Characterization of protein fractions from Bt-transgenic and non-transgenic maize varieties using perfusion and monolithic RP-HPLC. Maize differentiation by multivariate analysis

Protein fractions from transgenic Bt and non-transgenic maize varieties, extracted by the Osborne solvent fraction procedure, were characterized for the first time by perfusion and monolithic RP-HPLC in very short analysis times. Albumins and globulins from different transgenic Bt maizes as well as from their non-transgenic isogenic varieties were eluted in four peaks using perfusion RP-HPLC, whereas prolamins and glutelins were separated in seven peaks. Monolithic RP-HPLC enabled the separation of maize proteins in a large number of peaks showing 6 and 10 main peaks for albumins and globulins, respectively. Prolamins migrated at retention times higher than 5 min as seven peaks, whereas glutelins were separated in three main peaks appearing at retention times higher than 6.0 min. Moreover, chromatograms of the whole protein extracts showed 8 and 11 components for perfusion and monolithic RP-HPLC, respectively. A comparison of the chromatograms of the whole protein extracts relative to transgenic and non-transgenic varieties evidenced quantitative differences on the percentages of area, mainly for peaks 2 and 3 by perfusion RP-HPLC and for peaks 3 and 7 by monolithic RP-HPLC. A discriminant analysis based on these proteic profiles was carried out to classify and predict transgenic Bt maize lines, achieving 100% correct classification using perfusion RP-HPLC.     

An investigation of the effects of ketoprofen following rumen fistulation surgery in lactating dairy cows

Post-operative pain management following rumen surgery is not common practice. We examined the effect of providing the pain medication ketoprofen to dairy cattle following the first stage of a rumen cannulation surgery, which involves an incision in the body wall and exteriorizing and clamping the rumen. The results of this study provide clear evidence that the first stage of the surgery was painful and ketoprofen at the time of and 24 h following surgery, alleviated some, but not all, of the post-surgical pain. Pain mitigation should be included when performing flank surgery in cattle.     

Occurrence and present status of coastal dolphins (Delphinus delphis and Tursiops truncatus) in the eastern Ionian Sea

• 1. Boat surveys aimed at studying short‐beaked common dolphins and common bottlenose dolphins in eastern Ionian Sea coastal waters were conducted between 1993 and 2003. During 835 survey days, 24 771 km of total effort was distributed within an area of 480 km², resulting in 428 common dolphin and 235 bottlenose dolphin sightings.
• 2. Individual photo‐identification was performed extensively throughout this study, making it possible to monitor the number of animals seen in the study area each year and their long‐term residency patterns.
• 3. Common dolphins declined across the study period, from 2.18 encounters/100 km in 1997 to 0.40 encounters/100 km in 2003. In contrast, there was a relatively stable presence of bottlenose dolphins, some individuals showing high levels of site fidelity and others using the area only occasionally.
• 4. The local decline of common dolphins and the low density of bottlenose dolphins appeared to reflect the general status of these cetacean species in the wider Mediterranean region, where common dolphins were classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List in 2003.
• 5. Based on the available evidence, we infer that the present unfavourable status of common dolphins in eastern Ionian Sea coastal waters is largely a consequence of prey depletion.

Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Space–time patterns of co‐variation of biodiversity and primary production in phytoplankton guilds of coastal marine environments

• 1. The relevance of biodiversity to ecosystem processes is a major topic in ecology. Here, we analyse the relationship between biodiversity and productivity of the nano‐ and micro‐phytoplankton guilds in coastal marine ecosystems.
• 2. The patterns of variation of species richness, diversity and primary productivity (as ¹⁴C assimilation) were studied in two marine areas: a eutrophic–mesotrophic area beside the River Po delta (northern Adriatic) and an oligotrophic area around the Salento peninsula (southern Adriatic–Ionian). The study was carried out at 23 sites in the northern area and at 45 sites in the southern area. Sites were arranged on expected spatial and temporal gradients of primary productivity variation, according to distance from the coast, optical depths and seasonal period.
• 3. 167 taxa were identified in the northern area and 153 taxa in the southern area. In both areas, the taxonomic composition of the nano‐ and micro‐phytoplankton guilds exhibited greater temporal than spatial variation. The latter was much higher in the southern area than in the northern area (average dissimilarity between stations being 70.7±0.8% and 44.7±4.2% respectively).
• 4. Primary productivity varied in space and time on the gradients considered. Phytoplankton species richness and diversity exhibited significant patterns of variation in space and time; overall, these were inversely related to the primary productivity patterns in the northern area, whereas they were directly related in the southern area.
• 5. The small individual size and the high turnover rate of phytoplankton are likely to underlie the observed relationships, which emphasized a threshold response to nutrient enrichment in agreement with the ‘paradox of enrichment’. Under resource enrichment conditions, the high turnover of producers leads to hierarchical partitioning of the available resources with an increasing dominance of a few species. Therefore, the relationship observed here seems likely to be explained by the complementarity hypothesis.

Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Separation of olive proteins combining a simple extraction method and a selective capillary electrophoresis (CE) approach: application to raw and table olive samples

A simple extraction method was developed to extract proteins from olive samples based on chloroform/methanol extraction followed by a protein precipitation with cold acetone. Then, a capillary electrophoresis (CE) method was carried out using an acid buffer (1 M formic acid at pH 2) to ensure a positive net charge for proteins and a neutral charge for potential interferents as polyphenols. The method developed was applied to raw and table olive samples. Interestingly, raw olive samples showed differences in protein profiles depending upon the botanical variety of olives and their geographical region. Protein profiles obtained for table olives also showed differences according to the sample treatment. Thus, a signal reduction in the electropherograms obtained for black olives was observed in comparison to those achieved for treated green olives. In this work, the use of protein profiles was demonstrated to be a powerful tool for studying variations among olive samples.     

APPEARANCE OF THE SACROILIAC JOINT IN VENTRODORSAL RADIOGRAPHS OF THE NORMAL CANINE PELVIS

Radiology of the canine sacroiliac (SI) joint was investigated by obtaining ventrodorsal radiographs of cadaveric pelves and bone specimens (n = 40) marked with solder wire or radiopaque paint to demonstrate the orientation of the sacroiliac joint in various radiographic views. In the following retrospective radiographic study (n = 94 survey sacroiliac joint radiographs), central projections of the sacrum were noted to ease identification of the dorsal, middle and ventral joint components, whereas angled projections of the sacrum had advantages when assessing the cranial joint components. Radiographic assessment was already successful in juvenile dogs older than 5 months. Failure in tracing the outlines of the joint space of the sacroiliac joints is not consistent with alteration of the SI joint. Rather, it was felt that alterations would have assisted in identifying the contours of the SI joints because of an increase in mineralization.