Genetic variation among lambs in peripheral IgE activity against the larval stages of <i>Teladorsagia circumcincta</i>

IgA and IgE activity against Teladorsagia circumcincta was investigated in a flock of Texel lambs following natural, mixed nematode infection among lambs. The distribution of IgA activity was similar to a gamma distribution whereas IgE activity was different. Box-Cox analysis demonstrated that X0.25 was a suitable transformation to normalise IgE responses. The transformed IgE activity was under moderate to strong genetic control. Nine different allergens were identified by proteomic analysis. Tropomyosin was selected for further analysis. IgE activity against tropomyosin was moderately heritable and associated with decreased egg counts and with reduced body weight at the time of sampling

Predicting future European breeding distributions of British seabird species under climate change and unlimited/no dispersal scenarios

Understanding which traits make species vulnerable to climatic change and predicting future distributions permits conservation efforts to be focused on the most vulnerable species and the most appropriate sites. Here, we combine climate envelope models with predicted bioclimatic data from two emission scenarios leading up to 2100, to predict European breeding distributions of 23 seabird species that currently breed in the British Isles. Assuming unlimited dispersal, some species would be “winners” (increase the size of their range), but over 65% would lose range, some by up to 80%. These “losers” have a high vulnerability to low prey availability, and a northerly distribution meaning they would lack space to move into. Under the worst-case scenario of no dispersal, species are predicted to lose between 25% and 100% of their range, so dispersal ability is a key constraint on future range sizes. More globally, the results indicate, based on foraging ecology, which seabird species are likely to be most affected by climatic change. Neither of the emissions scenarios used in this study is extreme, yet they generate very different predictions for some species, illustrating that even small decreases in emissions could yield large benefits for conservation

Plant richness, turnover and evolutionary diversity track gradients of stability and ecological opportunity in a megadiversity centre

What explains global patterns of diversity—environmental history or ecology? Most studies have focused on latitudinal gradients—the decline of diversity from the tropics to the poles. A problem with this is that it conflates predictions of historical and ecological hypotheses: The productive tropics have also experienced high Cenozoic biome stability. Longitudinal diversity gradients can overcome this constraint. We use a longitudinal diversity gradient in the megadiverse Cape Floristic Region to model species and evolutionary diversity in terms of Pleistocene climate stability and ecological heterogeneity. We find that biome stability is the strongest predictor of diversity measures, and argue that stability, in conjunction with measures of ecological opportunity—other than productivity—may provide a general explanation for global diversity pattern

Molecular characterization, expression and localization of tropomyosin and paramyosin immunodominant allergens from sheep scab mites (Psoroptes ovis)

10.1017/S0031182006000631Parasitology1334515-52

Immunization of cattle with a combination of purified intimin-531, EspA and Tir significantly reduces shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 following oral challenge

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia call (EHEC) O157:H7 is a human pathogen that can cause gastrointestinal disease with potentially fatal consequences as a result of systemic Shiga toxin activity. Cattle are the main reservoir host of EHEC O157 and interventions need to be developed that prevent cattle colonization or limit shedding of the organism from this host. EHEC 0157 predominately colonizes the bovine terminal rectum and requires a type III secretion system (T3SS) for adherence and persistence at this site. A vaccine based on concentrated bacterial supernatant that contains T3S proteins has shown some efficacy. Here we have demonstrated that vaccination with a combination of antigens associated with T3S-mediated adherence; the translocon filament protein, EspA, the extracellular region of the outer membrane adhesin, intimin, and the translocated intimin receptor (Tir) significantly reduced shedding of EHEC 0157 from experimentally infected animals. Furthermore, this protection may be augmented by addition of H7 flagellin to the vaccine preparation that has been previously demonstrated to be partially protective in cattle. Protection correlates with systemic and mucosal antibody responses to the defined antigens and validates the targeting of these colonization factors

Identification of tropomyosin, paramyosin and apolipophorin/vitellogenin as three major allergens of the sheep scab mite, Psoroptes ovis

10.1111/j.0141-9838.2004.00717.xParasite Immunology268-9335-342PAIM