Expression of spermadhesin genes in porcine male and female reproductive tracts.

Spermadhesins, secretory proteins of the male genital tract, constitute the bulk of seminal plasma proteins in pig. The nucleotide sequences of spermadhesins AWN, AQN-1, and AQN-3 from the cDNAs, derived from seminal vesicles, were determined. The coding sequences of spermadhesins revealed an overall sequence similarity of 40% at nucleotide level.

Intestinal dipeptidyl peptidase IV is efficiently sorted to the apical membrane through the concerted action of N- and O-glycans as well as association with lipid microdomains.

The apical sorting of human intestinal dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) occurs through complex N-linked and O-linked carbohydrates. Inhibition of O-linked glycosylation by benzyl-N-acetyl-alpha-d-galactosaminide affects significantly the sorting behavior of DPPIV in intestinal Caco-2 and HT-29 cells. However, random delivery to the apical and basolateral membranes and hence a more drastic effect on the sorting of DPPIV in both cell types is only observed when, in addition to O-glycans, the processing of N-glycans is affected by swainsonine, an inhibitor of mannosidase II.

Function of the mammalian oviductal sperm reservoir.

Sperm are stored in the isthmic region of the oviduct under conditions that maintain sperm viability and suppress motility. This region is also the site in which essential steps of the capacitation process are coordinated with the appearance of the ovulated egg. The influx of Ca(2+) and phosphorylation of sperm proteins are features of the ongoing capacitation process.

The prosequence of human lactase-phlorizin hydrolase modulates the folding of the mature enzyme.

The efficient transport of proteins along the secretory pathway requires that the polypeptide adopts a stably folded conformation to egress the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The transport-competent precursor of the brush border enzyme LPH, pro-LPH, undergoes an intracellular cleavage process in the trans-Golgi network between Arg(734) and Leu(735) to yield LPH beta(initial). The role of the prodomain comprising the N-terminally located 734 amino acids of pro-LPH, LPH alpha, in the folding events of LPH beta(initial) has been analyzed by the individual expression of both forms in COS-1 cells.

Sperm-cell volumetric measurements as parameters in bull semen function evaluation: correlation with nonreturn rate.

Sperm-cell volume, measured electronically by cell counter, is a parameter providing information about the state and integrity of the plasma membrane by determining cell osmotic reactivity (swelling level). Electronic volume measurement is a modification of the hypo-osmotic swelling test, based on the increase in sperm volume in response to hypo-osmotic stress. In this study the volumetric method was applied to bull ejaculates, and the relationships of volumetric parameters, osmolality of seminal plasma, and concentration of sodium and potassium ions in seminal plasma, with the nonreturn rate (NRR) were examined.

Candidate gene markers for litter size in different German pig lines.

Three diallelic RFLP markers at candidate gene loci for litter size, the estrogen receptor (ESR) gene, the prolactin receptor (PRLR) gene, and the retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) gene, were evaluated for their association with the number of piglets born alive in different German pig lines. Genotyping was performed on boars and sows belonging to three different genetic groups from a single farm. Information on 8,336 litter records from 2,159 sows (German Landrace, n = 1,672; Duroc, n = 214; and a synthetic line, n = 273) was used in the analyses with respect to litter size.

Risk factors for congenital umbilical hernia in German Fleckvieh.

Risk factors for congenital umbilical hernias were investigated in German Fleckvieh calves up for sale at livestock markets. Data from 53,105 calves were collected from 77 livestock auctions in 1996 and 1997. The overall incidence of congenital umbilical hernia was 1.

Choropleth mapping of regional count data of Echinococcus multilocularis among red foxes in Lower Saxony, Germany.

In this paper, choropleth maps display the geographical distribution of Echinococcus multilocularis in red foxes in Lower Saxony. Areas of high prevalence of the infection in foxes and with high fox population density pose high risk for the human population for alveolar echinococcosis. Spatial statistical methods were used to analyse regional count data obtained from 5365 hunted or found-dead foxes.

Teratogenicity of isotretinoin revisited: species variation and the role of all-trans-retinoic acid.

This paper reviews the teratogenicity of isotretinoin in regard to aspects of species variation, toxicokinetics, and metabolism. Particular emphasis is given to the hypothesis that most effects of isotretinoin (13-cis-retinoic acid) are mediated by isomerization to the all-trans-retinoic acid. This mechanism of action would provide a basis for the understanding of species differences and the extrapolation of experimental results to the human situation and thus improve drug development.

Localization of viral proteins in cells infected with bovine viral diarrhoea virus.

Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) is a member of the genus Pestivirus within the family Flaviviridae. In this report, protein localization studies were performed to assess the mechanism for the release of mature virus particles from infected cells. Since BVDV is an enveloped virus, budding from either intra- or extracellular membranes is feasible.

Long-term observation of subclinical chronic copper poisoning in two sheep breeds.

Fourteen castrated male sheep of two breeds, the Mutton Merino (MMB) and Blackhead Suffolk cross breed (BSC), were exposed to an oral copper (Cu) intake of 3.7 mg/day per kg body weight for 84 days (high Cu group, HCu), and 11 castrated male sheep received a daily oral Cu intake of 0.16 mg/day per kg body weight (controls).

A Doppler ultrasonographic study of cyclic changes of ovarian perfusion in the Beagle bitch.

Changes in intraovarian arterial blood flow were monitored by means of colour-coded and pulsed Doppler ultrasonography in Beagle bitches during the normal oestrous cycle (n = 11) and pregnancy (n = 3), and at PGF(2alpha)-induced luteolysis (n = 4). The ultrasonographic findings were related to the reproductive stage of the bitch, as determined by vaginoscopical and cytological criteria, and by the concentrations of oestradiol, LH and progesterone in peripheral blood plasma. Colour-coded Doppler ultrasonography was used to visualize and estimate intraovarian vascularization, and pulsed Doppler ultrasonography was used to measure the arterial blood flow.

PrP genotype frequencies in German breeding sheep and the potential to breed for resistance to scrapie.

Genetic susceptibility to scrapie is associated with polymorphisms in three different codons of the ovine prion protein (PrP) gene (136, 154, 171). Studies of PrP genotypes linked to scrapie have revealed the resistance of homozygous PrPARR/PrPARR animals and the high risk of PrPVRQ/PrPVRQ and PrPvRQ/PrPARQ animals in scrapie-affected flocks. The selection of PrPARR/PrPARR genotypes may therefore provide a strategy for controlling clinical scrapie.

Partial deletion of the bovine ED1 gene causes anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia in cattle.

Anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (ED1) is characterized by hypotrichosis, reduced number of sweat glands, and incisior anodontia in human, mouse, and cattle. In affected humans and mice, mutations in the ED1 gene coding for ectodysplasin 1 are found. Ectodysplasin 1 is a novel trimeric transmembrane protein with an extracellular TNF-like signaling domain that is believed to be involved in the formation of hair follicles and tooth buds during fetal development.

Nitric oxide: an unconventional messenger in the nervous system of an orthopteroid insect.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a membrane-permeant messenger molecule generated from the amino acid L-arginine. NO can activate soluble guanylyl cyclase leading to the formation of cyclic GMP (cGMP) in target cells. In the nervous system, NO/cGMP signalling is thought to play essential roles in synaptic plasticity during development and also in the mature animal.

Effects of adenosine receptor agonists and antagonists in a genetic animal model of primary paroxysmal dystonia.

1. Recent studies have shown beneficial effects of an adenosine A(2A) receptor agonist in dt(sz) mutant hamsters, an animal model of paroxysmal dystonia, in which stress and consumption of coffee can precipitate dystonic attacks. This prompted us to examine the effects of adenosine receptor agonists and antagonists on severity of dystonia in dt(sz) hamsters in more detail.

Classical swine fever (CSF) marker vaccine. Trial III. Evaluation of discriminatory ELISAs.

The objective of the marker vaccine trial was to test the two available CSF marker vaccines in scenarios which are likely to occur in the field and to evaluate the reliability of the discriminatory tests. The evaluation of the discriminatory tests was of special importance because there is no requirement for formal data concerning their performance by the European Medicinal Products Evaluation Agency (EMEA) in London. EMEA is responsible for the licensing procedure of the marker vaccines within the EU.

Histone H1 and MAP kinase activities in bovine oocytes following protein synthesis inhibition.

In vitro nuclear maturation is associated with known activity profiles of the M-phase promoting factor (MPF) and the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, which are two key regulators of mitotic and meiotic cell cycles. Initiation of meiotic resumption in vitro can be prevented by cycloheximide treatment and after removal of the inhibitor germinal vesicle breakdown takes place nearly twice as fast as in untreated controls. In this study experiments were conducted in order to examine the chromosome condensation status and the dynamics of MPF and MAP kinase activities after cycloheximide treatment (10 microg/ml) of cumulus-enclosed oocytes for 17 and 24 h, respectively, and subsequent culture in inhibitor-free medium for various times.

TEM and SEM observations on the extracellular matrix of the developing murine centra.

TEM and SEM application demonstrated that the shift from chondrification to ossification in the developing murine centra from day 15 to day 18 of gestational age is marked by typical structural variations of the extracellular matrix (ECM). During day 15 GA, typical matrix vesicles with crystalline contents appeared, as followed by single and fusing pleomorphic aggregates of a more regular crystalline structure. During days 17/18 GA, these structures disappeared, and the ECM now exhibited a network of collagen fibrils that had been less conspicuous before.

Molecular characterization and chromosome assignment of the porcine gene for leukemia inhibitory factor LIF.

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in early conceptus development in pig. We isolated a PAC clone containing the porcine LIF gene and determined the complete DNA sequence of the gene, which spans about 6.3 kb and consists of five exons including three alternative first exons (1D, 1M, 1T) spliced onto common second and third exons.

Dynamics of Staphylococcus aureus infections during vaccination with an autogenous bacterin in dairy cattle.

The effect of an autogenous vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus on S. aureus prevalence and mastitis, as well as on somatic cell count (SCC), was studied in a dairy herd with a high prevalence of S. aureus.

Role of quinine-sensitive ion channels in volume regulation in boar and bull spermatozoa.

The ability to reverse swelling caused by hypo-osmotic stress is an important cell function; in spermatozoa, it is likely to be of consequence during ejaculation and also during the thawing process that terminates cryopreservation. In this study, the time course of boar and bull sperm volume changes after exposure to hypo-osmotic conditions at 39 degrees C was recorded. Cell volume measurements of washed sperm suspensions were performed electronically in Hepes-buffered saline solutions of 300 and 180 mosmol kg(-1) containing 2.

General anti-microbial properties of the integument in fleece producing sheep and goats.

Based on lectin histochemical methods, this study describes the production and distribution of various terminal sugars in the integument of Merino sheep and Angora goats. Additionally, pH measurements were performed for information about environmental conditions of microbes on the skin surface and in the fleece. The results demonstrated strongly positive reactions for alpha-L-fucose in the stratum corneum of Merino sheep, and in the secretions of the skin glands of Angora goats.

Spontaneous remission of paroxysmal dystonia coincides with normalization of entopeduncular activity in dt(SZ) mutants.

Recent studies have shown a dramatically decreased spontaneous discharge rate of entopeduncular neurons in a unique animal model of idiopathic paroxysmal dystonia, the dt(sz) mutant hamster. These changes were found in animals at the age at which the most marked expression of dystonia is usually observed. In this rodent model, the age-dependent disappearance of stress-inducible dystonic attacks at an age of approximately 10 weeks allows investigations of the relevance of pathophysiological changes for the occurrence of dystonia by ontogenetic studies.