Dermoid sinus at the lumbosacral junction in an English springer spaniel

A dermoid sinus was identified in a springer spaniel that presented with hindlimb neurological deficits. The sinus was continuous with the dura mater at the level of the lumbosacral junction. The presence of hair and debris adjacent to neural tissue had elicited a myelitis. A dorsal laminectomy was required to allow complete surgical resection of the sinus. The dog's neurological status improved after treatment and this improvement was maintained over a five-month follow-up period.     

Roles of stolbur phytoplasma and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Reptalus panzeri</Emphasis> (Cixiinae,Auchenorrhyncha) in the epidemiology of Maize redness in Serbia

Maize redness (MR), a disease causing midrib, leaf and stalk reddening and abnormal ear development in maize, has been reported from Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria for 50 years. Recent epiphytotics reduced yields by 40%–90% in southern Banat, Serbia. MR was recently associated with the presence of the stolbur phytoplasma, although the epidemiology of the disease remained unknown. Diseased fields in southern Banat were surveyed for potential vectors of the phytoplasma during 2005 and 2006, and high populations of Reptalus panzeri were found. In affected fields, 20% of the R. panzeri individuals and 85% of symptomatic maize plants carried the stolbur phytoplasma. When stolbur phytoplasma-infected R. panzeri were introduced into insect-free mesh cages containing healthy maize plants, midrib and leaf reddening developed on 48% of plants and stolbur phytoplasma was detected in 90% of the symptomatic plants. No symptoms or phytoplasma-positive plants were found in cages without insects. These data indicate that MR symptoms are associated with the stolbur phytoplasma. Reptalus panzeri is both abundant in affected fields and can transmit the stolbur phytoplasma, indicating the insect is likely to be a major vector of MR.     

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PIGMENTS AS INDICATORS

(1) Solutions of many fruit pigments act as indicators. (2) These solutions are easily prepared and stable, and the pH range of their color changes is in most cases conveniently near the neutral point (3) As liquid indicators they can be used in titrating acids, but not bases (4)Their greatest usefulness depends upon the fact that very satisfactory test papers can be made with them in a simple and inexpensive way.     

Differential antibody responses to Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in sheep with naturally acquired caseous lymphadenitis

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis cell wall and bacteria-free supernatant with exotoxin preparations as antigens, and hemolysis inhibition tests were used to detect antibodies in the sera of adult range sheep with naturally acquired caseous lymphadenitis (CL). The extent and severity of lesions were quantitated on the basis of a lesion score, derived from an examination of the carcass (peripheral lymphoid tissue) and viscera (including internal lymphoid tissue) at the time of slaughter. The overall prevalence of C pseudotuberculosis-positive CL lesions in 104 sheep was 31.7%. The cell wall ELISA detected antibodies in 96.9% (32/33) of sheep with C pseudotuberculosis-positive CL lesions. The exotoxin ELISA detected antibodies in 84.8% (28/33) of positive sheep in the same group. Both ELISA resulted in a high number of apparent false-positives, with 64.7% and 49.2%, respectively, positive optical density (OD) values in sheep with no gross CL lesions and no apparent C pseudotuberculosis infection. There was no significant relationship between the extent of lesion development (lesion score) and OD values in both cell wall (r = 0.472) and exotoxin (r = 0.464) ELISA. Similarly, there was no significant relationship between the titer of antitoxin antibodies, as measured by the hemolysis inhibition test, and the extent of disease. These investigations indicate that those ELISA that use crude C pseudotuberculosis antigens are of questionable utility in the field, where C pseudotuberculosis infection is endemic in many sheep populations. Furthermore, these studies suggest that antibodies that are reactive with components of C pseudotuberculosis and that develop in response to infection may have little impact on the recovery of the host.     

Some observations on the longevity of Fomes annosus in conifer stumps.

The longevity of Fomes annosus in conifer stumps was assessed in 3 investigations, which showed that the fungus could remain active in stumps for periods of 16 to 62 years.     

Comparative Expression Analysis of Gametogenesis‐Associated Genes in Foetal and Adult Bubaline (Bubalus bubalis) Ovaries and Testes

This study was conducted to identify and analyse the expression of gametogenesis‐associated genes and proteins in foetal and adult buffalo gonads of both the sexes. Relative quantification of the genes was determined by qPCR and Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry was also performed for various gametogenesis‐associated proteins in foetal and adult gonads of both the sexes. We observed significantly (p < 0.05) increased expression of primordial germ cell‐specific, meiotic as well as genes associated with oocyte maturation and development in foetal ovaries as compared to the adult ones. However, significantly (p < 0.05) increased expression of proteins associated with oocyte maturation like GDF9 and ZP4 was found in adult ovaries, indicating temporal regulation of mRNA translation during oogenesis. Meiotic genes showed significantly (p < 0.05) increased expression in adult testes as compared to foetal testes and ovaries, indicating onset of meiosis at a later stage in spermatogenesis. In general, the expression of primordial germ cell‐associated as well as meiotic genes was higher in adult testes, indicating the increased biological activity in the organ. Immunohistochemistry revealed localized expression of gametogenesis‐associated proteins in ovarian follicles and seminiferous tubules of testes, while the surrounding somatic tissues were devoid of these proteins. The study gives an understanding of the sequential and temporal events of gene expression as well as mRNA translation during male and female gametogenesis. It could also be concluded that follicles and seminiferous tubules are the functional units of the female and male gonads, respectively, and their function could be enhanced by appropriate chemical and genetic intervention of the somatic tissue immediately surrounding them. This assumes importance in the context that buffalo attains sexual maturity at an older age of 2–3 years and have smaller ovaries with lesser number of primordial follicles in comparison with cattle, which is suggested to be the main reason of their poor breeding performance.     

Antigen specificity and activity of ovine antibodies induced by immunization with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis culture filtrate

Sheep were immunized three times with a vaccine composed of filtrate from a 36 h culture of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis and a block polymer adjuvant. Immunization resulted in the development of exotoxin-neutralizing antibody. This corresponded to the recognition of a 31.6 kDa protein on sequential immunoblots of ammonium sulfate-precipitated filtrate. In addition sera from vaccinated sheep recognized at least eight bacterial cellular antigens on immunoblots of ether-extracted C. pseudotuberculosis, including bands of 12, 25.1, 31.6, 36.3, 39.8, 63.1, 70, 75 or 79.4 kDa. Sera from these sheep altered the colony growth characteristics of C. pseudotuberculosis in vitro. These results indicate that immunization with soluble C. pseudotuberculosis in vitro. These results indicate that immunization with soluble C. pseudotuberculosis antigen preparations that have been used in toxoid vaccines induces antibody responses to numerous cellular antigens in addition to exotoxin and suggest that serologically mediated antibacterial effects could be an important component in the protection from disease that has been reported following immunization with C. pseudotuberculosis toxoids.     

A Chemoautotrophically Based Cave Ecosystem

Microbial mats discovered in a ground-water ecosystem in southern Romania contain chemoautotrophic bacteria that fix inorganic carbon, using hydrogen sulfide as an energy source. Analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes showed that this chemoautotrophic production is the food base for 48 species of cave-adapted terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, 33 of which are endemic to this ecosystem. This is the only cave ecosystem known to be supported by in situ autotrophic production, and it contains the only terrestrial community known to be chemoautotrophically based.