Isolation of infectious microalga Prototheca wickerhamii from a carp (Cyprinus carpio) – a first confirmed case report of protothecosis in a fish

Protothecosis is a rare infection caused by environmentally ubiquitous achlorophyllic microalgae of the genus Prototheca. Here, we describe a first case of protothecosis in a carp (Cyprinus carpio), which is at the same time the first case of protothecosis in a fish, confirmed by phenotype‐ and molecular‐based methods, including PCR sequencing of the rDNA cluster and protein profiling using matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry.     

Effect of pancreas disease caused by SAV 2 on protein and fat digestion in Atlantic salmon

Salmonid alphavirus (SAV) causes pancreas disease (PD) in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), and exocrine pancreas tissue is a primary target of the virus. Digestive enzymes secreted by the exocrine pancreas break down macromolecules in feed into smaller molecules that can be absorbed. The effect of SAV infection on digestion has been poorly studied. In this study, longitudinal observations of PD outbreaks caused by SAV subtype 2 (SAV2) in Atlantic salmon at two commercial sea sites were performed. The development of PD was assessed by measurement of SAV2 RNA load and evaluation of histopathological lesions typical of PD. Reduced digestion of both protein and fat co‐varied with the severity of PD lesions and viral load. Also, the study found that during a PD outbreak, the pen population comprise several subpopulations, with different likelihoods of being sampled. The body length of sampled fish deviated from the expected increase or steady state over time, and the infection status in sampled fish deviated from the expected course of infection in the population. Both conditions indicate that disease status of the individual fish influenced the likelihood of being sampled, which may cause sampling bias in population studies.     

历史文化名村的保护与开发--以苏州市明月湾古村为例

明月湾是苏州市首批公布保护的古村落,是首批国家级历史文化名村之一。由于保护意识淡薄,明月湾古村一度遭到较为严重的破坏。笔者介绍了历史文化名村的相关概念及其保护对象,纵观明月湾古村的保护与开发现状,从文化遗产的角度对明月湾古村近年来的保护与开发状况进行了分析,认为明月湾古村存在保护与开发体系不完善,村民保护意识不足,部分文化遗产保护状况欠佳,并且古村开发过度、文化特色缺失等问题。笔者据此提出相关建议,强调完善历史文化名村保护体系,实施多层次、分类保护,加强宣传教育,规范管理并进行合理开发。     

Lipid Content of Non-cultured and Cultured Pig Embryo

The objectives of the study were: (i) to work out a precise and efficient method for quantitative analysis of lipid content and (ii) to quantitatively determine the lipid content in non-cultured and cultured pig embryos . The experiment was carried out on pig embryos from zygote to late blastocyst stages produced in vivo and embryos collected at the zygote stage and then cultured in vitro up to blastocyst stage . Embryos were fixed, dehydrated, embedded in epoxy resin and cut into semi-thin sections to analyse the quantity of lipids in fat droplets. Stained sections were then analysed with Cavalieri and point counting methods to evaluate the following stereological parameters of the embryo: total embryo volume – V(e), volume density of cytoplasm per unit volume of embryo – Vv(c,e), volume density of lipid droplets per unit volume of embryo cytoplasm – Vv(fat,c) and total volume of lipid droplets per whole embryo – V(fat). Values of Vv(fat,c) and V(fat) remained unchanged up to the morula stage, but decreased significantly at blastocyst and late blastocyst stages both in cultured and non-cultured embryos. Volume density of lipid droplets per unit volume of embryo cytoplasm and total volume of lipid droplets for cultured embryos showed statistically significant differences between late blastocyst and almost all other stages. Comparisons of Vv(fat,c) in embryos at the same stages of development but differing in origin of embryos (non-cultured or cultured) show that statistically significant differences exist for all analysed stages. In conclusion, differences in lipid content observed in pig embryos were dependent on the developmental stage of the embryo as well as the culture conditions (i.e. cultured and non-cultured embryos at the same stage of development).     

黄瓜品种主要农艺性状相关与主成分分析

为提高黄瓜新品种（系）农艺性状的选择效率,为品种筛选、更新及高产栽培等提供理论依据。以l0个黄瓜良种为材料,对其主要农艺性状进行变异、相关及主成分分析。黄瓜的变异系数最大的性状是第1雌花出现节位,达到63.53%,节间长的变异系数最小,为4.45%。单瓜重、结瓜数、雌花数、雌花着生节位雌花数、成瓜率、果实长、果实粗等7个性状与单株产量呈正相关,其中单瓜重、结瓜数与单株产量呈极显著的正相关;株高、节间长、第1雌花出现节位呈与单株产量呈负相关。从主成分分析看,前4个主成分的累积贡献率达93.8724%。为黄瓜自交系选育、杂交配组,选配黄瓜高产良种提供理论参考。     

Effect of temperature variation during grain filling on wheat gluten resistance

The objective was to investigate effects of natural variation in temperature during grain filling on wheat (Triticum aestivum L) gluten quality. Seventeen field trials with four different varieties were conducted during the years 2005–2008. Temperature records were obtained from automatic weather stations located near the field trial sites. The period from heading to yellow ripeness was divided into 20 sub-phases of equal thermal time units, and a last sub-phase comprising the seven days after yellow ripeness. Partial Least Squares Regression was used to relate the temperature records of the different sub-phases to gluten quality analysed by the Kieffer Extensibility test and the SDS sedimentation test.     

Effect of different dietary ratios of sunflower and linseed oils on growth and carcass traits of rabbits

As part of an experiment aiming to modify the meat fatty acid profile, this work studied the growth and carcass traits as affected by various dietary ratios of sunflower oil and linseed oil. A diet without added oil served as a control (C). Four other diets were equally 4% oil-enriched but they differed in the incorporation ratios of sunflower oil (S) to linseed oil (L), i.e. 4% S to 0% L (diet 4%S), 3% S to 1% L (diet 3:1%SL), 2% S to 2% L (diet 2:2%SL) and 0% S to 4% L (diet 4%L). The oil-rich diets had slightly higher digestible energy contents (11.4 vs 10.6 MJ/kg) than the C feed. In each group 10 litters of 7 to 9 Pannon White kits per litter were studied in the pre-weaning period from 21 to 35 days old. Growth and slaughter traits were assessed with 50 and 30 rabbits per group, respectively. No significant effects of diets were found on litter and doe performances. The only significant differences in growth performance of the C, 4%S, 3:1%SL, 2:2%SL and 4%L rabbits were for the 35–49 day feed intake (88, 86, 84, 84 and 83 g per day, respectively, P = 0.046), the 35–84 day growth rate (36, 38, 37, 35 and 37 g/day, P = 0.034) and the 84-day body weight (2608, 2703, 2664, 2565 and 2628 g, respectively, P = 0.022). There were several significant differences in carcass traits including the weight of reference carcass (1357, 1391, 1388, 1380 and 1369 g, respectively, P = 0.004) and left longisimus dorsi meat (78, 79, 81, 81 and 76 g, respectively, P = 0.046) of rabbits. The diets had major effects on the L*, a* and b* colour values (lightness, redness and yellowness) of meat and fat. Carcass colour of the C and 4%S rabbits was closer and the 4%L rabbits was further from the European consumer's preference of light coloured, less red and slightly yellow rabbit meat. Our result reveals the importance of age and body weight at slaughter. Taking the growth and slaughter performances and, the recent belief of human health benefits from lower n− 6/n− 3 FAs dietary ratios into account, the 2:2%SL diet seems most appropriate if the interests of the raisers, meat processors and buyers are considered equally.     

蜡梅金属硫蛋白基因的克隆与原核表达

金属硫蛋白(metallothionein,MT)是一类富含Cys,能够结合重金属的低分子量蛋白质,广泛分布于生物界。在构建好的蜡梅花cDNA文库并进行EST分析的基础上,通过随机克隆测序得到了1个蜡梅金属硫蛋白的cDNA,命名为CpMetallothionein(CpMT)。CpMTcDNA全长为1083bp,基因内部含有一长度为240bp的开放阅读框,可编码79个氨基酸残基。将CpMT插入原核表达载体pET-32a,并转化Origami2感受态细胞。诱导表达产物经SDS-PAGE结果显示,目的蛋白约为30kD。表达的融合蛋白以包涵体和可溶性蛋白2种形式存在,用His-Bind蛋白纯化回收试剂盒对其进行纯化回收,得到了高纯度蛋白,为今后研究奠定基础。     

Growth analysis of broccoli in relation to fertilizer nitrogen application

Summary

Six field experiments with different planting dates over three years in the South of Norway were used to analyse biomass production of broccoli. N was applied at rates of 0, 120, and 240 kg ha^–1. Mineralized N levels in soil before planting differed among the experiments. Crop biomass, leaf area index (LAI), and accumulated intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) increased with enhanced N rate. So did also radiation use efficiency (RUE), but not significantly from 120 to 240 kg ha^–1. Thus, crop biomass increased to the highest N rate rather by more intercepted radiation than by enhanced RUE. RUE reached saturation level when the sum of applied N and Nmin in soil before planting was about 200 kg ha^–1. There was a strong effect of N application on early plantings, when low temperature and possibly oversaturation of light were the most likely reasons for low LAI, RUE, and RGR at low or no N application. The plant N concentration decreased with increasing biomass over time. Of two alternative relationships of critical N concentration (Nc) suggested by Greenwood et al., the linear one, which gave the higher estimates, fitted better. Both equations were evaluated on the correspondence between a relative N concentration N/Nc = 1 and maximum relative values for: biomass, LAI, accumulated intercepted PAR, and RUE. However, a curvilinear function for Nc might produce a higher correlation over the whole range of plant N concentrations. RUE and accumulated intercepted PAR approached a saturation level at a lower relative N concentration than did biomass and LAI, suggesting that N was more limiting for biomass production than for PAR interception and RUE at N rates below the highest application rate. Incident radiation was fully intercepted at a low LAI, resulting in a low RUE.     

Mitochondrial activity and morphology in developing porcine oocytes and pre-implantation non-cultured and cultured embryos

Mitochondria are important determinants of developmental competence for oocytes and embryos owing to their central role in cellular metabolism, yet mitochondrial activity and morphometry during early porcine development have not been quantified. In this study, we examined the membrane potential Δψ(m) and the surface density Sv(in,m) of the inner mitochondrial membrane in pig oocytes and pre-implantation embryos using fluorescent probes and confocal microscopy. Mitochondria and their cristae were also examined by transmission electron microscope. Δψ(m) was consistently low from immature oocytes up to morulae and increased significantly in the early blastocyst before decreasing at the expanded blastocyst stage. This stage-dependent pattern of Δψ(m) changes differs from that reported for other mammals. We also determined that Δψ(m) is lower in cultured when compared to non-cultured porcine early blastocysts. Sv(in,m) was higher in immature oocytes than mature oocytes and remained constant up to the 4- to 8-cell embryo stage. It increased significantly at morula and early blastocyst stages. No differences in Sv(in,m) were found between developmentally matched non-cultured and cultured embryos. These results indicate that the inner mitochondrial membrane potential and surface density change significantly during pre-implantation porcine development in relation to metabolic alterations of the embryo. It is possible that modification of Δψ(m) by manipulating culture conditions may improve the performance of embryos that develop in vitro.