Pets in the family: practical approaches

Adapting family life cycle theory to include pets provides veterinarians with a framework for understanding and reinforcing the human-animal bond. The family genogram with pets is a practice tool that identifies all people and pets in the family, enhancing the practice of One Health at the community level.     

Mycoplasma ovis in captive cervids: prevalence, molecular characterization and phylogeny

Hemotrophic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) are bacteria that attach to red blood cells of mammals, leading to acute and/or subclinical disease in infected animals. It has been suggested that Mycoplasma ovis, a hemoplasma that infects sheep and goats worldwide, may also infect deer. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether South American deer are infected with M. ovis. EDTA-anticoagulated blood samples from a herd of 32 captive South American deer were collected. DNA extraction of blood samples was performed followed by PCR amplification of the 16S and 23S rRNA genes, and sequencing of products. Using M. ovis PCR, 27/31 (87%) were positive, including 21/22 Mazama nana; 2/3 Mazama americana and 4/6 Blastocerus dichotomus. Sequencing of the nearly entire 16S rRNA gene of 26/27 positive samples showed 98.2-98.8% identity to M. ovis of sheep (GenBank, AF338268) and 98.6-99.4% identity to M. ovis-like of a fawn (FJ824847); the 23S rRNA gene from one of these isolates and the fawn's had 97.6% identity. The remaining isolate had just 94.9% identity to the 16S rRNA gene of M. ovis and only 89.4% identity to the 23S rRNA gene of the fawn's M. ovis. This is the first report of M. ovis in captive South American deer, revealing a high prevalence of hemoplasma infection in these animals.     

The structure of human 5-lipoxygenase

The synthesis of both proinflammatory leukotrienes and anti-inflammatory lipoxins requires the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX). 5-LOX activity is short-lived, apparently in part because of an intrinsic instability of the enzyme. We identified a 5-LOX-specific destabilizing sequence that is involved in orienting the carboxyl terminus, which binds the catalytic iron. Here, we report the crystal structure at 2.4 angstrom resolution of human 5-LOX stabilized by replacement of this sequence.     

Aluminium-induced effects on growth,morphogenesis and oxidative stress reactions in in vitro cultures of quince

The effects of Al³⁺ [supplied as Al₂(SO₄)₃·18H₂O] addition to culture media (pH 4.0) on growth, morphogenesis (in leaf explants), and oxidative stress reactions in in vitro cultures of ‘BA 29’ quince were investigated. Aluminium (Al 0.5 mM) strongly inhibited shoot growth in the proliferation and rooting phases (Al 2.2 mM), reduced shoot proliferation (Al 1.1 mM), and induced tissue browning. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was increased in shoot cultures supplemented with 2 mM Al. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content of shoots was strongly increased by Al during proliferation (starting from Al 1.7 mM) and rooting (already at Al 1.1 mM), thus serving as a good ‘marker’ for Al toxicity. Even a low concentration of Al (0.5 mM) in the shoot induction medium was found to inhibit shoot regeneration. When standard (Al 0) shoot induction medium was used, leaf explant growth was only reduced by 2.2 mM Al in the subsequent growth phases. Following a preliminary selection for their growth on Al-enriched media, 82 potentially Al-tolerant quince somaclones were selected for further trials.     

Effect of prior tillage and soil fertility amendments on dispersal of Phytophthora capsici and infection of pepper

Organic soil amendments including composted cotton gin trash, composted poultry manure, an incorporated rye-vetch green manure, or synthetic fertilizer were applied to subplots, and main plots were either tilled frequently or surface-mulched in experimental field plots between 1997 and 2004. Soil from each replication of the tillage and fertility treatments was sampled in August of 2001, 2002, and 2003, brought to the greenhouse, and infested with Phytophthora capsici to study the effect of previous soil treatments on disease incidence and dispersal of the pathogen. Both the previous tillage and fertility amendments affected the incidence of disease and dispersal of the pathogen. Final disease incidence, AUDPC and the distance of pathogen spread were significantly greater in soils with previous surface mulch applications than in frequently tilled soils. Final disease incidence, AUDPC and the distance of pathogen spread were also significantly higher in soils amended with cotton gin trash, than rye-vetch green manure, poultry manure, or synthetic fertilizer. Soils amended with cotton gin trash had higher soil water content, lower bulk density, higher humic matter content, higher porosity and higher levels of mineralizable N, than soils with other fertility amendments. Soil water content, soil porosity, humic matter content, and net mineralizable levels nitrogen were positively correlated and bulk density was negatively correlated with final incidence of disease.     

Correlations of seed traits with tofu texture in 48 soybean cultivars and breeding lines

Food‐grade soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr] used to produce tofu have specific seed composition, shape, size and colour requirements. Seed qualities, such as protein content, have been correlated with tofu texture. The objective of this study was to determine the relationships between textural qualities of tofu and seed characters, including shape, size, density, weight, protein content and oil content. Tofu was produced from the seed of 48 high‐protein or food‐grade soybean lines grown at two locations in 2010. Four tofu textural traits were assessed including work to failure, deformability, stiffness and hardness. Seed protein and oil content were significantly correlated with stiffness and hardness, and protein was additionally correlated with work to failure. Pearson's correlation coefficients ranged from 0.45 to 0.60 (adjusted P‐values < 0.002) for protein and ?0.49 to ?0.35 for oil (adjusted P‐values < 0.016). No significant correlations between tofu texture and seed volume or shape were detected. Seed protein content can be assessed for indirect selection for tofu firmness, whereas this study reveals no evidence that seed size affects tofu texture.