Population increase of forest birds in the Czech Republic between 1982 and 2003

Capsule Populations of most forest bird species increased between 1982 and 2003, probably due to increased forest cover and changes in forest age-class composition.

Aims To determine population changes of forest birds in the Czech Republic and to determine their possible causes.

Methods Population data were collected via the Breeding Bird Monitoring Programme, which is based on skilled volunteers counting birds at point transects using a standardized technique. Population trends and indices for the period 1982–2003 were calculated for 47 species using log-linear models. Published data on development of forest cover and forest age composition in the Czech Republic were used to indicate environmental change over the same period.

Results Populations of most forest species increased between 1982 and 2003. There was also an increase in forest cover and an increase in the proportion of older forest age-classes. The increase in forest specialist birds was positively correlated with the average increase in forest coverage.

Conclusions The populations of Czech forest birds have increased in the last two decades. This contrasts with widely reported declines of farmland bird populations throughout Europe. The correlation between populations of specialized forest species and extent of forest habitat suggests that changes in land-use are an important factor. However, increasing cover of mature forests could have a similar effect on the populations of specialist species.     

Immunohistochemical identification of aquaporin 2 in the kidneys of young beef cattle

Aquaporin 2 (AQP2) is a small, integral tetrameric plasma membrane protein that is expressed in mammalian kidneys. The specific constitution of this protein and its selective permeability to water means that AQP2 plays an important role in hypertonic urine production. Immunolocalization of AQP2 has been studied in humans, monkeys, sheep, dogs, rabbits, rats, mice and adult cattle. We analyzed the expression of AQP2 in kidneys of 7-month-old Polish-Friesian var. black and white male calves. AQP2 was localized in the principal cells of collecting ducts in medullary rays penetrating the renal cortex and in the collecting ducts of renal medulla. AQP2 was expressed most strongly in the apical plasma membrane, but expression was observed also in the intracellular vesicles and basolateral plasma membrane. Our study provides new information concerning the immunolocalization of AQP2 in calf kidneys.     

不同耕作措施对冬小麦-夏玉米复种连作系统土壤有机碳和水分利用效率的影响

在连续8年田间定位试验的基础上,分析了关中平原冬小麦 夏玉米复种连作系统2008—2009年连续两个生长季期间不同耕作措施(结合秸秆还田和不还田)对土壤有机碳和水分利用率的影响.结果表明: 相对于传统耕作,保护性耕作有利于土壤有机碳、水分利用效率和作物产量的提高,其中在“深松+秸秆还田”耕作模式下的增幅最高,土壤有机碳含量在0～30 cm土层增幅达到19.5%,水分利用效率和作物产量提高了16.9%和20.5%,而免耕模式则有效提高了0～10 cm土层有机碳含量.在该地区土壤和气候条件下,深松结合秸秆粉碎还田是最理想的耕作模式,最有利于土壤有机碳累积,并提高水分利用效率和作物产量.     

Comparative analysis of DNA polymorphisms and phylogenetic relationships among Syzygium cumini Skeels based on phenotypic characters and RAPD technique

The Indian black berry (Syzygium cumini Skeels) has a great nutraceutical and medicinal properties. As in other fruit crops, the fruit characteristics are important attributes for differentiation were also determined for different accessions of S. cumini. The fruit weight, length, breadth, length: breadth ratio, pulp weight, pulp content, seed weight and pulp: seed ratio significantly varied in different accessions. Molecular characterization was carried out using PCR based RAPD technique. Out of 80 RAPD primers, only 18 primers produced stable polymorphisms that were used to examine the phylogenetic relationship. A sum of 207 loci were generated out of which 201 loci found polymorphic. The average genetic dissimilarity was 97 per cent among jamun accessions. The phylogenetic relationship was also determined by principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) that explained 46.95 per cent cumulative variance. The two-dimensional PCoA analysis showed grouping of the different accessions that were plotted into four sub-plots, representing clustering of accessions. The UPGMA (r = 0.967) and NJ (r = 0.987) dendrogram constructed based on the dissimilarity matrix revealed a good degree of fit with the cophenetic correlation value. The dendrogram grouped the accessions into three main clusters according to their eco-geographical regions which given useful insight into their phylogenetic relationships.     

A high efficiency transformation system for the basidiomycete Ustilago violacea employing hygromycin resistance and lithium-acetate treatment

A basidiomycete phytopathogenic fungus, Ustilago violacea, was transformed with pUCH1, a bacterial plasmid containing the hygromycin (Hyg)-resistance hygB gene fused to a promoter from the ascomycete Cochliobolus heterostrophus. After lithium acetate/polyethylene glycol treatment of whole sporidial cells, U. violacea transformants appeared on Hyg-agar at a frequency of 60-80 per microgram pUCH1 DNA. The Hyg phenotype was 100% stable in these transformants for at least 30 generations of mitotic growth under non-selective conditions. Southern DNA-DNA hybridization revealed multiple integrations of the pUCH1 plasmid into the U. violacea nuclear DNA. In addition, Escherichia coli transformants appeared at a frequency of 12 per microgram nuclear fraction DNA from Hyg U. violacea transformants; these E. coli consistently contained a deleted pUCH1 plasmid. This latter result suggested the low-frequency production of circular molecules by recombination within the integrated sequences.     

Structure and function of a cold shock domain fold protein, CspD, in Janthinobacterium sp. Ant5-2 from East Antarctica

A cold shock domain (CSD)-containing protein, CspD, of molecular mass ~7.28 kDa in a psychrotolerant Antarctic Janthinobacterium sp. Ant5-2 (ATCC BAA-2154) exhibited constitutive expression at 37, 22, 15, 4 and -1°C. The cspD gene encoding the CspD protein of Ant5-2 was cloned, sequenced and analyzed. The deduced protein sequence was highly similar to the conserved domains of the cold shock proteins (Csps) from bacteria belonging to the class Betaproteobacteria. Its expression was both time- and growth phase-dependent and increased when exposed to 37°C and UV radiation (UVC, dose: 1.8 and 2.8 mJ cm(-2)). The results from the electrophoretic mobility shift and subcellular localization study confirmed its single-stranded DNA-binding property. In silico analysis of the deduced tertiary structure of CspD from Ant5-2 showed a highly stable domain-swapped dimer, forming two similar monomeric Csp folds. This study established an overall framework of the structure, function and phylogenetic analysis of CspD from an Antarctic Janthinobacterium sp. Ant5-2, which may facilitate and stimulate the study of CSD fold proteins in the class Betaproteobacteria.     

Molecular analysis of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from human patients and shellfish during US Pacific north-west outbreaks

AIMS: The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence and distribution of haemolysin genes, plasmid profile, serogroup analysis and cellular urease activity for Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates from infected human patients and oysters from the Pacific north-western United States between 1988 and 1997. METHODS AND RESULTS: All of the clinical and environmental isolates tested in this study exhibited the presence of the thermolabile haemolysin gene, tl, confirming that all of the isolates were V. parahaemolyticus. Furthermore, the V. parahaemolyticus isolates that contained either the thermostable direct haemolysin gene, tdh, or the thermostable direct haemolysin-related gene, trh, or both, were also positive for urease. Isolates from infected human patients belong to serogroups O1 and O4, whereas, the isolates from oysters belong to serogroups O1, O4 and O5. These results suggest that the presence of a V. parahaemolyticus serogroup O1 and O4 could indicate the presence of a virulent strain of this pathogen. In this study, the presence of the haemolysin genes, serogroup profiles and urease production in V. parahaemolyticus isolated from human patients correlated with the oysters collected during the outbreaks. However, no significant correlation of the plasmid profiles was detected, based on their distribution and molecular weights, between V. parahaemolyticus isolated from infected human patients and from oysters collected during this outbreak. CONCLUSIONS, SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: It is apparent from this study that the identification of the haemolysin genes by multiplex PCR amplification, in conjunction with serogroup analysis and urease production, can be used to monitor shellfish for the presence of potentially pathogenic strains of V. parahaemolyticus.