Delayed-type hypersensitivity in sheep induced by synthetic peptides of bovine leukemia virus encapsulated in mannan-coated liposome

Four sheep were immunized with synthesized peptides, derived from bovine leukemia virus (BLV) envelope glycoprotein, encapsulated in mannan coated liposomes as adjuvant. On the seventh day after the immunization, the sheep were intradermally challenged with BLV antigen, or synthesized peptides. The areas challenged with antigen were increased skin thickness and biopsied sequentially for immunohistological examinations. Strong delayed-type hypersensitivity was induced in sheep immunized and challenged with peptides encapsulated in mannan-coated liposomes. The major phenotype of the infiltrating lymphocytes was CD5(+). The ratio of CD4(+) to CD8(+) cells was about 1:1.     

Seroepidemiologic studies on Babesia equi and Babesia caballi infections in horses in Jilin province of China

The prevalence of equine piroplasmosis caused by Babesia equi and Babesia caballi in northeast China has remained unknown, although the People's Republic of China is recognized as an endemic country for the diseases. In the present study, we investigated the prevalence of equine piroplasmosis in Jilin province, a part of northeast China. A total of 111 serum samples were taken from horses in eastern Jilin, and examined for diagnosis of B. equi and B. caballi infections by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays with recombinant antigens, equi merozoite antigen-1 and P48, respectively. Of the 111 samples, 38 (34%) and 36 (32%) samples were sero-positive for B. equi infection and B. caballi infection, respectively. In addition, 14 (12%) samples were sero-positive for both B. equi and B. caballi infections. These results indicate that equine piroplasmosis is widespread and therefore a cause for serious concern in northeast China.     

Distribution of Arcobacter species among livestock in Japan

A survey was conducted to examine the distribution of Arcobacter species among livestock in Japan. During May 1999 and May 2000, fecal samples from cattle (n=332) and swine (n=250), chicken cloacal swabs (n=234), and vaginal swabs of cattle (n=61) and swine (n=15) were submitted for the isolation of Arcobacter species. Arcobacter species were isolated from 3.6 and 10.0% of the cattle and swine fecal samples, respectively, along with 14.5% of chicken cloacal swabs. No significant seasonal differences were observed. Species-specific polymerase chain reaction assay showed that A. butzleri was the most prevalent species (83.3, 60.0 and 47.1% of the cattle, swine and chicken isolates, respectively), followed by A. cryaerophilus 1B (16.7, 36.0 and 55.9% of the cattle, swine and chicken isolates, respectively). Of the samples from vaginal swabs, 8.1 and 13.3% were positive for Arcobacter in cattle and swine, respectively. This is the first report demonstrating the distribution of Arcobacter species among livestock in Japan.     

Seasonal changes of blood composition in captive bottlenose dolphins

To determine how blood values in bottlenose dolphins changed during the year, 504 blood samples were taken from 9 dolphins from 1991 to 1999 and clinical blood examinations were undertaken monthly including 3 hematological and 19 serum chemistry tests. In creatinine, significant seasonal changes were found among three groups of adult males, adult females and juveniles, and the average values in summer were 15-38% higher than those in winter. In two out of three groups the average total cholesterol value were highest in winter, and the lowest of all groups were in summer. In two other groups the peaks of average FFA value were recorded in summer, and the lows were in winter.     

Biochemical safety evaluation of transgenic rice seeds expressing T cell epitopes of Japanese cedar pollen allergens

Transgenic rice seeds, which express a hybrid peptide comprising seven predominant human T cell epitopes (7Crp) derived from Japanese cedar pollen allergens, have been shown to function as an effective edible vaccine for the control of pollen allergen-induced responses. In this study, we characterized biochemical properties of transgenic seeds expressing the 7Crp peptide. The levels of chemical compositions, such as carbohydrate, protein, lipid, amino acid, fatty acid, mineral, and vitamin, were substantially equivalent between transgenic 7Crp and its nontransgenic counterpart seeds. The contents of three major allergenic proteins in transgenic seeds were not enhanced by expression of the 7Crp peptide when compared with those of nontransgenic seeds. The 7Crp peptide expressed in seeds was susceptible to simulated gastric/intestinal fluids. N-Glycosylation was not observed in the 7Crp peptide sequence. These results indicate that transgenic 7Crp seeds are substantially equivalent to nontransgenic parental seeds except for the presence of the 7Crp peptide. Keywords: Food safety assessment; transgenic rice seed; edible vaccine; peptide-based immunotherapy; Japanese cedar pollinosis.     

Emerging technologies for the chemical control of root parasitic weeds

Parasitic plants in the Orobanchaceae family include devastating weed species, such as Striga, Orobanche, and Phelipanche, which parasitize major crops, drastically reduces crop yields and cause economic losses of over a billion US dollars worldwide. Advances in basic research on molecular and cellular processes responsible for parasitic relationships has now achieved steady progress through advances in genome analysis, biochemical analysis and structural biology. On the basis of these advances it is now possible to develop chemicals that control parasitism and reduce agricultural damage. In this review we summarized the recent development of chemicals that can control each step of parasitism from strigolactone biosynthesis in host plants to haustorium formation.     

Characterization of Th1 activation by Bartonella henselae stimulation in BALB/c mice: Inhibitory activities of interleukin-10 for the production of interferon-gamma in spleen cells

This study was conducted to analyze cytokine production mechanisms in mice after Bartonella henselae stimulation. BALB/c mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with 3 x 10(6) colony forming units of B. henselae (Houston-1 strain) twice at 10-day interval. Spleen cells were harvested from the mice and stimulated with the organisms. Following the stimulation, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-10, IL-12 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were measured in the culture supernatants of the spleen cells by ELISA. The spleen cells specifically secreted IFN-gamma, but not IL-4, indicating that T helper 1 (Th1) cells were activated following B. henselae stimulation. In addition, IL-10 and TNF-alpha productions were also detected in the culture supernatants of spleen cells. Neutralization of IL-10 in the culture supernatants significantly enhanced the production of IFN-gamma from the spleen cells stimulated with B. henselae. These results indicate that B. henselae predominantly stimulated Th1 cells and resulted in secreting IFN-gamma, however the production was partially inhibited by IL-10, which was produced simultaneously.     

Determination of silver in soils by atomic absorption spectrometry

A method for the determination of Ag in soils using atomic absorption spectrometry is described. The method involves the extraction of Ag from soil by boiling with 6 M HC1 followed by separation of the extracted Ag into methylisobutylketone (MIBK) using sodium N, N-diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) as a complexing agent. Silver is determined in the MIBK by direct aspiration into a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The detection limit (S/N=2) for this method is 0.0001 mg L^?1 for aqueous solution and 0.002 mg kg^?1 for soil. The Ag content of even unpolluted soils can be determined by this method. The determination of Ag using this method was shown to be unaffected by the presence of various ions in the soil. The method was able to recover nearly 100% of Ag added to soil and approximately the same amounts of soil Ag were determined using this method as with HF-H₂SO₄ decomposition. For 3 reference soils of the Canadian Certified Reference Materials Project (CCRMP), the Ag values obtained by this method were the same as the values determined by Ebarvia et al. (1988). The amounts of Ag in the soils sampled in the Ichi River basin and the Ichi River sediments were determined using this method. This area has been polluted by Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn discharged from the Ikuno Mine and Smelter. The Ag values ranged from 0.27 to 6.89 mg kg^?1 which were much higher than the values of the unpolluted soils.     

Soil properties and nitrogen utilization of hinoki cypress as affected by strong thinning under different climatic conditions in the Shikoku and Kinki districts in Japan

The effect of climate conditions and strong thinning on the soil organic layer, surface soil, and nitrogen and water utilization by plants was evaluated for hinoki cypress forests in Shikoku and Kinki districts in Japan. Thirty-five forests were selected in Kochi, Ehime, Kagawa and Kyoto prefectures. The mean annual temperate of the studied forests ranged from 9.6 to 16.3°C, and the mean annual precipitation ranged from 1,350 to 3,960 mm. Carbon and nitrogen content in the organic layer decreased with increasing mean annual precipitation. In high precipitation areas, carbon and nitrogen content in the organic layer would be lower due to rapid decomposition with low soil acidity and due to loss of litter because of heavy rainfall. Carbon and nitrogen content in the surface soil at 0–5 cm depth decreased with increasing mean annual temperature, but was not related to mean annual precipitation. The results indicate that loss of organic layer by raindrops in a high precipitation area causes lower nitrogen availability for plants. Strong thinning significantly reduced carbon and nitrogen content in the organic layer but did not affect nitrogen concentration and δ¹³C in leaves. These results suggest that climate conditions and strong thinning can affect carbon and nitrogen content in the organic layer and subsequent nitrogen availability in soil, but strong thinning does not appreciably affect nitrogen and water utilization by hinoki cypress.     

体外盐酸处理与PIN对酯酶A4活性影响的关系

从家蚕Ｃ１０８ 品种产下后２ｄ 的滞育性卵纯化酯酶Ａ４ 及其活性抑制多肽ＰＩＮ,体外调查了盐酸处理与ＰＩＮ 对酯酶Ａ４ 的ＡＴＰａｓｅ 活性影响的关系。结果表明：盐酸处理不仅迅速消除了ＰＩＮ 对酯酶Ａ４ 的ＡＴＰａｓｅ 活性抑制作用;盐酸处理使蚕卵酯酶Ａ４ 的ＡＴＰａｓｅ 活性峰提早出现的时间还反映了蚕卵的滞育发育时间。