Hanoverian. Most of the cases (19 of 25) occurred in the spring. There were 9 cases of sudden death; the remaining animals had diarrhea, fever, distended abdomen, depression, weakness, non-responsiveness, and/or recumbency. Gross findings included icterus, hepatomegaly with acinar pattern, serosal hemorrhages, pulmonary edema, and/or fluid content in small and large intestine. Microscopically, all foals had severe, multifocal, necrotizing hepatitis. Necrotizing lymphohistiocytic colitis was observed in 10 of 25 foals, and multifocal necrotizing myocarditis was found in 8 of 25. Gram-negative, Steiner-positive, intracytoplasmic filamentous bacteria were observed in hepatocytes, enterocytes, and myocardiocytes, respectively. PCR detected C. piliforme DNA in the liver (24 of 24), colon (20 of 24), and heart (5 of 25). Our results indicate that necrotic hepatitis is the hallmark of TD in horses; the so-called triad of lesions is not a consistent characteristic of the disease in this species.     

Thermal and spectrophotometric analysis of some fungal melanins and soil humic compounds

Seven types of fungal melanins were compared with humic compounds from chernozem and podzol soils and with commercial humic acid. The results indicate some similarities but also distinct differences between the melanins and humic substances in spectral characteristics in the UV and visible regions and in their resistance to thermal degradation.     

Maikäferbekämpfung

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静原鸡let-7a-5p的靶基因预测及组织表达分析

【目的】了解let-7a-5p的生物学信息,初步探索其在静原鸡肌肉组织中的功能作用。【方法】利用生物信息学方法对转录组测序获得的静原鸡let-7a-5p的成熟序列进行保守性分析,使用miRDB、TargetScan和miRanda在线软件预测let-7a-5p的靶基因,取其交集进行GO功能和KEGG通路富集分析,并利用实时荧光定量PCR检测let-7a-5p在静原鸡公鸡和母鸡各组织中的表达水平。【结果】let-7a-5p的成熟序列在各物种间高度保守,共预测得到38个基因集合。在生物过程、细胞组分和分子功能中靶基因富集较多的GO条目有细胞过程、生物调节、细胞、结合和催化活性;靶基因显著富集于聚酮糖单元生物合成、AGE-RAGE信号通路在糖尿病并发症中的作用、泛素介导的蛋白水解、TGF-β信号通路和加压素调节的水重吸收信号通路,且富集最多的是代谢途径、AGE-RAGE信号通路在糖尿病并发症中的作用、泛素介导的蛋白水解和MAPK信号通路。let-7a-5p-靶基因互作主要通过作用于靶mRNA的3′-UTR抑制表达或使其降解。组织表达发现,let-7a-5p在静原鸡公、母鸡的心脏、肝脏、脾脏、...     

创业、创新、创优农业科研院所的发展之路

文章结合党的十六届五中全会通过制定的“十一五”发展规划中提出解决“三农”问题,建设社会主义新农村,仍然是全党工作的重中之重,提出了农业科研院所的发展在于“三创”即:创业是发展的基础,创新是发展的手段,创优是发展的目标。     

Development of specific PCR primers for identification and detection of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phytophthora capsici</Emphasis> Leon

A PCR-based method was developed for the identification and detection of Phytophthora capsici in pepper plants. Three PCR primers (CAPFW, CAPRV1 and CAPRV2) specific for P. capsiciwere designed based on the sequence of its internal transcribed spacer regions. CAPFW/CAPRV1 amplify a 452 bp product from P. capsici DNA whereas CAPFW/CAPRV2 a 595 bp fragment; neither set amplifies DNA from pepper or several fungi pathogenic to pepper. In conventional (single-round) PCR, the limit of detection was 5 pg DNA for both primer sets, whereas in nested PCR the detection limit for both was of 0.5 fg. However, when the dilution series of target DNA were spiked with plant DNA, amplification declined two-fold in both conventional and nested PCR. The CAPFW/CAPRV2 set in conventional PCR was used to detect P. capsici DNA in inoculated plants. Detection occurred as soon as 8h post-inoculation in stem samples from infected but still symptomless plants. The method was also tested to detect fungal DNA in infected soils.     

Isolation and pathogenicity of Colletotrichum spp. causing anthracnose of strawberry in south west Spain

Anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum spp., is a major disease of cultivated strawberry, Fragaria × ananassa. This study identifies the Colletotrichum spp. which causes strawberry anthracnose in the southwest of Spain. A survey of the region was carried out, and the strains isolated were identified as C. acutatum by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with genus and species-specific primers, demonstrating that this species is currently the causal agent of strawberry anthracnose in the studied region. The pathogenicity of C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides strains was evaluated on two principal strawberry cultivars (cvs Camarosa and Ventana) under field conditions, the latter being more pathogenic than the former.     

生草和树枝覆盖对果园土壤持水性能的影响

针对黄土高原枣园普遍盛行传统清耕制,将生草及覆盖技术引入枣园生产中,于2011—2013年采用人工土槽模拟研究方法,探讨不同生草和覆盖措施对枣树地土壤持水性能的影响。结果表明:生草与枣树枝覆盖能有效改善土壤物理结构、提高土壤孔隙度、降低土壤容重;各处理土壤水分蓄持能力及比水容量均按枣树枝半覆盖+白三叶生草、枣树枝全覆盖、白三叶生草覆盖和清耕处理依次递减,处理间的差异在高吸力阶段更为明显;与清耕处理相比,生草与覆盖处理土壤饱和含水量、田间持水量、凋萎系数均有提高,枣树枝半覆盖+白三叶生草处理增加最为明显,分别增加9%、20%、33%。