A piglet with concurrent polioencephalomyelitis due to porcine teschovirus and postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome

A piglet developed respiratory distress followed by difficulty in standing and unsteady gait. The lesions were characterized by polioencephalomyelitis with the predominant distribution in the brain stem, as well as lymphocyte depletion and histiocyte infiltration with cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in the lymphoid tissues throughout the body and interstitial pneumonia. Porcine teschovirus (PTV) antigens were found in the former lesions and porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) in the latter two lesions. PTV genes were detected from the diencephalon. The results suggest that the piglet was concurrently affected with polioencephalomyelitis due to PTV and postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) associated with PCV2. They also suggest that the immunosuppressive condition developing in PMWS may have facilitated the infection of the brain with PTV.     

Repeated restraint stress modifies fatty acid and amino acid metabolism in the mouse skin

In modern society, stress caused by relationships and emotions is one of the greatest social problems. Similar to humans, domestic and captive animals live under various stresses. Several stresses have been associated with skin disorders, such as atopic dermatitis, but there is a lack of reliable and objective indicators for the characterization of this association. This study aimed to define the changes in fatty acid composition and amino acid concentration in the skin following repeated restraint stress in ICR mice. Mice subjected to 30 min of daily restraint stress for 8 days showed changes in the composition of saturated fatty acids, such as an increase in palmitic acid content, which are the substrates of Δ-9 desaturase. Conversely, unsaturated fatty acids decreased with stress treatment, which appeared to be a result of these fatty acids being the substrate of Δ-6 desaturase. Changes in fatty acid composition after stress treatment may be one of the factors that cause skin inflammation. The water-retention capacity may have been lowered by stress treatment because histidine and leucine, which are natural moisturizing factors, were significantly decreased. The collagen content in the skin gradually decreased after repeated stress treatment. Our results indicate that repeated restraint stress may impact skin health through changes in both the fatty acid composition and amino acid concentration in mice.     

Bovine abortion and necrotic placentitis by Aspergillus terreus

A 31-month-old Japanese Black cow (Bos taurus) aborted at 5 months of gestation with no clinical symptoms. Histopathological examination of the placenta and fetus revealed severe necrotic placentitis associated with numerous irregular degenerative fungi and inflammatory cells. Regular filamentous fungi were also detected, without inflammatory response in the fetal digestive and respiratory organs. Both fungi had aleurioconidia and septa in the placenta and fetal organs and immunohistochemically stained with antibodies against Aspergillus spp. Aspergillus terreus was isolated from the fetal lung and abomasal contents as confirmed using mycological and molecular methods. This is the first immunohistochemical, morphological, and molecular identification of A. terreus in bovine placenta and aborted fetuses.     

Changes in developmental duration of direct-seeded rice in a well-drained paddy field in response to late planting

We investigated changes in the developmental duration of rice cultivars with a wide range of maturities in response to late planting. Elucidating the relationship between cropping season and the progress of growth stages is important for establishing direct-seeded cultivation and creating growth models. Late planting of the intermediate to late maturing cultivars Akidawara and Hoshijirushi decreased the time from emergence to panicle formation and decreased the cumulative effective temperature (CET) and cumulative effective soil temperature (CEST). In the very early maturing cultivars Ichibanboshi and Fusakogane, the changes in number of days, CET, and CEST from emergence to panicle formation with late planting were small. From emergence to heading and maturity, the number of days, CET, and CEST of many cultivars tended to increase until mid-May and then decreased. The changes in the number of days, CET, and CEST caused by late planting were greater for the intermediate to late maturing cultivars than for the very early maturing cultivars. The differences between cultivars were greatest with early May sowing, and then decreased with later planting. Short-day condition revealed significant differences in the duration of vegetative growth and CET among cultivars, but long-day condition erased these differences. These results demonstrate that the photosensitivity and thermosensitivity of cultivars are especially important in crop planning and for creating growth models of direct-seeded rice.     

Relationships between intracellular bacteria and the bivalve killer dinoflagellate Heterocapsa circularisquama (Dinophyceae)

ABSTRACT: Relationships between the growths of five different clonal strains of Heterocapsa circularisquama and intracellular bacteria were investigated using culture experiments. Although each H. circularisquama strain culture was established from one cell by repeated and careful washings with micropipettes, intracellular and extracellular bacteria in each strain culture were still observed under a epifluorescence microscope using the DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining technique. The extracellular bacteria are derived, presumably, from the inside of algal cells after the death and collapse of algal cells in culture. Using an electron microscope, bacteria were constantly observed in the cytoplasm and food vacuoles of H. circularisquama cells. The growth of five algal strains containing bacteria was compared with that of a bacteria-free strain using culture experiments under combined conditions of five different light intensities and five different strengths of culture medium. Bacteria showed no significant effect on the growth or survival of the algal cells. During the algal exponential growth phase, the intracellular bacterial cell numbers per algal cell decreased, whereas the total bacterial cell density in each algal culture increased. Final cell yield (total number) of the intracellular and extracellular bacteria varied considerably according to the algal strains. These results suggest that the intracellular bacteria of H. circularisquama grow or survive depending on the host alga, and that the alga can grow independently.     

Effects of antimicrobial peptides derived from the beetle Allomyrina dichotoma defensin on mouse peritoneal macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide

We previously reported that synthetic peptides, RLYLRIGRR-NH2 (peptide A) and RLRLRIGRR-NH2 (peptide B), derived from the beetle Allomyrina dichotoma defensin, showed antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and negative bacteria and suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA expression in a murine macrophage cell line. In this study, inhibitory effects of these peptides in LPS-induced mouse peritoneal macrophage activation were investigated. The supplement of peptide A to macrophages cultured with LPS resulted in a significant decrease in nitric oxide and TNF-alpha production. Furthermore, NF-kappaB activation was also blocked by addition of peptide A. These results indicated that peptide A blocked macrophage activation induced by LPS.     

Dual-subtype FIV vaccine (Fel-O-Vax FIV) protection against a heterologous subtype B FIV isolate

Vaccine trials were undertaken to determine whether the Fel-O-Vax FIV, a commercial dual-subtype (subtypes A and D) feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) vaccine, is effective against a subtype B FIV isolate. Current results demonstrate the Fel-O-Vax FIV to be effective against a subtype B virus, a subtype reported to be the most common in the USA.     

Characterization of Erwinia sp. causing black rot of papaya (Carica papaya) first recorded in Okinawa Main Island,Japan

Since 2002, papaya black rot has been spreading over several islands of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. To devise a prevention strategy for the disease, microbiological research on the pathogen was conducted. Twelve strains were isolated from papaya infected with black rot showing symptoms such as water-soaked lesions on stems and petioles, black spots on fruits, and rotted leaves turning yellow with necrotic spots. Through Koch's postulates, we confirmed that the isolated strains caused papaya black rot. Bacteriological assays showed that the strains have characteristics different from the type strains of Erwinia mallotivora, E. papayae, and E. psidii. Moreover, 16S rDNA sequence similarity searches showed that the isolated strains had less than 98.6% similarity with type strains. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA sequences suggested that the isolated strains were possibly a novel species belonging to the genus Erwinia, as the strains formed an independent cluster and had low sequence similarity with the type strains. Earlier studies indicated that papaya black rot is caused by E. cypripedii. Therefore, we propose to add the Erwinia sp. isolated in this study to the list of papaya black rot pathogens.