Outdoor stocking density in free-range laying hens: radio-frequency identification of impacts on range use

The number and size of free-range laying hen (Gallus gallus domesticus) production systems are increasing within Australia in response to consumer demand for perceived improvement in hen welfare. However, variation in outdoor stocking density has generated consumer dissatisfaction leading to the development of a national information standard on free-range egg labelling by the Australian Consumer Affairs Ministers. The current Australian Model Code of Practice for Domestic Poultry states a guideline of 1500 hens/ha, but no maximum density is set. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking technology was used to measure daily range usage by individual ISA Brown hens housed in six small flocks (150 hens/flock – 50% of hens tagged), each with access to one of three outdoor stocking density treatments (two replicates per treatment: 2000, 10 000, 20 000 hens/ha), from 22 to 26, 27 to 31 and 32 to 36 weeks of age. There was some variation in range usage across the sampling periods and by weeks 32 to 36 individual hens from the lowest stocking density on average used the range for longer each day (P<0.001), with fewer visits and longer maximum durations per visit (P<0.001). Individual hens within all stocking densities varied in the percentage of days they accessed the range with 2% of tagged hens in each treatment never venturing outdoors and a large proportion that accessed the range daily (2000 hens/ha: 80.5%; 10 000 hens/ha: 66.5%; 20 000 hens/ha: 71.4%). On average, 38% to 48% of hens were seen on the range simultaneously and used all available areas of all ranges. These results of experimental-sized flocks have implications for determining optimal outdoor stocking densities for commercial free-range laying hens but further research would be needed to determine the effects of increased range usage on hen welfare.     

Auswirkungen des Anbaus einer Wirts- und einer Nichtwirtspflanze unter wechselnden ökologischen Bedingungen auf die Populationsdynamik von Rhizoctonia solani Kühn und Fusarium solani f. pisi (Jones) Snyd. et Hans

An isometric virus was isolated from Helianthus annuus L. plants showing a yellow leaf spot mosaic on affected leaves. Infected plants were found in different ecological regions of Ukraine. A procedure of virus purification is described. The diametres of the virus particles were nonuniform and ranged from 50 to 120 nm. The sedimentation coefficient of the virus was 518–540 S and the floating density in the CsCl gradient was 1.22 g/cm³. The MW of proteins separated by electrophoresis amounted to 78±0.9, 58±0.8, 52±0.2, and 27±0.8 kDa, respectively. The virus was assigned to the tospoviruses for which sunflower is a new previously undescribed natural host plant.     

Activity- and reactivity-based proteomics: Recent technological advances and applications in drug discovery

Activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) is recognized as a powerful and versatile chemoproteomic technology in drug discovery. Central to ABPP is the use of activity-based probes to report the activity of specific enzymes or reactivity of amino acid types in complex biological systems. Over the last two decades, ABPP has facilitated the identification of new drug targets and discovery of lead compounds in human and infectious disease. Furthermore, as part of a sustained global effort to illuminate the druggable proteome, the repertoire of target classes addressable with activity-based probes has vastly expanded in recent years. Here, we provide an overview of ABPP and summarise the major technological advances with an emphasis on probe development.     

重伞灵芝线粒体基因组在灵芝种间鉴定中的应用

线粒体是“动力工厂”,能够进行氧化代谢实现能量的转化,参与三羧酸循环形成ATP。随着分子生物学和生物信息学技术的发展,担子菌灵芝属中已有几种灵芝的线粒体基因组被相继报道,但尚未有对重伞灵芝线粒体基因组的报道。本研究通过对重伞灵芝YX线粒体基因组进行组装注释,比较分析了与其他灵芝属物种的差异,根据差异序列构建分子标记对重伞灵芝菌株快速鉴定。结果显示重伞灵芝线粒体基因组大小为67 340bp的闭合环形结构,含有15个普通蛋白编码基因,28个tRNA基因,以及rRNA的大小亚基基因。共5个基因含有12个内含子,主要为IB型,部分为ID型,包含LAGLIDADG_1 superfamily、GIY-YIG_Cterm superfamily保守结构域。根据重伞灵芝线粒体cox2基因设计的特异性引物扩增结果显示：4株重伞灵芝的cox2基因片段均可准确扩增,且扩增不出其他灵芝物种的cox2基因片段。基于各灵芝菌株线粒体cox2基因序列构建系统进化树,可以将4株重伞灵芝归在同一分支上,并且同源性为98%,与ITS鉴定结果一致。可见,基于线粒体基因cox2特异性引物可以快速地对重伞灵芝进行鉴定,且只需通过观察扩增条带的有无,无需测序,省时省力。     

毛竹SWEET基因家族的全基因组鉴定与分析

糖外排转运蛋白(Sugars will eventually be exported transporters, SWEETs)在植物生理活动和发育过程中起重要作用。为探究SWEET基因家族在毛竹(Phyllostachys edulis)的生长发育过程中起的作用,基于毛竹基因组数据,通过生物信息学方法对SWEET基因家族成员进行鉴定,并对其编码的蛋白质理化性质、系统进化及共线性关系、基因结构、启动子元件及表达模式、蛋白互作网路分析、GO注释等进行细致分析。研究结果表明:该家族基因结构、基序和结构域相对保守,所有成员均含有MtN3_slv结构域。上游启动子序列中含有多个同非生物胁迫以及生长发育相关元件,结合转录组表达量分析显示,多个家族成员在毛竹不同组织器官均有表达。共线性分析揭示毛竹SWEET家族在演化过程中存在全基因组多倍化事件。蛋白互作网路分析挖掘出2个重要核心家族成员,GO注释分析进一步证实毛竹SWEET主要负责体内糖类物质的转运。以上结果为毛竹SWEET基因功能鉴定提供了重要参考,对于毛竹快速生长分子机制研究打下了基础。     

赤眼蜂分子鉴定研究进展

赤眼蜂是害虫生物防治中的重要天敌资源。该属种类繁多,已报道有200余种,其蜂种的正确鉴定与选择是影响其田间防效的重要因素。依赖雄成蜂外生殖器形态特征的传统赤眼蜂分类鉴定技术不仅对专业技术要求高、耗时费力,而且无法用于孤雌产雌品系的种类鉴定以及近缘种的区分。分子鉴定技术可以通过选择合适的分子标记,为赤眼蜂鉴定提供准确、便捷、高效的方法。本文对赤眼蜂分子鉴定中分子标记的选择及常用分子鉴定方法进行了综述,并提出了未来可能的发展方向。     

ADAMTSL6β promotes fibrillin‐1 microfibril assembly,which is possibly mediated via binding through the third thrombospondin type I domain to fibrillin‐1

Fibrillin‐1 is the major component of extracellular matrix microfibrils. Microfibrils dysfunction is responsible for the onset of various connective tissue diseases, including Marfan syndrome. Although ADAMTSL (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs‐like) 6β is one of the fibrillin‐1 binding proteins, the detailed mechanism underlying the involvement of ADAMTSL6β in microfibril formation remains unclear. In this study, we created deletion mutants of ADAMTSL6β and examined their interactions with fibrillin‐1 assembly. Pull‐down assay of the ADAMTSL6β deletion mutants and fibrillin‐1 protein revealed that ADAMTSL6β binds to fibrillin‐1 through the third thrombospondin type I domain. Furthermore, we observed that formation of fibrillin‐1 matrix assembly was enhanced in MG63 cells, expressing full‐length ADAMTSL6β, when compared with that of wild type MG63 cells. While MG63 cells expressing Δ TSP3‐ADAMTSL6β form showed enhanced assembly formation, Δ TSP2‐ADAMTSL6β form did not enhance that, indicating the difference between Δ TSP2‐Δ TSP3 has a critical role for fibrillin‐1 assembly. As the difference of Δ TSP2‐Δ TSP3 is the third thrombospondin type I domain, we concluded that the third thrombospondin type I domain of ADAMTSL6β influence the microfibril formation. Our data are the functional presentation of the biological role of ADAMTSL6β in the process of microfibril formation.     

Source identification and risk assessment of heavy metals in road dust of steel industrial city (Anshan), Liaoning,Northeast China

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to acquire the source and evaluate the risk posed by heavy metals in road dust of steel industrial city (Anshan), Liaoning, Northeast China. Potential ecological risk index (RI), pollution index (PI) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) were applied to evaluate the heavy metal pollution level, and the carcinogenic risk (RI) and hazard index (HI) were calculated to estimate the human health risk. The geographic information system maps clearly reveal the hot spots of heavy metal spatial distribution. Principle component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) classified heavy metals into three groups. The metal Zn and Pb originate from the traffic emission, while Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni and Sb primarily come from industrial activities. These two pathways were the major source of heavy metals pollution by positive matrix factorization (PMF). The Igeo and PI values of heavy metals were decreased in the following order: Cd?>?Sb?>?Zn?>?Fe?>?Pb?>?Cu?>?Cr?>?Sn?>?Mn?>?Ni. The RI index showed the heavy metals were moderate to very high potential ecological risk. The HI values for children and adults presented a decreasing order of Cr?>?Pb?>?Ni?>?Cu?>?Cd?>?Zn. The HI also predicted a possibility of non-carcinogenic risk for children living in urban areas in comparison with adults.