Identification and molecular characterization of a novel flavivirus isolated from Pekin ducklings in China

A flavivirus-associated disease of egg-laying ducks was observed in eastern China in 2010, and a novel mosquito-borne flavivirus, Tembusu virus (TMUV), was isolated (Cao et al., 2011). Following up on the earlier study, a virus similar to TMUV was isolated recently from ducklings and characterized. We report that (1) the recently isolated virus, TMUV ZJ-6, replicated in vertebrate cells (DF-1, BHK-21) as well as in mosquito cells (C6/36) and caused cytopathic effect (CPE) in the cell lines tested; (2) extracellular viral particles examined by electron microscopy were approximately 45 nm in diameter and enveloped; (3) the full-length genome of the virus was determined, showing that the TMUV ZJ-6 is more closely related to the Ntaya group of viruses than other members of the Flaviviridae based on the data of phylogenetic analyses. Most importantly, the disease of ducklings was reproducible after administration of plaque-purified virus by intracerebral (i.c.), subcutaneous (s.c.) or intranasal (i.n.) inoculation. This is the first report that TMUV infects not only egg-laying ducks but also 3-21 days-old ducklings. The findings extend our understanding of how the virus spreads and causes disease.     

Effects of dietary lipid levels on lipid deposition and activities of lipid metabolic enzymes in hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus × O. aureus)

This study was designed to investigate the effects of dietary lipid levels on growth performance, lipid deposition and activities of lipid metabolic enzymes in hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus × O. aureus). Four isonitrogenous (300 g/kg crude protein) experimental diets containing graded levels of lipid (25, 55, 85 and 115 g/kg) were randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 180 juvenile fish. Fish were fed twice daily for 8 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the growth performance and proximate composition of fish were determined. The activities and gene expression of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) were assessed as well. Fish fed the diets with 55 and 85 g/kg lipid had a significantly (p < 0.05) higher body weight gain than those fed the diets with 25 and 115 g/kg lipid. The whole-body and liver lipid contents were significantly (p < 0.05) elevated with increasing dietary lipid levels. Moreover, the activities and mRNA abundances of LPL and HSL in the liver, dorsal muscle and fat tissues were markedly altered by dietary lipid levels. Our data demonstrate a profound influence of dietary lipid levels on the growth and lipid deposition in hybrid tilapia, which is likely associated with the regulation of lipid metabolic enzymes including LPL and HSL.     

我国行政扑杀行为的行政法考量——以私权保护为视角

动物疫情大规模暴发时,对一定范围内的动物进行扑杀是各国通行的做法。行政扑杀是政府行使行政权的表现,权力行使不当会损害相对人的合法权益。我国《动物防疫法》等法律法规中有行政扑杀行为的具体规定。行政扑杀行为是即时性强制行为。行政法应从合法性原则、正当程序原则、比例原则、充分补偿原则四个方面对行政扑杀行为进行规制。行政相对人对政府的行政扑杀行为,可以通过行政复议和行政诉讼进行救济。政府应对扑杀行为的具体做法加以改进,以促进社会和谐。     

不同的干燥工艺对荷花蜂花粉功能成分的影响

探讨了5种干燥工艺对荷花蜂花粉功能成分的影响。微波干燥的干燥效率最高,60%火力处理540s可使水分从31.41%降到6.42%;干燥方式对荷花蜂花粉蛋白质影响较小;微波干燥后总黄酮提取率最高,为13.20mg/g;真空冷冻干燥后维生素C和过氧化氢酶含量最高,分别为48.89mg/100g和29.86mg/g·min。总的来说,真空冷冻干燥对荷花蜂花粉的功能成分影响最小;常压恒温干燥对功能成分影响较小、工艺简单、对设备要求低,宜于大规模应用于实际生产中。     

中国广东家蚕微粒子孢子在Antheraea eucalypti细胞系的感染增殖

将中国广东的Ｎｏｓｅｍａ ｂｏｍｂｙｃｉｓ ＣＧＳ,用０２ｍｏｌ／ＬＫＯＨ 处理后,接种感染Ａ．ｅｕｃａｌｙｐｔｉ 细胞系。孢子的发芽率达８７％ ,在Ａ．ｅｕｃａｌｙｐｔｉ 细胞初期感染率为２７ ％ 。发育各阶段具２ 核,可观察到短极丝孢子和二次感染体形成,孢子芽母细胞按二分裂形成２ 个双核的孢子芽,具典型 Ｎｏｓｅｍａ 属特征。Ｎｏｓｅｍａｂｏｍｂｙｃｉｓ ＣＧＳ 生物学特性、血清学类型与日本Ｎｏｓｅｍａ ｂｏｍｂｙｃｉｓ ＮＩＳ００１ 大致相同,但孢子大小、裂殖体的形态、在Ａ．ｅｕｃａｌｙｐｔｉ 细胞寄生的细胞感染率、每个细胞的产孢数,２ 种微孢子虫却有差异。     

放牧对青海湖北岸高寒草原植物群落特征的影响

基于青海湖北岸高寒草原连续3年放牧控制试验,研究了暖季和冷季放牧草地植物群落特征的变化。结果表明,暖季和冷季放牧草地群落地上生物量均随放牧强度的增加呈现下降趋势,禾本科地上生物量的变化趋势基本与群落地上生物量的一致;中度放牧对暖季放牧草地植被的影响程度高于冷季放牧草地;围栏封育区和冷季重度放牧草地的优势种均为紫花针茅(Stipapurpurea)和矮嵩草(Kobresia humilis),暖季放牧各放牧小区和冷季放牧草地轻度和中度放牧处理优势种均为紫花针茅和披针叶黄华(Thermopsis lanceolata);随放牧强度的增加,暖季放牧草地群落物种多样性指数和均匀度指数表现出先降低后增加的趋势,冷季放牧草地群落物种多样性指数和均匀度指数表现出增加的趋势,但是多样性指数在暖、冷季放牧草地均以重度放牧区最高。     

Detection of chromogranin A in the adrenal gland extracts of different animal species by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen-specific Amaranthus caudatus lectin

The reactivity of different lectins with crude chromogranin A (CgA) obtained from different animals, namely, cow, horse, dog, pig, and dolphin, was examined to identify lectin(s) that would be useful as coating reagent(s) in a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Of the different lectins studied, the Amaranthus caudatus lectin (ACA), which is specific for the Thomsen-Friedenreich (T)-antigen (Galβ1-3GalNAc), was found to react with the CgA from different animals by western blotting. Purified rabbit anti-bovine CgA antibody was also found to cross-react with the crude CgA preparations. On the basis of these findings, a sandwich ELISA was developed with ACA as the coating reagent and anti-bovine CgA antibody as the probing antibody. Using this method, concentration-dependent curves ranging from 0.003 μg/mL to 25 μg/mL and from 0.02 μg/mL to 25 μg/mL were obtained for bovine CgA and canine CgA, respectively. Similarly, concentration-dependent curves were obtained for the equine, swine, and dolphin crude CgA extracts. Thus, ACA is concluded to be a valuable reagent for CgA detection in crude extracts from different animal species, and for CgA isolation/purification.     

城区宠物防疫管理

合肥是安徽的省会城市,随着人民生活水平的提高,城区养犬数量急剧增加,现仅合肥二环以内就有犬5万只左右。部分市民不文明养犬,随意遗弃犬,使得流浪犬数量增加,造成犬病的传播。一些动物诊所和宠物     

Effects of dietary Bacillus coagulans and yeast hydrolysate supplementation on growth performance,immune response and intestinal barrier function in weaned piglets

The present study investigated the effects of Bacillus coagulans and yeast hydrolysate supplementation on growth performance, immune response and intestinal barrier function of weaned piglets. Twenty-four weaned piglets with an average body weight (BW) of 6.89 ± 0.15 kg were divided into four diets for 28 days. The treatments were basal diet (control), basal diet supplemented with antibiotic (20 mg/kg colistin sulphate and 40 mg/kg bacitracin zinc, AT), probiotics (400 mg/kg Bacillus coagulans ≥5 × 109 CFU/g, BC) or yeast hydrolysate (5000 mg/kg yeast hydrolysate, YH). Average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) were improved by AT and YH diets (p < 0.05), while BC diet only increased ADG (p < 0.05). The complement 3 (C3), lysozyme (LZM) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentrations in serum were increased in BC diet (p < 0.05). Feeding AT and YH caused the increase of jejunal villus height (p < 0.05), and a higher ratio of villus height/crypt depth was observed in AT, BC and YH groups (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) in jejunal mucosa was up-regulated by AT, BC and YH diets (p < 0.05). Dietary AT, BC or YH inclusion decreased the interleukin-1β (IL-1β) concentration and TNF-α mRNA expression (p < 0.05), and YH supplementation even down-regulated toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and CD14 expressions (p < 0.05). In summary, the dietary administration of BC or YH both improves growth performance through promoting the intestinal barrier function, indicating both of them can serve as potential alternatives to antibiotics growth promoters for the piglet production.     

Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes and Lipid Metabolism Signaling Pathways between Muscle and Fat Tissues in Broiler Chickens

In this study, signaling pathways and key differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in lipid metabolism in muscle and fat tissues were investigated. Muscle and abdominal fat tissues were obtained from 35-day-old female broilers for RNA sequencing. DEGs between muscle and fat tissues were identified. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs were performed. A total of 6130 DEGs were identified to be significantly enriched in 365 GO terms, most of which were involved in biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions in muscle and fat tissues. Three important lipid signaling pathways (pyruvate metabolism, the insulin signaling pathway, and the adipocytokine signaling pathway) were identified among the fat and muscle tissues of broilers. The key common DEGs in these pathways included phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 2 (PCK2), acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 alpha and beta (ACACA and ACACB), and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (AMPK) gene family. Hence, our findings revealed the pathways and key genes and gene families involved in the regulation of fat deposition in the muscle and fat tissues of broilers.