Characterization of protamines from four avian species.
(18/27)
No data are available on the protamines of birds, with the exception of galline. We have characterized the protamines from four species of birds belonging to four different orders. All of them have very similar properties. They have been purified by carboxymethylcellulose chromatography and analyzed with respect to amino acid composition and electrophoretic behaviour. They are very arginine-rich proteins (63.4-67.3%) but do not contain lysine. Serine (12.0-18.2%), tyrosine (5.8-9.0%) and glycine (4.5-7.1%), along with arginine, make up the bulk of the amino acid residues in these molecules. The electrophoretic mobility of bird protamines in acetic acid-urea-polyacrylamide gels is intermediate between that of somatic histones and salmine. The molecular size, estimated from amino acid analysis and electrophoretic migration, is 65 +/- 5 amino acid residues. (+info)
Budgerigar-fancier's lung: the commonest variety of allergic alveolitis in Britain.
(19/27)
A questionnaire survey of 1005 consecutive attenders at four outpatient clinics yielded 117 (12%) budgerigar fanciers (exposed to budgerigars- known in North America as parakeets-for at least three months) and 296 (29%) former fanciers. Twnety had precipitins to budgerigar serum or droppings or both, and 10 of these together with 39 precipitin-negative patients reported undue breathlessness on exertion during exposure to buderigars. These 59 patients were investigated further, seven completing a series of inhalation provocation tests with budgerigar antigens designed to confirm or exclude budgerigar-fancier's lung (BrFL). Typical positive responses were obtained from four current and one former fancier. The prevalence of confirmed BrFL among the 11n current budgerigar fanciers was 3.4% (four cases). This was biased, however, by the inclusion of one patient whose attendance at the surveyed clinic was attributable to the disease. With the exclusion of this patient, confidence limits suggested that the true prevalence of BrFL among current budgerigar fanciers in the general population lies between 0.5% and 7.5%, which is similar to the prevalence of farmer's lung in farm workers. In view of the enormous population at risk, however, this implies that BrFL rather than farmer's lung is by far the commonest type of allergic alveolitis in Britain. (+info)
Isolation of a new avian paramyxovirus from budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus).
(20/27)
In 1974 an epizootic occurred among budgerigar flocks in Kunitachi, Tokyo, and a causative agent which possessed haemagglutinating, neuraminidase, and haemolytic activities was isolated from the lung of a dead budgerigar. This agent was 100 to 300 nm in diamter and pleomorphic. The width of the ribonucleo-protein was estimated to be about 20 nm. These results indicated that the virus, designated Kunitachi virus, was a member of the paramyxovirus group. The virus contained in the amniotic fluid from infected embryonated hen's eggs, however, at times displayed no haemagglutinating activity with different erythrocytes and complete haemagglutination could only be detected in purified preparations. The Kunitachi viruses including three strains recently isolated from the same host were found to be serologically distinct from the known paramyxovirus strains and appeared to constitute a new subtype of avian paramyxovirus. (+info)
Duck influenza lacking evidence of disease signs and immune response.
(21/27)
Influenza viruses A/duck/Hokkaido/5/77 (Hav7N2), A/budgerigar/Hokkaido/1/77 (Hav4Nav1), A/Kumamoto/22/76 (H3N2), A/Aichi/2/68 (H3N2), and A/New Jersey/8/76 (Hsw1N1) were experimentally inoculated into Pekin ducks. Of these, the influenza viruses of duck and budgerigar origin replicated in the intestinal tract of the ducks. The infected ducks shed the virus in the feces to high titers, but did not show clinical signs of disease and scarcely produced detectable serum antibodies. Using immunofluorescent staining, we demonstrated that the target cells of the duck virus in ducks were the simple columnar epithelial cells which form crypts in the large intestines, especially in the colon. After primary infection, the birds resisted reinfection with the duck virus at least for 28 days, but from 46 days onward they were susceptible to reinfection. These infections were quickly restricted by a brisk secondary immune response, reflected in the rapid appearance of high titers of antibody after reinoculation. In contrat to the avian influenza viruses, the remaining three influenza viruses of human origin did not replicate in the intestinal tract but did cause a serum antibody response. (+info)
Purification of recombinant budgerigar fledgling disease virus VP1 capsid protein and its ability for in vitro capsid assembly.
(22/27)
A recombinant system for the major capsid VP1 protein of budgerigar fledgling disease virus has been established. The VP1 gene was inserted into a truncated form of the pFlag-1 vector and expressed in Escherichia coli. The budgerigar fledgling disease virus VP1 protein was purified to near homogeneity by immunoaffinity chromatography. Fractions containing highly purified VP1 were pooled and found to constitute 3.3% of the original E. coli-expressed VP1 protein. Electron microscopy revealed that the VP1 protein was isolated as pentameric capsomeres. Electron microscopy also revealed that capsid-like particles were formed in vitro from purified VP1 capsomeres with the addition of Ca2+ ions and the removal of chelating and reducing agents. (+info)
Inhalation trauma due to overheating in a microwave oven.
(23/27)
The microwave oven is a kitchen appliance that has become increasingly popular in recent years. In some instances the temperature in the microwave oven can become exceedingly high. A case is discussed of a patient with respiratory distress after inhalation of gas from an overheated microwave oven. (+info)
Development and application of an immunohistochemical staining technique to detect avian polyomaviral antigen in tissue sections.
(24/27)
An immunohistochemical staining technique was developed to detect polyomaviral antigens of budgerigar fledgling disease in formalin-fixed tissue sections. This technique used an indirect avidin-biotin, alkaline phosphatase labeling system with a mixture of monoclonal antibodies developed against the virus major capsid protein. The staining technique was applied retrospectively to 24 avian accessions which were originally diagnosed as budgerigar fledgling disease or avian polyomavirus infection based on microscopic findings including typical intranuclear inclusions. Immunohistochemical staining resulted in positive reactions in some tissues from 17 of 24 cases. The tissues most frequently containing typical intranuclear inclusions or positive immunohistochemical staining were the spleen, liver, and kidney. Neither of the 2 nonpsittacine cases was positive immunohistochemically. This technique may be used wither as a rapid test on routinely processed diagnostic samples to confirm the presence of avian polyomavirus or for pathogenesis research studies. (+info)