Mutations in the juxtamembrane domain of c-KIT are associated with higher grade mast cell tumors in dogs

Mast cell tumors are among the most commonly seen tumors of the skin in dogs and are more highly aggressive than mast cell tumors of other species. Some breeds display a markedly higher incidence of mast cell tumor development than others and appear to have some genetic predisposition. Recently, mutations have been found in canine mast cell tumor tissues and cell lines within the juxtamembrane domain of the protooncogene c-KIT In previous studies utilizing a small number of cases, no association between the presence of a mutation and the breed of dog or grade of the tumor could be identified. An expanded study with a larger sample set was performed to explore this possibility. The juxtamembrane domain of c-KIT was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction from genomic DNA preparations of 88 paraffin-embedded mast cell tumors from selected breeds. Mutations, consisting of duplications and deletions, were found in 12 of the tumors. A significant association was found between the presence of a mutation and a higher grade of tumor but not between breed and grade or between breed and the presence of a mutation.     

Carbon kinetics of milk formation in Holstein cows in late lactation

Carbon transfer to milk in Holstein cows in late lactation was measured by introducing changes in the natural stable carbon isotope composition of the feed. Six Holstein cows in mid-lactation were placed on a diet naturally low in 13C (-25.0% vs Pee Dee belemnite [PDB] an international carbon isotope standard), based on alfalfa-barley, and six others were placed on a diet naturally enriched in 13C (-11.5% vs PDB), based on corn. After a 7-wk equilibration period on these diets, three cows were switched from alfalfa-barley to corn, and three were switched from corn to alfalfa-barley. The three other cows in each group served as controls. 13C/12C ratios were measured in daily morning milk samples during the week before and for 6 wk after the changes in diet. After the diets had been switched, milk isotope ratios rapidly approached the isotopic composition of the new diet, indicating rapid transfer of dietary carbon into milk. The data were consistent with a model whereby milk was synthesized from a single precursor pool that responded rapidly to dietary perturbation. The milk precursor pool had a half-life of approximately .9 d and had a mass of approximately 7 kg of carbon, which was renewed daily by the entry of 5 kg of digestible dietary carbon.     

Field evaluation of insect-resistant transgenic Populus nigra trees

The performance of insect-resistant transgenic poplar trees (Populusnigra) expressing a Cry1Ac gene from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. Kurstaki HD-1 against poplar defoliators was evaluated in the field at the Manas Forest Station in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region during1994–1997. The results showed that the average percentage of highly damaged leaves on the transgenic trees was 10% while that on the control trees in nearby plantations reached 80–90%. The average number of pupae per m² of soil at 20cm depth in transgenic poplar plantation was 18 which was only 20% of that found in the non-transgenic control field. The number of pupae and the leaf-damage on transgenic trees described above are all far below the threshold set for chemical protection measures. The non-transformed poplar trees grown in the same plantation with the transgenic trees were also protected indicating that cross protection occurred between these two kinds of trees. Insect-resistant transgenic poplar trees have a potential application value in afforestation. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Transpiration increases during the dry season: patterns of tree water use in eucalypt open-forests of northern Australia

Australian savannas exhibit marked seasonality in precipitation, with more than 90% of the annual total falling between October and May. The dry season is characterized by declining soil water availability and high vapor pressure deficits (up to 2.5 kPa). We used heat pulse technology to measure whole-tree transpiration rates on a daily and seasonal basis for the two dominant eucalypts at a site near Darwin, Australia. Contrary to expectations, transpiration rates were higher during the dry season than during the wet season, largely because of increased evaporative demand and the exploitation of groundwater reserves by the trees. Transpiration rates exhibited a marked hysteresis in relation to vapor pressure deficit, which was more marked in the dry season than in the wet season. This result may be attributable to low soil hydraulic conductivity, or the use of stored stem water, or both. Tree water use was strongly correlated with leaf area and diameter at breast height and there were no differences in transpiration between the species studied. These results are discussed in relation to scaling tree water use to stand water use.