Endocrine and sperminogenic testicular function. 8. Relationships between testicular and plasma testosterone concentrations as well as between the number of Leydig cells in testicular tissue and their cell nucleus volume in boars of different ages]

Testicular tissue and blood samples (V. spermatica interna) were taken from 32 boars during castration. The animals were different age groups. Against this background, studies were conducted into the correlations between testicular and plasma testosterone, on the one hand, and the amount of interstitial cells of Leydig in testicular tissue as well as the latters' cell nuclei volumes, on the other. The results seemed to support the conclusion that any age-dependent increase of testicular and plasma testosterone concentrations was caused unambigously by an absolute increase in volume of androgenic testicular tissue, in concomitance with testicular growth, in other words, by rise in the total number of interstitial cells of Leydig.     

Excessive oral administration of iron to sheep. 1. Digestibility of rations, results of fattening and carcass yields]

4 digestibility trials (4 male sheep per group) and 2 growth trials were carried out with 24 (V 1) and 32 (V 2) fattening lambs to investigate the effect of abundant oral Fe doses on the digestibility of crude nutrients in a ration of barley + dried green feed and on the results of fattening and carcass yields. Fe supplementation (less than 1400 mg per sheep/day) did not significantly change the digestibility coefficients of crude nutrients. Increasing Fe levels in the concentrates decreased the rates of liveweight increase and food consumption in both growth trials. Well-established statistical evidence was provided for the decline in absolute carcass yields resulting from the lower weight of the lambs at the end of the fattening period after Fe supplementation.     

Hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus (HEV) infections in swine. Serologic indication for infectional occurrence in Denmark]

In 1956 a disease of nursing pigs previously unreported in Denmark, was observed in several swine herds. The disease syndrome appeared identical with that later described by Roe and Alexander in 1958 and by S. F. Cartwright and M. Lucas in 1968. Since 1956 there have been no reports of such outbreaks in Danish herds. To investigate whether the virus is still present, a survey was carried out to detect neutralizing antibodies in sera from a number of boars using a micro technique. In 144 sera from Jutland 12% had titers ranging from 10 to 32 ND-50, 22% from 32 to 90, 37% from 90 to 256, 14% from 256 to 724 and 3% above 724 ND-50 with a total of 86% positive. Of 174 sera from the rest of the country 16% had titers ranging from 10 to 32 ND-50, 18% from 32 to 90, 28% from 90 to 256, 13% from 256 to 724 and 3% exceeding 724 ND-50 with a total of 79% positive.     

萝卜离体再生的影响因素

对影响萝卜离体再生的因素进行了研究,结果表明,不同基困型材料均以带柄子叶的再生频率最高;不同基因型材料所需的最适激素浓度和配比不同,在一定范围内提高6-BA浓度可促进不定芽的分化;苯基脲类细胞分裂素TDZ与嘌呤型细胞分裂素6-BA和KT相比,对促进萝卜不定芽分化的效果更好;AgNO_3可显著提高不定芽再生频率;NAA诱导生根的效果优于IAA。     

Use of real-time PCR to examine the relationship between disease severity in pea and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aphanomyces euteiches</Emphasis> DNA content in roots

Aphanomyces euteiches causes severe root rot of peas. Resistance is limited in commercial pea cultivars. Real-time fluorescent PCR assay specific for A. euteiches was used to study the relationship between disease severity and pathogen DNA content in infected peas. Five pea genotypes ranging in levels of resistance were inoculated with five isolates of A. euteiches. Plants were visually rated for disease development and the amount of pathogen DNA in roots was determined using the PCR assay. The susceptible genotypes Genie, DSP and Bolero tended to have significantly more disease and more pathogen DNA than the resistant genotypes 90-2079 and PI 180693. PI 180693 consistently had less disease, while 90-2079 had the lowest amount of pathogen DNA. The Spearman correlation between pathogen DNA quantity and disease development was positive and significant (P < 0.05) for three isolates, but was not significant for two other isolates. This suggests that the real-time PCR assay may have limited application as a selection tool for resistance in pea to A. euteiches. Its utility as a selection tool would be dependent on the correlation between disease development and pathogen DNA content for a given pathogen isolate. The accuracy and specificity of the real-time PCR assay suggests considerable application for the assay in the study of mechanisms of disease resistance and the study of microbial population dynamics in plants.     

Capsid protein sequence gene analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apple mosaic virus</Emphasis> infecting pears

Apple mosaic virus (ApMV, genus Ilarvirus) was detected in pears, a previously non-reported virus host. No symptoms were visible on the hosts leaves. Seventeen out of 22 randomly selected pear trees in Italy (Lombardy) and in three regions in the Czech Republic were ApMV-infected. All nine newly sequenced ApMV isolates from pears had a 15-nucleotide insertion in the capsid protein gene in identical position of that of apple isolates compared with isolates from hop and prunes. The insertion is the most prominent (but not essential) modification of the capsid protein gene, which results in a phylogenetic separation of ApMV isolates into three clusters. Sequence analysis data of an additional 15 isolates revealed a sequence correlation with kernelled fruit trees (apple and pear).     

The use of Verticillium dahliae and Diplodia scrobiculata to induce resistance in Pinus halepensis against Diplodia pinea infection

The pathogenic fungi Verticillium alboatrum and Diplodia scrobiculata were assayed for biological control of Diplodia pinea on Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) in Catalonia (north-eastern Spain). Young shoots were pre-treated with inoculations of either V. dahliae or D. scrobiculata, by placing colonized agar plugs on wounds made by removing a single needle fascicle. An inoculation with D. pinea was performed 15 days later. Two months after the shoot inoculations, the canker length on the stems was measured and the percentage of shoot dieback calculated. Verticillium dahliae and D. scrobiculata were found to significantly reduce the canker length of D. pinea (P < 0.05) when compared with positive controls. Diplodia pinea was slightly more sensitive to V. dahliae than to D. scrobiculata, but no significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed in the mean canker length between the two treatments. Trees pre-inoculated with V. dahliae resulted in 31.12% shoot dieback, while those pre-inoculated with D. scrobiculata resulted in 32.18% shoot dieback, compared with positive controls (42.85%).     

Variable response of open-pollinated seedling progeny of avocado to Phytophthora root rot

Phytophthora root rot, caused byPhytophthora cinnamomi Rands, is the most important disease of avocado (Persea americana Miller). In an attempt to identify root rot-resistant rootstocks that could ultimately be used under conditions in southern Florida, we screened open-pollinated progeny of avocado from the National Germplasm Repository in Miami. From 1996 to 1998, a total of 2,355 seedlings from 51 accessions were examined in potting mix artificially infested withP. cinnamomi. Most seedlings developed severe root rot, but tolerance was observed in some families (i.e., progeny of certain accessions). Although the most susceptible families developed mean disease ratings of up to 97% root necrosis, mean ratings for the most tolerant families were less than 60%. There was also a strong relationship between the racial background of the female parent and the tolerance of seedlings. Seedlings of the West Indian race and hybrids between it and the Guatemalan race were significantly more tolerant than those from other parents (P< 0.05). Individuals in several families developed < 50% root necrosis, the arbitrary standard of tolerance in this study. Twelve families accounted for 82% (188 of 229) of the tolerant seedlings, and only two of these did not have a West Indian or Guatemalan × West Indian pedigree. Broad-sense heritability for PRR tolerance was 0.45. This is the first report on the inheritance of PRR tolerance in avocado and on the influence of genotype and racial pedigree under controlled conditions.