Allelic loss analysis of lymphomas induced in Fas-heterozygous deficient mice

Mutations of Fas (CD95/Apo-1) gene have been reported in various malignancies and therefore the Fas gene has been considered to be a tumor suppressor gene. To examine an involvement of Fas gene as a tumor suppressor gene in radiation lymphomagenesis, we examined the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in lymphomas from (MSM/Ms x MRL-MpJ/Fas (lpr)) F(1) and (BALB/cHeA x MRL-MpJ/Fas (lpr)) F(1) hybrid mice. Lymphoma development by X-irradiation was efficiently observed in both F(1) hybrids. Frequent LOH was found on chromosomes 12 and 4 in the tumors from both F(1) mice, but no allelic loss on chromosome 19 containing Fas locus was found, and no wild-type allele of the Fas gene was lost in 51 lymphomas. Therefore, the putative tumor-suppressor gene regions responsible for lymphomagenesis might not considerably differ due to the Fas gene status.     

Analysis of natural populations and possible natural reassortment of Cucumber mosaic virus

Plants naturally infected with Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) were collected and analyzed by electrophoresis of the replicative form of dsRNA and by Northern blot hybridization using CMV RNA-specific probes. Some of the CMV-infected plants, especially winter crops, contained two kinds of RNA 1 segments or RNA 2 segments (or both), suggesting that mixed infections of CMV occurred naturally. Single-aphid-transmitted isolates (SATIs) from the field isolate containing two RNA 1 segments were grouped into three types by the electrophoretic mobility of RNA 1 (i.e., those containing one slow segment, those containing one fast segment, and those containing both). Furthermore, SATIs and single-lesion isolates, generated from the plants inoculated with a mixture of two CMV isolates that could be differentiated by their electrophoretic dsRNA profiles, were analyzed by dsRNA, indicating that nonparental progenies were observed. These results suggested that genetic reassortment of CMV RNA may occur in nature and that this is an important mechanism in CMV evolution.     

Mitochondrial DNA variation and population structure of the Japanese mitten crab Eriocheir japonica

ABSTRACT:   The Japanese mitten crab Eriocheir japonica is a common grapsid species found throughout freshwater and estuarine regions in Japan. In order to obtain information on the genetic variation and population structure of this species, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was conducted on the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) of mitochondrial DNA, on 666 individuals from 19 sample sites covering the three main geographic regions of Japan (Main Islands, Okinawa, and Ogasawara). Genetic analysis using seven restriction enzymes produced an array of 61 composite haplotypes. Three regional groups corresponding to the three geographic regions were clearly identified by cluster and molecular variance model ( amova ) analyses. Each of the three groups showed dominant haplotypes that were almost completely absent in populations from the other geographic areas. Comparison with published information for other species indicates that the degree of genetic divergence between these three main groups is equivalent to the genetic distance between congeneric species. Thus, the population structure of the Japanese mitten crab, as inferred from mtDNA analysis, is formed by genetically distinct groups that closely reflect their geographic distribution in the Japanese archipelago as well as restricted gene flow.     

Short-term responses of adult kuruma shrimp Marsupenaeus japonicus (Bate) to environmental salinity: osmotic regulation, oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion

The effects of salinity on haemolymph osmolality, oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion were investigated in adult kuruma shrimp, Marsupenaeus japonicus (Bate), at salinities of 20, 25, 30 and 35 g L^?1. Haemolymph osmolality showed a positive linear relationship (r²=0.9854) with medium osmolality. The isosmotic point calculated from this relationship was 1039 mOsm kg^?1, which corresponds to a salinity of approximately 35 g L^?1. The slope of the regression equation was very high (0.81), suggesting that M. japonicus adults are poor osmoregulators compared with the adults of other penaeids and to conspecific young. The difference between haemolymph and medium osmolality (D_OP) was lowest at 35 g L^?1 and highest at 20 g L^?1. Thus, the minimum D_OP coincided with the isosmotic point of the shrimp. The respiration rate was significantly lower at 30 g L^?1 than at the other salinities. Ammonia excretion rates were inversely related with salinity and therefore were minimal at 35 g L^?1. The results of this study suggest that the optimum salinity for adult kuruma shrimp is around 30–35 g L^?1 and that even minor (e.g. 5 g L^?1) deviations from this optimum cause significant physiological changes. Further, the observed increases in oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion during exposure to low salinities, which indicate higher energy expenditure and amino acid catabolism for osmoregulation, respectively, suggest that the growth efficiency of M. japonicus adults may be severely compromised by hypohaline water inflow into the rearing ponds.     

Lipid class and fatty acid composition of phospholipids from the gonads of skipjack tuna

ABSTRACT:   Lipid class and fatty acid composition of phospholipids from the gonads of skipjack tuna were examined to evaluate effective utilization of the processing of by-products. The predominant phospholipids in the ovaries were phosphatidylcholine (PC; 47.9%), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE; 19.3%) and lyso-phosphatidylcholine (LPC; 19.1%). In contrast, those in the testes were PC (40.1%), PE (29.3%) and phosphatidylserine (PS; 9.6%). The percentage of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was markedly high at more than 50% in LPC of the ovaries, and PE and PS of the testes were also high. The percentages of DHA at sn-position 2 of the predominant phospholipids, except for PC in the testes, were more than 60%, in particular PE in the testes was remarkably high at 81.9%. After storage for 2 days at 5°C, the LPC content in the ovaries increased twofold and the DHA level of LPC was the same as before, though the contents of other phospholipids decreased.     

Time to recover the upright posture in juvenile abalones (Haliotis discus discus Reeve, H. gigantea Gmelin and H. madaka Habe)

The adoption of an upright posture in abalones is essential to enable them to use their foot, and hence to be able to move and seek shelter, as well as to avoid exposure of soft parts and possible predation. In mass restocking programs for abalone, juveniles are released by divers near the seabed, but without control over their posture when they reach the bottom. Thus, the time to recover the upright posture is an important consideration in abalone restocking programs as the quicker they assume this posture the higher the likelihood of survival. This study reports significant differences in the speed of recovering the upright posture between juveniles of the abalones Haliotis discus discus, H. gigantea and H. madaka and between tests conducted under stagnant and flowing water conditions. Longer times were required for recovery in all species in stagnant than flowing water. On average, juveniles of H. discus discus (17.16 and 10.43 s) and H. gigantea (22.54 and 11.89 s) recovered faster than those of H. madaka (161.13 and 49.02 s) under stagnant and flowing water conditions respectively. These results suggest that different species require different levels of care and that water flow or current at the time of release may affect post‐release survival.     

3维图像处理系统在稻米品质检测中的应用研究

利用微切片3维图像处理系统对稻米的品质特性进行了探索性的研究。结果表明，借助于3维可视化技术，可以对稻谷的外观品质、营养品质及蒸煮品质等进行更为直观且客观的观察与测定。尤其是在营养成分分布密度的评价、心白米内部组织的分析、蒸煮过程中组织结构变化的观测等方面，取得了传统研究方法难以获得的结果。利用该系统对垩白度的定量化测定，为食品的定量形态学研究开辟了一条新的研究途径。     

Lack of exposed ice inside lunar south pole Shackleton Crater

The inside of Shackleton Crater at the lunar south pole is permanently shadowed; it has been inferred to hold water-ice deposits. The Terrain Camera (TC), a 10-meter-resolution stereo camera onboard the Selenological and Engineering Explorer (SELENE) spacecraft, succeeded in imaging the inside of the crater, which was faintly lit by sunlight scattered from the upper inner wall near the rim. The estimated temperature of the crater floor, based on the crater shape model derived from the TC data, is less than approximately 90 kelvin, cold enough to hold water-ice. However, at the TC's spatial resolution, the derived albedo indicates that exposed relatively pure water-ice deposits are not on the crater floor. Water-ice may be disseminated and mixed with soil over a small percentage of the area or may not exist at all.