RFLP, RAPD, and lectin-binding glycoprotein analyses of downy mildew, head smut, and acremonium wilt resistance in sorghum

Vita.The objective of RFLP and RADP analyses was to find molecular markers linked to resistance genes for downy mildew, head smut, and acremonium wilt of sorghum. The Sdm locus controls resistance to downy mildew caused by Peronosclerospora sorghi in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). RFLP analysis placed the Sd m locus in the interval between marker loci detected by probes pSbTXS3 61 and pSbTXS552 at 6.6 and 6.1 cMs, respectively, in accession SC325. The Shs locus controls resistance to head smut caused by Sporisorium reilianum in sorghum. RFLP and RAPD analyses revealed that two RFLP loci detected by probes pSbTXS560 and pSbTXSl294, and one RAPD locus from primer 0PG5 were linked to Shs in accession SC325. The a w locus controls resistance to acremonium wilt caused by Acremonium strictum in sorghum. By linkage analysis, one RFLP locus detected by probe pSbTXS1225 is linked to the a w locus in IS3620C at 19.4 cMs. The a w locus and txsl225 are located at the end of linkage group J of the sorghum RFLP map. Glycoprotein changes following developmental transition were detected in the meristematic tissue of sorghum head smut reaction classes (Rl, R2, R 3 , and Si) after sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis and protein blotting by six biotinylated lectins (BS-I, Con A, PNA, SBA, UEA I, and WGA). A screening using biotinylated lectins indicated that BS-I, PNA, and SBA bound to glycoproteins containing a-D-gal, p-D-gal(1-3)-D-galNAc, and D-galNAc only from the vegetative meristem. Conversely, Con A bound to glycoproteins containing a-D-glc and a-Dman only from the reproductive meristem. These BS-I, PNA, SBA, and Con A-binding specificities did not show any differences among Rl, R2, R3, and SI. UEA I (a-L-fuc) binding specificity was detected at Rl, R2, R3, and Si in vegetative meristems, but only at R2 and R3 in reproductive meristems. WGA (p-D-glcNAc) binding specificity was not detected in all vegetative and reproductive meristems

Effects of Various Drying Methods on Physicochemical Characteristics and Textural Features of Yellow Croaker (Larimichthys Polyactis)

The physicochemical characteristics and textural properties of yellow croaker treated by hot air drying (HAD), low temperature vacuum drying (LVD), and freeze drying (FD) methods were studied. The dried fish by LVD had the lowest moisture content and highest protein. The volatile basic nitrogen values of dried fish by HAD, LVD, and FD were 66.27, 34.38, and 33.03 mg/100 g sample, respectively. The predominant amino acids of dried fish treated by LVD and FD were lysine, taurine, alanine, and glutamic acid, and the predominant ones by HAD were the remaining amino acids analyzed in this study, except lysine, taurine, alanine, and glutamic acid. By using the color parameters, the L* and b* values by LVD showed light brown and yellow colors of the fish. The textural properties of dried fish by LVD were softer and more chewable than those of HAD and FD. In the stereo-micrographs, the flesh of dried fish by LVD compared to others showed minimization of texture damage, resilient tissues, much fish oil, and were light brown in color. Taken together, these results suggest that LVD rather than HAD and FD provide good qualities of dried fish in terms of physicochemical characteristics and textural properties

Dietary protease improves growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal morphology of weaned pigs.

This study was conducted to evaluate effects of dietary protease (PR) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal morphology of weaned pigs. A total of 75 weaned pigs [7.06 ± 0.18 kg of average body weight (BW); 28 day old] were randomly allotted to 3 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design (blocks = BW and sex): a diet based on corn and soybean meal to meet the requirement of crude protein (CP) as a positive control (PC; CP = 24.49%), a low protein diet as a negative control (NC; CP = 22.51%), and NC + 0.02% PR. The PR used in this study was a commercial product containing 75,000 protease units/g derived from Nocardiopsis prasina produced in Bacillus licheniformis. Pigs were fed the dietary treatments for 6 weeks and the diets containing 0.2% chromic oxide for the last week of this study. Blood, feces, ileal digesta, and ileum samples were collected from randomly selected two pigs in each pen on respective time points. Measurements were growth performance, apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter (DM), CP, and energy, frequency of diarrhea, packed cell volume (PCV), and ileal morphology of weaned pigs. Pigs fed PC and PR had higher (p < 0.05) final BW, average daily gain (ADG), and gain to feed ratio (G:F) during overall experimental period than those fed NC. Pigs fed PC and PR had higher (p < 0.05) AID or ATTD of DM, CP, or energy than those fed NC. Moreover, pigs fed PR had higher ratio between villus height and crypt depth (p < 0.05) and number of goblet cells (p < 0.05) than those fed NC. Addition of PR decreased (p < 0.05) frequency of diarrhea for the first two weeks after weaning compared with PC and NC. In addition, pigs fed PR had lower (p < 0.05) PCV on d 14 after weaning than those fed PC and NC. In conclusion, addition of PR in nursery diets with a low protein level significantly improved growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal morphology of weaned pigs