Delivery of exogenous proteins into eggs by injection into the mother’s ovary (IMO) in zebrafish

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry - Genome editing has had profound effects on biological experimentation and can now be applied to many organisms, including non-conventional models. However, the...     

中华绒螯蟹主要呈味成分研究

用邻苯二甲醛（OPA）柱前衍生高效液相色谱法对中华绒螫蟹可食部分（肌肉、肝脏、性腺）的游离氨基酸组成及含量进行了研究分析,结果发现：中华绒螯蟹各可食部分抽提液中主要有19种氨基酸,精氨酸、丙氨酸、甘氨酸、牛磺酸、脯氨酸、赖氨酸、谷氨酸、亮氨酸、缬氨酸、酪氨酸、异亮氨酸、丝氨酸这12种氨基酸在各可食部分中的含量均超过10mg／100g,而其中又以精氨酸、丙氨酸、甘氨酸、脯氨酸和牛磺酸为主,这5种氨基酸含量占游离氨基酸总量的50％以上。此种游离氨基酸组成模式与蛛雪蟹、勘察加拟石蟹等海水蟹中的游离氨基酸分布基本相似。而中华绒螯蟹区另4于蛛雪蟹、勘察加拟石蟹等海水蟹的一个主要特征是其肌肉抽提液中的丙氨酸含量明显高于它们,是它们的3倍。相反的是中华绒螫蟹肌肉抽提液中的牛磺酸含量（80mg／100g以下）明显低于蛛雪蟹、勘察加拟石蟹中的含量（150—400mg／100g）。     

Effect of blue and red LED light irradiation on β-cryptoxanthin accumulation in the flavedo of citrus fruits

β-Cryptoxanthin (β-cry), an antioxidant abundant in citrus fruits, plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases, especially cancers. In the present study, to increase the content of β-cry in citrus flavedo, the effects of blue (470 nm) and red (660 nm) light-emitting diode (LED) lights on the accumulation of carotenoids and expression of genes related to carotenoid biosynthesis were investigated in the flavedo of Satsuma mandarin. The results showed that accumulation of β-cry was induced by red light, while it was not affected by blue light. The accumulation of β-cry under red light was attributed to simultaneous increases in the expression of CitPSY, CitPDS, CitZDS, CitLCYb1, CitLCYb2, CitHYb, and CitZEP. The results presented herein might provide new strategies to enhance the commercial and nutritional value of citrus fruits.     

Thermodynamics of ammonium-calcium exchange on a halloysitic soil clay

Abstract

Prediction of the ionic composition of a soil solution which is at equilibrium with an exchanger phase is one of the main problems in soil chemistry. To date the most practical way to achieve this objective is to adopt a thermodynamic approach for the study of soil-solution systems. As of 1979 more than 300 sets of data on cation exchange on various clay minerals and soils had been subjected to thermodynamic analysis (Bruggenwert and Kamphorst 1979).     

Hematological and Biochemical Reference Values for the Endangered Kiso Horse

To establish blood and biochemical references for the endangered Kiso horse, blood samples were collected from 111 adult Kiso horses, 74.5% of the existing breed. The samples were analyzed for 23 hematological and biochemical parameters to determine their means and standard deviations (SD). We compared the mean ± 2SD with the reference values cited in one of the most commonly used veterinary textbooks in Japan. The hematology of Kiso horses is characterized by lower erythrocyte count and hematocrit and hemoglobin levels. In addition, their serum biochemistry showed lower levels of aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and γ-glutamyl transferase. Whether these propensities are attributed to breed-specific factors or are acquired factors remains unclear. Nevertheless, this study provides useful diagnostic indices for the endangered Kiso horse.     

A Madden-Julian oscillation event realistically simulated by a global cloud-resolving model

A Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is a massive weather event consisting of deep convection coupled with atmospheric circulation, moving slowly eastward over the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Despite its enormous influence on many weather and climate systems worldwide, it has proven very difficult to simulate an MJO because of assumptions about cumulus clouds in global meteorological models. Using a model that allows direct coupling of the atmospheric circulation and clouds, we successfully simulated the slow eastward migration of an MJO event. Topography, the zonal sea surface temperature gradient, and interplay between eastward- and westward-propagating signals controlled the timing of the eastward transition of the convective center. Our results demonstrate the potential making of month-long MJO predictions when global cloud-resolving models with realistic initial conditions are used.     

Changes of sires in a breeding farm enables maintenance of DNA‐level genetic variation in a produced herd of Hokkaido Native Horses

We investigated whether regular changes of the sire in a breeding farm of Hokkaido Native Horses (HKDs) enables the DNA‐level genetic variation of the produced animals to be maintained. The genotypes of 31 microsatellite markers were identified and analyzed in 207 animals produced in a breeding farm in which the sire was replaced every 3 to 5 years. The mean allele number indicating the degree of genetic variation was 5.97 and was similar to those reported previously. The mean observed heterozygosity was 0.74 and was higher than the expected heterozygosity, 0.69; F_IS was ?0.07, indicating that the analyzed animals reflected frequent outbreeding and had maintained genetic variation. Based on genetic structural analysis, the number of genetic subpopulations of the animals was estimated to be as 6, and the majority (more than 50%) of each subpopulation corresponded to the progeny of one of the sires used in the breeding farm; these observations suggested that genetic variation in the analyzed animals reflected the genetic differences among sires. Pedigree records indicated that the average co‐ancestry coefficient between sires used in the breeding farm was 0.015 corresponding to second cousin. This level of kinship among sires is acceptable for producing HKDs that maintain genetic variation.     

Establishment and characterization of canine rhabdomyosarcoma cell line CMS-C

A novel canine tumor cell line designated as the CMS-C cell line was established from pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) raised in the prostate gland of a 14-year-old intact male mixed-breed dog. CMS-C cells displayed the same immunohistochemical characteristics (positive for vimentin and desmin and negative for cytokeratin and smooth muscle actin) as the original tumor cells and express myoD1 and UCP3, known as striated muscle-specific molecules, as shown by RT-PCR assay. Therefore, the established CMS-C cell line appears to be of rhabdomyoblast cell origin. The CMS-C cell line established from pleomorphic RMS will be a useful tool for further studies about canine RMS.     

Expression of S-locus inhibitor gene (Sli) in various diploid potatoes

Summary S-locus inhibitor gene (Sli), which can inhibit gametophytic self-incompatibility in diploid potatoes and alter self-incompatible to self-compatible plants, was introduced by crossing into 32 diploid genotypes as females and its expression in the F₁ and S₁ progenies was investigated. We found that the expression of self-compatibility in the F₁ hybrid progeny depended largely upon the female genotypes and partly upon the male genotypes (=Sli gene donor clones). Successful females produced hybrid plants, in which 67.1% of self-pollinated plants set S₁ seeds. By second selfing upon the S₁ plants, an average of 44.2% of self-pollinated plants were self-compatible. Unsuccessful females produced hybrids, most of which were self-incompatible or male-sterile. Restriction fragment patterns of chloroplast DNA (ctDNA) were able to distinguish successful females (S- or A-type ctDNA) from unsuccessful females (W- or T-type ctDNA). A ctDNA high-resolution marker analysis using seven microsatellites and H3 marker supported a higher degree of differentiation between the two groups of ctDNA types and implied a possible interaction between the cytoplasm and Sli gene function. However, it has been known that the cytoplasm having T-type ctDNA and that derived from Solanum demissum (haplotype 26 of W-type ctDNA) cause male sterility, and the present case with unsuccessful females were likely caused by male sterility rather than the failure of Sli gene function.