An investigation of links between metabolic rate and feed efficiency in European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax

Feed efficiency (FE) is the amount of body weight gain for a given feed intake. Improving FE through selective breeding is key for sustainable finfish aquaculture but its evaluation at individual level is technically challenging. We therefore investigated whether individual routine metabolic rate (RMR) was a predictor of individual FE in the European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax, a major species in European mariculture. The European sea bass has three genetically distinct populations across its geographical range, namely Atlantic (AT), West Mediterranean (WM), and East Mediterranean (EM). We compared FE and RMR of fish from these three populations at 18 or 24 °C. We held 200 fish (62 AT, 66 WM, and 72 EM) in individual aquaria and fed them from ad libitum down to fasting. FI was assessed for an ad libitum feeding rate and for a fixed restricted ration (1% of metabolic body weight·day⁻¹, with metabolic body weight = body weight^0.8). After being refed 12 wk in a common tank, individual RMR was measured over 36 h by intermittent flow respirometry. There was a significant effect of temperature whereby fish at 18 °C had greater mean FE (P < 0.05) and lower RMR (P < 0.001). There was also a significant effect of population, where AT fish had lower FE (P < 0.05) and greater RMR (P < 0.001) than WM and EM, at both temperatures. Despite these differences in temperature and population means, individual FE and RMR were not significantly correlated (P > 0.05). Therefore, although the results provide evidence of an association between metabolic rate and FE, RMR was not a predictor of individual FE, for reasons that require further investigation.     

Vaccination against pseudorabies with glycoprotein gI+ or glycoprotein gI- vaccine

Subunit pseudorabies vaccines that contained only purified glycoproteins of either of 2 strains of pseudorabies virus (PRV) were prepared and subsequently tested for safety and efficacy. The strains of virus used for vaccine production differed in at least 2 properties. One strain (Kojnok) was virulent for pigs and was believed to code for the entire complement of viral glycoproteins. The other (Kaplan) was a deletion mutant that was unable to code for structural viral glycoproteins gI and gp63. Purified glycoproteins were dispersed in an oil-in-water emulsion and were administered IM to pigs. Both vaccines were found to be safe and effective immunogens. Neither caused any local or general reactions, as verified by examination of the injection site (local safety) and by vaccination of pregnant sows in PRV-infected and noninfected herds. Sows vaccinated with the gI+ or gI- vaccine protected their pigs at levels of 93 and 92%, respectively, against a severe challenge exposure that killed 98% of pigs born from nonvaccinated sows. Vaccinated pigs were tested for active immunity by intranasal challenge exposure with the NIA 3 strain. Protection was quantitated by measuring the relative daily weight difference, expressed in percent per day, between vaccinated and control pigs during the first week after challenge exposure (delta G7); the estimated differences were 2.25 and 2.13% for gI+ and gI- vaccines, respectively. The absence of gI and gp63 did not affect the efficacy of this type of subunit glycoprotein vaccines.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Laser microprobe mass analysis (LAMMA) of aluminum and lead in fine roots and their ectomycorrhizal mantles of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.)

Fine roots and ectomycorrhizal root tips were sampled in a Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stand in the eastern part of the Belgian Ardennes. The cellular and partly subcellular localizations of aluminum and lead were identified by the micro-analytical laser microprobe mass analysis (LAMMA) technique. In fine roots with secondary structure, localization of aluminum was limited to the peripheral cell layers. Lead was found in the outer layers, and also in the primary phloem. Aluminum penetrated the mycorrhizal mantle, but lead was seldom detected in ectomycorrhizae.     

Response to domestication and selection for growth in the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in separate and mixed tanks

Selective breeding of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) receives a growing interest, as the estimated heritability of growth is medium to high. In this study, we compared the offspring of four groups of sea bass sires, mated with the same wild dams: wild (W), first generation of domestication (D), first generation of mass selection for length (M), first generation of PROSPER-like selection for length (P). The comparison was done both in replicated tanks (separate rearing) and in mixed tanks (mixed rearing) where sire origins were recovered by genotyping of eight microsatellite markers. Weight, length and growth rate were measured from day 238 post-fertilization (69 g mean weight) to day 611 post-fertilization (390 g mean weight). Both in mixed and separate tanks, both selected groups (P, M) were larger than unselected groups (W, D). No difference was seen at any time between W and D, nor between M and P. The selection response estimate on weight was larger in mixed tanks when compared to separate tanks (+ 42% in mixed tanks, + 23% in separate tanks at day 611), yielding realized heritability estimates of 0.60 and 0.34, respectively, and confirming the excellent potential of the species for growth improvement through selective breeding. Both selection response and the amplification effect between mixed and separate tanks decreased as rearing density increased. Our hypothesis is that selection response is magnified by competition in mixed tanks, while sub-optimal rearing conditions lower the observed selection response, more in separate tanks (where selected thus larger fish are at a higher density than unselected ones) than in mixed tanks (where all fish experience the same density effects).     

Fusarium miscanthi and other Fusarium species as causal agents of Miscanthus × giganteus rhizome rot

In 2010, Miscanthus × giganteus rhizomes were collected from Belgian fields showing emergence reduction and were analyzed for detection and identification of fungal species. All rhizomes were infected by at least one Fusarium species, of which F. culmorum, F. miscanthi, F. crookwellense and F. graminearum were the most abundant. Results of the pathogenicity tests by soil inoculation demonstrate the ability of F. miscanthi, F. culmorum and F. avenaceum to cause rhizome rot disease under greenhouse conditions. This is the first report of F. miscanthi and other Fusarium species isolated from M. × giganteus rhizomes in Belgium.     

Impact of Proteins on Pasting and Cooking Properties of Nonparboiled and Parboiled Rice

The role of proteins in the pasting and cooking properties of non‐parboiled (npb) and parboiled (pb) rice was tested by means of a reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT) and a protease (trypsin). DTT increased the swelling power and carbohydrate leaching of flour from npb rice flour but decreased its amylose leaching. Although DTT slightly increased the Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) viscosity at the initial stages of the pasting process, it decreased RVA viscosity in the further phases of the experiment. Preincubation of flour with a trypsin decreased RVA viscosity along the whole temperature profile. Addition of DTT to the cooking water decreased water absorption and rice hardness and increased leaching of solids during cooking and stickiness of the cooked npb rice. Addition of DTT to the cooking water of flour from pb rice increased swelling power, carbohydrate leaching, and amylose leaching. Addition of DTT also increased RVA viscosity. Preincubation with trypsin had a similar effect but the changes were less pronounced. Addition of DTT increased stickiness of cooked pb rice and increased water absorption and leaching of solids during cooking. Taken together, the results provide evidence for the existence of a protein barrier affecting starch swelling, rheological, and cooking properties of both npb and pb rice.     

Starch gelatinization and amylose–lipid interactions during rice parboiling investigated by temperature resolved wide angle X-ray scattering and differential scanning calorimetry

Starch gelatinization and formation of crystalline amylose–lipid complexes during the heat/moisture treatment step in rice parboiling were studied with temperature resolved wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) using flour from Puntal (24% apparent amylose) and Jacinto (12% apparent amylose) rice samples [66, 40 or 25% moisture content (mc)]. Temperature resolved WAXS showed that the crystallinity index (CI, i.e. the relative amount of A-type crystals) of non-parboiled rice flours at 66% mc, monotonically decreased between 65 °C (Puntal) and 70 °C (Jacinto) and 90 °C (both Puntal and Jacinto). These temperatures were in agreement with the respective onset and conclusion temperatures of the M₁ endotherm measured by DSC. At 40% mc, the CI decreased monotonically from 65 °C (Puntal) and 70 °C (Jacinto) until 105 °C. In DSC both M₁ and M₂ endotherms were present. The conclusion temperature of the M₂ endotherm was higher than 105 °C. At 25% mc, the CI decreased very gradually and A-type crystals were no longer present at 145 °C. Under these conditions, no DSC endotherms were detected. No type II amylose–lipid complexes were formed during heating at 66% mc. In contrast, at 40 and 25% mc, V_h-type crystals were formed from 100 and 130 °C, respectively. Non-parboiled white rice flour had a strong A-type pattern. Mildly parboiled rice had a clear A-type, with a weak V_h-type and B-type pattern. Severe parboiling resulted in partially crystalline systems with superimposed A-type, V_h-type and B-type crystals. It was concluded that the rice variety, the combination of mc and the moisture distribution in the rice kernel and the temperature during parboiling all impact the level and the types of crystals in the parboiled rice.     

Effect of experimental infection with pseudorabies (Aujeszky's disease) virus on pigs with maternal immunity from vaccinated sows.

Live-virus and inactivated-virus vaccines were used to immunize sows against pseudorabies (Aujeszky's disease) virus. To test the efficacy of the vaccination, 53 pigs of different ages were taken from the 1st and the 2nd litters of vaccinated sows and placed separately in isolation units. The pigs were challenge exposed with virulent pseudorabies virus and examined for clinical signs, virus excretion, and serologic reaction. The challenge inoculum caused severe nervous or respiratory signs of disease in 12 of the 13 control pigs, with a mortality of 76%. The pigs from the 1st litters of sows vaccinated with the live-virus vaccine did not become sick, whereas 2 of the 9 pigs (22%) from the 2nd litters had clinical signs and died of pseudorabies. All pigs from sows vaccinated with the inactivated-virus vaccine remained healthy. The results of virus isolation from oronasal swabs, combined with the serotest results, indicated that challenge exposure of all except 1 of the pigs resulted in a subclinical infection with the formation of active immunity.     

Evaluation of CECOL, a model of winter rape (Brassica napus L.)

The CECOL model is a dynamic model that describes the growth and development of winter rape. Here the model is evaluated using a number of different approaches, including sensitivity analysis, investigation of behavior in extreme conditions, graphical analysis and estimation of the mean-squared error of prediction (MSEP) and its components. The MSEP value gives an overall value of model predictive accuracy. For CECOL, the value is 0.22 (t ha⁻¹)². This is somewhat smaller than MSEP of the very simple model that uses the average of past yields to predict future yield. The other evaluation techniques are complementary to MSEP in that they help identify specific types of situation where the model is a poor predictor. Here it is found that the CECOL model predicts flowering dates that are too early for early sowing and too late for late sowing, does not correctly describe the differences between irrigated and nonirrigated treatments, and does not give reasonable values for very low planting densities. In practical terms, these last two errors are not very important.