Ultraviolet microspectrophotometric investigation of the distribution of lignin in Prunus jamasakura differentiated on a three-dimensional clinostat

To examine the effect of gravity on lignin content and deposition in plant cells, we used ultraviolet (UV) microspectrophotometry and chemical methods to investigate the secondary xylem of Prunus jamasakura grown on a three-dimensional (3D) clinostat, which simulates microgravity. The stem of the 3D-clinostat specimens elongated with bending and the width of their secondary phloem increased. The UV absorbance of the 3D-clinostat specimens at 278 nm was higher than that of the control specimens, which were grown on the ground, in the wood fiber cell corner middle lamella, compound middle lamella, and fiber secondary wall; the UV absorbance in the vessel secondary wall did not differ between the specimens. The lignin content in the stem, including the bark, of the 3D-clinostat specimens, as determined using an acetyl bromide method, was less than that of the control specimens. In the specimens that differentiated on a 3D clinostat, the amount of lignin in the wood fibers increased, while the proportion of the lignified xylem in the stem decreased relative to control values.     

Deleting maternal Gtl2 leads to growth enhancement and decreased expression of stem cell markers in teratoma

The distal region of mouse chromosome 12 harbors the Dlk1–Dio3 domain, is essential for normal development and encodes maternally expressed noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including Gtl2 as well as paternally expressed proteins.Gtl2 works as a tumor suppressor in several types of human cancer cell lines; however, whether this reflects its function in vivo is unknown. Deleting Gtl2 from the maternal allele (Gtl2^(–/+)) results in loss of expression of Gtl2 and decreased expression of downstream ncRNAs, including many miRNAs. To determine the role of ncRNAs in tumorigenesis, we induced teratomas by engrafting E6.5 embryos (wildtype or Gtl2^(–/+)) under the kidney capsule of scid mice. Some teratomas derived from the Gtl2^(–/+) embryos exhibited hypertrophic growth, suggesting that ncRNAs, including Gtl2, may act as tumor suppressors in vivo. Microarray analysis of miRNAs expressed by Gtl2^(–/+) teratomas revealed decreased expression of 28 miRNAs encoded by the Dlk1–Dio3 domain, low expression of embryonic stem cell-specific miRNAs and dysregulation of miRNAs involved in tumorigenesis. This study suggests that downregulation of ncRNAs in the Dlk1-Dio3 domain leads to enhanced teratoma growth and repression of stem cell markers.     

An outbreak of teat papillomatosis in cattle caused by bovine papilloma virus (BPV) type 6 and unclassified BPVs

Out of 700 heifers at a local farm in Hokkaido, the Northern island of Japan, 560 (80%) were found to have benign teat tumors. All of the analyzed tumors were macroscopically of the flat-and-round type, and no other types such as rice-grain or frond epithelial type were found. The lesions were characterized by epithelial hyperplasia, acanthosis and hyperkeratosis. Unlike in typical fibropapilloma, fibroplasia of the underlying dermis was not observed. Bovine papilloma virus (BPV) capsid antigen and virus particles were found in basophilic intranuclear inclusions of the stratum granulosum of the epidermis by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy, respectively. BPV-specific DNA was also detected in the lesions. By means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing of the PCR products, the viruses causing this outbreak were identified mainly as BPV-6 (64%), partly as unclassified BPVs (14%) and their co-infections (21%). Our findings suggest that this outbreak of benign teat tumors was associated with several BPV types.     

Multiplex PCR method for differentiating highly pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica and low pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica,and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

A multiplex PCR method for rapid and sensitive diagnosis, differentiating three pathogenic Yersinia groups such as the highly pathogenic Y. enterocolitica, including serotype O8, low pathogenic Y. enterocolitica, and Y. pseudotuberculosis, was developed. Four primer pairs were chosen to detect the genes fyuA, ail, inv, and virF, responsible for the virulence in pathogenic Yersinia species. Under the multiplex PCR conditions, the unique band patterns for the highly pathogenic Y. enterocolitica, low pathogenic Y. enterocolitica, and Y. pseudotuberculosis were generated from Yersinia strains. The detection limit of this method was 10¹–10³ CFU per reaction tube. This multiplex PCR method could detect highly pathogenic Y. enterocolitica O8 from the wild rodent fecal samples that were culture-positive. Therefore, the new multiplex PCR method developed in this study is a useful tool for rapid and sensitive diagnosis, distinguishing three pathogenic Yersinia groups.     

Social rank modulates brain arginine vasotocin immunoreactivity in false clown anemonefish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Amphiprion ocellaris</Emphasis>)

The brain nanopeptide arginine vasotocin (AVT) and its mammalian homolog arginine vasopressin are involved in the regulation of social and reproductive behavior. We investigated the relationship between social rank formation and the brain AVT system in the false clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris), which forms a social rank that leads to sex differentiation in higher-ranked individuals. Tanks of three sexually immature fish were kept for 90 days and each fish’s behavior was observed once a month. The social rank of each individual was distinguishable by behavior, but gonadosomatic index (GSI) did not differ significantly. The number of AVT neurons in the magnocellular layer in the preoptic area (POA) increased in subordinate individuals and declined with increasing hierarchical dominance. These results suggest that social rank formation modulates AVT production in the brain of the clown anemonefish and may influence their later sex differentiation.     

Multiple taste functions of the umami substances in muscle extracts of yellowtail and bastard halibut

Boiled muscle extracts obtained from yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata and bastard halibut Paralichthys olivaceus were treated with two kinds of purified enzymes (acid phosphatase and glutamate decarboxylase), and the change in contents of nucleotides, related compounds, and free amino acids was examined. The change in taste qualities was also investigated by a taste test. The enzyme treatment resulted in a marked decrease in the contents of such umami substances as inosine 5′-monophosphate (IMP) and glutamic acid (Glu). The taste test revealed that the treatment of these fish muscle extracts with both or either of the enzymes caused a sharp decrease in umami intensity and also an increase in sourness but not a change in pH. The treatment also effected marked decreases in thickness and overall taste intensity. These findings suggest that IMP and Glu function not only to intensify the thickness and overall taste as well as the umami, but also to repress the sourness sensation elicited by the fish muscle extracts.     

Habitat use and movement of hatchery-reared F2 Mekong giant catfish in the Mae Peum reservoir, Thailand, studied by acoustic telemetry

The horizontal and vertical movements of eight immature hatchery-reared (F2) Mekong giant catfish Pangasianodon gigas were monitored using acoustic telemetry in the Mae Peum reservoir, Thailand, from September to December 2005. All tagged fish were successfully monitored throughout the study period. All fish moved throughout the reservoir for approximately 1 month after release. Subsequently, their utilized areas became small, and the fish utilized deep areas of the reservoir. The fish displayed diel spatial movement patterns between deep areas in the day and shallow areas in the night. The vertical movements of the fish were related to the environment declination such as existence of hypoxic water and thermocline. Our results suggest that the establishment of a protected area in addition to conventional fisheries regulations may sustain the fish population in this reservoir.     

Green and black tea suppress hyperglycemia and insulin resistance by retaining the expression of glucose transporter 4 in muscle of high-fat diet-fed C57BL/6J mice

To investigate the preventive effects of tea on hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, male C57BL/6J mice were given a high-fat diet containing 29% lard and also green or black tea ad libitum for 14 weeks. Both teas suppressed body weight gain and deposition of white adipose tissue caused by the diet. In addition, they improved hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance by stimulating glucose uptake activity accompanied by the translocation of glucose transporter (GLUT) 4 to the plasma membrane in muscle. Long-term consumption of the high-fat diet reduced levels of insulin receptor β-subunit, GLUT4 and AMP-activated protein kinase α in muscle, and green and black tea suppressed these decreases. The results strongly suggest that green and black tea suppress high-fat diet-evoked hyperglycemia and insulin resistance by retaining the level of GLUT4 and increasing the level of GLUT4 on the plasma membrane in muscle.     

C-reactive protein concentration in canine idiopathic polyarthritis

To investigate the clinical utility of C-reactive protein (CRP) in idiopathic polyarthritis (IPA), its concentration was measured in dogs with IPA. The CRP concentration was markedly increased in all the IPA dogs at the time of diagnosis and decreased significantly in response to the initial corticosteroid treatment; this indicated that CRP can be used as an index for therapeutic response in IPA cases. Furthermore, at 6 months after the diagnosis, a significant association was observed between the CRP concentration at follow-up (6-13 days after the treatment was started) and the frequency of medication ("no or seldom-medicated (NSM)" groups or "continuing medication (CM)" groups). These results suggest that the initial response of CRP to corticosteroid treatment may be a prognostic factor of canine IPA.     

Seroepidemiological survey of morbillivirus infection in Kuril harbor seals (Phoca vitulina stejnegeri) of Hokkaido, Japan

Serological analysis was performed to detect morbillivirus infection in Kuril harbor seals in Hokkaido, Japan. Serum samples were collected from the seals at Nosappu (231 sera), Akkeshi (16), and Erimo (75) between 1998 and 2005. Antibodies to phocine distemper virus (PDV) were detected by ELISA in seals from Nosappu and Erimo. Antibodies to PDV were found in 56% (5/9) of the sampled seals from Nosappu in 1998, versus only 5% (3/66) for 2003, 1% (1/79) for 2004, and 1% (1/77) for 2005. These suggest epidemic caused by the virus in or before 1998. As antibody-positive seals included juvenile seals in 2003 and 2005, sporadic infections of the virus are thought to have occurred in recent years. In Erimo, antibodies to PDV were found in 50% (14/28) of sampled seals in 2004, versus only 13% (1/8) for 1999, 7% (1/15) for 2003, and 0% (0/24) for 2005. These suggest sporadic infection by the virus before 2003 and the epizootic between after autumn in 2003, when samples of 2003 were collected, and 2004. Since antibodies to canine distemper virus (CDV) were detected in one adult seal from Nosappu in each year from 2003 to 2005, sporadic infections of the virus were suggested. There were no difference in incidence of seals with antibodies to the viruses between males and females and between juveniles and adults.