cDNA cloning of goldfish Hsp27 and its chaperone activity

A cDNA fragment encoding goldfish Hsp27 was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and its nucleotide sequence was determined. The deduced amino-acid sequence of goldfish Hsp27 showed 58–62% identity to Hsp27 from other vertebrates. Three serine residues reported to be phosphorylated in human Hsp27 were conserved in goldfish Hsp27. The Hsp27 gene was transcribed in goldfish culture cells after temperature shift from 20°C to 40°C, but not from 20°C to 35°C. Recombinant goldfish Hsp27 was examined for its in vitro chaperone activity and compared to those of Hsp30 from the same fish and human recombinant Hsp27. Goldfish Hsp27 and Hsp30 showed a similar activity at 10 μM, which was significantly lower than that of human Hsp27. At 1 and 5 μM concentrations, however, goldfish Hsp27 showed slightly lower activity than goldfish Hsp30, but the activities of both goldfish proteins still remained significantly lower than that of human Hsp27. Meanwhile, goldfish Hsp27 formed oligomer, which was slightly smaller than that of Hsp30. These results suggest that goldfish Hsp27 contributes as a molecular chaperone in association with Hsp30 to compensate for stress resulting from rapid temperature fluctuations. The nucleotide sequence reported in this paper has been registered into the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank databases with accession number AB239443 for goldfish Hsp27.     

Genetic diversity and genomic inbreeding in Japanese Black cows in the islands of Okinawa Prefecture evaluated using single-nucleotide polymorphism array

Maintaining genetic diversity and inbreeding control are important in Japanese Black cattle production, especially in remote areas such as the islands of Okinawa Prefecture. Using a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, we evaluated the genetic diversity and genomic inbreeding in Japanese Black cows from the islands of Okinawa Prefecture and compared them to those from other locations across Japan. Linkage disequilibrium decay was slower in cows in the islands of Okinawa Prefecture. The estimated effective population size declined over time in both populations. The genomic inbreeding coefficient (F_ROH) was estimated using long stretches of consecutive homozygous SNPs (runs of homozygosity; ROH). F_ROH was higher in the cows on the islands of Okinawa Prefecture than on other locations. In total, 818 ROH fragments, including those containing NCAPG and PLAG1, which are major quantitative trait loci for carcass weight in Japanese Black cattle, were present at significantly higher frequencies in cows in the islands of Okinawa Prefecture. This suggests that the ROH fragments are under strong selection and that cows in the islands of Okinawa Prefecture have low genetic diversity and high genomic inbreeding relative to those at other locations. SNP arrays are useful tools for evaluating genetic diversity and genomic inbreeding in cattle.     

The expression of sialyl Lewis X in canine and feline mammary gland tumors

The expression of sialyl Lewis X (sLe(x)) in 93 canine and 15 feline mammary gland tumors (MGT) obtained by surgical resection at Veterinary Medical Center, the University of Tokyo was examined by immunohistochemistry. Their clinicopathological features and prognosis were also reviewed. Approximately 60% of MGT tissues showed sLe(x) positive expressions, while all normal mammary gland tissues were negative. However, its expression was not correlated with clinicopathological features and prognosis significantly. This study suggests that sLe(x) may be a tumor-associated antigen in canine and feline MGTs.     

Sulfated glycofuranans as inhibitors of melanoma lung metastasis

Chemically synthesized (1 5)--d-glucofuranan, (1 5)--d-galactofuranan, (1 5)--d-xylofuranan, (1 5)--L-arabinofuranan, natural xylan, and curdlan were sulfated to investigate their inhibitory activities on B16-BL6 lung metastasis and anticoagulant activities. (1 5)--d-Glucofuranan sulfate, (1 5)--d-galactofuranan sulfate, xylan sulfate, and curdlan sulfate had binding abilities with B16-BL6 melanoma lysate. The inhibitory activities of sulfated polysaccharides on B16-BL6 lung metastasis selected by heparin binding assay were in the order (1 5)--d-galactofuranan sulfate > (1 5)---d-glucofuranan sulfate > xylan sulfate curdlan sulfate. Furthermore, (1 5)--d-galactofuranan sulfate, (1 5)--d-glucofuranan sulfate, and xylan sulfate had not only high inhibitory activity on B16-BL6 lung metastasis but also low anticoagulant activity. The correlation between chemical structure and biological activity is discussed.Part of this paper was presented at the 10th International Synposium on Wood and Pulping Chemistry, Yokohama, Japan, June 1999     

Influence of carboxyl group on the acid hydrolysis of cellulose

Cellulose isolated from wood is more susceptible than cotton cellulose to homogeneous hydrolysis in phosphoric acid. The influence of carboxyl group introduction at the C6 position on the hydrolysis rate of cellulose in 82.5% phosphoric acid was studied as a model of the oxidation of cellulose during pulping. The rate constant of hydrolysis for dissolving pulp was larger than that of cotton cellulose at temperatures of 25°–35°C. Mercerized cotton cellulose was partially oxidized regioselectively at the C6 position by a free radical system using 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (TEMPO). The oxidized cellulose was obtained at a range of 1.7–12.7 mEq carboxyl content per 100 g of cellulose. The hydrolysis rate of the oxidized cellulose samples accelerated with increasing carboxyl content in the samples.Part of this work was presented at the 5th Annual Meeting of the Cellulose Society of Japan, Kyoto, July 1998     

Vibrational property changes of spruce wood by impregnation with water-soluble extractives of pernambuco (Guilandina echinata Spreng.)

Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis Carr.) was treated with water-soluble extractive components of pernambuco (Guilandina echinata Spreng. syn Caesalpinia echinata Lam.) by two methods: impregnation under evacuation using an aspirator and repetitive surface application using a brush. The influence of these treatments on the vibrational properties were examined. The loss tangent (tan ) of the impregnated specimen decreased, up to nearly a half of its original value, with increasing weight gain. It is suggested that the decrease in tan results from impregnation of the extractive components into the amorphous region of cell walls, forming secondary bonds between matrix substances. The surface application of the extractive components, on the other hand, hardly brought about the desirable change in vibrational properties.Part of this work was presented at the 47th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kochi, April 1997, and the 48th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Shizuoka, April 1998     

Impact of the bambooPhyllostachys bambusoides on the light environment and plant communities on riverbanks

The bambooPhyllostachys bambusoides has been widely planted on riverbanks in Japan to protect against erosion. Recently, unmanagedP. bambusoides stands with high culm density are spreading along the banks of rivers. In order to study the impact of the bamboo stands on riparian ecosystems, the relations between bamboo stand structure, light conditions and plant communities under the canopy were examined. The study sites were set in bamboo stands with various culm densities in the middle of the Yahagi River in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture. There was a close relationship between canopy coverage and relative photon flux density (RPFD) in the bamboo stands. RPFD showed a highly negative relationship with total culm density, whereas no significant relation was observed between the basal area of bamboo and RPFD. The total number of plant species in the bamboo stands increased with decreasing culm density. Only a small number of tree saplings were observed in the stands with the highest culm densities, while several species of forest floor herbs were found in the stands with lower culm densities. A number of invasive and annual plants colonized the thinned stand. We suggest that moderate thinning and clearing of dead culms are needed to maintain biological diversity in the bamboo stands on riverbanks.     

Formaldehyde adsorption by karamatsu (Larix leptolepis) bark

Formaldehyde adsorption and release tests of karamatsu (Larix leptolepis) bark and bark ingredients were performed. Karamatsu bark had good formaldehyde adsorption ability that was better than microcrystalline cellulose. An acetone-soluble fraction from karamatsu bark, which might contain bark tannin, had excellent formaldehyde adsorption ability, and was found to release a trace amount of the adsorbed formaldehyde, suggesting that its formaldehyde adsorption was predominantly due to chemical adsorption. It was confi rmed that the acetone-soluble fraction played an important part in formaldehyde adsorption by karamatsu bark. An acetone-insoluble fraction from karamatsu bark had good formaldehyde adsorption ability as well as the bark, in spite of the residue after the removal of the acetone-soluble fraction.