Geographical distribution of vampire bat-related cattle rabies in Brazil

Seventy-seven rabies virus (RV) isolates originating from Brazilian cattle were genetically characterized. Partial nucleoprotein gene sequences of these isolates were phylogenetically and geographically analyzed. Cattle isolates, which clustered with the vampire bat-related RV group, were further subdivided into nine genetic subgroups. These subgroups were distributed widely in lowland regions, with some subgroups separated from each other by mountain ranges. In addition, separation of the groups in mountainous regions was correlated with altitude. These results indicate that cattle rabies is derived from several regionally-defined variants, which suggests that its geographical distribution is related to that of the vampire bat population.     

DDT effects on certain ATP related systems in the peripheral nervous system of the lobster Homarus americanus

Effects of DDT (1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl) ethane) on various ATP utilizing enzymes in the lobster peripheral nerve were studied. On the basis of inhibition by ouabain and DDT, four classes of ATPase enzymes were recognized. They are: (1) ATPase activity that is sensitive to both ouabain and DDT inhibition, or Type A, (2) ATPase activity that is sensitive to DDT inhibition only, or Type B, (3) ATPase activity that is sensitive to ouabain only, and (4) ATPase activity that is not sensitive to either ouabain or DDT. The Type A ATPase is considered to be a part of the total (Na⁺K⁺) ATPase enzyme associated with the electrogenic pump. The Type B ATPase consisted of an uncharacterized Na⁺, K⁺, and Mg²⁺ stimulated ATPase and includes also a small portion of Mg²⁺ stimulated ATPase. Ca²⁺ stimulated ATPase activity was also detected but was not significantly affected by DDT. Proteins with actomyosin-like properties were also recognized to be present, though this superprecipitation process was only slightly affected by DDT.Other systems studied include the transfer of (γ-³²P) ATP to endogenous proteins and added histone in the presence and absence of c-AMP. DDT generally stimulated the process of ³²P incorporation, while it inhibited a portion of the specific c-AMP dependent protein kinase activity.It was concluded from these studies that DDT has a potential to inhibit or otherwise interfere with a variety of enzymatic reactions that utilize ATP as a substrate. Of these systems, the Type B ATPase bore overall resemblance to the possible target for DDT.     

Further examination on the truncation point in truncation selection for proportion-defined trait

For truncation selection on a proportion‐defined trait, an approximate expression for the true truncation point is currently available, which has been derived assuming that the component traits follow a curtailed normal distribution. This note deterministically examines the validity of the approximate expression in some details. We show that the value defined by the approximate expression is equivalent to that derived from an approximation to the true probability density function for the proportion trait of concern. We also show that the validity of the approximate expression is definitely dependent on the magnitude of the lower limit in the definite integral involved in the true probability density function for the proportion trait. We reveal some properties of the lower limit concerning its maximum and minimum. We indirectly assess the adequacy of the approximate expression under the settings of the altered coefficients of variation for the component traits and the changed correlation between them. The results indicate that the true value of the truncation point can be numerically represented quite sufficiently by the approximate expression, when the coefficients of variation are approximately below 25% and the positive correlation is not extremely high.     

Studies on the action of chlordimeform in cockroaches

The effects of chlordimeform [N-(2-methyl-4-chlorophenyl)-N′,N′-dimethylformamidine] on amine regulatory mechanisms in insects were studied. Chlordimeform inhibits monoamine oxidase (MAO) from cockroach heads in vitro, and the MAO substrates serotonin and norepinephrine accumulate in poisoned insects in vivo. Chlordimeform synergizes the toxicity of tryptamine, another MAO substrate. The significance of these findings in relation to the mode of action of chlordimeform is discussed.     

Rice Metabolomics

Metabolomics is a recently developed technology for comprehensive analysis of metabolites in organisms. Plant metabolites that are produced for the growth, development, and chemical defense of plants against climatic alterations or natural predators are also useful to us as nutrients or medicines; hence, it is important to comprehend the amounts and varieties of plant metabolites. Besides providing an understanding of the metabolic state in plants under various circumstances, metabolomic techniques are applicable to the clarification of the functions of unknown genes by using natural variants or mutants of the target plants. Furthermore, a metabolomic approach might be useful in the breeding of crops, since valuable plant traits such as taste and yield are closely related to metabolic conditions. Here, we describe the methodology of metabolomics including sample extraction and preparation, metabolite detection, and data processing and analysis, and introduce the application of metabolomic studies to rice.     

Phenolic constituents ofTaxus cuspidata I: lignans from the roots

The phenolic constituents of the roots ofTaxus cuspidata (Japanese yew) were investigated. Four lignans, [(+)-taxiresinol (1), (+)-lariciresinol (2), (–)-secoisolariciresinol (3), and (+)-pinoresinol (4)] were isolated and identified. The assignment of proton and carbon atoms for the lignans were finally solved by one- and twodimensional-nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. The enantiomeric excess of these lignans were determined by chiral high-performance liquid Chromatographic analyses. (+)-Lariciresinol and (–)-secoisolariciresinol were optically pure; (+)-taxiresinol was also suggested to be optically pure, although (+)-pinoresinol was not (77% enantiomeric excess).     

Characterization of vitamin B12 compounds from the brackish-water bivalve Corbicula japonica

In Lake Togo (Tottori prefecture, Japan), the vitamin B₁₂ content of the brackish-water bivalve Corbicula japonica remained high (17.3–22.5 μg/100 g wet weight of the edible portion) throughout the year, except during August and September. We evaluated whether the bivalve contained true vitamin B₁₂ or other corrinoid compounds that are inactive in humans by purifying the compounds and identifying them using LC/ESI–MS/MS chromatograms. The results indicated that “true” vitamin B₁₂ predominated in the bivalve, although small amounts of inactive corrinoid compounds (pseudovitamin B₁₂ and three unidentified compounds) were also found.     

Evaluation of biological activities of extracts from 22 African tropical wood species

Heartwoods of 22 African tropical wood species were extracted with methanol and the contents of total phenolic compounds in these extracts were measured. Three bioassays were conducted to evaluate the antioxidant activity, tyrosinase inhibitory activity, and antifungal activity of the methanol extracts. The results indicated that the extracts from 13 species exhibited high antioxidant potential, and their inhibitory concentrations that caused 50% scavenging of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (IC₅₀) were less than 10 μg/ml. The crude extract from Cylicodiscus gabunensis showed the highest antioxidant activity, and was even higher than that of (+)-catechin, which is known as a potent antioxidant. There was a good correlation between the antioxidant activity and the content of total phenolic compounds, indicating that phenolic compounds played a predominant role in the antioxidant property of the wood extracts. Among all 22 species, only 1 species, Milicia excelsa, contained extractives that showed very high tyrosinase inhibitory activity. The extracts from 9 species showed high antifungal activity. No consistent relationship was observed between the tyrosinase inhibitory activity or antifungal activity and the content of total phenolics in the extracts. Part of this article was presented at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Akita, August 2006     

Changes in peripheral leukocyte subsets in dairy cows with inflammatory diseases after calving

To clarify the cellular immune system in dairy cows with inflammatory diseases after calving, the leukocyte subsets were examined in Holstein dairy cows. Twenty Holstein cows reared in one herd, were used in this study. Nine cows (Group 1) experienced onset of mastitis or puerperal fever within 2 weeks after calving, and the other eleven cows remained healthy (Group 2) after calving. The numbers of CD3(+), CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells tended to be lower in Group 1 than in Group 2 from the day of calving through week 1. These results suggested that the cows with inflammatory diseases might have experienced a decline in T cells by the day of calving, before the onset of disease.     

Estimation of dominance genetic variances for reproductive traits and growth traits of calves in Japanese Black cattle

The dominance genetic effects for reproductive and calf growth abilities in the practical Japanese Black populations were examined using average information (AI) algorithm restricted maximum likelihood (REML) under animal models. The reproductive traits were observed in Japanese Black cattle maintained at Tottori and Okinawa prefectures, and growth traits of calves were observed in cattle at Okinawa. The average of dominance relationships in Tottori ranged from 0.2 to 0.4%, while the level in Okinawa was lower and sparse compared with Tottori. The proportions of the dominance variances to sum of additive and dominance variances () were all 0.02 for reproductive traits in Tottori. In contrast, the proportion was 0.02–0.64 in Okinawa regardless of the level of dominance relationships. These proportions suggested that the dominance might affect the expression of calving interval, days open and gestation length in Okinawa, where breeding units were spread over many islands. Although the dominance variances could not estimate birthweight, w as 0.34 for calf market weight and 0.27 for average daily gain from birth to calf market in Okinawa. These values also suggested that the dominance might affect the early growth of calves. In the near future, genetic relationships will become more complicated with continuation of the current selection and mating systems. Therefore, genetic evaluation accounting for dominance effects would be necessary for particular traits and populations.