Variation in meat quality characteristics between Sanga (Bos taurus africanus) and Sanga-derived cattle breeds and between Sanga and Brahman (Bos indicus)

Cattle breeds indigenous to Africa (Sanga) compare favourably to Bos indicus breeds with regard to adaptation to harsh environments. This study compared the meat quality of three Sanga breeds (Nguni, Tuli and Drakensberger), a Sanga-related breed (Bonsmara) and a B. indicus breed (Brahman) and supported these results with biochemical and histological measurements on the M. longissimus lumborum. Twelve young grain-fed steers of each breed were slaughtered and carcasses were electrically stimulated. All Sanga (and related) breeds, with the exception of the Tuli, had lower Warner-Bratzler shear force (SF) values at 2 and 21 days post mortem compared with the BR (P < 0.05). Measurements related to the calcium-dependent protease system and myofibrillar fragmentation explained the bulk of the variation among breeds, whereas variation in fibre type, sarcomere length and connective tissue properties gave less convincing support. With the exception of the Tuli, Sanga and Sanga-related breeds produced more tender (according to SF) meat than BR, mainly due to favourable calpain-to-calpastatin ratios. Small differences in colour, drip loss and cooking properties were found among breeds (P < 0.05).     

Assessing the generality of global leaf trait relationships

Global-scale quantification of relationships between plant traits gives insight into the evolution of the world's vegetation, and is crucial for parameterizing vegetation-climate models. A database was compiled, comprising data for hundreds to thousands of species for the core 'leaf economics' traits leaf lifespan, leaf mass per area, photosynthetic capacity, dark respiration, and leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, as well as leaf potassium, photosynthetic N-use efficiency (PNUE), and leaf N : P ratio. While mean trait values differed between plant functional types, the range found within groups was often larger than differences among them. Future vegetation-climate models could incorporate this knowledge. The core leaf traits were intercorrelated, both globally and within plant functional types, forming a 'leaf economics spectrum'. While these relationships are very general, they are not universal, as significant heterogeneity exists between relationships fitted to individual sites. Much, but not all, heterogeneity can be explained by variation in sample size alone. PNUE can also be considered as part of this trait spectrum, whereas leaf K and N : P ratios are only loosely related.     

An Assessment of Habitat Diversity and Transformation on La Réunion Island (Mascarene Islands,Indian Ocean) as a Basis for Identifying Broad-scale Conservation Priorities

Most natural habitat in the Mascarene Islands (Mauritius, La Réunion and Rodrigues) has been transformed. Although urbanisation, agriculture and alien plant invasions have transformed large areas in La Réunion, the island has by far the greatest area of intact habitats in the Mascarenes, but remaining natural areas are under threat. We propose a protocol for defining a system of habitat types and for using these to provide a preliminary assessment of conservation priorities for La Réunion. The protocol draws on existing data and expert knowledge to map habitat types, assesses the extent of habitat transformation, and quantifies heterogeneity between habitat types based on climate, topography and geology. The pattern of habitat transformation was uneven among the nineteen habitat types identified. While three habitats have lost > 95% of their original area, four still retain> 80% of their original extent. Habitat types could be grouped into the following categories: (i) transformed habitats with low levels of plant endemism, (ii) habitats confined to homogenous geology with high levels of plantendemism, and (iii) species-rich heterogeneous habitats on diverse geological types. Priority habitats were also identified using municipalities as a basis for implementation. Urgent action is required for several habitat types where a large part of the original extent has been transformed. Three municipalities which contain more than 10 habitat types should receive conservation priority. The analysis provides the basis for setting conservation priorities in La Réunion at the regional and local scale. Implications of the results are discussed with reference to requirements for finer-scale conservation planning.     

Proteomic analysis of slow- and fast-twitch skeletal muscles

Skeletal muscles are composed of slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers, which have high potential in aerobic and anaerobic ATP production, respectively. To investigate the molecular basis of the difference in their functions, we examined protein profiles of skeletal muscles using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis with pH 4-7 and 6-11 isoelectric focusing gels. A comparison between rat soleus and extensol digitorum longus (EDL) muscles that are predominantly slow- and fast-twitch fibers, respectively, showed that the EDL muscle had higher levels of glycogen phosphorylase, most glycolytic enzymes, glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase; while the soleus muscle had higher levels of myoglobin, TCA cycle enzymes, electron transfer flavoprotein, and carbonic anhydrase III. The two muscles also expressed different isoforms of contractile proteins including myosin heavy and light chains. These protein patterns were further compared with those of red and white gastrochnemius as well as red and white quadriceps muscles. It was found that metabolic enzymes showed a concerted regulation dependent on muscle fiber types. On the other hand, expression of contractile proteins seemed to be independent of the metabolic characteristics of muscle fibers. These results suggest that metabolic enzymes and contractile proteins show different expression patterns in skeletal muscles.     

泸沽湖流域土地利用方式对土壤肥力的影响

为探讨泸沽湖流域不同土地利用方式对土壤肥力的影响,采用野外调查、取样和室内分析相结合的方法,对泸沽湖流域内3种主要土地利用方式(农田、草地、林地)的土壤理化性状进行对比分析。结果表明:(1)土地利用类型对土壤肥力影响明显,农田含水率、全氮、速效氮、速效磷和速效钾含量相对较高;(2)林地有机质含量相对较高,草地全磷全钾含量相对较高;(3)土壤养分含量与土壤颗粒组成之间有一定的相关性,其中土壤全磷与砂粒呈显著正相关,土壤速效氮含量与粉粒呈显著负相关。     

喀斯特峰丛洼地旱季土壤水分的空间变化及主要影响因子

基于动态监测样地(200 m×40 m)的网格(10 m×10 m)取样,用地统计学方法研究了喀斯特峰丛洼地4类典型生态景观类型旱季表层土壤(0—10 cm)水分的空间变化,通过主成分分析和相关分析,探讨了其生态学过程和机制。结果表明,沿严重、重度、中度和轻度的干扰递减梯度,喀斯特峰丛洼地产生了农作物(Ⅰ)→人工林(Ⅱ)→次生林(Ⅲ)→原生林(Ⅳ) 的4类典型生态景观格局变化,土壤水分显著提高,变异系数逐渐增大;4类生态景观类型的土壤水分均具有良好的空间自相关性,正负空间自相关距离反映了性质不同的两大斑块,Ⅰ、Ⅲ和Ⅳ下半部斑块的半径为50 m,拐点在坡地和洼地的分界处,Ⅱ的下半部斑块的半径为75 m,拐点是土地利用方式的转折点;不同景观类型空间变异特征不同,Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ和Ⅳ的半变异函数分别符合指数模型、高斯模型、指数模型和球状模型,基台值(C0+C)升高,变程缩小,系统的空间总变异增强,其中Ⅰ和Ⅳ的\[C0/(C0+C)\]值分别为48.3%和39.4%,空间相关中等,Ⅱ和Ⅲ的\[C0/(C0+C)\]值≤25%,空间相关强烈;Kriging等值线图清楚表明Ⅰ和Ⅳ土壤水分呈凸型分布,Ⅱ呈单峰分布,Ⅲ呈凹型分布。主成分分析显示除海拔和坡位始终是影响4类生态景观类型土壤水分的主导因子外,不同景观类型的其他主导因子不同,且同一因子在不同景观类型与土壤水分的正负作用关系和相关程度也不同。因此,应根据4类典型生态景观类型土壤水分的空间变化及主要影响因子制定相应的水资源合理利用和管理策略。     

Regulation of Jaw-specific Isoforms of Myosin-binding Protein-C and Tropomyosin in Regenerating Cat Temporalis Muscle Innervated by Limb Fast and Slow Motor Nerves

Cat jaw-closing muscles are a distinct muscle allotype characterized by the expression of masticatory-specific myofibrillar proteins. Transplantation studies showed that expression of masticatory myosin heavy chain (m-MyHC) is promoted by fast motor nerves, but suppressed by slow motor nerves. We investigated whether masticatory myosin-binding protein-C (m-MBP-C) and masticatory tropomyosin (m-Tm) are similarly regulated. Temporalis muscle strips were transplanted into limb muscle beds to allow innervation by fast or slow muscle nerve during regeneration. Regenerated muscles were examined postoperatively up to 168 days by peroxidase IHC using monoclonal antibodies to m-MyHC, m-MBP-C, and m-Tm. Regenerates in both muscle beds expressed fetal and slow MyHCs, m-MyHC, m-MBP-C, and m-Tm during the first 4 weeks. Longer-term regenerates innervated by fast nerve suppressed fetal and slow MyHCs, retaining m-MyHC, m-MBP-C, and m-Tm, whereas fibers innervated by slow nerve suppressed fetal MyHCs and the three masticatory-specific proteins, induced slow MyHC, and showed immunohistochemical characteristics of jaw-slow fibers. We concluded that expression of m-MBP-C and m-Tm is coregulated by m-MyHC and that neural impulses to limb slow muscle are capable of suppressing masticatory-specific proteins and to channel gene expression along the jaw-slow phenotype unique to jaw-closing muscle. (J Histochem Cytochem 58:989–1004, 2010)     

The presence of major world-wide clones for phage type 4 and 8 Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis and the evaluation of their virulence levels by invasiveness assays in vitro and in vivo

Seventy-seven animal isolates of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) obtained from the United States were analyzed by phage typing and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Thirty-nine strains were found with phage types (PT) 4, 8, and 13a. When the chromosomal DNA of these 39 isolated strains with PT4, 8, and 13a were digested with XbaI, SpeI and NotI, followed by PFGE analysis, 28 strains were found with a pattern combination of X4S4N4, which was the major subtype. When PFGE patterns of the US isolates with PT 4 and 8 were compared with those of the Taiwanese and German isolates, pattern X3S3N3 was confirmed to be the world-wide subtype shared by PT 4 isolates, as previously reported, while pattern X4S4N4 was newly found to be the most common subtype shared by PT 8 strains. The presence of such major world-wide clones, however, does not necessarily mean that these clones are highly virulent, at least not according to the results of invasiveness assays using cultured human intestinal epithelium cell line Int-407 and living BALB/mice.     

Amino acid analysis by hydrophilic interaction chromatography coupled on-line to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Summary. Collagens form a common family of triple-helical proteins classified in 21 types. This unique structure is further stabilized by specific hydroxylation of distinct lysyl and prolyl residues forming 5-hydroxylysine and hydroxyproline (Hyp) isomers, mostly 4-trans and 3-trans-Hyp. The molecular distribution of the Hyp-isomers among the different collagen types is still not well investigated, even though disturbances in the hydroxylation of collagens are likely to be involved in several diseases such as osteoporosis and autoimmune diseases. Here, a new approach to analyze underivatized amino acids by hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) coupled on-line to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is reported. This method can separate all three studied Hyp-isomers, Ile, and Leu, which are all isobaric, allowing a direct qualitative and quantitative analysis of collagen hydrolysates. The sensitivity and specificity was increased by a neutral loss scan based on the loss of formic acid (46 u).