Disseminated protothecosis diagnosed by evaluation of CSF in a dog

A 5-year-old female spayed Shetland Sheepdog Mix dog was evaluated for a history of recent seizure activity, progressive hind limb ataxia, polyuria, and polydipsia and no history of gastrointestinal signs. Physical examination findings included conscious proprioceptive deficits, ataxia, and anterior uveitis along with a hypermature cataract in the right eye. Results of a CBC, serum biochemical profile, urinalysis, and computed tomography scan of the brain were unremarkable. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed marked eosinophilic pleocytosis and rare organisms consistent with Prototheca spp within neutrophils and macrophages. On postmortem histologic examination, mononuclear inflammation and numerous intralesional algal organisms, similar to those seen on the cytologic preparation of CSF, were found in the brain, eyes, kidneys, and heart. Abnormalities were not detected on gross and histologic examination of the gastrointestinal tract. Cultures of CSF and subdural/olfactory bulb, but not intestinal tract, yielded growth of Prototheca spp, and PCR analysis and DNA sequencing confirmed the organism as Prototheca zopfii genotype 2. We have reported a rare case of disseminated protothecosis that was diagnosed by evaluation of CSF in a dog presented with neurologic signs and no overt enteric disease. Protothecosis should be considered as a rare cause of seizures, even in the absence of obvious enteric signs, and should be included in the differential diagnosis of eosinophilic pleocytosis.     

蛋氨酸缺乏对蛋鸡产蛋后期生产性能、血清游离氨基酸含量和肝脏蛋氨酸代谢相关基因表达的影响

本试验旨在研究蛋氨酸缺乏对蛋鸡产蛋后期生产性能、血清游离氨基酸含量和肝脏蛋氨酸代谢相关酶基因表达的影响。选取180只62周龄的海兰灰蛋鸡,根据产蛋率均匀分成3组(每组6个重复,每个重复10只):对照组饲喂蛋氨酸水平为0.33%的饲粮,蛋氨酸缺乏组分别饲喂蛋氨酸水平为0.21%和0.27%的饲粮,试验期90d。结果表明:1)饲粮蛋氨酸缺乏显著降低了蛋鸡的平均日采食量、产蛋率、平均日产蛋重、平均蛋重和不合格蛋率(P0.05),显著提高了料蛋比(P0.05)。2)蛋氨酸缺乏显著降低蛋鸡血清中蛋氨酸的含量(P0.05)。0.21%蛋氨酸组蛋鸡血清中丝氨酸、甘氨酸和丙氨酸的含量显著高于其他2组(P0.05)。0.27%蛋氨酸组蛋鸡血清中缬氨酸、异亮氨酸和精氨酸的含量显著低于对照组(P0.05),脯氨酸的含量显著低于0.21%蛋氨酸组(P0.05)。3)与对照组相比,0.21%蛋氨酸组蛋鸡肝脏中DNA甲基转移酶1、N6-甲基腺苷(m6 A)甲基转移酶3(METTL3)和m6 A甲基转移酶14的表达量显著提高(P0.05),0.27%蛋氨酸组蛋鸡肝脏中METTL3的表达量显著提高(P0.05)。4)与对照组相比,0.21%蛋氨酸组蛋鸡肝脏中甲硫氨酸腺苷转移酶1a、5-甲基四氢叶酸-同型半胱氨酸甲基转移酶(MTR)和胱硫醚-β-合成酶的表达量显著提高(P0.05),0.27%蛋氨酸组蛋鸡肝脏中MTR的表达量显著提高(P0.05)。蛋氨酸缺乏对蛋鸡肝脏甲硫氨酸腺苷高半胱氨酸酶和甜菜碱高半胱氨酸甲基转移酶的表达量无显著影响(P0.05)。由以上结果可知:蛋鸡饲粮高水平的蛋氨酸缺乏会降低蛋鸡的生产性能,可能与蛋氨酸缺乏改变蛋氨酸代谢途径,影响DNA和RNA的甲基化过程有关。     

鸡繁殖性能近交衰退相关CpG岛差异甲基化基因的筛选

鸡繁殖性能近交衰退是地方鸡遗传资源活体保种过程中面临的重要问题之一,本研究旨在探讨全基因组CpG岛(CpG island,CGI)区DNA甲基化在鸡繁殖性能近交衰退中的作用.分别从狼山鸡高近交组和低近交组中各选取健康母鸡3只,即试验分2个组,每组3个重复,然后采用全基因组重亚硫酸盐测序(WGBS)技术,检测分析两组个体...     

Genetic diversity in Tunisian olive accessions and their relatedness with other Mediterranean olive genotypes

Eighty-four olive accessions obtained from the National Conservatory of Boughrara-Sfax (Tunisia), previously evaluated for morphological traits, were analysed with 47 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. They were compared with other olive genotypes originated from Eastern or Western Mediterranean. The highest and lowest similarities between genotypes, estimated by simple matching algorithm, were 0.98 and 0.40, respectively. A dendrogram based on Ward's method and a factorial correspondence analysis (FCA) showed that most of Tunisian accessions are closely related to olive genotypes originating from the Eastern Mediterranean and some are clustering with genotypes originated from the Western Mediterranean. These findings suggested multiple and complex origin of Tunisian olive. A comparative study between a previous morphological analysis and current RAPD assay was carried out and discussed.     

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。     

Genetic potential for residual feed intake and diet fed during early- to mid-gestation influences post-natal DNA methylation of imprinted genes in muscle and liver tissues in beef cattle

Discovery of epigenetic modifications associated with feed efficiency or other economically important traits would increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying these traits. In combination with known genetic markers, this would provide opportunity to improve genomic selection accuracy in cattle breeding programs. It would also allow cattle to be managed to improve favorable gene expression. The objective of this study was to identify variation in DNA methylation between beef cattle of differential pre-natal nutrition and divergent genetic potential for residual feed intake (RFI). Purebred Angus offspring with the genetic potential for either high (HRFI) or low (LRFI) RFI were prenatally exposed to either a restricted maternal diet of 0.5 kg/d average daily gain (ADG) or a moderate maternal diet of 0.7 kg/d ADG from 30 to 150 d of gestation. We performed DNA methylation analysis of differentially methylated regions (DMR) of imprinted genes (Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) DMR2, IGF2/H19 imprinting control region (ICR) and IGF2 receptor (IGF2R) DMR2) using post-natal samples of longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle taken from male and female calves at birth and weaning, and of LD muscle, semimembranosus (SM) muscle, and liver samples collected from steers at slaughter (17 months of age). Interestingly, for all three DMR investigated in liver, LRFI steers had higher levels of methylation than HRFI steers. In LD muscle, IGF2/H19 ICR methylation differences for heifers at birth were due to pre-natal diet, while for steers at birth they were mostly the result of genetic potential for RFI with LRFI steers again having higher levels of methylation than HRFI steers. While results from repeated measures analysis of DNA methylation in steers grouped by RFI revealed few differences, in steers grouped by diet, we found higher methylation levels of IGF2 DMR2 and IGF2R DMR2 in LD muscle of restricted diet steers at weaning and slaughter than at birth, as well as increased methylation in LD muscle of restricted diet steers compared with moderate diet steers at weaning and/or slaughter. Our results suggest that differential pre-natal nutrition, and divergent genetic potential for RFI, induces tissue- and sex-specific alterations in post-natal IGF2 and IGF2R methylation patterns and that these patterns can vary with age in Angus beef cattle.     

贵州荞麦重要种质的遗传多样性分析及分子身份证构建

为精准鉴定贵州荞麦种质资源,采用SSR分子标记对60份荞麦种质进行遗传多样性分析,构建DNA分子身份证数据库。结果显示,从100对SSR引物中筛选出16对稳定性好、多态性丰富的引物,在60份供试种质中共扩增出174个多态性条带;Shannon’s信息指数、Nei’s多样性指数、多态信息指数均值分别为0.337、0.206、0.693,引物的多态性较好,能有效揭示60份荞麦种质的遗传多样性;在Dice遗传相似系数为0.374时,所有供试材料可聚为A、B、C 三组;当Dice遗传相似系数为0.484时,将苦荞组（A组）更细分为A1、A2两个小组。采用毛细管电泳及8%的聚丙烯酰胺凝胶（PAGE）电泳对SSR标记扩增产物进行双验证,2种方法的聚类结果一致。结果表明,本研究开发的高效性SSR分子标记能够有效地鉴定贵州荞麦重要种质的遗传多样性且用于构建分子身份证。     

锦鲤尾鳍细胞系(KF-H)的建立

本研究建立了锦鲤(Cyprinus carpio)尾鳍细胞系。染色体数目、核型及DNA含量等实验,发现锦鲤体细胞和锦鲤培养细胞无显著性差异,染色体数目和DNA含量符合比例关系,建立的锦鲤尾鳍细胞系已形成了稳定的遗传性状,命名为KF-H。     

枫香DNA提取方法与PCR扩增程序的优化

从SDS、CTAB、高盐低pH值3种方法中选择了CTAB法作为枫香适合的DNA提取方法,同时构建了枫香DNA的PCR扩增程序,并从Mg^ 浓度、Taq酶用量、dNTP浓度、引物浓度、DNA模板用量等方面优化了PCR扩增程序。