First case of salivary mucocele originating from the minor salivary gland of the soft palate in a dog

We found a case of salivary mucocele that originated in the minor salivary gland (palatine gland) of the soft palate in a dog. At first admission, the soft palate swelled remarkably. Computed tomography (CT) revealed cystic radiolucency inside a large quantity of liquid in the soft palate, and most of the airway was occupied. Marsupialization was performed, but since a recurrence was observed one month later, the salivary mucocele was removed. There has been no report of salivary mucocele arising from the minor salivary gland of the soft palate in dogs. To our knowledge, this case is the first. Complete removal, including minor salivary glands surrounding the lesion, is necessary for treatment of salivary mucocele in dogs.     

An isolate of Prototheca wickerhamii from systemic canine protothecosis

The isolate from a canine disseminated protothecosis was identified to be Prototheca wickerhamii by its morphological and biochemical characteristics. The isolate was grouped into a cluster identical to the type strain of P. wickerhamii, ATCC 16529(T) in phylogenetic trees based on the small subunit (SSU) and the 5' end of the large subunit (LSU) ribosomal DNA (rDNA); the cluster was close to that including the other Prototheca species. However, the strains of P. wickerhamii, SAG 263-11 and Pore 1283 belonged to a cluster different from the other isolates of Prototheca species and closely related to those of Auxenochorella species. Therefore, P. wickerhamii could be divided into two distinct genetic groups, one group close to the other Prototheca spp. including a standard strain of P. wickerhamii, and another group consisting of isolates previously reported to be close to the Auxenochorella species.     

Isolation and Sequence of a Gene, celD Xo Involved in Cellobiose Utilization in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

A genomic library of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (X. o. pv. oryzae) T7174 was screened for 4-methylumbelliferyl β-D-glucoside-hydrolyzing (MUGase) activity. In subcloning of one of the MUGase-positive clones, an approximately 4.2-kb SacI-SphI fragment conferred not only MUGase activity but also 4-methylumbelliferyl β-D-cellobioside-hydrolyzing (MUCase) activity. Sequence analysis showed that the fragment contained an ORF of 2951 bp. The conceptual ORF product was significantly homologous with 1,4-β-D-glucan glucohydrolase D (CELD) from Pseudomonas fluorescens subsp. cellulosa, and was named CELD_Xo. Cell fractionation experiments suggested that CELD_Xo is localized in the cell-envelope fraction. We constructed a CELD_Xo-deficient mutant (74ΔCELD) from X. o. pv. oryzae. Little MUCase activity was detected in the cell-envelope fraction prepared from the mutant. The mutant 74ΔCELD did not grow in synthetic medium containing cellobiose as the sole sugar source. On the other hand, growth in rice leaves and pathogenicity of the mutant and the parental strain did not differ. These results suggested that CELD_Xo is involved in cellobiose utilization of X. o. pv. oryzae but that the gene is not required for bacterial growth in rice leaves. Received 16 February 2001/ Accepted in revised form 11 April 2001     

The occurrence of hypertetraploid and other unusual polyploid loaches Misgurnus anguillicaudatus among market specimens in Japan

Exotic animals can cause genetic contamination of indigenous species if they escape and reproduce in wild populations. The loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus and species related to it have been imported into Japan for commercial use. We collected live loach specimens from the central wholesale market in Tokyo. For the 451 specimens collected, ploidy status was examined by DNA content flow cytometry, and polyploid loaches with triploid, tetraploid, and other higher ploidy ranges were detected. Hypertriploid and hypertetraploid individuals were easily detected by flow cytometry using standard eudiploid, eutriploid, and eutetraploid controls, and the reproductive capacities of these hyperpolyploid males were then examined. Sperm of hypertriploid males did not exhibit active progressive motility, and major populations of spermatozoa or spermatozoon-like cells were detected in the triploid and hexaploid ranges. Motile haploid spermatozoa were very rare in sperm from hypertriploid males. Therefore, hypertriploid males were sterile, whereas hypertetraploid males produced fertile hyperdiploid spermatozoa with active progressive motility after contact with ambient water. Viable progeny occurred in crosses between normal wild-type diploid females and hypertetraploid males, but androgenotes induced by the fertilization of UV-irradiated eggs with the sperm of hypertetraploid males were inviable hyperdiploids. Cytogenetic analyses of those androgenotes indicated that hypertetraploid males should produce hyperdiploid spermatozoa with 2n?=?54 (i.e., four supernumerary microchromosomes).     

Growth of juvenile chub mackerel Scomber japonicus in the western North Pacific Ocean: with application and validation of otolith daily increment formation

The growth of juvenile chub mackerel Scomber japonicus collected in the western North Pacific Ocean in 2007 and 2009 was examined based on the evidence of otolith daily increment formation in captive specimens. There was a significant difference in the relationship between known age and number of increments in the frontal and sagittal planes. Repeated markings on the otolith using Alizarin complexone and the coefficient of variation in number of increments suggest that the increments in the frontal plane of the otolith are more suitable for age estimation than those in the long and short axes of the sagittal plane. The increments in the frontal plane formed daily, and the first ring was usually deposited 3 days after hatch. Age of wild juveniles ranged from 24 to 211 days after hatch based on the frontal plane method. The estimated hatching periods of specimens ranged from February to June, but the April-hatched specimens were collected throughout the sampling periods of 2007 and 2009. The Gompertz growth model showed a difference in growth pattern in specimens between 2007 and 2009. The juveniles in 2009 appeared to grow more quickly than those in 2007 until summer, but thereafter the 2009 specimens seemed to grow more slowly.     

Genetic relationship of feed efficiency traits of bulls with growth and carcass traits of their progeny for Japanese Black (Wagyu) cattle

Genetic parameters for feed efficiency traits of 740 Wagyu bulls and growth and carcass traits of 591 of their progeny, and the genetic relationship between the traits of bulls and their progeny were estimated with the residual maximum likelihood procedure. The estimations were made for the test periods of 140 days (77 bulls), 112 days (663 bulls) and 364 days (591 steer progeny). Feed efficiency traits of bulls included feed conversion ratio (FCR), phenotypic residual feed intake (RFI_phe) and genetic residual feed intake (RFI_gen). Progeny traits were bodyweight at the start of the test (BWS), bodyweight at finish (BWF), average daily gain (ADG), rib eye area (REA), marbling score (MSR), dressing percentage (DRS) and subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT). The estimated heritability for MSR (0.52) was high and for BWS (0.35), BWF (0.40) and ADG (0.30) were moderate, whereas REA, DRS and SFT were low. Positive genetic correlations among BWS, BWF, ADG and SFT and negative genetic correlations between MSR and DRS and between REA and SFT were found. The genetic correlations between residual feed intake (RFI_phe and RFI_gen) of bulls and bodyweights (BWS and BWF) of their progeny ranged from ?0.27 to ?0.61. Residual feed intake was positively correlated with REA and DRS and negatively correlated with MSR and SFT. No responses in ADG and weakly correlated responses in REA and DRS of progeny were found to select against feed efficiency traits of bulls. The present experiment provides evidence that selection against lower RFI (higher feed efficiency) would be better than selection against lower FCR for getting better correlated responses in bodyweights.