Seasonal Changes in the Milt Quality of Waigieu Seaperch,Psammoperca waigiensis: Implications for Artificial Propagation

Milt quality of Waigieu seaperch was sampled at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the spawning season to assess if the sampling season has an effect on milt quality parameters. The milt volume and total sperm production were higher at the middle of the spawning season while the sperm concentration in milt was significantly higher at the beginning and the end of the spawning season. Sperm morphology and the major parameters of seminal plasma (pH, total protein, Mg²⁺, or Ca²⁺ concentrations) did not differ throughout the spawning season. The concentrations of Na⁺ and the osmolality increased throughout the spawning season. The percentage of motile cells did not differ during the spawning season while the duration of sperm motility (swimming duration) and velocity (swimming speed) were significantly different during the spawning season. The fertilization rate (75.7 ± 6.8%) and hatching rate (56.5 ± 3.1%) at the middle of the spawning season were higher than at the beginning and end periods. Results indicated that milt quality parameters and fertility success in the middle of the spawning season were higher compared to earlier and later sampling dates. Thus, we recommend collecting milt during this time for maximal fertilization and hatching success.     

Effects of Natural EstradioI-17β and Synthetic 17α- Ethynylestradiol on Direct Feminization of European Sea Bass Dicentrarchus labrax

To produce a monosex female population of European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax, fry were fed dry diets containing dosages of 12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg food of either the natural estrogen estradiol-170β(E₂) or the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE₂) for 60 d starting at 88 d post-hatch (dph). A complete feminization (100%) was achieved in all E₂-treated groups at the age of 11 mo (330 dph). All affected fish had ovaries similar in size and histological structure to those of control females. In the E₂-treated groups, feminized fish were heavier and longer than untreated controls (males and females combined). In control groups females exhibited significantly higher body weight and total length than males. Untreated females from control groups and females from the group treated with E₂ at 12.5 mg/kg food had similar body weight, suggesting that in sea bass growth is related to phenotypic sex. In the Entreated groups, survival rates were similar to those of the control fish. A relatively high percentage of females was obtained in the EE₂-treated groups (from 38.6 to 96.5%). However, the gonadal development in these fish was significantly suppressed and a dose-dependent reduction of gonadal sizes was evident. Treatments with the EE₂ (12-5, 25, and 50 mg/kg food) resulted in many fish having abnormal (2.9-5.4-39.8%, respectively) and sterile (0.6-6.0-21.6%, respectively) gonads. Effects also included significantly lower weight and shorter length when compared with controls. Furthermore, fish fed with EE₂ at the dosage of 50 mg/kg food had high mortality rate. A simple protocol was developed for the complete feminization in sea bass in which the fry (80-100 dph) were fed to satiation two times daily with a diet containing 12.5 me of E₂/ks food for a period of 60 d.     

17β─雌二醇主动免疫对公兔生殖的影响

以１７β－雌二醇－６－人血清白蛋白对新西兰公兔进行主动免疫，用ＲＩＡ检测抗体滴度和１７β－雌二醇及睾酮浓度，并检测睾丸重量和间质细胞面积。结果，试验组各兔均不同程度地产生了１７β－雌二醇抗体，其血浆１７β－雌二醇浓度极显著地低于对照组〔（２０．３±２１．６）ｎｇ／Ｌ，（１６７．７±４９．６）ｎｇ／Ｌ，Ｐ＜０．００１〕，睾酮浓度极显著地高于对照组〔（７．３±７．１）μｇ／Ｌ，（０．５２±０．２９）μｇ／Ｌ，Ｐ＜０．０１〕。每侧睾丸重量和间质细胞面积均极显著地大于对照组〔（３．９４±０．９３）ｇ和（２５２．２５±８５．７８）μｍ２，（２．９８±０．７２）ｇ和（１６１．７９±３６．４５）μｍ２，Ｐ＜０．０１和Ｐ＜０．００１〕。提示１７β－雌二醇主动免疫可望成为提高雄性动物生育力的有效途径之一     

菜豆萎蔫病菌的血清检测鉴定技术研究

本研究对我国一类检疫性有害生物菜豆萎蔫病菌（Ｃｕｒｔｏｂａｃｔｅｒｉｕｍｆｌａｃｕｍｆａ－ｃｉｅｎｓｐｖ．ｆｌａｃｕｍｆａｃｉｅｎｓ，Ｃｆ）进行血清检测鉴定技术的研究。试验中制备了抗Ｃｆ的血清，应用抗００２０，０２３７，０２３８菌株的抗血清及其ＦＩＴＣ标记的抗体进行间接和直接免疫荧光染色试验（ＩＦ／ＩＦ）。通过对１９个Ｃｆ菌株和其它６个属１４个种的植物病原细菌２０个菌株的测定，结果发现约５０％的Ｃｆ菌株为强阳性反应，且与Ｃｆ种下致病变种也有强阳性交叉反应。由于单个血清检测易产生假阴性反应，故将三种血清１∶１∶１混合后进行ＩＦ试验，结果表明与所有的Ｃｆ菌株反应，且与Ｒｆａ和Ｃｍｔ有弱阳性反应。对含１０４～１０７ｃｆｕ／ｍｌ细菌及３０ｇ种子含１粒人工接种种子的种子抽提液均能检测到典型的阳性细胞，血清检测的灵敏度为４．５×１０４ｃｆｕ／ｍｌ，可用于种子的检测。本研究还进行了初步的免疫荧光菌落染色（ＩＦＣ）试验     

Characterization of a wild-type strain of Francisella tularensis isolated from a cat.

Francisella tularensis type A is the primary cause of tularemia in animals and humans in North America. The majority of research on F. tularensis has been done with the attenuated live vaccine strain (LVS), which is a type B, but very few wild-type F. tularensis strains have been characterized. A gram-negative coccobacillus that was isolated in pure culture from the lungs of a cat that died after being lost for 5 days was received for identification at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching hospital. The isolate (strain TI0902) was not identified (or was misidentified) by commercial identification systems; however, it was identified as F. tularensis subspecies tularensis (type A) by sequencing a portion of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Furthermore, repetitive extragenic palindromic sequences-polymerase chain reaction amplified a 4-kb DNA fragment from TI0902 that was characteristic of F. tularensis type A but not type B. The electrophoretic profile of the lipopolysaccharide of strain TI0902 was identical to that of the LVS by Western blotting with antiserum to LVS. The protein-enriched outer membrane of strain TI0902 contained 6-8 proteins, which were similar in molecular size to those from the LVS. Electron microscopy of negatively stained and alcian blue-stained LVS and TI0902 cells showed that both strains were coccobacillary in shape and may be encapsulated. However, after mouse challenge, the TI0902 strain was clearly more virulent than the LVS strain. Results of this study indicate that the genotype and phenotype of wild-type F. tularensis type A strain TI0902 is similar, but not identical, to that of the LVS strain. Further studies will help determine whether pathogenesis and host-pathogen interactions are also similar between the 2 strains.