Fecal and urinary lignans, intrafollicular estradiol, and endometrial receptors in lactating dairy cows fed diets supplemented with hydrogenated animal fat, flaxseed or sunflower seed

We hypothesized that the inclusion of flaxseed in the diets of lactating dairy cows will increase urinary and fecal concentrations of the lignans, secoisolariciresinol diglycoside (SDG), enterolactone and enterodiol, reduce intrafollicular concentrations of IGF-I and estradiol, and subsequently reduce estradiol and oxytocin receptor expression in the endometrium. To test this hypothesis, 27 cycling, lactating Holstein cows were assigned to 1 of 3 diets supplemented with saturated fatty acids (SAT), flax (FLX), or sunflower (SUN) seed. Rations were formulated to provide 750 g supplemental fat/cow/d in all dietary groups. Ovulation (Day 0) was synchronized, and 5 d later, follicles>8 mm were ablated by an ultrasound-guided procedure in all cows. Samples of blood (Days 0 to 14), follicular fluid (Day 5 and 15), endometrium (Day 15), as well as urine and feces were collected in a subset of the animals. The fecal concentrations of SDG and enterodiol were higher (P<0.05) in cows fed FLX than in those fed SAT or SUN. Enterodiol increased (P<0.05) in urine samples of cows fed FLX, compared to those of cows fed SUN. However, follicular estradiol concentrations on Day 5 and 15 and endometrial concentrations of estradiol and oxytocin receptors on Day 15 did not differ among the dietary groups. Mean plasma progesterone concentrations were higher (P<0.05) in cows fed FLX and SUN than in those fed SAT. In summary, a diet supplemented with flaxseed increased the concentrations of SDG and enterodiol in feces, as hypothesized, but did not alter intrafollicular concentrations of IGF-I or estradiol, or endometrial populations of oxytocin or estrogen receptors in lactating dairy cows.     

A transdisciplinary research of coastal fisheries co-management: the case of the hairtail <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichiurus japonicus</Emphasis> trolling line fishery around the Bungo Channel,Japan

Under the coastal fisheries co-management regime in Japan, local fishers play important roles in deciding on and implementing local management measures. Therefore, using the case study of a hairtail trolling line fishery, we conducted a transdisciplinary research with fishers, processors, government officers, etc. Taking social and biological factors into account, we defined management criteria and targets (resource, economic, human community, and local food culture) in collaboration with local fishers. We chartered local fishing vessels to determine parameters that were easily understood by local fishers. We established a local consultative committee comprising fishers, processors, and distributors, and developed a fish distribution strategy to nurture the local hairtail food culture. The integrated effects of various management scenarios were evaluated by the operating model. We found that co-ordinated management by both the trolling line fishery and purse seiners in the neighbouring prefecture was required to achieve targets. Two realistic scenarios are recommended: a conservative scenario that could achieve targets even with few strong year classes, and an adaptive scenario that protects strong year classes, but relies on a higher frequency of these. We shared these results with the local fishers and government officers, which led to actual improvements in management measures.     

Detection of protease genes in field soil applied with liquid livestock feces and speculation on their function and origin

The origin of soil protease in field soil was estimated using culture-dependent and independent approaches. Overall soil protease activity was much higher in field soils with an annual application of liquid livestock feces (120 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ and 600 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) compared with the activity recorded in other field soils, and the character of the soil proteases became highly homogeneous (approximately 70% metalloprotease in a 600 t field). Selective incubation studies suggested that bacteria were the most important source of soil protease. There were significantly higher correlations between serratial metalloprotease and the overall soil protease in both feces-applied fields in terms of the effect of inhibitors, and the bacteria, which produced serratial metalloprotease, were suggested to proliferate in both the 120 t and 600 t fields. The gene homologous to serratial metalloprotease gene was amplified in directly extracted DNA from field soils using selective DNA primer and proteolytic Serratia marcescens was certified to be one source of soil protease in these field soils. Proteolytic S. marcescens and its metalloprotease gene have occasionally been isolated and detected in field soils applied with raw feces, and have rarely been isolated or detected from other field soils. Proteolytic S. marcescens is believed to be introduced in the raw feces and subsequently colonizes the field soil and replaces the indigenous bacteria in the soil.     

Element interconnections in Lotus japonicus: A systematic study of the effects of element additions on different natural variants

Lotus japonicus was used to study the distribution and interconnections of 15 elements in plant tissues, including essential and non-essential elements: boron (B), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), strontium (Sr), molybdenum (Mo), cadmium (Cd) and cesium (Cs). Large amounts of B and Ca accumulated in plant leaves, while Fe, Na, Ni, As and Cd tended to mainly occur in the roots, and Mo was the only element to accumulate in the stems. The elemental compositions within plants were severely disturbed by treatment with toxic elements. Competition between element pairs in the same group (e.g. K and Cs; Ca and Sr) was not found. Iron, Cu and Zn accumulation were induced by Cd and Ni addition. When natural variants grew in a nutrition solution with subtoxic levels of As, Cd, Cs, Ni, Mo and Sr, intriguing relationships between the elements (such as Fe, As and K; Mg and Ni; Mn and Ca) were revealed using principal-component analysis. This study on the plant ionome offers detailed information of element interactions and indicates that chemically different elements might be closely linked in uptake or translocation systems.     

Response of the carbon cycle in sub-arctic black spruce forests to climate change: Reduction of a carbon sink related to the sensitivity of heterotrophic respiration

Assessment of the response of the carbon cycle to climate change is important for predicting future climate, especially in northern high latitudes, where the warming may be highly pronounced. In this paper, three years of data measured by the eddy covariance method were used to verify the carbon dynamics of a black spruce forest in interior Alaska with the BIOME-BGC model. The model was modified and calibrated to the cold regions. The calibrated model simulation satisfactorily performed reproduction of the observed net ecosystem exchange (NEE), gross primary productivity (GPP), and ecosystem respiration (RE). The daily output of the model also correlated with field-based estimates of NEE (42%), GPP (89%), and RE (89%). The model simulation showed that the heterotrophic respiration occupied a substantial portion of total carbon exchange, and that inter-annual variation of the heterotrophic respiration determined the sink/source strength of carbon. According to our simulation, the black spruce forest in interior Alaska was a net carbon sink between 1949 and 2005, and the trend of the projected sink strength was not obvious in the recent climate warming. The model analysis suggested that the change in the seasonal weather pattern strongly affected the carbon balance. A potentially increased carbon sink due to future warming climate and elevated CO₂ will be at least partly offset by a concurrent increase of VPD, since the response of the stomatal conductance to increased VPD could increase the soil moisture, and thus stimulate heterotrophic respiration, rather than net primary productivity. The results of this study should be useful to forecast the response of the carbon cycle to warming in black spruce forests of interior Alaska.     

Pathological and phylogenetic features of prevalent canine distemper viruses in wild masked palm civets in Japan

Ten wild masked palm civets infected with canine distemper virus (CDV), captured in Japan from 2005 to 2007, were histopathologically and phylogenetically analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid sequences of the H protein of two CDV isolates from masked palm civets revealed that the two isolates were classified into the clade of recent isolates in Japan. Histopathologically marked lesions of virus encephalitis were present in the brain, whereas gastrointestinal lesions were absent or at a mild degree. The distribution of the lesions resembles that of recent CDV cases in dogs. Therefore, recent CDV infections in masked palm civets could be caused by recently prevalent CDV in dogs. The possibility of the masked palm civet as a spreader of CDV among wildlife is also discussed.     

Dormancy Characteristics of Malus ‘Snowdrift’ and Effects of Spraying 6-benzyladenine on Its Germination and Flowering in Long-day Treatment

[Objective] The dormancy characteristics of Malus ‘Snowdrift’ in long-day treatment were studied, and 6-BA was used to break the dormancy, with the aim to achieve the purpose of flowering in autumn. [Method] The new shoots of ‘Snowdrift’ in long-day treatment were conducted with hydroponics to investigate their dormancy time. And cytokinin 6-benzyladenine(6-BA)was used to treat the dormant shoots, to investigate the budding, flowering and flower bud differentiation. [Result] The shoots in long-day treatment entered endodormancy after August 7~(th) and the shoots in the natural daylight entered endodormancy before July 18~(th). In long-day treatment, 116 buds, 198 flowers were observed after 6-BA spraying. [Conclusion] The optimum concentration of 6-BA was 300 mg/L. And the flower bud differentiation of ‘Snowdrift’ in long-day treatment was faster than those in natural daylight after 6-BA spraying.     

Myostatin down‐regulates the IGF‐2 expression via ALK‐Smad signaling during myogenesis in cattle

Myostatin (MSTN) is a negative regulator during muscle differentiation, whereas insulin‐like growth factors (IGFs) are essential for muscle development. MSTN and IGFs act oppositely during myogenesis, but there is little information on the mutual relationship of MSTN and IGFs. The present study was conducted to examine whether MSTN affects IGF expression during early myogenesis in cattle. IGF‐1 mRNA was similarly expressed in M. longissimus thoracis of double‐muscled (DM) and normal (NM) Japanese shorthorn cattle. IGF‐2 mRNA expression was consistently higher in the normal and regenerating muscle of DM cattle than those of NM cattle. When myoblasts were isolated from regenerating M. longissimus thoracis, IGF‐2 mRNA expression showed a significant increase in differentiating DM derived myoblasts (DM‐myoblasts) as compared with differentiating NM derived myoblasts (NM‐myoblasts). An addition of recombinant mouse myostatin (rMSTN) to myoblast cultures attenuated IGF‐2 mRNA expression and decreased myotube formation, but did not effect IGF‐1 mRNA expression. An activin‐like kinase (ALK) inhibitor, SB431542, mediates MSTN action, suppressed the translocation of Smad2/3 into the nucleus in DM‐myoblasts, and restored the attenuated IGF‐2 mRNA expression and the decreased myotube formation induced by rMSTN in myoblast cultures. The findings indicate that MSTN may negatively regulate myoblast differentiation by suppressing IGF‐2 expression via ALK‐Smad signaling.     

The T allele at the g.1471620G>T in the EDG1 gene associated with high marbling in Japanese Black cattle is at a low frequency in breeds not selected for marbling

Our previous study detected a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), g.1471620G > T , in the 5' flanking region of the endothelial differentiation sphingolipid G-protein-coupled receptor 1 ( EDG1 ) gene, which has been considered as a positional functional candidate for the gene responsible for marbling, and showed association of the g.1471620G > T SNP with marbling in Japanese Black beef cattle. In the present study, we investigated the allele frequency distribution of the g.1471620G > T SNP among the 5 cattle breeds, Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Short Horn, Holstein, and Brown Swiss breeds. The T allele at the g.1471620G > T SNP associated with high marbling was found at high frequency in Japanese Black breed that has been subjected to a strong selection for high marbling, while the allele was absent or at very low frequencies in the other breeds that have not been strongly selected for high marbling. Based on this finding, we hypothesized that the pressure of the strong selection for high marbling in Japanese Black breed has increased the frequency of the T allele at the g.1471620G > T SNP in the EDG1 .