Effect of Complex Vertebral Malformation on Luteal Function in Holstein Cows During Oestrous Cycle and Early Pregnancy

The reason why cows carrying the mutation of complex vertebral malformation (CVM) show poor reproductive capability although they carry only one mutant allele is still not fully understood. Monitoring the progesterone profiles during oestrous cycle and early pregnancy in carrier cows might help explain their lowered reproductive capability. Progesterone concentration was measured in 19 CVM carrier cows and 21 control cows during oestrous cycle and early pregnancy. Milk samples were collected from all cows starting on the day of artificial insemination until day 45 post‐AI. Progesterone was measured in skim milk using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Progesterone concentration was significantly reduced on day 7 (p < 0.05) and day 9 (p < 0.01) post‐insemination in conceived CVM carrier cows when compared with that in control conceived cows. The mean progesterone concentration during early pregnancy was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in conceived cows with CVM than that of control cows in the same period. However, the mean progesterone concentration did not differ significantly (p = 0.072) in CVM cows that showed fertilization failure or embryonic death than that of control cows. Additionally, of 13 conceived control cows, eight cows (61.5%) showed normal luteal function. In contrast, of nine conceived CVM cows, only four cows (44.4%) showed normal luteal function. The conception rate was 47.4% in CVM carrier cows and 61.9% in control cows, but this difference did not reach significance. In conclusion, progesterone concentration might be lowered during early pregnancy in conceived CVM cows compared with that in control cows.     

青花菜不同器官中4-甲基亚磺酰丁基硫苷及萝卜硫素含量分析

 【目的】青花菜的抗癌功能主要与4-甲基亚磺酰丁基硫苷的降解产物萝卜硫素有关,通过测定不同青花菜材料花球、茎和叶片中两者的含量并分析两者含量间的相关性,为青花菜高营养品质育种提供理论依据。【方法】采用反相高效液相色谱法,对24个不同青花菜材料花球、茎和叶片中4-甲基亚磺酰丁基硫苷含量,及其中的10份材料花球、茎和叶片中萝卜硫素含量进行测定和分析。【结果】青花菜不同基因型间以及不同器官间4-甲基亚磺酰丁基硫苷和萝卜硫素含量差异均极显著,4-甲基亚磺酰丁基硫苷和萝卜硫素含量均为花球含量最高,其次为茎,叶片含量最低;不同材料花球中4-甲基亚磺酰丁基硫苷平均含量分别为茎和叶片的4.4和13.97倍,萝卜硫素平均含量分别为茎和叶片的4和8.7倍,而有的基因型材料茎和叶片中4-甲基亚磺酰丁基硫苷的含量较高,约为花球中的50%;参试的10个不同基因型材料的花球、茎和叶片中的萝卜硫素含量与其前体4-甲基亚磺酰丁基硫苷含量间相关系数分别为0.9886**,0.9994**,0.9935**。【结论】不同青花菜材料间不同器官中4-甲基亚磺酰丁基硫苷含量存在显著差异;在青花菜萝卜硫素开发应用中,可选择其前体4-甲基亚磺酰丁基硫苷作为筛选指标,并可筛选茎和叶中4-甲基亚磺酰丁基硫苷含量较高的材料作为提取萝卜硫素的原料。     

Colonization of rabbits with Staphylococcus aureus in flocks with and without chronic staphylococcosis.

Rabbits of 19 rabbitries were examined for the presence of Staphylococcus aureus in nine different body sites. Seven rabbitries experienced epidemically spreading signs of staphylococcosis while the other 12 rabbitries did not. S. aureus was isolated in all seven flocks that suffered from chronic problems of staphylococcosis and in 11 of the 12 clinically healthy flocks. The mean percentage of infected animals in these two groups was 90 and 43.3%, respectively. S. aureus was isolated from all body sites examined, but the ear and the perineum were often more intensely colonized. The number of animals colonized with S. aureus and the mean number of positive body sites in S. aureus positive rabbits were significantly higher in rabbitries with chronic staphylococcosis. This indicates that colonization capacity of S. aureus plays a role in epidemically spreading disease in rabbits. S. aureus isolates belonged to five different biotypes and 23 different phage types. Several different types simultaneously circulated in contaminated rabbitries and even simultaneously infected individual rabbits. Strains that belonged to the biotype-phage type combination mixed CV-C, 3A/3C/55/71 only occurred in rabbitries chronically dealing with signs of staphylococcosis. This may indicate a relationship between phenotypic strain properties and virulence of S. aureus.     

Kinetics of chlorophyll degradation and color loss in heated broccoli juice

Degradation of chlorophyll in broccoli juice occurred at temperatures exceeding 60 degrees C. Chemical analysis revealed that degradation of chlorophyll a and b to pheophytin a and b, respectively, followed first-order kinetics and that chlorophyll a was more heat sensitive than chlorophyll b. Temperature dependencies of chlorophyll a and b degradation rate constants could be described by Arrhenius equations with activation energies (E(a)) of 71.04 +/- 4.89 and 67.11 +/- 6.82 kJ/mol, respectively. Objective greenness measurements, using the -a value as the physical property, together with a fractional conversion kinetic analysis, indicated that green color degradation followed a two-step process. Kinetic parameters for the first degradation step were in accordance with the kinetic parameters for pheophytinization of the total chlorophyll content, as determined by chemical analysis (E(a) approximately 69 kJ/mol). The second degradation step, that is, the subsequent decomposition of pheophytins, was characterized by an activation energy of 105.49 +/- 4.74 kJ/mol.     

Carbohydrate composition of apoplastic fluids isolated from tomato leaves inoculated with virulent or avirulent races of Cladosporium fulvum (syn. Fulvia fulva)

Inoculation of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) with virulent races ofCladosporium fulvum (compatible interactions), resulted in substantial changes of the carbohydrate composition of apoplastic fluids isolated from the leaves, during the course of the infection process. In addition to a decrease in the concentration of the translocation sugar sucrose, a transient accumulation of the hexoses glucose and fructose and an accumulation of the polyol mannitol were observed. The latter coincided with a rising level of mannitol dehydrogenase, an enzyme that reduces fructose to mannitol. Only minor changes were detected in the carbohydrate composition of apoplastic fluids isolated from leaves of uninoculated control plants or plants inoculated with avirulent races ofC. fulvum (incompatible interactions). The fungal metabolite mannitol was not detected in apoplastic fluids isolated from the latter plants.These results suggest that, upon colonization of the intercellular spaces by virulent races ofC. fulvum, apoplastic sucrose is hydrolyzed by a host and/or fungal invertase and the resulting hexoses, glucose and fructose, are converted into mannitol by the fungus. In incompatible tomato-C. fulvum interactions a functional nutritional relationship between plant and fungus is prevented by plant defense responses, which might explain why in these interactions the carbohydrate composition of apoplastic fluids is similar to that of uninoculated control plants.Samenvatting Inoculatie van tomaat (Lycopersicon esculentum) met virulente fysio's vanC. fulvum (compatibele interacties), leidde tot aanzienlijke veranderingen in de koolhydraatsamenstelling van apoplastische vloeistoffen die uit de bladeren werden geïsoleerd in de loop van het infectieproces. Naast een sterke daling van de concentratie van de transportsuiker saccharose, vond er ophoping van de hexoses glucose en fructose en de polyol mannitol plaats. De accumulatie van mannitol ging gepaard met een toename in de activiteit van mannitol dehydrogenase, een enzym dat fructose reduceert tot mannitol. In de koolhydraatsamenstelling van apoplastische vloeistoffen geïsoleerd uit bladeren van niet geïnoculeerde controleplanten, of planten geïnoculeerd met avirulente fysio's vanC. fulvum (incompatibele interacties), werden slechts kleine veranderingen waargenomen. De schimmelmetaboliet mannitol kon niet worden aangetoond in de apoplastische vloeistoffen die uit deze planten werden geïsoleerd.Deze resultaten suggereren dat bij de kolonisatie van de intercellulaire ruimtes door virulente fysio's vanC. fulvum, saccharose uit de apoplast wordt gehydrolyseerd door invertase afkomstig van de plant of de schimmel waarna de ontstane hexoses, glucose en fructose, door de schimmel worden omgezet in mannitol. Bij incompatibele tomaatC. fulvum interacties wordt een functionele voedingsrelatie tussen plant en schimmel voorkomen door het optreden van afweerreacties van de plant, hetgeen kan verklaren waarom in deze interacties de koolhydraatsamenstelling van apoplastische vloeistoffen vergelijkbaar is met die van niet geïnoculeerde controleplanten.     

Role of Cumulus Cells on In Vitro Maturation of Canine Oocytes

The objectives of the present study were to investigate the relationship between the morphological status of cumulus cells surrounding canine oocytes after maturation culture and the meiotic stage of the oocytes. In addition, the effect of the removal of cumulus cells from canine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) during maturation culture on their meiotic competence was examined. Canine COCs were collected from bitches at the anoestrous and dioestrous stages and only COCs with >110 microm in vitelline diameter were cultured in medium 199 with 10% canine serum for 72 h. In the first experiment, the relation between the morphological status of cumulus cells surrounding oocytes cultured for 72 h and their meiotic stages was examined. At the end of maturation culture, the proportions of intact, partially nude and completely nude oocytes were 65.2%, 22.9% and 11.9%, respectively. The proportion of maturation to metaphase II of completely nude oocytes was highest among the oocytes with different morphological status of cumulus cells. In the second experiment, the cumulus cells were partially or completely removed from COCs at 48 h after the start of maturation culture and the oocytes were cultured for a further 24 h. The proportion of oocytes reaching metaphase II in the completely denuded oocytes was significantly higher than that in the control oocytes without the removal treatment of cumulus cells. The results indicate that morphological status of cumulus cells surrounding oocytes may be related to the nuclear maturation of canine oocytes, and the removal of cumulus cells from COCs during maturation culture can promote the completion of oocyte meiotic maturation.