Trichoderma Biocontrol of Colletotrichum acutatum and Botrytis cinerea and Survival in Strawberry

Trichoderma isolates are known for their ability to control plant pathogens. It has been shown that various isolates of Trichoderma, including T. harzianum isolate T-39 from the commercial biological control product TRICHODEX, were effective in controlling anthracnose (Colletotrichum acutatum) and grey mould (Botrytis cinerea) in strawberry, under controlled and greenhouse conditions. Three selected Trichoderma strains, namely T-39, T-161 and T-166, were evaluated in large-scale experiments using different timing application and dosage rates for reduction of strawberry anthracnose and grey mould. All possible combinations of single, double or triple mixtures of Trichoderma strains, applied at 0.4% and 0.8% concentrations, and at 7 or 10 day intervals, resulted in reduction of anthracnose severity; the higher concentration (0.8%) was superior in control whether used with single isolates or as a result of combined application of two isolates, each at 0.4%. Only a few treatments resulted in significant control of grey mould. Isolates T-39 applied at 0.4% at 2 day intervals, T-166 at 0.4%, or T-161 combined with T-39 at 0.4% were as effective as the chemical fungicide fenhexamide. The survival dynamics of populations of the Trichoderma isolates (T-39, T-105, T-161 and T-166) applied separately was determined by dilution plating and isolates in the mixtures calculated according to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using repeat motif primers. The biocontrol isolates were identified to the respective species T. harzianum (T-39), T. hamatum (T-105), T. atroviride (T-161) and T. longibrachiatum (T-166), according to internal transcribed spacer sequence analysis.     

DNA甲基化与基因组印记

综合论述了DNA甲基化与基因组印记的最新研究进展,论述了它们的生物学意义,并阐述了两者的关系.     

H5亚型禽流感DNA疫苗质粒pCAGGoptiHA5对高致病力禽流感病毒攻击的免疫保护

对H5亚型禽流感DNA疫苗质粒pCAGGoptiHA5的免疫效果进行了研究。pCAGGoptiHA5分别以100和10μg剂量一次或两次免疫3周龄SPF鸡，首次免疫后4周以同样剂量和途径进行第二次免疫，一次免疫后4周、两次免疫后2周分别用100LD50的HPAIV A／Goose／GuangDong／1／96（H5N1）鼻腔途径进行攻击，观察发病与死亡情况，分别于攻毒后第3、5、7天采集喉头及泄殖腔拭子进行病毒分离、滴定检测排毒情况，同时检测免疫后、攻毒前及攻毒后血清HI抗体、NT抗体以及AGP抗体的动态变化。结果，100μg pCAGGoptiHA5一次免疫、100μg pCAGGoptiHA5两次免疫以及10μg pCAGGoptiHA5两次免疫均可对免疫鸡形成100％完全保护（不发病、不致死、不排毒），10μg剂量pCAGGoptiHA5一次免疫可对免疫鸡形成100％的保护（不发病、不致死），结果表明，pCAGGoptiHA5作为疫苗效果良好、成本低廉，有望成为预防H5亚型高致病力禽流感的高效、安全新型基因工程疫苗。     

Methyl donors dietary supplementation to gestating sows diet improves the growth rate of offspring and is associating with changes in expression and DNA methylation of insulin‐like growth factor‐1 gene

The study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal dietary methyl donors on the performance of sows and their offspring, and the associated hepatic insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) expression of the offspring. A total of 24 multiparous sows were randomly fed the control (CON) or the CON diet supplemented with methyl donors (MD) at 3 g/kg betaine, 15 mg/kg folic acid, 400 mg/kg choline and 150 μg/kg VB₁₂, from mating until delivery. After farrowing, sows were fed a common lactation diet through a 28‐days lactation period and six litters per treatment were selected to be fed until at approximately 110 kg BW. Maternal MD supplementation resulted in greater birthweight (p < 0.05) and increased the piglet weights (p < 0.01) and litter weights (p < 0.05) at the age of day 28, compared with that in CON group. The offspring pigs in the MD group had greater ADG (p < 0.05) and tended to lower F:G ratio (p = 0.07) compared with that of CON group from day 28 to 180 of age. The offspring pigs from MD group had greater serum IGF‐1 concentrations and expressions of hepatic IGF‐1 gene and muscular IGF‐1 receptor (IGF‐1r) protein at birth (p < 0.05), and greater hepatic IGF‐1 protein (p = 0.03) and muscular IGF‐1r gene expressions (p < 0.05) at slaughter, than that from the CON group. Moreover, the methylation at the promoter of IGF‐1 gene in the liver of newborn piglets and finishing pigs was greater in the MD group than that of the CON group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, maternal MD supplementation throughout gestation could enhance the birthweight and postnatal growth rate of offspring, associated with an increased expression of the IGF‐1 gene and IGF‐1r, as well as the altered DNA methylation of IGF‐1 gene promotor.     

BPA不影响卵母细胞减数分裂相关基因Dazl的甲基化

为了探讨环境雌激素BPA对小鼠卵母细胞减数分裂相关基因Dazl甲基化的影响,本研究通过给孕鼠饮用含有BPA的水方式使胎鼠在发育过程中接触BPA,利用重亚硫酸盐测序法,分析了胎鼠生殖嵴卵母细胞不同发育时期Dazl甲基化水平的变化。结果显示:Dazl在减数分裂期间处于低甲基化水平,无论对照组或处理组均低于10%,说明Dazl的低甲基化对维持减数分裂的正常进行有重要作用;对照组与处理组的甲基化水平相当,差异不显著,说明本研究的BPA浓度不影响卵母细胞Dazl的甲基化水平。     

Immunogenicity of multiple-epitope antigen gene of HCV carried by novel biodegradable polymers

In order to develop a promising vaccine candidate utilizing a combined approach to induce both antibody production and T-cell activity, the DNA fragment containing MA of HCV with five conserved epitopes was synthesized. Two types of HCV vaccine candidates (the DNA type and DNA/polymers) were constructed using MA. PLA-PEG-PLA and PLGA-PEG-PLGA were synthesized and used as micelles with encapsulated plasmid pcDNA3.1(+)-MA. The preparation of copolymers, the cloning and analysis of recombinant plasmid DNA, in vitro expression, and immunogenicity in transgenic mice were evaluated in detail. The results indicated that even single immunization and oral immunization with DNA/polymers achieved satisfying immune responses in vivo tests. As biodegradable and nontoxic triblock copolymers, the novel copolymers demonstrated a great advantage, as they made long-term and single-immunizing vaccines possible; in addition, the copolymers showed a better adjuvant effect and scarcely any side effects.     

利用 HPLC 分析菠萝愈伤组织 DNA 甲基化水平

建立菠萝 DNA 甲基化水平的 HPLC 测定方法，分析菠萝愈伤组织 DNA 甲基化水平变化，为进一步研究菠萝 体细胞无性系变异机理奠定基础。通过对流动相和水解温度等条件的优化，建立菠萝 DNA 甲基化水平的检测方法。结 果表明，分离 C 和 5m-C 的最佳流动相为甲醇∶磷酸二氢钾∶三乙胺为 10∶90∶0.2（V/V），pH 3.0，DNA 的最佳水解 温度为 90 ℃。利用此体系分析菠萝愈伤组织和胚性愈伤组织的 DNA 甲基化变化，结果表明，菠萝愈伤组织在分化过 程中 DNA 总甲基化水平呈动态变化，变化范围为 5.14%~96.86%。此外，胚性愈伤组织甲基化水平低于非胚性愈伤组 织。推测 DNA 甲基化影响菠萝愈伤组织的分化及胚性愈伤组织的形成。     

Soil biodiversity and DNA barcodes: opportunities and challenges

Soils encompass a huge diversity of organisms which mostly remains to be characterized due to a number of methodological and logistical issues. Nonetheless, remarkable progress has been made in recent years toward developing strategies to characterize and describe soil biodiversity, especially thanks to the development of molecular approaches relying on direct DNA extraction from the soil matrix.Metabarcoding can be applied to DNA from any environment or organism, and is gaining increasing prominence in biodiversity studies. This approach is already commonly used to characterize soil microbial communities and its application is now being extended to other soil organisms, i.e. meso- and macro-fauna.These developments offer unprecedented scientific and operational opportunities in order to better understand soil biodiversity distribution and dynamics, and to propose tools and strategies for biodiversity diagnosis. However, these opportunities also come with challenges that the scientific community must face. Such challenges are related to i) clarification of terminology, (ii) standardisation of methods and further methodological development for additional taxonomic groups, (iii) development of a common database, and (iv) ways to avoid waste of information and data derived from metabarcoding. In order to facilitate common application of metabarcoding in soil biodiversity assessment, we discuss these opportunities and challenges and propose solutions towards a more homogeneous framework.