Enantiomeric compositions and biosynthesis ofWikstroemia sikokiana lignans

Thymelaeaceae plants produce dextrorotatory dibenzylbutyrolactone lignans, which are opposite enantiomers to the lignans isolated from other plants (e.g.,Forsythia spp.). In our previous paper, (–)-pinoresinol (74% enantiomer excess), (+)-matairesinol (optically pure), and (+)-wikstromol (optically pure) were isolated fromWikstroemia sikokiana (Thymelaeaceae). In the present investigation, a survey of lignans and the determination of their enantiomeric compositions were continued. Four lignans, (–)-lariciresinol, (–)-secoisolariciresinol, (+)-kusunokinin, and (+)-methyltrachelogenin, were isolated from MeOH extracts ofW. sikokiana stem. To our knowledge, we have isolated (+)-methyltrachelogenin from plants for the first time. Chiral high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis showed that (+)-kusunokinin and (+)-methyltrachelogenin were optically pure, whereas (–)-lariciresinol and (–)-secoisolariciresinol were not (39% and 45% enantiomer excess, respectively). Feeding experiments with deuterium-labeled substrates demonstrated conversion of coniferyl alcohol to the lignans and interconversion of lignans. These reaction sequences are similar to the sequence catalyzed byForsythia enzymes. However, predominant enantiomers of the lignans, except for secoisolariciresinol isolated fromW. sikokiana, have absolute configurations opposite to those of the corresponding lignans isolated fromForsythia spp. Based on the results of the isolation and the feeding experiments, several differences betweenW. sikokiana andForsythia spp. are pointed out regarding stereochemical mechanisms for lignan biosynthesis.Parts of this report were presented at the 46th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kumamoto, April 1996; and the 47th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kochi, April 1997     

Effect of ozone treatment of wood on its liquefaction

The effects of ozone treatment were investigated to improve the process of liquefaction of wood with polyhydric alcohol solvents. The liquefied wood having a high wood to polyhydric alcohol ratio (W/P ratio) could be prepared by using the wood treated with ozone in the liquid phase. The liquefied wood with a W/P ratio of 2 : 1 had enough fluidity to act as a raw material for chemical products. To get some information about the effects of ozone treatment toward the wood components, cellulose powder and steamed lignin were treated with ozone and liquefied. In particular, ozone treatment in the liquid phase was found to be effective for wood and cellulose powder. On the other hand, steamed lignin self-condensed during liquefaction after treatment with ozone in the liquid phase. Thus, ozone treatment provided lignin with reactive functional groups, and caused the subsequent condensation reaction. Although lignin was converted to a more condensable structure by ozone treatment, the condensation reaction was found to be suppressed for wood during its liquefaction. The wood liquefied products displayed good solubilities in N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF) even after treatments of long duration. It was suggested that one of the main effects of ozone treatment toward wood was the decomposition of cellulose.Part of this report was presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Fukuoka, April 2003     

Stand structure and composition of a 60-year-old larch (Larix kaempferi) plantation with retained hardwoods

Tree retention is understood as a key practice in creating complexity, leading to heterogeneity in resources and habitats in managed stands. In this article, we clarify the long-term effects of tree retention on stand structure and tree-species composition in a 60-year-old Larix kaempferi plantation in central Japan. In our study plot (1.5 ha) there were 18 stems/ha of retained trees (determined by tree-ring analysis), mostly Quercus crispula. We conducted spatial analyses and tested the hypothesis that tree abundance, size structure, and species composition and diversity change with distance from the retained trees. Near the retained trees, L. kaempferi showed a reduction of 40%–60% in basal area, due presumably to the shading effect. In contrast, the nearby area showed greater species diversity in the canopy layer. The retained trees created patches of different species composition in the understory. The spatial gradient of shade and colonization opportunity provided by retained trees greatly affect the distribution of the colonized species, according to their shade tolerance and seed-dispersal ability, which resulted in the stand structure with a heterogeneous shrub-layer vegetation. Retention proved particularly important for the enhancement and long-term maintenance of structural and compositional complexity in L. kaempferi plantations.     

Isolation and enzymatic formation of lignans ofDaphne genkwa andDaphne odora

Four lignans — pinoresinol, lariciresinol, secoisolariciresinol, matairesinol — were isolated from each ofDaphne odora andDaphne genkwa (Thymelaeaceae). Matairesinol isolated from both plants was optically pure (>99% e.e.) and dextrorotatory. Pinoresinol and lariciresinol isolated from the plants were not optically pure, and their enantiomeric compositions ranged from 88% to 95% e.e. in favor of (–)-enantiomers. As for secoisolariciresinol, the one fromD. odora was optically pure [(+)-enantiomer, >99% e.e.], and that fromD. genkwa was 97% e.e. in favor of the (+)-enantiomer. Lignan-synthesizing enzyme activity was detected from a Thymelaeaceae plant for the first time; cell-free extracts fromD. genkwa catalyzed the formation of (–)-lariciresinol (23% e.e.) from racemic (±)-pinoresinols. The stereochemistry of the enzymatic reaction is discussed in relation to the stereochemical features of the isolated lignans.Parts of this report were presented at the 42nd Lignin Symposium, Sapporo, October 1997; 48th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Shizuoka, April 1998; and 49th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Tokyo, April 1999     

Reproductive and growth performance in Jin Hua pigs cloned from somatic cell nuclei and the meat quality of their offspring

Somatic cell cloning is expected to be a valuable method for conserving genetic resources in pigs. In this study, we compared the reproductive and growth performance of Jin Hua cloned pigs with that of naturally bred Jin Hua pigs. In addition, we generated offspring from the cloned sows and examined the productivity and quality of meat in the progeny. The birth weights and growth rates of somatic cell-cloned pigs were similar to those of Jin Hua pigs. The cloned pigs reached puberty very early, and this is typical of the Jin Hua breed. Furthermore, reproductive performance, in terms of traits such as gestation period, litter size, and raising rate in the cloned pigs were similar to Jin Hua pigs. Although the offspring of the cloned (OC) pigs had lower birth weights than the Jin Hua breed, the daily weight gain of the OC pigs was significantly higher, especially at the finishing stage. The carcass quality of the OC pigs had similar characteristics to the Jin Hua breed, namely thick back fat and a small loin area. Furthermore, the meat qualities of the OC pigs were similar to those of Jin Hua pigs in terms of intramuscular fat content and tenderness. These results demonstrate that cloned pigs and their offspring were similar to the Jin Hua breed in most of the growth, reproductive, and meat productive performances. This strongly suggests that pigs cloned from somatic cell nuclei have the potential to be a valuable genetic resource for breeding.     

Production efficiency and telomere length of the cloned pigs following serial somatic cell nuclear transfer

The aim of the present study was to examine the production efficiency of cloned pigs by serial somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and to ascertain any changes in the telomere lengths of multiple generations of pigs. Using fetal fibroblasts as the starting nuclear donor cells, porcine salivary gland progenitor cells were collected from the resultant first-generation cloned pigs to successively produce second- and third-generation clones, with no significant differences in production efficiency, which ranged from 1.4% (2/140) to 3.3% (13/391) among the 3 generations. The average telomere lengths (terminal restriction fragment values) for the first, second and third generation clones were 16.3, 18.1 and 20.5 kb, respectively, and were comparable to those in age-matched controls. These findings suggest that third-generation cloned pigs can be produced by serial somatic cell cloning without compromising production efficiency and that the telomere lengths of cloned pigs from the first to third generations are normal.     

Interannual variation of the diet shifts and their effects on the fatness and growth of age‐0 Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) off the southwestern Pacific coast of Japan

We investigated the effect of feeding habits on the fatness (length–weight relationship (LW)) and otolith growth of age‐0 Pacific bluefin tuna (PBF) (fork length (FL) of 15.0–29.9 cm) collected off the southwestern Pacific coast of Japan from July to August during 2010–2015. The feeding rate on Clupeiformes (FRc) was substantially influenced by the path of the Kuroshio Current during early summer. We suggest that the following patterns occurred in the feeding habits of PBF. In 2012 and 2014, the short distance from the coast to the Kuroshio provided high overlap between PBF and Clupeiformes and increased the opportunity for feeding, and this pattern likely caused the observed diet shift from Crustacea to Clupeiformes by smaller PBF in the studied years than those in other years. In 2011 and 2015, the encounter probability for Clupeiformes might have been low due to the long distance to the Kuroshio Current, which led PBF to actively consume non‐Clupeiformes Teleostei. In contrast, in August 2010 and 2015, PBF did not encounter Clupeiformes or other Teleostei and may have been forced to feed on a large number of Crustacea; this effect was likely due to high water temperatures. Despite the interannual fluctuation in the timing of the diet shift and the feeding intensity (FI), these factors did not contribute to growth in length; rather, they contributed to fatness. Considering size‐dependent mortality in the larval stage, these results suggest that only fast‐growing individuals survive, even if the feeding conditions drastically change.     

Movement of adult male snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio, in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and eastern Nova Scotia, Canada

A total of 12,755 adult male snow crabs (Chionoecetes opilio) were tagged with spaghetti–Carlin tags in 33 sites throughout the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (sGSL) and eastern Nova Scotia (eNS) between 1993 and 2003. Of the 1971 tag returns obtained between 1994 and 2004, 1703 had accurate geographical recapture positions. The average distance travelled was 16.7 km for sGSL (maximum 165 km) and 61.5 km for eNS (maximum 368 km). The release site and the number of days at liberty before recapture were significant factors affecting the distance travelled by the crabs. Size had no significant effect on the distance travelled or the direction of movement. The present observations support the sedentary nature previously reported for the sGSL snow crab stock, but not the eNS stock, where the movement of snow crab was more dynamic. In both regions, there were movements between management areas, which indicates that managing the fisheries in discrete units is not warranted.     

Direct and simultaneous analysis of sinigrin and allyl isothiocyanate in mustard samples by high-performance liquid chromatography

A reversed-phase HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of the glucosinolate sinigrin and its major degradation product allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) was developed and used for direct analysis of aqueous extracts from Oriental mustard (Brassica juncea L.) related materials (ground and cracked seeds, powders, and bran) and from soil samples. The lowest detection limit was 0.1 microg/mL for both sinigrin and AITC). The developed method was used to trace the degradation of sinigrin to AITC in aqueous extracts. One of the major advantages of this method is the complete estimation of sinigrin content. The simultaneous analysis of both sinigrin and AITC in a single run avoided the underestimation caused by separate analyses.     

Changes in walking parameters of milking cows after hoof trimming

We examined the walking parameters of milking cows in relation to hoof trimming. The hooves of eight Holstein cows were trimmed. Two days before and after the hoof trimming, walking behavior, limb angles, back posture and vertical movement of the back while walking were measured. Walking rate (1.27 vs 0.87 m/s; P = 0.003), step length (1.46 vs 1.33 m; P = 0.009) and stepping rate (0.78 vs 0.65 steps/s; P = 0.046) were found to increase significantly after hoof trimming. Limb angles at the start and end of the support phase changed significantly after hoof trimming, thus indicating an improvement in the ‘on tiptoe’ appearance. The parameters relating to backline indicated that the marked arched shape of the back diminished after hoof trimming. Before hoof trimming, the positions of the withers varied widely and irregularly while walking; however, it changed after hoof trimming as the sinusoid curve and the range of vertical movement of withers decreased significantly. Overall, it has been quantitatively indicated that walking characteristics are improved after hoof trimming. The parameters used in the present study are expected to be useful for monitoring the walking characteristics of cows.