Characterization of a novel coronavirus associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome

In March 2003, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was discovered in association with cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The sequence of the complete genome of SARS-CoV was determined, and the initial characterization of the viral genome is presented in this report. The genome of SARS-CoV is 29,727 nucleotides in length and has 11 open reading frames, and its genome organization is similar to that of other coronaviruses. Phylogenetic analyses and sequence comparisons showed that SARS-CoV is not closely related to any of the previously characterized coronaviruses.     

Endothelial interleukin-8: a novel inhibitor of leukocyte-endothelial interactions

Certain inflammatory stimuli render cultured human vascular endothelial cells hyperadhesive for neutrophils. This state is transient and reversible, in part because activated endothelial cells secrete a leukocyte adhesion inhibitor (LAI). LAI was identified as endothelial interleukin-8 (IL-8), the predominant species of which is an extended amino-terminal IL-8 variant. At nanomolar concentrations, purified endothelial IL-8 and recombinant human IL-8 inhibit neutrophil adhesion to cytokine-activated endothelial monolayers and protect these monolayers from neutrophil-mediated damage. These findings suggest that endothelial-derived IL-8 may function to attenuate inflammatory events at the interface between vessel wall and blood.     

Effects of mirex on the larval development of two crabs

The effects of mirex, a chlorinated hydrocarbon used to kill the imported red ant, Solenopsis saevissima richteri, on the complete larval development of two crabs, Rhithropanopeus harrisii and Menippe mercenaria are described. The duration of developmental stages of Rhithropanopeus and the total time of development is generally lengthened with an increase in concentration of mirex from 0.01 to 10.0 ppb. There are highly significant differences between survival of larvae in the control and in each concentration of mirex. In Menippe, there were no pronounced differences in duration of developmental stages with increased concentrations of mirex, but the percentage of extra 6th zoeae was greater as concentrations were increased. There was differential survival of the developmental stages in relation to concentration of mirex, and Menippe larvae were much more sensitive to mirex than Rhithropanopeus larvae, especially in the megalopal stage. Residue analysis revealed that Menippe concentrates mirex more efficiently during development to crab stages than does Rhithropanopeus.     

‘Scalescape’: an R package for estimating distance-weighted landscape effects on an environmental response

Landscape Ecology - Landscape studies often focus on determining how the landscape around a discrete set of field sites affects an abiotic or biotic response measured at those sites. To run this...     

Studies on the initiation of bacterial soft rot in potato tubers

Summary Non-inoculated whole tubers rot readily under anaerobic conditions when their surface is maintained moist in a water-saturated atmosphere. Rotting is reduced under otherwise similar but aerobic conditions, but there is some rotting under anaerobic conditions even if their surface is dry. The evidence obtained suggests the following sequence of events under wet anaerobic conditions. Water is absorbed causing the lenticels to open. Oxygen deficiency affects cell membrane integrity and there is leakage of water and solutes from turgid cells which establishes a continuous liquid phase between the cortex and the lenticels. Organisms in the lenticels then penetrate deeper into the tuber in this liquid phase. The leaked cell contents, together with the apparent reduction of tuber resistance to infection under anaerobic conditions, allow rapid growth of bacteria. If pectolytic bacteria are present a soft rot lesion is then established.

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Zusammenfassung Nicht inokulierte Knollen der Sorte Majestic faulten nicht, wenn sie in N₂ bei 93, 95 oder 98% relativer Feuchtigkeit und bei Raumtemperatur w?hrend 10 Tagen gelagert wurden (Tabelle 1). Unter anaeroben Bedingungen faulten sie jedoch sofort, wenn ihre Oberfl?che in einer wasserges?ttigten Atmosph?re feucht gehalten wurde (Tabelle 2). Unter gleichen, jedoch aeroben Bedingungen wurde das Verfaulen gehemmt, aber unter anaeroben Bedingungen und bei trockenen Oberfl?chen trat keine F?ulnis auf (Tabelle 2). Wenn einzelne Lentizellen inokuliert wurden mitE. carotovora var.atroseptica (Isolat 27), entwickelte sich eine L?sion weder unter aeroben noch unter anaeroben Bedingungen, sofern die Lentizellen geschlossen und die Knollenoberfl?che trocken waren (Tabelle 3). Bei offenen und wuchernden Lentizellen trat jedoch sofort F?ulnis ein, aber nur wenn anaerobe Bedingungen vorherrschten (Tabelle 3). Knollen mit teilweise nassen Oberfl?chen, gelagert in N₂, nahmen an Gewicht zu und wurden turgeszenter (Tabelle 4). Gleichzeitig mit diesen Aenderungen ?ffneten sich die Lentizellen zunehmends, und ihr Gewebe begann zu wuchern (Abb. 1). Die Abnahme an Elektrolyten und der Wasserverlust der Knollengewebescheiben waren unter anaeroben Bedingungen gr?sser als unter aeroben (Abb. 2). Die Abnahme an Elektrolyten und der Verlust im Frischgewicht waren unter anaeroben Bedingungen bei Scheiben mit einem hohen (turgeszenten) Wasserstatus gr?sser als bei solchen mit einem niedrigen (nicht turgeszenten) Wasserstatus (Abb. 3). Die Unterschiede im ‘Apparent Free Space’ der turgeszenten und nicht turgeszenten Scheiben, die unter aeroben und anaeroben Bedingungen gehalten wurden, zeigen ferner an, dass die Durchl?ssigkeit der Zellen unter anaeroben Bedingungen und besonders in turgeszenten Gewebe zunimmt (Tabelle 5). Diese Unterschiede werden wiederspiegelt in der Anf?lligkeit der Scheiben für das Entstehen der F?ulnis, das in erster Linie von der An- oder Abwesenheit von O₂ und in geringerem Umfang vom Wasserstatus in den Scheiben abh?ngt. Wenn wir diese Ergebnisse zusammenfassen, k?nnnte die Ausl?sung des F?ulnisprozesses wie folgt beschrieben werden: Unter nassen anaeroben Bedingungen wird das Wasser aufgenommen und veranlasst die Lentizellen, sich zu ?ffnen. Sauerstoffmangel beeinflusst die Integrit?t der Zellmembranen, und es tritt ein Verlust an Wasser und gel?sten Bestandteilen der turgeszenten Zellen ein, was zu einer st?ndigen flüssigen Phase zwischen der Rinde und den Lentizellen führt. Die Organismen in den Lentizellen dringen dann tiefer durch diese flüssige Zone in die Knolle ein. Der abgeflossene Zellinhalt, zusammen mit der offensichtlichen Verringerung der Resistenz der Knolle gegen die Infektion unter anaeroben Bedingungen, erlauben das rasche Wachstum der Bakterien. Wenn pectolytische Bakterien vorhanden sind, bildet sich eine Nassf?ule-L?sion.

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Résumé Des tubercules non inoculés de la variété Majestic ne pourissent pas quand ils sont conservés dans N₂ à 93, 95 ou 98% d'humidité relative (RH) à température ambiante pendant 10 jours (tableau 1). Cependant, quand on maintient une certaine humidité à la surface des tubercules dans un milieu anaérobe la pourriture se developpe rapidement (tableau 2). La pourriture est réduite dans des conditions semblables à d'autres égards mais aérobies; toutefois il n'y a aucune pourriture en condition anaérobie si la surface des tubercules est sèche (tableau 2). Lorsqu'on inocule des lenticelles individuellement avecErwinia carotovora var.atroseptica (isolat 27), aucune lésion ne se produit en conditions aérobies et anaérobies lorsque les lenticelles sont fermées et la surface des tubercules sèche (tableau 3). Toutefois la pourriture apparait rapidement si les lenticelles s'ouvrent et prolifèrent mais seulement lorsque des conditions anaérobies sont prédominantes (tableau 3). Les tubercules présentant une surface partiellement humide et conservés dans N₂ augmentent en poids et deviennent plus turgescents (tableau 4). Simultanement il y a une ouverture progressive des lenticelles et proliférations de leur tissu (fig. 1). Les pertes d'électrolytes et d'eau provenant de disques de tissu de tubercule sont plus importantes en milieu anaérobie qu'aérobie (fig. 2). La perte d'electrolytes et la perte de poids frais en condition anaérobie sont également plus grandes pour les disques ayant une forte teneur en eau (turgescents) que les disques à faible teneur d'eau (non turgescents) (fig. 3). Les différences en espace libre apparent entre disques turgescents et non turgescents tenus dans des conditions aérobie et anaérobie indiquent ultérieurement que la perméabilité cellulaire augmente en condition anaérobie et notablement dans les tissus turgescents (tableau 5). Ces différences se reflètent dans la susceptibilité des disques à pourrir, susceptibilité qui depend en premier lieu de la présence ou de l'absence de O₂ et, dans une moindre mesure, de la quantité d'eau dans les disques. Prenant en considérations ces results, la pourriture dans les tubercules pourrait débuter comme suit. Dans des conditions humides anaérobies, l'eau est absorbée causant l'ouverture des lenticelles. Le manque d'oxygène porte atteinte à l'intégrité de la membrane cellulaire et il y a une fuite d'eau et de produits solubles à partir de cellules turgescentes, ce qui réalise une phase liquide continue entre le cortex et les lenticelles. Dans cette phase liquide, les organismes se trouvant dans les lenticelles pénètrent alors plus profondément dans le tubercule. La perte de matières cellulaires, en meme temps que la réduction apparante de la résistance du tubercule à l'infection en condition anaérobie, permettent un développement rapide des bactéries. Si des bactéries pectolytiques sont présentes, des lésions de pourriture molle s'etablissent dès lors.

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The substance of this paper was presented at a session of the Pathology Section at the 5th Triennial Conference of the EAPR (Norwich, September 1972).     

Digital Preservation and Access of Agricultural Materials

Historians and researchers depend on institutions to preserve the records and documents of the past. As the land-grant institution, Colorado State University (CSU) joined in a national, multi-phase National-Endowment-for-the-Humanities-supported grant project to identify and preserve significant materials documenting the history of the agricultural and rural life of the state. This article outlines the history of the grant project, details the challenges and successes of the digitization phase at Colorado State University Libraries, provides usage statistics, and offers a basis for emulation by other institutions by providing an example of a successful preservation and digitization project at a large public university.     

Variability and inheritance of flowering time and duration in Actinidia chinensis (kiwifruit)

We investigated the variability and inheritance of flowering in a seedling population of diploid Actinidia chinensis Planch. We found considerable variation in time to reach 50% flowering (D50) and flowering duration (FD). D50 was highly heritable (h ² > 0.85) suggesting that this trait would respond well to selection in this population, whereas FD was greatly affected by the environment (h ² < 0.20). The results also showed that the flowering times of male vines were more sensitive to the environment than those of female vines. However, significant specific combining ability (SCA) effects could be achieved by targeting specific bi-parental combinations for breeding and selection of flowering time. The diversity in flowering traits among males will facilitate the selection of male pollinizers that coincide in flowering time with present or future female cultivars. The possibility of breeding female cultivars with a short flowering period to improve the consistency of fruit maturity at harvest is discussed.     

Heat-induced redistribution of disulfide bonds in milk proteins. 2. Disulfide bonding patterns between bovine beta-lactoglobulin and kappa-casein

Heat treatment of milk causes the heat-denaturable whey proteins to aggregate with kappa-casein (kappa-CN) via thiol-disulfide bond interchange reactions. The particular disulfide bonds that are important in the aggregates are uncertain, although Cys(121) of beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG) has been implicated. The reaction at 60 degrees C between beta-LG A and an activated kappa-CN formed small disulfide-bonded aggregates. The tryptic peptides from this model system included a peptide with a disulfide bond between a Cys residue in the triple-Cys peptide [beta-LG(102-124)] and kappa-CN Cys(88) and others between kappa-CN Cys(88) or kappa-CN Cys(11) and beta-LG Cys(160). Only the latter two novel disulfide bonds were identified in heated (90 degrees C/20 min) milk. Application of computational search tools, notably MS2Assign and SearchXLinks, to the mass spectrometry (MS) and collision-induced dissociation (CID)-MS data was very valuable for identifying possible disulfide-bonded peptides. In two instances, peptides with measured masses of 4275.07 and 2312.07 were tentatively assigned to beta-LG(102-135):kappa-CN(11-13) and beta-LG A(61-69):kappa-CN(87-97), respectively. However, sequencing using the CID-MS data demonstrated that they were, in fact, beta-LG(1-40) and beta-LG(41-60), respectively. This study supports the notion that reversible intramolecular disulfide-bond interchange precedes the intermolecular interchange reactions.