Current molecular methods to characterize microalgae are time-intensive and expensive. Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) may represent a rapid and economical alternative approach. The objectives of this study were to determine whether MALDI-TOF MS can be used to: 1) differentiate microalgae at the species and strain levels and 2) characterize simple microalgal mixtures. A common protein extraction sample preparation method was used to facilitate rapid mass spectrometry-based analysis of 31 microalgae. Each yielded spectra containing between 6 and 56 peaks in the m/z 2,000 to 20,000 range. The taxonomic resolution of this approach appeared higher than that of 18S rDNA sequence analysis. For example, two strains of Scenedesmus acutus differed only by two 18S rDNA nucleotides, but yielded distinct MALDI-TOF mass spectra. Mixtures of two and three microalgae yielded relatively complex spectra that contained peaks associated with members of each mixture. Interestingly, though, mixture-specific peaks were observed at m/z 11,048 and 11,230. Our results suggest that MALDI-TOF MS affords rapid characterization of individual microalgae and simple microalgal mixtures.

During the years 1985 to 1987, 689 moose (Alces alces L.) collected throughout Sweden were necropsied at the National Veterinary Institute in Uppsala, Sweden. Sixty-eight of those investigated had catarrhal to hemorrhagic enteritis, atrophied lymphoid organs, and/or numerous erosive, uclerative, necrotizing lesions of the digestive mucosa. Histopathology of the mucous membranes revealed marked inter-and intracellular oedema, erosions, ulcers and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies. Neither Bovine Virus Diarrhoea/Mucosal Disease (BVD/MD) or Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) virus could be isolated from the diseased animals. It is suggested that the syndrome resembling BVD/MD complex, may have been caused by an yet unidentified virus.

Intracytoplasmic epithelial inclusion bodies in the digestive mucosa of fallow deer (Dama dama L.) were found to most probably be the result of an unspecific degenerative or post mortal change. There are reasons to believe that this is true also for the inclusion bodies found in reindeer, roe deer and moose

An outbreak of disease in farmed fallow deer (Dama dama L) resembling Bonne Virus Diarrhea/Mucosal Disease. Acta vet. scand. 1988, 29, 369-376.-Farmed fallow deer suddenly developed disease showing lethargy, weakness, anorexia and several of them died. The animals showed macroscopic lesions in the digestive mucosa characterized by erosions, ulcers and necrotizing lesions. Histo-pathology of the mucous membranes revealed marked inter-and intracellular oedema, erosions, ulcers and intracytoplasmic inclusions bodies. BVD-virus was demonstrated in I deer using an indirect immunofluorescence method. It is suggested that the disease may have been caused by Bovine Virus Diarrhea virus alone or in conjunction with a simultaneous infection by another unidentified virus. intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies.