Asymmetric segregation of polarized antigen on B cell division shapes presentation capacity

During the activation of humoral immune responses, B cells acquire antigen for subsequent presentation to cognate T cells. Here we show that after mouse B cells accumulate antigen, it is maintained in a polarized distribution for extended periods in vivo. Using high-throughput imaging flow cytometry, we observed that this polarization is preserved during B cell division, promoting asymmetric antigen segregation among progeny. Antigen inheritance correlates with the ability of progeny to activate T cells: Daughter cells receiving larger antigen stores exhibit a prolonged capacity to present antigen, which renders them more effective in competing for T cell help. The generation of progeny with differential capacities for antigen presentation may have implications for somatic hypermutation and class switching during affinity maturation and as B cells commit to effector cell fates.     

Follicular degeneration in the ovaries of goats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma vivax from the Brazilian semi-arid region

Infection by Trypanosoma vivax and other African trypanosomes plays an important role in reproductive disorders in male and female livestock. Outbreaks of T. vivax in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil are characterized by wasting disease in cattle, sheep and goats with hematological, cardiac and nervous compromises in addition to reproductive failures. Similar to reports from Africa, we previously observed a reduction in fertility rates and severe testicular degeneration and epididymitis in male sheep infected with T. vivax from this region. Although anestrus is frequently reported in goats and sheep infected with T. vivax, the effects of this infection on the female reproductive organs need clarification. In this study, we addressed this issue through a histopathological evaluation of ovarian follicular morphology and classification in goats experimentally infected with a T. vivax isolate from the Brazilian semi-arid region. The infected animals presented typical clinical signs of trypanosomosis by T. vivax, including anemia, hyperthermia, pallor of the mucous membranes, enlarged lymph nodes, and progressive loss of weight. All the infected goats remained anestrus throughout the experimental period and exhibited important disturbances in the ovaries, evidenced by reduced size and a smooth surface without follicles or corpora lutea, and abnormal follicular development. In addition, through PCR, we detected T. vivax DNA in the ovarian tissues of the infected goats. Our findings contributed to understand the female reproductive failure associated with trypanosomosis caused by T. vivax.     

Pathogenesis of reproductive failure induced by Trypanosoma vivax in experimentally infected pregnant ewes

The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of experimental infection by Trypanosoma vivax in different stages of pregnancy, determining the pathogenesis of reproductive failure, and confirming transplacental transmission. We used 12 pregnant ewes distributed into four experimental groups: G1, was formed by three ewes infected with T. vivax in the first third of pregnancy (30 days); G2 comprised three infected ewes in the final third of pregnancy (100 days); G3 and G4 were composed of three non-infected ewes with the same gestational period, respectively. Each ewe of G1 and G2 was inoculated with 1.25 × 10⁵ tripomastigotes. Clinical examination, determination of parasitemia, serum biochemistry (albumin, total protein, glucose, cholesterol, and urea), packed cell volume (PCV), serum progesterone, and pathological examination were performed. Placenta, amniotic fluid, blood and tissues from the fetuses and stillbirths were submitted to PCR. Two ewes of G1 (Ewe 1 and 3) presented severe infection and died in the 34^th and 35^th days post-infection (dpi), respectively; but both fetuses were recovered during necropsy. In G2, Ewe 5 aborted two fetuses on the 130^th day (30 dpi) of pregnancy; and Ewe 6 aborted one fetus in the 140^th day (40 dpi) of gestation. Ewes 2 and 4 delivered two weak lambs that died five days after birth. Factors possibly involved with the reproductive failure included high parasitemia, fever, low PCV, body score, serum glucose, total protein, cholesterol, and progesterone. Hepatitis, pericarditis, and encephalitis were observed in the aborted fetuses. The presence of T. vivax DNA in the placenta, amniotic fluid, blood, and tissues from the fetuses confirms the transplacental transmission of the parasite. Histological lesion in the fetuses and placenta also suggest the involvement of the parasite in the etiopathogenesis of reproductive failure in ewes.     

减量灌溉下不同施氮量对南疆机采棉田干物质积累及产量影响

【目的】研究新疆南疆机采棉地区在适宜的水氮供应下,棉花干物质动态积累、产量及水肥利用状况。【方法】在南疆阿克苏地区机采棉田,设置不同灌溉量(2 250 、3 450、4 650 m³/hm²)和施氮量(0、300、600 kg/hm²)2个因子,分析不同处理的棉花生长状况、干物质积累及水肥生产效率。【结果】增加施氮量有利于棉花开花结铃,在干物质积累及花后贡献率上,灌溉量和施氮量二者其中一个因素过高或者过低均会影响棉花干物质快速积累及花后干物质的贡献率,灌溉量3 450 m³/hm²和施氮量为300 kg/hm²时干物质积累速率的加快,花后干物质的贡献率较大,有利于干物质的快速积累;在棉花产量和水肥利用效率上,随着灌溉量增加籽棉产量也随着增加,当灌溉量由3 450增加到4 650 m³/hm²时,籽棉产量的增加幅度减小,在灌溉量3 450 m³/hm²下,随着施氮量的增加棉花产量呈现先升后降的趋势,当施氮量为N2时,棉花产量最大为7 153.08 kg/hm²。【结论】在不同灌溉量下,随着施氮量增加有利于棉花干物质积累、产量及水肥利用效率提高。但随着灌溉量增加施氮量的正效应将会减少。南疆机采棉田在3 450 m³/hm²灌溉量下,施肥量(纯N)为300 kg/hm²时,能够有效的提高棉花产量及水肥利用效率。     

绵羊心脏脂肪酸结合蛋白基因单核苷酸多态性分析

试验旨在探讨心脏脂肪酸结合蛋白（heart fatty acid-binding protein，H-FABP）基因在绵羊中的遗传多态性，并寻找可用于辅助选择的分子标记。本研究以滩羊（250只）及滩羊×湖羊杂交F1代（174只）为试验动物，利用SNaPshot分型技术对H-FABP基因（GenBank登录号：AY157617）的多态位点进行单核苷酸多态性（SNP）分析，统计基因频率和基因型频率，进行Hardy-Weinberg平衡性检测，计算期望杂合度（He）、多态信息含量（PIC）和有效等位基因数（Ne）等遗传多态指标，分析候选基因不同基因型与体重、体长、体高、胸围、胸深、胸宽和管围等生长性状的关联性。结果显示：①检测到9个多态位点：939[A/G]、980[G/A]、1018[T/C]、2878[C/T]、2956[C/T]、3017[G/A]、3341[G/C]、3394[T/A]、1056[-/G]，其中有6处转换、2处颠换、1处单碱基插入。②939[A/G]、980[G/A]、2956[C/T]、3341[G/C]、3394[T/A]和1018[T/C]的He为0.3200~0.4666，PIC为0.2688~0.3577；2878[C/T]、3017[G/A]位点的He为0.0283~0.1272，PIC为0.0279~0.1191，为低度多态；1056[-/G]位点的He在滩羊、滩羊×湖羊杂交F1代群体中分别为0.0120和0，PIC在滩羊、滩羊×湖羊杂交F1代群体中分别为0.0119和0；9个多态位点在滩羊、滩羊×湖羊杂交F1代群体中均符合Hardy-Weinberg平衡定律。③5个多态位点：939[A/G]、980[G/A]、2956[C/T]、3341[G/C]、3394[T/A]处于紧密连锁（D'>0.99），将H-FABP基因分为3个单倍型：AA、AB和BB。④在41只滩羊×湖羊杂交F1代羊中，BB单倍型在各生产性状上具有最大值，但各单倍型间差异不显著（P>0.05）。结果表明，绵羊H-FABP基因具有丰富的遗传多态性，939[A/G]、980[G/A]、2956[C/T]、3341[G/C]、3394[T/A]5个位点紧密连锁，BB单倍型可能是与绵羊生产性状相关的优势单倍型。     

Prevalence and risk factors for anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in goats of the Seridó Oriental microregion, Rio Grande do Norte state, Northeast region of Brazil

The prevalence and risk factors for anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies were investigated in goats of the Seridó Oriental microregion, Rio Grande do Norte state, Northeast region of Brazil. Three hundred and sixty-six blood samples from goats collected by jugular venopuncture were used. For the serologic diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection, the indirect fluorescent-antibody test (IFAT) with cut-off value 1:64 was carried out. The prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies was 30.6% [95% CI=25.9-35.6%] with titers ranging from 1:64 to 1:16,384. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors associated to anti-T. gondii antibodies were presence of cats in the herd, extensive/semi-intensive management systems and lack of mineral supplementation.     

Early Pregnancy Diagnosis by Serum Progesterone and Ultrasound in Sheep Carrying Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer-Derived Pregnancies

Early pregnancy diagnosis and monitoring play an important role following embryo transfer in sheep. The aims of the current study were to investigate (i) the pattern of serum progesterone profiles in sheep carrying somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)‐derived (clone) pregnancies, and (ii) the frequency of pregnancy loss during development following SCNT embryo transfer. Sheep SCNT embryos were made using standard nuclear transfer techniques. Day 7 embryos were surgically transferred to oestrus‐synchronized recipients (n = 27). As a control, normal fertile ewes (n = 12) were bred by natural breeding. Serum was collected from all the ewes on the day of estrus (day 0 sample), 7 days post‐estrus (day 7 sample) and 19 days post‐estrus (day 19 sample) and every 10 days thereafter until lambing or pregnancy loss occurred. Serum progesterone (P4) was assessed using enzyme immunoassay. Pregnancy was confirmed by ultrasound scanning on day 35 of pregnancy followed by subsequent scanning every 10 days. In control ewes, pregnancy rate on day 35 was 83.3% (10/12), whereas in the ewes that received SCNT embryos, it was 22.2% (6/27; p < 0.05). The day 45 pregnancy rate in the control ewes was 83.3%, whereas in the SCNT embryo recipients it was 11.0% (p < 0.05). Hormone analysis revealed that SCNT embryo recipients exhibited a significantly lower P4 profiles at different time points in pregnancy compared to controls (p < 0.05). This study highlights the use of serum progesterone in combination with ultrasound for the investigation of embryo loss and crucial times during development of normal and SCNT embryos in sheep. Further, the serum P4 levels directly reflect the degree of placental development in these two groups.     

Chromosome number in germplasm accessions of Paspalum (Plicatula group) from different regions in Brazil

We determined the chromosome number of 52 accessions of Paspalum from the germplasm collection of the Centro de Pesquisa de Pecuária do Sudeste (CPPSE/EMBRAPA) originating from different regions in Brazil. All accessions belonged to the Plicatula group, 13 of them being P. plicatulum, three P. guenoarum, two P. yaguaronense, two P. compressifolium, one P. atratum, and 31 still unidentified Paspalum sp. Except for a P. yaguaronense accession that presented 2n=60, all the remaining ones presented 2n=40 chromosomes. This is the first report of the chromosome number of P. atratum. Considering that the basic number for most species in the genus Paspalum is ×=10, the accessions analyzed are tetraploids (2n=4×=40) and hexaploids (2n=6×=60). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The influence of diel period on fish assemblage in the unstructured littoral of reservoirs

Abstract Diel changes in littoral fish assemblage were studied in four reservoirs in the Czech Republic (Central Europe). The sampling was performed by beach seining in an unstructured littoral zone. Perch, Perca fluviatilis L., roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.), bream, Abramis brama (L.), carp, Cyprinus carpio L., ruffe, Gymnocephalus cernua (L.), pikeperch, Sander lucioperca (L.), eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.) and A. brama × R. rutilus hybrids exhibited higher densities at night. Only bleak, Alburnus alburnus (L.) exhibited higher densities during the day. The number of species was higher in night hauls, and mean body size of roach and bleak was also higher at night. Diel changes in fish densities resulted in the change in species composition between day and night. The study has implication for the sampling design to assess littoral fish assemblages using beach seine netting and recommends night sampling for a representative assessment or sampling during both diel periods for a robust assessment.