Intratubal insemination with fresh semen in dogs

The number of spermatozoa required to obtain conception by intratubal insemination in dogs was examined. Three groups consisting of 5, 8 and 8 dogs received 0.5 x 10 (6), 2.0 x 10(6) and 4.0 x 10(6) spermatozoa, respectively, into each uterine tube. No conception occurred in the 5 animals inseminated with 0.5 x 10(6) spermatozoa, but conception occurred in 6/8 (75.0%) and 3/8 (37.5%) dogs inseminated with 2.0 x 10(6) and 4.0 x 10 (6) spermatozoa, respectively. Among the pregnant animals, three aborted (33.3%) and the mean number of newborns was small, 2.5 +/- 0.5 (SE). One acardiacus anceps was observed with normal fetus in one animal with a Caesarean delivery.     

Lectin-binding characteristics and capacitation of canine epididymal spermatozoa

Cross sections of the testes and the caput, corpus and cauda epididymides removed from 12 dogs were stamped on glass slides, and the sperm on the slides were stained with 6 different FITC-lectins (Con A, DBA, PNA, PSA, SBA, and WGA) to examine the characteristics of the surface glycoproteins (GPs) on canine epididymal sperm. The corpus epididymal sperm were washed three times by centrifugation, and their lectin-binding characteristics were investigated. The washed sperm from the corpus and cauda epididymides were incubated for 24 hr, and the fertilizing capacity of the sperm was evaluated by calculating the percentages of actively motile sperm (%MO), hyperactivated sperm (%HA), and acrosome-reacted sperm (%AR), and the number of canine zona-pellucida (ZP)-binding sperm. The testicular sperm did not stain with SBA lectin, but the SBA lectin fluorescence was observed on the surface of the entire heads of the caput epididymal sperm. Although all of the entire heads or acrosomal regions of the corpus epididymal sperm stained with all 6 FITC-lectins, the heads and acrosomal regions of the cauda epididymal sperm did not stain with DBA or SBA lectins. Washing the sperm from the corpus epididymis resulted in loss of the fluorescence of the FITC-DBA and -SBA lectins. The mean %MO, %HA, %AR, and ZP-binding number of the cauda epididymal sperm after 24 hr of incubation were higher than the values for the corpus epididymal sperm. All of the mean values for the washed sperm from the corpus and cauda epididymides were higher than the values for the unwashed sperm from the corpus and cauda, and with the exception of %AR, the values from the washed sperm from the corpus epididymis were significantly higher (P<0.05, 0.01). The results indicate that DBA- and SBA-lectin-binding GPs on the surface of canine epididymal sperm are associated with the fertilizing capacity and may be decapacitation factors.     

Factors affecting transuterine migration of canine embryos

Dogs, cats, and pigs have a bicornuate uterus, and transuterine migration of embryos occurs in 40% or more of pregnant animals. However, the mechanism of the transuterine migration has not been elucidated in dogs. Thus, we investigated the occurrence of transuterine migration of embryos when embryos were retained in an unilateral uterine tube with more ovulated ova (Experiment 1), when one ovary was excised (Experiment 2), and when ova ovulated from the right and left ovaries were fertilized with sperm from male dogs with different blood types (Experiment 3). Transuterine migration of embryos was observed in 7/8 (87.5%), 10/10 (100%), and 11/17 (67.4%) fertilized animals in Experiments 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In Experiment 3, intrauterine embryo mixing reported in pigs did not occur. These findings suggest that transuterine migration of embryos occurs due to the number of embryos that enter the uterus but that differences in the number of ovulated ova between the right and left ovaries or the number of embryos retained in the uterine tube do not affect the migration.     

Performance of using opposing homozygotes for paternity testing in Japanese Black cattle

Genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in Japanese Black cattle enable genomic prediction and verifying parent–offspring relationships. We assessed the performance of opposing homozygotes (OH) for paternity testing in Japanese Black cattle, using SNP genotype information of 50 sires and 3,420 fattened animals, 1,945 of which were fathered by the 50 genotyped sires. The number of OH was counted for each sire–progeny pair in 28,764 SNPs with minor allele frequencies of ≥0.05 in this population. Across all pairs of animals, the number of OH tended to increase as the pedigree-based coefficient of relationship decreased. With a threshold of 288 (1% of SNPs) for paternity testing, most sire–progeny pairs were detected as true relationships. The frequency of Mendelian inconsistencies was 2.4%, reflecting the high accuracy of pedigree information in Japanese Black cattle population. The results indicate the utility of OH for paternity testing in Japanese Black cattle.     

Age trends in the genetic parameters of wood density and the relationship with growth rates in hybrid larch (Larix gmelinii var. japonica × L. kaempferi) F1

Age trends in variance components and heritability of overall wood density, earlywood and latewood density, and latewood proportion were investigated in 29-year-old trees of 19 full-sib families of hybrid larch (Larix gmelinii var. japonica × Larix kaempferi) F₁. The age–age correlation and optimum selection age for these traits were also estimated and genetic and phenotypic correlations between wood density and radial growth rate were calculated for each growth ring. Intraring wood density data were obtained using X-ray densitometry. The coefficient of additive genetic variance was stable over all ages, whereas the coefficient of environmental variances gradually decreased with increasing age, resulting in increases in heritability estimates with age for overall density. The latewood proportion had the highest heritability estimates at all ages, ranging from 0.44 to 0.66. Overall density and its various components at 28 years of age showed strong genetic correlations with their respective traits at all younger ages. Optimum selection ages for the wood density traits ranged from 8 to 14 years, at which point maximum gain efficiencies per year were obtained. There were negative correlations between wood density and radial growth rate at early ages, although these relationships tended to be weaker with increasing age. These results suggest that selection at a young age is effective for wood density, but particular care must be taken in selecting trees with an improved radial growth rate because rapid growth will result in a low-density wood product, especially in the early growth period.     

Root growth enhancement by rhizospheric aluminum treatment in Quercus serrata Thunb. seedlings

This article discusses the effect of aluminum on root growth of Querucus serrata Thunb. In a 9-week hydroponics experiment, the effects of various concentrations (0 to 5.0 mM) of Al on root growth were examined. Results revealed that root biomass increases with the increase in Al concentration up to 2.5 mM, and then it tended to decrease. In the next experiment, the effects of H⁺ and Al³⁺ on roots were compared in a 4-week hydroponics experiment using three treatment solutions: control (pH 6.0), −Al (without Al, pH 3.5), and +Al (with 2.5 mM Al, pH 3.5). No clear difference in the biomass and root length between the control and −Al treated roots was observed, and root and shoot biomass were increased by Al treatment. These results confirmed that the H⁺ concentration level, at a pH of 3.5, is not toxic for Q. serrata and the Al-induced increase in root biomass is not caused by the amelioration of H⁺ toxicity by Al. In the third experiment, roots were exposed to an Al solution (pH 3.6) intermittently. This treatment clarified that Al stimulated rooting and root elongation. In the fourth experiment, the effect of 1 mM Al on root growth during a 15-month period in a sand culture were examined. This experiment confirmed that Al stimulated good growth and development of root systems at appropriate concentrations. Therefore, it is considered that Al-induced root growth enhancement occurs as a long-term and short-term phenomenon.     

Effects of acorn attack by curculio weevils on the germination and early growth of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pasania edulis</Emphasis> (Makino) seedlings

We conducted field studies to evaluate the impact that curculio weevil attacks on Pasania edulis (Fagacea) acorns have on the regeneration of this tree. The germination ratio of weevil-attacked acorns was significantly lower than that of sound acorns. The number and position of the attacks on acorns affected the germination ratio. The seedlings from weevil-attacked acorns were shorter and had a smaller leaf area than those from sound acorns. The negative effects on seedling height lasted for at least three years after germination. We also studied the handling of the two types of acorns by granivorous Apodemus mice in a broad-leaved forest dominated by P. edulis. The mice picked up, transported, hoarded, and recovered sound and weevil-attacked acorns similarly. In the study site, the seedlings from weevil-attacked acorns were estimated to account for 1.5–20.4 % of the total seedlings for cohorts of mast years and 0–3.7 % for those of poor or medium acorn production. From these results, we conclude that acorns with the lower part of their cotyledons slightly damaged by weevil larvae might still be able to contribute to the regeneration of P. edulis in the field but that their contribution would be negligible or small even in mast years in this study site.     

Continuum contraction of tension wood fiber induced by repetitive hygrothermal treatment

Wood Science and Technology - Tension wood, when kiln-dried, is likely to deform hugely, which is probably caused by a gelatinous layer of the gelatinous fiber. To elucidate the mechanism behind...     

The therapeutic effects of SET/I2PP2A inhibitors on canine melanoma

Canine melanoma is one of the most important diseases in small animal medicine. Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), a well conserved serine/threonine phosphatase, plays a critical role as a tumor suppressor. SET/I2PP2A is an endogenous inhibitor for PP2A, which directly binds to PP2A and suppresses its phosphatase activity. Elevated SET protein levels have been reported to exacerbate human tumor progression. The role of SET in canine melanoma, however, has not been understood. Here, we investigated the potential therapeutic role for SET inhibitors in canine melanoma. The expression of SET protein was observed in 6 canine melanoma cell lines. We used CMeC-1 cells (primary origin) and CMeC-2 cells (metastatic origin) to generate cell lines stably expressing SET-targeting shRNAs. Knockdown of SET expression in CMeC-2, but not in CMeC-1, leads to decreased cell proliferation, invasion and colony formation. Phosphorylation level of p70 S6 kinase was decreased by SET knockdown in CMeC-2, suggesting the involvement of mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin)/p70 S6 kinase signaling. The SET inhibitors, OP449 and FTY720, more effectively killed CMeC-2 than CMeC-1. We observed PP2A activation in CMeC-2 treated with OP449 and FTY720. These results demonstrated the potential therapeutic application of SET inhibitors for canine melanoma.