Microscopic and serological survey of Trypanosoma evansi infection in Tunisian dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius).

Camels are the most adapted species to the harsh ecosystems of the African continent where they represent 80% of world's population. However, they can be susceptible to many pathogens such as Trypanosoma evansi. This parasite is widely distributed in Africa and represents a real threat to animal health and production.

Potential role of rhizobia to enhance chickpea-growth and yield in low fertility-soils of Tunisia.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria are bacteria that improve plant growth and reduce plant pathogen damages. In this study, 100 nodule bacteria were isolated from chickpea, screened for their plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits and then characterised by PCR-RFLP of 16 S rDNA. Results showed that most of the slow-growing isolates fixed nitrogen but those exhibiting fast-growth did not.

Comparison of a human portable blood glucose meter and automated chemistry analyser for measurement of blood glucose concentrations in healthy dogs.

Blood glucose measurement is one of the most commonly performed clinical diagnostic tests used to monitor glycaemia in several animal diseases. Usually, these laboratory analyses are performed on blood venous samples in remote laboratories, and the results are delayed, at best. The use of portable glucometers could evidently solve many constraints but veterinary-use glucometers are not usually available.

Genomic analysis of cyclic-di-GMP-related genes in rhizobial type strains and functional analysis in Rhizobium etli.

Rhizobia are soil bacteria that can fix nitrogen in symbiosis with leguminous plants or exist free living in the rhizosphere. Crucial to their complex lifestyle is the ability to sense and respond to diverse environmental stimuli, requiring elaborate signaling pathways. In the majority of bacteria, the nucleotide-based second messenger cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) is involved in signal transduction.

Agrobacterium strains isolated from root nodules of common bean specifically reduce nodulation by Rhizobium gallicum.

In a previous work, we showed that non-nodulating agrobacteria strains were able to colonize root nodules of common bean. Both rhizobia and agrobacteria co-existed in the infected nodules. No impact on symbiosis was found in laboratory conditions when using sterile gravel as a support for growth.