Comparison of kinetic properties of a hydrophilic form of acetylcholinesterase purified from strains susceptible and resistant to carbamate and organophosphorus insecticides of green rice leafhopper (Nephotettix cincticeps Uhler)

A hydrophilic form of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was purified from N-methyl carbamate susceptible (SA) and highly N-methyl carbamate-resistant (N3D) strains of the green rice leafhopper (GRLH), Nephotettix cincticeps Uhler. Both of purified AChE from SA and N3D strains displayed the highest activities toward acetylthiocholine (ATCh) at pH 8.5. In the SA strain, the optimum concentrations for ATCh, propionylthiocholine (PTCh), and butyrylthiocholine (BTCh) were about 1 × 10⁻³, 2.5 × 10⁻³, and 1 × 10⁻³ M, respectively. However, in the N3D strain, substrate inhibition was not identified for ATCh, PTCh, and BTCh to 1 × 10⁻² M. The K_m value in the SA strain was 51.1, 39.1, and 41.6 μM and that in the N3D strain was 91.8, 88.1, and 85.2 μM for ATCh, PTCh, and BTCh, respectively. The K_m value in the N3D strain indicated about 1.80-, 2.25-, and 2.05-fold lower affinity than that of the SA strain for ATCh, PTCh, and BTCh, respectively. The V_max value in the SA strain was 70.2, 30.5, and 4.6 U/mg protein and that in the N3D strain was 123.0, 27.0, and 14.5 U/mg protein for ATCh, PTCh, and BTCh, respectively. The V_max value in the N3D strain was 1.75- and 3.15-fold higher for ATCh and BTCh than that in the N3D strain. However, it was 1.13-fold lower for PTCh. The increased activity of AChE in the N3D strain is due to the qualitatively modified enzyme with a higher catalytic efficiency. The bimolecular rate constant (k_i) for propoxur was 27.1 × 10⁴ and 0.51 × 10⁴ M⁻¹ min⁻¹ in the SA and N3D strain and that for monocrotophos was 0.031 × 10⁴ and 2.0 × 10⁴ M⁻¹ min⁻¹ in the SA and N3D strain. AChE from the N3D strain was 53-fold less sensitive than SA strain to inhibition by propoxur. In contrast, AChE from the N3D strain was 65-fold more sensitive to inhibition by monocrotophos than AChE from the SA strain. This indicated negatively correlated cross-insensitivity of AChE to propoxur and monocrotophos.     

A mutation confers Monochoria vaginalis resistance to sulfonylureas that target acetolactate synthase

Acetolactate synthase (ALS) is the target enzyme for four distinct families of compounds: sulfonylureas (SUs), imidazolinones, triazolopyrimidine sulfonanilides, and pyrimidinyl oxybenzoates. We cloned and sequenced the fragments encoding ALS genes from biotypes of Monochoria vaginalis susceptible (S) and resistant (R) to SU-herbicides. The nucleotide sequences of the 39 bp Domain A region for R M. vaginalis biotype differed from that of the S biotype by a single nucleotide substitution at variable Pro codon of Domain A (CCT to TCT), predicting a Pro in the S but a Ser in the R biotype. No nucleotide differences between S and R M. vaginalis were observed in Domain D. We suggest that the amino acid substitution at Domain A region is responsible for resistance to SU-herbicides in M. vaginalis collected from Ushiku City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.     

Variation and distribution of virulence phenotypes of Bremia lactucae in natural populations of Lactuca serriola

During 1997–2000 the virulence variation and distribution of virulence phenotypes of Bremia lactucae (lettuce downy mildew) in natural populations of Lactuca serriola (prickly lettuce) were studied. Altogether 139 isolates of B. lactucae originating from the Czech Republic, France and Germany were examined for the presence of 27 virulence factors (v-factors) and their combinations. In the Czech population, 37 different v-phenotypes (P1–P37) of B. lactucae were found to occur on L. serriola . Most v-phenotypes were characterized by v-factors that match resistance ( Dm genes/R-factors) carried by L. serriola . A wide diversity of v-phenotypes was recorded every year, but most were rare and did not reappear in other populations of B. lactucae . The three v-phenotypes P21, P28 and P29 were most frequent and widely distributed. There was variation both between spatially isolated populations and within populations of the pathogen. Geographic differences in virulence were found for the southern parts of Moravia, where the phenotypic composition of pathogen populations was completely different from the remaining part of the area investigated. However, some populations had v-phenotypes similar to those of spatially distant populations in Moravia.     

抗鸡传染性腺胃炎酶标抗体的制备和应用

在前期从患病鸡腺胃内分离到呼肠孤病毒的基础上，以该病毒为免疫原对兔进行免疫制备高免血清，分离纯化IgG，进行辣根过氧化物酶（HRP）标记，并用ELISA双抗体夹心法对山东省青岛、枣庄、泰安等地区采集的传染性腺胃炎的腺胃样品进行检测，结果表明制备的抗鸡传染性腺胃炎呼肠孤病毒的酶标抗体检测传染性腺胃炎特异性强、灵敏度高、较简便。     

人参提取液体外抑制IHNV作用效果研究

探究人参提取液体外抑制CCB细胞感染IHNV的能力,构建体外CCB细胞模型,运用RTCA技术和MTT法测得不同浓度人参提取液对IHNV抑制作用曲线,并从阻断病毒复制和杀灭病毒两方面讨论人参提取液作用效果。结果表明,4%人参提取液对IHNV具有明显抑制作用,能够在16 h内保护细胞不受IHNV病毒的侵染,其中2 h时对病毒灭活抑制率最高达到51.5%,1~12 h内对病毒复制有持续抑制作用。研究可为IHVN防治药物的研发提供新的思路及参考。     

红三叶遗传图谱构建及抗白粉病基因QTL定位

本研究以感(岷山红三叶)、抗(澳大利亚红三叶品种♀Sensation×Renegade♂杂交新品系“甘农PR1”)白粉病红三叶材料为父母本杂交并种植成苗经人工接菌后筛选出抗、感白粉病的F₁群体为作图群体,利用AFLP标记构建红三叶高密度遗传图谱,并利用区间作图法对抗白粉病QTL进行了定位分析,可以为红三叶抗白粉病基因克隆和转基因等分子辅助育种奠定基础。结果表明,149个AFLP标记构建得到的遗传图谱包含7个连锁群(LG1,LG2,LG3,LG4,LG5,LG6和LG7),遗传图谱的总距离为640.5 cM。其中,LG1连锁群的遗传距离(140.6 cM)和标记间平均距离(9.4 cM)均最大;LG4连锁群的遗传距离(55.2 cM)和标记间平均距离(1.8 cM)最小。应用区间作图法对红三叶抗白粉病基因进行QTL分析定位,共检测到5个抗白粉病相关QTL位点(qrp-1,qrp-2,qrp-3,qrp-4和qrp-5),其中qrp-1、qrp-2、qrp-3和qrp-4位于LG4连锁群上,qrp-5位于LG5连锁群上。5个QTL位点对抗白粉病的贡献率为29%~90%,qrp-1对红三叶白粉病抗性的贡献率最大(90%),为主效QTL。     

小黑麦与黑麦花序结构和籽粒特性比较

植物的花序结构及其形态特征是影响种子生产性能的重要因素。对于禾本科植物而言,其花序大小、小穗数、小花数及小花的外稃、内稃和芒的性状特征直接影响种子形成和产量。本研究通过测定小黑麦品系C2、C35和黑麦品系C13、C33的花序结构特征,得到以下结果:小黑麦花序[(14.30±0.52) cm×(1.24±0.09) cm]明显大于黑麦[(13.20±0.35) cm×(0.82±0.02) cm],小黑麦花序长而粗,黑麦花序短而细;小黑麦花序的小穗数[(21.35±1.47)个]少于黑麦[(30.20±0.79)个];小黑麦每个小穗的小花数较多,为3~4朵,黑麦的小花数趋于稳定,每个小穗有2朵小花。从花序中部小穗的小花结构看,小黑麦下位护颖长[(1.27±0.11) cm]和宽[(0.26±0.03) cm]、上位护颖长[(1.30±0.09) cm]和宽[(0.23±0.04) cm]均显著大于黑麦下位护颖长[(1.04±0.05) cm]和宽[(0.08±0.01) cm]、上位护颖长[(0.94±0.10) cm]和宽[(0.06±0.01) cm];小黑麦中部小穗第1小花的外稃宽[(0.32±0.03) cm]、外稃高[(0.24±0.03) cm]和芒长[(8.35±0.51) cm]、第2小花的外稃宽[(0.35±0.04) cm]、外稃高[(0.25±0.05) cm]和芒长[(8.37±1.19) cm]极显著大于黑麦相应值[(0.26±0.01),(0.15±0.01),(5.50±0.19),(0.25±0.01),(0.17±0.01)和(5.18±0.23) cm];第1和第2小花的外稃长[(1.35±0.06),(1.37±0.06) cm]和内稃长[(0.84±0.04),(1.41±0.06) cm]均小于黑麦的外稃长[(1.49±0.05),(1.47±0.05) cm]和内稃长[(1.45±0.05),(1.47±0.04) cm]。小黑麦的穗粒数[(52.50±1.80)粒]显著低于黑麦[(58.50±2.50)粒] (P<0.05),但其穗粒重[(2.08±0.04) g]、粒重[(0.04±0.00) g]和籽粒宽[(3.04±0.32) mm]均极显著高于黑麦 (P<0.01),每个花序的籽粒不仅体积大,而且质量较重,其籽粒的生产性能高于黑麦。小黑麦籽粒呈椭圆形或长卵圆形,浅黄色,表皮皱缩,饱满度差;黑麦籽粒呈窄纺锤形,青灰色,表皮光滑,籽粒饱满。小黑麦和黑麦花序结构与籽粒性状的Pearson相关分析表明,小黑麦花序宽和花序基部小穗数与籽粒长显著正相关(P<0.05),花序长与籽粒宽极显著正相关(P<0.01),花序中部小穗的下、上位护颖宽分别与穗粒重和穗粒数极显著正相关(P<0.01);黑麦花序中部小穗第2小花的内稃长与籽粒长显著正相关(P<0.05),外稃高与穗粒数极显著负相关(P<0.01)。研究小黑麦和黑麦的花序结构和籽粒特征,对正确区分二者和了解其籽粒的生产性能具有重要意义,同时有利于小黑麦的示范推广。     

草原灌丛化入侵:过程、机制和效应

草原灌丛化已成为全球性问题,也是生态学、畜牧学研究的热点问题。紧扣草原灌丛化过程、发生机理及其生态学后效等关键问题,介绍了国内外的最新研究进展。灌木入侵途径包括有意识引进入侵和自然入侵2类,入侵过程分为传播到达、定居建群和扩散入侵3个阶段。放牧、火烧、温室气体增加,干旱以及降水格局改变等均可导致草本向木本的转化,且机制复杂,主要有影响草本,木本植物盖度、水分利用效率、化感作用等。木本植物入侵打破了草原生态系统的稳定,表现出沃岛效应,影响动植物的分布以及生态系统的功能和服务。阐明草原“草本-木本”群落演替机制,可为我国研究草原灌丛化和管理提供理论借鉴。     

The evolution and application of enzymes in the animal feed industry: the role of data interpretation

ABSTRACT

1. Enzymes have been used commercially for nearly 40 years and save significant costs through sparing of expensive nutrients but the mechanism by which this is achieved is still debated.

2. The research focused on non-starch polysaccharidase (NSPase) enzymes is used as an example of where greater progress could have been made if the details of the work had been described more fully and the analysis of the data generated had been broader in scope and more critical.

3. Lack of standardisation of the details presented in the materials and methods has been identified as a significant barrier to meaningful retrospective analysis and thus limits advances in the understanding of the mode of action of these enzymes.

4. The identity of the enzyme employed and its activity is often lacking, and more importantly the purity is rarely disclosed. Contaminant activities which are neither listed nor assayed could play a significant role in the responses observed.

5. The dose optimum of most enzymes is often considerably higher than that employed in most studies. Thus studies claiming synergy between two ‘activities’ should ensure that the response is not related to each enzyme simply augmenting the dose of just one activity in the finished feed. This is a common problem, and coupled with the lack of factorial experiments to justify the presence of each enzyme in a multi-enzyme product, it is not surprising that there is still debate as to whether single or multi-enzymes are best suited poultry rations.

6. The three proposed mechanisms for NSPases (viscosity, cell wall and prebiotic) are discussed, and along with their strengths and weaknesses it is suggested that a re-evaluation of each is needed. Viscosity may have to be re-evaluated as being a function not only of the cereal being fed, but of the age of the animal as well. The cell wall theory as described is poorly modelled in vitro and hence the validity of these data is questioned. The prebiotic theory may need significant modification as it appears that the quantities of oligomers produced are insufficient to generate the additional volatile fatty acids (VFA)’s reported. It is likely that all three mechanisms play a role in the responses observed, but the prebiotic mechanism probably plays by far the most important part in low viscosity diets.

7. Future research would be improved if it considered all potential mechanisms when designing a trial. Significant failings are apparent as a result of adherence to tenets in explanation of the results. Most importantly, it should be emphasised that a hypothesis is there to be tested, not defended.