Cross-sectional study of Brucella spp. using real-time PCR from bovine whole blood in Colombia

Veterinary Research Communications - A cross-sectional study was conducted in Colombia to recover Brucella spp. DNA from bovine whole-blood samples through probe-based real-time PCR (qPCR). By an...     

Variation and genomic polymorphism of lectin-related proteins in Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) seeds

Variation of the lectin and the two lectin-related proteins, AIL (-amylase inhibitor-like) and ARL (arcelin-like) was examined in wild and cultivated accessions of Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) using electrophoresis of total seed proteins, immunoblot and RFLP analysis of lectin-related genes. Results confirm that divergence of the two major Lima bean gene pools, Andean and Mesoamerican, also apply to this protein family. All three members of the family are present in both gene pools, with differences in size, abundance and composition between gene pools, giving the possibility to distinguish Andean from Mesoamerican lectin pattern types. Both patterns show some variants, such as lack of lectin or its presence as an abundant protein. The observed variation reflects, at least in part, into genomic polymorphism. The presence of arcelin- and -amylase-related proteins in Lima bean could represent a tool to increase our knowledge in the evolution of the lectin family in Phaseolus species.     

Viridepyronone, a new antifungal 6-substituted 2H-pyran-2-one produced by Trichoderma viride

A new antifungal 6-substituted 2H-pyran-2-one, named viridepyronone, has been isolated from a cultural filtrate of a strain of Trichoderma viride showing antagonistic activity in vitro toward Sclerotium rolfsii, which is the causal agent of crown and stem rot of artichoke. Viridepyronone was characterized as 6-(4-oxopentyl)-2H-pyran-2-one 2 with spectroscopic methods. Bioassays showed that viridepyronone had a good antifungal activity against S. rolfsii, and its minimum inhibitory concentration (over 90% inhibition) was found to be 196 microg/mL. This is the first report of viridepyronone produced by any species of fungi.     

MicroRNA fingerprints in serum and whole blood of sarcoid‐affected horses as potential non‐invasive diagnostic biomarkers

Serum and whole blood microRNA (miRNA) fingerprints have been proposed as a new class of non‐invasive human cancer biomarkers. In this study, we compared equine sarcoid (ES) disease‐specific serum and whole blood miRNA fingerprints and correlated them to miRNA expression in sarcoid tissue. After high throughput sequencing, miRNA differential expression analysis between six ES‐affected and five control horses was carried out in serum and whole blood using a DESeq algorithm, accounting for the influence of hemolysis and the white blood cell count. Target gene, pathway prediction and enrichment analyses were conducted using TarBase, mirPath and GeneCodis. After exclusion of 4 hemolyzed out of a total of 11 serum samples, 9 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in serum of ES vs control horses. In whole blood, all 11 samples showed normal white blood cell counts and 19 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed. A total of 2/9 serum and 7/19 whole blood differentially expressed miRNAs were also highly expressed at the tissue level and their predicted target genes were associated with cancer pathways. Serum and whole blood miRNA expression allowed discrimination between ES and control horses and merits further validation in a larger study cohort. The use of whole blood might be superior because it has higher miRNA content and is less influenced by pre‐analytical variables compared to serum. Concurrent dysregulation of single miRNAs in tissue and blood suggests a possible biological function of circulating miRNAs.     

Climate‐driven winter variations of Calanus sinicus abundance in the East China Sea

Global environmental changes threaten the sustainable use of resources and raise uncertainties regarding marine populations' responses in a changing Ocean. The pelagic copepods of the genus Calanus play a central role in shelf ecosystems transferring phytoplankton carbon to harvested populations, from boreal to temperate regions. Here we examined a 15‐yr time series of Calanus sinicus abundance in regards to climate forcing in the East China Sea. We identified a compound effect of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM) on environmental conditions in the East China Sea. Such climate influences not only a southward transport of C. sinicus from its population centres into the Taiwan area, but favours advantageous thermal conditions for the species as well. On the interannual scale, our results show that the population size of C. sinicus echoes climate‐driven temperature changes. Hence, the possibility of using the PDO and EAWM variability for assessing and predicting interannual abundance changes of C. sinicus in the East China Sea is considered. The observed close relationship between climate and C. sinicus may promote bottom‐up controls in the pelagic food web, further influencing the southern edge of the species' geographic distribution. Owing to the prominent role this species plays in food web dynamics these results might help integrative fisheries management policies in the heavily exploited East China Sea.     

Volatile composition and contribution to the aroma of spanish honeydew honeys. Identification of a new chemical marker

Honeydew honeys from holm-oak, oak, and forest were isolated for aroma compounds by simultaneous distillation-extraction and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In all, 66 volatile components were identified and quantified. trans-Oak lactone, a characteristic volatile component of oak wood, is proposed as a new chemical marker for the plant origin of honeydew honeys. Other compounds, such as aminoacetophenone and propylanisol, could be considered characteristic of holm-oak honeydew honeys. A total of 15 volatile compounds presented odor activity values (OAVs) greater than 1, with phenylacetaldehyde and beta-damascenone being those with the highest OAVs.     

Assessment of Eco-Physiological Performance of Quercus ilex L. Leaves in Urban Area by an Integrated Approach

Bioretention cells, also known as raingardens, are increasingly being constructed as a means to collect, infiltrate, and treat stormwater runoff. There are concerns, however, about how stormwater management practices might function in terms of infiltration and pollutant removal as they age. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (K _sat) values were obtained for eight cells in 2006 and again for three of those cells in 2010 using an infiltrometer. A strong positive correlation of mean K _sat with service time was observed (slope = 10.2?±?2.4 cm/h per year, R ² = 0.67). Results from metals analyses of bioretention media cores collected from six bioretention cells showed the expected trend of Cu and Zn enrichment at the surface while Cd was detected only in one out of 72 media samples analyzed. Sorption isotherms from batch testing of field media samples (T = 22.5 °C, pH = 7.2) were used to estimate metal sorption capacities based on representative stormwater Cd and Zn concentrations. Cu was not considered, as very little of the metal is dissolved under these conditions (22.8?±?7.1 %). The mean equilibrium sorption capacities for Cd (10.2?±?3.1 mg/kg) and Zn (294.9?±?14.9 mg/kg) far exceeded observed levels in the bioretention media such that the remaining sorption capacity was ≥83 % for Zn and ≥90 % for Cd for the cells. Overall, the results of this investigation suggest that bioretention cells can provide many years of effective infiltration (>6 years) and metals removal performance (>25 years).     

A live attenuated glycoprotein E negative bovine herpesvirus 1 vaccine induces a partial cross-protection against caprine herpesvirus 1 infection in goats

Taking into account the close antigenic relationship between bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) and caprine herpesvirus 1 (CpHV-1), a live attenuated glycoprotein E (gE) negative BoHV-1 vaccine was assessed in goats with the aim to protect against CpHV-1 infection. Vaccine safety was evaluated by intranasal inoculation of two groups of goats with either a gE-negative BoHV-1 vaccine or a virulent BoHV-1. The length of viral excretion and the peak viral titre were reduced with the gE-negative vaccine. To assess the efficacy, two goats were inoculated intranasally twice 2 weeks apart with a gE-negative BoHV-1 vaccine. Four weeks later, immunised and control goats were challenged with CpHV-1. A 2 log(10) reduction in the peak viral titre was observed and the challenge virus excretion lasted 2 days more in immunised than in control goats. These data indicate the safety and the partial efficacy of a live attenuated gE-negative BoHV-1 vaccine intranasally administrated in goats.