In vitro culture, serologic and molecular analysis of Acanthamoeba isolated from the liver of a keel-billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)

Members of the genus Acanthamoeba are usually free-living amebae and are found in a variety of ecological niches including soil, fresh and brackish water, dust in air, filters of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning units, swimming pools and hot tubs, etc. Occasionally, they are also known to cause central nervous system infections in humans and other animals. We isolated into culture an amoeba from the liver tissue of a keel-billed toucan and identified it as Acanthamoeba sp. based on culture characteristics and immunofluorescent analysis. Further, we characterized the cultured amoeba and also the amoeba in the liver tissue as Acanthamoeba, genotype T4, by sequencing a diagnostic region of the nuclear small subunit ribosomal RNA gene.     

Prototheca zopfii genotype 2: the causative agent of bovine protothecal mastitis?

In order to clarify the epidemiology of bovine protothecal mastitis, 30 Prototheca zopfii mastitis isolates were genetically investigated. Based on the 18S rDNA, which allows a differentiation of the former species P. zopfii in two distinct P. zopfii genotypes and Prototheca blaschkeae sp. nov., newly developed genotype-specific PCR-assays as well as RFLP-assays were applied.

All mastitis isolates investigated could be assigned to P. zopfii genotype 2 suggesting that this genotype is the aetiological agent of bovine Prototheca mastitis.     

整体荧光原位杂交用于检测水稻特异DNA程序的研究

文章报道了整体荧光原位杂交应用于检测水稻特异ＤＮＡ的实验程序。利用该实验方法,以经地高辛（ＤＩＧ）标记的ｒＤＮＡ作为探针,成功地在水稻根尖和花药内部组织检测与探针互补的片段。对于实验方法,结果表明,整体荧光原位杂交的成功与否受到多种因素的影响,包括组织的种类、固定剂的种类以及固定后的处理方法（主要是酶解与否）等。检测根尖ＤＮＡ可以采用φ（福尔马林）＝１％固定加上酶解;检测花药（花粉发育处于单核期）     

Genetic diversity in the coconut lethal yellowing disease phytoplasmas of East Africa

DNA primers, based on the ribosomal sequences of lethal yellowing-type disease (LYD) phytoplasmas, were used to analyse genetic variation within the lethal yellowing-type diseases of coconut in East Africa. Samples were collected from palms in Kenya, Mozambique and high, medium and low disease incidence areas of Tanzania. The mollicute-specific primer pair P1 and P6 amplified a 1.5 kbp product from all diseased palms and no product from symptomless palms, indicating that phytoplasmas were associated with all of these diseases. However, the Rohde forward and Rohde reverse primers (a second rRNA primer pair designed to detect East African LYD-associated phytoplasmas) only amplified products from Tanzanian and Kenyan diseased palms and not from those of Mozambique. Conversely, primers Ghana 813 and AK-SR, designed for specific detection of coconut-associated phytoplasmas in West Africa, amplified products only from the Mozambique palms, indicating that the phytoplasma associated with LYD in Mozambique is more closely related to those from West Africa. This was supported by restriction enzyme digestion of PCR products. DNA sequencing of PCR products from phytoplasmas within Tanzania revealed no detectable differences in the rDNA sequences of isolates from high, medium and low incidence areas.     

Occurrence and characterization of gastric Helicobacter spp. in naturally infected dogs

Helicobacter-like organisms are frequently observed in the stomach of dogs but the relationship between these microorganisms and gastric pathology has not been clearly established. Different species of helicobacters are known to be present in the canine stomach but their specific prevalence in naturally infected dogs is unknown. The aims of this study were to isolate and characterize helicobacters in canine gastric biopsies, to compare the commonly used tests for the identification of Helicobacter spp. and to determine the occurrence of these species in dogs. Twenty-three out of 25 dogs (92%) were positive for Helicobacter-like organisms in cytological screening. Culture was successful from biopsies of 5/25 dogs. The isolates were analyzed by electron microscopy, biochemical and physiological tests, whole protein analysis and 16S rDNA sequencing. Helicobacter felis was identified in four samples and Helicobacter bizzozeronii in one sample. Only the whole protein analysis in combination with electron microscopy was able to clearly discriminate the two species. Compared to the high prevalence of Helicobacter-like organisms, the occurrence of H. felis and H. bizzozeronii, was low (17 and 4%, respectively). No Flexispira rappini-like organisms or H. salomonis were detected. Electron microscopy revealed that H. bizzozeronii-like microorganisms were present in three additional biopsies where we were unable to culture any Helicobacter-like organisms. These observations indicate that in the stomach of dogs not all helicobacters are culturable. The unculturable bacteria appeared to be the prevalent ones and may represent different spiral organisms. The presence of distinct helicobacters with different characteristics can reflect different roles in the pathogenesis of canine gastric disease.     

1株奶牛源约翰逊不动杆菌的分离鉴定

旨在了解从奶牛垫料中分离得到1株革兰阴性菌的病原特征,本研究通过形态学观察、生化试验、染色镜检、16S rDNA同源性分析等方法对分离菌进行鉴定,并采用药敏试验测定药物敏感性,小鼠攻毒试验确定分离菌株毒力情况.结果 表明,分离菌为革兰阴性菌;扩增的16S rDNA序列长度为1283 bp,与约翰逊不动杆菌的核苷酸相似性...     

Life cycle inference and phylogeny of Ortholinea labracis n. sp. (Myxosporea: Ortholineidae), a parasite of the European seabass Dicentrarchus labrax (Teleostei: Moronidae), in a Portuguese fish farm

Ortholinea labracis n. sp. is described and its life cycle is inferred from a Southern Portuguese fish farm, with basis on microscopic and molecular procedures. This myxosporean parasite infects the urinary bladder of the European seabass Dicentrarchus labrax and the intestinal epithelium of a marine oligochaete of the genus Tectidrilus. Myxospores subspherical in valvular view and ellipsoidal in sutural view measuring 7.6 ± 0.3 (6.8–8.7) μm in length, 7.2 ± 0.2 (6.7–7.7) μm in width and 6.5 ± 0.4 (5.8–7.7) μm in thickness. Two polar capsules, 3.0 ± 0.2 (2.6–3.4) μm long and 2.4 ± 0.1 (2.0–2.9) μm wide, located at the same level, but with divergent orientation and opening to opposite sides of the suture line. Sequencing of the SSU rRNA gene revealed a similarity of 100% between the analysed myxospores and triactinomyxon actinospores. The phylogenetic setting of O. labracis n. sp. shows subgrouping in correlation with tissue tropism, but identifies this parasite as another exception to the main division of Myxosporea into the main freshwater and marine lineages.     

养殖大菱鲆(Scophthalmus maximus)腹水病的病原多样性及其耐药性分析

为了解引起养殖大菱鲆(Scophthalmus maximus)腹水病的病原多样性及其耐药性情况,针对2002-2010年由不同地区病样分离的27株细菌性病原进行了16S rDNA鉴定,并采用K-B法测定了27株细菌对22种抗生素的耐药性,分析了病原菌的耐药谱及耐药率变化.结果显示,大菱鲆腹水病病原菌主要有大菱鲆弧菌(Vibrio scophthalmi)、迟钝爱德华氏菌(Edwardsiella tarda)、鳗弧菌(Vibrio anguillarum)、哈维氏弧菌(Vibrio harveyi)、假交替单胞菌(Pseudoalteromonas espejiana).山东青岛地区以大菱鲆弧菌为主,威海地区以迟钝爱德华氏菌为主,烟台地区菌株种类分布平均.5类细菌对青霉素类、头孢菌素类、大环内酯类、复方新诺明耐药率高于50％.只有1株迟钝爱德华氏菌对氟苯尼考产生了耐药,其余菌株对其均没有耐药性,且在长期使用中不易产生耐药性,证实氟苯尼考为当前防治腹水病的一种良好抗菌药物.27株病原菌的耐药谱数量为27个,每个菌株具备自己独特的耐药谱,74.1％的菌株对10种以上的抗菌药物产生了耐药性,均有多重耐药性.     

三疣梭子蟹养殖塘表层底泥异养细菌群落比较研究

采用菌落菌体形态观察和16SrDNA序列比对的方法,对三疣梭子蟹养殖健康塘和病害塘表层底泥中的异养细菌进行了比较研究。分离得到的255株细菌可分为13个菌落类群,33个菌体亚群。对占异养细菌总数34.5%的两个优势亚群(A-NS-SpR亚群,不产芽孢的球杆状菌;B-SF-SR亚群,产芽孢的短杆状菌)的16SrDNA序列分析结果表明,A-NS-SpR亚群属于变形菌门中的2个纲3个科8个属约12个种,其中Halomonas ventosae和Donghicola eburneus两个种数量最多,占该亚群菌株的59.1%。B-SF-SR亚群属于厚壁菌门芽孢菌纲的3个科4个属约12个种,其中Bacillus decolorationis和Halobacillus trueperi两个种数量最多,占该亚群菌株总数的60.6%。从属的水平上讲,Bacillus和Halomonas是优势属。A-NS-SpR亚群在健康塘中的丰度(菌株数量)明显高于病害塘,但多样性(种属数量)差别较小,其中Rhodobacteraceae科在两个塘中的数量差别最大。与此相反,B-SF-SR亚群在健康塘和病害塘中的丰度相当,但健康塘的多样性明显...     

长牡蛎食物组成的高通量测序分析

为了更加细致地甄别滤食性贝类的食物组成,于2019年8月,以北方规模化典型养殖海湾——桑沟湾养殖的长牡蛎(Crassostrea gigas)为研究对象,运用Illumina高通量测序技术对长牡蛎的胃含物及所处养殖水体中的真核生物进行分析研究。结果显示,扩增18S rDNA V4区平均得到111,359个有效序列短片段,在97%相似性水平上划分OTUs (operational taxonomic units),聚类后得到239个类别。其中,长牡蛎胃含物中的真核生物分属于34个门,绿藻门(Chlorophyta)、甲藻门(Pyrrophyta)、链形植物(Streptophyta)、硅藻门(Bacillariophyta)和原生动物(Protozoa)等为主要类群。所处养殖水体中的真核生物分属于37个门,绿藻门、脊索动物门(Chordata)、节肢动物门(Arthropoda)、甲藻门和硅藻门等为主要类群。结果表明,浮游植物是长牡蛎的主要食物来源,链型植物和原生动物也有一定的贡献,分别占总食物贡献量的10.43%和4.11%。研究结果为深入认识滤食性贝类的摄食生态学及其在养殖生态系统物质循环和能量流动中发挥的作用提供了数据支撑。