Physiological properties and classification of strains of Treponema sp. isolated from pigs in poland

Fifty-one treponemas were isolated from pigs. Twenty-three isolates with typical morphology and growth characteristic were beta hemolytic, enteropathogenic, produced indole and with exception of three strains did not ferment fructose. These strains were classified as typical T. hyodysenteriae and were usually isolated from pigs with symptoms of mucohemorrhagic diarrhoea. The seventeen other isolates were weakly beta hemolytic after 48 h incubation, enteropathogenic, 12 out of 17 produced indole, 10 out 17 fermented fructose. These strains were usually isolated from pigs with symptoms of gray-green diarrhoea and classified as T. hyodysenteriae 2 biotype or intermediate type. They may be compared with Treponema sp. isolated by Taylor et al. Eleven non enteropathogenic strains showed typical characteristic for T. innocens. Gas chromatography analysis of the fatty acids production from glucose, showed that all isolated treponemas produced acetate and butyrate. Typical T. hyodysenteriae produced additionally propionate. Strains of T. hyodysenteriae biotype 2 produced propionate or isobutyrate as well.     

Udder health implications of premature bovine mammary regression. I. Clinical, subclinical and reducing-sugar changes in milk during 168 hours of suspended milking in mid-lactation

The investigation involved 4 mastitis-free cows, exposed to 168 h of suspended milking to induce prolonged milk stasis and premature mammary regression during mid-lactation. After 48 h the milk stasis elicited mastitis-like changes in the clinical, somatic cell count (SCC), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) characteristics of the udder secretions. Such changes in secretions from non-mastitic regressive mammary glands raise doubts about the present knowledge, definition, and diagnosis of so-called non-specific or aseptic mastitis. Determinations of fluctuating lacteal concentrations of lactose, galactose, mannose and glucose suggest that the secretory epithelium altered its metabolism and integrity in response to the intramammary perturbation by following a certain pattern of regressive adjustments which: (i) were apparently triggered during the initial 24 h of perturbation by disturbed Na-K-ATPase activities, followed by a cascade of changes in ion regulation, carbohydrate metabolism and increased formation of lactic acid as a metabolic end-product; (ii) advanced in a stepwise fashion during 0-24, 24-72 and 72-168 h of perturbation from recognition response to alarm reactions and manifestation of regression respectively; (iii) showed that markedly decreased carbohydrate levels preceded major increases of the SCC, BSA and NAG values; (iv) indicated that after 72 h of milk stasis leucocytic infiltrations sharply increased the SCC to more than 500,000 per ml and accelerated the manifestation of regression. The results of this study imply that extensive premature regression of healthy, and especially, pre-irritated udders could have significant implications for the development of different types of bovine mastitis during lactation and should be further investigated.     

Immune and bone properties of chicks consuming corn contaminated with a Fusarium that induces dyschondroplasia

A study was conducted to contrast the dyschondroplasia-inducing capability of several species of Fusarium with that of the natural fungi found in poultry diets and litter. Day-old broiler chicks were fed pure corn cultures of specific fungal isolates for 3 weeks. Humoral immunity to sheep red blood cells (SRBC), body weight, valgus and varus leg deformities, incidence of dyschondroplasia, and mechanical properties of the tibiotarsi were examined. F. equiseti #15 was the only fungal isolate to induce dyschondroplasia to any significant degree, which confirmed previous work in Minnesota. This isolate also suppressed growth rate and humoral immunity, although dyschondroplasia sometimes did occur without associated immunosuppression and growth depression. Bone strength of the tibiotarsal diaphysis was normal, and gross lesions of valgus and varus leg deformities did not appear to be related to the incidence of dyschondroplasia in the 3-week-old chicks.     

LPS structure influences protein secretion in Salmonella enterica

In this study we have compared protein secretion in the wild type of S. Typhimurium and the rfaC mutant. We found out that the rfaC mutant was defective in protein secretion. In addition, the rfaC mutant was defective in its invasion into an IPEC-J2 porcine epithelial cell line and also in motility in semisolid agar. Consistent with this, reduced flagella numbers were observed in the rfaC mutant. In the rfaC mutant, there were no defects in flagellin expression as detected by western blot and immune electron microscopy which demonstrated equal amounts of flagellin in the cytoplasm of both the rfaC mutant and the wild-type S. Typhimurium. However, in the wild-type strain only, the flagellin was assembled to spatially restricted areas on the inner side of cytoplasmic membrane. The oligosaccharide core of LPS is therefore required for the assembly of flagella and T3SS secretion machinery followed by protein secretion.     

Genetic diversity and relatedness of Fasciola spp. isolates from different hosts and geographic regions revealed by analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences

The present study examined sequence variability in a portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (pcox1) and NADH dehydrogenase subunits 4 and 5 (pnad4 and pnad5) among 39 isolates of Fasciola spp., from different hosts from China, Niger, France, the United States of America, and Spain; and their phylogenetic relationships were re-constructed. Intra-species sequence variations were 0.0-1.1% for pcox1, 0.0-2.7% for pnad4, and 0.0-3.3% for pnad5 for Fasciola hepatica; 0.0-1.8% for pcox1, 0.0-2.5% for pnad4, and 0.0-4.2% for pnad5 for Fasciola gigantica, and 0.0-0.9% for pcox1, 0.0-0.2% for pnad4, and 0.0-1.1% for pnad5 for the intermediate Fasciola form. Whereas, nucleotide differences were 2.1-2.7% for pcox1, 3.1-3.3% for pnad4, and 4.2-4.8% for pnad5 between F. hepatica and F. gigantica; were 1.3-1.5% for pcox1, 2.1-2.9% for pnad4, 3.1-3.4% for pnad5 between F. hepatica and the intermediate form; and were 0.9-1.1% for pcox1, 1.4-1.8% for pnad4, 2.2-2.4% for pnad5 between F. gigantica and the intermediate form. Phylogenetic analysis based on the combined sequences of pcox1, pnad4 and pnad5 revealed distinct groupings of isolates of F. hepatica, F. gigantica, or the intermediate Fasciola form irrespective of their origin, demonstrating the usefulness of the mtDNA sequences for the delineation of Fasciola species, and reinforcing the genetic evidence for the existence of the intermediate Fasciola form.     

开食时间对雏鸡早期生长和内脏器官发育的影响

本试验旨在研究不同开食时间对雏鸡早期的生长性能及内脏器官发育的影响.试验选取1080只0日龄、体重相近的新扬州鸡雏鸡,根据开食时间不同,随机分成6个组,每个组3个重复,每个重复60只(30只公鸡,30只母鸡).出壳后一周内,每天从每个重复中随机挑选8只雏鸡(4公4母),分别称其活重后致死,取卵黄囊、肝脏、心脏、胰腺、法氏囊和小肠分别称重,测量小肠长度.结果表明,出壳后禁食36h对7日龄鸡体重没有显著负面影响,出壳后最长禁食时间不应超过60h.