Pasteurella multocida lipopolysaccharide: the long and the short of it

Pasteurella multocida is a capsulated, gram-negative cocco-bacillus that can cause serious disease in a wide range of mammals and birds. P. multocida strains are classified into 16 serovars based on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antigens. LPS is an essential virulence factor of P. multocida; mutants expressing severely truncated LPS are completely attenuated in chickens. LPS is also a major immunogen of P. multocida and protection against infections caused by P. multocida is generally considered to be serovar specific. In this review we summarize current knowledge of the structure and genetics of LPS assembly of P. multocida strains belonging to five different serovars. These include strains belonging to serovars 1 and 3, the most common serovars found in the poultry industry, and strains belonging serovars 2 and 5, the serovars associated with bovine haemorrhagic septicaemia outbreaks. A number of the serovars are genetically related; serovars 1 and 14 share the same LPS outer core biosynthesis locus, but due to a mutation within the phosphocholine biosynthesis gene, pcgA, the serovar 14 strain produces a truncated LPS structure. Similarly serovars 2 and 5 share an identical LPS outer core locus and express near-identical LPS structures. However, due to a single point mutation in the phosphoethanolamine (PEtn) transferase gene, lpt_3, the serovar 2 strain does not elaborate a PEtn residue on heptose II. Knowledge of the genetic basis for the LPS structures expressed by P. multocida will facilitate the development of rapid molecular methods for typing and diagnosis and will be essential for a rational approach to vaccine formulation.     

勒克瑙根结线虫居群对我国亚热带丝瓜的危害

通过田间对感根结虫病的丝瓜植株取样调查发现 ,勒克瑙根结线虫居群对中国亚热带地区丝瓜生产危害较大 ,受害面积占调查面积的30% ,减产25%以上。研究发现勒克瑙根结线虫居群危害丝瓜的原因是丝瓜属于勒克瑙根结线虫的寄生植物 ;防治勒克瑙根结线虫居群危害最有效、最经济的方法是利用勒克瑙根结线虫属专性植物寄生线虫的生物学特性 ,实行蔬菜品种轮作。     

不同松材线虫虫株接种雪松等寄主后的组织病理学变化

用来自日本和中国的几个松材线虫虫株,分别对黑松、马尾松和雪松进行接种,接种后分离树体内的线虫,并观察树体的组织细胞变化.研究结果表明,2个日本虫株均能使黑松、马尾松和雪松发病并枯死,而中国线虫虫株仅能够使黑松和马尾松发病枯死,不能使雪松致病.接种后不同时间分离线虫,比较线虫在寄主体内的数量消长情况.发现凡接种发病死亡的,其体内线虫数量最多;发病但没有死亡的,其体内线虫数量也较多;中国虫株接种的雪松,一直没有表现任何症状,其体内也分离到了一定数量的线虫.接种后组织病理学变化表明,细胞和组织变化与线虫的移动和扩散有关.黑松和马尾松,接种日本和中国浙江松材线虫虫株后,72 h时皮层和韧皮部的薄壁细胞变形、死亡普遍存在,树脂道泌脂细胞和木射线细胞均遭到线虫破坏.144 h后,皮层、韧皮部、木质部和髓心大量细胞死亡,形成空洞,管胞中可见线虫活动.而对于雪松,接种日本松材线虫虫株后,皮层、韧皮部和形成层细胞死亡,树脂道泌脂细胞和木射线细胞死亡,有少量代谢物聚集.中国松材线虫虫株接种后,初期皮层、韧皮部细胞变形并破坏;但是,细胞的破坏只局限在小范围内.后期皮层、韧皮部细胞被破坏,但形成层完整,木射线和管胞基本完好.     

The diving behaviour of little penguins in Western Australia predisposes them to risk of injury by watercraft

1. The most western little penguin colony globally, and the most northern in Western Australia (WA) is found on Penguin Island, WA. The penguins use coastal bays that are also used extensively by recreational watercraft. These penguins have been found to either dive predominantly to shallow depths of 1–5 m or to depths >8 m. It is thus hypothesized that (a) both the shallow and deeper diving penguins can potentially be disturbed or injured by these watercraft but that the risk will differ between the two diving strategies, and (b) that risk of injury for both is greater during the summer and autumn, when people are more likely to use watercraft.
2. This was tested by attaching data loggers to little penguins during chick rearing and by investigating necropsy records. Diving activity was studied for the very shallow and relatively deeper diving penguins separately, and we considered the penguins were vulnerable to interactions with watercraft when they were within the top 2 m of the water column or at the surface.
3. Shallow‐diving penguins executed >1,200 dives per day, 64% of dives occurred within the top 2 m, and they were vulnerable for approximately two‐thirds of their time at sea. The deeper diving penguins executed fewer dives. Almost half of dives were to ≥10 m, yet they were vulnerable for almost one‐third of their time at sea. Their post‐dive recovery was also longer. Thus, the risk of interaction from watercraft differs depending on the diving behaviour.
4. This study highlights the potential impact to little penguins throughout Australia and New Zealand.

     

Enhancement of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) larval growth by dietary vitamin E in relation to two different levels of essential fatty acids

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of dietary vitamin E on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) growth and survival, at two different highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) levels. Eighteen days old gilthead seabream larvae were fed four formulated experimental diets combining two different dietary levels of HUFAs (M: medium 2.5 + 1.5, DHA + EPA, H: high 5 + 2.5 DHA + EPA g per 100 g) with two different levels of vitamin E (M: medium 540 mg kg^?1, H: high 2900 mg kg^?1): MM, MH, HM, HH (HUFA/vitamin E). After 2‐week feeding trial, the average survival rate was 52.6% and there were no significant differences found among treatments. Increase in vitamin E up to high level markedly improved larval growth, particularly when dietary HUFA levels were lower, suggesting a higher protection value when these fatty acids are more limiting. At medium dietary HUFA levels, increase in vitamin E from medium to high level enhanced larval growth performance in terms of total length. Moreover, increase in vit E enhanced HUFAs content in the larval polar lipids denoting the anti‐oxidative effect of vitamin E.     

Comparison of traditional and environmental DNA survey methods for detecting rare and abundant freshwater fish

1. Detecting rare species is often a necessity for conservation and management, yet challenging for many field survey methods. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a highly promising solution that has been shown to outperform many established survey methods.
2. Macquarie perch (Macquaria australasica) is an endangered native species that has declined significantly in range and abundance. Detection of M. australasica was compared with an abundant alien fish species (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using eDNA and three conventional survey methods: gill nets, electrofishing and fyke nets.
3. eDNA occupancy estimates for both fish species were compared using four different models to investigate what effect these differences have on false positives and false negatives for the rare and common fish species. These models used unadjusted eDNA detections in water samples, eDNA detections that have been screened using a limit of detection method to remove potential false positives, eDNA data supplemented with a second survey method, or eDNA data augmented with sequencing of positive polymerase chain reaction replicates.
4. eDNA surveying as a single detection method was found to be more efficient and sensitive compared with each capture method separately and combined. Occupancy estimates for the common and rare species did not vary significantly between the four site occupancy-detection models, suggesting that supplementary data may not have as much effect on occupancy estimates compared with other approaches such as temporal or spatial sampling.
5. We conclude that eDNA outperforms the three established survey methods for both a rare and common freshwater fish species. Although there was no significant effect of augmenting eDNA survey methods with other survey data, additional data may improve confidence in detection, and provide confirmatory evidence for unexpected or new detections of a species.

     

The impacts of aquaculture development on food security: lessons from Bangladesh

Fish contribute a significant amount of animal protein to the diets of people in Bangladesh, about 63% of which comes from aquatic animals. In Bangladesh, fish is mainly derived from two sources: capture and culture. Aquaculture has shown tremendous growth in the last two decades, exhibiting by about 10% average annual growth in production. Capture fisheries, although still the major source of supply of fish, have become static or are in decline due to over‐fishing and environmental degradation, and it is now believed that aquaculture has the greatest potential to meet the growing demand for fish from the increasing population. At present, aquaculture production accounts for about one‐third of the total fish production in Bangladesh. This paper examines the impact of an aquaculture development project in Bangladesh on food security, with particular emphasis on the poor. The analysis shows a positive impact of aquaculture development on employment, income and consumption. A number of implications for policy in areas that might strengthen these outcomes are discussed and recommendations are presented.     

Management practices and their association with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex prevalence in red deer populations in Southwestern Spain

Intensification of game management may increase the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in wildlife despite eradication programs implemented in cattle herds in the same areas. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the association between wild game management practices and the presence of tuberculosis in red deer populations in Southwestern Spain. Five hundred and fifty-one animals were examined by necropsy to detect tuberculosis-like lesions in the main lymph nodes. Prevalence, as determined by TB-like lesions, was estimated to be 5.1% of animals, with 77% of TB-like lesions confirmed by PCR. Our results suggest that population density, in addition to factors which promote the local aggregation of animals, is factors associated with increased prevalence of TB in red deer populations. We suggest that management practices including supplementary feeding, fencing, water ponds and interaction with domestic livestock should be revised in order to prevent TB in wild deer both.     

The effect on pathogenesis of Newcastle disease virus LaSota strain from a mutation of the fusion cleavage site to a virulent sequence

The principal molecular determinant of virulence of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is the amino acid sequence at the fusion cleavage activation site. To extend the understanding of the role of the fusion cleavage activation site in NDV virulence, the pathogenesis in chickens of a lentogenic LaSota isolate and two infectious clones, NDFL and NDFLtag, were compared. NDFL is an infectious clone of a lentogenic NDV strain (LaSota E13-1), and NDFLtag is the infectious clone with the fusion cleavage site sequence mutated to the virulent motif. NDFL and NDFLtag were described by Peeters et al. The viruses were inoculated intraconjunctivally into groups of 4-wk-old white leghorn chickens and compared in a pathogenesis study for determination of disease causation (clinical signs of disease, gross lesions, histology, virus isolation, and serology) and viral distribution (presence of viral nucleoprotein and mRNA was detected by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, respectively). The modification of the fusion cleavage activation site to the virulent motif in the infectious clone only slightly increased disease severity and viral distribution in the pathogenesis assessment, even though dramatically increased pathogenicity of NDFLtag was confirmed by standard pathogenicity index tests. The result, that the mutated fusion cleavage site of NDV-NDFLtag had only a small influence on pathogenesis in chickens compared to either E13-1 or NDFL, suggests that the pathogenic effects of NDV are not dependent on the fusion cleavage site alone.     

Effects of dietary astaxanthin concentration and feeding period on the skin pigmentation of Australian snapper Pagrus auratus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

A single‐factor experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary astaxanthin concentration on the skin colour of snapper. Snapper (mean weight=129 g) were held in white cages and fed one of seven dietary levels of unesterified astaxanthin (0, 13, 26, 39, 52, 65 or 78 mg astaxanthin kg^?1) for 63 days. Treatments comprised four replicate cages, each containing five fish. The skin colour of all fish was quantified using the CIE L^*, a^*, b^* colour scale after 21, 42 and 63 days. In addition, total carotenoid concentrations of the skin of two fish cage^?1 were determined after 63 days. Supplementing diets with astaxanthin strongly affected redness (a^*) and yellowness (b^*) values of the skin at all sampling times. After 21 days, the a^* values increased linearly as the dietary astaxanthin concentration was increased before a plateau was attained between 39 and 78 mg kg^?1. The b^* values similarly increased above basal levels in all astaxanthin diets. By 42 days, a^* and b^* values increased in magnitude while a plateau remained between 39 and 78 mg kg^?1. After 63 days, there were no further increases in measured colour values, suggesting that maximum pigmentation was imparted in the skin of snapper fed diets >39 mg kg^?1 after 42 days. Similarly, there were no differences in total carotenoid concentrations of the skin of snapper fed diets >39 mg kg^?1 after 63 days. The plateaus that occurred in a^* and b^* values, while still increasing in magnitude between 21 and 42 days, indicate that the rate of astaxanthin deposition in snapper is limited and astaxanthin in diets containing >39 mg astaxanthin kg^?1 is not efficiently utilized. Astaxanthin retention after 63 days was greatest from the 13 mg kg^?1 diet; however, skin pigmentation was not adequate. An astaxanthin concentration of 39 mg kg^?1 provided the second greatest retention in the skin while obtaining maximum pigmentation. To efficiently maximize skin pigmentation, snapper growers should commence feeding diets containing a minimum of 39 mg unesterified astaxanthin kg^?1 at least 42 days before sale.