Effects of gibberellins and benzylandenine on dormancy and flowering of Lilium speciosum

GA_{4 + 7} (1000 mg/l), alone or in combination with BA (100 mg/l), was found to induce shoot emergence and flowering in dormant bulbs of L. speciosum, while GA₃, alone or in combination with BA, had no effect. BA had a significant influence on increasing flower numbers, particularly when combined with GA_{4 + 7}.     

Progesterone stimulation by LH involves the phospholipase-C pathway in bovine luteal cells

Luteinizing hormone (LH)-stimulated steroidogenesis in luteal cells is known to be mediated through the activation of cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase, and to be also modulated by calcium-dependent mechanisms. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that LH stimulates progesterone (P4) production in bovine luteal cells through activation of phospholipase (PL) C by using a cell culture system. Bovine mid-luteal cells (Days 8-12 of the estrous cycle) were cultured for 24 h and then exposed to a PLC inhibitor (U-73122; 10 microM) with or without LH (10 ng/ml) for 4 h. U-73122 blocked LH-stimulated P4 production without affecting cAMP accumulation. Moreover, exposure of luteal cells to PLC increased P4 production in a dose-dependent manner. These results support the hypothesis that the luteotropic action of LH in bovine luteal cells is mediated not only by activation of adenylate cyclase but also by activation of PLC.     

Effects of prostaglandin F(2alpha) and nitric oxide on the secretory function of bovine luteal cells

The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF (2alpha)) and nitric oxide (NO) on production of steroids and PGs by culturing bovine luteal cells obtained from ovaries on days 8-12 of the estrous cycle with a nitric oxide (NO) donor (Spermine NONOate), and a NO synthase inhibitor (N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester dihydrochloride: L-NAME). When the cells were exposed for 24 h to PGF(2alpha) (10(-7)-10(-5) M), production of progesterone (P(4)) increased significantly at all doses used (P<0.05). Moreover, PGF(2alpha) stimulated PGF(2alpha) production (P<0.01), depressed testosterone (T) production (P<0.05), but did not affect synthesis of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)). Spermine NONOate decreased P(4) production to 66%, 47% and 34% of the control concentration after treatment with 10(-5) M, 10(-4) M and 10(-3) M, respectively, but did not affect T production, and increased PGF(2alpha) synthesis (P<0.05) and PGE(2) (P<0.01) at all doses used. L-NAME increased production of P(4) (P<0.01) but did not affect (P>0.05) secretion of T, PGF(2alpha) and PGE(2). Estradiol-17beta (E(2)) was detectable on the level of sensitivity of assay and was not significantly altered by any treatments. The overall results suggest that PGF(2alpha) and NO produced locally in bovine CL play roles in the regulation of the secretory function of the bovine CL as auto/paracrine factors.     

MCPB-ethyl对富士苹果疏花效果的研究

探讨了MCPB-ethyl的喷布时期、喷布浓度对富士苹果的疏花效果、果实发育和果实品质的影响。试验证明,MCPB-ethyl是一个良好的苹果疏花剂,有效喷布期是中心花盛开后1～5d,最适喷布期是中心花盛开后1～3d;最适喷布浓度为15mol／L,对果实发育、果形、果实着色和果实品质无不利影响。     

Molecular typing of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis isolates from food-producing animals in Japan by multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis: evidence of clonal dissemination and replacement

Background

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis is a zoonotic pathogen. Human infections are associated with contaminated eggs and egg products. In Japan, since 1989, the incidence of food-borne disease caused by S. Enteritidis has increased and a pandemic has occurred; however, little is known about changes that occurred before and after this pandemic event in the dominant lineage of isolates from food-producing animals. This study aimed to determine the S. Enteritidis lineages in Japan over the last few decades by using multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA).

Findings

MLVA was used to analyse 79 S. Enteritidis isolates collected from chickens (n = 63), cattle (n = 12), pigs (n = 2), and goats (n = 2) during 1975–2009. The S. Enteritidis isolates showed 14 different MLVA allele combinations, which were classified into two major clusters (A and C) and a minor cluster (B). All the 62 isolates in cluster A were isolated after 1988, whereas 13 of the 17 isolates belonging to cluster B and C were isolated before 1989.

Conclusions

The MLVA results showed that cluster C was predominant before 1989, and isolates in cluster A disseminated since 1989 and replaced the previous dominant clone, suggesting that isolates of cluster A originated from imported S. Enteritidis infection.