Evolution of the DEAD box helicase family in chicken: chickens have no DHX9 ortholog

Viral RNA represents a pattern molecule that can be recognized by RNA sensors in innate immunity. Humans and mice possess cytoplasmic DNA/RNA sensors for detecting viral replication. There are a number of DEAD (Asp‐Glu‐Ala‐Asp; DExD/H) box‐type helicases in mammals, among which retinoic acid‐inducible gene 1 (RIG‐I) and melanoma differentiation‐associated protein 5 (MDA50) are indispensable for RNA sensing; however, they are functionally supported by a number of sensors that directly bind viral RNA or replicative RNA intermediates to convey signals to RIG‐I and MDA5. Some DEAD box helicase members recognize DNA irrespective of the origin. These sensors transmit IFN‐inducing signals through adaptors, including mitochondrial antiviral signaling. Viral double‐stranded RNAs are reportedly sensed by the helicases DDX1, DDX21, DHX36, DHX9, DDX3, DDX41, LGP2 and DDX60, in addition to RIG‐I and MDA5, and induce type I IFNs, thereby blocking viral replication. Humans and mice have all nucleic acid sensors listed here. In the RNA sensing system in chicken, it was found in the present study that most DEAD box helicases are conserved; however, DHX9 is genetically deficient in addition to reported RIG‐I. Based on the current genome databases, similar DHX9 deficiency was observed in ducks and several other bird species. Because chicken, but not duck, was found to be deficient in RIG‐I, the RNA‐sensing system of chicken lacks RIG‐I and DHX9 and is thus more fragile than that of duck or mammal. DHX9 may generally compensate for the function of RIG‐I and deficiency of DHX9 possibly participates in exacerbations of viral infection such as influenza in chickens.     

不同有机肥对土壤镉锌生物有效性的影响

在南方典型稻田设置连续4年施用猪粪、鸡粪、稻草的定位试验,监测施用不同有机肥条件下土壤及水稻植株镉(Cd)、锌(Zn)含量的变化,研究有机肥对土壤Cd、Zn活性及其交互作用的影响.结果表明: 施用有机肥(猪粪、鸡粪、稻草)对土壤全Cd、有效态Cd含量及Cd活性皆无显著影响,但有增加土壤Cd全量的趋势,且显著增加土壤全Zn、有效态Zn含量及Zn活性.施用猪粪、鸡粪、稻草皆可降低稻米Cd含量,降Cd效果为猪粪>鸡粪>稻草,猪粪处理水稻稻米、茎、叶Cd含量分别比对照下降37.5%、44.0%、36.4%;鸡粪处理水稻米、茎、叶Cd含量分别比对照下降22.5%、33.8%、22.7%;而稻草处理水稻米Cd含量比对照下降7.5%,但茎、叶Cd含量比对照分别增加8.2%、22.7%;施用猪粪、鸡粪降低稻米Cd含量主要是降低了水稻植株对土壤Cd的富集,而施用稻草则主要是降低了水稻茎Cd向稻米的转运.施用有机肥还增加了水稻茎Zn含量,施用猪粪、鸡粪、稻草的水稻茎Zn含量比单施化肥分别增加53.4%、41.2%、13.9%,但对水稻稻米、叶Zn含量无显著影响.Zn、Cd在土壤、植株茎中皆表现出显著的拮抗作用,土壤及水稻茎Zn含量的增加显著抑制了水稻米、茎、叶对Cd的吸收积累,且随土壤有效态Zn/Cd含量比值的增加,Zn、Cd竞争土壤吸附不是抑制水稻吸收积累Cd的主控因子,而Zn、Cd竞争吸收才是影响水稻吸收积累Cd的主控因子.     

Expression of Secretogranin III in Chicken Endocrine Cells: Its Relevance to the Secretory Granule Properties of Peptide Prohormone Processing and Bioactive Amine Content

The expression of secretogranin III (SgIII) in chicken endocrine cells has not been investigated. There is limited data available for the immunohistochemical localization of SgIII in the brain, pituitary, and pancreatic islets of humans and rodents. In the present study, we used immunoblotting to reveal the similarities between the expression patterns of SgIII in the common endocrine glands of chickens and rats. The protein–protein interactions between SgIII and chromogranin A (CgA) mediate the sorting of CgA/prohormone core aggregates to the secretory granule membrane. We examined these interactions using co-immunoprecipitation in chicken endocrine tissues. Using immunohistochemistry, we also examined the expression of SgIII in a wide range of chicken endocrine glands and gastrointestinal endocrine cells (GECs). SgIII was expressed in the pituitary, pineal, adrenal (medullary parts), parathyroid, and ultimobranchial glands, but not in the thyroid gland. It was also expressed in GECs of the stomach (proventriculus and gizzard), small and large intestines, and pancreatic islet cells. These SgIII-expressing cells co-expressed serotonin, somatostatin, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, glucagon-like peptide-1, glucagon, or insulin. These results suggest that SgIII is expressed in the endocrine cells that secrete peptide hormones, which mature via the intragranular enzymatic processing of prohormones and physiologically active amines in chickens.     

熏鸡加工过程中微生物分布分析

研究熏鸡加工过程中大肠菌群数、大肠埃希菌数和常见致病菌的分布情况。通过对生产流程关键控制环节抽样进行大肠菌群计数、大肠埃希菌计数、沙门氏菌检测、金黄色葡萄球菌检测和单核细胞增生李斯特氏菌检测,掌握熏鸡生产过程中的微生物分布。根据实验数据分析和熏鸡生产流程,研究熏鸡加工过程中生产原料环节和熏制环节的关键控制点作用。     

Gaseous emissions from management of solid waste: a systematic review

The establishment of sustainable soil waste management practices implies minimizing their environmental losses associated with climate change (greenhouse gases: GHGs) and ecosystems acidification (ammonia: NH₃). Although a number of management strategies for solid waste management have been investigated to quantify nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) losses in relation to varied environmental and operational conditions, their overall effect is still uncertain. In this context, we have analyzed the current scientific information through a systematic review. We quantified the response of GHG emissions, NH₃ emissions, and total N losses to different solid waste management strategies (conventional solid storage, turned composting, forced aerated composting, covering, compaction, addition/substitution of bulking agents and the use of additives). Our study is based on a meta‐analysis of 50 research articles involving 304 observations. Our results indicated that improving the structure of the pile (waste or manure heap) via addition or substitution of certain bulking agents significantly reduced nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄) emissions by 53% and 71%, respectively. Turned composting systems, unlike forced aerated composted systems, showed potential for reducing GHGs (N₂O: 50% and CH₄: 71%). Bulking agents and both composting systems involved a certain degree of pollution swapping as they significantly promoted NH₃ emissions by 35%, 54%, and 121% for bulking agents, turned and forced aerated composting, respectively. Strategies based on the restriction of O₂ supply, such as covering or compaction, did not show significant effects on reducing GHGs but substantially decreased NH₃ emissions by 61% and 54% for covering and compaction, respectively. The use of specific additives significantly reduced NH₃ losses by 69%. Our meta‐analysis suggested that there is enough evidence to refine future Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodologies from solid waste, especially for solid waste composting practices. More holistic and integrated approaches are therefore required to develop more sustainable solid waste management systems.     

Biohydrogen from thermophilic co-fermentation of swine manure with fruit and vegetable waste: maximizing stable production without pH control

Hydrogen production by dark fermentation may suffer of inhibition or instability due to pH deviations from optimality. The co-fermentation of promptly degradable feedstock with alkali-rich materials, such as livestock wastes, may represent a feasible and easy to implement approach to avoid external adjustments of pH.Experiments were designed to investigate the effect of the mixing ratio of fruit-vegetable waste with swine manure with the aim of maximizing biohydrogen production while obtaining process stability through the endogenous alkalinity of manure.Fruit-vegetable/swine manure ratio of 35/65 and HRT of 2 d resulted to give the highest production rate of 3.27 ± 0.51 L_H2 L⁻¹ d⁻¹, with a corresponding hydrogen yield of 126 ± 22 mL_H2 g⁻¹_VS-added and H₂ content in the biogas of 42 ± 5%. At these operating conditions the process exhibited also one of the highest measured stability, with daily productions deviating for less than 14% from the average.     

Factors in the determination of methanogenic potential of manure

The influence of the substrate concentration, the micro and macro nutrients and buffer requirements, the sludge origin (biomass that is acclimatized or not acclimatized to waste) and the inoculum/substrate ratio (ISR) were studied to determine their effects in the methanogenic potential of turkey manure, which is a solid waste. According to the results obtained, the methane production determination does not require the addition of nutrients (additional to the contents in the waste) and a buffer for this type of assay. The methane yield (Y_CH4) performance is given by the substrate concentration and the sludge origin, therefore it is better to carry out the assay with biomass that is already adapted to the waste. The methanogenic potential of this type of waste is not determined by the amount of sludge and it does not need an external inoculum (external to the waste contents).     

Differential sensitivity of Ctenocephalides felis and Drosophila melanogaster nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α1 and α2 subunits in recombinant hybrid receptors to nicotinoids and neonicotinoid insecticides

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are the binding sites for nicotinoid drugs, such as nicotine and epibatidine, and are the molecular targets of the selectively insecticidal neonicotinoids. In this study we report the full length cDNA cloning of the three Ctenocephalides (C.) felis (cat flea) nAChR α subunits Cfα1, Cfα2, and Cfα3. When expressed in Xenopus oocytes as hybrid receptors with the Gallus gallus (chicken) β2 (Ggβ2) subunit, these cat flea α subunits formed acetylcholine-responsive ion channels. Acetylcholine-evoked currents of Cfα2/Ggβ2 were resistant to α-bungarotoxin, while those of Cfα1/Ggβ2 were sensitive to this snake toxin. The pharmacological profiles of Cfα1/Ggβ2, Cfα2/Ggβ2 and the chicken neuronal receptor Ggα4/Ggβ2 for acetylcholine, two nicotinoids and 6 insecticidal neonicotinoids were determined and compared. Particularly remarkable was the finding that Cfα1/Ggβ2 was far more sensitive to acetylcholine, nicotine and neonicotinoid agonists than either Cfα2/Ggβ2 or Ggα4/Ggβ2: for the anti flea neonicotinoid market compound imidacloprid the respective EC??s were 0.02 μM, 1.31 μM and 10 μM. These results were confirmed for another insect species, Drosophila melanogaster, where the pharmacological profile of the Dmα1 and Dmα2 subunits as hybrid receptors with Ggβ2 in Xenopus oocyte expressions resulted in a similar sensitivity pattern as those identified for the C. felis orthologs. Our results show that at least in a Ggβ2 hybrid receptor setting, insect α1 subunits confer higher sensitivity to neonicotinoids than α2 subunits, which may contribute in vivo to the insect-selective action of this pesticide class.