Some observations on plant lectins and Rhizobium specificity

The ability of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labelled lectins extracted from the legumes Aspalathus linearis, Glycine max, Lotononis bainesii, Phaseolus vulgaris and Pisum sativum, respectively, to react with strains of various Rhizobium spp. was studied. With the exception of six out of ten strains of R. phaseoli and two out of ten strains of R. japonicum, none of the Rhizobium strains tested were able to bind lectin from their normal host plants. Many strains of R. leguminosarum, R. trifolii and R. phaseoli bound each of the plant lectins studied with the exception of the P. sativum lectin. This lectin was only bound by two strains of R. meliloti and a slow-growing strain isolated from Macroptilium atropurpureum. These results do not support suggestions by other workers that plant lectins play an important role in Rhizobium specificity.     

Assessment of EST- and genomic microsatellite markers for variety discrimination and genetic diversity studies in wheat

It is likely that in the near future sequence information from sequencing programmes and EST libraries will generate an abundance of genic microsatellite markers. This study is focused on the assessment of their likely impact and performance vis-à-vis their genomic counterparts. Microsatellites from two sources were used to assess the genetic diversity in 56 old and new varieties of bread wheat on the UK Recommended List. A set of 12 microsatellite markers generated from genomic libraries and 20 expressed sequence tag (EST)-derived microsatellites were used in the study, and the performance of both marker sets assessed. The EST-derived or genic microsatellites delivered fingerprints of superior quality, amplifying clear products with few stutter bands. Diversity levels as revealed bygenic microsatellites are similar to the few published results. The PIC values for the genic markers were generally lower than those calculated for the genomic microsatellites, though advantages of both marker classes for variety identification applications are discussed. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

党的第三代领导集体对社会主义发展战略理论的新贡献

党的第三代领导集体创造性地运用邓小平的社会发展战略思想,提出了“科教兴国” 和“可持续发展”战略,推动着邓小平提出的“三步走”战略向着既定的目标前进。这是第三代领导集体对社会主义发展战略的新贡献。     

Alkaline phosphatase and leucine aminopeptidase association in plasma of the chicken

Two electrophoretic vari ants of leucine aminopeptidase show direct association with two genetically controlled forms of alkaline phosphatase. Treatment of plasma with neuraminidase converted the faster-migrating form of both enzymes to slower-moving forms, but plasmas with slowermigrating forms were unaffected by this treatment. The two forms of the enzymes may be due to the presence or absence of a single gene controlling the attachment of sialic acid to the enzyme molecules.     

中国林业及其高得率浆之发展

对林业与纸业之关系及高得率浆的发展作了讨论，同时对林业发展制浆造纸工业的问题进行了分析。     

Age-related changes in ecosystem structure and function and effects on water and carbon exchange in ponderosa pine

As forests age, their structure and productivity change, yet in some cases, annual rates of water loss remain unchanged. To identify mechanisms that might explain such observations, and to determine if widely different age classes of forests differ functionally, we examined young (Y, approximately 25 years), mature (M, approximately 90 years) and old (O, approximately 250 years) ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. Laws.) stands growing in a drought-prone region of central Oregon. Although the stands differed in tree leaf area index (LAIT) (Y = 0.9, M = 2.8, O = 2.1), cumulative tree transpiration measured by sap flow did not differ substantially during the growing season (100-112 mm). Yet when water was readily available, transpiration per unit leaf area of the youngest trees was about three times that of M trees and five times that of O trees. These patterns resulted from a nearly sixfold difference in leaf specific conductance (KL) between the youngest and oldest trees. At the time of maximum transpiration in the Y stand in May-June, gross carbon uptake (gross ecosystem production, GEP) was similar for Y and O stands despite an almost twofold difference in stand leaf area index (LAIS). However, the higher rate of water use by Y trees was not sustainable in the drought-prone environment, and between spring and late summer, KL of Y trees declined fivefold compared with a nearly twofold decline for M trees and a < 30% reduction in O trees. Because the Y stand contained a significant shrub understory and more exposed soil, there was no appreciable difference in mean daily latent energy fluxes between the Y stand and the older stands as measured by the eddy-covariance technique. These patterns resulted in 60 to 85% higher seasonal GEP and 55 to 65% higher water-use efficiency at the M and O stands compared with the Y stand.     

Carbon dioxide and water vapor exchange by young and old ponderosa pine ecosystems during a dry summer

We investigated key factors controlling mass and energy exchange by a young (6-year-old) ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws.) plantation on the west side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and an old-growth ponderosa pine forest (mix of 45- and 250-year-old trees) on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, from June through September 1997. At both sites, we operated eddy covariance systems above the canopy to measure net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide and water vapor, and made concurrent meteorological and ecophysiological measurements. Our objective was to understand and compare the controls on ecosystem processes in these two forests. Precipitation is much higher in the young plantation than in the old-growth forest (1660 versus 550 mm year-1), although both forests experienced decreasing soil water availability and increasing vapor pressure deficits (D) as the summer of 1997 progressed. As a result, drought stress increased at both sites during this period, and changes in D strongly influenced ecosystem conductance and net carbon uptake. Ecosystem conductance for a given D was higher in the young pine plantation than in the old-growth forest, but decreased dramatically following several days of high D in late summer, possibly because of xylem cavitation. Net CO2 exchange generally decreased with conductance at both sites, although values were roughly twice as high at the young site. Simulations with the 3-PG model, which included the effect of tree age on fluxes, suggest that, during the fall through spring period, milder temperatures and ample water availability at the young site provide better conditions for photosynthesis than at the old pine site. Thus, over the long-term, the young site can carry more leaf area, and the climatic conditions between fall and spring offset the more severe limitations imposed by summer drought.     

Surveys on Coxiella burnetii infections in Swedish cattle,sheep, goats and moose

Background

Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. Prevalence data in ruminant species are important to support risk assessments regarding public and animal health. The aim was to investigate the presence of or exposure to C. burnetii in cattle, sheep, goats and moose, and to compare two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). National surveys of antibodies against C. burnetii were performed for dairy cattle (n=1537), dairy goats (n=58) and sheep (n=518). Bovine samples consisted of bulk milk, caprine of pooled milk, and ovine of pooled serum. Antibodies were investigated in moose samples (n=99) from three regions. A one-year regional cattle bulk milk survey was performed on the Isle of Gotland (n=119, four occasions). Cattle, sheep and goat samples were analysed with indirect ELISA and moose samples with complement fixation test. For the sheep, goat, and parts of the cattle survey, samples were run in parallel by ELISAs based on antigens from infected ruminants and ticks. Bulk milk samples from the regional cattle survey and vaginal swabs from a subset of the sheep herds (n=80) were analysed for the agent by polymerase chain reaction. Spatial clustering was investigated in the national cattle survey.

Results

The prevalence of antibodies in dairy herds was 8.2% with large regional differences. High risk clusters were identified in the southern regions. The prevalence among dairy herds on the Isle of Gotland varied from 55.9% to 64.6% and 46.4% to 58.9.0% for antibodies and agent, respectively, overall agreement between agent and antibodies was 85.2%. The prevalence of antibodies in sheep was 0.6%, the agent was not detected the vaginal swabs. Antibodies were not detected in goats or moose, although parts of the moose samples were collected in an area with high prevalence in cattle. The overall agreement between the two ELISAs was 90.4%.

Conclusions

The prevalence of antibodies against C. burnetii in dairy cattle in Sweden shows large regional differences. The results suggest that C. burnetii is a rare pathogen among Swedish moose, dairy goat and sheep. ELISAs based on ruminant and tick antigen performed in a similar manner under Swedish conditions.