Differential overstory leaf flushing contributes to the formation of a patchy understory

Understory individuals were found to form patches in a 100-year-old deciduous broad-leaved forest. The closed forest canopy was uniform, and so the light conditions at various locations across the forest floor differed little after the leaf flush of the overstory. To explain the distribution pattern in the understory, a hypothesis was proposed: in spring, the forest floor is divided into patches according to the timing of leaf flush of the overstory individuals, and the light conditions are more favorable for understory plants under the crowns of trees with later-flushing leaves. In the plot, three groups of early, intermediate, and late, were recognized in the overstory concerning the timing of leaf flush. As for the start of leaf flush, a difference of 31.6 days was recognized among tree species, and for the end of leaf flush, a difference of 40.3 days. In the spring of 1998, the relative photosynthetic-photon-flux density under an intensively studiedCastanea crenata tree (late-flushing species) usually showed higher values than that under a similarly studiedAcer mono tree (early-flushing species). Analysis of the spatial-distribution pattern using Morisita’s1δ index revealed that the understory community had an aggregated distribution. In the overstory, the late- and the intermediate-flushing-species groups showed aggregated distributions, while the early-flushing-species group showed random distribution. Spatial correlation between the understory and the overstory was analyzed by using Morisita’sRδ index. The distribution of whole understory community spatially co-occurred with that of the late-flushing-species group of the overstory. In contrast, the understory community was less developed below the members of the early-flushing-species group of the overstory. We consider that the data presented here support our hypothesis, and we suggest that the growth and survival of understory individuals were promoted in the places receiving light for long periods in spring.     

Parasitoid wasps on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epinotia granitalis</Emphasis> (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) larvae

 Parasitism by parasitoid wasps on the larvae of Epinotia granitalis (Butler), which is a wood-injuring pest in coniferous plantations, was observed for 6 years in two plantation forests of Chamaecyparis obtusa (Sieb. et Zucc.) Endl. and Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D. Don that were adjacent to each other and consisted of trees of almost the same size. E. granitalis larvae were collected from early April to mid-May, then reared in glass bottles, and finally examined to determine whether or not the larvae had been parasitized. Five species of parasitoids were recorded; two of them were classified in Ichneumonidae, Campoplex spp. A and B, and others in Braconidae, Iconella repleta Papp, Bassus cingulipes Nees von Esenbeck, and Bracon spp. In all 6 years, parasitism was first observed around 20 April. Species composition of parasitoids differed greatly among years and between forests. In 1 year in each forest the percentage parasitism increased significantly with the sampling date, indicating that not all parasitoids attack the same developmental stage of E. granitalis. The mean percentage parasitism per year was significantly higher in the forest of C. obtusa [11.5(%) ± 5.7(SD)] than in the forest of C. japonica (3.0 ± 4.1). These results suggest that the efficiency of parasitoid adults in finding hosts differed between the two forests. Received: September 20, 2001 / Accepted: August 5, 2002 Acknowledgments We are grateful to Dr. K. Maeto, Shikoku Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, and to Dr. K. Konishi, National Agricultural Research Center for Hokkaido Region, for identifying parasitoids, and to Dr. T. Miyaura, Forest Tree Breeding Center, and Dr. H. Kosaka, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, for their helpful advice throughout the study. Correspondence to:K. Kato     

Sodium bicarbonate protects uranium-induced acute nephrotoxicity through uranium-decorporation by urinary alkalinization in rats

To evaluate the effectiveness of sodium bicarbonate (SB) in removing uranium and protecting animals from uranium toxicity, we intramuscularly administered 1 mg/kg of uranyl nitrate to 8-wk-old male SD rats, and 20 min after administration of uranyl nitrate, the animals were given a single oral administration of SB at 0.1, 0.3 or 1 g/kg. The SB treatment at a dose of 0.3 g/kg or more raised the pH of the rats’ urine until 4 h after treatment, and it significantly reduced the uranium amounts in the kidneys at 1 day after treatment. In another experiment, rats were intramuscularly administered 1 mg/kg of uranyl nitrate, and 20 min later, the animals were treated with sodium bicarbonate (0.1 or 1 g/kg). The rats were autopsied at 1, 3 and 7 days after uranium treatment. High-dose SB resulted in a significant increase in urinary uranium excretion in the first 24 h and a reduction of uranium deposition in the kidneys and femurs, and it also significantly suppressed uranium-induced renal toxicity, as shown by both histopathology and clinical chemistry at 3 days after uranium treatment. Low-dose SB did not show such marked effects. Our findings demonstrated that the uranium decorporation effect of sodium bicarbonate was observed at the dosage showing urine alkalinization in rats and that decorporation effect of sodium bicarbonate might be beneficial if it is administered immediately after incorporation of soluble uranium.     

Calcium ions are involved in egress of Babesia bovis merozoites from bovine erythrocytes

Bovine babesiosis is a livestock disease known to cause economic losses in endemic areas. The apicomplexan parasite Babesia bovis is able to invade and destroy the host’s erythrocytes leading to the serious pathologies of the disease, such as anemia and hemoglobinuria. Understanding the egress mechanisms of this parasite is therefore a key step to develop new therapeutic strategies. In this study, the possible involvement of Ca²⁺ in the egress of B. bovis merozoites from infected erythrocytes was investigated. Egress was artificially induced in vitro using calcium ionophore A23187 and thapsigargin to increase Ca²⁺ concentration in the cytosol of the parasite cells. The increased intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration following these treatments was confirmed using live cell Ca²⁺ imaging with confocal laser scanning microscopy. Based on our findings, we suggest a Ca²⁺ signalling pathway in the egress of B. bovis merozoites.     

Therapeutic antibodies: their mechanisms of action and the pathological findings they induce in toxicity studies

Antibodies can swiftly provide therapeutics to target disease-related molecules discovered in genomic research. Antibody engineering techniques have been actively developed and these technological innovations have intensified the development of therapeutic antibodies. From the mid-1990’s, a series of therapeutic antibodies were launched that are now being used in clinic. The disease areas that therapeutic antibodies can target have subsequently expanded, and antibodies are currently utilized as pharmaceuticals for cancer, inflammatory disease, organ transplantation, cardiovascular disease, infection, respiratory disease, ophthalmologic disease, and so on. This paper briefly describes the modes of action of therapeutic antibodies. Several non-clinical study results of the pathological changes induced by therapeutic antibodies are also presented to aid the future assessment of the toxic potential of an antibody developed as a therapeutic.     

Real-time PCR genotyping assay for feline erythrocyte pyruvate kinase deficiency and mutant allele frequency in purebred cats in Japan

Erythrocyte pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency is an inherited glycolytic erythroenzymopathy caused by mutations of the PKLR gene. A causative mutation of the feline PKLR gene was originally identified in Abyssinian and Somali cats in the U.S.A. In the present study, a TaqMan probe-based real-time PCR genotyping assay was developed and evaluated for rapid genotyping and large-scale screening for this mutation. Furthermore, a genotyping survey was carried out in a population of four popular purebred cats in Japan to determine the current mutant allele frequency. The assay clearly displayed all genotypes of feline PK deficiency, indicating its suitability for large-scale survey as well as diagnosis. The survey demonstrated that the mutant allele frequency in Abyssinian and Somali cats was high enough to warrant measures to control and prevent the disease. The mutant allele frequency was relatively low in Bengal and American Shorthair cats; however, the testing should still be carried out to prevent the spread of the disease. In addition, PK deficiency should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of anemia in purebred cats in Japan as well as worldwide.     

Genetic analysis of fat‐to‐protein ratio,milk yield and somatic cell score of Holstein cows in Japan in the first three lactations by using a random regression model

We estimated the genetic parameters of fat‐to‐protein ratio (FPR) and the genetic correlations between FPR and milk yield or somatic cell score in the first three lactations in dairy cows. Data included 3 079 517 test‐day records of 201 138 Holstein cows in Japan from 2006 to 2011. Genetic parameters were estimated with a multiple‐trait random regression model in which the records within and between parities were treated as separate traits. The phenotypic values of FPR increased soon after parturition and peaked at 10 to 20 days in milk, then decreased slowly in mid‐ and late lactation. Heritability estimates for FPR yielded moderate values. Genetic correlations of FPR among parities were low in early lactation. Genetic correlations between FPR and milk yield were positive and low in early lactation, but only in the first lactation. Genetic correlations between FPR and somatic cell score were positive in early lactation and decreased to become negative in mid‐ to late lactation. By using these results for genetic evaluation it should be possible to improve energy balance in dairy cows.