Boron and ectomycorrhizal influences on indole-3-acetic acid levels and indole-3-acetic acid oxidase and peroxidase activities of Pinus echinata Mill. roots

The level of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) roots was increased by inoculation with the ectomycorrhizal fungus Pisolithus tinctorius (Pers.) Coker and Couch. Indole-3-acetic acid oxidase activity was also increased suggesting that the increased level of IAA was the result of increased synthesis. Boron fertilization reduced IAA levels in roots inoculated with P. tinctorius but not in noninoculated roots.     

Nature and origin of stone stripes on the Columbia Plateau

Beds of size-sorted stones forming stripes perpendicular to the contour are conspicuous on hillsides of the Columbia Plateau. Stripes occur on terrain ranging from 0° to about 30° in steepness, often beginning among Mima-type mounds on mesa tops and extending downward onto steep, unmounded slopes. Four mechanisms of their origin have been hypothesized: 1) water erosion, 2) solifluction and soil creep, 3) weathering of rock outcrops, and 4) tunneling by pocket gophers. We measured characteristics of five stripes on slopes of differing exposure and steepness. These stripes were 58–124 m long, and widths showed a maximum range of 0.55–3.70 m. Data on physical and biotic characteristics of the stripes suggest that pocket gopher tunneling is a basic mechanism of stripe formation on gentle slopes, and that this mechanism is augmented by outcrop weathering and colluvial dynamics on steeper slopes, with erosion playing a secondary role.     

Effects of exogenous insulin and body condition on metabolic hormones and gonadotropin-induced follicular development in prepuberal gilts

To determine influences of insulin and body condition on follicular growth, prepuberal gilts (n = 16) treated with pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) were used in a 2 X 2 factorial experiment with main effects of insulin (0 or .4 IU/kg every 12 h beginning at 1800 on the day before PMSG) and backfat depth (moderate, 25 +/- .8; high, 32 +/- .7 mm; P less than .0001). Body weights were similar. Blood sampling was at 6-h intervals for analyses of LH, FSH, growth hormone (GH), glucagon, cortisol, insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), plasma urea nitrogen (PUN), nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), testosterone, estradiol-17 beta, and progesterone. Ovaries were removed 75 h after PMSG treatment, and visible small (less than or equal to 3 mm), medium (4 to 6 mm), large (greater than or equal to 7 mm), and macroscopically atretic follicles were counted. Administration of insulin increased IGF-I in fluid of medium follicles (108.8 vs 60.7 ng/ml; SEM = 13.3; P less than .05). Neither insulin nor fatness affected hCG binding by granulosa cells (12.5 +/- 1.6 ng/10(6) cells) or numbers of large (16.7 +/- 2.6) and medium (10.4 +/- 2.3) follicles. However, insulin increased the number of small follicles (58.9 vs 29.9; SEM = 9.7; P less than .05) and reduced the number of atretic follicles (3.8 vs 11.3; SEM = 1.1; P less than .05). The predominant effect of insulin on reducing number of atretic follicles was in the small size class (.6 vs 6.9; SEM = .6, P less than .01). Follicular fluid estradiol and progesterone were not affected by treatments; however, testosterone concentrations in large follicles were lower in gilts with higher backfat (32.5 vs 59.9 ng/ml; SEM = 4.0; P less than .05). Systemic LH, FSH, glucagon, cortisol, PUN, NEFA, estradiol, and testosterone were not affected by insulin or level of feeding. However, GH was lower in gilts that had higher backfat (overall average of 3.2 vs 2.8 ng/ml; SEM = .1; P less than .05). Insulin reduced atresia and altered intrafollicular IGF-I independently of body condition and without sustained effects on other hormones.     

Immunohistochemical demonstration of Francisella tularensis in lesions of cats with tularemia.

An immunohistochemical test was developed and validated for detection of Francisella tularensis antigen in tissues of cats with fatal tularemia. Ten cases of naturally occurring tularemia in cats were positive both by isolation of F. tularensis and immunohistochemical identification of F. tularensis antigen. Nine additional cases with lesions typical of tularemia were positive for F. tularensis antigen, although bacterial cultures were not performed. Immunohistochemical identification of F. tularensis in formalin-fixed tissue is valuable for establishing a rapid etiologic diagnosis under circumstances where fresh tissues may not be available for isolation and identification of the organism.     

Comparison of immune responses in parenteral FaeG DNA primed pigs boosted orally with F4 protein or reimmunized with the DNA vaccine

We previously showed that an intradermal (i.d.) FaeG DNA prime (2x)-oral F4 protein boost immunization induces a systemic response and weakly primes a mucosal IgG response in pigs, especially when plasmid vectors encoding the A and B subunit of the E. coli thermo-labile enterotoxin (LT) are added to the DNA vaccine. In the present study, we evaluated whether addition of 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (vitD(3)) to the DNA vaccine could further enhance this mucosal priming and/or modulate the antibody response towards IgA. To further clarify priming of systemic and mucosal responses by the i.d. DNA vaccination, we firstly compared the localization of the F4-specific antibody response in pigs that were orally boosted with F4 to that in pigs that received a third i.d. DNA immunization and secondly evaluated cytokine mRNA expression profiles after i.d. DNA vaccination. The i.d. DNA prime (2x)-oral F4 boost immunization as well as the 3 i.d. DNA vaccinations induced mainly a systemic response, with a higher response observed following the heterologous protocol. Co-administration of vitD(3), and especially of the LT vectors, enhanced this response. Furthermore, only the heterologous immunization resulted in a weak mucosal priming, which appeared to require the presence of the LT vectors or vitD(3) as adjuvants. In addition, the LT vectors strongly enhanced the FaeG-specific lymphocyte proliferation and this was accompanied by the absence of a clear IL-10 response. However, despite two DNA immunizations in the presence of these adjuvants and an oral F4 boost, we failed to demonstrate the secretory IgA response needed to be protective against enterotoxigenic E. coli.     

Transfer of disease resistance genes from Triticum araraticum to common wheat

The wild tetraploid wheat species Tr$$ (Zhuk) Zhuk Var. araratieum is a source of pest resistance genes for T$$ aesti$$ L. Our objectives were to describe the breeding behaviour of T.arartuititm when backcrossed to common wheat and transfer resistance to leaf rust (caused by Pu$$) and powdery mildew (caused by Blumeria $$wheat. Crosses were made between five wheat genotypes and $$ accessions. Fertifity and chromosome numbers of BC$$_; plants were determined. Resistance to leaf rust was transferred toBC₂ -derived families from 10 different T’ararati$$an accessions. Leaf rust resistance genes in nine T. araratieum accessions can be assigned to at least four loci. Leaf rust resistance transferred from three accessions was inherited in the hexaploid derivatives as a single. $$ gene in each case. Resistance to powdery mildew was also detected in the T. araratie$$ backcross derivatives. Fertile hexaploid derivatives expressing T’araratieum-derived resistance genes can be recovered after two backcrosses to wheat cultivars.     

Reproductive Behavior of Hexaploid/Diploid Wheat Hybrids 1

The bottleneck restricting introgression of useful genes directly from diploid into hexaploid wheats is the low number of BC₁F₁ seeds obtained. In crosses between hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; AABBDD) and Aegilops squarrosa L. (DD) or T. urartu Thum. (AA), this bottleneck may be overcome simply by pollinating a sufficient number of F₁ spikes. However, hybrids between hexaploid wheat cultivars (T. aestivum) and T. monococcum L. (AA) generally are highly female-sterile, often having no pistils. One T. monococcum accession, PI 355520, when crossed with T. aestivum, produced hybrids with female fertility in the same range as that of T. aestivum/A. squarrosa or T. aestivum/T. urartu hybrids, ca. 0.5 to 1.0 backcross seed per spike. We found that female fertility was controlled by two duplicate genes in PI 355520, and that this accession can be used as a bridging parent to introgress genes from other T. monococcum accessions into hexaploid wheat. Pairing of homologous chromosomes was less frequent and weaker in such crosses than in T. aestivum/A. squarrosa crosses, but homoeologous bivalents occurred at a rate of almost 0.5 II per cell. Restitution division was detected in crosses involving all three diploid species and was confirmed cytologically in crosses with PI 355520. Chromosome numbers of BC₁F₁ plants ranged from 35 to 67; plants with 49 or more chromosomes occurred at frequencies of 0.09 to 0.21 among progeny of A. squarrosa and T. urartu and 0.29 in progeny of T. aestivum/T. monococcum crosses involving PI 355520. These results are consistent with those of previous studies, demonstrating the potential of direct Hexaploid/diploid crosses for rapidly introgressing useful genes into Hexaploid wheat with minimum disturbance of the background genotype.