Lymphoid leukosis viruses,their recognition as ‘persistent’ viruses and comparisons with certain other retroviruses of veterinary importance

Diseases caused by lymphoid leukosis virus (LLV), a retrovirus, take a long time after infection to develop and have a wide variety of pathological manifestations. This long latent period is characteristic of persistent virus infections. Disease produced by LLV infection and its underlying mechanisms is compared with persistent infections caused by other retroviruses in birds and mammals of veterinary importance. The diseases considered for comparison are those caused by reticuloendotheliosis, feline leukaemia, bovine leukosis and equine infectious anaemia viruses. There are significant changes in the immunological status in all diseases caused by these viruses. LLV infections follow this trend with, in manifestations of neoplastic disease, a perturbation of the normal switch that occurs from IgM to IgG synthesis. There are also indications of other immunological disturbances.Factors other than immunological disturbances may contribute to the length of time after infection required for the many forms of LLV infection to appear. Such additional factors may include the operation of biological clocks, such as the arrival of sexual maturity, and also the very nature of retroviruses. These factors, like the immunological changes, play major roles in the maintenance and progression of persistent retrovirus infections.Abbreviations ACTH adrenocorticotropic hormone - AEV avian erythroblastosis virus - AMV avian myeloblastosis virus - BLV bovine leukaemia virus - CAV chicken anaemia virus - EBL enzootic bovine leukaemia - EIAV equine infectious anaemia virus - env envelope gene - FeLV feline leukaemia virus - FeSV feline sarcoma virus - FOCMA feline oncovirus membrane-associated antigen; gag, group antigen gene - HTLV human T-cell leukaemia virus - LLV lymphoid leukosis virus - L/S leukosis/sarcoma - LTR long terminal repeat - MAV myeloblastosis-associated virus - MDV Marek disease virus - MuLV mouse leukaemia virus - ORF open reading frame; pol, polymerase gene - REV reticuloendotheliosis virus - RIF resistance-inducing factor - RSV Rous sarcoma virus     

Prediction of breeding values for osseous fragments in fetlock and hock joints, deforming arthropathy in hock joints, and pathologic changes in the navicular bones of Hanoverian Warmblood horses

The results of a standardised radiological examination of 5928 Hanoverian Warmblood horses selected for sale at auction were used to predict relative breeding values (RBV) in the 23,662 horses included in the last four generations of the probands' pedigrees. The distribution of the RBV was investigated in the whole four-generation pedigree, in the probands and in those stallions that contributed at least three offspring to the probands. The RBV of the probands' sires were further compared with the officially published performance-based relative breeding values, i.e., total indices dressage (TID) and jumping (TIJ). The sires' level of dressage indices was considerably higher (mean TID=110) than of the jumping indices (mean TIJ=98). Total indices radiographic findings (TIR) were calculated for the sires with varying weighting given to the individual RBV. In each case, this resulted in a mean TIR of 99. Finally, total indices were derived from TIR and TID and/or TIJ in order to develop different selection schemes for all-purpose breeding and for breeding focused on dressage and show jumping. All breeding values under consideration increased by between 1% and 19% when radiographic findings were weighted with between 30% and 60% complementary to the corresponding performance parameters, and when only sires were selected with above average total indices. At the same time, the prevalences of the radiographic findings investigated here were lowered by up to 10% each. When only one radiographic finding was considered at a time, the maximum attainable response to selection was a 16-23% increase in the relative breeding values and a relative decrease in prevalences of radiographic findings of between 31% and 52%. The results of this study indicate that it is possible in horse breeding to consider simultaneously health and performance traits. Medical data should be included in the prediction of breeding values in order to improve the radiological status of today's riding horses.     

八珍汤对乳牛产后免疫状态的影响

为了探索提高乳牛产后期免疫状态的新方法，对试验乳牛分4组（产前第30d至产前第1d灌喂组、产前第15d至产后第15d灌喂组、产后第1d至第30d灌喂组、不灌喂中药对照组）灌喂中药八珍汤，检测产后期淋巴细胞及其亚群数量和淋巴细胞增殖活化功能。结果发现，产前组CD3细胞数量在产后第1d升高；产前产后组CD3、CD4和CD8细胞数量在产后第1d和第15d升高；产后组CD3细胞数量在产后第15d和第30d升高，CD4细胞数量也在产后第30d升高。淋巴细胞对ConA的反应能力，产前产后组在产后第1～30d明显提高，产后组在产后第15d和第30d明显提高。各组乳牛产后期CD21细胞数量的变化相近。结果表明，从产前第15d开始到产后第15d每日喂八珍汤，能明显提高乳牛产后期T细胞及其亚群数量和增加淋巴细胞增殖活化功能，而对B细胞数量增加的作用不明显。     

苜蓿育种几个问题的探讨

在对主要苜蓿遗传资源与遗传特性进行陈述的同时, 重点对苜蓿遗传特性与育种进程的关系、目前常见的育种方法以及苜蓿育种的发展现状进行了阐述,并就近年来我国在苜蓿育种领域内存在的主要问题进行了分析,旨在为今后的苜蓿育种工作提供参考依据。     

Effect of mutant β-catenin gene on the proliferation of hepatocytes

AIM:The β-catenin is a key molecule in the Wnt signal pathway, which plays a critical role in normal development and tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms of the β-catenin on the cell growth control are still not completely defined. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the mutant β-catenin may regulate the hepatocyte proliferation. METHODS: The immortalized murine hepatocyte cell line, AML12, was used for this study. A plasmid that contain mutant β-catenin S33Y was transfected into the AML12 cells and a stable cell line AML12S33Y was established. The cell growth property of this cell line and the parental cell were compared by flow cytometry analysis and direct cell count. The cells were also tested for the ability to form soft agar colonies, and the ability to form tumors in the severe immune deficient mice (SCID). RESULTS:1. The mutant β-catenin containing cell line AML12S33Y has higher proliferating index compared with the parental AML12 cells (P<0.01), suggesting that mutant β-catenin promotes cell growth. 2. The mutant β-catenin cells formed small colonies in soft agar after 4 weeks of culture, but did not generate tumor in SCID mice. CONCLUSION:The mutant β-catenin promotes liver cell growth.     

Effect of tea-polyphenols on the activation of NF-κB and the expression of TGF-β1 mRNA in THP-1 cells incubated with VLDL,LDL or ox-LDL

AIM:To investigate the effect of tea-polyphenols (TP) on the activation of NF-κB and the expression of TGF-β₁ mRNA in THP-1 cells (a human acute monocytic leukemia cell line). METHODS:THP-1 cells were incubated with the different concentrations of TP, VLDL, LDL or ox-LDL. In the THP-1 cellls, the nuclear malposition rate of NF-κB was detected with immunohistochemistry technique, the positive index of the TGF-β₁ mRNA expression was detected by hybridization in situ, and accumulation of total cholesterol (TC) in cells incubated with 0.4-40 μg/L TP was determined with oxidase assay. RESULTS:The nuclear malposition rate of NF-κB, the positive index of the TGF-β₁ mRNA expression and TC in THP-1 cells incubated with 0.4-40 μg/L of TP were lower than those with 0 μg/L of TP in TP-V group, TP-L group and TP-O (P＜0.05). The differences of these markers in THP-1 cells incubated with more than 40 μg/L TP in TP-V group, TP-L group and TP-O were not statistically significant, compared with TP-C group (P＞0.05). CONCLUSION:TP inhibited the activation of NF-κB, the expression of TGF-β₁ mRNA and the foam cell formation in the mono-macrophage.     

Predicting the spatial distribution of ground flora on large domains using a hierarchical Bayesian model

Accomodation of important sources of uncertainty in ecological models is essential to realistically predicting ecological processes. The purpose of this project is to develop a robust methodology for modeling natural processes on a landscape while accounting for the variability in a process by utilizing environmental and spatial random effects. A hierarchical Bayesian framework has allowed the simultaneous integration of these effects. This framework naturally assumes variables to be random and the posterior distribution of the model provides probabilistic information about the process. Two species in the genus Desmodium were used as examples to illustrate the utility of the model in Southeast Missouri, USA. In addition, two validation techniques were applied to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the predictions.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

巴旦杏在甘肃河西地区引种培育问题的探讨

该文通过分析巴旦杏在甘肃河西地区引种培育过程中出现的问题,总结出用容器育苗和大田开沟点播相结合来培育接穗,以山桃为砧木嫁接巴旦杏的引种驯化技术.结果表明,容器培育接穗比直接大田点播出苗率、成活率分别提高了10%和15%;巴旦杏与山桃嫁接表现出极好的亲和性,嫁接成活率为90%.     

Role of polymerase β in DNA metabolism and genomic instability

The major role of DNA polymerase β was thought to be limited in its involvement in short patch base excision repair by removing 5’-deoxyribose phosphate and base insertion. However, the recent researches indicate that polymerase β might take part in a wide spectrum of DNA metabolism reactions, including long patch base excision repair, DNA replication, recombination, meiosis and transleisional DNA synthesis. Because of its wide and important cellular function, an inappropriate intracellular polymerase β level might be associated with genomic instability. Down-regulation or mutation of polymerase β is mutagenic due to deficient in DNA repair, while overexpression of this error-prone β polymerase might perturb the normal function of other accurate polymerases and cause genomic instability as well.