A feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of dietary administration of Pediococcus acidilactici MA18/5M and short chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS) on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) ...intestinal health. Salmon (initial average weight 250 g) were allocated into triplicate sea pens and were fed either a control diet (commercial diet: 45% protein, 20% lipid) or a synbiotic treatment diet (control diet + P. acidilactici at 3.5 g kg−1 and 7 g kg−1 scFOS) for 63 days. At the end of this period, fish were sampled for intestinal microbiology, intestinal histology and the expression of selected immune-related genes (IL1β, TNFα, IL8, TLR3 and MX-1) in the intestine.
Compared to the control fish, the total bacterial levels were significantly lower in the anterior mucosa, posterior mucosa and posterior digesta of the synbiotic fed fish. qPCR revealed good recovery (log 6 bacteria g−1) of the probiotic in the intestinal digesta of the synbiotic fed fish and PCR-DGGE revealed that the number of OTUs, as well as the microbial community diversity and richness were significantly higher in the anterior digesta of the synbiotic fed fish than the control. Compared to the control fed fish, the mucosal fold (villi) length and the infiltration of epithelial leucocytes were significantly higher in the anterior and posterior intestine, respectively, in the synbiotic group. Real-time PCR demonstrated that all of the genes investigated were significantly up-regulated in the anterior and posterior intestine of the synbiotic fed salmon, compared to the control group. At the systemic level, serum lysozyme activity was significantly higher in the synbiotic fed fish and growth performance, feed utilisation and biometric measurements (condition factor, gutted weight and gut loss) were not affected.
Together these results suggest that the synbiotic modulation of the gut microbiota has a protective action on the intestinal mucosal cells, improving morphology and stimulating the innate immune response without negatively affecting growth performance or feed utilization of farmed Atlantic salmon.
•Dietary synbiotic application modulates the gut microbiota of Atlantic salmon.•Dietary synbiotic application modulates the Atlantic salmon intestinal immune response.•Modulation of the intestinal microbiota and immune status did not have adverse affects on Atlantic salmon growth performance.
Crop productivity in semiarid regions is mainly limited by water availability. Root characteristics and plasticity to drought may reduce the negative impact of drought on crop yield. A set of ...near-isogenic wheat-rye translocation lines was used to test the hypothesis that root system plasticity to drought influences grain yield in wheat. Bread wheat Pavon 76 and 1RS translocation lines, namely Pavon 1RS.1AL, Pavon 1RS.1BL, and Pavon 1RS.1DL were evaluated for root allocation and plasticity in sand-tube experiments under well-watered and droughted conditions across 2 years using factorial treatments in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The 1RS translocation lines had greater root biomass per plant ranging from 7.37 to 8.6 compared to 5.81 g for Pavon 76. Only Pavon 76 showed a positive response to drought by producing more shallow roots (roots developed between 0 and 30 cm) and deep roots (roots developed below 30 cm) in droughted conditions than in well-watered conditions. Thus at drought intensity of 19% (measured as overall reduction in grain yield), grain yield in Pavon 76 was reduced only by 11% compared to the other genotypes with yield reductions ranging from 18 to 24%. However, at drought intensity of 36%, grain yield in Pavon 76 showed maximum reduction indicating that greater root production under drought is advantageous only when plant-available water is enough to support grain production. Grain yield was positively correlated with shallow and deep root weight and root biomass under terminal drought. Correlation coefficients between root system components (shallow and deep root weight and root biomass) and phenological periods were not significant. Our study indicated that genes influencing adaptive phenotypic plasticity of the root system to drought in Pavon 76 are located on chromosome 1BS.
Environmental and economic considerations require the effective use of water and nutrients to elevate grain production in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with concomitant reduction in nitrate ...leaching to minimize contamination of underground water. We determined the effect of the root system on leaching fraction, leachate N concentration, and N, P and K uptake using bread wheat ‘Pavon 76' and its three near‐isogenic translocation lines: Pavon 1RS.1AL, Pavon 1RS.1BL and Pavon 1RS.1DL. These genotypes were grown in sand‐tube experiments under optimum and low level of nutrients for 2 years. Root, stem and leaves, and grain N, P, and K content, and agronomic characters were measured. Leaching fraction and leachate nitrate concentration were measured at early tillering, booting and early grain filling. Significant main effects for year, nutrient level and genotype were found for the characters. Genotype × N interaction was significant only for root P content. Genotype × year interaction was significant only for plant N content, root P content and plant P content. Genotype × year × N interaction was significant only for root N uptake efficiency. Thus, genotypic means averaged across years and nutrient levels are reported. Low levels of nutrients (1330, 235 and 793 mg vs. 1915, 375 and 1268 mg N, P and K, respectively) reduced mean root biomass, plant biomass and grain yield by 27 %, 25 %, and 19 %, respectively. The translocation lines produced 31-46 % more root biomass, 11-14 % heavier grains and 6-8 % greater grain yield than Pavon 76. Leaching fraction was higher under low level of nutrient at booting and grain filling. Leaching fraction at tillering, booting, and grain filling was 67%, 42% and 25%, respectively. Leaching fraction at early tillering was lower for Pavon 1RS.1AL (39 %) and Pavon 1RS.1DL (40.5 %) than for Pavon 76 (45.3 %). Leachate nitrate concentration was lower for two translocation lines at all three stages of plant growth compared to Pavon 76. The correlation coefficient between plant N content and root biomass, between plant N content and plant biomass, and between grain yield and root biomass was positive and significant. Significant positive correlation was found between root biomass and P and K uptake. Multiple small applications of N fertilizer during early plant growth with adequate irrigation water are recommended. Wheat genotypes with superior root characteristics for efficient nutrient uptake, especially during tillering and booting, should be developed in breeding programmes to increase grain yield and to minimize the nitrate leaching.
Summary Background Lithium has neuroprotective effects in cell and animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and a small pilot study in patients with ALS showed a significant effect of ...lithium on survival. We aimed to assess whether lithium improves survival in patients with ALS. Methods The lithium carbonate in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (LiCALS) trial is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral lithium taken daily for 18 months in patients with ALS. Patients aged at least 18 years who had ALS according to the revised El Escorial criteria, had disease duration between 6 and 36 months, and were taking riluzole were recruited from ten centres in the UK. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either lithium or matched placebo tablets. Randomisation was via an online system done at the level of the individual by block randomisation with randomly varying block sizes, stratified by study centre and site of disease onset (limb or bulbar). All patients and assessing study personnel were masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was the rate of survival at 18 months and was analysed by intention to treat. This study is registered with Eudract, number 2008-006891-31. Findings Between May 26, 2009, and Nov 10, 2011, 243 patients were screened, 214 of whom were randomly assigned to receive lithium (107 patients) or placebo (107 patients). Two patients discontinued treatment and one died before the target therapeutic lithium concentration could be achieved. 63 (59%) of 107 patients in the placebo group and 54 (50%) of 107 patients in the lithium group were alive at 18 months. The survival functions did not differ significantly between groups (Mantel-Cox log-rank χ2 on 1 df=1·64; p=0·20). After adjusting for study centre and site of onset using logistic regression, the relative odds of survival at 18 months (lithium vs placebo) was 0·71 (95% CI 0·40–1·24). 56 patients in the placebo group and 61 in the lithium group had at least one serious adverse event. Interpretation We found no evidence of benefit of lithium on survival in patients with ALS, but nor were there safety concerns, which had been identified in previous studies with less conventional designs. This finding emphasises the importance of pursuing adequately powered trials with clear endpoints when testing new treatments. Funding The Motor Neurone Disease Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Monosomic analysis was used to locate a single, dominant Meloidogyne javanica resistance-gene (Rkn) present in the D-genome of synthetic hexaploid wheat Prosquare derived from Aegilops squarrosa L. G ...3489. Lines of Chinese Spring bread wheat monosomic for each of the seven D-genome chromosomes (1D-7D) were crossed with the synthetic hexaploid. On screening the seven F2 generations derived from monosomic F1 plants from the above crosses, six segregated into a 3:1 resistant-to-susceptible ratio in reaction to M. javanica. Monosomic 6D F2 plants deviated from a 3:1 ratio, with a large excess of resistant plants, which indicated that the nematode resistance gene is located on chromosome 6D
Resistance to root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and white) Chitwood, has been identified and incorporated into commercial cultivars of common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L. However, the ...effective use of host resistance as a management tactic against root-knot nematodes attacking common bean requires identification and incorporation of resistance to other economically important rootknot nematodes, namely M. javanica (Treub) Chitwood, M. arenaria and M. hapla. Fifty-four common bean and 64 tepary bean, P. acutifolius A. Gray, lines were screened for resistance to root-knot nematodes under greenhouse and growth chamber conditions. In the greenhouse, the plants were grown in pots filled with loamy sand and, in the growth chamber, the plants were grown in growth pouches. Bean plants in the greehouse were inoculated with 5000 nematode eggs and evaluated for nematode reproduction (eggs) 6 wk after inoculation. In the growth chamber, plants were inoculated with 1000 second-stage juveniles and evaluated for egg numbers 4 wk after inoculation. Common bean lines PI 165426 and Alabama no. 1 were found to be resistant to M. incognita Race 2, 3 and 4 but were susceptible to M. incognita Race 1 and to M. arenaria. Breeding lines A252, A315, A328, A443 and A445 were resistant to M. javanica and M. incognita Race 1. Resistance in the A lines was found to be derived from two common bean landraces, G1805 and G2618. The resistance was also effective against M. arenaria. The tepary bean accession PI 310606 was found to have good resistance to all nematode isolates tested. We postulate that resistance derived from G1805 and G2618 may be under different genetic control than that PI 165426 and Alabama no. 1
Two-dimensional paper chromatography was performed on methanol extracts of leaves of hexaploid bread wheat, Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell. cultivar Chinese Spring, and of the available ...nullisomic-tetrasomic compensating lines, the tetrasomic lines and the ditelocentric lines. The chromatograms had 27 spots identified as flavonoids and six representing phenolic acids. Some of the areas were complex and contained more than one compound. Four flavonoids were identified as under the control of gene(s) on chromosome arms 1DS, 4DL, 5AS and 6BS. A phenolic glycoside was concluded to be controlled by a gene(s) on chromosome arm 7BL. Gene(s) on chromosome arm 4DL affected the amount of compounds in two other spots, and gene(s) on chromosome arm 4BS reduced the level of all flavonoid compounds. The individual compounds in some of the complex spots may be under the control of gene(s) on homoeologous chromosomes.
PDF
