Do cover crops change the lability of phosphorus in a clayey subtropical soil under different phosphate fertilizers?

Plants have developed different mechanisms to absorb and solubilize phosphorus (P) in the soil, especially in environments with low P availability. This study evaluated the effects of different winter cover crops on soil P availability in a clayey subtropical (Hapludox) soil receiving soluble P fertilizer and a rock phosphate applied to the summer crop, under no‐tillage. The experiment was carried out over 3 yrs (2009–2011) with five different cover crop species: common vetch, fodder radish, ryegrass, black oat, white clover and fallow as control. The soil was sampled after the third year of cover crop cultivation and analysed for inorganic and organic P forms according to the well‐established Hedley fractionation procedure. Phosphate fertilizers promoted accumulation of both labile and nonlabile P pools in soil in the near surface layer, especially under rock phosphate. Fertilizer applications were not able to change P fractions in deeper layers, emphasizing that the Brazilian clayey soils are a sink of P from fertilizer and its mobility is almost nil. Although the cover crops recycled a great amount of P in tissue, in a short‐term evaluation (3 yrs) they only changed the content of moderately labile P in soil, indicating that long‐term studies are needed for more conclusive results.     

Variations in parameters of liver function and plasma progesterone related to underfeeding and ketosis in a dairy herd

Twenty-eight Norwegian Red Cattle dairy cows were fed silage ad libitum and restricted amounts of concentrates. Blood samples were collected before morning feeding, once or twice weekly, from 2 weeks before to 12 weeks after calving. Parameters of liver function, carbohydrate status and fertility were recorded in order to assess their interrelationships. Eight cows were treated for clinical ketosis. Four of these had to be treated 2 or 3 times. Aspartate aminotransferase and bilirubin showed the highest within-animal coefficients of correlation with acetoacetate. Analysis of variance revealed a significant effect of carbohydrate status (indicated by plasma acetoacetate levels) on the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase and sorbitol dehydrogenase, though only a small part of the total variation was explained by this factor. The estimated volume density of liver fat in the 4th week of lactation averaged 6.0 +/- 6.4% (+/- SD) ranging from 0.1-25.1%. Liver fat content at this stage of lactation was not significantly correlated with other indicators of liver function or carbohydrate status. Cows treated for clinical ketosis had significantly lower plasma progesterone values at the time of first ketosis treatment than untreated multiparous cows. The frequency of high progesterone values (greater than 3 ng/ml) being significantly lower in treated than in untreated cows during the period from 3-5 weeks post partum, though not at later stages. In conclusion, the results revealed a significant relationship between carbohydrate status and liver function, and also between clinical ketosis and luteal function.     

D-Dimer Improves the Prognostic Value of Combined Clinical and Laboratory Data in Equine Gastrointestinal Colic

The discriminating ability of 15 parameters alone or in combinations, including results from analysis of plasma endotoxin, the Nycomed plasma D-Dimer test and phospholipase A₂, were analyzed to predict morbidity and mortality in equine gastrointestinal colic. Endotoxaemia was a characteristic feature of the colic horses. The problem of adequately predicting non-survivors among colic horses required several parameters to be included in the logistic model: if the “classical parameters”, (heart rate, respiratory rate, PCV, anion gap) were included in the model, addition of plasma D-dimer, phospholipase A₂, and Cl^- significantly improved the predictive value of the logistic model. Increasing heart rate and D-dimer together with decreasing chloride was a risk factor for nonsurvival. The sensitivity of this three-parameter logistic model to predict nonsurvival was 78% and specificity 77%. The Nycomed D-Dimer test is recommended as a horse-site test to predict disseminated intravascular coagulation and nonsurvival in equine colic.     

The potential use of plasma glutamate dehydrogenase activity for the evaluation of hepatic disease in the cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)

A reference interval for plasma glutamate dehydrogenase (GD) (E.C. 1.4.1.3) activity, of 0-8 IU/L, was established for the cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus). An automated modification of a commercial manual assay was used. This enzyme is considered liver specific in humans and numerous domestic animals, due to its organ distribution. A similar distribution was found in cockatiels in this study. Maximal enzyme activity was recovered from liver and kidney homogenate supernatants. Minimal activity was detected in skeletal muscle preparations. These results suggest a potential use for plasma GD activity in the evaluation of hepatocelluar injury/necrosis in cockatiels.     

组氨醇脱氢酶抑制剂的研究动态

组氨醇脱氢酶(HDH)是组氨酸生物合成过程中最后两步反应的催化酶。对组氨醇脱氢酶的结构、催化机理、组氨醇脱氢酶抑制剂等方面的研究动态进行了较为详细的综述。     

Oxygen isotope ratios of plant available phosphate in lowland tropical forest soils

Phosphorus (P) cycles rapidly in lowland tropical forest soils, but the process have been proven difficult to quantify. Recently it was demonstrated that valuable data on soil P transformations can be derived from the natural abundance of stable oxygen isotopes in phosphate (δ¹⁸O_P). Here, we measured the δ¹⁸O_P of soils that had received long-term nutrient additions (P, nitrogen, and potassium) or litter manipulations in lowland tropical forest in Panama and performed controlled incubations of fresh soils amended with a single pulse of P. To detect whether δ¹⁸O_P values measured in the incubations apply also for soils in the field, we examined the δ¹⁸O_P values after rewetting dry soils. In the incubations, resin-P δ¹⁸O_P values converged to ∼3.5‰ above the expected isotopic equilibrium with soil water. This contrasts with extra-tropical soils in which the δ¹⁸O_P of resin-P matches the expected equilibrium with soil water. Identical above-equilibrium resin-P δ¹⁸O_P values were also found in field soils that did not receive P additions or extra litter. We suggest that the 3.5‰ above-equilibrium δ¹⁸O_P values reflect a steady state between microbial uptake of phosphate (which enriches the remaining phosphate with the heavier isotopologues) and the release of isotopically equilibrated cell internal phosphate back to the soil. We also found that soil nutrient status affected the microbial turnover rate because in soils that had received chronic P addition, the original δ¹⁸O_P signature of the fertilizer was preserved for at least eight weeks, indicating that the off-equilibrium δ¹⁸O_P values produced during microbial phosphate turnover was not imprinted in these soils. Overall, our results demonstrate that ongoing microbial turnover of phosphate mediates its biological availability in lowland tropical soils.     

黄瓜低霜霉威残留性相关基因SDH克隆及表达

通过Solexa技术和比较基因组学方法鉴定霜霉威胁迫下黄瓜果实差异表达基因,筛选黄瓜低霜霉威残留性相关基因SDH。研究利用PCR克隆获得SDH基因全长,命名为Cs SDH。构建亚细胞定位表达载体,利用农杆菌浸润法注射烟草叶片后激光共聚焦显微镜下观察;分别用荧光定量RT-PCR方法和酶联免疫法研究高、低农残品系D9320和D0351中Cs SDH基因在农药霜霉威处理后,不同时间点、不同组织部位时空表达特征和琥珀酸脱氢酶活性。结果表明,Cs SDH基因在烟草叶片细胞中被定位在细胞膜上。黄瓜低农残品种D0351中,Cs SDH基因在果实受霜霉威胁迫后反应迅速,主要在处理前期响应表达强烈,琥珀酸脱氢酶活性显著增加,且该基因表达量显著高于其在高农残品种D9320中表达量。Cs SDH果、叶中表达量较茎中高,且各组织部位表达量高低顺序稳定,为叶果茎。黄瓜高农残品种D9320中,Cs SDH基因表达量在0.5、1、3、12 h呈现上调表达,6、9 h基因表达量差异不显著,48 h出现上调表达高峰。说明克隆得到的Cs SDH基因属农药处理前期响应基因,且该基因可能在降低黄瓜农药残留过程中发挥重要作用。试验通过研究黄瓜琥珀酸脱氢酶基因(SDH)在霜霉威胁迫下表达情况,为挖掘黄瓜低农药残留性功能基因以及探明其作用分子机制奠定基础。     

硒肥与钝化材料组配对土壤Cd钝化及稻米Cd消减效果

为了探讨不同硒肥施用方式联合钝化材料对土壤镉钝化和稻米镉消减的效果,采用盆栽试验的方式,选用亚硒酸钠作为硒肥,钙镁磷肥和硅藻土作为钝化材料,设置基施硒肥+钙镁磷肥+硅藻土和叶面喷施硒肥+钙镁磷肥+硅藻土2种方式,研究其不同用量对镉污染酸性稻田土壤修复与安全利用的影响。结果表明：随着施用量的增加,稻米产量增加,基施硒肥产量略高于叶面喷施硒肥,产量差为 2.115 g/pot,与对照(CK)相比,基施0.28%钙镁磷肥+0.12%硅藻土+0.004‰硒(T3)能够提高1.68倍的稻米产量;随着施用量的增加,pH升高,有效Cd降低,有机质与CEC变化不大;基施硒肥与叶面喷施硒肥处理对土壤pH、有机质与CEC差异不显著,但基施硒肥处理有效Cd含量略低于叶面喷施硒肥处理,T3对土壤Cd的钝化效果最佳;随着基施硒肥用量的增加,稻米Cd含量降低,随着叶面喷施硒肥用量的增加,稻米Cd含量先降低后升高,基施硒肥处理对稻米Cd的消减程度强于叶面喷施硒肥处理,相差 0.021 mg/kg,与对照(CK)相比,T3处理稻米Cd降低0.063 mg/kg。可见,硒对调控稻米镉累积具有重要作用,且基施硒肥强于叶面喷施。综上所述,基施0.28%钙镁磷肥+0.12%硅藻土+0.004‰硒对土壤Cd钝化与稻米Cd消减的效果最佳,值得在镉污染稻田推广应用。     

Molecular cloning,purification and immunogenicity of recombinant Brucella abortus 544 malate dehydrogenase protein

The Brucella mdh gene was successfully cloned and expressed in E. coli. The purified recombinant malate dehydrogenase protein (rMDH) was reactive to Brucella-positive bovine serum in the early stage, but not reactive in the middle or late stage, and was reactive to Brucella-positive mouse serum in the late stage, but not in the early or middle stage of infection. In addition, rMDH did not react with Brucella-negative bovine or mouse sera. These results suggest that rMDH has the potential for use as a specific antigen in serological diagnosis for early detection of bovine brucellosis.     

Content and distribution of different phosphorus forms in broiler chickens

To understand the background value of phosphorus in chickens, the quantitative distribution of different phosphorus forms, including total phosphorus (TP), free phosphate (FP) and phospholipid (PL), in viscera, blood and bones of broiler chickens was investigated. Results showed that phosphorus contents exhibited significant differences in different parts of chickens. TP content of breast and thigh meat was over 5.0 g/kg, in which most of the phosphorus was in the form of water‐soluble phosphates. TP content in viscera was higher than that in meat, and spleen was observed to contain the highest amount of phosphorus (10.0 g/kg). In all tested organs, FP and PL contents in liver were the highest, ranging between 1207–1989 and 81–369 mg/kg respectively. TP content in chicken bone was in the range of 52 716–136 643 mg/kg, and FP content in the bone was relatively lower than that in chicken meat.