Maturation of functional antibody affinity in animals immunised with synthetic foot-and-mouth disease virus.

A good correlation exists between specific neutralising antibody titre and protection against challenge with foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in infected or virus-vaccinated cattle, but not in the case of animals immunised with synthetic FMDV peptides. Therefore, mechanisms other than simple neutralisation are likely to be important in vivo. Antibody affinity may influence the protective capacity of sera from immunised animals and experiments were carried out to measure the functional affinity for synthetic FMDV peptide of sera from guinea pigs and cattle given various synthetic vaccines. In guinea pigs given a single dose of synthetic vaccine, antibody affinity increased with time after immunisation. In cattle, however, administration of a second dose of peptide 21 days after the first markedly retarded the process of affinity maturation. For guinea pig sera of equivalent neutralising activity, those of higher functional affinity had higher protective indices than those of lower functional affinity. Knowledge of the importance of antibody affinity in protection against FMD is important for an improved understanding of the mechanisms of protection and for the design of novel vaccines.     

Ostertagia ostertagi infection in the calf: effects of a trickle challenge on appetite, digestibility, rate of passage of digesta and liveweight gain

The effects of a trickle challenge with the equivalent of 10,000 infective Ostertagia ostertagi larvae per day on appetite, digestibility, rate of passage of digesta and liveweight gain were investigated in 12 calves assigned to infected, pair-fed control and ad libitum-fed control groups. Digestibility of cellulose, nitrogen, organic matter and dry matter was determined using insoluble acid detergent fibre as a marker on two occasions during the study: (i) Between days 31 and 38, when abomasal dysfunction was greatest; and (ii) between days 52 and 58, beginning approximately one week after anthelmintic treatment (day 46). Rate of passage of digesta was measured using chromium mordanted hay, fed to each calf after each digestibility study period. Voluntary feed intake of the infected group was significantly reduced from day 37 with the greatest depression (77 per cent) occurring just before anthelmintic treatment. The drop in appetite was responsible for nearly 73 per cent of the difference in liveweight gain between the infected and ad libitum fed control groups. The apparent digestibility coefficient of nitrogen was significantly depressed (22 per cent) in the infected group though was restored to control levels by anthelmintic treatment. The rate of passage of digesta was significantly reduced in both pair-fed control (50 per cent) and infected (74 per cent) groups. Anthelmintic treatment increased the latter though only to pair-fed control group levels. It is suggested that the marked hypergastrinaemia seen in the infected calves may have been in part responsible for the decreased rate of passage of digesta and in turn for the drop in appetite.     

Detecting Migrants in Populations of Rhizoctonia solani Anastomosis Group 3 from Potato in North Carolina Using Multilocus Genotype Probabilities

ABSTRACT The relative contribution of migration of Rhizoctonia solani anastomosis group 3 (AG-3) on infested potato seed tubers originating from production areas in Canada, Maine, and Wisconsin (source population) to the genetic diversity and structure of populations of R. solani AG-3 in North Carolina (NC) soil (recipient population) was examined. The frequency of alleles detected by multilocus polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms, heterozygosity at individual loci, and gametic phase disequilibrium between all pairs of loci were determined for subpopulations of R. solani AG-3 from eight sources of potato seed tubers and from five soils in NC. Analysis of molecular variation revealed little variation between seed source and NC recipient soil populations or between subpopulations within each region. Analysis of population data with a Bayesian-based statistical method previously developed for detecting migration in human populations suggested that six multilocus genotypes from the NC soil population had a statistically significant probability of being migrants from the northern source population. The one-way (unidirectional) migration of genotypes of R. solani AG-3 into NC on infested potato seed tubers from Canada, Maine, and Wisconsin provides a plausible explanation for the lack of genetic subdivision (differentiation) between populations of the pathogen in NC soils or between the northern source and the NC recipient soil populations.     

An initial survey of the cattle grub Dermatobia hominis (L. Jr.) in Nicaragua

After the civil war and the Hurricane-Mitch disaster, cattlemen in Nicaragua were forced to transport their cattle from lowland areas to higher, dryer areas of the country. These areas are natural ecological niches for the cattle grub Dermatobia hominis (L. Jr.) (Diptera: Cuterebridae). To determine the importance of this infestation, the Agricultural and Livestock-Forestry Ministry selected a central area of Nicaragua to run a pioneer survey program to acquire information about hosts involved, number of cases, treatments applied and general knowledge of 42 farmers about the life cycle of the parasite. The subjects were either farm owners or farm managers. Ninety-five percentage of the farms indicated cases of D. hominis infestation in their animals, with cattle being the most affected host (100% of the affected farms). There was poor understanding of the D. hominis life cycle, vectors and control methods. A misuse of insecticides for the treatment of larval infestation by D. hominis was indicated.     

An evaluation of fresh gas flow rates for spontaneously breathing cats and small dogs on the Humphrey ADE semi‐closed breathing system

ObjectiveTo evaluate the fresh gas flow (FGF) rate requirements for the Humphrey ADE semi-closed breathing system in the Mapleson A mode; to determine the FGF at which rebreathing occurs, and compare the efficiency of this system to the Bain (Mapleson D) system in spontaneously breathing cats and small dogs.Study DesignProspective clinical study.AnimalsTwenty-five healthy (ASA score I or II) client-owned cats and dogs (mean ± SD age 4.7 ± 5.0 years, and body weight 5.64 ± 3.26 kg) undergoing elective surgery or minor procedures.MethodsAnaesthesia was maintained with isoflurane delivered via the Humphrey ADE system in the A mode using an oxygen FGF of 100 mL kg⁻¹ minute⁻¹. The FGF was then reduced incrementally by 5–10 mL kg⁻¹minute⁻¹ at approximately five-minute intervals, until rebreathing (inspired CO₂ >5 mmHg (0.7 kPa)) was observed, after which flow rates were increased. In six animals, once the minimum FGF at which rebreathing occurred was found, the breathing system was changed to the Bain, and the effects of this FGF delivery examined, before FGF was increased.ResultsRebreathing did not occur at the FGF recommended by the manufacturer for the ADE. The mean ± SD FGF that resulted in rebreathing was 60 ± 20 mL kg⁻¹minute⁻¹. The mean minimum FGF at which rebreathing did not occur with the ADE was 87 ± 39 mL kg⁻¹minute⁻¹. This FGF resulted in significant rebreathing (inspired CO₂ 8.8 ± 2.6 mmHg (1.2 ± 0.3 kPa)) on the Bain system.ConclusionsThe FGF rates recommended for the Humphrey ADE are adequate to prevent rebreathing in spontaneously breathing cats and dogs <15 kg.Clinical relevanceThe Humphrey ADE system used in the A mode is a more efficient alternative to the Bain system, for maintenance of gaseous anaesthesia in spontaneously breathing cats and small dogs.     

Conservation of marker synteny during evolution

Summary An aspect of cereal science that is becoming increasingly important is comparative genetics. Establishment of the relationship between genomes within polyploids, between species within tribes and between species within families will allow not only the integration of genetic maps but also the knowledge acquired of each of the species. Using a set of homoeologous probes, workers found the relationship between the three wheat genomes to be precisely collinear, after taking a few major translocation events into account. Transfer of the wheat map to rye led to the elucidation of similar relationships between the three wheat genomes and that of rye. Genome collinearity, however, extends even beyond tribes. In a comparison of the genomes of wheat, rice and maize, it was shown that despite the separation of these genomes for possibly 50 million years, gene order was still highly conserved. This collinearity between genomes can be exploited in a number of ways.     

NORIN 10 semi-dwarfism in tetraploid wheat and associated effects on yield

Summary A genetic study of a range of NORIN 10 based semi-dwarf durum wheats showed that only Gai/Rht 1, located on chromosome 4A, was present. No varieties carrying a second Gai/Rht allele were identified and deliberate attempts to introduce Gai/Rht2 into tetraploid wheats have so far been unsuccessful.In a spaced plant trial of homozygous random F₃ lines from two tall x semi-dwarf crosses, the semi-dwarfs has lower ear yields, due mainly to reduced kernel weight, but had higher tiller numbers than the tall genotypes. Although there was no difference in overall plant yield between talls and semi-dwarfs, an analysis of character associations within the semi-dwarf F₃'s showed positive height-yield and height-kernel weight correlations indicating that selection for tall dwarfs may be a useful breeding strategy in tetraploid wheats.     

A rapid method for early generation selection of dwarf genotypes in wheat

Summary In the early generations of a breeding programme to incorporate the successful Norin 10 semidwarfing genes into adapted tall or standard lines, the bread and durum wheat breeder must be able to recognise and discard those lines that are not homozygous for the dwarfing gene. A method which exploits the gibberellin insensitive reaction of lines carrying the genes combined with a single seed descent technique is described in which most unwanted genotypes may be removed as F2 seedlings.