Soluble glass bolus (SGB) with selenium (Se) was administered intraruminally to Se-deficient Philippine does to determine its effect on milk Se and to correlate the Se contents of does' milk and blood of does and kids. Five months after the Se administration, the does in the treated group (n = 14) had higher (p < 0.01) Se content in their blood (62.2 vs 25.7 micrograms/L) and milk (5.1 vs 2.5 micrograms/L) than does in control group (n = 13). Consequently, the blood Se of the kids (n = 14) from the treated does was higher (p < 0.05) than those kids (n = 13) in the control group (28.0 vs 5.1 micrograms/L). Blood and milk Se of does and blood Se of their kids correlated (p < 0.01) with each other. The increased Se level of does' milk because of Se supplementation was not regarded as a health hazard to humans.

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PubMedDate not supplied

A sex-transformation gene in Drosophila melanogaster.

A sex-transformation gene, tra-2OTF, of Drosophila melanogaster is described. The gene is an allele of tra-2 (transformer-2, 7--70+/-), acts only on XX individuals and transforms them into morphologically nearly normal but sterile males. Neither a male-specific lethal gene mle nor the male-killing maternally transmitted infectious SR-agent have any effect on the tra-2OTF transformed flies. External as well as internal reproductive organs of tra-2OTF transformed flies, except for the gonads, are male. The gonads, which are yellowish-colored rudimentary testis-like structures in tra-2 transformed flies, are rudimentary ovaries without yellowish coloration that sometimes develop to near maturity. Numbers of bristles in each of the female pattern in tra-2OTF and tra-2OTF/tra-2 transformed flies, while these bristles are of the male pattern in tra-2 transformed flies. Furthermore, the sixth abdominal sternite, which in normal males as well as in tra-2 transformed males lacks bristles, bears numbers of bristles in tra-2OTF and tra-2OTF/tra-2 transformed flies.

Animals↗