Prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in food-producing animals

To evaluate the diversity of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) genes among food-producing animals, 48 isolates of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli isolates were obtained from rectal samples of broilers, layers, beef cattle and pigs, at the slaughterhouse level. ESBL-carrying E. coli were isolated from 60.0% of individual broiler rectal samples, 5.9% of layers, 12.5% of beef cattle and 3% of pigs. One ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated from a broiler. The ESBL-positive E. coli isolates from broilers harbored various ESBL genes: bla (SHV-12), bla(CTX-M-2), bla(CTX-M-14), bla(CTX-M-15) and bla(CTX-M-44). The plasmid DNAs were analyzed by restriction patterns. Homogeneous band patterns were yielded in those of K. pneumoniae and E. coli isolates harboring the bla(CTX-M-2) gene from different farms. No genetic relation between the 2 CTX-M-14 ESBL-producing strains was found by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, although 2 plasmids in these strains, obtained from different broiler farms, were similar to each other. This study provides evidence that the proliferation of CTX-M-producing E. coli is due to the growth of indigenous CTX-M-producing strains and the possible emergence of strains that acquired CTX-M genes by horizontal transfer in different broiler farms. CTX-M-producing coliforms in broilers should be controlled due to the critical importance of cephalosporins and the zoonotic potential of ESBL-producing bacteria.     

Hd3a protein is a mobile flowering signal in rice

Florigen, the mobile signal that moves from an induced leaf to the shoot apex and causes flowering, has eluded identification since it was first proposed 70 years ago. Understanding the nature of the mobile flowering signal would provide a key insight into the molecular mechanism of floral induction. Recent studies suggest that the Arabidopsis FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) gene is a candidate for encoding florigen. We show that the protein encoded by Hd3a, a rice ortholog of FT, moves from the leaf to the shoot apical meristem and induces flowering in rice. These results suggest that the Hd3a protein may be the rice florigen.     

广东低塱渍水地区主要土壤理化性质及其利用改良

本文研究广东低塱渍水地区主要土壤理化性质及其利用改良。采取田间调查研究与分析化验相结合的办法,结果表明:水稻土的养分含量较高,如有机质、氮素和全钾量均较高,伹速效磷和钾均偏低,冲积土和堆叠土的养分含量则较低(全钾量除外);土壤阳离子交换量、活性铁、锰和有效锌含量均较高,符合一般作物的需要;耕层土壤多属强酸性,pH多为4.5～5.1;土壤质地偏粘(冲积土除外),粘粒含量达30～45％;土壤生态环境条件不良,容易发生涝害,生产没有保证。因此,土壤利用改良的主要措施应是:继续整治水利,改善土壤生态条件;适施石灰,每亩一造约施25kg,增施有机肥;增施磷、钾肥,特别要注意早造施磷肥,晚造施钾肥;在保证粮食生产的前提下,适当发展养鱼(塘与基的面积比例以3:2为宜)、种植甘蔗、花生和水果等经济作物。     

Potential application of simple easy-to-use insertion-deletion (InDel) markers in citrus cultivar identification

We previously developed insertion-deletion (InDel) markers that distinguish three genotypes (two homozygous and one heterozygous) of diverse citrus cultivars. These InDel markers were codominant and could be clearly detected by using simple agarose gel electrophoresis. We sought to establish a method for cultivar identification using these 28 InDel markers to genotype 31 citrus cultivars. The results revealed that a minimum of 6 markers were required to identify individuals using the three-genotype classification method. Furthermore, we found that a simple method for distinguishing between two genotypes (homozygous and heterozygous) could be used to identify individuals using a minimum of 7 markers. Our findings provide a basis for the development of simple and rapid citrus cultivar identification methods.     

基于节水高产优质目标的冬小麦适宜水分亏缺模式

为了探讨不同生育期水分亏缺对冬小麦产量和蛋白质形成的影响,同时确定出节水、高产、优质目标下冬小麦各生育期适宜的水分亏缺水平,开展了防雨棚下的冬小麦人工控水试验。该研究在返青期、拔节期、抽穗扬花期和灌浆成熟期设置2个水分亏缺水平即轻度亏水L(含水率控制在55%~60%田间持水量,相应土壤水吸力为375~448 k Pa)和中度亏水M(含水率控制在45%~50%田间持水量,土壤水吸力为586~687 k Pa);另设全生育期不亏水对照处理CK(含水率控制在65%~70%田间持水量,土壤水吸力为256~305 k Pa)。研究结果显示,同CK相比,亏水处理使得灌浆持续期缩短2.72%~15.78%,达到最大灌浆速度的时间提前2.33%~14.58%;除灌浆成熟期轻度亏水、中度亏水处理外,其他处理均使得最大灌浆速率和平均灌浆速率增加,其最大值分别为15.77%和12.09%。亏水处理没有改变蛋白质形成的基本趋势,均呈"V"字形;但亏水程度不同,蛋白质含量及产量不同,在拔节期、抽穗扬花期和灌浆成熟期,随着亏水程度加重,蛋白质含量升高,蛋白质含量最高为灌浆成熟期中度亏水处理(质量分数为14.33%),最低为拔节期轻度亏水处理(质量分数为12.88%);蛋白质产量最高为全生育期不亏水对照处理CK(1047.30 kg/hm2),最低为拔节期轻度亏水处理(802.77 kg/hm2)。结果表明,兼顾冬小麦产量与蛋白质产量的适宜亏水模式依次为:返青期轻度亏水、返青期中度亏水、灌浆成熟期轻度亏水、抽穗扬花期轻度亏水、拔节期中度亏水、拔节期轻度亏水。研究结果为相关区域冬小麦高产、优质栽培和水分调控提供理论依据和数据支持。     

Reaction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leersia</Emphasis> grasses to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xanthomonas oryzae</Emphasis> pv. <Emphasis Type="Italic">oryzae</Emphasis> collected from Japan and Asian countries

The present study was conducted to determine if there is specificity in the host-pathogen relationship between the isolates of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, the causal bacterium for rice blight and Leersia grasses, the alternative weed hosts of the disease. Plants of three species of Leersia, namely, L. sayanuka, L. oryzoides and L. japonica, were collected from various parts of Japan and were inoculated with the X. oryzae pv. oryzae isolates obtained from various locations in Japan and from 11 Asian countries. Four L. sayanuka plants were found susceptible to all Race II isolates and some Race I isolates, but were resistant to all Race III isolates. Race III is known to have a wider range pathogenicity to rice cultivar groups compared with Race I and II. Although the reactions of two L. oryzoides plants to Race I and II isolates were similar to that of L. sayanuka, the L. oryzoides plant collected from Niigata Prefecture showed a susceptible reaction to some Race III isolates. On the other hand, L. japonica plants gave reactions different those of L. sayanuka and L. oryzoides, with two plants of L. japonica found to be resistant to all test isolates collected from Japan. The Asian isolates exhibited a wide host range against the international differential rice cultivars, but almost all of them were avirulent to Leersia plants. These results indicate that the relationship between the pathogenicity of the causal bacterium and the resistance of host plants is very complex, and suggest that pathogenic diversity of X. oryzae pv. oryzae might be related to the resistance of Leersia spp.     

Fine mapping the number of corpora lutea quantitative trait loci on SSC3: Analysis of the porcine follicle‐stimulating hormone receptor gene

In females, follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) targets a FSH receptor (FSHR) expressed only on granulose cells, inducing maturation of the ovarian follicles. We hypothesized that genetic variants in the FSHR gene influence litter size by affecting the number of corpora lutea. We fine‐mapped a region of Sus Scrofa chromosome 3 that contains quantitative trait loci for corpora lutea. Polymorphisms were detected in the exons and 5′ flanking region of the porcine FSHR gene, a positional candidate for the statistically most significant of the quantitative trait loci. Finally, 248 F₂ animals from a Duroc and Meishan cross were genotyped for three FSHR SNPs at positions 74, 532 and 1166, and these were correlated with the phenotypes of litter size and corpus luteum number. Three haplotypes were identified: M1 (G/G/C), M2 (C/A/T) and D (C/A/C). In the F₂ population, the M1 haplotype was associated with a greater number of corpora lutea (P < 0.01) and also seemed to be associated with increased litter size, although the association was not significant (P = 0.2571). Some polymorphisms resulting in amino acid substitutions in these genes were excluded from the polymorphisms possibly responsible for the number of corpora lutea.     

Quantitative trait loci for leg weakness traits in a Landrace purebred population

Leg weakness in pigs is a serious problem in the pig industry. We performed a whole genome quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis to find QTLs affecting leg weakness traits in the Landrace population. Half-sib progeny ( n  = 522) with five sires were measured for leg weakness traits. Whole genome QTL mapping was performed using a half-sib regression-based method using 190 microsatellite markers. No experiment-wide significant QTLs affecting leg weakness traits were detected. However, at the 5% chromosome-wide level, QTLs affecting leg weakness traits were detected on chromosomes 1, 3, 10 and 11 with QTL effects ranging from 0.07 to 0.11 of the phenotypic variance. At the 1% chromosome-wide level, QTLs affecting rear feet score and total leg score were detected on chromosomes 2 and 3 with QTL effects of 0.11 and 0.13 of the phenotypic variance, respectively. On chromosome 3 and 10, some QTLs found in this study were located at nearby positions. The present study is one of the first reports of QTLs affecting fitness related traits such as leg weakness traits, that segregate within the Landrace population. The study also provides useful information for studying QTLs in purebred populations.     

Relationship between production of hydroxyl radicals and degradation of wood, crystalline cellulose, and a lignin-related compound or accumulation of oxalic acid in cultures of brown-rot fungi

The degradation of wood, filter paper cellulose, and a lignin-substructure model, was measured in cultures of seven fungi usually regarded as brown-rot fungi. Hydroxyl radical production and the accumulation of oxalic acid in the cultures were also measured. Four of the fungi, Gloeophyllum trabeum, Tyromyces palustris, Laetiporus sulphureus, and Postia placenta, were typical brown-rot fungi, in that they preferentially degraded and eliminated the polysaccharides in wood and produced large amounts of hydroxyl radical. The rates of hydroxyl radical generation in cultures of the four fungi were directly proportional to the degradation rates of wood, cellulose, and the lignin-related compound, and inversely proportional to the amount of oxalic acid in the cultures. Two of the fungi, Daedalea dickinsii and Lentinus lepideus, did not degrade any of the substrates significantly and produced very little hydroxyl radical. Coniophora puteana had the highest rate of cellulose degradation, but did not degrade wood or the lignin model significantly and produced only negligible amounts of hydroxyl radical. These results indicate that brown-rot fungi produce large amounts of hydroxyl radical for the degradation of wood and crystalline cellulose.     

Physical and chemical characteristics of the blackened portion of Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki)

The heartwood of the Japanese persimmon tree (Diospyros kaki) becomes black on rare occasions and has been highly esteemed as a substitute for ebony. We attempted to clarify how the physical, mechanical, chemical, and biodegradation properties differ between sapwood and blackened heartwood. The specific gravity, equilibrium moisture content, modulus of rupture, and modulus of elasticity in the blackened heartwood were higher, and the loss tangent was lower, than those in sapwood. Furthermore, the blackened portion was more resistant to fungal and termite attacks. A section of heartwood was dark-brown, and the specific gravity and mechanical properties of this portion were slightly lower than those in sapwood. The dark-brown portion was speculated to be a sign or interrupted state of fungal attack. The blackening substance was bound tightly to cell wall components and could not be extracted with any of the organic solvents used. The findings of trace element analysis using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry showed that the boron content was markedly high in the blackened portion. The findings obtained here suggest a role of boron in the antifungal properties and the blackening phenomenon of Japanese persimmon.Part of this work was presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kyoto, April 2000