Effets de divers herbicides sur la croissance mycélienne de souches de Botrytis cinerea pers et de Penicillium expansum Link, sensibles ou résistantes à certains fongicides

Effects of various herbicides on mycelial growth of strains of Botrytis cinerea. Pers. and Pénicillium expansum Link, sensitive or resistant to certain fungicides Of seventy herbicides tested, thirty-eight were slightly toxic to B. cinerea (CI50, concentration giving 50% inhibition of the speed of mycelial growth, exceeding or equal to 100g of herbicide/ml of nutrient solution) and, of those, ten had no effect even at 1000 g/ml. The most active products (CI50 less than 10 g/ml) were Chlorthiamid, dichlobénil, nitrofen, propyzamide and phenolic derivatives (DNOC, ioxynil, PCP). In most cases P. expansum was less sensitive than B. cinerea except to endothal, propachlor, prynachlor and certain substituted ureas. Strains resistant to the benzimidazole fungicides (carbendazim, thiabendazole etc.) show increased sensitivity to certain carbamade herbicides (barban, chlorbufam etc.), this indicates the existence of a negative cross resistance between these groups of antimitotic pesticides. Strains resistant to the cyclic-imide fungicides (iprodionc, procymidone, vinclozolin) and to various aromatic compounds (biphenyl. chloroneb, dicloran etc.) may also be resistant to bipyridilium, dinitroanilinc and diphenylethcr herbicides, to chlorthamid. dichlobénil and oxadiazon. This cross resistance between pesticides with different biochemical modes of action has yet to be explained.     

A new viral epizootic of Anguilla japonica Temminck and Schlegel

Abstract. In 1969, a new kind of epizootic occurred among eels in Japan and virological investigation was initiated. A new virus designated eel virus european (EVE) was isolated and biological, cytological, serological tests and infectivity trials were carried out. In its CPE on RTG-2 cells and additionally in its biological properties and particle size, EVE was found to be similar to infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV). Serologically, EVE was similar to the ď Honnincthun, France, strain of IPNV. However, infectivity trials showed that EVE and IPNV differed; EVE killed Japanese eels Anguilla japonica but not rainbow trout fry Salmo gairdneri , while IPN virus killed rainbow trout fry but not eels. We consider EVE to be the primary agent causing the new epizootic and propose the name viral kidney disease for the resulting clinical condition.     

Proportions of melanocyte stimulating hormone-immunoreactive cells in the adenohypophysis of Silky fowl and hyperpigmentation-free cockerels

Alpha‐melanocyte stimulating hormone (α‐MSH) is one of the main regulators for melanocytes, and the adenohypophysis is one of the major tissues for the synthesis of this hormone. The Silky fowl is a characteristic breed of chicken with hyperpigmentation throughout the body. The involvement of the adenohypophysis in the hyperpigmentation of this breed is not known. In the present study, the proportion of melanocyte stimulating hormone‐immunopositive cells (MSH cells) in the adenohypophysis was immunocytochemically compared between Silky, Red Cornish × New Hampshire (RN) crossbred and Japanese bantam cockerels at 15 weeks of age. After the body and gland were weighed, the adenohypophyseal cells were enzymatically dispersed and immunostained for α‐MSH, and the immunopositive MSH cells were counted. The weights of the body and adenohypophysis were heaviest in the RN crossbred, followed by the Silky and lightest in the bantam cockerels. In contrast, the ratio between adenohypophysis and bodyweight was much larger in the Silky and the bantam than in the RN crossbreed (P < 0.05). The population of MSH cells in the adenohypophysis was larger in the Silky (14.3%) than in the RN crossbreed (8.0%) and the bantam (8.1%) cockerels (P < 0.05). From these results, it was concluded that prepubertal Silky cockerel have numerous MSH cells in the adenohypophysis suggesting a relationship to hyperpigmentation.     

Effect of ovarian hormones on maturation of dendritic cells from peripheral blood monocytes in dogs

Previously, we reported that ovarian hormones affect the immune response against E. coli isolated from the dogs affected with pyometra. In order to investigate mechanisms underlying the immune modulation, we examined the effects of ovarian hormones on the generation of dendritic cells (DCs), the most potent antigen presenting cell. DCs were differentiated from peripheral blood monocytes (PBMOs) using a cytokine cocktail. Both estrogen receptor and progesterone receptors were expressed by the PBMOs and immature DCs. When various ovarian hormones were added to the culture for the DC differentiation, progesterone significantly decreased the expression of DC maturation markers, such as CD1a, CD80 and CD86, on mature DCs. Conversely, the addition of estrogen to the cultures increased the expression of CD86, but not other maturation makers. Furthermore, DCs differentiated in the presence of progesterone did not stimulate allogeneic mononuclear cells in PB. Taken together, these results indicate that progesterone diminishes the maturation of DCs, leading to decreased immune responses against invading pathogens.     

Carrier state in human acatalasemia

The heterozygous carrier state of a rare hereditary disease, acatalasemia, has been defined biochemically. Affected homozygotes have no blood catalase activity, whereas heterozygotes show activities intermediate between this inactivity and the activity of normal controls, without overlap. Pedigrees show a high frequency of consanguineous marriages.