Inheritance pattern of chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes in artificial hybrids of Porphyra yezoensis (Rhodophyta)

ABSTRACT:   To investigate inheritance of chloroplasts and mitochondria (organelles) in the marine red alga Porphyra yezoensis , cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) profiles of the two strains, TU-2 and KGJ, as parental gametophytes and 44 hybrid sporophytes (i.e. female of TU-2 and male of KGJ) were examined. A carbamyl phosphate synthase small subunit gene ( carA ) and ribosomal protein S11 gene ( rps11 )-small subunit ribosomal RNA gene ( rns ) spacer region were used as molecular markers for the chloroplast and mitochondrial DNAs, respectively. Thirty-eight of 44 (86.4%) conchocelis colonies showed maternal banding patterns, five (11.4%) colonies showed biparental bands and one (2.2%) colony showed paternal bands in CAPS analyses both with chloroplast and mitochondrial markers. These results suggest that organelles of P. yezoensis are inherited uniparentally from the female parent.     

Experimental Pathological Study of Acute African Swine Fever

To study the clinicopathology and histopathology of African swine fever (ASF), and to explore the internal relationship between pathological changes and disease occurrence and development and its pathological mechanism, 13 Landrace pigs with bodyweight about 20 kg were intramuscular injected with African swine fever virus (ASFV), strain Pig/HLJ/18 at a dose of 10²HAD₅₀·mL^-1. During the experiment, all the dead pigs were systematically dissected and sampled, paraffin sections were produced, and haematoxylin-eosin staining was performed. Clinicopathological evaluation standards for acute ASF were established, then pathological lesions (classification variables) were expressed by counting frequency and percentage, and the lesion degree (continuous variables) was graded and scored according to different pathological changes of various tissues and organs. The results showed that all infected pigs were in line with the clinical characteristics of ASF, including acute, febrile and highly infectious, with a 100% incidence rate and 100% mortality. The dead pigs showed typical characteristics of septicemia, cadavers prone to corruption, blood clotting adverse or hemolysis, rigor mortis incomplete. The main pathological lesions were hemorrhagic necrotizing lymphadenitis, acute inflammatory splenomegaly (septic spleen), cerebral edema, pulmonary edema and lung consolidation et al. The spleen and lymphonodus are the target organs attacked by ASFV, with the most significant lesions, the earliest occurrence time, the longest duration and the highest frequency. The most prominent pathological changes are blood circulation disorders, including multiple pathological manifestations such as edema, hyperemia, congestion, hemorrhage, infarction, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and the most important characteristics are hemorrhagic lesions. The inflammatory reaction of lymphocytic exudation caused by ASFV runs through the whole process, especially in the middle and later stages of the course. The results suggest that the main pathological process of acute African swine fever is a typical immune/inflammatory cascade reaction and severe systemic blood circulation disorder, which resulted in the high incidence rate and high mortality rate of acute ASF.     

Characterization of a cDNA encoding a homolog of actin-related protein 4 from a marine red alga Porphyra yezoensis

ABSTRACT:   A cDNA ( PyARP4 ) containing an open reading frame for a protein of 573 amino acids was identified in the marine red alga Porphyra yezoensis . The conceptual PyARP4 protein exhibits significant similarity to actin-related protein (ARP) 4 in the terrestrial plant Arabidopsis . Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence showed moderate sequence identity (30%) to a conventional actin in P. yezoensis , as seen in comparisons between ARP and conventional actins of other organisms. A putative bipartite nuclear localization signal and an actin motif were found within the PyARP4 amino acid sequence. In a phylogenetic analysis, the PyARP4 was found to cluster with the ARP4 of other organisms. The expression level of PyARP4 did not change significantly among four developmental stages of life cycle and was lower than that of a conventional actin. This cDNA therefore may serve as a useful internal standard in gene expression analyses of differentially expressed genes in P. yezoensis .     

Zinc and copper in some soils of Egypt as related to other soil properties

Total Zn in alluvial and calcareous soils (average 138 and 70 ppm respectively) was significantly related to their contents of CaCO₃ (negatively), O.M. and clay (positively). Extracting Zn by Na₂EDTA gave the highest values for both soil types. Total Cu contents varied widely from 26 to 111 ppm in alluvial and from 15 to 30 ppm in calcareous soils. They were negatively correlated with the CaCO₃ contents. The pot experiments showed that EDTA(NH₄)₂CO₃, Na₂EDTA and DTPA are reasonable extractants for available Zn from both soil types. DTPA was efficient for all soils investigated, while Na₂ EDTA and EDTA-citrate were specific for extracting Cu from calcareous soils.     

急性非洲猪瘟的实验病理学研究

旨在通过对非洲猪瘟临床病理学和组织病理学的研究,探讨病理学变化与疾病发生发展的内在关系及其病理机制。选用体重20 kg左右的长白猪13头,肌内注射非洲猪瘟病毒毒株Pig/HLJ/18,剂量10²HAD₅₀·mL^-1。试验期间的死亡猪,全部进行系统剖检和取材,制备石蜡切片,苏木素伊红染色。建立病理学评价标准,病变（无序分类变量）用频率和百分比表示,病变程度（有序分类变量）按各组织器官的不同病变进行分级和评分。结果表明,发病猪符合非洲猪瘟急性、热性、高传染性等临床特征,发病率100%,病死率100%。病死猪表现败血症典型特征,尸体易腐败,血凝不良或溶血,尸僵不全。主要病理损伤为出血性坏死性淋巴结炎、急性炎性脾肿（败血脾）、脑水肿、肺水肿和肺实变等。脾和淋巴结是非洲猪瘟病毒攻击的靶器官,病变最为显著,出现时间最早,持续时间最长,发生频率最高。病理变化以血液循环障碍尤为突出,包括水肿、充血、淤血、出血、梗死和弥散性血管内凝血等多种病理表现,出血性病变为其最主要的特征。非洲猪瘟病毒引发的以淋巴细胞渗出为主的炎症反应贯穿始终,在病程的中后期表现更为明显。结果提示,急性非洲猪瘟的主要病理过程为典型的免疫/炎症级联反应和严重的全身血液循环障碍,共同导致急性非洲猪瘟的高发病率和高死亡率。     

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for bovine apolipoprotein A-IV

The present report describes an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for bovine apolipoprotein (apo) A-IV. This assay was applied to the determination of its concentration and distribution in sera from cattle. The distribution of apoA-IV in lipoprotein fractions separated by ultracentrifugation was mostly recovered in the non-lipoprotein fractions (d>1.21 g/ml, 90%), but, in the case of gel filtration chromatography, apoA-IV was mainly eluted in HDL and non-lipoprotein fractions. The apoA-IV concentrations during early, mid- and late lactating stages in cows were significantly higher than during the nonlactating stage (p<0.05). From early to late lactating stages, the concentration of apoA-IV was unaltered. After 4 days of fasting, the concentration of plasma apoA-IV had decreased significantly (p<0.05) at days 3 and 4, and was returned to the basal level by 3 days of refeeding. These results suggested that the concentration of apoA-IV is modified by nutritional conditions.     

A 13-week subchronic toxicity study of 2-(l-menthoxy)ethanol in F344 rats

2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol has been frequently employed as a flavoring agent; however, data regarding 2-(l-menthoxy)ethanol toxicity remain limited. We performed a 13-week subchronic toxicity study of 2-(l-menthoxy)ethanol in male and female F344 rats, with doses of 0, 15, 60, or 250 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day orally administered by gavage using corn oil as the vehicle. No significant toxicological changes in general condition, body weight, or food intake were observed in any groups. The hematological assessment showed decreased hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin and increased platelet count in the male 250 mg/kg group. Serum biochemistry revealed elevated total cholesterol in the 250 mg/kg group of male and female rats, reduced triglyceride in the female 250 mg/kg group, and increased total protein in the male 250 mg/kg group, indicating effects on lipid metabolism and protein synthesis. For organ weights, absolute and relative weights of the liver and adrenal glands were increased in the 250 mg/kg group of both sexes and the male 250 mg/kg group, respectively. Histopathological analysis showed chronic nephropathy in the male 15 mg/kg or higher groups, with increased absolute and relative kidney weights, as well as elevated serum creatinine, in the male 60 and 250 mg/kg groups. However, eosinophilic granules containing α_2u-globulin were identified in proximal tubules, suggesting α_2u-globulin nephropathy specific to male rats and without toxicological significance. These results indicated that the no-observed-adverse-effect level of 2-(l-menthoxy)ethanol was 60 mg/kg BW/day for both sexes.     

Delphinidin 3-O-(2-O-beta-D-Glucopyranosyl-alpha-l-arabinopyranoside): a novel anthocyanin identified in Beluga black lentils

A major anthocyanin was isolated from the acidified methanolic extract of Beluga black lentils by XAD7 column chromatography and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. By means of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, its structure was determined to be delphinidin 3-O-(2-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-alpha-l-arabinopyranoside).