Effect of Yucca schidigera with or without nisin on ruminal fermentation and microbial protein synthesis in sheep fed silage- and hay-based diets

A 4 × 6 Youden square design was used to study manipulating effect of Yucca schidigera with or without nisin on rumen fermentation characteristics and microbial protein synthesis in sheep fed silage‐ and hay‐based diets. Four ruminally canulated wethers were given isonitrogenous diets of timothy silage and concentrate (85:15) (S), and timothy hay and concentrate (60:40) (H), on DM basis. The six experimental diets were: (i) S; (ii) S + 240 ppm of Yucca schidigera (SY); (iii) S + 240 ppm of Yucca schidigera + 6 mg/kg bodyweight (BW)^0.75 of nisin (SYN); (iv) H; (v) H + 240 ppm of Yucca schidigera (HY); and (vi) H + 240 ppm of Yucca schidigera + 6 mg/kg BW^0.75 of nisin (HYN). Rumen pH was higher (P < 0.01) in sheep fed SYN diet than those fed S diet. Concentration of ammonia‐N (NH₃‐N) was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in sheep fed SY, SYN, HY, HYN than those of S and H. Total volatile fatty acids concentration was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in HYN than in H diet and tended to be higher in sheep fed H diets than those fed S diets. There was a significantly higher (P < 0.01) efficiency of microbial nitrogen synthesis in the rumen of sheep fed on HY diet than those fed on H diet.     

Increasing nitrate removal at low temperatures by incorporating organic matter into paddy fields

Denitrification of paddy fields is a key process for improving water quality in fields where nitrate concentrations are high. The objective of the present study was to understand the effects of incorporating organic carbon (C) into soil on the denitrification rate of paddy fields in winter. On 11 December 2007, separate paddy field plots were prepared by incorporating 5 Mg ha⁻¹ of rice straw (RS), 11 Mg ha⁻¹ of rice straw compost (RSC) or a control. A field with a high concentration of nitrate in the water (averaging 18 mg N L⁻¹) was irrigated until 29 March. During the experiment, the daily average soil temperature at a depth of 0.05 m ranged between 3 and 15°C. The nitrate concentration in the surface water in the RS plot, where the residence time was 2 days, decreased more than the concentration in the control or RSC plots. The total estimated nitrate removal from each plot in relation to the other plots was RS > RSC = control. Measurements of the soil from each plot on 29 February 2008 showed that incorporation of RS significantly increased the denitrification potential, even at low temperatures (5–10°C). Furthermore, the RS plot contained more dissolved organic C than the control or RSC plots. This result indicates that supplying RS effectively increases denitrification under low-temperature conditions.     

Cloning of kuruma prawn Marsupenaeus japonicus crustin-like peptide cDNA and analysis of its expression

ABSTRACT:   Antimicrobial peptides serve as an important component of the innate immune system of all species by functioning to provide a rapid first line defense against infection. Arthropod antimicrobial peptides have been well described in insects, whereas only a few molecules have been identified in crustaceans. Five variants (types 1–5) of Marsupenaeus japonicus crustin-like peptide cDNA that were obtained from a hemocyte cDNA library and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification are reported here. Marsupenaeus japonicus crustin-like peptide type 1, the predominant type, has a cDNA consisting of 679 nucleotides and an open reading frame consisting of 573 base pairs coding for 191 amino acid residues. Other types contain varying glycine-rich repeats at the N-terminal amino acid sequences. The deduced amino acid sequences of these variants are highly similar to those of Litopenaeus setiferus (80% identity), Litopenaeus vannamei (80% identity) and Carcinus maenas crustins (44% identity). Expression of Marsupenaeus japonicus crustin-like peptide mRNA was detected in hemocytes, but not in the heart, hepatopancreas, gill, fore-gut, mid-gut, muscle, subcuticular epithelium or ovary. The expression level of crustin-like peptide mRNA increased significantly 1, 3 and 7 days post-peptidoglycan feeding as determined by quantitative real-time PCR. These results suggest that crustin-like peptide could have an important role in shrimp defense mechanisms.     

Effects of temperature and food availability on growth rate during late larval stage of Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) in the Kuroshio–Oyashio transition region

During periods when the population size of Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus is large, the abundance of 1‐yr olds has been considered to be dependent on the growth and survival processes in the late larval and early juvenile stages in the Kuroshio–Oyashio transition region off northern Japan. Recent growth rates for 10 days before capture of larval and early juvenile E. japonicus were estimated and examined in relation to the surface water temperature and the available copepod density in 1997, 1998 and 1999. Late larval and early juvenile E. japonicus were distributed in the waters with temperature from 15 to 19°C and available prey density from 10 to 1000 mg dry weight (DW) m^?2 in the transition region. The late larval growth rates were found to be regulated more strongly by water temperature than by copepod density in the waters <16°C, and more strongly by copepod density than water temperature in the waters <100 mg DW m^?2 in the Kuroshio–Oyashio transition region. The recent growth rates decreased from the western waters to the eastern waters in the survey area 140–170°E in 1998, correlating with decreases of food availability to 50–100 mg DW m^?2. While in 1999, the recent growth rates were faster in the waters east of 150°E, resulting from eastward expansion of warm water ranges and high available prey density 100–400 mg DW m^?2. The key environmental factors regulating late larval growth rate of E. japonicus in the transition region seem to be spatially different between years.     

Positive correlation between renal tubular flattening and renal tubular injury/interstitial fibrosis in murine kidney disease models

The number of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is growing continuously globally. In order to study pathogenesis and mechanisms, many animal models have been developed, including spontaneous, genetic, and induced models. Although each type of CKD shows disease-specific tissue changes in the early stages, tubular disorder and interstitial fibrosis histologically occur in the course of progression to end-stage renal failure. Therefore, the quantification of tubular disorder and interstitial fibrosis in CKD research using animal models is essential for measuring the degree of CKD severity and, thus, efficacy of therapeutic agents. Several strategies have been used to quantify interstitial fibrosis. Among scoring factors, renal tubular flattening can be quantitatively evaluated easily and inexpensively. However, the diagnostic value of renal tubular flattening evaluation has not been investigated previously. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the correlation between renal tubular flattening and interstitial fibrosis or renal tubular injury markers. We observed a strong correlation between the degree of tubular injury/interstitial fibrosis and renal tubular flattening in three types of mouse renal disease model. This is advantageous because rapidly advancing technologies such as artificial intelligence and image processing can be easily applied; hence, a more precise, objective, and quantitative diagnosis should be possible in the future.     

Successful outcome after a single endoscopic fecal microbiota transplantation in a Shiba dog with non-responsive enteropathy during the treatment with chlorambucil

A 7-year 6-month-old, castrated male Shiba dog presented with a 1-month history of lethargy, anorexia, vomiting, and frequent watery diarrhea. Weight loss, hypoalbuminemia, anemia, and leukocytosis were detected at the first visit. The dog was diagnosed with non-responsive enteropathy (NRE) based on clinical and histopathological examinations. Since the dog did not respond to the immunosuppressive drugs, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was performed during the treatment with chlorambucil. A single endoscopic FMT into the cecum and colon drastically recovered clinical signs and clinicopathological abnormalities and corrected dysbiosis in the dog. No recurrence or adverse events were observed. The present case report suggests that FMT, possibly together with chlorambucil, might be a treatment option for NRE in Shiba dogs that have poorer prognosis compared with other dog breeds.     

Three-dimensional structural analysis of mitochondria composing each subtype of fast-twitch muscle fibers in chicken

In a previous study, the three-dimensional structures of mitochondria in type I and type IIb muscle fibers of chicken were analyzed. The study reported differences in the shape of the mitochondria and the distribution of lipid droplets. In this study, we three-dimensionally analyzed mitochondria and lipid droplets of type II muscle fiber subtypes IIa, IIb, and IIc of chicken lateral iliotibial muscle in the same field of view using correlative light electron microscopy (CLEM) and array tomography methods. The reconstructed images showed that the mitochondria of type IIa muscle fiber were thick and aligned along the myofibrils, and many lipid droplets were embedded in the mitochondria. The mitochondria of type IIb muscle fibers were intermittent, aligned along the myofibrils, and showed contact between adjacent horizontal mitochondria. No lipid droplets were observed in type IIb muscle fiber. In type IIc muscle fiber, we observed irregularly shaped mitochondria with small diameters aligned along the myofibrils. Lipid droplets not only were embedded in the mitochondria but also existed independently in some cases. The combination of array tomography and CLEM methods enabled three-dimensional electron microscopic observation of mitochondria in different subtypes of type II muscle fibers. The subtypes of type II muscle fibers differed in mitochondrial occupancy and morphology and in lipid droplet distribution, and characteristics that had been demonstrated biochemically were also demonstrated ultrastructurally.     

Establishment of a reverse genetics system for rabies virus strain Komatsugawa

The rabies virus strain Komatsugawa isolated from a dog in Tokyo in the 1940s retains biological properties as a field strain, providing an effective model for studying rabies pathogenesis. To facilitate molecular studies on the pathogenesis, this study aimed to establish a reverse genetics system for the Komatsugawa strain. By transfecting the full-length genome plasmid of this strain, infectious virus with artificially introduced genetic markers in its genome was rescued. The recombinant strain had biological properties similar to those of the original strain. These findings indicate that a reverse genetics system for the Komatsugawa strain has successfully been established.