White root rot disease of the lacquer tree <Emphasis Type="Italic">Toxicodendron vernicifluum</Emphasis> caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rosellinia necatrix</Emphasis>

In early August 2010, lacquer trees (Toxicodendron vernicifluum) severely damaged by a root rot disease were found on plantations in Iwate, Japan. The causal agent was a fungus identified as Rosellinia necatrix, based on morphology and the sequence of the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region. The fungus was clearly pathogenic on T. vernicifluum root plantings. This report is the first of white root rot on T. vernicifluum.     

Biochemical and developmental characterization of carbonic anhydrase II from chicken erythrocytes

Background

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) of the chicken has attracted attention for a long time because it has an important role in the eggshell formation. The developmental profile of CA-II isozyme levels in chicken erythrocytes has not been determined or reported. Furthermore, the relations with CA-II in erythrocyte and egg production are not discussed. In the present study, we isolated CA-II from erythrocytes of chickens and determined age-related changes of CA-II levels in erythrocytes.

Methods

Chicken CA-II was purified by a combination of column chromatography. The levels of CA-II in the hemolysate of the chicken were determined using the ELISA system in blood samples from 279 female chickens, ages 1 to 93 weeks, 69 male chickens, ages 3 to 59 weeks and 52 weeks female Araucana-chickens.

Results

The mean concentration of CA-II in hemolysate from 1-week-old female was 50.8 ± 11.9 mg/g of Hb. The mean levels of CA-II in 25-week-old (188.1 ± 82.6 mg/g of Hb), 31-week-old (193.6 ± 69.7 mg/g of Hb) and 49-week-old (203.8 ± 123.5 mg/g of Hb) female-chickens showed the highest level of CA-II. The levels of CA-II in female WL-chickens significantly decreased at 63 week (139.0 ± 19.3 mg/g of Hb). The levels of CA-II in female WL-chicken did not change from week 63 until week 93.The mean level of CA-II in hemolysate of 3-week-old male WL-chickens was 78.3 ± 20.7 mg/g of Hb. The levels of CA-II in male WL-chickens did not show changes in the week 3 to week 59 timeframe. The mean level of CA-II in 53-week-old female Araucana-chickens was 23.4 ± 1.78 mg/g of Hb. These levels of CA-II were about 11% of those of 49-week-old female WL-chickens. Simple linear regression analysis showed significant associations between the level of CA-II and egg laying rate from 16 week-old at 63 week-old WL-chicken (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Developmental changes and sexual differences of CA-II concentration in WL-chicken erythrocytes were observed. The concentration of CA-II in the erythrocyte of WL-chicken was much higher than that in Araucana-chicken (p < 0.01).     

An inoculation experiment of Japanese <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bursaphelenchus</Emphasis> nematodes on Japanese black and red pine, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus thunbergii</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">P. densiflora</Emphasis>

The pinewood nematode (PWN) Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is an invasive pathogen that was introduced from North America to Asian countries and Portugal and is devastating native pine forests. Some native European and Asian Bursaphelenchus nematodes also have weak to moderate pathogenicity to native pine species. To evaluate the potential risk of native Bursaphelenchus species, we inoculated ten Japanese Bursaphelenchus species into native pine species (the dominant forest species) in Japan, and evaluated their pathogenicity using mortality and tracheal tissue damage as indices. Inoculation was conducted on August 3, 2007, and the symptoms were observed every 2 weeks until February 1, 2008. None of the inoculated trees, excluding the pathogenic PWN inoculated control, showed external disease symptoms; however, four species [a less pathogenic PWN isolate, B. luxuriosae, Bursaphelenchus sp. NK215 (undescribed), and NK224 (undescribed)] caused tracheal tissue damage in inoculated seedlings and showed weak pathogenicity. Therefore, we conclude that there are some potentially pathogenic native species of nematodes distributed in Japan. Interestingly, two of these weakly pathogenic species, B. luxuriosae and NK215, are not associated with Pinaceae trees, suggesting that nematode pathogenicity may be a pre-adaptive character. More experimental studies under different conditions are necessary to accurately evaluate the potential risk of these pathogens.     

Self-assembled hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene graphitic nanotube

An amphiphilic hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene self-assembles to form a pi-electronic, discrete nanotubular object. The object is characterized by an aspect ratio greater than 1000 and has a uniform, 14-nanometer-wide, open-ended hollow space, which is an order of magnitude larger than those of carbon nanotubes. The wall is 3 nanometers thick and consists of helical arrays of the pi-stacked graphene molecule, whose exterior and interior surfaces are covered by hydrophilic triethylene glycol chains. The graphitic nanotube is redox active, and a single piece of the nanotube across 180-nanometer-gap electrodes shows, upon oxidation, an electrical resistance of 2.5 megohms at 285 kelvin [corrected]. This family of molecularly engineered graphite with a one-dimensional tubular shape and a chemically accessible surface constitutes an important step toward molecular electronics.     

Immunohistochemistry of carbonic anhydrase isozymes (CA-I, II and III) in canine salivary glands: a distributional and comparative assessment

The immunohistolocalization of carbonic anhydrase isozymes (CA-I, II, III) in canine salivary glands was studied using antiserum against CA-I, II, III. In parotid glands, immunostaining intensely localized cytosolic CA-II antiserum throughout the cytoplasm of acinar secretory cells and ductal epithelial cells, especially in the striated duct region. CA-III reactivity in the glands was only seen selectively at the intercalated ductal cells. In contrast, no immunoreaction localized CA-I in the gland. In the submandibular and sublingual glands, CA-I, II, and III were all observed in the ductal segments of the glands, whereas serous demilune appeared devoid of all three cytosolic CA isozymes. In contrast, in zygomatic glands (i.e. dorsal buccal glands) all CA isozymes were observed in both serous demilune and ductal segments. In all of the salivary glands examined, no mucous acinar cells were found to be reactive for any CA.     

Influence of weed management measures on glyphosate resistance and endophyte infection in naturalized Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum)

Recently, glyphosate‐resistant Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) was found on rice paddy levees in a western region of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Naturalized populations of Italian ryegrass are frequently infected with fungal Epichloë endophytes. Endophytes often confer benefits to their host grasses. This study investigated the influence of five weed management treatments on glyphosate resistance and endophyte infection in Italian ryegrass that was growing on paddy levees where glyphosate‐resistant individuals were dominant. The weed management treatments were: (i) mowing once before the grass flowered; (ii) mowing once during flowering; (iii) mowing twice during flowering; (iv) glyphosate application before flowering; and (v) no treatment. The seeds were collected from the treatment plots in 2013 and 2014. The seeds were examined for endophyte infection and the seedlings that had been grown from the seeds were tested for the frequency of glyphosate resistance. The seedlings that had been derived from the glyphosate treatment showed higher frequencies of glyphosate resistance than those seedlings that had been derived from all the other treatments. Endophytes were found in all populations of the seeds from the paddy levees, with higher infection rates in the seeds that had been derived from the glyphosate treatment and the twice‐mowed treatment. There was a significant relationship between the endophyte infection frequency in the seeds and glyphosate resistance in the seedlings that had been grown from the same populations. The results indicate that where glyphosate herbicides are frequently used, selection for glyphosate‐resistant Italian ryegrass occurs, and along with this, the frequency of endophyte infection also increases.     

Weed seedling herbivory by field cricket Teleogryllus emma (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) in relation to the depth of seedling emergence

This study aimed to determine whether seedling herbivory by the field cricket, Teleogryllus emma (Ohmachi et Matsuura), promoted the mortality of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), a non‐native grass weed in Japan, whether the impact of seedling herbivory differed depending on the depth of seedling emergence and the influence of cricket density on seedling mortality. First, the seedlings at emergence depths of 0, 1 and 2 cm were exposed to the cricket for 2 days in plastic cups and the amount of seedling mortality by herbivory was calculated. The level of mortality of 60 seedlings that emerged from seeds on the soil surface was 92.4%, significantly higher than that of the seedlings that emerged from seeds at depths of 1 cm (10.8%) and 2 cm (9.6%). Second, the seedlings at the emergence depths of 0 and 1 cm were exposed to the crickets at four different densities (zero, one, two and three individuals per 5700 cm²) for 5 days in plastic containers and the amount of seedling mortality by herbivory was calculated. The level of mortality by herbivory of the seedlings that emerged from 100 seeds on the soil surface was higher (33.3–61.3%) than that of the seedlings that emerged from seeds at a depth of 1 cm (4.7–13.1%) in the containers with one‐to‐three crickets. The level of seedling mortality tended to increase with an increasing cricket density. These results suggest that seedling herbivory by crickets is an important factor in weed mortality, particularly in no‐till fields and in field margins, where the seeds are more prevalent near the soil surface.     

Changes in the skeletal dimensions of the digits of the thoracic limb of Holstein cows after maturation

The 12 left digits of the thoracic limb of Holstein female cows were obtained from a slaughterhouse, and 13 linear measurements of skeletal specimens of the digits of the thoracic limb were used in this study. Bivariate plots, regressions and correlation analyses were performed to assess the relationships between osteometric data and age, and between osteometric data and body size. The geometric mean (GM) of the metacarpal size was used as a proxy of body weight. The results of the regression analysis demonstrated that the length and the width of the distal phalanx were significantly correlated with age, whereas those of other bones were not. In addition, the correlations of the distal phalanx tended to be higher with age than with the GM of the metacarpal size, and their skeletal measurements tended to be longer in older animals than in younger animals. These findings suggest that the distal phalanx is slightly elongated and enlarged in its solear aspect with increasing age in skeletally mature cows. Moreover, although the side difference in the distal phalanx between the lateral and medial digits did not increase significantly with age, the solear aspect of the distal phalanx tended to be rougher, and deformation of the flexor tubercle tended to be more pronounced in the medial digit compared with the lateral digit. Therefore, in the distal phalanx of the front feet, the skeletal deformation with age and asymmetrical bone development might be related to the pathogenesis of claw horn lesions, as in the hind feet.     

Three‐Dimensional Study of the Terminal Portion in Sprague‐Dawley Rat Ejaculatory Ducts

In mammals, a pair of ejaculatory ducts exists in the urethra at the seminal colliculus. The detailed anatomical structures of the distal end of the ejaculatory ducts of Sprague‐Dawley rats were investigated by the computer‐assisted three‐dimensional reconstruction analysis using light‐microscopic serial sections. A three‐dimensional reconstruction revealed that in adult rats, the ejaculatory sinus pair consists of two parts: the cranial section – a compartment region composed of a fusion of the ampullary gland duct and the seminal vesicle duct, and the caudal section – a grooved region composed of a long slitlike ejaculatory ostium that extends into the urethra on both sides of the seminal colliculus. But the sphincter structure was not observed. The long axis of the compartment region was approximately 58 μm in length, and that of the groove region was approximately 495 μm. Although many epithelial glands ducts were distributed throughout the ejaculatory sinuses, the prostate and coagulation gland ducts did not open in these sinuses. The urethra was composed of transitional epithelium, while the ejaculatory sinuses were composed of single to stratified cuboidal epithelium. The ejaculatory ducts continued to the ejaculatory ostium in male adult Sprague‐Dawley rat were composed of the seminal vesicle ducts received the ampullary gland ducts.