Familial imprinting determines H-2 selective mating preferences

Inbred male mice typically prefer to mate with females of a different, non-self H-2 haplotype. To determine whether this natural preference is irrevocable or results from familial imprinting, a test system was used which relied on previous observations that B6 males (H-2b) mate preferentially with congenic B6-H-2k rather than B6 females, and B6-H-2k males with B6 females. This preference was reversed in B6 males fostered by B6-H-2k parents and in B6-H-2k males fostered by B6 parents, preference in these cases favoring the same H-2 type. Thus, H-2 selective mating preference is acquired by imprinting on familial H-2 types.     

Direct determination of estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities using an enhanced plant two-hybrid system

This paper reports a simple, low-cost, and extremely sensitive reporter-gene assay system for comprehensive analysis of estrogenic activity using transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana: the EPTH system. It had the capability to detect 17beta-estradiol at a concentration of 10 pM. The system was rendered 5 times more sensitive than a previous system [Tojo, T.; Tsuda, K.; Wada, T.; Yamazaki, K. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 2006, 64, 106-114) (1)] by increasing the copy number of the transactivation domain fused to a nuclear receptor co-activator. The system can efficiently detect other estrogenic and antiestrogenic substances. Estrogenic activities were determined in treated sewage samples from four distinct sewage farms using the system. Results showed that the system can detect estrogenic activity directly and more efficiently than a yeast two-hybrid system without any manipulation for extraction and condensation of hydrophobic compounds and aseptic treatment. Furthermore, the system also is useful as a powerful tool for discovery of a new category of natural estrogenic substances that are undetectable by previous plant and yeast systems.     

Effects of Dietary Brown Rice on the Growth Performance,Systemic Oxidative Status,and Splenic Inflammatory Responses of Broiler Chickens under Chronic Heat Stress

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary brown rice on the growth performance, systemic oxidative status, and splenic inflammatory responses of broiler chickens under both thermo-neutral and chronic heat stress conditions. Forty 12-day-old male broiler chickens (ROSS 308) were randomly assigned to two groups and fed either a control diet (corn-based) or a brown rice-based diet. After seven days (19 days old), both groups were randomly divided into two sub-groups (n=10), one of which was exposed to heat stress (33°C for 14 days), while the other was maintained at 24°C. Heat exposure reduced the body weight gain and feed intake (p<0.01) of both groups. In terms of oxidative plasma states, heat exposure reduced the glutathione peroxidase activity and increased the ceruloplasmin content, while the 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substance and reduced glutathione levels were not affected adversely. Heat exposure activated the immune responses, as evidenced by increased plasma immunoglobin levels, and altered splenic immune-related gene expressions including heat shock proteins, toll-like receptor 4, and interleukin-12. Under both thermo-neutral and heat stress conditions, dietary brown rice improved the growth performance, decreased the immunoglobulin levels, and down-regulated the expression of splenic immune-related genes of broilers, although their systemic oxidative status was not affected. Dietary brown rice should be considered as a valuable component of broiler chicken feeds subjected to both thermo-neutral and heat stress conditions. The positive effects of brown rice on bird performance may be associated with the modulation of the immune responses, as reflected by the decreased production of immunoglobulins and altered splenic immune-related gene expression.     

A multiplex polymerase chain reaction for discriminating Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae from Erysipelothrix tonsillarum.

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is the causative agent of swine erysipelas, and it causes great economic losses in Japan and worldwide. In meat inspection, it is very important to distinguish E. rhusiopathiae from other bacteria showing similar clinical signs of disease or similar bacterial characteristics. To distinguish E. rhusiopathiae from Erysipelothrix tonsillarum, 2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) systems were combined. The primer sets ERY-1F and ERY-2R were designed to amplify 2210 base pairs (bp) of nucleotide sequence specific for E. rhusiopathiae chromosomal DNA, and the primer sets MO101 and ERS-1R were designed to amplify 719 bp of nucleotide sequence including a highly conserved region of genus Erysipelothrix 16S rRNA. Two fragments were amplified when E. rhusiopathiae was used as the PCR template using the primer sets, whereas a single fragment was amplified when E. tonsillarum was used as the template. No fragments were amplified when nucleic acid from other bacteria that cause clinical signs similar to swine erysipelas were used as the template. Moreover, 5 specimens collected from postinspected swine carcasses were diagnosed as E. rhusiopathiae using the PCR described in this study, in agreement with results of microbiological tests for the genus Erysipelothrix, whereas negative samples were negative both in conventional bacterial tests and by PCR. The detection limit of multiplex PCR ranged from 10(2) to 10(4) colony forming units per reaction tube for positive samples. These results suggest that this method is useful for screening of swine erysipelas in meat inspection centers.