General principles of surgery applied to cattle.

Basic principles of surgery are important to review, even for experienced surgeons. Although aseptic surgical principles are not always applicable in the field, we have to respect some guidelines. Recent research will influence the way that we do things, based on what we have been taught and our experience. Respecting those simple principles can make a big difference in the final outcome.     

Laparoscopic surgery in adult cattle.

Laparoscopy in cattle is a promising tool for clinical diagnosis and treatment. The lower cost of the materials available in addition to the possibility of an intervention on an animal that is sedated does not entail more costs than an exploratory laparotomy. The application of this tool during abdominal explorations and biopsies allows the avoidance of invasive and often useless surgical interventions and even with the diagnosis and prognosis of certain conditions. Surgical techniques currently are limited to abomasopexies; however, never-ceasing progress and improvements in human surgery are expected to affect the future of bovine surgery.With the advancements in the multimedia technology used by universities, the use of laparoscopy as a pedagogic tool definitely has a promising future. Endoscopic exploration of the thorax is possible using the same material as for laparoscopy. In addition, diagnostic and biopsy applications are useful. The use of the laparoscope in different body cavities and for different applications would make the purchase of the required materials more cost-effective.     

The effects of agricultural fields and human settlements on the use of rivers by wildlife in the mid-Zambezi valley,Zimbabwe

After the eradication of the Tse-Tse fly in the Mid-Zambezi valley, human settlements and fields extended mainly along the main rivers. In order to investigate the consequences of this human development on wildlife diversity we monitored three rivers of the Mid-Zambezi valley in Zimbabwe: Angwa, Manyame and Kadzi. The rivers were divided in segments of 200 m which were checked for spoors in order to assess the number of species and the number of individuals that used the segments. Human settlements were also recorded. We used a GIS to define the spatial characteristics of the fields present along the rivers, and related them to the distribution and abundance of wild species spoors in the river beds and banks. Our results show that the number of species in one segment of the river decreased with the increasing size of the field area bordering the segment. For all the major ungulate species, the numbers of individuals recorded per segment decreased with increasing field area. A similar trend was observed for small and medium-sized carnivores, though they were in lower numbers when present. Our analyses thus confirm that the extension of human agriculture in wildlife areas has an impact on most wild species, but we also define some threshold value of field size above which there seem to be an acceleration of the decrease in wildlife density and diversity: 3.2 ha for medium and small herbivores and carnivores; only the elephant seem to tolerate larger field area with a threshold value of 32 ha.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of Latent Infection of Stock Plants and Abundance of Thrips on the Occurrence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tomato spotted wilt virus </Emphasis>in Chrysanthemum Fields

DAS-ELISA proved to be reliable enough to detect a latent infection by Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) in asymptomatic stock plants of chrysanthemum. A high density of Frankliniella occidentalis, the predominant vector, in the presence of latently infected stock plants resulted in a high incidence of disease in the chrysanthemum production field. The incidence of disease was low when the vector thrips were not abundant in spite of the presence of latently infected stock plants. These results suggest that an infestation of the vector thrips causes severe secondary spread of TSWV originating from latently infected stock plants in chrysanthemum production fields. Received 27 July 2001/ Accepted in revised form 27 November 2001     

Detection of the Defoliating Pathotype of Verticillium dahliae in Infected Olive Plants by Nested PCR

Spread of Verticillium wilt into newly established olive orchards in Andalucía, southern Spain, has caused concern in the olive industry in the region. This spread may result from use of Verticillium dahliae-infected planting material, which can extend distribution of the highly virulent, defoliating (D) pathotype of V. dahliae to new areas. In this study, a molecular diagnostic method for the early in planta detection of D V. dahliae was developed, aimed especially at nursery-produced olive plants. For this purpose, new primers for nested PCR were designed by sequencing a 992-bp RAPD marker of the D pathotype. The use of the specific primers and different nested-PCR protocols allowed the detection of V. dahliae pathotype D DNA in infected root and stem tissues of young olive plants. Detection of the pathogen was effective from the very earliest moments following inoculation of olive plants with a V. dahliae pathotype D conidia suspension as well as in inoculated, though symptomless, plants.     

Gene Flow Analysis of Phytophthora porri Reveals a New Species: Phytophthora brassicae Sp. Nov.

Isozyme analysis and sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS-1 and ITS-2) and the 5.8S subunit of the ribosomal DNA gene repeat were used to examine whether isolates of Phytophthora porri from Allium and Brassica represent a single homogeneous species. Twenty-six strains of P. porri, 16 strains isolated from the genus Allium, and 10 strains isolated from the genus Brassica, were analyzed using malate dehydrogenase (MDH), isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), represented altogether by four putative loci (Mdh-2, Idh-1, Idh-2, and Ldh-2). Isozyme analysis revealed that strains isolated from Allium contained five private alleles at three isozyme loci (Ldh-2 ⁸³, Ldh-2 ¹⁰⁴, Idh-1 ¹⁰⁸, Idh-1 ¹¹², and Idh-2 ⁹⁸), whereas six different alleles were observed at four isozyme loci (Ldh-2 ⁸⁵, Ldh-2 ¹⁰⁰, Ldh-2 ¹¹⁴, Idh-1 ¹⁰⁰, Idh-2 ¹⁰⁰, and Mdh-2 ¹¹¹) in strains obtained from Brassica. The heterozygosity at the Ldh-2 locus, differing in allele composition, however, between strains from Allium and Brassica, was present in all strains, indicating that it is probably fixed. Sequence analysis of the ITS regions and the 5.8S subunit showed consistent differences between isolates from Allium and isolates from Brassica. Based on isozyme data, ITS sequence analysis and formerly published differences in restriction enzyme patterns of mitochondrial DNA, morphology and pathogenicity, it was concluded that the isolates of P. porri Foister did not represent a homogeneous species. Isolates from Brassica constitute a distinct species which is described here as P. brassicae sp. nov. It was inferred from isozyme patterns, which were in no case intermediate between the two species, that P. porri and P. brassicae do not hybridize and are reproductively isolated by barriers to gene flow.     

Induction of an antioxidant enzyme system and other oxidative stress markers associated with compatible and incompatible interactions between chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp.ciceris

To ascertain if active oxygen species play a role in fusarium wilt of chickpea caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris, the degree of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde formation) and the activity levels of diamine oxidase (DAO), an apoplastic H₂O₂-forming oxidase, and several antioxidant enzymes, namely ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), guaiacol-dependent peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), were determined spectrophotometrically in roots and stems of ‘WR315’ (resistant) and ‘JG62’ (susceptible) chickpea cultivars inoculated with the highly virulent race 5 of the pathogen. Moreover, APX, CAT, GPX and SOD were also analysed in roots and stems by gel electrophoresis and activity staining; and the protein levels of APX and SOD in roots were determined by Western blotting. In roots, infection by the pathogen increased lipid peroxidation and CAT and SOD activities, although such responses occurred earlier in the incompatible compared with the compatible interactions. APX, GPX and GR activities were also increased in infected roots, but only in the compatible interaction. In stems, infection by the pathogen increased lipid peroxidation and APX, CAT, SOD and GPX activities only in the compatible interaction, and DAO activity only in the incompatible one. In general, electrophoregrams agreed with the activity levels determined spectrophotometrically and did not reveal any differences in isoenzyme patterns between cultivars or between infected and non-infected plants. Further, Western blots revealed an increase in the root protein levels of APX in the compatible interaction and in those of SOD in both compatible and incompatible interactions. In conclusion, whereas enhanced DAO activity in stems, and earlier increases in lipid peroxidation and CAT and SOD activities in roots, can be associated with resistance to fusarium wilt in chickpea, the induction of the latter three parameters in roots and stems along with that of APX, GR (only in roots) and GPX (only in stems) activities are rather more associated with the establishment of the compatible interaction.     

Identification ofTomato Mottle Taino Begomovirus strains in Cuban potato fields

The presence of a begomovirus in potato plants with yellow mottle symptoms was determined for the first time in Cuba. The incidence of typical begomovirus-like symptoms in potato plants in some regions of Havana province (Güira de Melena, San José de las Lajas, Güines and Boyeros) during the growing seasons from 1992 to 1998 was in general low. However, in some cultivars belonging to the National Program for Potato Genetic Improvement, the incidence reached 100%. Yield losses, determined in 1992 and 1994, ranged as high as 19% to 56.33% depending on the cultivar. Characterization of the causal agent was done by light microscopy, host range (graft and mechanical transmission), DNA hybridizations, polymerase chain reaction, and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Nucleotide sequence of the amplified fragments revealed the presence ofTomato mottle Taino virus. The virus was transmittedvia tubers and has been detected in mixed infections withPotato virus X and withPotato leaf roll virus. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Oct. 20, 2003. The first two authors contributed equally to this work.     

Indole-3-acetic acid biosynthesis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aciculosporium take</Emphasis>, a causal agent of witches' broom of bamboo

 Aciculosporium take (Ascomycota; Clavicipitaceae) is a causal agent of witches' broom of bamboo plants. The symptoms of this disease are believed to be induced by plant hormones, particularly auxins. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) was identified in cultures of this fungus in an l-tryptophan-supplemented liquid medium. IAA production was confirmed on 30 isolates of A. take from various hosts and locations at levels up to 1 mg/l. The biosynthetic pathway of IAA in A. take culture was examined by analyzing intermediate products and by feeding experiments. The results showed that the indole-3-pyruvic acid pathway (l-tryptophan → indole-3-pyruvic acid → indole acetaldehyde → IAA) was the dominant pathway in A. take. Received: June 3, 2002 / Accepted: July 25, 2002