The effect of timing of extended photoperiod on growth and maturity of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

The influence of timing of extended photoperiods on growth and maturity of brook trout was investigated in a 112‐day experiment. The fish with mean initial weight of ~192 g were reared under four light regimes: one control group with natural ambient photoperiod and three groups exposed to an 18L:6D regime initiated at days 1, 23 or 46 of the growth trial. Light‐emitting diodes, with intensity of 250–1000 lux, depending on the distance from the light source, were used for extending light periods. There was a positive effect of prolonged day length on fish growth (p < 0.05), and a delay in gonad development and sexual maturity. Significantly higher numbers of sexually mature fish were found among controls groups, regardless of sex. Survival rate was not affected by light regime. This study demonstrated that the short‐term expansion of the photo period delayed maturation and increased the growth rate of brook trout.     

Distribution of porcine monocytes in different lymphoid tissues and the lungs during experimental Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infection and the role of chemokines

Monocytes play an essential role in the defense against bacterial pathogens. Bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) monocytes in pigs consist of the main “steady-state” subpopulations: CD14^hi/CD163^-/SLA-DR^- and CD14^low/CD163⁺/SLA-DR⁺. During inflammation, the subpopulation of “inflammatory” monocytes expressing very high levels of CD163, but lacking the SLA-DR molecule (being CD14^low/CD163⁺/SLA-DR^-) appears in the BM and PB and replaces the CD14^low/CD163⁺/SLA-DR⁺ subpopulation. However, current knowledge of monocyte migration into inflamed tissues in pigs is limited. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the distribution of “inflammatory” CD14^low/CD163⁺/SLA-DR^- monocytes during experimental inflammation induced by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) and a possible role for chemokines in attracting “inflammatory” CD14^low/CD163⁺/SLA-DR^- monocytes into the tissues. Monocyte subpopulations were detected by flow cytometry. Chemokines and chemokine receptors were detected by RT-qPCR. The “steady-state” monocytes were found in the BM, PB, spleen and lungs of control pigs. After APP-infection, “inflammatory” monocytes replaced the “steady-state” subpopulation in BM, PB, spleen and moreover, they appeared in an unaffected area, demarcation zone and necrotic area of the lungs and in tracheobronchial lymph nodes. They did not appear in mesenteric lymph nodes. Levels of mRNA for various chemokines with their appropriate receptors were found to be elevated in BM (CCL3-CCR1/CCR5, CCL8-CCR2/CCR5, CCL19-CCR7), necrotic area of the lungs (CCL3-CCR1, CCL5-CCR1/CCR3, CCL11-CCR3, CCL22/CCR4) and tracheobronchial lymph nodes (CCL3-CCR1) and therefore they could play a role in attracting monocytes into inflamed tissues. In conclusion, “inflammatory” monocytes appear in different lymphoid tissues and the lungs after APP infection in pigs. Various chemokines could drive this process.     

Application of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry in Identification of Stallion Semen Bacterial Contamination

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is one of the cutting-edge methods currently applied in medical bacteriologic diagnostics. The aim of the study was to prove the possibility of applying MALDI-TOF MS to identify bacterial contamination in the ejaculate of stud stallions, which may cause infections to reproductive organs of mares following artificial insemination with cooled semen. A partial aim was to determine changes in the total count of microorganisms in long-term storage of ejaculate after its treatment with gentamicin and also without antimicrobial medication. Aerobic cultivation on Columbia agar was used to examine 26 semen samples from 13 horses; 31 different species of bacteria were isolated, which were identified by MALDI-TOF MS. The most frequently detected species came from Aerococcaceae, Staphylococcaceae, and Micrococcaceae families. The results of our work confirm that MALDI-TOF MS is a quick alternative method for identifying bacterial species that may contaminate stallion semen.     

Environmental mycobacteria closely related to the pathogenic species evidenced in an acidic forest wetland

The diversity of environmental mycobacteria was studied in water-logged acidic forest soil. Mycobacteria were assessed in upper and lower soil horizons and summer and winter seasons using T-RFLP and sequencing of 16S rRNA gene produced with Mycobacterium-specific primers. Mycobacteria diversity differed between both the two seasons and soil horizons. Cloning revealed the presence of mycobacteria belonging to three major clusters recognized within the genus, i.e. fast-growing, intermediate, and slow-growing species, with unprecedented abundance and diversity of the latter. Two novel clusters of sequences unrelated to the known mycobacteria were identified. This study raises the possibility that forest wetlands could serve as environmental reservoirs for an unexplored diversity of mycobacteria including those related to pathogenic species.     

The effects of a prolonged photoperiod and light source on growth,sexual maturation,fin condition,and vulnerability to fungal disease in brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis

The effects of an artificially prolonged photoperiod on growth, survival rate, colouration, and sexual maturation in brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis during pre‐ and post‐spawning periods from 21 June to 06 November were investigated. Fish of mean initial weight ?150 g were reared at ambient photoperiod as well as with an artificially prolonged photoperiod produced by either a light‐emitting diode or a metal‐halide light. The fish groups subjected to a prolonged period of artificial light grew significantly larger and had a higher survival rate (p < 0.05), regardless of sex, and showed lower occurrence of fungal disease compared to controls reared in the natural photoperiod. We found a significantly higher number of sexually mature fish in the control groups compared with experimental groups. The increased photoperiod effectively delayed gonad development and increased somatic growth in both male and female brook trout, and also increased resistance to fungal disease. The increased photoperiod produced an observable difference in fish colouration, with control groups exhibiting more intensive spawning colouration.     

The effect of water temperature on growth parameters of intensively reared juvenile peled Coregonus peled

The effect of water temperature on growth and food intake of juvenile peled Coregonus peled was tested with specimens of initial age 75 days and 230 days posthatching (dph). The 75‐day group (initial body weight 0.6 ± 0.04 g) were reared for 63 days and 230‐day group (initial body weight 13.75 ± 2.93 g) for 42 days at temperatures of 13, 16, 19, 22 and 25°C under 12:12 L:D photoperiod. The optimal temperature range for the 75 dph fish was found to be 19–22°C. The fish reached final mean weight of 9.7 ± 2.5 g at 19°C and 9.0 ± 2.7 g at 22°C. Final mean weight of 230 dph fish did not differ significantly among temperature groups. Mortality increased at higher temperatures, with the critical temperature of 25°C for both age groups. Maximum food intake (19.0 ± 4.7, 18.8 ± 5.2, 18.6 ± 4.6 g kg^?1biomass) was observed in groups reared at temperatures of 19, 22 and 25°C with no significant differences among groups.     

The effect of water oxygen saturation on growth and haematological profile of juvenile peled Coregonus peled (Gmelin)

The effect of varying oxygen saturation regimes on growth and haematological profiles of peled Coregonus peled was investigated on fish of initial age 90 days post hatching. Eighty‐five juveniles per group (initial body weight 3.09 ± 0.80 g) were submitted to a 63‐day experiment with one of four water saturation regimes: normoxia (NORm, 80%–90%), hypoxia (HYPo, 50%–60%), hyperoxia (HYPe, 150%–160%) and intermittent hyperoxia (iHYPe, 150%–160% ‐ 80%–90%). Survival rate in NORm, HYPe and iHYPe ranged from 96.3 ± 2.1% to 97.7 ± 2.7, but survival 87.5 ± 3.0 was significantly lower in the HYPo group. No differences were observed in feed conversion ratio. The highest final body weight of 18.2 ± 4.6 g and a specific growth rate of 2.81 ± 0.01%/day were seen in the NORm group. Significant differences were found in haemoglobin concentration with increased saturation. The fish had lower haemoglobin 55.00 ± 5.72 and 51.35 ± 10.89 g/L in treatments HYPe, iHYPe with compared to the normoxia (64.22 ± 5.78 g/L). Haematocrit was similar in the groups HYPo, NORm and iHYPe (0.55 ± 0.04, 0.58 ± 0.05 and 0.54 ± 0.09) with the exception of HYPe, which was significantly lower (0.48 ± 0.06). Significantly lower count of erythrocyte was observed in iHYPe group (0.88 ± 0.20) with compared to the normoxia (1.06 ± 0.13). The supersaturation level was not associated with effects on growth and survival, and adding oxygen is not recommended for intensive rearing of peled. The results showed normoxia oxygen level to be the most suitable conditions for peled.     

Frequency of a mutant allele of cytochrome b conferring resistance to Ool fungicides in the Czech population of Ramularia collo-cygni

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Ramularia collo-cygni (RCC) is a fungal pathogen infecting both spring and winter barley and causing Ramularia leaf spot (RLS). Fungicides based on...     

Mechanism of two classes of cancer mutations in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase catalytic subunit

Many human cancers involve up-regulation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase PI3Kalpha, with oncogenic mutations identified in both the p110alpha catalytic and the p85alpha regulatory subunits. We used crystallographic and biochemical approaches to gain insight into activating mutations in two noncatalytic p110alpha domains-the adaptor-binding and the helical domains. A structure of the adaptor-binding domain of p110alpha in a complex with the p85alpha inter-Src homology 2 (inter-SH2) domain shows that oncogenic mutations in the adaptor-binding domain are not at the inter-SH2 interface but in a polar surface patch that is a plausible docking site for other domains in the holo p110/p85 complex. We also examined helical domain mutations and found that the Glu545 to Lys545 (E545K) oncogenic mutant disrupts an inhibitory charge-charge interaction with the p85 N-terminal SH2 domain. These studies extend our understanding of the architecture of PI3Ks and provide insight into how two classes of mutations that cause a gain in function can lead to cancer.     

The structure of microbial communities in redoximorphic microsites of Gleysol

Microbial communities were studied in redoximorphic microsites of highly heterogeneous Gleysol at a mm scale using 16S and 18S amplicon sequencing to demonstrate if the composition of soil microbes reflects the differences in ferric and ferrous micro-sites. In both explored gley horizons with redoximorphic features (Bg2 and Cg), ferric mottles were significantly enriched with total P and Fe and depleted of O, Si, Al, K and Ca compared with the adjacent ferrous groundmass (SEM–EDS). Ferric mottles were determined as Fe oxide coatings and hypocoatings. In Bg2, both prokaryotic and micro-eukaryotic communities differed significantly between mottles and groundmass in composition of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and in proportions of phyla, reflecting heterogeneities in the soil properties there. Mottles in Bg2 were characterized by increased proportion of Proteobacteria, decreased proportion of Acidobacteriota among prokaryotes and by dominance of a single proteobacterial OTU from Anaplasmataceae compared to all other samples. The composition of micro-eukaryotes showed an opposite trend, as micro-eukaryotes of Bg2 groundmass were unique among the other horizons, while micro-eukaryotes of Bg2 mottles had similar composition to neighbouring horizons. Microbial communities of adjacent samples were not more similar to each other than communities of randomly selected ones in Bg2 horizon. That suggests that at mm scale, the sample distance does not represent the driving factor of microbial community composition and that the adjacent samples differ rather due to physicochemical factors. The spatial organization of microbial communities revealed in Bg2 has not reappeared in similarly organized Cg horizon, probably due to other overriding factors. The differences revealed between Bg2 and Cg horizons, including granulometric composition, content of crystalline Fe, exchangeable Al, and organic carbon, as well as exposition to groundwater, were discussed as possible reasons of the distinct organization in Cg. The similarity of pro−/eukaryotic communities of adjacent and non-adjacent couples suggests no distance decay pattern at a mm scale. The agreement between patchiness in soil properties and microbial communities was revealed for the first time and confirms the importance of microscale patterns in soil.