Single injection of clenbuterol into newly hatched chicks decreases abdominal fat pad weight in growing broiler chickens

The aim of the current study was to examine the effects of clenbuterol injection into newly hatched chicks on both the abdominal fat pad tissue weight and the skeletal muscle weight during subsequent growth. Twenty‐seven 1‐day‐old chicks were divided into two groups, receiving either a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of clenbuterol (0.1 mg/kg body weight) or phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS). Body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were not affected by clenbuterol injection during the 5‐week experimental period, while the abdominal fat pad tissue weight of the clenbuterol‐injected chicks was lower than that of the control chicks at 5 weeks post‐injection. Plasma non‐esterified fatty acid concentrations were significantly increased in the clenbuterol‐injected chicks, while plasma triacylglycerol concentrations did not differ. Additionally, the enzymatic activity of fatty acid synthase was lower in the liver of the clenbuterol‐injected chicks. Conversely, the skeletal muscle weights were not affected by clenbuterol injection. These results suggest that a single clenbuterol injection into 1‐day‐old chicks decreases the abdominal fat pad tissue weight, but may not affect skeletal muscle weights during growth. © 2015 Japanese Society of Animal Science     

EGFR mutations in lung cancer: correlation with clinical response to gefitinib therapy

Receptor tyrosine kinase genes were sequenced in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and matched normal tissue. Somatic mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene EGFR were found in 15of 58 unselected tumors from Japan and 1 of 61 from the United States. Treatment with the EGFR kinase inhibitor gefitinib (Iressa) causes tumor regression in some patients with NSCLC, more frequently in Japan. EGFR mutations were found in additional lung cancer samples from U.S. patients who responded to gefitinib therapy and in a lung adenocarcinoma cell line that was hypersensitive to growth inhibition by gefitinib, but not in gefitinib-insensitive tumors or cell lines. These results suggest that EGFR mutations may predict sensitivity to gefitinib.     

Seasonal changes in the xanthophyll cycle and antioxidants in sun-exposed and shaded parts of the crown of Cryptomeria japonica in relation to rhodoxanthin accumulation during cold acclimation

Xanthophyll rhodoxanthin, which is present in sun-exposed needles of certain gymnosperms in winter, may have a photoprotective role during long-term cold acclimation. To examine how cold acclimation processes vary within tree crowns and to examine putative correlations between xanthophyll cycle pigments (VAZ), rhodoxanthin and the water-water cycle in photoprotection, we monitored seasonal changes in the activities of two key antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR)), pigment composition and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in sun and shade needles of crowns of the gymnosperm Cryptomeria japonica D. Don. Although APX and GR activities in both sun and shade needles were higher in winter than in summer when assayed at 20 degrees C, differences between seasons were less pronounced when enzymatic activities in summer and winter were assayed at 20 and 5 degrees C, respectively. These results suggest that increases in the potential activity of antioxidant enzymes in winter is an adaptation that helps counterbalance reductions in absolute enzyme activity caused by low temperature, and thus allows the photoprotective capacity of the water-water cycle in C. japonica to be maintained at a roughly constant value throughout the year. In shade needles, the concentration of VAZ increased in winter, but no rhodoxanthin accumulated. Photosynthetic activity was maintained in winter. In sun needles, however, the electron transport rate (ETR) and photochemical quenching (q(P)) decreased to their lowest values in December, just before the accumulation of rhodoxanthin, which coincided with the highest amount of VAZ. Changes in rhodoxanthin concentration mirrored changes in VAZ concentration from January to March. Winter values of ETR and q(P) were comparable with summer values after accumulation of rhodoxanthin, indicating that rhodoxanthin may play a more important role than the VAZ cycle in protecting the photosynthetic apparatus from photodamage in winter. Photosynthetic activity may be modulated, as a result of the interception of light by rhodoxanthin, to match the extent to which absorbed light energy can be utilized in winter when the VAZ cycle is unable to operate effectively because of low temperatures.     

Comparison of the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer regions between Fusobacterium varium and "Fusobacterium pseudonecrophorum" strains

The 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer regions (ISRs) of five strains of "Fusobacterium pseudonecrophorum" which had been proposed as a new species, were compared with those of F. varium ATCC 8501T. All the strains of "F. pseudonecrophorum" exhibited of sequence similarities of 97.7% to 100% to the strain of F. varium in their 16S-23S rRNA ISR sequences. This indicates that the strains of "F. pseudonecrophorum" and the type strain of F. varium are identical at the species level.     

Promoter analysis of two aromatase genes in the serial-sex changing gobiid fish, Trimma okinawae

Despite numerous endocrine studies on sex change in teleost, no general mechanism that mediates sex change has emerged. The gobiid fish, Trimma okinawae, can change sex in both directions repeatedly. This phenomenon of sex change in goby assigns it as an excellent animal model to elucidate the understanding mechanisms of sex change. In hermaphrodite fishes, estrogen plays a particularly important role in natural and experimentally induced sex change. To investigate the role of estrogen in the serial-sex changing fish T. okinawae, we cloned and analyzed the 5′-flanking regions of P450arom genes from goby genome DNA. Both regions have consensus sequences of TATA, CRE and ERE. Ad4 binding site was restricted in the region of P450aromA. These findings indicate that different regulators control the expression of the two P450arom genes.     

Evaluation of larval quality of viviparous scorpionfish Sebastiscus marmoratus

The aim of this study was to develop an acute test for larval quality in the viviparous scorpionfish Sebastiscus marmoratus. Rearing experiments until day 13 post parturition were conducted to investigate the survival of larvae for 13 different batches, and tolerance to starvation of larvae was examined and expressed by the survival activity index (SAI). The morphological characters, enzyme activity, and swimming behavior of larvae on day 0 and 1 were also observed, followed by the correlation analysis between SAI. Larvae with high SAI (≥26) showed significantly higher survival on day 13 than larvae with low SAI, which confirmed that SAI is a reliable index that can be used to evaluate larval quality, similar to the former findings. The esterase activity (r=−0.713, P<0.01), swim frequency (r=−0.735, P<0.01) and swimming speed (r=−0.588, P<0.05) of larvae on day 0 were significantly and negatively correlated with SAI. It was concluded that enzyme activity and behavioral characters of larvae just after parturition can be a real-time index for evaluating the larval quality of this species.     

Seasonal variations in and effect of incubation water temperature on vertebral number in naturally spawning chum salmon <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oncorhynchus keta</Emphasis>

Seasonal variations and reaction norms for vertebral number (V _N) in response to incubation water temperature were estimated in adult and juvenile naturally spawning chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta. The mean V _N of adults varied according to spawning time; the early-spawning population had higher V _N values than the late-spawning population. Moreover, the mean V _N values in the early-spawning population decreased with seasonal changes, whereas V _N values in the late-spawning population remained stable. Chum salmon embryos in three full-sib families were incubated at five different temperatures until hatching, and the V _N values of the resulting juveniles were analyzed. The V _N reaction norm to incubation water temperature showed a V-shaped curve that was lowest at an intermediate temperature. The mean V _N at the same incubation temperature varied among the three families. These results suggest that V _N values in chum salmon are influenced by genetic components and incubation water temperatures. V _N may be a useful parameter for estimating the environmental conditions during ontogenesis and the genetic background by detecting population changes.     

Comparative observations of the growth changes of the histochemical properties and collagen architecture of the iliotibialis lateralis muscle from Silky, layer and meat type cockerels

Growth‐related changes in the histochemical property and collagen architecture of the iliotibialis lateralis muscle were compared among Silky, layer and meat cockerels. Histochemical and immunohistochemical methods were employed to observe the collagen architecture. The total intramuscular collagen was also determined. The muscle consisted of type IIA, IIB and IIC myofibers, of which type IIB occurred at the highest frequency. The diameter of type IIB myofibers in each week was largest in the layer, followed by the meat, and was smallest in the Silky. The total amount of collagen reached 3.38 mg/g in the meat bird, 3.03 mg/g in the layer and 2.71 mg/g in the Silky by 30 weeks of age, respectively. In the perimysium, the collagen bundles increased in size and density of fibrils with growth. At 30 weeks of age the layer had compact collagen platelets while the Silky had loose collagen bundles. In the meat bird, the collagen bundles were moderately compact. The endomysial collagen network had a large mesh size at 1 week and thereafter accumulated many collagen fibrils to form a felt‐like fabric of fibrils at 30 weeks of age. From these results it appears that growth‐related changes in the iliotibialis lateralis muscle are not necessarily causally affected by the different growth rates of chicken breeds.     

Dynamics of infection-related morphogenesis and pathogenesis in Colletotrichum orbiculare

Colletotrichum orbiculare (syn. C. lagenarium) is the causal agent of anthracnose disease on cucurbit plants. This fungus forms dome-shaped, melanized appressoria as a host invasion structure. Strain 104-T (MAFF240422) of C. orbiculare, which was originally isolated from a cucumber plant in 1951 by Dr. Yasumori, Kyoto University, has proven to be an excellent experimental model for the study of fungal pathogenesis and morphogenesis because of its stable pathogenicity and synchronous infection-related morphogenesis. This review considers the discoveries made during 60 years of study on C. orbiculare. In particular, we focus on advances made in the last two decades, which have provided a basis for the molecular analysis not only of fungal morphogenesis, but also of plant–microbe interactions, including plant immunity to adapted and nonadapted Colletotrichum fungi. This substantial body of innovative research was originated by the Phytopathological Society of Japan and represents a major contribution to the international research communities working on plant pathology, plant–microbe interactions, and fungal molecular genetics. This review deals with the past achievements and future prospects in the study of Colletotrichum biology, focusing on the molecular genetics of C. orbiculare with regard to four aspects: (1) metabolic and functional development of infection structures, (2) signaling pathways required for fungal pathogenesis, (3) pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and host basal resistance, and (4) establishment of host specificity.     

Zinc nutrition and levels of endogenous lndole‐3‐acetic acid in radish shoots

Radish (Raphanus sativus cv. Akamaru‐Hatsukadaikon) was grown for several experiments in a glasshouse with zinc (Zn) supply in the nutrient solution. Lack of Zn resulted in stunted growth and reduced leaf of radish shoots were observed. Two‐dimensional thin layer chromatography (TLC) and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) analysis revealed the presence of endogenous indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA) in Zn‐deficient radish shoots. An estimate has been made of alkali‐labile (1 and 7N NaOH) IAA in Zn‐deficient radish shoots with the use of gas chromatography (GC). The level of 7N NaOH‐labile IAA (peptidic + ester + free) and IN NaOH‐labile IAA (ester + free) in Zn‐deficient radish shoots was almost the same as that of control radish shoots. These results suggest that Zn nutrition did not affect the level of endogenous IAA in radish shoots.