Real-time PCR genotyping assay for canine trapped neutrophil syndrome and high frequency of the mutant allele in Border collies

Trapped neutrophil syndrome is an autosomal recessive inherited neutropenia in Border collies. The causative mutation is a 4 base pair deletion in exon 19 of the canine VPS13B gene. In this study, a real-time PCR assay was developed and a genotyping survey was carried out in Border collies in Japan. The carrier frequency was 11.1%, suggesting that the mutant allele frequency is high enough to warrant measures to control and prevent the disease.     

Effects of anti-auxins on secondary aerenchyma formation in flooded soybean hypocotyls

In flooded hypocotyl of soybean (Glycine max), cell division in phellogen and the elongation of these cells are enhanced, and thereby a secondary aerenchyma with high porosity is produced. Auxin controls cell division and cell elongation in many plants, so we studied its role in secondary aerenchyma development. Soybean plants with fully expanded unifoliolate leaves were flooded for 6 d with solutions (100 μM each) of seven anti-auxins. TIBA, NPA, HFCA, 1-NOA, or CHPAA did not restrict the secondary aerenchyma formation, while MH moderately suppressed the aerenchyma development, and PCIB strongly inhibited the development of phellogen and secondary aerenchyma. However, the endogenous IAA concentrations in the flooded hypocotyls did not increase or decrease relative to the controls until 72 h, when a secondary aerenchyma was observed. From these results, it is unclear whether auxin plays an important role in the process of secondary aerenchyma formation under flooding.     

Relationship between body temperature and ovarian cycle in Asian and African elephants

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether changes in body temperature are related to the ovarian cycle in elephants. Rectal, tongue or fecal temperature was measured for 2 Asian and 5 African elephants using an electric thermometer. Evaluation of ovarian cycles was based on the changes in serum or fecal progestin. The mean +/- SD values of the rectal, tongue, and fecal temperatures were 36.3 +/- 0.3 (2 Asian), 36.2 +/- 0.5 (1 African) and 36.5 +/- 0.3 C (4 African), respectively; the fecal temperature was the highest of the 3 temperatures (P<0.01). The longitudinal changes in body temperatures correlated with the ovarian cycle, with higher temperatures occurring during the luteal phase. The fecal temperatures of one acyclic African elephant did not change cyclically. These results suggest that measurement of body temperature can be used to easily evaluate the ovarian cyclicity of an individual animal, although it might not be able to determine the ovarian cycle length.     

Spatial and seasonal variations of radiocesium concentrations in an algae-grazing annual fish,ayu Plecoglossus altivelis collected from Fukushima Prefecture in 2014

Fisheries Science - To elucidate spatial and seasonal variations of radiocesium (134Cs and 137Cs) concentrations in ayu Plecoglossus altivelis, amphidromous fish samples were collected both from...