Genetic Structure of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Carrier Horses in Morocco Inferred by Microsatellite Data

A total of 17 microsatellite deoxyribonucleic acid loci used routinely for horse parentage control were used to evaluate genetic diversity among normal Arabian horses and severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) carrier Arabian horses (ArS) and normal Arab-Barb horses and SCID carrier Arab-Barb horses (ArbeS). On the basis of the genotype of 186 horses, mean allelic diversity was estimated as 6.82, 5.53, and 6.7059 in normal Arabian horses, ArS, and for both groups of Arab-Barb horses, respectively. Five specific alleles were observed in ArS and ArbeS, with one common with ArS at HMS6, whereas five alleles common between ArS and ArbeS had a high frequency. Expected and observed heterozygosity showed great heterogeneity in the population studied and were similar or higher when compared with other studies on Arabian horses. Coefficient of gene differentiation G_st of Nei associated with Nei’s genetic distance and multivariate correspondence analysis indicated a possible differentiation between the studied populations when analyzed separately according to breed. Probability of assignment of a horse to a specific group was assessed using a full and partial Bayesian approach. In all, 80.6% of Arab horses and 78.2% of Arab-Barb horses were assigned properly with a partial Bayesian test, which provided better results than the full one. These findings will be useful for identification of SCID carrier horses by using the microsatellite deoxyribonucleic acid loci used routinely for horse parentage control in our laboratory.     

Use of genomic recursions and algorithm for proven and young animals for single‐step genomic BLUP analyses – a simulation study

The purpose of this study was to examine accuracy of genomic selection via single‐step genomic BLUP (ssGBLUP) when the direct inverse of the genomic relationship matrix ( G ) is replaced by an approximation of G ^?1 based on recursions for young genotyped animals conditioned on a subset of proven animals, termed algorithm for proven and young animals (APY). With the efficient implementation, this algorithm has a cubic cost with proven animals and linear with young animals. Ten duplicate data sets mimicking a dairy cattle population were simulated. In a first scenario, genomic information for 20k genotyped bulls, divided in 7k proven and 13k young bulls, was generated for each replicate. In a second scenario, 5k genotyped cows with phenotypes were included in the analysis as young animals. Accuracies (average for the 10 replicates) in regular EBV were 0.72 and 0.34 for proven and young animals, respectively. When genomic information was included, they increased to 0.75 and 0.50. No differences between genomic EBV (GEBV) obtained with the regular G ^?1 and the approximated G ^?1 via the recursive method were observed. In the second scenario, accuracies in GEBV (0.76, 0.51 and 0.59 for proven bulls, young males and young females, respectively) were also higher than those in EBV (0.72, 0.35 and 0.49). Again, no differences between GEBV with regular G ^?1 and with recursions were observed. With the recursive algorithm, the number of iterations to achieve convergence was reduced from 227 to 206 in the first scenario and from 232 to 209 in the second scenario. Cows can be treated as young animals in APY without reducing the accuracy. The proposed algorithm can be implemented to reduce computing costs and to overcome current limitations on the number of genotyped animals in the ssGBLUP method.     

影响中苜2号苜蓿愈伤组织诱导的主要因素分析

以MS为基本培养基,采用L16(45)正交试验设计,研究不同外植体类型及植物生长调节物质对中苜2号愈伤组织生长情况、诱导率的影响,筛选适合中苜2号愈伤组织诱导的最佳外植体类型和最优激素配比.结果表明.以下胚轴为外植体诱导的愈伤组织生长状况良好,诱导率高,为诱导愈伤组织的最佳外植体;2,4-D浓度是影响愈伤组织诱导率的最主要因素,其次是外植体类型;诱导中苜2号愈伤组织的最佳培养基为:MS+2,4-D 0.2mg/L+NAA 0.01mg/L+6-BA 1mg/L+KT 0.2mg/L.     

披碱草属种质资源研究现状

在前人研究的基础上,对国内外披碱草属种质资源的系统学分类、分布情况、遗传多样性研究进行了总结和探讨,并提出了披碱草属种质资源存在的问题以及对它的研究展望,以期为披碱草属资源的进一步研究利用提供参考依据。     

Genetic immunization with the immunodominant antigen P48 of Mycoplasma agalactiae stimulates a mixed adaptive immune response in BALBc mice

A DNA vaccine against contagious agalactia was developed for the first time, encoding the P48 of Mycoplasma agalactiae. Specific immune responses elicited in BALB/c mice were evaluated. Both total IgG and IgG1 were detected in mice vaccinated with pVAX1/P48. Proliferation of mononuclear cells of the spleen, levels of gamma interferon, interleukin-12, and interleukin-2 mRNAs were enhanced in immunized animals. Results indicate that pVAX1/P48 vaccination induced both T_h1 and T_h2 immune responses. Nucleic acid immunization could be a new strategy against M. agalactiae infections and may be potentially used to develop vaccines for other Mycoplasma diseases.     

Virulence factors and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli isolated from calves in Turkey

Escherichia coli isolates from calves were investigated by multiplex PCR assays for the presence of genes encoding K99, F41, F17-related fimbriae, heat-stabile enterotoxin a (STa), intimin (eae) and Shiga toxins (stx1 and stx2). A total of 120 E. coli isolates, 75 isolated from diarrhoeic or septicemic calves and 45 from clinically healthy calves aged between 1 day and 2 months were tested. Each isolate was obtained from different calves in different herds. Among the isolates from diseased animals, 12 (16%) isolates from 1- to 7-day-old diarrhoeic calves were detected as enterotoxigenic E. coli which possessed K99, F41 and STa in combination; F17-related fimbriae genes were detected in 33 (44%) isolates and they were found in combination with K99 + F41 + STa in two isolates. Of 120 isolates, 16 carried eae, eight stx1 and five stx2 genes alone or in combination. None of the eae- or stx-positive strains was identified as O157:H7. However, results indicate that calves may be carrier of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli which have potential as a human pathogen. Antimicrobial susceptibility of 75 isolates from diseased calves was determined by agar disk diffusion method for 14 antimicrobial agents. In 77.3% of the isolates, multiresistance was detected. Higher resistance rates were detected for cephalothin (72%), tetracycline (69.3%), kanamycin (69.3%), ampicillin (65.3%), nalidixic acid (53.3%), trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (52%) and enrofloxacin (41.3%), respectively. No resistance was found for ceftiofur and cefoxitin.     

Defining the immune response to Ehrlichia species using murine models

Pathogenic bacteria belonging to the family Anaplasmataceae include species of the genera Ehrlichia and Anaplasma. Ehrlichia chaffeensis, first known as the causative agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis, also infects several vertebrate hosts including white-tailed deer, dogs, coyotes and goats. E. chaffeensis is transmitted from the bite of an infected hard tick, such as Amblyomma americanum. E. chaffeensis and other tick-transmitted pathogens have adapted to both the tick and vertebrate host cell environments. Although E. chaffeensis persists in both vertebrate and tick hosts for long periods of time, little is known about that process. Immunological studies will be valuable in assessing how the pathogen persists in nature in both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Understanding the host immune response to the pathogen originating from dual host backgrounds is also important to develop effective methods of diagnosis, control and treatment. In this paper, we provide our perspective of the current understanding of the immune response against E. chaffeensis in relation to other related Anaplasmataceae pathogens.     

Seroprevalence and risk factors for influenza A viruses in pigs in Peninsular Malaysia

Following a series of H5N1 cases in chickens and birds in a few states in Malaysia, there was much interest in the influenza A viruses subtypes that circulate among the local pig populations. Pigs may act as a mixing vessel for avian and mammal influenza viruses, resulting in new reassorted viruses. This study investigated the presence of antibodies against influenza H1N1 and H3N2 viruses in pigs from Peninsular Malaysia using Herdcheck Swine Influenza H1N1 and H3N2 Antibody Test Kits. At the same time, the presence of influenza virus was examined from the nasal swabs of seropositive pigs by virus isolation and real time RT-PCR. The list of pig farms was obtained from the headquarters of the Department of Veterinary Services, Malaysia, and pig herds were selected randomly from six of 11 states in Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 727 serum and nasal swab samples were collected from 4- to 6-month-old pigs between May and August 2005. By ELISA, the seroprevalences of swine influenza H1N1 and H3N2 among pigs were 12.2% and 12.1% respectively. Seropositivity for either of the virus subtypes was detected in less than half of the 41 sampled farms (41.4%). Combination of both subtypes was detected in 4% of all pigs and in 22% of sampled farms. However, no virus or viral nucleic acid was detected from nasal samples. This study identified that the seropositivity of pigs to H1N1 and H3N2 based on ELISA was significantly associated with factors such as size of farm, importation or purchase of pigs, proximity of farm to other pig farms and the presence of mammalian pets within the farm.     

兰州银滩黄河湿地4种植物的光合特性

本研究以兰州银滩黄河湿地自然生长的千屈菜(Lythrum salicaria)、芦苇(Phragnites awstralis)、藨草(Scirpus triqueter)、菖蒲(Acorus calamus)为研究对象,对4种典型植物生长季不同阶段的光合特性及其与环境因子间的关系进行比较分析,探讨了4种植物对湿地的适应特性和机制。结果表明,1)5月11日千屈菜、芦苇的净光合速率(P_n)呈不明显的双峰曲线,藨草和菖蒲的Pn变化较为平稳,日均P_n表现为芦苇千屈菜菖蒲藨草;8月19日,千屈菜、芦苇、藨草的Pn呈双峰曲线,光合"午休"现象明显,菖蒲为单峰曲线,日均Pn表现为芦苇菖蒲千屈菜藨草。2)5月11日,光合有效辐射(PAR)、大气温度(Ta)、大气CO_2浓度(C_a)、相对湿度(RH)、蒸腾速率(T_r)、气孔导度(G_s)、胞间CO_2浓度(C_i)、水分利用效率(WUE)与4种植物P_n的日变化存在不显著、显著(P0.05)或极显著(P0.01,P0.001)的正相关关系;8月19日,PAR、C_a、T_r、G_s、WUE、土壤湿度(SM)与4种植物P_n的日变化存在不显著、显著或极显著的正相关关系;3)5月11日,PAR、C_a、T_a、RH对4种植物的P_n影响较大,是主要的环境生理影响因子;8月19日,PAR、T_r对千屈菜、藨草的Pn影响最大,PAR、WUE对芦苇、菖蒲的P_n影响较大,是主要的环境生理影响因子。尽管各因子对4种植物的光合速率均有不同影响,但PAR是对植物光合生理特性产生影响的根本原因。     

山东地方鸡种遗传距离与聚类分析方法比较研究

选用5个多态性较好的微卫星标记，检测了山东省仅存的5个地方鸡种：寿光鸡、日照麻鸡、莱芜黑鸡、济宁百日鸡、鲁西斗鸡，以及一个外来鸡种——安卡黄鸡和一个外省地方鸡种——广西黄鸡共7个鸡种的遗传多样性。根据测试结果计算了每个等位基因的频率，并以基因频率为基础计算了Nei氏标准遗传距离(Ds)和DA遗传距离，发现日照麻鸡与济宁百日鸡的距离最近，而鲁西斗鸡与其他6个鸡种距离都较远。根据两种遗传距离分别进行了NJ法和UPGMA法聚类，得到4个聚类图。结果表明：DA遗传距离的UPGMA聚类图比较可靠。