灌浆结实期弱光对水稻籽粒淀粉积累及相关酶活性的影响

 选用IR72（籼稻）和日本晴（粳稻）为材料，在开花后进行遮光处理，对弱光条件下籽粒淀粉和直链淀粉含量的动态变化及相关酶的活性进行了研究。在弱光条件下，两品种籽粒的淀粉含量减少，直链淀粉含量下降，蔗糖含量降低，ADPG焦磷酸化酶活性的变化较小，可溶性淀粉合成酶和颗粒结合型淀粉合成酶活性减弱，可溶性淀粉分支酶Q酶和颗粒结合型淀粉分支酶活性增强，淀粉去分支酶活性因品种而异，IR72表现为减弱，日本晴则为增强。相关分析表明，遮光下蔗糖输入量的减少量和淀粉合成量的下降量呈显著正相关；ADPG焦磷酸化酶和淀粉分支酶活性与淀粉积累速率呈显著正相关。分析指出，遮光下淀粉合成酶活性的降低与淀粉合成量的下降有关，淀粉分支酶活性的升高是直链淀粉占淀粉总量的比率减少的重要原因。     

Age and growth of Sebastes vulpes in the coastal waters of western Hokkaido, Japan

ABSTRACT:   Age and growth of Sebastes vulpes collected from the coastal waters of western Hokkaido were studied. Observation of the otolith margin verified that annuli (outer margins of the opaque zone) were produced chiefly from July to August. This period was associated with parturition and the birth season. The maximum age estimated by the surface method was 12 years but the oldest fish was aged at 35 years by the cross-section method. The surface method was inadequate for aging of S. vulpes older than 6 years because of the underestimation of age. No significant difference was found in the parameters of the growth equations between both sexes. The von Bertalanffy growth curve combined for both sexes was as follows: SL _t  = 358.6(1 − exp^{−0.156( t +0.820)}), where SL _t is standard length (mm) at age t (after parturition in years). It seems likely that S. vulpes grows slowly and lives longer than previously thought.     

Diel activity and vertical distribution of Lysianassoid amphipods dominant in Onagawa Bay, north-eastern Japan

ABSTRACT:   Baited traps were used over 24 h to reveal the diel activity and vertical distribution of three dominant lysianassoid amphipods ( Scopelocheirus onagawae , Anonyx omorii , Anonyx abei ) in Onagawa Bay, north-eastern Japan. The three species were the most dominant small crustacean scavengers in the bay. Most individuals were caught by traps deployed 0.3 m above the bottom, showing that they were active in the layers close to the sea bottom. No habitat segregation was found among species or developmental stages, suggesting that these scavengers rely on the food supply from bottom deposits. The three species increased remarkably in numbers of collected individuals at night, showing a rise in feeding activity. The two Anonyx species were collected only during the night, and S. onagawae was collected mostly during the night. The nocturnal activity appears to be an adaptation to reduce predation risks. However, juveniles of S. onagawae appeared even during the day, suggesting that feeding might take precedence over avoiding predation. Baited traps collected ovigerous females of S. onagawae but not of Anonyx species; the reason for the difference could not be determined.     

Granulosa cell tumor in 8 African pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris)

A retrospective study involving eight African pygmy hedgehogs histopathologically diagnosed with granulosa cell tumors was conducted. The age at onset was 2.2–4.5 years, with a median age of 3.6 years. The most common clinical signs were hematuria and abdominal distension, which were observed in >50% cases. Exploratory laparotomy was performed in all cases, and ovariohysterectomy or excision of the abdominal mass was performed. Patients with only hematuria survived for >250 days after surgery, whereas those with initial ascites showed recurrence of ascites or tumor growth and survived for approximately 130 days after surgery. Intraperitoneal injection of carboplatin was performed in three recurrent cases. In one of these three cases, the tumor mass disappeared. Hence, carboplatin can be considered a potential antineoplastic drug for the treatment of granulosa cell tumors.     

Association of a single nucleotide polymorphism in ribosomal protein L27a gene with marbling in Japanese Black beef cattle

Marbling, defined by the amount and distribution of intramuscular fat, is an economically important trait of beef cattle in Japan. The c2‐11#2 expressed sequence tag (EST) has been previously shown to possess expression difference in musculus longissimus muscle between low‐marbled and high‐marbled steer groups, and to be located within genomic region of a quantitative trait locus for marbling. Thus, the ribosomal protein L27a (RPL27A) gene containing the c2‐11#2 EST sequence was considered as a positional candidate for the gene responsible for marbling. In the present study, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter region of the RPL27A, referred to as g.3109537C>T, was detected between the 2 steer groups. The SNP was associated with the predicted breeding value for beef marbling standard number by the analyses using Japanese Black beef cattle population. The effect of genotypes of the SNP on the predicted breeding value for subcutaneous fat thickness was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that the RPL27A SNP may be useful for effective marker‐assisted selection to increase the levels of marbling in Japanese Black beef cattle.