Aggressiveness and host specificity of Brazilian isolates of Phytophthora infestans

The population of Phytophthora infestans in Brazil consists of two clonal lineages, US-1 associated with tomatoes and BR-1 associated with potatoes. To assess whether host specificity in these lineages resulted from differences in aggressiveness to potato and tomato, six aggressiveness-related epidemiological components – infection frequency (IF), incubation period (IP), latent period (LP), lesion area (LA), lesion expansion rate (LER) and sporulation at several lesion ages (SSLA) – were measured on detached leaflets of late blight-susceptible potato and tomato plants. Infection frequency of US-1 was similar on potato and tomato leaflets, but IF of BR-1 was somewhat reduced on tomato. Incubation period was longer on both hosts with US-1, although this apparent lineage affect was not significant. Overall there was no host effect on IP. On potato, BR-1 had a shorter LP (110·3 h) and a larger LA (6·5 cm²) than US-1 (LP = 162·0 h; LA = 2·8 cm²). The highest LER resulted when isolates of BR-1 (0·121 cm² h⁻¹) and US-1 (0·053 cm² h⁻¹) were inoculated on potato and tomato leaflets, respectively. The highest values of the area under the sporulation capacity curve (AUSC) were obtained for isolates of US-1 inoculated on tomato leaflets (6146) and for isolates of BR-1 on potato leaflets (3775). In general, higher values of LA, LER, SSLA and AUSC, and shorter values of LP were measured when isolates of a clonal lineage were inoculated on their original host than with the opposite combinations. There is evidence that there are quantitative differences in aggressiveness components between isolates of US-1 and BR-1 clonal lineages that probably contribute to host specificity of P. infestans populations in Brazil.     

Sources of resistance to septoria tritici blotch and implications for wheat breeding

Twenty-four wheat cultivars and breeding lines were screened for isolate-specific resistance to septoria tritici blotch (STB) caused by 12 isolates of Mycosphaerella graminicola. New isolate-specific resistances that could be used in wheat breeding were identified. Major sources of resistance to STB used in world breeding programmes for decades, such as Kavkaz-K4500, Veranopolis, Catbird and TE9111, have several isolate-specific resistances. This suggests that 'pyramiding' several resistance genes in one cultivar may be an effective and durable strategy for breeding for resistance to STB in wheat. Several cultivars, including Arina, Milan and Senat, had high levels of partial resistance to most isolates tested as well as isolate-specific resistances. Resistance to isolate IPO323 was common, present in all but one of the major sources of resistance tested. This suggests that resistance to IPO323 may be an indicator of varietal resistance to STB in the field.     

Biology of a new virus isolated from Lupinus nootkatensis plants in Alaska

A new virus named Nootka lupine vein-clearing virus (NLVCV) was isolated from Lupinus nootkatensis plants that were confined to a relatively small area in the Talkeetna mountains of south-central Alaska. Annual surveys (2000–03) consistently found leaf symptoms of pronounced vein clearing and mosaic on 3- to 4-week-old plants in late June. Spherical particles ≈30 nm in diameter were isolated from these leaves. Virions contained a single-stranded RNA of ≈4·0–4·2 kb and one species of capsid protein estimated to be ≈40 kDa. The double-stranded RNA profile from naturally infected leaves consisted of three major bands ≈4·2, 1·9 and 1·5 kbp. Protein extractions from either sap or virions of diseased plants reacted to polyclonal antiserum made against the virions in Western blot assays. A predicted PCR product ≈500 bp was synthesized from virion RNA using primers specific to the carmovirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RDRP) gene. The nucleotide sequence of the amplified DNA did not match any known virus, but contained short regions of identity to several carmoviruses. Only species belonging to the Fabaceae were susceptible to NLVCV by mechanical inoculation. Based on dsRNA profile, size of virion RNA genome and capsid protein, and similarity of the RDRP gene to that of other carmoviruses, it is suggested that NLVCV is a member of the family Tombusviridae , and tentatively of the genus Carmovirus . As the host range, RDRP gene and dsRNA profile of NLVCV are different from those of known viruses, this is a newly described plant virus.     

黄羽肉鸡育肥期维生素A、E适宜添加量研究

选体重和脚胫颜色度接近的56日龄黄羽肉鸡共960只,随机分为16个处理组,每处理60只鸡。采用双因子4×4水平的随机试验设计,4个维生素A添加水平(0、5000、10000、20000IU/kg)和4个维生素E添加水平(0、30、60、120IU/kg)。结果表明:在维生素A0～10000IU/kg、维生素E0～60IU/kg范围内,黄羽肉鸡的日增重和饲料报酬逐渐提高;日粮维生素A添加量超过10000IU/kg,血浆中维生素E含量有下降趋势。高水平维生素A(20000IU/kg),升高血浆TBARS值,大剂量维生素E(120IU/kg),提高机体脂质稳定性。日粮添加20000IU/kg维生素A对色素的沉积有抑制作用,随维生素E水平的上升,皮肤的颜色指数呈现上升趋势。维生素A和E含量及其互作对血清新城疫抗体效价有显著影响。综合考虑,黄羽肉鸡育肥期维生素A、E的适宜添加量分别为5000～10000IU/kg,30～60IU/kg。     

黄芩抗鸡大肠杆菌作用的研究

通过体外和体内两种方法研究黄芩抗鸡大肠杆菌作用.通过体外抑菌作用测定黄芩水煎液对鸡大肠杆菌的最小抑菌浓度（MIC）为2.5g/ml;体内抑菌作用通过对7日龄雏鸡的攻毒与治疗试验来研究,体内治疗药物浓度5g/ml可使90%以上雏鸡获得保护,10g/ml可使100%雏鸡获得保护.以上说明黄芩可以对抗鸡大肠杆菌,可以防治鸡的大肠杆菌病.     

Body weight growth Model of Datong Yak in Qinghai

Summary:This study was conducted to develop a suitable model for describing the growth pattern of the yak. The data used consisted of body weight records of 76 growing yak aged between 5 to 37 months. Three mathematical models were applied to describe the growth curves during this development period:①Y1=20.105 + 11. 250x-0. 526x2 ;used for describing the growth curve of yak aged 5 to 13 months;②Y2 = -359.687 + 49. 977x - 1. 249x2 ;used for animals aged 13 to 25 months;and ③Y3 = -833. 339 + 63. 772x - 1. 019x2 ;used for animals aged 25 to 37 months.     

四川猪链球菌Ⅱ型分离株生物学特性的初步研究

猪链球菌Ⅱ型是导致许多国家猪链球菌病的主要病原，自90年代晚期江苏发生猪链球菌Ⅱ型感染以来已成为我国引起人畜共患病的一种重要的新病原菌。最近在四川省部分地区发生了不明原因的猪源人畜共患病，且具有较高的死亡率。我们从病死猪的病料中成功分离到三株猪链球菌分离株，经革兰氏染色、生化试验、血清凝集试验和PCR鉴定，最终证实为猪链球菌Ⅱ型。通过对其毒力因子进行鉴定．结果发现MRP和EF均为阳性。进一步的药敏试验证实：分离菌株对氨苄青霉素、先锋霉素Ⅳ、羧苄青霉素、复方新诺明、头孢肤肟等抗菌药高度敏感。     

Morphofunctional description of mucous cells in the gills of the Arapaimidae Arapaima gigas (Cuvier) during its development

The gill structure of the Amazonian fish Arapaima gigas (Cuvier 1829) shows ontogenetic changes during development, particularly due the transition from the aquatic to the obligatory air breathing mode of respiration. However, three main cell types can be found in the gills: mitochondrial rich cells, pavement cells and mucous cells (MCs). The MCs are involved in the secretory pathway. The functions of the secreted molecules include mechanical protection of epithelia, protection against parasites and bacterial infection, and role on ion regulation. In this study, we analysed mucous cell location and mucous cell type, based on pH, during the development of A. gigas. Using samples obtained from the environment, gills were collected and fixed in buffered solution. Histological techniques for the identification of MCs were performed Alcian Blue (AB) and periodic acid‐Schiff (PAS). The results showed the presence of PAS+ and AB+ cells in the whole filament in all examined fish. In animals less than 50 g, few MCs were present, and no differences were observed in AB+ and PAS+ cells. In animals weighing close to 500 g, more PAS+ cells than AB+ cells were observed, and in animals that weighed more than 1,000 g, more AB+ cells than PAS+ cells were observed. These observations may be a result of the ontogenetic changes in the gill epithelia, which can change the osmorespiratory compromise in ion regulation functions as well the glycosaminoglycans secreted by PAS cells, which in large animals can play a role in the protection against parasites and bacterial infection.     

Distribution of alpha‐neoendorphin,ACTH (18–39) and beta‐endorphin (1–27) in the alpaca brainstem

Using an immunocytochemical technique, we have studied in the alpaca brainstem the distribution of immunoreactive structures containing prodynorphin (alpha‐neoendorphin)‐ and pro‐opiomelanocortin (adrenocorticotrophin hormone (18–39) (ACTH), beta‐endorphin (1–27))‐derived peptides. No peptidergic‐immunoreactive cell body was observed. Immunoreactive fibres were widely distributed, although in most of the brainstem nuclei the density of the peptidergic fibres was low or very low. In general, the distribution of the immunoreactive fibres containing the peptides studied was very similar. A close anatomical relationship occurred among the fibres containing alpha‐neoendorphin, ACTH or beta‐endorphin (1–27), suggesting a functional interaction among the three peptides in many of the brainstem nuclei. The number of fibres belonging to the prodynorphin system was higher than that of the pro‐opiomelanocortin system. A moderate/low density of immunoreactive fibres was observed in 65.11% (for alpha‐neoendorphin (1–27)), 18.18% (for ACTH) and 13.95% (for beta‐endorphin) of the brainstem nuclei/tracts. In the alpaca brainstem, a high density of immunoreactive fibres was not observed. The neuroanatomical distribution of the immunoreactive fibres suggests that the peptides studied are involved in auditory, motor, gastric, feeding, vigilance, stress, respiratory and cardiovascular mechanisms, taste response, sleep‐waking cycle and the control of pain transmission.