When avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are transmitted from their reservoir hosts (wild waterfowl and shorebirds) to domestic bird species, they undergo genetic changes that have been linked to higher virulence and broader host range. Common genetic AIV modifications in viral proteins of poultry isolates are deletions in the stalk region of the neuraminidase (NA) and additions of glycosylation sit...

The rod-like, contractile stalk of the single-celled peritrich Vorticella Convalleria can collapse into a tightly coiled helix in less than 1/60 second, a rate ~1000 times its cell body size per second. The contractile stalk (25um-300um in length, ~ 4um diameter) consists of several membranes stiffened by extracellular fibers and helical assembly of larger protein bundles, known as batonets, su...

Aardvark (Aar) is a Dictyostelium beta-catenin homologue with both cytoskeletal and signal transduction roles during development. Here, we show that loss of aar causes a novel phenotype where multiple stalks appear during late development. Ectopic stalks are preceded by misexpression of the stalk marker ST-lacZ in the surrounding tissue. This process does not involve the kinase GSK-3. Mixing ex...

The paramyxovirus hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) protein plays multiple roles in viral entry and egress, including binding to sialic acid receptors, activating the fusion (F) protein to activate membrane fusion and viral entry, and cleaving sialic acid from carbohydrate chains. HN is an oligomeric integral membrane protein consisting of an N-terminal transmembrane domain, a stalk region, and ...

BACKGROUND Very limited information exists on the ruminal degradation kinetics of nutrients in garlic stalk. The present study aimed to survey the annual yield of garlic stalk in Korea and determine its feed-nutritive value for ruminants. METHODS In Experiment 1, garlic stalk was incubated in situ in the rumen of two Hanwoo steers (360 ± 15 kg body weight) and removed after 12, 24, or 48 h to...

A high-resolution genetic, physical, and cytological map of the sorghum genome is being assembled using AFLP DNA marker technology, six-dimensional pooling of BAC libraries, cDNA mapping technology, and cytogenetic analysis. Recent advances in sorghum comparative genomics and gene-transfer technology are accelerating the discovery and utilization of valuable sorghum genes and alleles.

In terms of tonnage, sorghum is Africa’s second most important cereal. The continent produces about 20 million tonnes of sorghum per annum, about one-third of the world crop. However, these figures do not do justice to the importance of sorghum in Africa. It is the only viable food grain for many of the world’s most food insecure people. Much of the African continent is characterized by semi-ar...

Complete floret abortion on sorghum panicles due to sorghum midge (Stenodiplosis sorghicola) infestation was observed just after flowering onset in early August (2008) in fields near Montpellier (France). With the aim of controlling these infestations, mathematical models simulating the biological development of the insect as a function of temperature, which were developed in Texas (USA) and ad...

determining the best mixture of sorghum and fenugreek intercropping defines the best forage quality in medicinal forage production. this project was conducted to evaluate the effect of biological, chemical and integrated fertilizing systems on forage quantity and quality in sorghum and fenugreek intercropping. the experimental treatments were arranged as split plots based on randomized block de...