Influence of rice-isolated bacteria on chitinase production by the biocontrol bacterium Serratia marcescens strain B2 and the genetically modified rice epiphytic bacterium

Chitinolytic activity of the biocontrol bacterium Serratia marcescens strain B2 was inhibited by bacteria isolated from rice, even though its growth was not affected. Antifungal activity of the strain against Pyricularia oryzae was also reduced under the influence of these bacteria. In contrast, the rice-epiphytic bacterium Erwinia ananas NR1, transformed with chitinase gene chiA derived from strain B2, had high chitinolytic activity regardless of the presence of the bacteria isolated from rice. Therefore, the introduction of an antagonistic factor gene with a promoter from the recipient into the epiphytic bacteria may prove useful in the development of effective biocontrol agents.     

Inhibition of growth hormone secretagogue receptor antagonist, [D-Lys-3]-GHRP-6, in adipogenesis of ovine and rat adipocytes

Ghrelin and growth hormone secretagogues receptor (GHS‐R or ghrelin receptor) have been reported as being one of the factors of adipogenesis in adipocytes. To investigate the involvement of ghrelin and GHS‐R in adipocytes, the effect of the GHS‐R antagonist, [D‐Lys‐3]‐GHRP‐6 (His‐D‐Trp‐D‐Lys‐Trp‐D‐Phe‐Lys‐NH₂), on the process of adipogenesis in ovine and rat adipocytes was evaluated. [D‐Lys‐3]‐GHRP‐6 (10^?7 mol/L) significantly inhibited adipogenic differentiation of ovine and rat preadipocytes prepared from adipose tissues. The level of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)‐γ2 mRNA, an adipogenic marker, was decreased during the differentiation of adipocytes treated with [D‐Lys‐3]‐GHRP‐6 for 10 days. Ghrelin stimulated adipogenesis, also causing an increment of glycerol‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase and upregulation of PPAR‐γ2. Furthermore, the antilipolytic effect of ghrelin was attenuated by treatment with [D‐Lys‐3]‐GHRP‐6 in both types of isolated adipocytes. Overall, the results of the present study highlight that GHS‐R in adipogenesis can be blocked by treatment with [D‐Lys‐3]‐GHRP‐6.     

Quantitative structure-activity studies of insect growth regulators: XIX. Effects of substituents on the aromatic moiety of dibenzoylhydrazines on larvicidal activity against the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua

Larvicidal activity against the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), was measured after topical treatment for a series of N-tert-butyl-dibenzoylhydrazines having various substituents in the benzoyl (A-ring) moiety closer to the tert-butyl group, the other benzoyl (B-ring) moiety being unsubstituted. The effects of substituents on the larvicidal activity were analyzed using the classical quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) procedure. Introduction of hydrophobic substituents with a small volume into any position was favourable to activity. The existence of electron-withdrawing substituents at ortho positions was also favourable to activity. For multi-substituted compounds, physico-chemically unknown unfavourable factors were suggested to remain after separating common substituent effects derived from QSAR for mono-substituted analogues. With the exception of the unsubstituted compound RH-5849, the effect of substituents in the A-ring moiety on the larvicidal activity was similar to those found with the lepidopteran rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker). The larvicidal activity of RH-5849 against S exigua was significantly lower than the value predicted from the correlation between activities against S exigua and C suppressalis. Topical treatment with piperonyl butoxide, a synergist inhibiting oxidative metabolism, slightly enhanced the larvicidal activity of RH-5849 against S exigua.     

Reduced Activity of Lecithin:Cholesterol Acyltransferase in the Serum of Cows with Ketosis and Left Displacement of the Abomasum

Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity was evaluated in sera from cows with ketosis and in some with left displacement of the abomasum (LDA) that occurred during early lactation. The enzyme activities of 652±214 U (mean±SD) in cows with ketosis (n = 6) and 683±110 U in those with LDA (n = 5) were significantly (p<0.01) decreased compared to those in healthy normal cows (994±65 U, n = 8). Serum concentrations of free cholesterol, cholesteryl esters (CE) and phospholipids were similarly decreased in the two diseases. Cows whose LCAT activity and CE concentration were lower than the normal values were detected while in the non-lactating stage, and some of these cows had ketosis after parturition. It is suggested that evaluation of the LCAT activity and of the CE concentration during the non-lactating stage would be useful in detecting cows that are susceptible to postparturient disorders such as ketosis.     

Similarities and differences in meat consumption patterns in Asia and Pacific-Rim countries

This study investigated consumer behavior towards meat across Asia and Pacific-Rim countries. Mail surveys were undertaken in 1994 and 1995. Data was obtained from 6197 households in Japan, the USA (mainland and Japanese–Americans in Hawaii), Australia, Thailand, Korea, Taiwan and China. The data were mainly analyzed using cluster analysis to determine the distance between each country and to classify countries into groups. Japanese respondents purchased beef more frequently than respondents from other countries. The average amount purchased on each occasion was far more for Australian respondents than for respondents from other countries, while Japanese purchased far less. Respondents in Japan, Korea, China and Australia thought beef was the most expensive meat, whereas lamb was thought to be the most expensive in the remaining countries. Chinese respondents indicated the highest consciousness of price indexes. The level of uneasiness about eating meat indicated by Asian respondents was relatively strong compared with respondents in Hawaii, the USA and Australia. Average ratings (semantic differential scale) on plans for future meat consumption were higher for beef than for other meats in Korea and China, whereas chicken was rated higher in the other countries. From the dendrogram, surveyed countries were classified into three groups: Japan, Taiwan and Korea; Thailand and China; and the USA, Japanese–Americans and Australia. Among them, the first and second clusters merged into a larger cluster, the 'Asian' group.     

Mapping of expressed sequence tag markers with a cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism method in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)

In our previous study, a Kobe‐NIBS Japanese quail (KNQ) linkage map was constructed mainly using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. In order to compare chicken and quail chromosomes, we developed expressed sequence tag (EST) markers derived from cDNA‐AFLP fragments and localized these markers on the linkage map. Using a total of 128 AFLP primer combinations, 24 polymorphic bands were obtained between a neurofilament‐deficient mutant quail line male and a muscular disorder quail line female, which were the parents of the KNQ resource family. Nine of the 24 markers were mapped by linkage analysis. These markers were mapped to seven linkage groups, namely 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 15 and 42. A subsequent homology search using chicken genome sequences strongly suggests that these linkage groups correspond with chicken chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 5, 15, 23 and 26.     

Bovine undifferentiated alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma and its differentiation in xenotransplanted tumors.

At necropsy, a 7-year-old Holstein cow, clinically diagnosed via rectal palpation as having malignant abdominal neoplasia was found to have many metastatic tumors of various sizes in the abdominal and thoracic cavities and in the liver, lung, kidney, adrenal, uterus, and lymph nodes. These tumors were examined by histologic and immunohistochemical methods using anti-human myoglobin, anti-bovine myoglobin, and anti-desmin sera. Tumors were diagnosed as undifferentiated alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas. The tumors in the abdominal and thoracic cavities differed histologically from the metastases in organs. The former tumors consisted of only undifferentiated cells, most of which did not stain positively for desmin or myoglobin. The metastatic tumors contained a few rhabdomyoblastic cells that stained positively for desmin and myoglobin. Tumors tissues from the cow were transplanted and propagated through six passages in athymic nude mice. After one passage, the transplanted tumor histologically resembled those from the abdominal serosa and consisted of cells with scanty cytoplasm with an alveolar arrangement. Cells from this tumor stained positively for desmin and negatively for myoglobin. After two passages through nude mice, tumor cells were of two distinct histologic types: those cells with scanty cytoplasm and elongated cells with plentiful eosinophilic cytoplasm. Both of these cells stained positively for both desmin and myoglobin. After six passages, cross striations were detected in neoplastic cells by electron microscopy. These findings illustrate that a highly undifferentiated bovine rhabdomyosarcoma, in which most of the cells in the original tumor lacked desmin and myoglobin, became better differentiated and stained positively for desmin and myoglobin after serial transplantation in nude mice.     

Enhanced production of IL-1beta and IL-6 following endotoxin challenge in rats with dietary magnesium deficiency

Serum IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNFalpha were not detected in control and Mg-deficient rats. These three cytokine levels in serum were increased after endotoxin challenge (1 mg/kg., i.p.), and the increase of IL-1beta and IL-6, but not TNFalpha, was significantly larger in Mg-deficient rats than in controls. Levels of mRNA for IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNFalpha in alveolar macrophages showed a tendency to decrease during Mg deficiency, but the levels of IL-1beta and TNFalpha mRNAs after endotoxin challenge were higher in Mg-deficient rats than in controls. These results suggest that the increased synthesis of cytokines by alveolar macrophages might contribute, in part, to high sensitivity to endotoxin during Mg deficiency.     

Quantitative structure-activity studies of insect growth regulators: XVIII. Effects of substituents on the aromatic moiety of dibenzoylhydrazines on larvicidal activity against the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata

Larvicidal activity against the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) was measured for a series of N-tert-butyl-dibenzoylhydrazines having various substituents on the benzoyl (A-ring) moiety nearer to the tert-butyl group, with the other benzoyl (B-ring) moiety being unsubstituted. The effects of these substituent on the larvicidal activity were analyzed using classical quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) procedures. The effects of substituents on the A-ring moiety on larvicidal activity were entirely different from those against the lepidopteran rice stem borer Chilo suppressalis (Walker) previously reported. Position-specific steric and hydrophobic effects, as well as certain substitution patterns, were likely to participate in modifying the larvicidal activity. The activity of para-substituted compounds was generally lower than that of un-, ortho- and meta-substituted compounds. Most multi-substituted compounds showed an activity equivalent to or lower than that of the unsubstituted compound. Among 46 compounds tested, the 2-sec-butoxy analogue was most potent against L decemlineata, although this compound had previously been shown to be only weakly active against C suppressalis.