Untersuchungen zur natürlichen Verjüngung der Buche (Fagus silvatica)

Zusammenfassung Die Untersuchung des Reifevorgangs bei Buchenfrüchten durch Verfolgung von Frischgewicht, Trockengewicht und Fettgehalt ergibt, da? der Reifeproze? erst Anfang bis Ende August beginnt und sechs bis acht Wochen dauert. Eine Beurteilung der Bucheckern auf Keimf?higkeit ist daher frühestens Mitte September m?glich. Auf Standorten mit Auflage von Moder oder Rohhumus wird die Entwicklung der Keimlinge durch eine Bodenbearbeitung nach dem Samenfall wesentlich gef?rdert; bew?hrt hat sich die Scheibenegge Rome TAH 14/28 und der Scheibenpflug TTS. Die schlechtere Keimlingsentwicklung bei fehlender Bodenbearbeitung wird auf eine Sch?digung der Keimpflanze beim Wurzelkontakt mit der obersten stark versauerten Mineralbodenschicht zurückgeführt. Zur F?rderung des Buchenaufschlags hat sich eine Düngung kurz vor oder nach dem Buchenaufschlag nicht bew?hrt; empfehlenswert scheinen dagegen Kalkungen 10 bis 30 Jahre vor Bestandesverjüngung.

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Investigations regarding the natural regeneration of beech (Fagus silvatica)

Summary The ripening process of beech seeds as followed by the measurement of fresh weight, dry weight and fat content starts beginning to end of August and takes 6 to 8 weeks. A judgement of the germination ability is possible not earlier than mid of September. At sites with mor or raw humus the development of the seedlings can be improved substantially by soil cultivation. The unsatisfactory development of seedlings if soil cultivation is missing is caused by a damage of the seedling after beeing in root contact with the uppermost strongly acid mineral soil layer. A fertilization shortly before or after the seed fall has no positive effect on the development of seedlings; liming should be done 10 to 30 years before regeneration of the stand.

     

Über die Proteinbiosynthese und den Genetischen Code

Zusammenfassung In dieser Arbeit sind die Grundlagen der genetischen Information, deren Speicherung und ihre Realisierung in der Proteinbiosynthese zusammenfassend dargestellt. Es wurden die Struktur der Nucleinsäuren, die Replikation der DNS, neuere Ansichten über den Aufbau und die Funktion der Ribosomen sowie die einzelnen Reaktionsschritte bei der Proteinsynthese erläutert. Das letzte Kapitel enthält eine Übersicht von Ergebnissen, die sich mit der Entzifferung des genetischen Code befassen.Trotz der vielen Arbeiten, die in letzter Zeit auf dem Gebiet der Nucleinsäureforschung erschienen sind, bedarf es noch der Sammlung weiteren Tatsachenmaterials, um experimentelle Befunde und bestehende Hypothesen zu einem lückenlosen Bild zu vereinen.

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Summary In this review the basis of genetic information, its accumulation and the realization in protein biosynthesis are summarized. Structure of the nucleic acids, replication of DNA, and recent opinions of the construction and function of ribosomes as well as various steps in protein synthesis are explained. In the last chapter some results on decoding problems are given.In spite of the great number of papers published in the last time further research work will be necessary to synthesize experimental results and existing hypotheses.

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B cell and macrophage response in chicks after oral administration of Salmonella typhimurium strains

Despite the fact that, in a number of countries, vaccination programmes are extensively used to control Salmonella infection in poultry, information on the immune mechanisms, especially the cellular response, is still needed. The aim of the study was to characterise the B cell and macrophage response in caecum (IgA+, IgM+, IgG+ cells, macrophages), bursa of Fabricius (IgM+ cells, macrophages), and spleen (IgM+ cells) of chicks after oral administration of a non-attenuated Salmonella (S.) typhimurium wild-type strain (infection) or an attenuated commercial live S. typhimurium vaccine strain (immunisation) to day-old chicks as compared to non-treated control birds using immunohistochemistry and image analysis. In caecum, higher counts of IgM-secreting cells were detected in infected animals compared with the controls from day 5 until day 12 of age. In contrast, in treated groups, IgA-secreting cells were found in higher numbers only between day 8 and 12 of age. Infected birds showed a higher number of IgA+ cells in spleen and bursa of Fabricius compared to the controls. In the bursa of Fabricius of immunised and infected birds, a depletion of strongly stained IgM+ cells and macrophages was established between day 5 and 9 indicating a possibly special and independent role of this organ during the immunological reaction against Salmonella organisms. The results suggest that IgM- and IgA-secreting cells are of importance in the caecal immune response of chickens against Salmonella strains. Immunised chickens always showed a weaker immune reaction compared to infected animals. Present findings regarding the B cell reaction within avian caeca prove a participation of both humoral and cellular immunity in defence against Salmonella strains. Immunohistochemical examination of the cellular response (B cells and macrophages) in relevant organs of chickens may be an important tool to evaluate the immunogenic characteristics of potential Salmonella live vaccine candidates.     

Diagnostic multiplex PCR for toxin genotyping of Clostridium perfringens isolates

In this study we provide a protocol for genotyping Clostridium perfringens with a new multiplex PCR. This PCR enables reliable and specific detection of the toxin genes cpa, cpb, etx, iap, cpe and cpb2 from heat lysed bacterial suspensions. The efficiency of the protocol was demonstrated by typing C. perfringens reference strains and isolates from veterinary bacteriological routine diagnostic specimens.     

Hydraulic and mechanical properties of young Norway spruce clones related to growth and wood structure

Stem segments of eight five-year-old Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) clones differing in growth characteristics were tested for maximum specific hydraulic conductivity (k(s100)), vulnerability to cavitation and behavior under mechanical stress. The vulnerability of the clones to cavitation was assessed by measuring the applied air pressure required to cause 12 and 50% loss of conductivity (Psi(12), Psi(50)) and the percent loss of conductivity at 4 MPa applied air pressure (PLC(4MPa)). The bending strength and stiffness and the axial compression strength and stiffness of the same stem segments were measured to characterize wood mechanical properties. Growth ring width, wood density, latewood percentage, lumen diameter, cell wall thickness, tracheid length and pit dimensions of earlywood cells, spiral grain and microfibril angles were examined to identify structure-function relationships. High k(s100) was strongly and positively related to spiral grain angle, which corresponded positively to tracheid length and pit dimensions. Spiral grain may reduce flow resistance of the bordered pits of the first earlywood tracheids, which are characterized by rounded tips and an equal distribution of pits along the entire length. Wood density was unrelated to hydraulic vulnerability parameters. Traits associated with higher hydraulic vulnerability were long tracheids, high latewood percentage and thick earlywood cell walls. The positive relationship between earlywood cell wall thickness and vulnerability to cavitation suggest that air seeding through the margo of bordered pits may occur in earlywood. There was a positive phenotypic and genotypic relationship between k(s100) and PLC(4MPa), and both parameters were positively related to tree growth rate. Variability in mechanical properties depended mostly on wood density, but also on the amount of compression wood. Accordingly, hydraulic conductivity and mechanical strength or stiffness showed no tradeoff.     

Cytochrome b gene structure and consequences for resistance to Qo inhibitor fungicides in plant pathogens

The cytochrome b (cyt b) gene structure was characterized for different agronomically important plant pathogens, such as Puccinia recondita f sp tritici (Erikss) CO Johnston, P graminis f sp tritici Erikss and Hennings, P striiformis f sp tritici Erikss, P coronata f sp avenae P Syd & Syd, P hordei GH Otth, P recondita f sp secalis Roberge, P sorghi Schwein, P horiana Henn, Uromyces appendiculatus (Pers) Unger, Phakopsora pachyrhizi Syd & P Syd, Hemileia vastatrix Berk & Broome, Alternaria solani Sorauer, A alternata (Fr) Keissl and Plasmopara viticola (Berk & Curt) Berlese & de Toni. The sequenced fragment included the two hot spot regions in which mutations conferring resistance to QoI fungicides may occur. The cyt b gene structure of these pathogens was compared with that of other species from public databases, including the strobilurin-producing fungus Mycena galopoda (Pers) P Kumm, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Meyer ex Hansen, Venturia inaequalis (Cooke) Winter and Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet. In all rust species, as well as in A solani, resistance to QoI fungicides caused by the mutation G143A has never been reported. A type I intron was observed directly after the codon for glycine at position 143 in these species. This intron was absent in pathogens such as A alternata, Blumeria graminis (DC) Speer, Pyricularia grisea Sacc, Mycosphaerella graminicola (Fuckel) J Schr?t, M fijiensis, V inaequalis and P viticola, in which resistance to QoI fungicides has occurred and the glycine is replaced by alanine at position 143 in the resistant genotype. The present authors predict that a nucleotide substitution in codon 143 would prevent splicing of the intron, leading to a deficient cytochrome b, which is lethal. As a consequence, the evolution of resistance to QoI fungicides based on G143A is not likely to evolve in pathogens carrying an intron directly after this codon.     

Field survival analyses of adult Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Journal of Pest Science - The western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera; Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a major maize pest in North America and Europe. For developing population models...     

Evaluation of vaginal discharge with the Metricheck device and the relationship to reproductive performance in postpartum dairy cows

Vaginal mucus during estrus was examined with the Metricheck device and the relationship to the reproduction of high‐yielding dairy cows was studied. The study was conducted in 99 dairy herds located in Western Germany and 1348 Holstein‐Friesian heifers and cows showing spontaneous estrus were examined. Independent of the Metricheck result, the animals were inspected by professional insemination technicians and those suitable for insemination (n = 989) were bred by artificial insemination (AI). Reproductive performance was characterized by non‐return rate at 90 days (NRR90). The discharge of the animals predominantly had a clear appearance (70%) and a stringy consistency (80%). Animals with clear vaginal discharge had higher NRR90 (56%; n = 697) than animals with abnormal (turbid, mucopurulent, purulent, sanguineous) vaginal secretion (48%, n = 292; P < 0.05). NRR90 was lower in animals with short calving to AI interval (< 70 days; 39%) than with medium (70–130 days; 54%) or long (> 130 days; 62%) intervals (P < 0.05). NRR90 decreased by 12% from the lowest (< 15 kg) to the highest (> 45 kg) milk yield class. In conclusion, the use of the Metricheck device integrated into the insemination procedure is recommended to identify dairy cows suffering severely from uterine disease.