The efficacy of 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives in controlling the fungus Ilyonectria liriodendri, the causative agent of black foot disease in grapevines.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo efficiency of derivatives of 8-Hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) in controlling the fungus Ilyonectria liriodendri. METHODS AND RESULTS: The in vitro tests consisted of assessing its susceptibility to the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the inhibition of mycelial growth. While the in vivo tests consisted of applying and assessing the most effective products for the protection of wounds, in both preventive + curative and curative forms. The MIC values for PH 151 (6·25 µg ml-1 ) showed better results when compared to the fungicides tebuconazole (>50 µg ml-1 ) and mancozeb (12·5 µg ml-1 for strain 176 and 25 µg ml-1 for strain 1117). PH 151 significantly inhibited mycelial growth, while mancozeb did not differ from the control. In in vivo tests, PH 151 again demonstrated excellent results in vitro, especially when applied preventively. CONCLUSIONS: The derivative of 8HQ PH 151 was effective in controlling the fungus I. liriodendri in vitro and proved to be a promising option for protecting wounds. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study points to the prospect of an effective and safe preventive antifungal product, which would enable the use of pesticides in vine culture to be reduced.

Ovarian follicular wave synchronization and induction of ovulation in postpartum beef cows.

An experiment was designed to evaluate a) the effect of a progesterone-estradiol combined treatment on ovarian follicular dynamics in postpartum beef cows, and b) ovulation and the subsequent luteal activity after short-term calf removal and GnRH agonist treatment. Multiparous Angus cows (25 to 40 d after calving) were assigned to the following treatments: untreated (Control, n = 9); short term calf removal (CR, n = 8); progesterone (CIDR, n = 9) and progesterone plus estradiol-17 beta (CIDR + E-17 beta, n = 9). Progesterone treatment (CIDR) lasted 8 d and the day of device insertion was considered as Day 0. Cows in the CIDR + E-17 beta group also received an i.m. injection of 5 mg of E-17 beta on Day 1. On Day 8, calves were removed for 48 h (CR, CIDR and CIDR + E-17 beta groups) and 6 h before the end of calf removal these cows also received an i.m. injection of 8 micrograms of Busereline (GnRH). Anestrus was confirmed in all cows by the absence of luteal tissue and progesterone concentrations below 1 ng ml-1 at the beginning of the experiment. Although mean (+/- SEM) interval from the beginning of the experiment (Day 0) to wave emergence did not differ (P > 0.05) among treatment groups (Control, 1.9 +/- 1.0, range -2 to 7 d; CR, 3.9 +/- 0.7, range 0 to 6 d; CIDR, 2.8 +/- 0.5, range 0 to 4 d and CIDR + E-17 beta, 4.1 +/- 0.2, range 3 to 5), the variability was less (P < 0.05) in the CIDR + E-17 beta group. The proportion of cows ovulating 24 to 48 h after GnRH administration tended (P = 0.08) to be higher in cows from CIDR + E-17 beta group (8/9) than in those of CR (5/8) or CIDR (6/9) groups, respectively and was associated with a higher proportion (P < 0.05) of CIDR + E-17 beta treated cows (9/9) that had a dominant follicle in the growing/early static phase at the time of GnRH treatment compared to the other GnRH treated groups (5/8, and 4/9 for CR and CIDR groups, respectively). Two CR cows ovulated 0-24 h after GnRH and only one Control cow ovulated the day before the time of GnRH administration. Cows pretreated with progesterone had longer (P < 0.05) luteal lifespan (CIDR, 14.5 +/- 0.7, CIDR + E-17 beta, 13.9 +/- 0.6 d) than those not treated with CIDR (Control, 5, CR, 4.0 +/- 0.4). We conclude that progesterone plus estradiol treatment results in tightly synchronized wave emergence and high GnRH-induced ovulation rate with normal luteal activity in postpartum beef cattle.

Effects of treatment with a prostaglandin analogue on developmental dynamics and functionality of induced corpora lutea in goats.

The aim of this study was to compare morphological and functional features of spontaneous and induced corpora lutea (CLs) in goats. Fourteen adult and cycling Anglo Nubian goats (Argentina) were randomly allocated to two groups: Group N (n=7) included goats with natural spontaneous oestrus and Group PG (n=7) included does in which oestrus was synchronized by the administration of two i.m. cloprostenol doses, 10 days apart. In both groups, oestrous behaviour was checked twice daily (Day of oestrus=Day 0) and daily transrectal ultrasonographies were performed for evaluating CLs and follicles dynamics through the complete subsequent oestrous cycle; the luteal activity was determined directly, in terms of progesterone (P4) secretion, and indirectly, by assessing effects of CL on follicular dynamics. All goats exhibited oestrous behaviour and ovulation without differences in ovulation rate (N: 1.67+/-0.2, PG: 2.0+/-0.1). The total luteal tissue area showed linear growth from Day 4 to Day 15 of oestrous cycle in all goats, but the developmental dynamics differed between groups, treated goats had larger area (P<0.01). Plasma P4 concentrations also increased from Day 0 to Day 15 in all the does; however, from Day 5 to Day 15, treated does had a lower concentrations than the untreated group (P<0.001). There were differences in the development of follicular waves between groups; assessment of size-distribution showed that treated group had a higher number of small and larger follicles (P<0.05). The largest follicles recorded in treated goats had a higher maximum diameter both at the first (PG: 7.6+/-0.8mm; N: 4.9+/-0.7 mm, P<0.05) and second follicular waves (PG: 6.3+/-1.4mm; N: 5.0+/-0.4mm, P<0.05) and a longer growth phase during the second wave (PG: 6.5+/-1.7 days; N: 4.6+/-0.7 days, P<0.05), coincident with the period of maximal luteal secretion. In conclusion, synchronization of oestrus and ovulation by the administration of a prostaglandin analogue causes differences in developmental dynamics and functionality of induced corpora lutea when compared to natural spontaneous ovulation.

Skjelbred, a low frequency antigen in serum and on red cells.

The Skjelbred (Sk) antigen has been studied in the donor population of South London and found to have a frequency of 0.0035%. Its presence in serum as well as on red cells, its transient nature and its absence in relatives of Sk(+) individuals are suggestive of a non-genetic background for Sk. The antibody is not uncommon in normal donor sera (3--12%).

A new low-frequency antigen BOW (Bowyer).

BOW is a 'new' low-frequency red-cell antigen, detected in 2 unrelated English blood donors, that is sensitive to alpha-chymotrypsin and pronase. Anti-BOW is present in many polyspecific reagents used to define low-frequency antigens. Red-cell groups of the proposita, R.B., and her family show that the BOW blood group segregates independently from the ABO, Rh, MNSs, P1 and Kell blood group systems.

Protective effect of a T-cell-dependent immunosuppressive, B-cell-mitogenic protein (F3'EP-Si, or P90) produced by Streptococcus intermedius.

The role of a previously described bacterial protein (F3'EP-Si), now designated P90, in the survival of Streptococcus intermedius in the host was investigated, and the immunosuppressive and B-cell-mitogenic effects of this protein were further characterized. C57BL6 mice treated with P90 were about 50 times more susceptible to infection with this bacterium than untreated mice. One of seven splenocytes of C57BL/6 mice were activated by P90. Marked splenomegaly was observed in mice treated with P90, with increased numbers of splenic mononuclear cells and polyclonal immunoglobulin-secreting plaque-forming cells. Peak responses were seen on day 3 for immunoglobulin M (IgM) and on day 5 for IgG, with an isotypic pattern consisting predominantly of IgG2a and IgG2b. When mice were treated with P90 before being primed with sheep erythrocytes, polyclonal immunoglobulin synthesis was accompanied by an ephemeral stimulation of the specific immune response against sheep erythrocytes that was quickly replaced by a dramatic immunosuppression. In contrast, when mice were treated with P90 after being primed, the polyclonal activation was comparatively much less evident and there was no suppression of the specific immune response. Immunosuppression was considerably reduced in mice thymectomized as adults or depleted of CD8+ cells. Adoptive transfer experiments showed that B cells obtained from P90-treated mice were less able to respond to an antigenic challenge, even in the presence of normal T cells, and that T cells obtained from P90-treated mice could actively suppress the specific immune response of normal B cells.

Hb Costa Rica or alpha 2 beta 2 77(EF1)His --> Arg: the first example of a somatic cell mutation in a globin gene.

We have identified a minor hemoglobin component (approximately 5%) in the blood of a healthy Costa Rican female, but not in her mother and two brothers (father not studied), that has an His --> Arg replacement at position beta 77 (Hb Costa Rica). No other amino acid replacements were observed and no beta- or gamma-chain-like peptides were present. Hb Costa Rica has abnormal stability. Sequence analyses of numerous polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified segments of DNA that contain exon 2 of the beta gene failed to identify a CAC --> CGC (His --> Arg) mutation. The same was the case when cDNA was sequenced, indicating that a beta-Costa Rica-mRNA could not be detected with this procedure. Gene mapping of genomic DNA with Bg/II, BamHI, and HindIII gave normal fragments only and with the same intensity as observed for the fragments of a normal control. The quantities of the beta chain variants Hb J-Iran and Hb Fukuyama with related mutations at beta 77 vary between 30% and 45% in heterozygotes, whereas that of Hb F-Kennestone with the same His --> Arg mutation but in the G gamma-globin gene, is a high 40%-45% (as percentage of total G gamma) in a heterozygous newborn. These different observations exclude a heterozygosity of the A --> G mutation at codon beta 77, as well as a deletion comparable to that of Hbs Lepore or Kenya, or a beta-globin gene duplication, and point to a nontraditional inheritance of Hb Costa Rica. Allele-specific amplification of cDNA with appropriate primers identified the presence of a low level of mutated mRNA in the reticulocytes of the patient, which was confirmed by dotblot analysis of the same material with 32P-labeled probes. Comparable amplification products were not observed in genomic DNA. The A --> G mutation apparently occurred in a somatic cell at a relatively early stage in the development of the hematopoietic cell system, and Hb Costa Rica accumulated through rapid cell divisions in patchy areas in the bone marrow (somatic mosaicism). An unequal distribution of Hb Costa Rica over the red cells supports this possibility.