New Materials of Eriocaulon L. from China

This paper consists of a part of pertinent data obtained through a critical study of Eriocaulaceae from China. Included in it are three new series: Leiantha, Robustiora and Mangshanensia; seven new species: Eriocaulon acutibracteatum, E. angustulum, E. bilobatum, E. leianthum, E. sclerophyllum, E. glabri-petalum and E. mangshanense; five new varieties: E. rockianum var. latifolium, E. merrillii var. longibracteatum, E. sikokianum var. Linanense, E. alpestre var. sichanense and E. nantoense var. micropetalum; two new combinations: E. yaoshanense var. brevicalyx; E. nantoense var. parviceps; three new records in China: E. brownianum, E.brownianum var.nilagirense, E. zollingerianum; five: E. henryanum, E.pullum, E. yaoshanense, E. taishanense and E.faberi. In addition, fifteen taxon names are newly reduced to synonyms: E. yunnanense=E. brownianum; E. longifolium, E. sexangulare var. longifolium, E. sinii, E. kwangtungense and E. willdinovianum = E. sexangulare; E. setaceum var. capillus-naiadis= E. setaceum; E. filifolium = E. yaoshanense; E. suishaense, E. merrillii var. suishaense=E.merrillii; E. kengii=E.sikokianum; E. whangii=E.buergerianum; E. nipponicum, E. decemflorum var. nipponicum= E. decemflorum and E. nantoense var.trisectum = E. nantoense var.parviceps.     

Trapping effect of synthetic sex pheromone of Acleris fimbriana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in Chinese northern orchard

The yellow tortrix, Acleris fimbriana Merick (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is an economically important insect pest on fruit trees with four generations a year in North China. In order to develop a new and effective method for forecasting and controlling the pest, the sex pheromone was studied. We have identified the female sex pheromone as (E)-11,13-tetradecadienal (E11,13-14:Ald), (E)-11,13-tetradecadienyl acetate (E11,13-14:Ac) and (E)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (E11-14:Ac). Trapping effect of synthetic chemicals E11,13-14:Ald, alone and in combination with E11,13-14:Ac or/and E11-14:Ac to A. fimbriana males was tested in Beijing Xishan Orchard (2001). E11,13-14:Ald on its own was much attractive to A. fimbriana males. Neither E11,13-14:Ac nor E11-14:Ac alone caught any moths. The catches markedly increased by adding E11,13-14:Ac to E11,13-14:Ald. The optimum ratio of E11,13-14:Ald and E11,13-14:Ac was 6:4 to 5:5. This attractiveness was apparently enhanced when 5% to 10% of E11-14:Ac was added. The best field activity was in the lure baited with a 6:4:1 ratio of E11,13-14:Ald, E11,13-14:Ac and E11-14:Ac at a dosage of 1000 microg/septum. The effect of antioxidant, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol [butylated hydroxyluene (BHT)], to the synthetic pheromone blends on its duration and catching efficacy was also tested. Addition of 5-10% BHT to the synthetic pheromone could prolong the life-span of pheromone chemicals for 6-8 weeks, thereby increased its catching efficacy.     

Hybrid pyruvate dehydrogenase complexes reconstituted from components of the complexes from Escherichia coli and Azotobacter vinelandii

The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex of Escherichia coli was isolated in a simple three-step procedure. Its chain stoichiometry, determined by trinitrobenzoate modification was found to be 1.4 E1:1 E2:0.6 E3. It was reproducible within 10% from preparation to preparation. The E. coli complex was resolved by chromatography on activated thiol Sepharose. Reconstitution of activity yielded a stoichiometry of 1.0 E1:1 E2:0.5 E3. The optimum binding stoichiometry of E1E2 and E2E3 subcomplexes was determined by sedimentation experiments and found to be 2.0 E1:1 E2 and 2.5 E3:1 E2, respectively. Competition between E1 and E3 was observed in the binding experiments, but not in the kinetic experiments. Hybrid active complexes could be reconstituted from either an E1E2 subcomplex from Azotobacter vinelandii and the E3 component from E. coli or from E2E3 subcomplex from E. coli and the E1 component from A. vinelandii. Low activity and weak binding was observed when E1 from E. coli was recombined with an E2E3 subcomplex from A. vinelandii or when E3 from A. vinelandii was recombined with an E1E2 subcomplex from E. coli. The association behaviour and stoichiometry of the reconstituted complexes is determined by the nature of the E2 component. The formation of hybrid complexes indicates a considerable structural similarity between the complexes from both sources, despite the differences in size and stoichiometry.     

Sex attractants for six moth species of the families Brachodidae, Choreutidae and Tineidae from Kazakhstan and Lithuania

Sex attractants were established for one Brachodidae, three Choreutidae and two Tineidae moth species during field screening tests with (2E,13Z)-octadecadien-1-al, (2E,13Z)-, (3E,13Z)-, (3Z,13Z)-octadecadien-1-ols and their acetates (2E,13Z-18:Ald, 2E,13Z-, 3E,13Z-, 3Z,13Z-18:OH/OAc) as well as of binary mixtures of these compounds in West-Kazakhstan and Lithuania. Males of Brachodes appendiculata were attracted by 3E,13Z-18:OAc, Prochoreutis ultimana and P. myllerana by 2E,13Z-18:OH, Monopis palidella by 2E,13Z-18:Ald and Triaxomera fulvimitrella by binary mixtures of 3Z,13Z-18:OAc with either 3E,13Z-18:OH in the ratio of 5:5 or 3Z,13Z-18:OH in the ratio of 9:1 (v/v). The 3-component mixture composed of 2E,13Z-18:OH, 3Z,13Z-18:OH and 2E,13Z-18:Ald in the ratio 1:1:1 was developed to attract Prochoreutis sehestediana males. Attraction antagonists for B. appendiculata, P. ultimana and M. palidella were shown.     

Identification and field evaluation of sex pheromones in two hawk moths <Emphasis Type="Italic">Deilephila elpenor lewisii</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Theretra oldenlandiae oldenlandiae</Emphasis> (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae)

The sex pheromones of two species of hawk moth, Deilephila elpenor lewisii (Butler) and Theretra oldenlandiae oldenlandiae (Fabricius), were analyzed using gas chromatography–electroantennographic detection (GC–EAD) and GC–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Two and three EAD-active components were found in D. elpenor lewisii and T. oldenlandiae oldenlandiae, respectively. GC–MS analyses using authentic compounds and extracts derivatized by dimethyl disulfide and 4-methyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione identified the two components in D. elpenor lewisii as (E)-11-hexadecenal (E11–16:Ald) and (10E,12E)-10,12-hexadecadienal (E10,E12–16:Ald), and the three in T. oldenlandiae oldenlandiae as E11–16:Ald, E10,E12–16:Ald, and (10E,12Z)-10,12-hexadecadienal (E10,Z12–16:Ald). In field-trap tests, no males of either species were attracted to any single components. Male moths of D. elpenor lewisii were specifically attracted to a binary blend of E11–16:Ald and E10,E12–16:Ald at a ratio of 85:15, whereas males of T. oldenlandiae oldenlandiae were attracted to a ternary blend of E11–16:Ald, E10,Z12–16:Ald and E10,E12–16:Ald at a ratio of 30:40:30. We therefore conclude that the sex pheromone of D. elpenor lewisii is a mixture of E11–16:Ald and E10,E12–16:Ald and that of T. oldenlandiae oldenlandiae is E11–16:Ald, E10,Z12–16:Ald and E10,E12–16:Ald.     

Sustained-flight tunnel responses of male lightbrown apple moth to synthetic sex pheromone

ABSTRACT. The upwind flight response of individual male lightbrown apple moths, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker), to twenty combinations of the two pheromone components, (E)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (E11-14:OAc) and (E,E)-9,11-tetradecadienyl acetate (E,E-9,11–14:OAc), was observed in a sustained-flight tunnel. At the lowest dosage of E11-14:OAc tested (3 μg), a significantly greater percentage of males flew upwind to and landed at a source emitting 10% E1,E-9, 11–14:OAc than to all other sources. As the source dosage was increased, males showed decreased specificity of upwind flight to ratios of the two components. However, at the highest dosage of E11-14:OAc tested (300 μg), the response specificity of males shifted to blends containing lower percentages of E,E-9,11–14:OAc. The addition of tetradecyl acetate to a blend of the two components did not result in any detectable increase in male response. Analyses of the pheromone glands of individual female Iightbrown apple moths showed that females produced a range of ratios of E11-14;OAc:E,E-9,11–14:OAc from 100:2.2 to 100:11.4 with a median of approximately 100:7, reasonably paralleling the peak response of males. Pre-exposure of males to a blend of the two components, followed by exposure to E11-14:OAc alone (previously reported as a 'memory' effect) resulted in no significant response to E11-14:OAc alone.     

Sex attractants for six clearwing and tineid species (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae and Tineidae) from Kazakhstan and Lithuania

Sex attractants for 3 Sesiidae and 3 Tineidae moth species in West-Kazakhstan and Lithuania were discovered by field screening tests of (3Z,13Z)-, (3E,13Z)- and (2E,13Z)-octadecadien-1-ols and their acetates as well as of some binary mixtures of these compounds. Total amount of chemicals was 0.3 mg/dispenser. Males of Synanthedon serica were attracted by a 5:5 mixture of 3E,13Z-18:OAc and 2E,13Z-18:OAc, Chamaesphecia bibioniformis by a 9:1 mixture of 3Z,13Z-18:OAc and 3E,13Z-18:OAc, Paranthrene tabaniformis by a 1:9 mixture of 3Z,13Z-18:OH and 3E,13Z-18:OH, Tinea nonimella by a 1:9 mixture of 3E,13Z-18:OH and 2E,13Z-18:OH, Monopis monachella by a 1:9 mixture of 3Z,13Z-18:OH and 2E,13Z-18:OH, and Nemaxera betulinella by a 9:1 mixture of 2E,13Z-18:OAc and the corresponding alcohol. The periods of attraction to the traps were registered for males of S. serica and Ch. bibioniformis and were found to occur at 15-18 and 15-17 o'clock, local time, respectively.     

Allosteric effect of ATP on Na(+),K(+)-ATPase conformational kinetics

The kinetics of the E2 --> E1 conformational change of unphosphorylated Na+,K+-ATPase was investigated via the stopped-flow technique using the fluorescent label RH421 (pH 7.4, 24 degrees C). The enzyme was pre-equilibrated in a solution containing 25 mM histidine and 0.1 mM EDTA to stabilize the E2 conformation. When rabbit enzyme was mixed with 130 mM NaCl alone or with 130 mM NaCl and varying concentrations of Na2ATP simultaneously, a fluorescence decrease was observed. In the absence of ATP, the fluorescence decrease followed a biexponential time course, but at ATP concentrations after mixing of >or=50 microM, the fluorescence transient could be adequately fitted by a single exponential. On the basis of the agreement between theoretical simulations and experimental traces, we propose that in the absence of bound ATP the conformational transition occurs as a two step reversible process within a protein dimer, E2:E2 --> E2:E1 --> E1:E1. In the presence of 130 mM NaCl, the sum of the forward and backward rate constants for the E2:E2 --> E2:E1 and E2:E1 --> E1:E1 transitions were found to be 10.4 (+/-1.0) and 0.49 (+/-0.02) s-1, respectively. At saturating concentrations of ATP, however, the transition occurs in a single reversible step with the sum of its forward and backward rate constants equal to 35.2 (+/-0.3) s-1. It was found that ATP acting at a high affinity site (Kd approximately 0.25 microM), stimulated the reverse reaction, E1ATP --> E2ATP, in addition to its known allosteric low affinity (Kd approximately 71 microM) stimulation of the forward reaction, E2ATP --> E1ATP.     

Sex pheromone of Etiella behrii, a pod borer of soybean in Indonesia: identification and field attraction

Four EAG-active components were detected in GC-EAG analyses of hexane extracts from virgin Etiella behrii (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) females. These components were identified as dodecyl acetate (12:Ac), (E)-9-dodecenyl acetate (E9-12:Ac), either (Z)-9- or (E)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (Z9- or E11-14:Ac), and (Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (Z11-14:Ac) by comparison of retention indices on both nonpolar and polar GC columns. The available extract was insufficient for further GC-MS or other chemical analyses (<0.2 ng/female). In field tests carried out in East Java, a 10:90 mixture of E9-12:Ac and Z11-14:Ac showed attractiveness to male moths and addition of 12:Ac and/or E11-14:Ac significantly increased the trap catches while addition of Z9-14:Ac showed no significant effect. Maximum attraction was obtained with 5.35 or 10.7 g/rubber septum of a mixture of E9-12:Ac, Z11-14:Ac, 12:Ac and E11-14:Ac at the ratio of 10:90:0.7:6.3, respectively. The role of pheromone blends in species discrimination between E. behrii and the related E. zinckenella (Treitschke) is discussed.     

The recombinase IntA is required for excision of esp-containing ICEEfm1 in Enterococcus faecium

Comparative genome analysis of Enterococcus faecium recently revealed that a genomic island containing the esp gene, referred to as the esp-containing pathogenicity island (esp PAI), can be transferred by conjugation and contains a partial Tn916-like element and an integrase gene, intA. Here, we characterize the role of intA in the excision of the esp PAI. An intA insertion-deletion mutant in E. faecium E1162 (E1162ΔintA) was constructed and in trans complemented with wild-type intA (E1162ΔintA::pEF30). Circular intermediates (CI) of excised esp PAI were determined using inverse PCR analysis on purified chromosomal DNA from strains E1162, E1162Δesp, E1162ΔintA, and E1162ΔintA::pEF30. In E1162 and E1162Δesp, CI of the esp PAI were detected. No CI were detected in E1162ΔintA, while in the complemented strain E1162ΔintA::pEF30 CI formation was restored, indicating that intA is essential for excision and subsequent mobilization of the esp-containing genomic island in E. faecium. Based on the fact that this island can be mobilized and is self-transmissible, we propose to change the name of the esp PAI to ICEEfm1.     

Vitellogenin-inducing activities of natural, synthetic, and environmental estrogens in primary cultured Xenopus laevis hepatocytes

Vitellogenin (VTG)-inducing activities of natural estrogens (E1: estrone, E2:17beta-estradiol, E3: estriol, alpha-E2: 17alpha-estradiol), synthetic estrogens (EE2: 17alpha-ethynyl estradiol, DES: diethylstilbestrol,), phytoestrogen (GEN: genistein), and xeno-estrogens (BPA: bisphenol A, NP: nonylphenol, OP: octylphenol) were investigated by an assay system using primary-cultured hepatocytes of Xenopus laevis. An enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) was able to detect VTG at a minimum detection limit of 0.06 ng/mL. Relative estrogenic activities of the compounds were determined from their dose-response curves. The activities relative to E2 activity were 138% for DES, 121% for EE2, 6.1% for E3, 0.33% for E1, 0.29% for alpha-E2, 0.037% for GEN, 0.008% for BPA, 0.005% for NP, and 0.002% for OP. Comparison with data reported for other bioassay systems revealed that there were significant interspecies-and cell-type-differences in the activities of DES, E3, E1 and alpha-E2. BPA was found to have a substantial antagonistic activity (approximately 0.8% of tamoxifen activity) under the influence of physiological concentrations of E2. Complex-effects of endocrine disrupters on aquatic animals will be discussed.     

Effect of turmeric on the viability,ovarian folliculogenesis,fecundity, ovarian hormones and response to luteinizing hormone of rabbits

The present study investigated whether dietary turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) can improve rabbit reproduction, ovarian function, growth, or viability. Female New Zealand White rabbits were either fed a standard diet (n=15) or a diet enriched with 5 g (group E1) or 20 g (group E2) turmeric powder per 100 kg feed mixture (n=16 or 15, respectively). After 295 days, weight gain, conception and kindling rates, pup and mother viability, ovarian macro- and micro-morphometric indices, release of leptin in response to the addition LH, and the release of progesterone, testosterone and leptin by isolated ovarian fragments were analyzed. Dietary turmeric failed to affect ovarian length and weight but did increase the number of primary follicles (E2: 32.5% greater than control group), as well as the diameter of primary (E1: +19.4%, E2: +21.1%), secondary (E2: +41.4%), and tertiary (E1: +97.1%, E2: +205.1%) follicles. Turmeric also increased the number of liveborn (E1: +21.0%) and weaned (E1: +25.0%) pups and decreased the number of stillborn pups (E2: −87.5%) but did not affect weight gain, conception, or kindling rate. Furthermore, dietary turmeric decreased doe mortality during the first reproductive cycle (13.3% in control; 0% in E1; and 6.7% in E2) but not during the second cycle. In vitro, the ovaries of the turmeric-treated rabbits released more progesterone (E1: +85.7%, E2: +90.0%) and less testosterone (E2: −87.0%) and leptin (E2: −29.0%) than the ovaries of control rabbits. Moreover, LH decreased the leptin output of control rabbits but increased that of experimental rabbits. Therefore, it is likely that dietary turmeric improves pup viability and that it could promote rabbit fecundity by either (1) promoting the production of primary ovarian follicles or (2) stimulating the growth of follicles at all stages of folliculogenesis.     

Selective enrichment with a resuscitation step for isolation of freeze-injured Escherichia coli O157:H7 from foods

We studied injury of Escherichia coli O157:H7 cells in 11 food items during freeze storage and methods of isolating freeze-injured E. coli O157:H7 cells from foods. Food samples inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 were stored for 16 weeks at -20 degrees C in a freezer. Noninjured and injured cells were counted by using tryptic soy agar and sorbitol MacConkey agar supplemented with cefixime and potassium tellurite. Large populations of E. coli O157:H7 cells were injured in salted cabbage, grated radish, seaweed, and tomato samples. In an experiment to detect E. coli O157:H7 in food samples artificially contaminated with freeze-injured E. coli O157:H7 cells, the organism was recovered most efficiently after the samples were incubated in modified E. coli broth without bile salts at 25 degrees C for 2 h and then selectively enriched at 42 degrees C for 18 h by adding bile salts and novobiocin. Our enrichment method was further evaluated by isolating E. coli O157:H7 from frozen foods inoculated with the organism prior to freezing. Two hours of resuscitation at 25 degrees C in nonselective broth improved recovery of E. coli O157:H7 from frozen grated radishes and strawberries, demonstrating that the resuscitation step is very effective for isolating E. coli O157:H7 from frozen foods contaminated with injured E. coli O157:H7 cells.     

乳酸杆菌体外对大肠埃希菌O-78拮抗作用试验

目的：研究乳酸杆菌体外对大肠埃希菌O-78的拮抗作用。方法：将乳酸杆菌与大肠埃希菌O-78体外共培养观察拮抗情况及用电镜观察形态变化。结果：等量同时间接种,24h内乳杆菌就将大肠埃氏菌O-78全部抑杀;乳酸杆菌早24h接种,4-8h内将大肠埃希菌O-78全部抑杀;大肠埃希菌O-78早24h接种,在12-24h内全部被抑杀。电镜观察发现,经乳酸杆菌培养液处理,大肠埃希菌O-78细胞膜形态发生变化。结论：本试验中所用乳酸杆菌体外具有抑制杀死大肠埃希菌O-78的作用。     

Experimental Escherichia coli O157:H7 carriage in calves.

Nine weaned calves (6 to 8 weeks of age) were given 10(10) CFU of a five-strain mixture of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 by oral-gastric intubation. After an initial brief period of pyrexia in three calves and transient mild diarrhea in five calves, calves were clinically normal throughout the 13- to 27-day study. The population of E. coli O157:H7 in the faces decreased dramatically in all calves during the first 2 weeks after inoculation. Thereafter, small populations of E. coli O157:H7 persisted in all calves, where they were detected intermittently in the feces and rumen contents. While withholding food increased fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7 by 1 to 2 log10/g in three of four calves previously shedding small populations of E. coli O157:H7, the effect of fasting on fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7 was variable in calves shedding larger populations. At necropsy, E. coli O157:H7 was not isolated from sites outside the alimentary tract. E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from the forestomach or colon of all calves at necropsy. Greater numbers of E. coli O157:H7 were present in the gastrointestinal contents than in the corresponding mucosal sections, and there was no histologic or immunohistochemical evidence of E. coli O157:H7 adhering to the mucosa. In conclusion, under these experimental conditions, E. coli O157:H7 is not pathogenic in weaned calves, and while it does not appear to colonize mucosal surfaces for extended periods, E. coli O157:H7 persists in the contents of the rumen and colon as a source for fecal shedding.     

QCM immunosensor detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 based on beacon immunomagnetic nanoparticles and catalytic growth of colloidal gold

In this paper, we describe a novel method for detecting Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 by using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) immunosensor based on beacon immunomagnetic nanoparticles (BIMPs), streptavidin-gold, and growth solution. E. coli O157-BIMPs were magnetic nanoparticles loaded with polyclonal anti-E. coli O157:H7 antibody (target antibody, T-Ab) and biotin-IgG (beacon antibody, B-Ab) at an optimized ratio of 1:60 (T-Ab:B-Ab). E. coli O157:H7 was captured and separated by E. coli O157-BIMPs in a sample, and the streptavidin-gold was subsequently conjugated to E. coli O157-BIMPs by using a biotin-avidin system. Finally, the gold particles on E. coli O157-BIMPs were enlarged in growth solution, and the compounds containing E. coli O157:H7, E. coli O157-BIMPs, and enlarged gold particles were collected using a magnetic plate. The QCM immunosensor was fabricated with protein A from Staphylococcus aureus and monoclonal anti-E. coli O157:H7 antibody. The compounds decreased the immunosensor's resonant frequency. E. coli O157-BIMPs and enlarged gold particles were used as "mass enhancers" to amplify the frequency change. The frequency shift was correlated to the bacterial concentration. The detection limit was 23 CFU/ml in phosphate-buffered saline and 53 CFU/ml in milk. This method could successfully detect E. coli O157:H7 with high specificity and stability. The entire procedure for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 took only 4 h.     

Sex pheromone analysis and effective attraction of males of the cabbage webworm,Hellula undalis,inhabiting the Mekong Delta of Vietnam

Hellula undalis is a harmful insect pest of green mustard in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. In order to establish a tool for a sustainable pest control program, the sex pheromone of H. undalis inhabiting the Mekong Delta was examined. GC-EAD and GC–MS analyses of pheromone gland extracts from the virgin females elucidated three new components, (Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetate (Z11-14:OAc), (Z)-11-hexadecenal (Z11-16:Ald), and (11E,13E)-11,13-hexadecadien-1-ol, in addition to the known pheromone component (11E,13E)-11,13-hexadecadienal (E11,E13-16:Ald). Double bond positions of the two monoenyl components were determined by GC–MS analysis of the pheromone extract treated with dimethyl disulfide. On the other hand, GC–MS analysis of the female body extract detected the unsaturated hydrocarbon (3Z,6Z,9Z)-3,6,9-tricosatriene (Z3,Z6,Z9-23:H). Field examinations of their synthetic compounds indicated the significant role of E11,E13-16:Ald as a major component and a clear synergistic effect of the two monoenyl compounds as a minor component. Although the 3:3:7 mixture of Z11-14:OAc, E11-16:Ald, and E11,E13-16:Ald captured the largest number of males among the tested mixtures, the activity was still quite a bit lower than that of virgin females. However, the 3:3:7:1 mixture, which was prepared by adding a small amount of Z3,Z6,Z9-23:H to the 3:3:7 ternary lure, succeeded in attracting males more powerfully than the females did. This strong synergistic effect was not observed when the triene was added to unmixed E11,E13-16:Ald, indicating important roles of not only the triene but also the two monoenyl compounds as natural pheromone components.     

Altered olfactory receptor neuron responsiveness in rare Ostrinia nubilalis males attracted to the O. furnacalis pheromone blend

Three percent of E-strain Ostrinia nubilalis males fly upwind in response to the Ostrinia furnacalis pheromone blend [a 40:60 ratio of (E)-12-tetradecenyl acetate to (Z)-12-tetradecenyl acetate (E12-14:OAc to Z12-14:OAc)], in addition to their own pheromone blend [a 99:1 ratio of (E)-11-tetradecenyl acetate to (Z)-11-tetradecenyl acetate) (E11-14:OAc to Z11-14:OAc)]. We assessed the olfactory receptor neuron (ORN) responses of these behaviorally "rare" males versus those of normal males. For the three ORNs housed within each sensillum, we tested responsiveness to Z12-14:OAc, E12-14:OAc, Z11-14:OAc, E11-14:OAc, and the behavioral antagonist (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate (Z9-14:OAc). Z11-14:OAc, E11-14:OAc, and Z9-14:OAc stimulated ORNs exhibiting distinct small, large, and medium spike sizes, respectively. For rare and normal males, both Z12-14:OAc and E12-14:OAc usually elicited responses from the largest-spiking ORN. In many ORNs of normal males, Z12-14:OAc or E12-14:OAc stimulated the smaller-spiking ORN that is responsive to Z11-14:OAc. In rare males, detectable ORN responses from the smaller-spiking ORN in response to Z12- and E12-14:OAc were virtually non-existent. These differences in ORN tuning in rare males will tend to create an ORN firing ratio between the large- and small-spiking ORNs in response to the O. furnacalis blend that is similar to that elicited by the O. nubilalis blend.     

Monoclonal antibodies for detection of the H7 antigen of Escherichia coli.

Two murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) (2B7 and 46E9-9) reactive with the H7 flagellar antigen of Escherichia coli were produced and characterized. A total of 217 E. coli strains (48 O157:H7, 4 O157:NM, 23 O157:non-H7, 22 H7:non-O157, and 120 non-O157:nonH7), 17 Salmonella serovars, and 29 other gram-negative bacteria were used to evaluate the reactivities of the two MAbs by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Both MAbs reacted strongly with all E. coli strains possessing the H7 antigen and with H23- and H24-positive E. coli strains. Indirect ELISA MAb specificity was confirmed by inhibition ELISA and by Western blotting (immunoblotting), using partially purified flagellins from E. coli O157:H7 and other E. coli strains. On a Western blot, MAb 46E9-9 was more reactive against H7 flagellin of E. coli O157:H7 than against H7 flagellin of E. coli O1:K1:H7. Competition ELISA suggested that MAbs 2B7 and 46E9-9 reacted with closely related H7 epitopes. When the ELISA reactivities of the MAbs and two commercially available polyclonal anti-H7 antisera were compared, both polyclonal antisera and MAbs reacted strongly with E. coli H7 bacteria. However, the polyclonal antisera cross-reacted strongly both with non-H7 E. coli and with many non-E. coli bacteria. The polyclonal antisera also reacted strongly with H23 and H24 E. coli isolates. The data suggest the need to define serotype-specific epitopes among H7, H23, and H24 E. coli flagella. The anti-H7 MAbs described in this report have the potential to serve as high-quality diagnostic reagents, used either alone or in combination with O157-specific MAbs, to identify or detect E. coli O157:H7 in food products or in human and veterinary clinical specimens.