Molecular characterization and genogrouping of VP1 of aquatic birnavirus GC1 isolated from rockfish Sebastes schlegeli in Korea

The cDNA nucleotide sequence of genome segment B encoding the VP1 protein was determined for the aquatic birnavirus GC1 isolated from the rockfish Sebastes schlegeli in Korea. The VP1 protein of GC1 contains a 2,538 bp open reading frame, which encodes a protein comprising 846 amino acid residues that has a predicted MW of 94 kDa. The sequence contains 6 potential Asn-X-Ser/Thr motifs. Eight potential Ser phosphorylation sites and 1 potential Tyr phophorylation site were also identified. GC1 contains the Leu-Lys-Asn (LKN) motif instead of the typical Gly-Asp-Asp (GDD) motif found in other aquatic birnaviruses. We also identified the GLPYIGKT motif, the putative GTP-binding site at amino acid position 248. In total, the VP1 regions of 22 birnavirus strains were compared for analyzing the genetic relationship among the family Birnaviridae. Based on the deduced amino acid sequences, GC1 was observed to be more closely related to the infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) from the USA, Japan, and Korea than the IPNV from Europe. Further, aquatic birnaviruses containing GC1 and IPNV have genogroups that are distinct from those in the genus Avibirnaviruses and Entomo-birnaviruses. The birnavirusstrains were clustered into 5 genogroups based on their amino acid sequences. The marine aquatic birnaviruses (MABVs) containing GC1 were included in the MABV genogroup; the IPNV strains isolated from Korea, Japan, and the USA were included in genogroup 1 and the IPNV strains isolated primarily from Europe were included in genogroup 2. Avibirnaviruses and entomobirnaviruses were included in genogroup 3 and 4, respectively.     

Neoliberal developmentalism in South Korea: Evidence from the green growth policymaking process

This paper argues that Korea, once a representative East Asian developmental state, has state characteristics that amount to ‘neoliberal developmentalism’, which is a combination of the government's neoliberal political rationality and the developmental state's governmentality. To elucidate this, the case of Korea's recent green growth policymaking process is analysed. The government based the policy on its neoliberal political rationality. This featured the utilisation of neoliberalism to achieve the government's specific aims in the international, political and socio‐economic spheres. Furthermore, the government revealed the developmental state's governmentality, focusing on the maintenance of the developmental state's policy autonomy and capacity. Based on the findings, this paper teases out the academic implications of the post‐developmental state and the policy implications regarding policymaking in the context of neoliberal developmentalism.     

Strawberry and its anthocyanins reduce oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells

Because strawberries are known to contain higher concentrations of phytochemicals and have higher antioxidant capacity among common fruits, their neuroprotective activity was tested in vitro on PC12 cells treated with H2O2. Their protective effect and antioxidant capacity were also compared with those of banana and orange, which are the fresh fruits consumed at highest levels in the United States. The cell viability test using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay showed that strawberry phenolics significantly reduced oxidative stress-induced neurotoxicity. Because oxidative stress is also known to increase neuronal cell membrane breakdown, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and trypan blue exclusion assays were also performed. Strawberry showed the highest cell protective effects among the samples. The overall relative neuronal cell protective activity of three fruits by three tests followed the decreasing order strawberry > banana > orange. The protective effects appeared to be due to the higher phenolic contents including anthocyanins, and anthocyanins in strawberries seemed to be the major contributors.     

Movement patterns of three freshwater fish species after upstream transportation by fishway in the Jangheung Dam

We investigated the post-passage movement patterns of three freshwater fish species, Carassius auratus, Hemibarbus longirostris, and Silurus asotus, frequently captured in a fishway trap as they were released into the lentic dam reservoir. Acoustic telemetry was used to monitor fish movement. Acoustic tags were attached to 10 individuals (C. auratus, [n = 6], Ca1–6; H. longirostris, [n = 2], Hl1 and Hl2; and S. asotus, [n = 2], Sa1 and Sa2). The individual (Sa1) was particularly monitored to changes of vertical distribution between day and night a depth transmitter. The lentic species, C. auratus and S. asotus, were grouped into those that moved into upper streams (Ca1, Ca2, Ca3, and Sa1) and those that stayed in the reservoir (Ca4, Ca5, Ca6, and Sa2); all individuals utilized almost the entire area of the reservoir. However, H. longirostris, which favor lotic environments, showed different responses; one (Hl1) immediately moved into one of upper the streams, whereas the other (Hl2) utilized the entire dam reservoir area. No significant correlations were observed between size of the C. auratus individuals (total length and total weight) and monitored parameters (total movement distance, movement distance per day, and number of receivers encountered). Moreover, S. asotus used the water at a mean depth of 2.89 ± 1.52 m, and its vertical distribution changed more actively during the night than that during the day. Therefore, the efficacy of the Jangheung Dam fishway could be improved through release of the confluence of the inflow streams at the dam reservoir, which would provide both lentic and lotic environments without extended migration for fish.     

Vernalization-mediated epigenetic silencing by a long intronic noncoding RNA

Vernalization is an environmentally-induced epigenetic switch in which winter cold triggers epigenetic silencing of floral repressors and thus provides competence to flower in spring. In Arabidopsis, winter cold triggers enrichment of tri-methylated histone H3 Lys(27) at chromatin of the floral repressor, FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), and results in epigenetically stable repression of FLC. This epigenetic change is mediated by an evolutionarily conserved repressive complex, polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). Here, we show that a long intronic noncoding RNA [termed COLD ASSISTED INTRONIC NONCODING RNA (COLDAIR)] is required for the vernalization-mediated epigenetic repression of FLC. COLDAIR physically associates with a component of PRC2 and targets PRC2 to FLC. Our results show that COLDAIR is required for establishing stable repressive chromatin at FLC through its interaction with PRC2.     

Stereochemical Determination of Fistularins Isolated from the Marine Sponge Ecionemia acervus and Their Regulatory Effect on Intestinal Inflammation

By activity-guided fractionation based on inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE₂), six fistularin compounds (1–6) were isolated from the marine sponge Ecionemia acervus (order Astrophorida). Based on stereochemical structure determination using Mosher’s method, fistularin-3 was assigned as a new stereoisomer. On the basis of the stereochemistry of fistularin-3, the stereochemical homogeneity of all six compounds was established by comparing carbon and proton chemical shifts. For fistularin-1 (1) and -2 (2), quantum calculations were performed to confirm their stereochemistry. In a co-culture system of human epithelial Caco-2 cells and THP-1 macrophages, all six isolated compounds showed potent anti-inflammatory activities. These bioactive fistularins inhibited the production of NO, PGE₂, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 induced by lipopolysaccharide and interferon gamma. Inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression and MAPK phosphorylation were downregulated in response to the inhibition of NF-κB nuclear translocation. Among the compounds tested, fistularin-1 (1) and 19-deoxyfistularin-3 (4) showed the highest activity. These findings suggest the potential use of the marine sponge E. acervus and its metabolites as pharmaceuticals for the treatment of inflammation-related diseases including inflammatory bowel disease.     

Effects of melatonin and green-wavelength LED light on the physiological stress and immunity of goldfish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carassius auratus</Emphasis>, exposed to high water temperature

This study investigated the effects of increasing water temperature (22–30 °C) on the physiological stress response and immunity of goldfish, Carassius auratus, and the ability of green light-emitting diode (LED) irradiation or melatonin injections to mitigate this temperature-induced stress. To evaluate the effects of either green-wavelength LED light or melatonin on stress in goldfish, we measured plasma triiodothyronine (T₃), thyroxine (T₄), and thyroid hormone receptor (TR) mRNA expression; plasma cortisol and glucose; and immunoglobulin M (IgM) and lysozyme mRNA expression. The thyroid hormone activities, TR mRNA expression, and plasma cortisol and glucose were higher in goldfish exposed to high-temperature water, but were lower after exposure to melatonin or green-wavelength LED light. Lysozyme mRNA expression and plasma IgM activity and protein expression were lower after exposure to high water temperatures and higher after melatonin or green-wavelength LED light treatments. Therefore, high water temperature induced stress and decreased immunity; however, green-wavelength LED light and melatonin treatments mitigated the effects of stress and enhanced immunity. The benefits of melatonin decreased with time, whereas those of green-wavelength LED treatment did not.     

Pomegranate enriched diet enhances the hematology, innate immune response, and disease resistance in olive flounder against Philasterides dicentrarchi

Olive flounder, Paralichythys olivaceus fed with pomegranate enriched diet and challenged with or without Philasterides dicentrarchi had a significantly higher white blood cell (WBC) count on weeks 2 and 4 than the infected group fed with non enriched diet (standard diet). Similarly the red blood cell (RBC) counts did not significantly change in control and treated fish on weeks 1 and 2. It was significantly increased in treated fish on week 2 when compared to the control. In both the groups the hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (Ht) levels significantly increased on weeks 2 and 4. The mean corpuscular volume (MCV) did not significantly change at any time in both groups whereas mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) increased significantly on week 4 in the treated group. The leukocytes such as lymphocytes (Lym), monocytes (Mon), neutrophils (Neu), and biochemical parameters such as total protein (TP), glucose (GLU), and calcium (CAL) levels significantly increased in treated groups on week 2 or 4 as compared to the control. The scuticocidal activity and respiratory burst activity were significantly enhanced in treated groups with or without parasite on weeks 2-4. However, the serum lysozyme activity was significantly enhanced from weeks 1 to 4. The protective response in terms of cumulative mortality was low in groups fed with enriched diet against parasite when compared to control. Therefore, we suggest that pomegranate enriched diet following challenge with P. dicentrarchi restores the altered hematological and biochemical parameters, and improves the innate immune system in olive flounder against P. dicentrarchi.     

Liquid diets accelerate the growth of early-weaned pigs and the effects are maintained to market weight

Piglets (n = 240, 11.0+/-0.1 d old, 3.93+/-0.05 kg) were allotted to one of four treatments in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement to examine the effects of diet physical form and nursery environment during the first 14 d after weaning on growth to market weight. During the treatment period, pigs were housed (10 pigs/ pen) in either a conventional hot nursery (30 degrees C) or a segregated-temperature nursery (cool ambient temp. of 24 degrees C, with enclosed hot-box hovers at 32 degrees C). Pigs in each environment were fed nutritionally identical diets in either liquid or dry-pellet form for 14 d. Subsequently, all pigs were fed identical dry diets and were housed in common grower-finisher facilities (penned by sex, five pigs/pen). At the end of the treatment period (d 14), pigs fed the liquid diet were 21% heavier than pigs fed the dry pellet diet (9.22 vs 7.60 kg; P < 0.001). Similarly, gain, feed intake, and gain/feed of liquid-fed pigs were 44%, 18%, and 22% greater, respectively, than observed for pigs fed the dry pellet diet. No main effect of environment was observed (P > 0.10); however, an interaction with diet physical form occurred during the early-nursery period (P < 0.01). Pigs fed the liquid diet showed better performance in the conventional nursery, whereas pigs fed the dry pellet diet were favored in the segregated-temperature nursery. No major differences in growth performance or in ultrasound carcass measurements were detected during the growing-finishing period; however, the advantage in body weight of liquid-fed pigs gained during the first 2 wk postweaning was maintained to the end of the trial (113.9 vs 110.6 kg; P < 0.05). Pigs that were fed the early-nursery diet in liquid form reached market weight (110 kg) 3.7 d sooner than the dry-fed controls (P < 0.01). Estimates of lean gain (calculated from live ultrasound data) were unaffected, suggesting that composition of growth was not altered. Collectively, these results show that liquid feeding during early life can markedly accelerate piglet growth performance and that the growth advantage is maintained to market weight, with no evidence of compensatory gain in the dry-fed control pigs.