Metabolism of a new herbicide, [(14)c]pyribenzoxim, in rice

The in vivo metabolism of a new herbicide pyribenzoxim (benzophenone Ο-[2,6-bis(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yloxy)benzoyl]oxime) in rice was carried out using container trials. Two radiolabeled forms of [carbonyl-(14)C]pyribenzoxim (P1) and [ring-(14)C(U)]pyribenzoxim (P2) were treated separately as formulations for foliar treatment by single applications of 50 g of active ingredient (ai)/ha at the 4-6 leaves stage. At 0, 7, 30, and 60 days after treatment (DAT), samples of panicle, foliage/rest of plant, and roots were taken for analysis. Upon harvest (120 DAT), rice plants were separated into grain, husk, straw, and root parts. Total radioactive residues (TRRs) at each sampling date were determined to show that the final radioactive residues at harvest were low in grain, husk, straw, and roots, accounting for <17 ppb. The concentration of final residues in the rice plant decreased rapidly, and less than 0.1% of initial TRRs remained at harvest. At 7 DAT, metabolite 1 [M1, 2,6-bis(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yloxy)benzoic acid] and two unknown compounds (other-1 and other-2) were detected in foliage extract, accounting for 3.5% TRRs (21.0 ppb), 3.1% TRRs (19.0 ppb), and 9.0% TRRs (54.3 ppb), respectively, while 26.1% of M1 was observed in solvent wash. Any other metabolites were not detected in the plant, including expected metabolite M3 (benzophenone oxime). On the basis of the results obtained, a metabolic pathway of pyribenzoxim in a rice plant was proposed.     

Analysis of methanogenic archaeal communities of rumen fluid and rumen particles from Korean black goats

Molecular diversity of methanogens in the rumen of Korean black goats was investigated with 16S rRNA gene clone libraries using methanogen‐specific primers. The libraries were composed of rumen fluid‐associated methanogens (FAM) and rumen particle‐associated methanogens (PAM) from rumen‐fistulated Korean black goats. Among the 141 clones of the FAM library, the sequences were mostly related to two phyla, the Methanobacteriaceae family (77.3%) and the Thermoplasmatales family (22.7%); and among the 68 clones of the PAM library, sequences were also mainly clustered in the two phyla, the Thermoplasmatales family (63.24%) and the Methanobacteriaceae family (35.29%). Most of the sequenced clones in the two libraries were closely related to uncultured methanogenic archaeon. Quantitative real‐time PCR revealed that PAM (8.97 log 10) had significantly higher (P < 0.01) density of methanogens by the methanogenic 16S rRNA gene copies than FAM (7.57 log 10). The two clone libraries also showed difference in Shannon index (FAM library 1.70 and PAM library 1.59) and Chao 1 estimator (FAM library 18 and PAM library 17 operational taxonomic units). Apparent differences found in the microbial community from the two 16S rRNA gene libraries could be a result of such factors as the chemical and physical nature of the target material surface, types or component of diets, the interaction between the methanogens and other microbes, and age of the experimental goats.     

Structure elucidation and antifungal activity of an anthracycline antibiotic, daunomycin, isolated from Actinomadura roseola

The actinomycete strain Ao108 producing antifungal metabolites active against some plant pathogenic fungi was identified as Actinomadura roseola, based on the analyses of morphological and physiological characteristics. The antibiotic Da2B that showed a strong antifungal activity was isolated from the culture broth and mycelial mats of A. roseola strain Ao108 using various chromatographic procedures. On the basis of (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, and 2-D NMR correlation data, the antibiotic Da2B was confirmed to have the structure of an anthracycline antibiotic, daunomycin. In vitro antimicrobial spectrum tests showed that the antibiotic Da2B had substantial inhibitory activity (10 microg mL(-)(1) of MICs) against mycelial growth of Phytophthora capsici and Rhizoctonia solani. The antibiotic also showed antiyeast activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but the growth of Candida albicans was not affected. Antibacterial activity was found only against Gram-positive bacteria. In the further evaluation of in vivo efficacy, application of the antibiotic Da2B effectively inhibited the development of Phytophthora blight in pepper plants. However, the control efficacy of the antibiotic against Phytophthora infection was somewhat less than that of metalaxyl. The antibiotic Da2B did not show any phytotoxicity on pepper plants even at 500 microg mL(-)(1).     

In Vivo Embryo Recovery Rate by Laparoscopic Technique from Rabbit Does Selected for Growth Rate

Rabbit does from R line selected for growth rate present a low reproductive performance and this study aimed to evaluate both the recovery efficacy and viability of recovered embryos after vitrification and the reproductive performance of donor does subjected to in vivo recovery. Does were divided into three groups: 28 does without in vivo recovery (control), 25 does in which in vivo recovery was started in the nulliparous state (group 1) and 30 does with at least one litter before in vivo recovery (group 2). Does were superovulated with a single subcutaneous injection of 50 IU of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) per female, and were then artificially inseminated 60 h later and immediately administered an intravenous dose of 75 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) per female. Does from group 1 and 2 were recovered in vivo 76-80 h post-insemination by repeated laparoscopies at one to four times and permitted one or two parturitions between recoveries [in vivo (IV) recovery]. At the end of the experiment, about 16 does of all groups were recovered post-mortem (PM recovery). All normal embryos were vitrified, devitrified and then cultivated in vitro to evaluate the viability after thawing. A significant increase in the ovulation rate was found in does recovered PM than in those recovered IV in the nulliparous state. However, no significant differences were observed in the recovery rate, the donor rate, the number of normal embryos recovered with at least one normal embryo per doe and the viability after thawing between the PM and IV groups. A significant decrease in the fertility rate, total born, live born and weaned kids was found for does from group 1 in comparison with does from group 2. Results support the use of repeated laparoscopy to increase the number of recovered embryos per donor doe especially in such R line does, if they are permitted to produce at least one litter before the beginning of in vivo recovery.     

Suppression of pine wilt disease by an antibacterial agent,oxolinic acid

BACKGROUND: Pine wilt disease (PWD) is very complex and has been reported to be caused by pine wood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner & Buhrer) Nickle, and its accompanying bacteria. However, there is no report on the control of PWD by antibacterial agent. The present study was performed to investigate disease control efficacy of antibacterial agents against PWD. RESULTS: Among six antibacterial antibiotics tested, oxolinic acid (OA) showed the strongest antibacterial activity against five bacteria isolated from three strains of pine wood nematode. In in vivo assay, it effectively suppressed the development of PWD in three‐year‐old seedlings of Pinus densiflora Sieb. & Zucc.; it showed 71% control when injected at 3 mg per seedling. A mixture of OA and the nematicidal agent abamectin (Ab) showed higher disease control efficacy against PWD than either OA or Ab alone. In addition, OA alone and a mixture of OA and Ab also controlled PWD in approximately 20‐year‐old pine trees under field conditions. CONCLUSION: This is the first report on the suppression of PWD by OA. The result strongly indicates that PWD could be controlled by antibacterial antibiotic alone and a combination of antibacterial and nematicidal agents. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin b on small intestinal villi in pigs, rabbits, and lambs

Culture supernates from two strains of E. coli were placed into different ligated intestinal sections (loops) of each animal. The two bacterial strains were identical except that one contained a plasmid carrying the heat-stable toxin b (STb) gene, while the other did not. Morphometric techniques were used to assess villous epithelial surface areas and mucosal volumes in both intestinal segments exposed to STb-positive (test) and to STb-negative (control) supernates. In pigs whose intestines were exposed to STb-positive supernatants for 2 hours, both villous epithelial surface area and mucosal volume were significantly smaller in test loops than in control loops (P less than 0.02). In test loops of pigs incubated for 1 hour, and in test loops of lambs incubated for 2 hours, there was a decrease in villous epithelial surface area which approached the test for significance but did not meet it (0.05 less than P less than 0.10). Rabbit test loops did not differ from rabbit control loops in either villous epithelial surface area or mucosal volume. Histological examination of the tissues from all three species revealed epithelial changes in porcine and ovine tissues only. In porcine and ovine tissues, epithelium at villous tips was seen to be cuboidal or squamous, or even to be absent. Villi with similarly altered epithelium were seen in control loops, but were seen much more frequently in test loops. These epithelial changes were seen as early as 30 minutes of incubation in pigs. Intestinal tissues from these pigs were examined by transmission electron microscopy, but no difference between test and control tissues was seen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Identification of a RAPD marker linked to a brown planthopper resistance gene in rice

We report the tagging of a brown planthopper (BPH) resistance gene (Bph–1) in rice using RAPD and RFLP markers. The Korean rice variety ‘Gayabyeo’ has dominant duplicate genes including Bph–1 conferring resistance to biotype 1 of BPH. Bulked segregant RAPD analysis was employed for rapid identification of DNA markers linked to resistance genes. For tagging these two genes, an F2F3 population from a ‘Gayabyeo’ × ‘Nagdongbyeo’ cross was developed and evaluated for BPH resistance. Three bulked DNAs from two groups of homozygous BPH resistant (each for Bph–1 and the other unknown gene) and homozygous susceptible F2 plants were analyzed by RAPD using 140 random oligomers. One primer, OPD–7 yielded a 700-bp fragment that was present in Gayabyeo and resistant F2 plants (homozygous for Bph-1 locus) but absent in Nagdongbyeo and susceptible F2 plants. Cosegregation of this marker with Bph-1 was verified using an F2 population segregating for Bph-1. Chromosomal regions surrounding the Bph-1 were examined with additional RFLP and microsatellite markers on chromosome 12 to define the location of the RAPD marker and Bph-1. Use of this RAPD marker could facilitate early selection of resistant lines for BPH. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.