High Mobility Group Box 1-Protein expression in canine haematopoietic cells and influence on canine peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferative activity

High Mobility Group Box 1-Protein (HMGB1) is a nuclear chromosomal protein occurring ubiquitary in mammalian tissues. HMGB1 demonstrates cytokine function and induces inflammation when actively released by haematopoietic cells or passively released during cell necrosis. This study aimed at the determination of HMGB1 expression in different cell types and at the evaluation of the role of HMGB1 in PBMC proliferation. Therefore we investigated the HMGB1 mRNA expression level in different canine haematopoietic cell types and the influence of exogenous rhHMGB1 on canine PBMC proliferation. Differentiated haematopoietic blood cells showed lower relative HMGB1 expression levels compared to CD34+ haematopoietic stem cells. Relative HMGB1 expression seemed also to decrease during differentiation of CD34+ stem cells into dendritic cells. Furthermore, peripheral blood CD14+ monocytes and granulocytes showed a lower relative HMGB1 expression in comparison to CD3+ T-lymphocytes. When exogenous rhHMGB1 at low concentrations was added to single PBMC cultures an increase of proliferation was obvious. However, in higher concentrations HMGB1 lost its stimulative effect. In conclusion, HMGB1 is broadly expressed in canine haematopoietic cells with highest levels in haematopoietic stem cells. HMGB1 induced directly PBMC proliferation.     

Cytogenetic analysis of three oropharyngeal malignant melanomas in dogs.

Three cases of histologically confirmed oropharyngeal malignant melanomas in dogs are presented including clinical examinations and cytogenetic analysis. Case one showed a hyperdiploid karyotype. Case two, a recurrent tumour, had a highly hypodiploid karyotype with supernumerary meta- and submetacentric chromosomes in all metaphases analysed. In the third case, a clonal fusion of chromosome 1 and 25 was observed. Comparing these results with another case of canine cutaneous melanoma as well as with human malignant melanomas reported in the literature, these tumours obviously often show cytogenetic aberrations like aneuploidy and centric fusions.     

Progress in Mapping and Cloning Qualitative and Quantitative Resistance Against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phytophthora infestans</Emphasis> in Potato and Its Wild Relatives

Cultivated potato is susceptible to many pests and pathogens, none of which is more of a threat to potato agriculture than the late blight disease, caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary. To date all efforts to thwart this most adaptive of pathogens have failed, and early attempts to deploy ‘R genes’ introgressed from the wild Mexican hexaploid Solanum demissum ended in abject failure. With the advent of facile gene mapping and cloning, allied to knowledge of plant resistance gene structure, renewed efforts are leading to mapping and isolation of new sources of late blight resistance in potato wild species, many of which are being performed under the auspices of the BIOEXPLOIT project (Sub-project 2). We document recent advances in late blight resistance gene mapping and isolation, and postulate how these genes, allied to knowledge of pathogen effectors and their recognition specificity, may greatly enhance our chances of halting the progress of late blight disease in potato crops worldwide.     

Auffälliges Schadauftreten des Ohrwurms (Forficula auricularia)

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Classification of German white wines with certified brand of origin by multielement quantitation and pattern recognition techniques

A procedure is proposed for the determination of the authenticity of white wines from four German wine-growing regions (Baden, Rheingau, Rheinhessen, and Pfalz) based on their content of some major, trace, and ultratrace elements. One hundred and twenty-seven white wine samples possessing a certificate of origin, all of the 2000 vintage, were analyzed. The concentrations of 13 elements (Li, B, Mg, Ca, V, Mn, Co, Fe, Zn, Rb, Sr, Cs, and Pb) were determined in wine diluted 1:20 by sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SF-ICP-MS). Indium was routinely used as internal standard. Supervised pattern recognition techniques such as discriminant analysis and classification trees were applied for the interpretation of the data. A quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) allowed the four regions to be discriminated with 83% accuracy when using only eight variables (Li, B, Mg, Fe, Zn, Sr, Cs, and Pb), and the prediction ability for classifying new samples was 76%. By use of a second method, a decision tree, the classification of samples coming from the four regions could be performed with an accuracy of 84% when only four elements were used: Li (very low in samples from Baden), Zn (abnormally low in the samples from the Rheingau), and Mg and Sr (both important for the differentiation between Pfalz and Rheinhessen samples). For this method, the prediction ability was only 74% in the identification of unknown samples. The robustness of the QDA model was not good enough, and therefore the tree is better recommended for the classification of new wine samples from these areas of German wine production.     

Calosoma sycophanta als Feind der Nonne

Ohne Zusammenfassung Mit 1 Abbildung.     

High‐mobility group B1 proteins in canine lymphoma: prognostic value of initial and sequential serum levels in treatment outcome following combination chemotherapy

Elevated high‐mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) levels have been demonstrated in different human neoplasias. Information on serum HMGB1 before and during chemotherapy is lacking, as is data pertaining to its prognostic significance. The aim of this study was to characterize serum HMGB1 level in dogs with lymphoma and to assess its influence on the outcome following chemotherapy. Serum HMGB1 concentrations were measured in 16 dogs with lymphoma before treatment (W1) and on weeks 2 (W2), 6 (W6) and 12 (W12) of treatment with chemotherapy. Initial serum HMGB1 levels were significantly higher than HMGB1concentrations in control dogs and the levels in W2, W6 and W12. HMGB1‐W1 concentrations were lower in dogs achieving complete remission than that in the single dog with partial remission. The ratio W12/W6 exhibited significant influence on remission duration. In these dogs with lymphoma, serum HMGB1 was elevated in comparison with that in controls. Initial serum HMGB1 level and its modulation during treatment may possess prognostic value.     

The Suppression of Verticillium Wilt of Potato Using Corn as a Green Manure Crop

Field studies involving the effects of growing sweet corn (Zea mays var. Jubilee sweet corn and var. Jubilee super-sweet corn) as a green manure for 2 or 3 seasons demonstrated both suppression of verticillium wilt by 60–70% (Verticillium dahliae Kleb.) and increased potato yields. Although these treatments showed no direct effect on V. dahliae soil populations, the colonization of V. dahliae on potato feeder-roots and in potato tissue of stem apices were reduced. Feeder-root colonization by V. dahliae was positively correlated with verticillium wilt incidence (P?≤?0.05 to P?≤?0.01) and negatively correlated with yield (P?≤?0.05). Corn green manures additionally increased populations of several soilborne fungi which included Ulocladium, and Fusarium equiseti. Specific nutritional and microbial effects were secondary to the effects of cropping practices. When compared with the fallow treatments for 1994, 1995, and 1997, the percentage yield increases for 1994 were: +34% for total yield, +57% for U.S. #1’s, and +127% for tubers >280 g; for 1995 (a year of reduced degree-days and decreased verticillium incidence): +14% for total yields, +15% for U.S. #1 yields, and +21% for tubers >280 g; for 1997: +24% for yield totals, +74% for U.S. #1’s and +179% for tubers >280 g. For establishing these yield benefits, stalks with and without ears of corn were used as green manures. Corn varieties differed for effectiveness as a green manure, which could be accounted for by differences of biomass. When compared with the super-sweet corn, the sweet corn produced an increase (>2-fold) of biomass with less than half of the resulting wilt incidence. When potato was grown consecutively for 2 years, the benefits from green manures became mostly eliminated. However, following 2 consecutive years of potato, a single green manure of sweet corn was sufficient to return the potato crop to the original benefits of verticillium suppression and increased yields. This occurred even though soilborne V. dahliae inoculum levels had increased by >4-fold from 45 to 182 cfu g^?1 of soil. Results of this study demonstrate the importance of green manures and soil-ecology to the management of the Russet Burbank potato.