Restriction endonuclease analysis of Brucella ovis and other Brucella species

Brucella ovis DNA was analysed by using 11 different restriction endonucleases. The most clearly resolved DNA fragment patterns were obtained after digestion with the enzyme Hind III. When DNA preparations from 35 strains of B. ovis were digested with this enzyme, the fragment patterns appeared to be identical. The patterns obtained after Hind III digestion of DNA from one strain each of B. abortus, B. canis and B. melitensis were more similar to each other than to the B. ovis pattern.     

Breed and species comparison of amino acid transport variation in equine erythrocytes

The amino acid permeability of red blood cells from Equus caballus (thoroughbred, Arab, shire and pony), E przewalskii (Przewalski's horse), E asinus (donkey and mule) and E burchelli (common or plains zebra) was measured. Individual animals exhibited stable but widely differing rates of L-[U-14C]alanine uptake in the range 5 to 1554 mumol (litre cells)-1 h-1 (0.2 mM extracellular L-alanine, 37 degrees C). Of the thoroughbreds tested, 30 per cent had red blood cells which were essentially impermeable to L-alanine (5 to 10 mumol (litre cells)-1 h-1, giving transport rates similar to those found previously in amino acid transport-deficient sheep erythrocytes. In contrast, only 3 per cent of the ponies tested had red blood cells impermeable to L-alanine. No cases of erythrocyte amino acid transport deficiency were found in the other horse breeds and species tested.     

The use of [3H] permethrin to investigate the mechanisms underlying its differential toxicity to adult and larval stages of the sheen blowfly Lucilia sericata

Observations suggest that more than one mechanism is responsible for the increased tolerance to permethrin in the larval stage of Lucilia sericata. While the penetration rate of permethrin was much reduced in larvae, they remained more tolerant than adults when this compound was injected. Following the injection of sublethal amounts of [³H]-(1 RS)-trans-permethrin, a substantial proportion of the dose was accumulated and retained in the larval fat body. In adults, less permethrin was absorbed and retained in the tissues. However, compared to the larvae, detoxication was faster, haemoplasm levels were lower, and substantially more breakdown products were excreted. The injection of sublethal amounts of permethrin into the larva led to severe disruption of sensory function. These findings suggest that an important difference may exist between adults and larvae in either the sensitivity of vital sites within the nervous system, or in the sequence of events which follow nervous system disruption and lead to death.     

A study of bovine tuberculosis in domestic animals and wildlife in the MacKenzie Basin and surrounding areas using DNA fingerprinting

The MacKenzie Basin, an area of about 5150 km2 in the South Island of New Zealand, was free of bovine tuberculosis prior to 1980. During the next 13 years, the majority of the cattle and deer herds in this area became infected with Mycobacterium bovis. The history of infection in the MacKenzie Basin has all the characteristics of a newly developed region of endemic tuberculosis with a wildlife reservoir of M. bovis. Tuberculous possums and ferrets were found in the MacKenzie Basin and both may have been a source of infection for domestic animals. DNA fingerprinting of 125 isolates of M. bovis from domestic animals and wildlife by restriction endonuclease analysis revealed two major groups of isolates. The same groups were identified using IS6110 as a DNA probe. Restriction endonuclease analysis enabled one group to be subdivided into seven restriction types and the other group into eight types. Mycobacterium bovis isolates with the most common restriction types were present in both domestic animals and wildlife, indicating that infection had spread between these two groups of animals. DNA fingerprinting also revealed that M. bovis was introduced into the MacKenzie Basin from at least two distinct sources. Furthermore, DNA finger-printing was able to identify probable sources of infection.     

The effect of topical and injected olive oil on knockdown by DDT,dieldrin, methyl parathion,and dimethoate in Musca domestica

Houseflies were pretreated with olive oil by two methods, topical application or injection, then exposed to residues of DDT, dieldrin, methyl parathion, or dimethoate. Knockdown was recorded for normal and pretreated flies. Knockdown rates of pretreated flies were significantly different (generally lower) from normal flies in practically all cases. Protection against knockdown was positively correlated with olive oil-water partition coefficients of the insecticides. The effect of dosage on the degree of protection was investigated with DDT. These data support the possibility that hemolymph distributes insecticides throughout the body in exposed insects.     

A report of tuberculosis in cats in New Zealand, and the examination of strains of Mycobacterium bovis by DNA restriction endonuclease analysis

Mycobacterium bovis was isolated from diagnostic samples from 57 cats submitted to New Zealand Animal Health Laboratories from 1974 to 1986. With six exceptions, these cats came from suburban and rural areas of New Zealand where M.bovis was also present in feral and wild animals, especially the brush-tailed possum. Tuberculous skin lesions were seen in 33 (58%) of the cats. Histologically, these lesions had some similarities to those of cat leprosy. Included in the 57 cats was a group of 12 tuberculous animals which were diagnosed in a suburban veterinary practice over a 3 month period. When these 12 M. bovis isolates were examined by DNA restriction endonuclease analysis, they were found to be identical. This evidence, together with the relatively short period during which the cases occurred, suggested that these cats were exposed to a single source of infection.     

The influence of formulation on Trichoderma biological activity and frosty pod rot management in Theobroma cacao

Frosty pod rot (FPR), caused by Moniliophthora roreri, is responsible for significant losses in Theobroma cacao. Due to limited options for FPR management, biological control methods using Trichoderma are being studied. Combinations of three formulations and two Trichoderma isolates were studied between May 2009 and April 2011. The formulations were 0·3 mL L^?1 of the surfactant BreakThru 100SL (BT), a mixture of 1% w/v Sure‐Jell (source of pectin) and 1% w/v potato dextrose broth (PDB) (PP), and an invert oil emulsion of 50% v/v corn oil/2·5% w/v lecithin/0·5% w/v PDB (COP). Water and fungicide, copper oxychloride, were included as controls. Humidity chamber studies indicated that Trichoderma conidia germinated in all formulations if free water was maintained, while only the COP formulation supported germination under drying conditions. In the field, Trichoderma ovalisporum DIS‐70a and Trichoderma harzianum DIS‐219f were applied monthly in each of the three formulations at a rate of 180 mL per tree, 2·46 × 10⁷ conidia per mL. The COP/DIS‐70a formulation provided the largest yield increase compared to all other treatments, including the fungicide control. Averaged over the 2 years, the COP formulation increased yield to 30·7% healthy pods compared to 9·7% healthy pods in the water control. Although the formulation/isolate combinations did not consistently increase endophytic colonization, the PP/DIS‐219f, COP/DIS‐219f and COP/DIS‐70a combinations increased total endophytic/epiphytic colonization by Trichoderma. The invert corn oil formulation of DIS‐70a significantly enhanced yield of healthy cacao pods over 2 years providing a promising model for optimizing Trichoderma‐based biocontrol strategies.     

Phytase and sodium diformate supplementation in a plant‐based diet improves protein and mineral utilization in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

A basal isonitrogenous and isoenergetic plant‐based diet (Control) was supplemented with either 10 g kg^?1 sodium diformate (NaDF), 4000 FTU kg^?1 phytase (Phy) or a combination of both additives (NaDF + Phy). Three hundred juvenile rainbow trout with an average weight of 120 g were randomly distributed into 12 fibreglass tanks (300 L). After 65 days of trial, fish fed diets containing phytase, NaDF or the combination of both additives showed a higher growth rate (P < 0.05) compared to fish fed Control diet. NaDF increased feed intake (P = 0.032), while phytase inclusion resulted in a better feed conversion ratio (P < 0.0001) and a higher N retention efficiency (P = 0.02) compared with the Control. Apparent digestibility of P, Ca, Mg and Zn was improved by the use of phytase (P < 0.005) as well as P, Ca and Mg retention efficiency in fish (P < 0.0001). Using 4000 FTU kg^?1 phytase in plant‐based diets resulted in a 13% and 50% reduction in N and P loadings, respectively. The use of NaDF in combination with phytase in a plant‐based diet for rainbow trout resulted in a higher weight gain than that when NaDF was used alone.     

Investigation of co‐infections with pathogens associated with gill disease in Atlantic salmon during an amoebic gill disease outbreak

Gill diseases are a complex and multifactorial challenge for marine farmed Atlantic salmon. Co‐infections with putative pathogens are common on farms; however, there is a lack of knowledge in relation to the potential effect co‐infections may have on pathology. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and potential effects of Neoparamoeba perurans, Desmozoon lepeophtherii, Candidatus Branchiomonas cysticola, Tenacibaculum maritimum and salmon gill poxvirus (SGPV) during a longitudinal study on a marine Atlantic salmon farm. Real‐time PCR was used to determine the presence and sequential infection patterns of these pathogens on gill samples collected from stocking until harvest. A number of multilevel models were used to determine the effect of these putative pathogens on gill health (measured as gill histopathology score), while adjusting for the effect of water temperature and time since the last freshwater treatment. Results indicate that between 12 and 16 weeks post‐seawater transfer (wpst), colonization of the gills by all pathogens had commenced and by week 16 of marine production each of the pathogens had been detected. D. lepeophtherii and Candidatus B. cysticola were by far the most prevalent of the potential pathogens detected during this study. Detections of T. maritimum were found to be significantly correlated with temperature showing distinct seasonality. Salmon gill poxvirus was found to be highly sporadic and detected in the first sampling point, suggesting a carryover from the freshwater stage of production. Finally, the model results indicated no clear effect between any of the pathogens. Additionally, the models showed that the only variable which had a consistent effect on the histology score was N. perurans.