Efficacy of Beauveria bassiana against the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in Taiwan

BACKGROUND: Combining biological control and chemical control could be used for controlling red imported fire ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta, more effectively. Beauveria bassiana F256, a local strain from Taiwan, was evaluated for its efficacy in the control of S. invicta under both laboratory and field conditions. RESULTS: The efficacies of different doses of B. bassiana (Bb) using direct application and bait formulation methods were compared. The number of RIFA workers killed by the direct application of Bb or by bait were significantly higher than those of the control, with different rates of efficacy under laboratory conditions. Under field conditions, the direct application of Bb into RIFA mounds was more efficient in inactivating the mounds than the bait application. CONCLUSION: It was shown that B. bassiana is able to control S. invicta under both laboratory and field conditions and can be used as a biocontrol agent against RIFA in Taiwan. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Contribution of receptor editing to the antibody repertoire

Receptor editing, clonal deletion, and anergy are the mechanisms by which B cells maintain tolerance to self antigens. To determine the extent to which receptor editing shapes the normal antibody repertoire, we generated an immunoglobulin kappa polymorphism that facilitates the detection of editing of immunoglobulin light chains in vivo. We found that B cells are targeted for editing during a 2-hour delay in development at the pre-BII cell stage, and that about 25% of all antibody molecules are produced by gene replacement. These results suggest that receptor editing represents a major force in shaping the antibody repertoire.     

Survey for viruses-particularly begomoviruses-infecting pepper crops in China.

Viruses are considered the most important constraint to hot and sweet pepper （Capsicum sp.） production in China, from which nine viruses have been reported （Wang X.P. et al., 2002）. However, so far no information has been available about the presence of begomoviruses in peppers. From 1999 to 2005, 762 leaf tissue samples were collected from farmers＇ fields in 13 provinces, namely Yunnan, Guangxi, Hainan, Guangdong and Guizhou in the south, Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi and Henan in the central region, and Hebei and Heilongjiang in the north, and showed typical virus symptoms such as mottling, mosaic, yellowing and leaf deformations including leafcurling. Polymerase chain reaction with the degenerate primer pair PAL1 v 1978/PARlc 715 （M.R.Rojas et al., 1993） was used to test DNA extracts for the presence of begomoviruses. Leaf homogenates were tested by DAS-ELISA for the presence of other common chilli-infecting viruses such as Cucumber mosaic virus （CMV）, Chilli veinal mottle virus （ChiVMV）, Potato virus Y （PVY）, Tomato mosaic virus （ToMV）, Pepper mild mottle virus （PMMV） and Pepper veinal mottle virus （PVMV）, the latter reportedly known to occur throughout Africa （Dafalla G.A., 2003）.     

Isovaleric and -methylbutyric acidemias induced by hypoglycin A: mechanism of Jamaican vomiting sickness

Hypoglycin A, the causative agent of the Jamaican vomiting sickness, produced a marked increase in concentration of isovaleric acid in the plasma of rats, when administered in a single dose. alpha-Methylbutyric acid, a position isomer, also accumulated. The use of hypoglycin A reproduced some features of human isovaleric acidemia. Accumulation of these branched pentanoic acids may be another factor contributing to the pathogenesis of the Jamaican vomiting sickness.     

Downregulation of L3T4+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes by interleukin-2

Proliferation of activated cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) that recognize foreign histocompatibility antigens is induced by interleukin-2, a potent immunoregulatory molecule originally described as T cell growth factor. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is widely used to isolate and induce clonal expansion of CTLs for functional studies in vitro and in vivo. However, in studies with CTLs specific for class I and class II histocompatibility antigens, IL-2 rapidly downregulated the lytic activity of some class II-specific CTLs in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Lytic activity of L3T4+ CTLs specific for the murine class II antigen I-Ek was repeatedly up- and downregulated in vitro by alternate exposure to specific (alloantigen) and nonspecific (recombinant IL-2) signals, respectively. These results demonstrate that some CTLs modulate their functional property (cytolysis) while undergoing IL-2-driven cell proliferation without loss of antigen specificity or ability to revert to a lytic phenotype.     

Suppression of HIV infection in AZT-treated SCID-hu mice

The SCID-hu mouse, engrafted with human hematolymphoid organs, is permissive for infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This mouse model was used to test compounds for antiviral efficacy. Two weeks after infection with HIV, 100 percent (40/40) of SCID-hu mice were positive for HIV by the polymerase chain reaction. When first treated with 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT), none (0/17) were HIV-positive by this assay. However, AZT-treated SCID-hu mice did have a few infected cells; after AZT treatment was stopped, viral spread was detected by polymerase chain reaction in such mice. Thus, the SCID-hu mouse provides a means to directly compare new antiviral compounds with AZT and to further improve antiviral efficacy.     

Articular/epiphyseal osteochondrosis in Thoroughbred foals at 5 months of age: Influences of growth of the foal and prenatal copper supplementation of the dam

AIMS: To determine the influence of copper (Cu) supplementation by injection of mares in late gestation on the frequency and severity of osteochondrosis (OC) lesions in their foals at around 160 days of age. To determine if there was any influence of the concentration of Cu in the liver, growth rate, birthweight, weight at 160 days of age, fatness, sex, or year of birth of the foal on the frequency and severity of OC lesions. To determine the influence of dam's age, and sex and birthweight of the foal on the growth rate from birth to 160 days of age, and weight at 160 days of age.

METHODS: Thirty-three Thoroughbred foals, born in two consecutive years, were weighed every 2 weeks from birth. The dams had been supplemented with parenteral Cu or saline during late gestation, and the supplementation regimens were different in each year. Foals had liver biopsies harvested at birth for determination of Cu concentration. Pasture samples were collected every 4–8 weeks for analysis of concentration of Cu and zinc (Zn). At 160 days of age, articular cartilage of long bones was examined. Gross lesions were counted and scored, then sawn and radiographed, and processed for histopathology. Lesions were given radiographic scores and histopathological scores. Maximum scores for each lesion were combined to give a total OC score for each joint and each foal. The fatness of 20 foals (10 each from Years 1 and 2) at 160 days of age was determined chemically.

RESULTS: Supplementation of dams with Cu had no significant effect on the concentration of Cu in the liver of foals at birth, or on the frequency or severity of lesions in articular cartilage at 160 days of age. The Cu and Zn concentrations of pasture were similar in Years 1 and 2, and were lower than current recommendations. All foals in Year 2, and 9/10 foals in Year 1 had irregularities in cartilage that was confirmed histologically to be indicative of OC. The average number of lesions per foal was 4.7 (SD 1.1) and 5.7 (SD 1.1) in Years 1 and 2, respectively. However, the severity of the lesions was considered mild, and no foals showed any clinical evidence of OC while alive. The number of lesions in the tarsocrural (TC) joint and the TC OC score at 160 days were positively associated with average daily weight gain (ADG) in the previous 4 weeks (p=0.005 and p=0.001, respectively). There was no significant effect of sex, fatness, birth-weight, weight at 160 days of age, or year of birth of the foal on the frequency and severity of OC lesions.

CONCLUSIONS: Many of the lesions classified as OC, using classification systems described by other authors, were likely to be normal variations of the process of endochondral ossification. Despite the high frequency of such lesions, they were considered to be of minor significance and none were clinically evident. The distribution of lesions was not typical, and most probably reflected the subtlety of the lesions. These results support the hypothesis that Cu is an over-emphasised factor in the aetiopathogenesis of OC. The relationship between subtle macroscopic lesions and lesions resulting in clinical signs of disease requires further investigation.