Occurrence of Honeysuckle Yellow Vein Virus (HYVV) containing a monopartite DNA-A genome in Korea

Two newly emerged begomoviruses were isolated from naturally infected tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants grown in greenhouses at Jeju Island and Dangjin in Korea and their genomes were characterized. These viruses-infected plants had very small leaves that curled upward, yellow margins and a leathery appearance, and a bushy and stunted appearance with short internodes. Nucleotide (nt) sequence analysis of their genomes showed that they have a DNA-A component of a monopartite begomovirus. Their genomes comprised 2763 and 2764 nucleotides with six open reading frames. The results of nt sequence similarity analysis of DNA-A genome between the two Korean isolates and isolates of Tobacco leaf curl Japan virus (TbLCJV), Honeysuckle yellow vein virus (HYVV), Honeysuckle yellow vein mosaic virus (HYVMV), and Eupatorium yellow vein virus in Japan (EpYVV) showed that they are likely similar to HYVV-[Masuda] (89.4–92.8% nt identity). Consequently, we tentatively propose the two isolates’ names as HYVV-Jeju and -DJ according to the ICTV geminivirus rules. Phylogenetic relationship analysis of 33 DNA-A genome sequences using PAUP* 4.0b10 and MrBayes revealed that HYVV-Jeju and -DJ belong to the Far East Asian begomovirus species complex. Within the Far East Asian begomovirus species complex, HYVV-Jeju and -DJ are distantly related to EpYVV, HYVMV, and TbLCJV groups. Based on the presence of a recombination fragment spanning the C3 ORF, a recombinant origin was suggested for both HYVV-Jeju and –DJ, with parents close to Japanese isolates HYVMV-[SP1:00] and Eupatorium yellow vein virus (EpYVV)-[Suya]. In addition, the presence of a further recombination fragment spanning the IR suggested the parents of HYVV-DJ were close to HYVV-Jeju and EpYVV-[Suya].     

Protein requirements of collared peccary (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pecari tajacu</Emphasis>)

A nitrogen (N) balance digestion trial was conducted to determine the protein requirement of collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu). In a 4 × 4 Latin square design, four captive adult male peccaries were fed four isoenergy diets containing four different levels of N (11.7, 16.3, 22.8, and 26.7 g N/kg of dry matter—DM). After 15 days of adaptation, a total collection of feces and urine was carried out for five consecutive days. Regression analyses between N intake and N in feces and urine allowed to calculate the metabolic fecal nitrogen (MFN = 2.3 g N/kg of dry matter intake—DMI) and daily endogenous urinary N (EUN = 185 mg N/kg^0.75). Likewise, by regression analyses between consumption of nitrogen and the nitrogen balance (NB = N ingested ? N excreted, mg N/kg^0.75), a daily requirement of 514 mg N/kg^0.75 was calculated. Therefore, if food intake is unrestricted, collared peccaries require a minimum in their diet of about 5.4% crude protein on DM basis. These values are almost as low as those found for browsing and frugivorous wild ruminants, which reinforce the proposition that peccaries’ digestive physiology is nearer to that of domestic and wild ruminants than domestic pigs. This relatively low protein requirement of collared peccary and its great ability to digest protein reveal the relevance of the forestomach for the species on nitrogen/protein metabolism and allow the use of diets with lower crude protein levels than the commercial ones used for the domestic pig, which reduces feed costs.     

Prevalence of antimicrobial residues in raw table eggs from farms and retail outlets in Enugu State,Nigeria

The use of antimicrobial agents in poultry production results in their accumulation in the body tissues and products such as milk and egg. The subsequent accumulation of these drugs and their metabolites in body cells is known as drug residue. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of antimicrobial residues in eggs from poultry farms and retail outlets in Enugu State, Nigeria. Eggs from 25 selected commercial farms and ten retail outlets were screened for the prevalence of antimicrobial residue. Also, structured questionnaires were administered to 25 commercial farms in the state to determine the management practices and the most widely used antimicrobial drugs in farms and possible association between the management practices and the occurrence of antimicrobial residues in eggs from these farms. All the 25 farms surveyed use oxytetracycline. Eggs from nine of the surveyed farms tested positive for antimicrobial residue and three of the ten surveyed farms also tested positive for antimicrobial residue. No association was observed (p 0.05; Fisher’s exact test) between the occurrence of antibiotic residues in eggs and farm size, feed source and housing systems. This study was able to demonstrate the presence of antimicrobial residues in eggs destined for human consumption. Drugs like nitrofurans which has been banned for use in food animals are still very much in use in Enugu State, Nigeria. Antibiotics given as feed additives may give rise to drug residues in food animals.     

First report of leaf spot caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alternaria alternata</Emphasis> on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drimia maritima</Emphasis>

Drimia maritima (squill) is a historically important medicinal plant. During the spring of 2016, small, yellow leaf spots, which became brown and finally necrotic, were observed on squill plants in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Provinces in Iran. A fungus was consistently isolated from infected leaves and identified as Alternaria alternata based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses. Pathogenicity tests confirmed A. alternata to be the causal agent of the newly observed leaf spot disease. This is the first report of leaf spot on D. maritima caused by A. alternata in the world.     

Isolation and characterization of porcine circovirus type-2 from sera of stillborn fetuses

In order to examine an association between porcine circovirus type-2 (PCV2) infection and reproductive failure in pigs, sera (n = 171) from stillborn fetuses were collected from 3 different farms with prolonged histories of reproductive problems. These sera were tested for the presence of antibodies to PCV2 using an immunoperoxidase monolayer assay. Of the 171 sera tested, 28 had PCV2 antibody titers of ≥ 1:16. When these 28 samples were tested by a polymerase chain reaction assay, 13 were found to contain PCV2 viral DNA. Of these 13 samples containing both PCV2 antibodies and viral DNA, 9 yielded PCV2 on virus isolation. Amino acid sequences comprising open reading frame 2 of PCV2 from 2 of these isolates were compared to PCV2 isolates from cases of post-weaning multi-systemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). The amino acid sequences of the 2 isolates from stillborn pigs were shown to be nearly identical to each other, as well as to other PCV2 isolates associated with reproductive failure. When compared with PMWS isolates, the isolates from the stillborn fetuses showed differences of at least 2 amino acids. These results confirm previous findings that transplacental infection of PCV2 occurs in the field and that stillbirths in pigs may be associated with PCV2 infections. At present, the significance of minor differences in amino acid sequences is not known.     

Consequences of a large-scale fragmentation experiment for Neotropical bats: disentangling the relative importance of local and landscape-scale effects

Context

Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation are widespread drivers of biodiversity decline. Understanding how habitat quality interacts with landscape context, and how they jointly affect species in human-modified landscapes, is of great importance for informing conservation and management.

Objectives

We used a whole-ecosystem manipulation experiment in the Brazilian Amazon to investigate the relative roles of local and landscape attributes in affecting bat assemblages at an interior-edge-matrix disturbance gradient.

Methods

We surveyed bats in 39 sites, comprising continuous forest (CF), fragments, forest edges and intervening secondary regrowth. For each site, we assessed vegetation structure (local-scale variable) and, for five focal scales, quantified habitat amount and four landscape configuration metrics.

Results

Smaller fragments, edges and regrowth sites had fewer species and higher levels of dominance than CF. Regardless of the landscape scale analysed, species richness and evenness were mostly related to the amount of forest cover. Vegetation structure and configurational metrics were important predictors of abundance, whereby the magnitude and direction of response to configurational metrics were scale-dependent. Responses were ensemble-specific with local-scale vegetation structure being more important for frugivorous than for gleaning animalivorous bats.

Conclusions

Our study indicates that scale-sensitive measures of landscape structure are needed for a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of fragmentation on tropical biota. Although forest fragments and regrowth habitats can be of conservation significance for tropical bats our results further emphasize that primary forest is of irreplaceable value, underlining that their conservation can only be achieved by the preservation of large expanses of pristine habitat.

     

Comparison of larval thermal maxima between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fundulus heteroclitus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">F. grandis</Emphasis>

Fundulus heteroclitus and F. grandis are resident salt marsh fishes that overlap in distribution over a narrow range in northeastern Florida. The objective of the present study was to examine whether the limits of the species’ ranges could be explained by differences in thermal tolerance. Two populations of each species were collected and then spawned in the laboratory, and 9-day-old larvae were used for critical thermal maxima trials. Mean LOE temperatures of larvae ranged from 43.04 to 43.65°C and showed little difference between species. Therefore, differences in high temperatures experienced cannot account for the differences of the distributions of the two species. Condition-specific competition may play a greater role in determining the observed range of the two species.     

In vitro inhibitory effect of trichostatin A on canine grade 3 mast cell tumor

Mast cell tumor (MCT) is one of the most prevalent neoplasms that affect skin and soft tissue in dogs. Because mast cell tumors present a great variety of clinical appearance and behavior, their treatment becomes a challenge. Trichostatin A (TSA), an antifungal antibiotic, has shown inhibitory effects on the proliferation and induction of apoptosis in various types of cancer cells. In order to evaluate the potential of trichostatin A as a therapeutic drug, cells of grade 3 MCT were cultured and treated with concentrations of 1 nM to 400 nM of TSA. MTT assay and trypan blue exclusion assays were performed to estimate cell growth and cell viability, and cell cycle analysis was evaluated. TSA treatment showed a reduction in numbers of viable cells and an increase of cell death by apoptosis. The cell cycle analysis showed an increase of hypodiploid cells and a reduction of G0/G1 and G2/M –phases. According to these results, trichostatin A may be an interesting potential chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of canine MCT.