Brucella suis identification and biovar typing by real-time PCR

Fast and accurate identification of Brucella suis at the biovar level is an important issue for public health laboratories because some of the biovars that infect suidae (boars and pigs) are pathogenic for humans while others are not. Since classical biovar typing methods are often time-consuming, hard to standardize and require high-level biosafety containment, methodological improvements are desirable. This article describes new single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) signatures for the rapid identification and biovar characterization of B. suis. These SNPs were included together with previously described ones in real-time PCR assays applicable to low-biosafety conditions. Allelic profiles unique for each B. suis biovar were defined and the most relevant signatures were determined on a collection of 137 field strains of worldwide origin characterized previously. Biovars assigned with both present and classical methods were globally consistent except for some biovar 3 field strains which matched the allelic profile of biovar 1.     

小麦幼苗及其次生代谢产物丁布对杂草的异株克生活性

研究了小麦活体、小麦水提液及小麦次生代谢产物丁布对几种杂草的异株克生活性。小麦与马唐、反枝苋、野燕麦、早熟禾、稗草等杂草混播的盆栽试验呈现出小麦播种密度越大,杂草种子萌发率越低的趋势。小麦水提液对马唐、反枝苋、早熟禾、稗草、野燕麦根和茎的生长均有明显的异株克生作用,IC₅₀(根)<1.5 mg/mL,IC₅₀(茎)<3.0 mg/mL,而对黑麦草、圆叶牵牛无明显的抑制活性。除马唐外,小麦水提液对供试杂草种子萌发抑制效果不明显。小麦次生代谢产物丁布对3种不同杂草的根、茎总体抑制效果为反枝苋>马唐>野燕麦,IC₅₀(根、茎)<1.5mg/mL,IC₅₀(种子萌发)<3.5 mg/mL。比较IC₅₀可知,生物活性:丁布>小麦水提液。丁布是小麦中具有异株克生活性的次生代谢物。     

Stickstoffumsatz in einer Lößcatena

Nitrogen turnover in a loess catena N-mineralization and mineral-N-contents were determined from spring 1993 to autumn 1995 on arable soils from loess (Luvisol, Calcaric Regosol, Gleyic-Calcaric Regosol and Cumulic Anthrosol) of a catchment area called “Bonartshäuser” farm near Gondelsheim in western Kraichgau (SW-Germany). The aim was to find out, whether the course of net-N-mineralization and mineral-N-content of the soil could be explained by the parameters soil temperature and soil moisture. Soil samples were incubated in polyethylene bags on site for mineralization and aliquots analyzed in the laboratory for the determination of the mineral-N-content. In 1993, 55 kg N ha^—1 were immobilized and up to 170 kg N ha^—1 mineralized depending on the soil type. In 1994, between 181 and 297, and in 1994, between 59 and 230 kg N ha^—1 were mineralized annually. Mineral-N-contents of the different soils throughout the experimental period (n = 45) were found to correlate much better (r² between 0.55 and 0.86) whereas net-N-mineralization (n = 44) showed coefficients of determination (r²) just between 0.08 and 0.53. Except for the Luvisol (37%) only 0 to 8% of net-N-mineralization could be explained by the combined effect of mean soil temperature and soil moisture at the beginning of the incubation using multiple linear regression analysis. Merely 1 up to 9% of mineral-N-content of the soil could be explained by the same effect. The variability and inconsistency shown by net-N-mineralization renders it inappropriate as a tool for predicting nitrogen delivery of the soil and basis for setting rules governing permissible nitrogen amounts in the soil.     

Composition of the microbial communities in the gastrointestinal tract of perch (Perca fluviatilis L. 1758) and cestodes parasitizing the perch digestive tract

Using the approach of sequencing the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene, we have analysed the bacterial diversity associated with the distinct compartments of the gastrointestinal tract of perch (Perca fluviatilis) and cestodes (Proteocephalus sp.) parasitizing their digestive tract. The dominant microbiota associated with cestodes (Proteocephalus sp.) was represented by bacteria from the genera Serratia, Pseudomonas and Mycoplasma. By comparing the associated microbiota of perch and cestodes, a clear difference in bacterial composition and diversity was revealed between the community from the stomach content and other parts of the gastrointestinal tract of fish. Microbiota associated with cestodes was not significantly different in comparison with microbiota of different subcompartments of perch (mucosa and content of intestine and pyloric caeca) (ADONIS, p > .05) excluding microbiota of stomach content (ADONIS, p ≤ .05). PICRUSt-based functional assessments of the microbial communities of perch and cestodes indicated that they mainly linked in terms of metabolism and environmental information processing and could play an important role in the nutrition and health of host.     

Top predators in the Southern ocean: a major leak in the biological carbon pump

Primary productivity in the Southern Ocean is approximately 3.5 gigatons of carbon per year, which accounts for nearly 15 percent of the global total. The presence of high concentrations of nitrate in Antarctic waters suggests that it might be possible to increase primary production significantly and thereby alleviate the net accumulation of atmospheric carbon dioxide. An analysis of the food web for these waters implies that the Southern Ocean may be remarkably inefficient as a carbon sink. This inefficiency is caused by the large flux of carbon respired to the atmosphere by air-breathing birds and mammals, dominant predators in the unusually simple food web of Antarctic waters. These top predators may transfer into the atmosphere as much as 20 to 25 percent of photosynthetically fixed carbon.     

Mobilities of Organic Compounds in Reconstituted Cuticular Wax of Barley Leaves: Effects of Monodisperse Alcohol Ethoxylates on Diffusion of Pentachlorophenol and Tetracosanoic Acid

Effects of monodisperse alcohol ethoxylates on mobilities of ¹⁴C-labelled pentachlorophenol (PCP) and tetracosanoic acid (C₂₄AC) in reconstituted cuticular wax of barley leaves were measured. Depending on the respective alcohol ethoxylate investigated, the diffusion coefficient (D) of PCP in barley wax was increased by factors ranging from 3·3 to 19·6, whereas D of C₂₄AC, was increased by factors varying between 22 and 315. In order to analyse the relationship between the concentration of surfactants in the wax and their effects on D, the amounts of alcohol ethoxylates dissolved in the wax at equilibrium with external concentrations well above the critical micelle concentration (CMC) were determined. Wax/water partition coefficients (K_ww) of the alcohol ethoxylates were about one order of magnitude lower than cuticle/water partition coefficients (K_cw), which is a consequence of the semi-crystalline structure of the wax compared with amorphous cutin. Correlations between effects on D and maximum amounts of alcohol ethoxylates dissolved in the wax were obtained indicating an unspecific wax/surfactant interaction. This was solely dependent on the amount of surfactant sorbed to the wax, leading to increased mobilities of pesticides in the wax. Applying ESR-spectroscopy, which gave an insight into the molecular structure of the wax, supported this interpretation of an unspecific plasticising effect of the alcohol ethoxylates on the molecular structure of the wax. The results obtained in this study are in good accordance with the results obtained in a recent study investigating the effects of the same group of alcohol ethoxylates on mobilities of pesticides in isolated, but intact, cuticular membranes of Citrus. This demonstrates that the investigation of isolated and subsequently reconstituted cuticular wax is a useful model system analysing the mechanisms of the surfactant interaction with the transport-limiting barrier of plant cuticles.