A single strain of Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) grown in two different media evokes distinct humoral immune responses in mice

Two attenuated bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) preparations derived from the same Moreau strain, Copenhagen but grown in Sauton medium containing starch and bacto-peptone (onco BCG, O-BCG), or asparagine (intradermal BCG, ID-BCG), exhibited indistinguishable DNA sequences and bacterial morphology. The number of viable bacilli recovered from spleen, liver and lungs was approximately the same in mice inoculated with the vaccines and was similarly reduced (over 90%) in mice previously immunized with either BCG vaccine. The humoral immune response evoked by the vaccines was, however, distinct. Spleen cell proliferation accompanying the growth of bacilli in tissue was significantly higher in mice inoculated with O-BCG. These cells proliferated in vitro upon challenge with the corresponding BCG extract. Previous cell treatment with mAb anti-CD4 T cells abolished this effect. Anti-BCG antibodies, as assayed either in serum by ELISA or by determining the number of antibody-producing spleen cells by the spot-ELISA method, were significantly higher in mice inoculated with ID-BCG. Anti-BCG antibodies were detected in all immunoglobulin classes, but they were more prevalent in IgG with the following distribution among its isotypes: IgG1>(IgG2a = IgG2b)>IgG3. When some well-characterized Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens were used as substitutes for BCG extracts in ELISA, although antibodies against the 65-kDa and 96-kDa proteins were detected significantly, antibodies against the 71-kDa, 38-kDa proteins and lipoarabinomannan were only barely detected or even absent. These results indicate that BCG bacilli cultured in Sauton-asparagine medium permitted the multiplication of bacilli, tending to induce a stronger humoral immune response as compared with bacilli grown in Sauton-starch/bacto-peptone-enriched medium

Épocas de irrigação e parcelamento de adubação sobre a produtividade do cafeeiro, em quatro safras Irrigation timing and split application of fertilizer on productivity of the coffee plant in 4 harvests

Desenvolveu-se o presente trabalho, objetivando-se avaliar o efeito de diferentes épocas de irrigação e de parcelamentos de adubação na produtividade do cafeeiro em quatro safras consecutivas. Realizou-se um experimento em faixas, em que, nas parcelas foram avaliados diferentes parcelamentos de adubação: parcela 1 recebeu 12 aplicações de fertilizantes, de forma manual; parcelas 2, 3 e 4 receberam, respectivamente, 12, 24 e 36 aplicações de fertilizantes via água de irrigação. Nas faixas (subparcelas) foram avaliadas três épocas de irrigação, de 1/6 a 30/9 (subparcela A), de 15/7 a 30/9 (subparcela B), de 1/9 a 30/9 (subparcela C) e um tratamento testemunha sem irrigação (subparcela D), com 3 repetições, em blocos. Os resultados de produtividade total de café foram submetidos à análise de variância, e, quando pertinente, ao teste de comparação de médias, detectando-se efeito significativo do fator época de irrigação e safras, e, a única interação significativa foi entre safras e épocas de irrigação, indicando que a irrigação não elimina o comportamento bienal de produtividade do cafeeiro. As melhores médias de produtividade (3852,2 e 3527,1 kg ha-1) resultaram das irrigações de 1/6 a 30/9 e de 15/7 a 30/9, respectivamente.<br>The present work aimed to evaluate the effect of different periods of irrigation during and different fertilizer applications on productivity of coffee plant in 4 consecutive harvests. An experiment was accomplished in strips, in which the split fertilizer applications were tested: plot 1 received 12 applications of fertilizers in a manual way, plots 2, 3 and 4 received, respectively, 12, 24 and 36 applications of fertilizers through irrigation water. In the strips 3 irrigation periods were tested, 1/6 to 30/9, 15/7 to 30/9, 1/9 to 30/9 and a control treatment without irrigation, with 3 repetitions (blocks). The results of total coffee productivity expressed in kg ha-1, were submitted to the variance analysis and to mean comparison test, when it was necessary. The variance analysis detected significant effect for irrigation times and in harvests. The only significant interaction was between harvest and irrigation times, showing that the irrigation does not eliminate the biennial cycle of coffee plant productivity. The irrigation from 1/6 to 30/9, and from 15/7 to 30/9 provided better mean productivity of 3,852.2 and 3,527.1 kg ha-1, respectively

Estrutura e sucessão ecológica de uma comunidade florestal urbana no sul do Espírito Santo

Comunidades florestais são ambientes dinâmicos, nas quais processos de sucessão ocorrem naturalmente, podendo conduzir à maturidade da floresta. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a estrutura do componente arbustivo-arbóreo de um fragmento de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual e caracterizar o seu estágio sucessional. O estudo foi realizado no município de Alegre, Espírito Santo, na ARIE Laerth Paiva Gama. A amostragem de todos os indivíduos com DAP ≥ 5 cm foi realizada por meio de pontos-quadrantes. Além dos parâmetros ecológicos foi obtida a estrutura diamétrica para a comunidade. As espécies foram classificadas quanto ao grupo ecológico em pioneiras, secundárias iniciais e secundárias tardias, e quanto ao grau de ameaça de extinção. Foram registradas 112 espécies, 81 gêneros e 34 famílias, das quais se destacaram em Valor de Importância Pseudopiptadenia contorta (15,33), Apuleia leiocarpa (5,08), Acosmium lentiscifolium (4,42) e Parapiptadenia pterosperma (4,30). O índice de Shannon foi de 4,17 e a equabilidade de 0,87, sendo considerados valores elevados para florestas estacionais semideciduais. Com relação à avaliação dos grupamentos ecológicos, as secundárias tardias e iniciais se destacaram em riqueza, no entanto as iniciais foram mais abundantes na comunidade. Deste modo, o remanescente florestal estudado pode ser caracterizado como pertencente ao estágio sucessional inicial-intermediário.Forest communities are dynamic environments in which succession processes occur naturally, may lead to the maturity of the forest. The objective of this study was to evaluate the structure of the woody component of a fragment of semideciduous forest and characterize their successional stage. The study was conducted in the municipality of Alegre, Espirito Santo, in ARIE Laerth Paiva Gama. The sampling of all individuals with DBH ≥ 5 cm was performed by points quadrants. In addition to the ecological parameters it was obtained diameter structure to the community. The species were classified according to environmental group in pioneers, early secondary and late secondary, and the degree of threat of extinction. Were recorded the 112 species, 81 genera and 34 families, of which have excelled in importance value were Pseudopiptadenia contorta (15.33), Apuleia leiocarpa (5.08), Acosmium lentiscifolium (4.42) and Parapiptadenia pterosperma (4.30). The Shannon index was 4.17 and the evenness of 0.87 and are considered high values ​​for semideciduous forests. As to the evaluation of ecological groups, late and early secondary stood out in wealth, however initials were more abundant in the community. Thus, the remaining forest studied can be characterized as belonging to the initial-intermediate stage succession