One dose of a porcine circovirus 2 subunit vaccine induces humoral and cell-mediated immunity and protects against porcine circovirus-associated disease under field conditions     

Martelli P  Ferrari L  Morganti M  De Angelis E  Bonilauri P  Guazzetti S  Caleffi A  Borghetti P 《Veterinary microbiology》2011,149(3-4):339-351

This study investigated the efficacy of a one-dose porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) subunit vaccine based on the PCV2 Cap protein expressed in a baculovirus system on two different farms at which a history of porcine circovirus-associated disease (PCVD) was present. Morbidity, mortality, average daily weight gain, carcass weight, PCV2 load in serum and vaccine immunogenicity were assessed. Serology to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae was performed. A double-blind, randomised, and controlled field trial was performed distributing 818 piglets between two treatment groups. At inclusion (weaning at 21 ± 3 days of age), 408 animals (group B) received a 2-mL intramuscular dose of Porcilis PCV(?) (vaccinated group). Controls (group A, 410 pigs) received 2 mL of the adjuvant Diluvac Forte(?) intramuscularly. Weights were recorded at inclusion and at 12 and 26 weeks of age, and the average daily weight gain (ADWG) was calculated. The carcass weights of the pigs from farm 2 were recorded at slaughter (274 days old). All dead animals (died or culled) underwent autopsy to classify them as PMWS-affected or not. At each farm, blood samples were taken from 22 pigs/group for serologic studies. A beneficial effect was found after vaccination with a single dose of a PCV2 Cap vaccine against PCVD. The vaccination reduced the mortality rate and morbidity, reduced PCV2 viremia and viral load, improved productive performances (e.g. ADWG: +70 g/day between 12 and 26 weeks of age when viremia and the specific disease occurred) as well as carcass weight at slaughter age (+4.5 kg). These effects were associated with virologic and clinical protection from the immunogenicity of the vaccine measured as activation of both a humoral and a cellular immune response.  相似文献   

Soil organic C variability and microbial functions in a Mediterranean agro-forest ecosystem     

Alessandra Lagomarsino  Anna Benedetti  Sara Marinari  Letizia Pompili  M. Cristina Moscatelli  Pier Paolo Roggero  Roberto Lai  Luigi Ledda  Stefano Grego 《Biology and Fertility of Soils》2011,47(3):283-291

Five soils characterised by different agro-forest managements, typical of Mediterranean environment and with increasing human impact were chosen in Sardinia (Italy): two vineyards with different management systems, a rotation hay crop-pasture and a forest (Quercus suber L.). The study aimed to investigate the relationships between C storage and microbial functionality in soil under different managements. Pools of total organic C and microbial biomass C were determined, as well as the loss of organic C due to microbial respiration (basal and cumulative) and several microbial indices (metabolic, mineralization, and microbial quotient) as indicators of the microbial efficiency in the use of energy and the degree of substrate limitation for soil microbes. Enzymes were chosen on their relevance in the C (β-cellobiohydrolase, N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, β-glucosidase, α-glucosidase), N (leucine aminopeptidase), S (arylsulphatase) and P (acid phosphatase) cycling and were used as indicators of functional diversity in soil. Organic C pools and enzyme activities on average increased noticeably in soils with a lower human impact showing the highest values in forest and the lowest in the vineyards, following the trend of organic matter availability. The trend in functional diversity reflected the increase of microbial pool and organic C availability: the vineyards showed a lower Shannon’s diversity index, whilst pasture and forest sites reached the maximum levels of functional diversity. These soils showed an increase of microbial efficiency in the use of available resources and the decrease of substrate limitation for soil microbes.  相似文献   

Genetic variability following selection for scrapie resistance in six autochthonous sheep breeds in the province of Bolzano (northern Italy)     

Fulvio Bordin  Chiara Dalvit  Mauro Caldon  Laura Zulian  Rosa Colamonico  Simone Trincanato  Barbara Mock  Stefano Reale  Franco Mutinelli  Anna Granato 《Zeitschrift für Tierzüchtung und Züchtungsbiologie》2020,137(4):395-406

Scrapie is an ovine transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, and its susceptibility is associated with polymorphisms in the prion protein gene (PRNP). Genetic selection is currently the most effective mean for eradication of the susceptible VRQ allele in favour of resistant ARR allele. Maintenance of genetic diversity should be one of the major objectives in breeding programmes, especially in endangered breeds, and genetic information are an excellent alternative to pedigree data where these information are missing. The aim of our study was to determine changes of genetic variability in six native sheep breeds from autonomous province of Bolzano, northern Italy, following simulation of scrapie selection scenarios. A total of 684 rams were investigated for PRNP polymorphisms and for 10 microsatellite loci to estimate genetic variability. Across all loci, a total of 163 alleles were detected with a mean of 10.4 alleles per locus. Average observed (Ho) and unbiased expected (uHe) heterozygosity overall loci were 0.74 and 0.78, respectively, showing a statistically significant deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) in all breeds. This heterozygosity deficit was confirmed by a positive fixation index (Fis), determining a moderate inbreeding in each breed. Simulating a soft selection, where only rams having at least a VRQ allele should be excluded from reproduction, Ho, uHe and Fis values remained almost unchanged, indicating that genetic variability should not be affected by the removal of these individuals. With a mild selection scenario, considering only rams with at least one ARR allele, we observed a decrease in the mean alleles per breed (8.9) and the maintenance of heterozygosity deficiency, except for two breeds, where it was any longer significant. These results showed that selection strategies allowing use of heterozygous as well homozygous ARR rams might be the right compromise to improve resistance to scrapie and to do not dramatically affect genetic variability of these breeds.  相似文献   

Canine fertility: The consequences of selection for special traits     

Stefano P. Marelli  Michela Beccaglia  Alessandro Bagnato  Maria G. Strillacci 《Reproduction in domestic animals》2020,55(Z2):4-9

Pedigree dogs and cats are bred aiming to conform breed standards with very poor consideration for breeding stock fertility. At the same time, the genetic asset underlining reproductive traits could be effectively analysed like in other species under selection. The definition of selection targets is very important in breeding protocols determination. The aim of the present work is to present an overview of the different correlations between reproduction and genetics, starting from selection procedure and inbreeding coefficient moving to genomic and the application of SNPs and GWAS on population study and identification of genes involved in phenotypical variation of reproductive traits in dogs. Particular relevance has been given to the concept of inbreeding which effects on canine reproduction have been presented. The use of genomic information in inbreeding coefficient calculation can be considered an improved effective procedure in the evaluation of the genetic variability loss in canine population and its negative effects on reproductive traits.  相似文献   

Post-mortem recovery,in vitro maturation and fertilization of fallow deer (Dama dama,Linnaeus 1758) oocytes collected during reproductive and no reproductive season     

Stefania Uccheddu  Eliana Pintus  Jose Julian Garde  Lidia Fleba  Marco Muzzeddu  Flavia Pudda  Luisella Bogliolo  Alessandro Strina  Stefano Nieddu  Sergio Ledda 《Reproduction in domestic animals》2020,55(10):1294-1302

Habitat degradation leads to small and fragmented populations, lower genetic variability and fertility overtime. Assisted reproductive techniques represent important tools to cope with the dramatic loss of biodiversity. Fallow deer (Dama dama), beyond its high commercial value and wide distribution, may represent the most suitable model to study endangered cervids. In this study, oocytes were recovered post-mortem from fallow deer during the breeding and no breeding seasons and were in vitro matured (IVM). The ability of cryopreserved thawed sperm samples recovered by electroejaculation from four adult males was tested by in vitro fertilization of IVM oocytes. The number of oocytes collected per ovary did significantly vary across seasons from 6.2 ± 0.92 during breeding season to 10.4 ± 1.26 during no breeding season (p = .006). Oocytes collected during the breeding season showed higher in vitro fertilization rate compared to the no breeding season (p = .045). However, no embryos reached the blastocyst stage. Semen samples obtained by electroejaculation were successfully cryopreserved, although the cryopreservation process negatively affected most kinetic parameters, mainly at 2 hr post-thawing. Moreover, the percentage of rapid spermatozoa significantly decreased between fresh samples and at 2 hr post-thawing, whereas the percentage of slow spermatozoa increased across the same period (p < .05). Our study provides the logistic steps for the application of assisted reproductive techniques in fallow deer and might be of great interest for genetic resource bank planning.  相似文献   

In Vitro Bioactivity of Astaxanthin and Peptides from Hydrolisates of Shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) By-Products: From the Extraction Process to Biological Effect Evaluation,as Pilot Actions for the Strategy “From Waste to Profit”     

Concetta Maria Messina  Simona Manuguerra  Rosaria Arena  Giuseppe Renda  Giovanna Ficano  Mariano Randazzo  Stefano Fricano  Saloua Sadok  Andrea Santulli 《Marine drugs》2021,19(4)

Non-edible parts of crustaceans could be a rich source of valuable bioactive compounds such as the carotenoid astaxanthin and peptides, which have well-recognized beneficial effects. These compounds are widely used in nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, and their market is rapidly growing, suggesting the need to find alternative sources. The aim of this work was to set up a pilot-scale protocol for the reutilization of by-products of processed shrimp, in order to address the utilization of this valuable biomass for nutraceutical and pharmaceuticals application, through the extraction of astaxanthin-enriched oil and antioxidant-rich protein hydrolysates. Astaxanthin (AST) was obtained using “green extraction methods,” such as using fish oil and different fatty acid ethyl esters as solvents and through supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), whereas bioactive peptides were obtained by protease hydrolysis. Both astaxanthin and bioactive peptides exhibited bioactive properties in vitro in cellular model systems, such as antioxidant and angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities (IA). The results show higher astaxanthin yields in ethyl esters fatty acids (TFA) extraction and significant enrichment by short-path distillation (SPD) up to 114.80 ± 1.23 µg/mL. Peptide fractions of <3 kDa and 3–5 kDa exhibited greater antioxidant activity while the fraction 5–10 kDa exhibited a better ACE-IA. Lower-molecular-weight bioactive peptides and astaxanthin extracted using supercritical fluids showed protective effects against oxidative damage in 142BR and in 3T3 cell lines. These results suggest that “green” extraction methods allow us to obtain high-quality bioactive compounds from large volumes of shrimp waste for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.  相似文献   

Soil humic substances stimulate proton release by intact oat seedling roots     

Roberto Pinton  Stefano Cesco  Simonetta Santi  Zeno Varanini 《Journal of plant nutrition》2013,36(7-8):857-869

The effect of a soil humic fraction (HS) on proton extrusion into deionized water by intact oat seedling roots was studied. In the presence of HS, at concentration of 10 μg organic carbon (C) mL^‐1, a clear stimulation of acidification of the outer medium by the roots was observed after three to four hours of incubation. The addition of 0.5 mM vanadate to the solution bathing the roots drastically reduced the net proton extrusion, either in the presence or absence of HS, suggesting the involvement of the plasma membrane H⁺‐ATPase in the stimulation of the acidification of the outer medium by oat roots. The release of potassium (K) from the roots into deionized water was also monitored concomitantly to the proton extrusion. The loss of endogenous K from the roots was similar in the presence or absence of HS, while the recovery of the cation was slower in the presence of the humic fraction. However, after reabsorption of the released K, no net acidification was observed in control roots, while HS‐treated roots significantly decreased the pH of the deionized water. The addition of 3 mM K to the external medium greatly enhanced the proton release from roots, while the presence of humic substances reduced the magnitude of the stimulation by K. When K was supplied at a concentration closer to that encountered in the soil (<0.1 mM), HS significantly stimulated proton release. The effect of HS on root extracellular acidification supports the idea of a role of soil humic substances on plant nutrition via interaction with cell membrane functions.  相似文献   

First report of QoI resistance in Italian population of Pyricularia oryzae     

Tenni  Daniele  Sinetti  Alice  Waldner  Maya  Torriani  Stefano F. F.  Romani  Marco 《植物病害和植物保护杂志》2021,128(6):1705-1709

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Rice blast disease, caused by Pyricularia oryzae Cavara, is considered the most destructive rice disease in Italy. Quinone outside inhibitor (QoI)...  相似文献   

Bacterial community associated with the ambrosia beetle Platypus cylindrus on declining Quercus suber trees in the Alentejo region of Portugal     

Stefano Nones  Camila Fernandes  Lídia Duarte  Leonor Cruz  Edmundo Sousa 《Plant pathology》2022,71(4):966-979

In Portugal, the oak pinhole borer Platypus cylindrus and its mycobiota have been associated with cork oak (Quercus suber) death, but no knowledge exists regarding the associated bacterial community. However, it is known that some bacteria are important for ambrosia beetle symbiosis and play a role in oak tree health. To explore the bacteria associated with this beetle and its host, with the ultimate goal of highlighting potential roles in oak decline, this study used a culture-dependent approach for strain isolation and phylogenetic identification using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA). The bored galleries of different cork oak trees from a cork stand in Alentejo, together with the body and mycangia of adult beetles, were investigated. The samples revealed a diverse community comprising 500 isolates with 64 distinct types of bacterial colonies. Sixty-eight strains were selected for sequencing and used for phylogenetic analysis, 40 from wood galleries and 28 from beetles. Thirty-two genera of bacteria were identified, 18 of which were described for the first time within oak–beetle interactions. Major taxonomic groups were Actinobacteria in beetles and Enterobacterales in wood galleries. Although specific oak bacterial pathogens were not detected, a group of distinct strains detected in wood galleries, potentially belonging to a new Pectobacteriaceae species, were able to produce mild symptoms on cork oak plantlets. This study reports for the first time the biodiversity of culturable bacteria associated with the Q. suber–P. cylindrus interaction, their relevance to both organisms and the possible contribution to oak decline.  相似文献   

Microbial dynamics after adding bovine manure effluent together with a nitrification inhibitor (3,4 DMPP) in a microcosm experiment   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Anita Maienza  Erland Bååth  Silvia Rita Stazi  Anna Benedetti  Stefano Grego  Maria Teresa Dell’Abate 《Biology and Fertility of Soils》2014,50(6):869-877

The application of animal manure effluents in agriculture in combination with nitrification inhibitors should be beneficial for nutrient recycling, soil quality, plant productivity, and greenhouse gas emission and offer economic advantages to make them an alternative to conventional fertilizers. The present study aims to estimate the effects of the addition of bovine manure effluent alone or together with a nitrification inhibitor (3,4-dymethylpyrazol-phosphate (3,4 DMPP)) on the microbial community dynamics in a Mediterranean soil in an incubation experiment over 28 days. The application of the bovine manure effluent increased respiration, microbial biomass carbon, fungal and bacterial growth, and enzyme activities and changed the microbial community structure evaluated by the phospholipid fatty acid pattern. Adding the bovine manure effluent together with the nitrification inhibitor, although partly negating the positive effect of the effluent on soil microbial activity, still resulted in higher or similar growth and activity as in the control. Our results indicate that the addition of the nitrification inhibitor 3,4 DMPP together with a bovine manure effluent could be a promising solution to control the animal manure effluent application effects on soil microbiological properties and microbial dynamics, as well as counteracting direct inhibiting effects of 3,4 DMPP on the soil heterotrophic community.  相似文献