Elisa test for the serodiagnosis of Akabane virus infection in cattle

Summary A simple ELISA test has been developed for the detection of IgG and IgM antibodies to Akabane virus in bovine serum. The test is specific and its sensitivity higher than the serum neutralisation assay. Detection of IgM antibodies can serve as a rapid method of diagnosing primary infection with Akabane virus. The superiority of ELISA resides mainly in the rapidity of performance and that it can be performed with inactivated reagents at high dilutions of serum samples. Thus it might enable the surveillance of spread of infection in zones prone to be affected by insect-borne viral diseases.

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La Prueba Elisa Para El Serodiagnostico De La Infeccion En Bovinos Con El Virus De Akabane

Resumen Se desarrolló una prueba ELISA simple, para la detección en sueor bovino de anticuerpos IgG e IgM del virus de Okabane. La prueba es específica y la sensibilidad superior a aquella de la seroneutralización. La detección de anticuerpos IgM puede servir como un método diagnóstico rápido para detectar infecciones primarias causadas por el virus. La superioridad de la prueba ELISA reside principalmente, en la rapidez de ejecución de la misma y que ésta puede realizarse con reactivos inactivados, a altas diluciones de la muestra de suero. Esta prueba ELISA podría facilitar la vigilancia epidemioloógica de la extensión de la enfermedad, en zonas en donde las condiciones ecológicas facilitarían el establecimiento de infecciones transmitidas por insectos.

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Un Test Elisa Pour Le Serodiagnostic De L'Infection A Virus Akabane Chez Le Betail

Résumé Un test ELISA simple a été développé pour la détection dans le sérum bovin des anticorps IgG et IgM dirigés contre le virus Akabane. Le test est spécifique et sa sensibilité est supérieure à celle du test de séro-neutralisation. La détection des anticorps IgM peut servir de méthode rapide pour diagnostiquer une infection primaire par le virus Akabane. La supériorité de l'ELISA réside essentiellement dans la rapidité de son exécution et en ce qu'il peut être réalisé avec des réactifs inactivés, et a de hautes dilutions des échantillons de sérums. De la sorte, il permet la surveillance de la propagation de l'infection dans les zones aptes à être affectées par les maladies transmises par arthropodes.

     

Improvement of phosphorus uptake, phosphorus use efficiency, and grain yield of upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) in response to phosphate-solubilizing bacteria blended with phosphorus fertilizer

Phosphorus (P) limitation in soil is a major concern for crop productivity. However, the use of chemical fertilizer is hazardous to the environment and costly. Therefore, the use of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) is an eco-friendly approach for a sustainable agricultural system. In the present study, a field trial was conducted for two consecutive years to study the effects of three PSB strains isolated, Bacillus licheniformis, Pantoea dispersa, and Staphylococcus sp., with different P fertilizer rates on P uptake, P use efficiency (PUE), and grain yield of rice. The activities of soil enzymes were also studied in relation to PSB treatments. Comparative analysis of the yield and biochemical parameters revealed that inoculation of PSB consortium could reduce almost 50% of the recommended P dose in rice cultivation. Three PSB strains in combination with 50% P dose was most effective and showed the highest increases in P uptake and PUE as compared to the uninoculated control. Moreover, the PSB consortium combined with 50% P dose contributed to 50.58% and 35.64% yield increases compared to the uninoculated control for 2018 and 2019, respectively. Significant increases in the activities of soil dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and acid phosphatase were also recorded under PSB treatment.     

Determination of volatile compounds in different hop varieties by headspace-trap GC/MS--in comparison with conventional hop essential oil analysis

A headspace (HS)-trap method in combination with gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS) was developed for the determination of volatile constituents in hops. The highly sensitive HS-trap system reduces the detection limit by using up to four trap enrichment cycles. Seventy hop samples of different varieties and cultivation regions, from the 2008 harvest, were examined using the HS-trap-GC-MS method and the established "European Brewery Convention" (EBC) method for hop essential oil analysis. Twenty-one different volatiles were quantified for each hop sample. For all compounds, except caryophyllene oxide, a strong correlation was found between the results of the HS-trap method and the EBC method. Experiments have revealed that the EBC method using steam distillation is not appropriate for thermolabile compounds, such as caryophyllene oxide, due to decomposition during boiling. The HS-trap method is fast and sensitive, requires small sample amounts and minimal sample preparation, and is easy to apply.     

The Ashbya gossypii genome as a tool for mapping the ancient Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome

We have sequenced and annotated the genome of the filamentous ascomycete Ashbya gossypii. With a size of only 9.2 megabases, encoding 4718 protein-coding genes, it is the smallest genome of a free-living eukaryote yet characterized. More than 90% of A. gossypii genes show both homology and a particular pattern of synteny with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Analysis of this pattern revealed 300 inversions and translocations that have occurred since divergence of these two species. It also provided compelling evidence that the evolution of S. cerevisiae included a whole genome duplication or fusion of two related species and showed, through inferred ancient gene orders, which of the duplicated genes lost one copy and which retained both copies.     

Antimicrobial ability and growth promoting effects of feed supplemented with probiotic bacterium isolated from gut microflora of Cirrhinus mrigala

The present studies were conducted to isolate, select, identify and characterize gut bacteria as antimicrobial and growth promoting agent for the feed of economically important fish Cirrhinus mrigala. Intestinal microflora were isolated, counted, and identified, and their in vitro antibacterial properties were determined. The results have revealed that occurrence of Gram-negative rods was around 75% and of Gram-positive rods was 25%. Among the isolates Gram-positive were maintained in nutrient agar slants at 4°C. Of these, eight strains were replica-plated on agar seeded with Aeromonas hydrophila and only one strain CM2(C. mrigala 2) exhibited antibacterial properties in vitro showing inhibition against fish pathogen by well diffusion assay. This isolated strain was identified as Bacillus cereus. This bacterium was mass cultured and incorporated in the pelleted diet(40% protein and 18 k J g–1 gross energy) of C. mrigala to investigate its effect on growth performance, digestibility, nutrient retention and activities of digestive enzymes. The results of feeding trial revealed significantly(P<0.05) high growth performance in terms of specific growth rate, growth percent gain in body weight(BD)(272.4±1.5)%, high apparent protein digestibility((79.9±0.30)%) and low food conversion ratio in the group of fishes fed on diet containing B. cereus in comparison to the fishes fed on diet without probiotics. The carcass composition also revealed high accumulation of proteins((15.28±0.15) g 100 g–1) in fishes fed on diet containing probiotics. Intestinal enzyme activities of protease, amylase and cellulase were also significantly(P<0.05) high in the group of fishes fed on diet supplemented with probiotics indicating the extracellular enzyme production by B. cereus. These results indicate that probiotics stimulate the digestion through the supply of digestive enzyme and certain essential nutrients to animals. Also significantly(P<0.05) low excretion of metabolites, i.e., ammonia excretion and phosphate production(mg kg–1 BW d–1) was observed in the fishes fed with probiotic based diets. Thus, B. cereus appears to be a promising candidate for ptobiotic applications which can enhance growth performance and nutrient retention in C. mrigala.     

Digestibility of proteins and starch (in vitro) of amphidiploids (black gram×mung bean) as affected by domestic processing and cooking

The effects of different domestic processing and cooking methods on starch digestibility (in vitro) and protein digestibility (in vitro) of four strains of amphidiploids (black gram×mung bean) were investigated. An increase of 35 to 48% and 22 to 25% was observed in starch digestibility and protein digestibility, respectively, when the seed of amphidiploids were soaked for 18 h. Cooking (both of unsoaked and soaked seeds) and germination improved significantly the starch digestibility and protein digestibility of all the varieties.     

Survival of south african strains of biovar 2 and biovar 3 ofPseudomonas solanacearum in the roots and stems of weeds

Summary South African strains of biovar 2 and biovar 3 ofPseudomonas solanacearum were compared for their ability to survive in the roots and stems of ten weed species. After artificial inoculation with a biovar 2 strain none of the weed species developed wilt symptoms, but the pathogen was isolated from one species,Physalis angulata L. Using inoculum of a biovar 3 strain, two of the weed species developed wilt symptoms (Datura stramonium L.,Solanum nigrum L.), and the pathogen was isolated from four species,Eragrostis curvula, Amaranthus hybridus L.,Datura stramonium L. andSolanum nigrum.