Identification of imported Chirimen at the genus level by a direct sequencing method using mitochondrial partial 16S rDNA region

ABSTRACT:   Quality control of imported fish products is a constant challenge for Customs officials. To help officials access the quality and integrity of imported fish products, and to enhance the effectiveness and accuracy of product screening, a method was developed to identify boiled and dried larval and juvenile sardines (Chirimen) at the genus level by direct sequencing using a partial sequence (606 bp) of mitochondrial 16S rDNA. A phylogenetic tree was constructed, based on nucleotide sequences of seven kinds of Chirimen imported from four countries with 16 standard samples belonging to the orders Clupeiformes and Salmoniformes. To identify the fish genera in imported Chirimen, bootstrap values and branch lengths of the phylogenetic tree as well as genetic distances were used. The data revealed that Chirimen imported from China and Korea contains species of the genus Engraulis . Regarding other imported Chirimen, the least that could be verified was that the sardine ingredients do not belong to regulated genera.     

Introduction: the coastal ecosystem complex as a unit of structure and function of biological productivity in coastal areas

Coastal seas are composed of relatively independent ecosystems, such as estuaries, rocky shores, mangroves, and coral reefs. Such individual ecosystems (IEs) are linked closely to each other by the dispersal and circulation of nutrients and organic matter and the movement of organisms, and form a coastal ecosystem complex (CEC). The CEC is understood as a unit of structure and function of coastal seas. It is characterized by a high degree of species diversity and it plays a large role in fishery and aquaculture production, as it provides important marine services for humans. This special volume compiles recent ecological studies of target species and IEs, to facilitate the conservation of coastal seas and the sustainability and production of their fisheries and aquaculture based on our understanding of the structure and function of the CEC in these environments.     

Shelter effects of coralline algal turfs: protection for Turbo cornutus juveniles from predation by a predatory gastropod and wrasse

Laboratory experiments were conducted to examine the shelter effects of turfs of articulated coralline algae (ACA) for the Japanese spiny turban snail Turbo cornutus. The muricid gastropod Ergalatax contractus and the cockerel wrasse Pteragogus flagellifer were used as predators. When the muricid snail was used as a predator, the existence of ACA fronds improved the survival rate of the turban snail juveniles compared with the experimental treatment without ACA fronds. Refuge provided by ACA fronds against predation by the muricid snail was more notable for smaller-sized turban snail juveniles (5.8 mm in shell height) than those of a larger size (8.6 mm in shell height). In the experiment using the wrasse as a predator, a shelter effect was demonstrated for turban snail juveniles of two size groups (4.3 and 10.2 mm in shell height). ACA turfs hindered foraging by the wrasse, so the survival rate of the juveniles was greatly increased. No clear difference was observed between the two size groups of the turban snail in terms of the shelter effect of ACA turf. The shelter effect of ACA turfs for turban snail juveniles is thought to derive from the physical characteristics of the algae, which form a visual and physical barrier.     

Effects of hyaluronic acid on Ca(2+) influx, lactate dehydrogenase activity, and cyclic AMP synthesis in canine ejaculated sperm during In Vitro capacitation

The effects of hyaluronic acid, which comprises the cumulus intercellular matrix, on Ca(2+) influx, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, and cyclic AMP synthesis in canine sperm during capacitation was investigated. Ejaculated sperm were collected from 10 Beagle dogs and the sperm were incubated for 4 hr in Eagle's MEM containing 10 microg/ml of hyaluronic acid. The percentages of actively motile sperm, hyperactivated sperm (HA-sperm), acrosome-reacted sperm (AR-sperm), and sperm labeled with fluoresceinated Ca(2+) indicator (Ca(2+)-labeled sperm) were evaluated to assess Ca(2+) influx into the sperm. LDH activity and cAMP concentration were measured in homogenized sperm. The mean percentages of motile sperm, HA-sperm, and Ca(2+)-labeled sperm in the MEM containing hyaluronic acid were higher than in the control medium (P<0.05, 0.05, and 0.01, respectively), but there was no difference between the percentages of AR-sperm. Mean LDH activity and mean cAMP concentration were also significantly higher than the control values (P<0.05). The percentages of HA-sperm correlated with those of Ca(2+)-labeled sperm (r(2)=0.810). The results indicate that hyaluronic acid increases Ca(2+) influx, LDH activity, and cAMP synthesis in canine ejaculated sperm during capacitation in vitro.     

Climate‐induced nonlinearity in pelagic communities and non‐stationary relationships with physical drivers in the Kuroshio ecosystem

Climate‐induced nonlinearity in biological variability and non‐stationary relationships with physical drivers are crucial to understand responses of marine organisms to climate variability. These phenomena have raised concerns in the northeastern North Pacific, but are out of the spotlight in the northwestern North Pacific in spite of potential implications for this productive system under increased climate variability. Pelagic communities in the Kuroshio ecosystem have both ecological and economic importance. However, patterns of climate‐induced nonlinearity in pelagic communities are not well understood, and existence of non‐stationarity in their relationships with physical drivers remains obscure. Here, we compile large numbers of climatic, oceanic and biological long‐term time‐series data and employ diverse statistical techniques to reveal such climate‐induced nonlinearity and non‐stationarity. Results show that pelagic communities in the Tsushima and Pacific areas (major areas in the Kuroshio ecosystem) had regime shifts in the late 1990s and late 1980s, respectively. Winter sea surface temperatures in the Kuroshio Current path and in the eastern part of East China Sea, which are respectively affected by the Kuroshio Current and Siberian High, correlate with dominant variability patterns in their pelagic communities. Furthermore, non‐stationarity was identified with threshold years in the 1990s in the Tsushima area and in the 1980s in the Pacific area as a possible result of the declined variances in the Siberian High and Aleutian Low, respectively. Our findings provide insights on spatial differentiation of climate‐induced nonlinearity and non‐stationarity, which are valuable for the management of pelagic communities in the northwestern North Pacific under changing climatic conditions.     

Effects of low-dose G-CSF formulation on hematology in healthy horses after long-distance transportation

The present study evaluated the effects of single-dose filgrastim on hematology in 16 healthy horses after long-distance transportation. Horses were assigned to receive filgrastim (0.23 µg/kg, SC, once; G-CSF group; n=8) or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (0.3 ml, SC, once; control group; n=8) ≤ 1 hr before transportation. Horses were transported 2,530 km using commercial vans over the course of approximately 44 hr. Clinical examinations and hematologic analyses were performed on all horses before and after transportation. Because the post-transportation white blood cell counts and bacillary neutrophil to segmented neutrophil ratio were significantly higher in the G-CSF group, filgrastim may have promoted the mobilization of neutrophils from marrow. Filgrastim deserves a further study for efficacy in preventing horse shipping fever.     

Mapping quantitative trait loci for salt tolerance at germination and the seedling stage in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling salt tolerance at germination and the seedling stage in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) were identified by interval mapping analysis using marker information from two doubled haploid (DH) populations derived from the crosses, Steptoe/Morex and Harrington/TR306. Interval mapping analysis revealed that the QTLs for salt tolerance at germination in the DH lines of Steptoe/Morex were located on chromosomes 4 (4H), 6(6H), and 7(5H), and in the DH lines of Harrington/TR306 on chromosomes 5(1H) and 7(5H). In both DH populations, the most effective QTLs were found at different loci on chromosome 7(5H). Genetic linkage between salt tolerance at germination and abscisic acid (ABA) response was found from QTL mapping. The QTLs for the most effective ABA response at germination were located very close to those for salt tolerance on chromosome 7 (5H) in both crosses. The QTLs for salt tolerance at the seedling stage were located on chromosomes 2(2H), 5(1H), 6(6H), and 7(5H) in the DH lines of Steptoe/Morex, and on chromosome 7(5H) in the DH lines of Harrington/TR 306. Their positions were different from those of QTLs controlling salt tolerance at germination, indicating that salt tolerance at germination and at the seedling stage were controlled by different loci. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Identification of QTL controlling adventitious root formation during flooding conditions in teosinte (Zea mays ssp. huehuetenangensis) seedlings

Adventitious root formation (ARF) at the soil surface is one of the most important adaptations to soil flooding or waterlogging. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling ARF under flooding condition were identified in a 94 F₂ individual population by crossing maize (Zea mays L., B64) × teosinte (Z. mays ssp. huehuetenangensis). A base-map was constructed using 66 SSR and 42 AFLP markers, covering 1,378 cM throughout all ten maize chromosomes. The ARF capacity for seedlings was determined by evaluating the degree of root formation at the soil surface following flooding for 2 weeks. ARF showed continuous variation in the F₂ population. Interval mapping and composite interval mapping analyses revealed that the QTL for ARF was located on chromosome 8 (bin 8.05). Utilising a selective genotyping strategy with an additional 186 F₂ population derived from the same cross combination and 32 AFLP primer combinations, regions on chromosomes 4 (bin 4.07) and 8 (bin 8.03) were found to be associated with ARF. Z. mays ssp. huehuetenangensis contributed all of the QTL detected in this study. Results of the study suggest a potential for transferring waterlogging tolerance to maize from Z. mays ssp. huehuetenangensis.     

Fetal and neonatal goiter in cynomolgus monkeys following administration of the antithyroid drug thiamazole at high doses to dams during pregnancy

To evaluate morphologic alterations in the thyroid gland in the second generation in cynomolgus monkeys, pregnant dams were exposed to high doses of thiamazole. In Experiment A, dams received thiamazole intragastrically via a nasogastric catheter from gestation day (GD) 50 to GD 150 or on the day before delivery. Initially, the dose level was 20 mg/kg/day (10 mg/kg twice daily); however, the dose level was subsequently decreased to 5 mg/kg/day (2.5 mg/kg twice daily), since deteriorated general conditions were observed in two dams. Six out of seven neonates died on the day of birth. The cause of neonatal death was tracheal compression and suffocation from goiter. The transplacental exposure to thiamazole affected the fetal thyroid glands and induced goiter in all neonates. The surviving neonate was necropsied 767 days after discontinuation of thiamazole exposure and showed reversibility of the induced changes. In Experiment B, dams were intragastrically administered thiamazole at 5 mg/kg/day (2.5 mg/kg twice daily) for treatment periods from GDs 51 to 70, 71 to 90, 91 to 110, 111 to 130 and 131 to 150. All fetuses showed enlarged thyroid glands but were viable. Histopathologically, hypertrophy and/or hyperplastic appearance of the follicular epithelium of the thyroid gland was observed at the end of each treatment period. The most active appearance of the follicular epithelium, consisting of crowded pedunculated structure, was demonstrated at end of the treatment period from GD 131 to 150. This is the first report on the morphology of fetal and neonatal goiter in the cynomolgus monkey.