Concepts and Direction of Induced Systemic Resistance in Plants and its Application

Resistance to plant disease is often specific and metabolites and receptors contributing to this specificity may have specific structures. However, simple, structurally-unrelated compounds induce systemic resistance in unrelated plants to diverse pathogens including fungi, bacteria and viruses. Both resistance and induced systemic resistance (ISR) are associated with the rapid accumulation of the same structurally unrelated putative defense compounds that have diverse functions. It has been suggested that cultivar (race)-specific resistance is initiated by the specific interaction of a pathogen product (or pathogen induced product) and a plant receptor. However, restricted infection by pathogens can result in ISR and many different compounds can cause ISR. It is thus evident that there are both specific and non-specific routes to the master switch for ISR and there may be more than one master switch. Are reactive oxygen species and free radicals regulating the master switch(es) via both routes? It is also evident there are many switches, other than the master switch. Adding to the complexity of resistance and ISR are the observations that different compounds and pathways may mediate different biochemical resistances. Activation of one of the pathways may antagonize or enhance the activation or effectiveness of another. The review will address these complexities and questions and propose directions of research which require high priority. Factors which encourage and suppress the application of ISR in agriculture will also be addressed.     

QTL for IHNV resistance and growth identified in a rainbow (Oncorhynchus mykiss) × Yellowstone cutthroat (Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri) trout cross

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is a major constraint to rainbow trout culture. Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri) have greater resistance to this virus than do rainbow trout (O. mykiss), but the genetic mechanism of this resistance is not understood. We conducted a genome scan using a backcross of cutthroat trout into a rainbow trout background to estimate the number and locations of quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with IHNV resistance and growth in trout. IHNV resistance was considered in terms of both survival (binary trait) and days to death (quantitative trait). The genetic map was scanned using interval mapping via two different approaches: one model considered survival alone and a second two-part model combined both survival and days to death. Three QTL were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) associated with virus resistance genome-wide, explaining 32.5% of the phenotypic variation. Cutthroat alleles at two of these QTL resulted in increased resistance to the pathogen, as expected. No growth QTL were detected in this cross. We suggest that these traits are genetically independent.     

Gill Reaction to Pollutants from the Tamiš River in Three Freshwater Fish Species,Esox lucius L. 1758, Sander lucioperca (L. 1758) and Silurus glanis L. 1758: A Comparative Study

The study evaluated the effects of waterborne pollutants from the Tami? River on gill histology and possible differences in gill reaction patterns between three freshwater fish species, pike Esox lucius L. 1758, pike‐perch Sander lucioperca (L. 1758) and wels catfish Silurus glanis L. 1758 from the Tami? River. Gills from analysed fish species showed moderate to intense histopathological alterations. The most frequent progressive alteration was hyperplasia of epithelium, whereas the most frequent regressive alteration was epithelial lifting. Circulatory disturbances were most often manifested in the form of hyperaemia. During comparative analysis, differences in gill indices, reaction and alteration indices, as well as in gill and filament prevalence between analysed species, were observed. Although all analysed fish species did show both progressive and regressive alterations, there was a significant difference in the level of expression of these reaction patterns. Gill index obtained for pike clearly stands out as the lowest. Wels catfish showed the highest progressive reaction index, significantly higher in comparison with the other two species (P < 0.05), while pike‐perch showed the highest regressive reaction index, also significantly higher in comparison with the other species (P < 0.001). These results may implicate species‐specific gill reactions and thus present a useful tool for better understanding toxic mechanisms of various pollutants.     

Morphological examination of the intraorbital muscles (musculi bulbi) in dogs in the perinatal period

Twelve American Staffordshire terriers, gestational day 60, and 10 dogs de Bordeaux, gestational day 57 were examined in respect of the morphology and morphometry of their intraorbital muscles. The location of the retractor bulbi, recti and oblique muscles was described and the length of the muscles, the length and breadth of their tendons as well as the distance of the distal insertions of the muscle tendons from the corneal limbus were measured. Similarly, the shape of the line of distal insertions was investigated. The measurements were taken with an electronic caliper to the nearest 0.1 mm. The distance insertion-corneal limbus was measured by means of the Hifny and Misk method (1982). The following differences between the breeds in the morphometry of the intraorbital muscles and their tendons were found out. The distal insertions of the tendons of the dorsal, ventral and lateral recti muscles are further from the corneal limbus in American Staffordshire terriers than in dogs de Bordeaux. The muscular funiculi of the retractor bulbi muscle are further from the corneal limbus in dogs de Bordeaux, except the dorsolateral funiculus (1.96/1.94 mm). In addition, there are differences in the morphometry of the intraorbital muscles and their tendons. No differences, however, were found in the morphology of the intraorbital muscle tendons (their insertion line) and their location. The study can be applied to clinical sciences (surgery) and veterinary ophthalmology, in particular.     

乌克兰的大麻科研与生产

引言 乌克兰有好几百年的大麻栽培历史.20世纪50年代以前,乌克兰的大麻栽培面积超过了15万公顷.     

Anti-oxidative/oxidative status of rat liver after ovariectomy

The lack of protective action of oestrogens which appears during menopausal period may be the reason of serious metabolic disturbances including oxidative stress. The hypothesis was stated that ovariectomy may induce the variations of antioxidant/oxidant status which can be detected in rat liver. A total of 102 healthy Wistar female rats were included in the experiment and divided into control (CON; n = 6), sham-operated (SHO; n = 48) and ovariectomized (OVX; n = 48) groups. Animals from SHO (n = 6) and OVX (n = 6) groups were killed every week during 8 weeks of experiment to detect dynamic changes in examined parameters. Anti-oxidative enzyme activities [glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px); superoxide dismutase (SOD)] as well as total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and the intensity of lipid peroxidation, measured by the concentration of N,N,diethyl-p-phenylene diamine (DEPPD) radical, were determined in liver homogenates by the use of spectrophotometric methods. Wave-like patterns of examined parameters within 8 weeks of experiment were detected. GSH-Px activity tended to be higher in OVX animals and was significantly lower at 8th week when compared with 1st week of experiment. SOD activity was higher in SHO animals and showed significant differences between 3rd, 4th, 7th and 1st week. TAC values were significantly higher in OVX when compared with SHO groups in 2nd, 4th, 5th week and significantly lower in 3rd, 6th and 7th week of the experiment. The concentration of DEPPD radicals tended to increase in OVX group. In conclusion, ovariectomy which leads to oestrogen insufficiency is reflected as well in variation of anti-oxidative/oxidative parameters in rat liver homogenates.     

Phytosanitary status of grapevine in Montenegro

During 2006 and 2007, a survey on the incidence and distribution of fourteen grapevine viruses was carried out in the Skadar Lake basin, one of the two main grapevine‐growing areas of Montenegro. In total 165 samples were collected from four red (‘Vranac’, ‘Krato?ija’, ‘Merlot’ and ‘Cardinal’), two white (‘Chardonnay’ and ‘Rkaciteli’) and a few unknown grapevine varieties in the vicinity of Podgorica and Bar. The phytosanitary status of the collected samples was analysed by DAS‐ELISA and the presence of Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV), Grapevine leafroll‐associated virus 1 (GLRaV‐1), Grapevine leafroll‐associated virus 2 (GLRaV‐2) and Grapevine leafroll‐associated virus 3 (GLRaV‐3) was confirmed in some of them. The most frequently found virus in assayed samples was GLRaV‐3 (54.5%), followed by GFLV (23%), GLRaV‐1 (20%) and GLRaV‐2 (0.6%). These serological analyses showed the absence of Grapevine leafroll‐associated virus 6 (GLRaV‐6), Grapevine leafroll‐associated virus 7 (GLRaV‐7), Raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV), Strawberry latent ringspot virus (SLRSV), Tomato ringspot virus (ToRSV), Raspberry ringspot virus (RpRSV), Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), Tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV), Tomato black ring virus (TBRV) and Cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV) from all tested samples.     

Swine viscera preservation in hypersaturated salt solution after alcohol fixation as a preparation method for educational purposes

The use of live animals for educational purposes is an old practice that is still employed in teaching and research institutions. However, there are several objections to this practice, whether for ethical or humanitarian reasons. Surgical techniques teaching using anatomical pieces and/or preserved cadavers promotes greater learning efficiency, provides exercise repetition and increases the confidence and satisfaction of the students when compared to the use of live animals. The current work aimed to analyse the feasibility of using fresh swine urinary bladder and small intestines (jejunum), obtained from slaughterhouses, fixed in 99.8% ethyl alcohol (EA) and preserved in sodium chloride hypersaturated solution (SCHS) at 30%, for 7, 14 and 21 days, as an alternative method for surgical skills training (SST). Swine viscera, fixed in EA and preserved in SCHS, presented a realistic appearance, absence of odour and maintained the viable morphological characteristics during the performance of the operative techniques. Preservation solutions had low cost, were easy to acquire and did not offers risks to human health. Therefore, urinary bladders and small intestines fixed in 99.8% EA for 30 days and maintained in 30% SCHS at different periods were demonstrated as a good viable option as a preservation method for surgical skills training.     

The Characterization of Heavy Metals in the Grapevine (Vitis vinifera) Cultivar Rkatsiteli and Wild Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) from East Serbia by ICP-OES and BAFs

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, in combination with calculation of various biological factors, was used in this study not only for a simple illustration of the present status of some essential and non-essential metals such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), and cadmium (Cd) in the grapevine cultivar Rkatsiteli and wild blackberry from East Serbia but also for the estimation of plant bioaccumulation potentials. Great majority of detected metal concentrations were in normal ranges except in few cases: Zn concentrations were at the level of deficiency in almost all plant parts, and some Cu and As concentrations were at the levels that could be considered phytotoxic. Biological accumulation factors provided very informative data on metal accumulation and translocation in both plants and pointed to low accumulation rates of metals except in the case of Cu, Zn, and As in some wild blackberry tissues.