C-reactive protein measurement in canine saliva.

An established time-resolved immunofluorometric assay designed for measurement of C-reactive protein (CRP) in canine blood was evaluated and validated for use in canine saliva. C-reactive protein was measured in saliva specimens from 5 healthy dogs before and after the injection of casein and in 37 dogs with different disease conditions. The analytical and functional limits of detection were 0.000053 microg/ml and 0.0091 microg/ml, respectively, and intra- and interassay coefficients of variation ranged between 6.7-9.9% and 8.5-16.5%, respectively. A recovery experiment showed no significant disagreement between detected values and expected ones, and saliva CRP concentration was measured in a linear and proportional manner. A positive correlation was found between CRP levels obtained in saliva and serum samples in the experimental (R2 = 0.76) and clinical studies (R2 = 0.70). The assay was able to detect significant differences between salivary CRP levels in healthy dogs and dogs with inflammatory processes. These results suggest that saliva can be used for CRP measurement in dogs. The use of saliva presents the advantage of an easier and less stressful sampling method for the animals, which might be performed outside of hospital environments.     

Some determinants of the spatio-temporal fire cycle in a mediterranean landscape (Corsica,France)

Based on recent needs to accurately understand fire regimes and post-fire vegetation resilience at a supra-level for carbon cycle studies, this article focusses on the coupled history of fire and vegetation pattern for 40 years on a fire-prone area in central Corsica (France). This area has been submitted since the beginning of the 20^th century to land abandonment and the remaining land management has been largely controlled by frequent fires. Our objectives were to rebuild vegetation and fire maps in order to determine the factors which have driven the spatial and temporal distribution of fires on the area, what were the feed backs on the vegetation dynamics, and the long-term consequences of this inter-relationship. The results show a stable but high frequency of small fires, coupled with forest expansion over the study period. The results particularly illustrate the spatial distribution of fires according to topography and vegetation, leading to a strong contrast between areas never burnt and areas which have been burnt up to 7 times. Fires, when occuring, affect on average 9 to 12% of the S, SE and SW facing slopes (compared to only 2 to 5% for the N facing slopes), spread recurrently over ridge tops, affect all the vegetation types but reburn preferentially shrublands and grasslands. As these fire-proning parameters have also been shown to decrease the regeneration capacity of forests, this study highlights the needs in spatial studies (both in terms of fire spread and vegetation dynamic) to accurately apprehend vegetation dynamic and functionning in fire-prone areas.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Detection of the Defoliating Pathotype of Verticillium dahliae in Infected Olive Plants by Nested PCR

Spread of Verticillium wilt into newly established olive orchards in Andalucía, southern Spain, has caused concern in the olive industry in the region. This spread may result from use of Verticillium dahliae-infected planting material, which can extend distribution of the highly virulent, defoliating (D) pathotype of V. dahliae to new areas. In this study, a molecular diagnostic method for the early in planta detection of D V. dahliae was developed, aimed especially at nursery-produced olive plants. For this purpose, new primers for nested PCR were designed by sequencing a 992-bp RAPD marker of the D pathotype. The use of the specific primers and different nested-PCR protocols allowed the detection of V. dahliae pathotype D DNA in infected root and stem tissues of young olive plants. Detection of the pathogen was effective from the very earliest moments following inoculation of olive plants with a V. dahliae pathotype D conidia suspension as well as in inoculated, though symptomless, plants.     

Induction of an antioxidant enzyme system and other oxidative stress markers associated with compatible and incompatible interactions between chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp.ciceris

To ascertain if active oxygen species play a role in fusarium wilt of chickpea caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris, the degree of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde formation) and the activity levels of diamine oxidase (DAO), an apoplastic H₂O₂-forming oxidase, and several antioxidant enzymes, namely ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), guaiacol-dependent peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), were determined spectrophotometrically in roots and stems of ‘WR315’ (resistant) and ‘JG62’ (susceptible) chickpea cultivars inoculated with the highly virulent race 5 of the pathogen. Moreover, APX, CAT, GPX and SOD were also analysed in roots and stems by gel electrophoresis and activity staining; and the protein levels of APX and SOD in roots were determined by Western blotting. In roots, infection by the pathogen increased lipid peroxidation and CAT and SOD activities, although such responses occurred earlier in the incompatible compared with the compatible interactions. APX, GPX and GR activities were also increased in infected roots, but only in the compatible interaction. In stems, infection by the pathogen increased lipid peroxidation and APX, CAT, SOD and GPX activities only in the compatible interaction, and DAO activity only in the incompatible one. In general, electrophoregrams agreed with the activity levels determined spectrophotometrically and did not reveal any differences in isoenzyme patterns between cultivars or between infected and non-infected plants. Further, Western blots revealed an increase in the root protein levels of APX in the compatible interaction and in those of SOD in both compatible and incompatible interactions. In conclusion, whereas enhanced DAO activity in stems, and earlier increases in lipid peroxidation and CAT and SOD activities in roots, can be associated with resistance to fusarium wilt in chickpea, the induction of the latter three parameters in roots and stems along with that of APX, GR (only in roots) and GPX (only in stems) activities are rather more associated with the establishment of the compatible interaction.     

细胞骨架解聚药物对小麦与叶锈菌互作诱发的细胞过敏性反应的影响

 小麦(Triticum aestivum)品种洛夫林10和叶锈菌小种366组成不亲和组合,小麦叶片发生过敏性坏死反应(HR)是小麦抵抗叶锈菌侵染的重要因素。在接种前给小麦叶片分别预注射微管解聚药物磺草硝(oryzalin)和微丝解聚药物细胞松弛素D (cytochalasin D,CD),结果表明2种药物注射使得寄主因叶锈菌侵染诱导的细胞过敏性坏死数目明显减少,并且注射药物的浓度越大,寄主细胞发生HR的数量越少。说明肌动蛋白和微管蛋白的聚合状态是诱发小麦叶片发生HR防卫反应所必需的,细胞骨架在小麦抵抗叶锈菌侵染过程中可能起着重要作用。     

红肉脐橙果肉中主要色素的定性及色素含量的变化

 运用薄层层析法及二极管阵列检测器与高效液相色谱联用的方法, 确定红肉脐橙果肉中含有番茄红素和β- 胡萝卜素两种主要色素, 它们在液相色谱图中占总峰面积(计溶剂峰) 的73. 57 %～77. 78 % , 番茄红素占55. 36 %～58. 49 % , β- 胡萝卜素占18. 21 %～19. 93 %。利用反相高效液相色谱仪以及番茄红素和β- 胡萝卜素标样制作标准曲线, 测定果实发育及室温贮存过程中色素的变化动态, 结果表明, 该脐橙果肉中的番茄红素在成熟期含量最高, 达109. 67μg·g^-1DM, β- 胡萝卜素此时也达到最高值(15. 52μg·g^-1DM) ; 番茄红素的含量在采收后基本呈下降趋势(但采后30 d 有显著升高) , 说明果肉中存在类胡萝卜素采后合成的现象; 贮存4 个月后, 番茄红素含量急剧降低至最高时的1/ 10。     

红肉脐橙(Citrus sinensis L.)果肉中特征色素提取方法探索

红肉脐橙是目前为止惟一果肉呈粉红色或红色的脐橙,其呈色色素尚未见报道。为深入研究其果肉中特征色素的构成及在果实生长发育和贮存过程中色素含量的变化,本研究在对该色素初步定性的基础上对提取方法进行了探索。在分析红肉脐橙果肉中色素萃取液的紫外可见吸收光谱时发现,该色素有类胡萝卜素的特征吸收峰,将萃取液进行薄层层析则进一步证实其内含有番茄红素。在色素提取的前处理方式上,本研究认为冷冻干燥样品的浸提效果较真空干燥的样品稳定(变异系数小),且浸提率相差无几,所以选择冷冻干燥作为合适的样品前处理方式。色素浸提条件的正交实验结果表明,最佳浸提条件为50℃、1.5h内浸提4次,浸提的料液比为1:60。此外,浸提温度、浸提时间、浸提料液比和浸提次数对浸提率都有显著影响,影响最大的因素是浸提温度,最佳温度为50℃,随温度降低浸提率显著降低。其次是侵提时间的长短,最佳浸提时间为1.5h,延长或缩短0.5h都会使浸提率下降。浸提次数对浸提率的影响是最小的。     

柑橘类果实汁胞的红色现象及其呈色色素

柑橘类果实中不乏汁胞为红色类型者,如红肉葡萄柚(Citrus paradisii Macf.)的粉红色是番茄红素所致,血橙(C.sinensis L.)的血红色来源于花青素,此外,还有红色的红江橙(C.sinensis L.)、橙红色的元红(C.reticulata Blan-co)和紫红色的五布红心柚(C.grandis L.)等,它们因色泽鲜艳而具备特殊的市场潜力,但呈色色素尚未见报道。在符合审美观的同时,红色汁胞品种还具有特殊的营养价值,如类黄酮、类胡萝卜素等色素富集可软化血管、抗癌、抗氧化及消除体内自由基等。综合有关文献,首次将国内外主要红色汁胞柑橘品种依宽皮柑橘、甜橙、柚、葡萄柚及杂柑等分类进行综述,分析可能的呈色色素,阐明导致红色性状产生的两类色素—花青素、类胡萝卜素生物合成途径     

Identification ofTomato Mottle Taino Begomovirus strains in Cuban potato fields

The presence of a begomovirus in potato plants with yellow mottle symptoms was determined for the first time in Cuba. The incidence of typical begomovirus-like symptoms in potato plants in some regions of Havana province (Güira de Melena, San José de las Lajas, Güines and Boyeros) during the growing seasons from 1992 to 1998 was in general low. However, in some cultivars belonging to the National Program for Potato Genetic Improvement, the incidence reached 100%. Yield losses, determined in 1992 and 1994, ranged as high as 19% to 56.33% depending on the cultivar. Characterization of the causal agent was done by light microscopy, host range (graft and mechanical transmission), DNA hybridizations, polymerase chain reaction, and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Nucleotide sequence of the amplified fragments revealed the presence ofTomato mottle Taino virus. The virus was transmittedvia tubers and has been detected in mixed infections withPotato virus X and withPotato leaf roll virus. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Oct. 20, 2003. The first two authors contributed equally to this work.     

昆虫病原线虫和共生细菌培养系统中噬菌体的检测

本文利用紫外照射、温度、pH、盐度诱导五株溶源性共生菌株Xenorhabdus和Photorhabdus同时测定斯氏和异小杆属线虫Steinernema carpocapsae A24,S.carpacapsae ALL,S.feltiae English,S.feltiae SN,Heterorhabditis bacterophora H06在体外培养过程中是否存在感染共生细菌的噬菌体。结果未发现噬菌斑，说明实验菌株在实验诱导条件下以及昆虫病原线虫固体培养系统中不可能诱发噬菌体的危害。