ALBERT

Notes: . Free-living amoebae belonging to the species Naegleria fowleri are known to be the etiological agents for a form of fulminant meningoencephalitis that is generally fatal (primary amoebic meningoencephalitis). In a broad bacterial screening from soil and water we have isolated three strains (M-4, D-13 and A-12) belonging to the species Bacillus licheniformis that have remarkable amoebicidal activity against Naegleria sp. and also against different Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Physical-chemical characteristics, partial purification and biological activities of a substance produced by the M-4 strain have been investigated. This substance (m-4) is stable at high temperature (up to 100°C) and extremes of pH (2.5-9.5) and also at -20°C for months. Its production is greatly influenced by oxygenation of the cultures and is probably related to the sporulation process of the bacterium. Scanning electron microscope observations reveal that amoebae are lysed after a few minutes contact with m-4.

Notes: . We recently reported the isolation of a leptomyxid ameba from the brain of a mandrill baboon that died of meningo-encephalitis. Based on light and electron microscopic studies, animal pathogenicity tests, and immunofluorescence patterns, we conclude that our isolate differs fundamentally from the other two amebas (Leptomyxa and Gephyramoeba) included in the Order Leptomyxida. We therefore created a new genus, Balamuthia, to accommodate our isolate and described it as Balamuthia mandrillaris to reflect the origin of the type species. Briefly, B. mandrillaris is a pathogenic ameba that causes amebic encephalitis in humans and animals. It has trophic and cyst stages in its life cycle, and is uninucleate with a large vesicular nucleus and a central nucleolus. Mature cysts have a tripartite wall consisting of an outer loose ectocyst, an inner endocyst and a middle mesocyst. Unlike Acanthamoeba and Naegleria, the other two amebas that cause amebic encephalitis in humans, Balamuthia will not grow on agar plates seeded with enteric bacteria. However, Balamuthia grows on a variety of mammalian cell cultures and kills mice following intranasal or intraperitoneal inoculation. Based on immunofluorescence testing, 35 cases of amebic encephalitis in humans and three in other animals have been identified worldwide as being caused by Balamuthia.

Notes: . A new microsporidian parasite of the Artemia intestinal epithelium has been studied. The microsporidium developed within a membranous parasitophorous vesicle from the host rough endoplasmic reticulum consisting of two membranes, with the proximal one usually lacking ribosomes.All developmental stages had isolated nuclei. Unikaryotic meronts developed into merogonial plasmodia. Merogonial division occurred by binary fission and rosette-shaped fragmentation. In young sporonts, an electron-lucent space, corresponding to the developing endospore, was immediately observed between both the plasmalemma and the exospore primordium. Sporogonial division occurred also by rosette-shaped fragmentation, resulting in at least eight sporoblasts that developed directly into spores. Fresh spores were 1.7 × 0.9 μm in size and oval-shaped. The 8–11 coil isofilar polar filament was arranged in two rows. The polaroplast was bipartite. The nature of the parasitophorous envelope, host-parasite interaction, developmental cycle and taxonomy are discussed.

Notes: Patteras of seed dispersal and seedling recruit ment of Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. were compared in abandoned and cultivated fields in Argentina. In both the abandoned and cultivated plots, the greatest concentration of seed fell below, or only a short distance, from the parent plants. A maize combine harvester greatly increased the distance of dispersal of a small part of the seed population. The availability of seed for dispersal, the direction and velocity of wind and the combine harvester were important factors determining the temporal and spatial patterns of seed distribution. The ratio of recruited seedlings to seeds shed was only 1% under the parent plant, but increased to about 100% at a distance of 1.25 m. Soil tilling, which is required for seedling recruitment, and seed density were important factors in determining seedling density as the distance from the parent plants increased. The rate of seedling recruitment was higher in areas where most of the seeds were dispersed late in the season than in those where dispersal occurred early. Dispersion des graines, distribution et reprise des plantules de Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.Les schémas de dispersion des graines et de reprise des plantules de Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. ont été comparés dans des champs abandonnés et d'autres cultivés en Argentine. Tant dans les parcelles abandonnées que cultivées, la plus grande concentration de graines tombe sous ou seulement à une faible distance des plantes parentes. Une moisonneuse à maïí a grandement augmenté la distance de dispersion d'une petite partie de la population grainière. La disponibilité des graines pour la dispersion, la direction et la vitesse du vent, et la moissonneuse ont été d'importants facteurs de détermination pour les schémas de distribution spatiale et temporaire. Le ratio de reprise de plantule était seulement de 1% sous les plantes parentes mais augmentait jusqu'à près de 100%à une distance de 1, 25 m. Le travail du sol, qui est nécessaire pour la reprise des plantules, et la densité grainière étaient d'importants facteurs dans la détermination de la densité des plantules quand la distance des plantes parentes augmente. Le taux de reprise des plantules était plus élevé dans les zones où la majorité des graines était dispersée tard en saison que dans celles où la dispersion avait eu lieu tôt. Ausbreitung der Samen sowie Verbreitung und Entwicklung der Keimpflanzen von Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.Ausbreitung der Samen und Entwicklung der Keimpflanzen von Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. wurden in Argentinien auf brachliegenden und kultivierten Feldern untersucht. In beiden Situationen fanden sich die größten Samendichten unter oder nahe der Mutterpflanzen. Mit einem Mais-Mähdrescher wurde ein kleiner Teil der Samenpopulation erheblich ausgebreitet. Die Verfügbarkeit von Samen für die Ausbreitung, die Windrichtung und-geschwindigkeit und der Mähdrusch waren wichtige Faktoren für das zeitliche und räumliche Verbreitungsmuster, Unter den Mutterpflanzen keimten die Samen nur zu 1%, aber 1,25 m entfemt zu fast 100%. Bodenbearbeitung und Samendichte bestimmten die Keimpflanzendichte mit zunehmender Entfernung von der Mutterpflanze erheblich. Die Entwichlungsrate spät ansgebreiteter Samen war höher als die früh ausgebreiteter.

Notes: Separation of strains of citrus tristeza virus (CTV), differentiated by their double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) profiles, was obtained by graft-inoculating citron plants from a Mexican lime that had been recently aphid- or graft-inoculated with a mild CTV isolate (T-385). Up to 24 sub-isolates with differing dsRNA profiles were obtained from the aphid-inoculated lime. Some of these sub-isolates induced stronger symptoms in several citrus species than the original T-385 isolate. One sub-isolate, T-385-33, was mild in Mexican lime, but induced stem pitting on sweet orange. Inoculation of this isolate on Mexican lime, sour orange and Eureka lemon induced mild or no symptoms when inoculum was taken from citron, but very severe symptoms when the inoculum was from sweet orange. Mexican lime and sweet orange plants co-inoculated with T-385-33 from sweet orange in combination with the other 23 sub-isolates showed mild symptoms. The results obtained suggest that there is natural cross-protection among sub-isolates in the original T-385 isolate.

Notes: Abstract. Larvae of Rana perezi Seoane were reared under laboratory conditions on three compounded diets, three fresh diets and three mixed diets in an attempt to compare the nutritive use and the relative performance of the feeds. The indices of nutritive use help to evaluate the diets. Best digestibility was observed with the fresh diets, although the animals grew slowly. A diet rich in protein (40%), fats, and carbohydrates improved growth rates.

Notes: Abstract. The objective of this study is to determine the optimal protein level for best growth and development of Rana perezi Seoane larvae. Performance of four diets containing 28%, 33·5%, 39% and 45·5% protein was compared. Tadpoles provided diets with 39% and 45·5% gross protein achieved the best results with regard to growth (weight gain, growth rate, feed conversion, etc.) and development (length of larval period, percentage of metamorphosis, etc.). Considering that protein is the most expensive diet component, it is estimated that the optimum quantity of protein for R. perezi larvae is about 39%.