The effect of feeding a novel multistrain yeast fraction on European seabass (Dicentrachus labrax) intestinal health and growth performance

Fish were fed a single‐strain yeast fraction (SsYF; 2 g/kg) or a multistrain yeast fraction (MsYF; 0.8 g/kg) for 10 weeks. The results demonstrated significant (p ≤ 0.03) elevations in weight gain, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio, and feed conversion ratio in fish fed the yeast fraction‐supplemented diets. In the distal intestine, a significant elevation in microvilli density was observed after 5 and 10 weeks of dietary supplementation with MsYF and SsYF, respectively, compared to control fed fish (p < 0.001). A significant elevation (p = 0.02) in the perimeter ratio was observed in fish fed diets supplemented with the yeast fractions. After 10 weeks of feeding on the experimental diets, Rt‐qPCR demonstrated a significant downregulation (p < 0.05) in the stress response genes, heat‐shock protein 70 (hsp70) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (pcna), in fish fed diets supplemented with the yeast fractions. Significant (p < 0.05) elevations in interleukin 1‐beta (il1β) and interleukin‐10 (il10) gene expression were observed in fish fed diets supplemented with the MsYF compared to the other dietary groups. These findings suggest that feeding an MsYF specifically at a lower incorporation rate < 1 g/kg, compared to a commercial SsYF at 2 g/kg, is effective in improving the intestinal health status and growth performance of European seabass.     

欧洲葡萄‘粉红亚都蜜’NAC基因DRL1负向调节植物抗旱性

以欧洲葡萄‘粉红亚都蜜’（Vitis vinifera‘Yatomo Rose’）为材料，利用荧光定量PCR技术和转基因技术研究葡萄NAC转录因子DRL1基因对逆境的响应。欧洲葡萄‘粉红亚都蜜’在激素和逆境胁迫下，DRL1表达呈下降趋势，其中以ABA和干旱胁迫处理最为显著。在ABA处理下DRL1转基因烟草株系种子萌发率和根长均高于野生型。干旱处理下，转基因植株对干旱的耐受性降低，同时胁迫相关基因NtLEA5、NtP5CR1、NtPSCS1、NtERD10C和NtDREB3的表达水平比野生型显著下降。此外，DRL1转基因烟草茎中柱发育受到抑制，尤其是导管横切面积仅为野生型的58%。以上结果表明，DRL1基因可能作为1个负向调节子参与植物的干旱胁迫。     

Comparison of outcomes following treatment of septic calcaneal bursitis by needle or bursoscopic lavage: A retrospective study of 29 horses

Sepsis of the calcaneal bursae (CB) presents significant treatment challenges with limited clinical data available in the literature. The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to assess the clinical outcomes associated with CB lavage using either a through-and-through needle or bursoscopic technique. Clinical records of 29 horses treated for septic calcaneal bursitis using either technique between 2005 and 2019 were reviewed. Fisher’s exact test was used to assess statistical significance between first surgical technique and success at first surgery (i.e. not requiring >1 lavage), survival to discharge and return to work (RTW). Bursoscopy was performed in 13/29 (44.8%) cases, and needle lavage in 16/29 (55.2%). In the needle group, 12 (75%) horses were discharged following the first surgery. Four had repeat interventions; two (12.5%) had needle lavage and two (12.5%) had bursoscopy. Of the two horses to have repeat needle lavage, one was subjected to euthanasia and one discharged, and of the two that underwent bursoscopy, one was discharged and one received a third bursoscopy prior to discharge. In the bursoscopy group, seven (53.8%) were discharged and three (23.1%) were subjected to euthanasia following the first surgery. Three (23.1%) received a second bursoscopic lavage with one discharged, one subjected to euthanasia and one having a third bursoscopic lavage prior to discharge. Overall, 18/24 (75%) followed up cases RTW, 10 (55.5%) from the needle group, eight (44.4%) the bursoscopy group. No statistically significant differences between first surgical technique used and success at first surgery (no subsequent lavage(s) required), survival to discharge or return to work were detected. The main limitations of this study are that it is a retrospective study, has a small population with limited statistical power and potential selection bias. No statistically significant differences existed between the outcomes of the two techniques, contrary to the belief that bursoscopic lavage is superior. Larger, multicentred studies, with greater statistical power are required to further assess this relationship.     

Impact of soil water content on maize responses to the plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium Azospirillum lipoferum CRT1

Members of the bacterial genus Azospirillum are root-associated bacteria that increase yield in cereals by promoting growth and alleviating drought stress. How plants integrate the many bacterium-derived growth-promoting stimuli with other environmental factors to generate a coordinated response remains unresolved. Using a commercial Azospirillum strain, A. lipoferum CRT1 and two host maize cultivars, it was observed that bacterization reduced the drought-induced increase in lateral root growth and enhanced the flood-induced increase in lateral root growth in the more drought- and flood-sensitive cultivar. In the other one, A. lipoferum CRT1 only elicited a moderate root growth response under low soil water potential. The photosynthetic potential and activity were increased in the earlier cultivar and decreased in the later one, irrespective of the soil water content. No impact of the bacterium was seen on the growth of the leaves of both cultivars under both stresses until the third leaf stage, therefore suggesting that it is a consequence of multiple primary adaptations to biotic and abiotic stresses. It is suggested that host–bacteria recognition leads to a stress-specific modulation of the root response and a differential stress-independent effect on photosynthesis. This is the first report of the impact of Azospirillum under flood conditions.     

紫花槭秋季叶色表达转录组初步分析

为了丰富紫花槭转录组数据,进一步开展紫花槭秋季叶片呈色机制研究.本研究以紫花槭秋季转色期三个阶段(前期,中期,后期)叶片为材料,采用高通量测序技术进行转录组初步分析.转录组数据共获得50501条Unigene,有35316条Unigene在数据库中得到注释,其中NR数据库中注释到的Unigene数量最多,共35024条,占69.4％.在注释到的物种中,紫花槭比对的Unigene与甜橙(Citrus sinensis)相似度最高,共有4290条,占12.25％.紫花槭转录组中的Unigene根据GO功能可分为生物学过程、细胞组分和分子功能3大类,共有25375条,其中生物学过程的基因最多,主要聚集于代谢过程和细胞过程等.基于Unigene库的基因结构分析,其中SSR分析共获得12711个SSR标记,占Unigene总数的36％.SSR位点共包含150种重复基元,单碱基重复所占比例最高(7184个,61.86％),四碱基重复、五碱基重复和六碱基重复所占比例较低.Unigene库中共有328239个SNP位点,发生频率为1/190 bp,SNP位点分为转换和颠换两种类型的碱基替换方式,其中碱基转换位点213787个(65.13％),碱基颠换位点114452个(34.87％),碱基转换类型发生频率高于颠换类型.6种单碱基变异中,2种转换类型A/G、C/T的发生频率分别为33.03％和32.10％;4种颠换类型中A/T发生频率最高,为11.52％;C/G发生频率最低,为5.79％.紫花槭转录组秋季叶色表达的转录组分析,可为紫花槭叶色基因调控、定向分子育种和培育彩叶新品种提供研究提供基础的数据信息.     

Embodied Resources in Fish and Shrimp Feeds

Global averages were obtained for amounts of energy, land, water, wildfish, nitrogen, and phosphorus embodied in aquaculture feed ingredients. These data allowed amounts of these embodied resources to be calculated for typical feed formulations for channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus; hybrid catfish, I. punctatus♀ × I. furcatus♂; Vietnamese catfish, Pangasius spp.; Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar; rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss; tilapia, Oreochromis spp.; whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei; and black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon. Embodied resource use per m.t. of feed varied among species: energy, 4.90–12.48 GJ/m.t.; land, 0.082–0.312 ha/m.t.; water, 502–1227 m³/m.t.; wildfish, 0–2880 kg/m.t.; nitrogen, 3.08–8.63 kg/m.t.; phosphorus, 1.16–5.62 kg/m.t. These calculations did not account for variations in site‐specific factors related to embodied resources and feed composition and use. But they suggest that reducing feed conversion ratio (FCR) by 0.1 unit for the seven species (species groups) could potentially reduce feed use by around 1.1 million tonne (Mt) while conserving 9.8 million GJ of energy, 270,000 ha of agricultural land, 1.4 billion m³ of freshwater, and 1.24 Mt of wildfish. Reduction of the FCR is a powerful means of lessening farm‐level production costs and negative impacts of feed production and use.     

Effects of Feeding Frequency on Apparent Energy and Nutrient Digestibility/Availability of Channel Catfish,Ictalurus punctatus,Reared at Optimal and Suboptimal Temperatures

This study examined the effects of feeding frequency (daily versus every other day [EOD]) on nutrient digestibility/availability of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, reared at optimal (30 C) and suboptimal (24 C) temperatures. A 28% protein practical diet was used as the test diet, and chromic oxide was used at 0.75% of the diet as a maker. Twenty channel catfish of a mean weight of 141 g/fish were stocked into 12 flow‐through aquaria (110 L). Fish were fed daily or EOD to apparent satiation for 7 d before fecal samples were collected by the dissection method. Fish fed EOD to apparent satiation consumed more diet on days fed than those fed daily, and fish reared at 30 C consumed more diet than those reared at 24 C. Neither feeding frequency nor water temperature significantly affected apparent digestibility coefficients for energy and protein and apparent availability coefficients for total amino acids. Results show no advantage by feeding EOD over feeding daily on nutrient digestibility and diet utilization efficiency.     

Evaluating the Effects of Dietary Prebiotic Mixture of Mannan Oligosaccharide and Poly‐β‐Hydroxybutyrate on the Growth Performance,Immunity, and Survival of Rainbow Trout,Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum 1792), Fingerlings

This study investigated the effects of dietary poly‐β‐hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, and disease resistance of rainbow trout fingerlings. A total of 420 fingerlings, distributed equally into four different groups, each with three replicates, were fed a basal diet (control), 2% PHB (PHB), 0.2% MOS (MOS), or a diet supplemented with a mixture of 2% PHB and 0.2% MOS (PHB+MOS) for 60 d. Results showed that dietary PHB and/or MOS did not cause significant improvement in the growth performance of the fingerlings. The gut pH was markedly reduced; however, the activities of the digestive enzymes (except for pepsin and amylase by dietary PHB) were not significantly improved by the dietary supplements. Results also showed that dietary PHB and/or MOS markedly increased the resistance of the fingerlings toward Yersinia ruckeri infection, while the lowest total antibody was observed in fish fed control and MOS, indicating that MOS exerts its protective effects by modulating other mechanisms. Overall, this study provided a first screening effort to determine the effects of PHB and/or MOS as dietary supplements in rainbow trout fingerlings to develop an optimal prebiotic mix for improving the growth and health status of rainbow trout.