Effects of dietary Bacillus coagulans and yeast hydrolysate supplementation on growth performance,immune response and intestinal barrier function in weaned piglets

The present study investigated the effects of Bacillus coagulans and yeast hydrolysate supplementation on growth performance, immune response and intestinal barrier function of weaned piglets. Twenty-four weaned piglets with an average body weight (BW) of 6.89 ± 0.15 kg were divided into four diets for 28 days. The treatments were basal diet (control), basal diet supplemented with antibiotic (20 mg/kg colistin sulphate and 40 mg/kg bacitracin zinc, AT), probiotics (400 mg/kg Bacillus coagulans ≥5 × 109 CFU/g, BC) or yeast hydrolysate (5000 mg/kg yeast hydrolysate, YH). Average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) were improved by AT and YH diets (p < 0.05), while BC diet only increased ADG (p < 0.05). The complement 3 (C3), lysozyme (LZM) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentrations in serum were increased in BC diet (p < 0.05). Feeding AT and YH caused the increase of jejunal villus height (p < 0.05), and a higher ratio of villus height/crypt depth was observed in AT, BC and YH groups (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) in jejunal mucosa was up-regulated by AT, BC and YH diets (p < 0.05). Dietary AT, BC or YH inclusion decreased the interleukin-1β (IL-1β) concentration and TNF-α mRNA expression (p < 0.05), and YH supplementation even down-regulated toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and CD14 expressions (p < 0.05). In summary, the dietary administration of BC or YH both improves growth performance through promoting the intestinal barrier function, indicating both of them can serve as potential alternatives to antibiotics growth promoters for the piglet production.     

甘南草原3种啮齿动物的食性及其营养生态位特征

研究啮齿动物的食性及其营养生态位特征不仅可以了解高寒草甸环境变化下物种的食性适应特征,还可探讨多种啮齿动物的种间关系。本研究采用粪便显微组织观察法,分析了甘南草原高原鼠兔（Ochotona curzoniae）、高原鼢鼠（Eospalax baileyi）和喜马拉雅旱獭（Marmota himalayana）3种啮齿动物的食性及营养生态位特征。结果发现：3种啮齿动物所采食的植物种类基本相同,但其比例各异;高原鼢鼠所采食的植物主要是珠芽蓼（Polygonum viviparum）和鹅绒委陵菜（Potentilla anserina）等杂类草,且对莎草科（Cyperaceae）植物的采食量显著高于其它两种动物,高原鼠兔主要采食禾本科（Poaceae）植物,喜马拉雅旱獭则主要采食禾本科和菊科（Asteraceae）植物;营养生态位宽度依次为喜马拉雅旱獭>高原鼢鼠>高原鼠兔,其中高原鼠兔与喜马拉雅旱獭的营养生态位重叠最大（0.52）。3种啮齿动物在食物上存在分化,营养生态位分离,是其共存的重要原因。     

Generation of Salmonella ghost cells expressing fimbrial antigens of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and evaluation of their antigenicity in a murine model

Salmonella Typhimurium ghost cells expressing K88ab, K88ac, K99, and FasA fimbriae of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) in their envelopes were constructed. The genes encoding the fimbriae were individually cloned into an expression plasmid, pMMP81, carrying the asd gene, which was subsequently electroporated into the Δasd S. Typhimurium mutant. Plasmid pJHLP99, carrying the phiX174 lysis gene E, was also subsequently electroporated into the Salmonella mutant. The presence of the individual fimbriae on the ghost cells was examined by Western blot analysis. Forty BALB/c mice were equally divided into 2 groups of 20 mice each. Group A mice were intramuscularly vaccinated with a mixture of the 4 ghost cells expressing the individual fimbriae. The group B mice were inoculated with sterile phosphate-buffered saline as a control. The antigen-specific serum IgG concentrations were significantly higher in group A than in group B from week 2 until week 6 after inoculation. In addition, the antigen-specific IgA concentrations in fecal samples were significantly higher in group A than in group B at week 2 after inoculation. A large difference between the groups in the number of antigen-specific IgA-secreting cells in the small intestine was observed by immunohistochemical study. Also, the splenic lymphocyte proliferative responses were significantly greater in group A than in the control mice. These results suggest that vaccination with our Salmonella ghost cells can induce both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses and that the increased number of antigen-specific IgA-secreting cells in the small intestine may be correlated with the elevated fecal IgA immune response.     

Pyruvate kinase is necessary for Brucella abortus full virulence in BALB/c mouse

Brucellosis, caused by a facultative intracellular pathogen Brucella, is one of the most prevalent zoonosis worldwide. Host infection relies on several uncanonical virulence factors. A recent research hotpot is the links between carbon metabolism and bacterial virulence. In this study, we found that a carbon metabolism-related pyruvate kinase (Pyk) encoded by pyk gene (locus tag BAB_RS24320) was associated with Brucella virulence. Determination of bacterial growth curves and resistance to environmental stress factors showed that Pyk plays an important role in B. abortus growth, especially under the conditions of nutrition deprivation, and resistance to oxidative stress. Additionally, cell infection assay showed that Pyk is necessary for B. abortus survival and evading fusion with lysosomes within RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, animal experiments exhibited that the Pyk deletion significantly reduced B. abortus virulence in a mouse infection model. Our results elucidated the role of the Pyk in B. abortus virulence and provided information for further investigation of Brucella virulence associated carbon metabolism.     

猪痢疾密螺旋体的冻干保存试验

将密螺旋体菌株(包括猪痢疾密螺旋体和无害螺旋体)接种于华农1或3号血液琼脂平板上,置CO_2:H_2=20:80的环境中和37℃下培养5天。选择生长最好的琼脂平板,每个加入3ml PBS(0.01mol,pH7.2),洗下培养物,集中后加入等容积的S. H. 保护剂并使成均一的悬液分装安瓿瓶。用Edwards EF03型冻干机进行冷冻真空干燥,在真空状态下密封安瓿瓶,冻干菌种保存于4℃冰箱或-10～-15℃冰盒中。保存期:用新鲜保护剂者为8-13个月;用干燥保护剂者为二年。     

阿克苏地区中龄期苹果树的根系空间分布研究

采用剖面挖掘和分层取样法,利用WinRHIZO Pro2010a根系分析系统对新疆阿克苏地区苹果园漫灌条件下的中龄期(基径9 cm)红富士苹果树的吸收根(根径<2 mm)和输导根(根径≥2 mm)的空间分布状况进行了研究。结果表明,在水平方向的土壤中,苹果树吸收根与输导根根长密度与根表面积表现出"单峰型"的分布规律,吸收根根长密度和根表面积最大值出现在离树干水平距25～50 cm处的土壤内,输导根根长密度和根表面积最大值出现在离树干水平距0～25 cm处的土壤内,80%以上的根系分布在离树干水平距0～125 cm的土壤内。在垂直方向即土层中,苹果树的吸收根根长密度表现出"双峰型"的分布规律,吸收根根表面积与输导根的根长密度和根表面积都表现出"单峰型"的分布规律,80%以上的吸收根与输导根分布在0～80 cm的土层内。总之,距树干0～125 cm的土壤内及0～80 cm的土层是中龄期苹果树的重要分布区域,可作为拟定阿克苏地区苹果园中龄期苹果树田间水分、养分管理措施的理论依据。