Structure and Steroidogenesis of the Placenta in the Antarctic Minke Whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis)

There are few reports describing the structure and function of the whale placenta with the advance of pregnancy. In this study, therefore, the placenta and nonpregnant uterus of the Antarctic minke whale were observed morphologically and immunohistochemically. Placentas and nonpregnant uteri were collected from the 15th, 16th and 18th Japanese Whale Research Programme with Special Permit in the Antarctic (JARPA) and 1st JARPA II organized by the Institute of Cetacean Research in Tokyo, Japan. In the macro- and microscopic observations, the placenta of the Antarctic minke whale was a diffuse and epitheliochorial placenta. The chorion was interdigitated to the endometrium by primary, secondary and tertiary villi, which contained no specialized trophoblast cells such as binucleate cells, and the interdigitation became complicated with the progress of gestation. Furthermore, fetal and maternal blood vessels indented deeply into the trophoblast cells and endometrial epithelium respectively with fetal growth. The minke whale placenta showed a fold-like shape as opposed to a finger-like shape. In both nonpregnant and pregnant uteri, many uterine glands were distributed. The uterine glands in the superficial layer of the pregnant endometrium had a wide lumen and large epithelial cells as compared with those in the deep layer. On the other hand, in the nonpregnant endometrium, the uterine glands had a narrower lumen and smaller epithelial cells than in the pregnant endometrium. In immunohistochemical detection, immunoreactivity for P450scc was detected in most trophoblast cells, but not in nonpregnant uteri, suggesting that trophoblast epithelial cells synthesized and secreted the sex steroid hormones and/or their precursors to maintain the pregnancy in the Antarctic minke whale.     

Effect of stocking density on growth,production and economic benefits of mixed sex Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and African sharptooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus) in polyculture and monoculture

On‐farm fish production experiments were conducted for 240 days to investigate the effect of stocking density on growth, yield and economic benefits of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in monoculture and polyculture with African sharptooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Low stocking density (LSD), medium stocking density (MSD) and high stocking density (HSD) of 30 000, 60 000 and 90 000 fish ha^?1 respectively, were tested. O. niloticus cultured in polyculture attained significantly higher mean weight gain than those cultured in monoculture. O. niloticus and C. gariepinus raised together in polyculture attained significantly higher net annual yield than O. niloticus cultured alone in monoculture. Profitability analysis using partial enterprise budgets revealed that polyculture is a more profitable system than monoculture. The highest growth, yield and economic benefits were achieved at HSD and MSD than at LSD with no significant difference between HSD and MSD. Results demonstrate that farmers can achieve the highest net yield and economic benefits by culturing O. niloticus and C. gariepinus in polyculture at HSD and MSD, preferably MSD for economic reasons.     

Transgene manipulation in rainbow trout using Cre recombinase

Cre/loxP-mediated cell targeting is considered to be a powerful tool for biotechnology in farmed fish. As a first step toward establishing cell targeting in salmonids, we analyzed the functionality of the Cre/loxP system in rainbow trout. We first established stable transgenic strains carrying the DsRed gene, which was flanked by loxP sites and further spliced with the EGFP gene. By microinjecting Cre complementary RNA (cRNA) into fertilized eggs of the transgenic trout, the functionality of the Cre/loxP system was evaluated. The results showed that all of the embryos exhibited green fluorescence in at least some of their cells. While 19 out of 20 embryos comprised cells showing both green and red fluorescence, the remaining embryo showed only green fluorescence. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers designed to recognize sequences outside of the two loxP sites revealed that, in addition to long intact fragments, the 19 individuals carried short fragments that were equivalent in length to the loxP-excised fragments. The remaining green embryo carried only this short fragment. DNA sequencing of the short fragment revealed that it lacked the DNA fragments flanking the loxP sites and the spliced fragments did not contain any sequence rearrangements. These results suggest that the Cre/loxP system is functional in rainbow trout.     

Changes in molecular species composition of triacylglycerol in subcutaneous fat from beef cattle during fattening

The composition of the molecular species of triacylglycerols (TG) in subcutaneous fat biopsied from Japanese Black steers was studied during the fattening period. An analysis of the fatty acid (FA) composition of the TG showed that palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic and oleic acids were the major FA, together accounting for over 80% of the total FA. The concentrations of C14:0, C16:0 and C18:0 decreased between 10 and 30 months of age, while those of C16:1 c9 and C18:1 c9 increased during the fattening period. The major molecular species among more than 40 compounds were palmitoyl‐dioleoyl‐glycerol (POO) and dipalmitoyl‐oleoyl‐glycerol (PPO). POO showed the highest concentration during the fattening period. The levels of palmitoyl‐oleoyl‐linoleoyl glycerol and some tentatively identified molecular species increased during the fattening period, while the levels of tripalmitoyl, dipalmitoyl‐stearoyl‐glycerol, palmitoyl‐distearoyl and palmitoyl‐stearoyl‐oleoyl‐glycerol decreased with growth. A comparison of the experimental values of TG molecular species with theoretical values derived from the experimental FA contents showed that the FA distribution in TG was non‐random. TG synthesis favors the formation of TG molecular species containing at least one C16 FA, rather than three C18 FA.     

Immature T cell neoplasms in three young cattle

Immature T cell neoplasms in three young Holstein cattle with neoplastic involvement of the thymus are described. Case 1, with a precursor T lymphoblastic leukemia (calf form of leukosis), was an 86-day-old female calf. The leukemia was characterized by replacement of the bone marrow and spleen by leukemia cells, but preservation of epithelial frameworks throughout the thymus. The other two neoplasms were thymic γδ T cell lymphomas, which were observed in a 246-day-old steer (case 2) and a 16-month-old heifer (case 3). Histological examination revealed obliteration of the normal thymic architecture and stromal fibrosis, with the spleen and liver far less severely affected than in case 1. There were cytological differences bewteen the tumors in case 1 and cases 2 and 3. Additionally, WC1 and CD8 were expressed only in the latter. Thus, the leukemia and these lymphomas should be regarded as independent disease entities on the basis of histological and immunohistochemical characteristics.     

Genetically modified rapeseed oil containing cis-9,trans-11,cis-13-octadecatrienoic acid affects body fat mass and lipid metabolism in mice

Punicic acid, one of the conjugated linolenic acid (CLN) isomers, exerts a body-fat reducing effect. Although punicic acid is found in pomegranate and Tricosanthes kirilowii seeds, the amount of this fatty acid is very low in nature. The goal of this study was to produce a transgenic oil containing punicic acid. A cDNA encoding conjugase that converts linoleic acid to punicic acid was isolated from T. kirilowii, and the plant expression vector, pKN-TkFac, was generated. The pKN-TkFac was introduced into Brassica napus by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. As a result, a genetically modified rapeseed oil (GMRO) containing punicic acid was obtained, although its proportion to the total fatty acids was very low (approximately 2.5%). The effects of feeding GMRO in ICR CD-1 male mice were then examined. Wild-type rapeseed (B. napus) oil (RSO) containing no CLN was used as a control oil. For reference oils, RSO-based blended oils were prepared by mixing with different levels of pomegranate oil (PO), either 2.5% (RSO + PO) or 5.0% (RSO + 2PO) punicic acid. Mice were fed purified diets containing 10% of either RSO, RSO + PO, RSO + 2PO, or GMRO for 4 weeks, and dietary PO dose-dependently reduced perirenal adipose tissue weight with a significant difference between the RSO group and the RSO + 2PO group. GMRO, as compared to RSO, lowered the adipose tissue weight to the levels observed with RSO + 2PO. The liver triglyceride level of the RSO + 2PO and GMRO groups but not that of the RSO + PO group was lower than that of the RSO group. The RSO + 2PO and GMRO groups, but not the RSO + PO group, had increased carnitine-palmitoyltransferase activity in the liver and brown adipose tissue. These results showed that dietary GMRO, even at a dietary punicic acid level as low as 0.25 wt % of diet, reduced body fat mass and altered liver lipid metabolism in mice and was more effective than an equal amount of punicic acid from PO.     

Genomic characterization and distribution of bovine foamy virus in Japan

Bovine foamy virus (BFV) is distributed through worldwide cattle herds. Although the biological features of BFV are not well understood, appearance of clinical manifestation by superinfection with other microorganisms is inferred. In Japan, reports of genomic characterizations and epidemiology of this virus are limited. In this study, we performed whole genomic sequencing of BFV strains Ibaraki and No.43, which were isolated in this country. Additionally, we investigated BFV in geographically distant four daily farms in Japan, to estimate the distribution of BFV and its correlation to bovine leukemia virus (BLV). BFV was distributed throughout Japan; the average positive rate was 12.7%. The nucleotide sequence identities of the isolates were 99.6% when compared with BFV strain isolated in the USA. The phylogenetic tree using env gene sequence showed strains Ibaraki, No.43 and Kagoshima were sorted in the same cluster including the USA and Chinese strains, while Hokkaido strain was in the other cluster including European strains. Although no clear correlation between BFV and BLV could be found, BFV and BLV infections were likely to increase with ages. Our data on epidemiology and characteristics of BFV will provide important information to reveal biological features of BFV.     

A proximal genomic region of mouse chromosome 10 contains quantitative trait loci affecting fatness

Body weight and fatness are quantitative traits of agricultural and medical importance. In previous genome‐wide quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses, two QTLs for body weight and weight gain at an early postnatal growth period were discovered on mouse chromosome 10 from a gene pool of wild subspecies mice, Mus musculus castaneus. In this study, we developed a congenic strain with an approximately 63‐Mb wild‐derived genomic region on which the two growth QTLs could be located, by recurrent backcrossing to the common inbred strain C57BL/6J. We compared body weights at 1–10 weeks of age, body weight gains at 1–3, 3–6 and 6–10 weeks, internal organ weights and body lengths between the congenic strain developed and C57BL/6J. Unfortunately, no effects of the two growth QTLs on body weights and weight gains were confirmed. However, at least two new QTLs affecting fatness traits were discovered within the introgressed congenic region. The wild‐derived allele at one QTL increased body mass index, whereas at another one it decreased white fat pad weight and adiposity index. Thus, the congenic mouse strain developed here is a useful model animal for understanding the genetic and molecular basis of fat deposition in livestock as well as humans.