Phytotoxic sites of action for molecular design of modern herbicides (Part 2): Amino acid, lipid and cell wall biosynthesis, and other targets for future herbicides

A bird's eye review was tried in Part 2 of this series, 'Phytotoxic sites of action for molecular design of modern herbicides', in order to select the best selection of known and some novel plant-specific targets for molecular design of modern herbicides, which affect amino acid, lipid and cell wall biosynthesis. Although amino acid biosynthesis pathways, particularly those for aromatic amino acids, ammonia assimilation and branched amino acids, have been confirmed as reasonable herbicidal target domains, the other targets affecting plant growth more markedly than inhibition of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase, glutamine synthetase and acetolactate synthase are discussed. In three essential enzymes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis in or in the vicinity of chloroplasts, acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase), elongase(s) for very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA) and linolate monogalactosyldiacylglycerol desaturase, ACCase and elongase are more important targets for new herbicides. Although the effect of cellulose biosynthesis inhibitors is restricted to cell wall formation in growing plant cells only, there is a good chance to design the low-use rate herbicides also in this class of inhibitors. Other possible targets for new herbicides are also discussed.     

The influences of weaning age and weight on carcass traits and meat quality of pigs

The purpose of this study was to establish the effects of weaning age and weight on pigs, and their interaction with carcass traits and meat quality. A total of 468 piglets were obtained from 57 sows and four boars and grouped by age at weaning (D21, 18–24 days; D28, 25–32 days). Each weaning group was subdivided into three weight groups (L, M and H) according to weaning weight. The D28 group had heavier carcass weight, redness and yellowness, but had lower marbling scores and less drip loss than the D21 group (P < 0.05). The pigs with a light weight at weaning had higher carcass weights and lower yellowness than did pigs with a medium or heavy weight at weaning (P < 0.05). Weaning age was found to have a negative correlation with drip loss, while weaning weight was negatively correlated with carcass weight and drip loss (P < 0.05). We concluded that carcass and meat quality traits in pigs were significantly related to their age and weight at weaning. Therefore, we find that piglet weaning age and weight are no less important than post‐weaning growth performance and behavior, with regard to carcass traits and meat quality.     

Analysis of consumers' preferences and behavior with regard to horse meat using a structured survey questionnaire

In this study, a structured survey questionnaire was used to determine consumers' preferences and behavior with regard to horse meat at a horse meat restaurant located in Jeju, Korea, from October 1 to December 24, 2005. The questionnaire employed in this study consisted of 20 questions designed to characterize six general attributes: horse meat sensory property, physical appearance, health condition, origin, price, and other attributes. Of the 1370 questionnaires distributed, 1126 completed questionnaires were retained based on the completeness of the answers, representing an 82.2% response rate. Two issues were investigated that might facilitate the search for ways to improve horse meat production and marketing programs in Korea. The first step was to determine certain important factors, called principal components, which enabled the researchers to understand the needs of horse meat consumers via principal component analysis. The second step was to define consumer segments with regard to their preferences for horse meat, which was accomplished via cluster analysis. The results of the current study showed that health condition, price, origin, and leanness were the most critical physical attributes affecting the preferences of horse meat consumers. Four segments of consumers, with different demands for horse meat attributes, were identified: origin‐sensitive consumers, price‐sensitive consumers, quality and safety‐sensitive consumers, and non‐specific consumers. Significant differences existed among segments of consumers in terms of age, nature of work, frequency of consumption, and general level of acceptability of horse meat.     

Effects of fermented soybean meal on growth performance,diarrheal incidence and immune‐response of neonatal calves

The effects of partial substitution of fermented soybean meal (FSBM) for soybean meal (SBM) on immune‐physiological parameters, growth performance and diarrheal incidence in neonatal calves after microbial infection were investigated. Holstein calves (n = 12) were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments: the SBM and the FSBM group. The latter group received a calf starter containing 5% FSBM instead of SBM. In order to evaluate the immunocompetence against microbial infection, all calves were challenged with porcine live vaccine by intramuscular injection at 21 days of age. The incidence and severity of diarrhea were significantly less (P < 0.05) in the FSBM group compared to those in the SBM group at 21 and 42 days of age. Feeding FSBM starter resulted in a higher (P < 0.05) relative amount of bacterial‐specific IgA than those on SBM at days 5 and 14 post‐microbial infection (DPMI). Viral‐specific IgA also increased (P < 0.05) at 5 DPMI in the FSBM group when compared to the SBM group. The average concentration of haptoglobin of calves fed FSBM was generally higher at 3 DPMI. Our results indicate that FSBM plays a role in the alleviation of diarrhea and in the production of immune‐related effector cells such as IgA and haptoglobin in calves.     

基于 EST 和 GSS 序列的茶树 miRNA 及其靶基因数据挖掘

microRNA（miRNA）是一类长 19~24 个碱基的小分子内源性非编码单链 RNA,通过介导靶基因的裂解或抑 制靶基因的翻译,在植物的发育、新陈代谢、应激响应等方面起着重要的调控作用,在进化上具有高度的保守性。据 此本研究以 miRBase 注册的全部成熟植物 miRNA 序列为探针,基于 NCBI 数据库中茶树表达序列标签（EST）和基因 组勘测序列（GSS）进行同源搜索和 miRNA 二级结构分析,总共发现 7 条茶树的 miRNA,分属于 6 个不同的 miRNA 家族。通过靶基因的预测分析表明,这些 miRNA 可能调节 28 种靶标基因,功能涉及新陈代谢、生长发育、胁迫应答 及转录,为茶树 miRNA 的试验鉴定和功能研究提供更详细精确的范围,为进一步探究茶树 miRNA 的调控机理奠定 基础。     

广州及其附近十字花科蔬菜花叶病毒的鉴定

 广州郊区、新会县荷塘乡及南海县等重要蔬菜栽培区域的无菁(Brassica juncea(L.) Coss.)、芥菜(B.juncea(L.) Coss.)、白菜(B.chinensis L.)、菜心(B.sp)、蘿卜(Raphanus sativus L.)和大白菜(土名绍菜)(B.pekinensis(Lour.) Rupr.)等十字花科蔬菜普遍而严重地感染一种花叶病。     

Assessment of the effects of different concentrations of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) on erythrocytic indices of Nigerian White Fulani cattle and West African Dwarf goat

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of varying concentrations of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) on blood samples from White Fulani breed of cattle and West African Dwarf goat from Nigeria. Sample sizes of 20 animals were used for both species. Different concentrations of EDTA (2, 4, 8 and 16 mg/ml) were used. The packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC) and haemoglobin (Hb) concentration of blood samples collected from White Fulani breed of cattle and West African Dwarf goat into bottles containing 16 mg/ml of EDTA were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those samples collected from the same animals into bottle containing 2 mg/ml (control). Similarly, the PCV, RBC and Hb values of the West African Dwarf goats in bottles containing 8 mg/ml of EDTA were significantly lower than those of the samples in the control (2 mg/ml). This study has shown that high concentration of EDTA as an anticoagulant can lead to a false erythrocytic index especially the PCV. In collecting blood samples for evaluation of haematological parameters, therefore, the blood volume/anticoagulant ratio must be strictly adhered to prevent error in the evaluated parameters in cattle and goats. Taken together, there is tendency for haemolytic anaemia to occur in blood sampled at higher concentration of anticoagulants in West African Dwarf goat than in White Fulani breed of cattle.     

Variability Resulting from Selfing and Outcrossing in Phytophthora cactorum

Self and hybrid oospore progeny and zoospore progeny of two pairs of Phytophthora cactorum mutants carrying a metalaxyl-resistance (M^r) nuclear gene or a chloroneb resistance (Cn^r) mitochondrial gene were compared for variation in growth rate, production of sporangia and oospores, and pathogenicity. Zoospore progeny were relatively uniform, whereas oospore progeny resulting from both selfing and outcrossing displayed great dissimilarity in all the traits tested. For pathogenicity, both pairs of tested mutants had greater variation in hybrid progeny than self progeny. For growth rate and oospore production, the same is true only for the first pair, but not the second pair. The variation in sporangium production displayed by one parental self progeny was greater than that by hybrid progeny in both pairs tested. These results show that isolates and traits selected for study have considerable effect on the variation in hybrid and self progeny and suggest that different mechanisms may be operating in creating variation in these two types of progeny. Received 23 October 2000/ Accepted in revised form 11 January 2001