Mycoplasmosis in free-ranging desert tortoises in Utah and Arizona.

Upper respiratory tract disease (URTD) has been associated with major losses of free-ranging desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) in the southwestern United States. This prompted a clinical examination of 63 free-ranging desert tortoises for signs of URTD and sampling for Mycoplasma agassizii, the causative agent of URTD. Tortoises were sampled from three sites in the eastern Mojave Desert (1992-93), and from three sites in the Sonoran Desert (1992-94).

Induction of vitellogenesis by estradiol-17beta and development of enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays to quantify plasma vitellogenin levels in green turtles (Chelonia mydas).

Treatment of juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) with estradiol-17beta resulted in the induction of a 200 kDa plasma protein, consistent with vitellogenin (Vtg). The N-terminal 15 amino acids of the anion exchange purified protein shared sequence homologies with vitellogenins of several vertebrate species. Rabbit antiserum raised against purified Vtg recognized the plasma protein as well as several yolk proteins.