Oral administration of L-citrulline changes the concentrations of plasma hormones and biochemical profile in heat-exposed broilers

We examined the effects of oral administration of L-citrulline (L-Cit) on plasma metabolic hormones and biochemical profile in broilers. Food intake, water intake, and body temperature were also analyzed. After dual oral administration (20 mmol/head/administration) of L-Cit, broilers were exposed to a high ambient temperature (HT; 30 ± 1°C) chamber for 120 min. Oral administration of L-Cit reduced (p < .001) rectal temperature in broilers. Food intake was increased (p < .05) by heat stress, but it was reduced (p < .05) by L-Cit. Plasma levels of 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine, which initially increased (p < .0001) due to heat stress, were reduced (p < .01) by oral administration of L-Cit. Plasma insulin levels were increased by heat exposure (p < .01) and oral L-Cit (p < .05). Heat stress caused a decline (p < .05) in plasma thyroxine. Plasma lactic acid (p < .05) and non-esterified fatty acids (p < .01) were increased in L-Cit-treated heat-exposed broilers. In conclusion, our results suggest that oral L-Cit can modulate plasma concentrations of major metabolic hormones and reduces food intake in broilers.     

Need for flagella for complete virulence of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci: genetic analysis with flagella-defective mutants ?fliC and ?fliD in host tobacco plants

The flagellins purified from Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci induce a hypersensitive reaction in nonhost tomato cells. To investigate the role of flagella and flagellin in the compatible interaction, we generated two types of flagella-defective mutant. The fliC mutant lost the fliC gene that encodes flagellin protein, whereas the fliD mutant lost the fliD gene that encodes HAP2-capping protein. The two mutants had markedly reduced ability to cause disease symptoms in tobacco leaves. Furthermore, propagation of the mutants in tobacco leaves was less than that in wild-type pv. tabaci. Compared to the inoculation with wild-type pv. tabaci, inoculation with the two mutants did not markedly induce the expression of typical defense response-related genes such as PAL and hsr203J. Complementation of each fliC and fliD gene to the corresponding deficient mutant restored motility and virulence. These results indicate that flagella of P. syringae pv. tabaci are indispensable organelles for complete virulence on host tobacco plants.     

Age-related changes of genital systems in the female Crj:CD (SD) IGS rats during sexual maturation

The age-related changes of vaginal opening, body weight, the weights of the uterus and ovary, together with histological examination, serum 17beta-estradiol (E2) and progesterone levels were examined in intact female Crj:CD (SD) IGS rats between 21 and 36 days of age to understand the basic biological profile of changes of the female genital system during sexual maturation in the rat for female pubertal assays. With the beginning of the elevation of serum E2 level from 28 days of age, all parameters except body weight started to show drastic change until 31 days of age. The highest incidence of vaginal opening was recorded at 34 days of age. On macroscopic examinations, a number of rats showed uterine imbibition but vaginal opening. Immediately after the confirmation of the vaginal opening, the genital systems of three rats were observed microscopically. Both ovaries already had multiple corpora lutea, and degeneration of endometrial epithelial cells was observed. In conclusion, we obtained essential data on genital tract development of female Crj:CD (SD) IGS rats for in vivo screening assays that will contribute to detect potential endocrine active chemicals. In addition, it is assumed that the first ovulation precedes or occurs simultaneously with vaginal opening.     

Morphological analogy of the rostral midline area in the chicken midbrain to the anteromedian nucleus in the mammalian midbrain

Substance P-immunoreactive neurons projecting from the midbrain to the spinal cord of the chicken were examined by the use of the retrograde tract-tracing method combined with immunohistochemical techniques. Many small neurons were densely clustered in the rostral midline area of the midbrain (RMA), and showed substance P-immunoreactivity. These substance P-immunoreactive neurons sent axons to the intermediomedial cell column (avian autonomic preganglion) and its vicinity in the lumbar spinal segments. On the basis of the strong neuroanatomical analogy in the cytoarchitectural features, immunoreactivity, and fiber connections, the RMA was assumed to be the avian homologue of the anteromedian nucleus in the mammalian midbrain.     

Pea extracellular Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase responsive to signal molecules from a fungal pathogen

We previously reported that the release of O₂ ⁻ from isolated pea cell walls was enhanced by a 70-kDa glycoprotein elicitor but was suppressed by mucin-type glycopeptide suppressors (supprescins A and B) prepared from pycnospore germination fluid of Mycosphaerella pinodes, causal agent of Mycosphaerella blight of pea. Here, we show that superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the apoplast fluid/cell wall of pea seedlings responds to the fungal elicitor and suppressor molecules. In a pharmacological study and with internal amino acid sequencing, the apoplastic SOD in a pea cultivar Midoriusui was found to be a Cu/Zn type SOD. We cloned a full-length cDNA of the Cu/Zn-SOD and designated it as PsCu/Zn-SOD1. An increase in PsCu/Zn-SOD1 mRNA and the PsCu/Zn-SOD1 protein was induced by treatment with the elicitor more intensively than by wounding. Such induction by the elicitor or wounding, however, was inhibited by the concomitant presence of supprescins. The SOD activity of recombinant PsCu/Zn-SOD1 was regulated directly by these signal molecules in a manner similar to their effect on the SOD activity in the apoplastic fluid and in the cell wall-bound proteins. Based on these findings, we discuss a role for PsCu/Zn-SOD1 in the pea defense response. The nucleotide sequence data of PsCu/Zn-SOD1 reported are available in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases under accession number AB189165.     

N-terminal domain including conserved flg22 is required for flagellin-induced hypersensitive cell death in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis thaliana</Emphasis>

Flagellin in Pseudomonas syringae is a potent elicitor of defense responses including hypersensitive cell death in dicot plants. The oligopeptides flg22 consisting of 22 conserved amino acids near the N-terminus of flagellins is reported to induce plant defense responses. Because glycosylation of the central domain of flagellin affects its elicitor activity, we investigated whether any peptide sequence in addition to flg22 is required for flagellin-induced hypersensitive reaction. A study of recombinant flagellin polypeptides indicated that the N-terminal domain including the conserved flg22 is required for flagellin-induced hypersensitive cell death in Arabidopsis thaliana.     

Pollen dispersal in a hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) seed orchard detected using a chloroplast DNA marker

Pollen dispersal was estimated in two test plots in a hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) seed orchard using a chloroplast DNA marker, the spacer region between thetrnD andtrnY genes, and SSCP (single strand conformation polymorphism). In Plot 1, 2,020 seeds from 40 trees within 30 m of the marker tree were analyzed using the PCR-SSCP method. In Plot 2, 1,850 seeds from 37 trees were analyzed in the same manner. The results revealed that the maximum pollen dispersal distance in the two plots exceeded 25 m. Pollen dispersal appeared to be inversely proportional to the distance from the marker tree. The effective pollen dispersal was suggested to be less than about 20 m in a mature hinoki seed orchard. Adjacent trees had an excessive influence when the pollen density was increased by artificial flower stimulation. Therefore, it was suggested that seed production better resembles ideal random mating when carried out as naturally as possible. In conclusion, the SSCP chloroplast DNA marker was a useful tool for amassing basic information on pollen management in seed orchards of coniferous species.     

Genetic diversity of Populus euphratica populations in northwestern China determined by RAPD DNA analysis

Five Populus euphratica Oliver populations in northwestern China were analyzed using RAPD DNA markers to determine genetic diversity among and within populations. One hundred-and-five polymorphic bands were observed, ranging in size from 250 bp to 1700 bp, using 10 primers. Only one population on the north side of the Tianshern Range had a unique band common to all individuals that was not found in individuals from populations in the Tarim River valley. Intra-population genetic diversity was high in two populations along the Tarim River and low in the other three populations. There was no significant correlation between genetic distances and geographic distances. The result of correspondence analysis shows that the individuals from the three populations with low genetic diversity are isolated from each other. The result of cluster analysis based on genetic distance shows that the population in the Tianshern Range is genetically distant from the other populations. These results suggest that the Tianshern Range population was genetically isolated from the other populations.     

Effects of high dose of vitamin A on reproduction and egg quality of Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

ABSTRACT: The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary vitamin A on reproduction and egg quality in Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus . Broodstock were fed experimental pellets containing two levels of vitamin A [11 × 10³ IU/100 g (control diet; CD), 337 × 10³ IU/100 g (experimental diet; ED)] for approximately 2 months before spawning and during the spawning period. Two groups of five females (average weight 1.4 kg) and 10 males (average weight 0.7 kg) were randomly allocated to two 30 m³ indoor tanks. Total egg production of the CD group was slightly higher than the ED group. Percentage of buoyant eggs and hatching rate of the ED group were significantly higher than the CD. In other egg quality parameters, such as percentage abnormal larvae and starvation tolerance of larvae, no notable difference was found between these two groups. At the end of the experiment, the skin color of broodstock in the ED group was darker than that of the CD group. Vitamin A content in eggs of the ED group was significantly higher than that of the CD group. However, the difference in vitamin A content in eggs between the ED and CD groups was much smaller than that in the liver of the females between the two groups. These results indicate that feeding broodstock a higher level of vitamin A increases the vitamin A content in eggs but does not affect egg quality in Japanese flounder because excess dietary vitamin A was stored mainly in the broodstocks' liver.     

Properties of scallop mantle collagen: its content,tissue distribution and thermal behavior

ABSTRACT:   To obtain fundamental information for the effective use of scallop Patinopecten yessoensis mantle, which is one of the underutilized marine resources. Some properties of collagen contained in the mantle were examined by chemical and histochemical techniques. Collagen content in the mantle varied annually, ranging from 0.98 to 1.72% of wet tissue, 7.7 to 12.6% of dry tissue and 13.5 to 26.5% of total protein, being relatively in high level of collagen content of invertebrate muscles. Collagen fiber was densely distributed in the inner connective tissue matrix of the mantle pallial, in contrast to the inner fold part which was rich in muscle fibers. The collagen contained in the crude collagen fraction (residue after alkali extraction), prepared from the mantle, was revealed to have considerably low solubility on hot-water extraction, constantly less than 20% of the total collagen at the temperatures in the range of 20–90°C.