New and Rare Carotenoids Isolated from Marine Bacteria and Their Antioxidant Activities

Marine bacteria have not been examined as extensively as land bacteria. We screened carotenoids from orange or red pigments-producing marine bacteria belonging to rare or novel species. The new acyclic carotenoids with a C₃₀ aglycone, diapolycopenedioc acid xylosylesters A–C and methyl 5-glucosyl-5,6-dihydro-apo-4,4′-lycopenoate, were isolated from the novel Gram-negative bacterium Rubritalea squalenifaciens, which belongs to phylum Verrucomicrobia, as well as the low-GC Gram-positive bacterium Planococcus maritimus strain iso-3 belonging to the class Bacilli, phylum Firmicutes, respectively. The rare monocyclic C₄₀ carotenoids, (3R)-saproxanthin and (3R,2′S)-myxol, were isolated from novel species of Gram-negative bacteria belonging to the family Flavobacteriaceae, phylum Bacteroidetes. In this review, we report the structures and antioxidant activities of these carotenoids, and consider relationships between bacterial phyla and carotenoid structures.     

Purification and characterization of a nucleoplasmin-like protein from carp (Cyprinus carpio) eggs

ABSTRACT: Nucleoplasmin, first isolated from Xenopus laevis eggs, promotes nucleosome assembly. Hereby, we have purified a nucleoplasmin-like protein from carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) eggs using ion exchange and subsequent gel filtration columns. The protein was recognized by a polyclonal antiserum against Xenopus laevis nucleoplasmin and had an amino acid composition similar to other member of the nucleoplasmin family proteins. Partial amino acid sequences from the cyanogen bromide (CNBr)-cleaved fragments showed high homology with Xenopus nucleoplasmin. The protein was also found to form an oligomeric complex and to be phosphorylated. Moreover, this protein promoted sperm nuclear decondensation as well as that of nucleoplasmin from Xenopus laevis eggs. These results suggest that the fish protein isolated here is a member of nucleoplasmin family.     

新城疫病毒某水禽分离株经鸡体传代后由非致病型转变为速发型的研究

最近，一株无毒力的新城疫病毒（NDV）在鸡体内繁殖时，变成了强毒株，但致今尚未能证实，经鸡体传代的野生水禽新城疫病毒是否也具有变成速发型毒株的能力，为了通过实验证明从水禽中分离的非致病型NDV可以转变为速发型病毒，我们通过在鸡体内传播鹅源性无毒力株，经气囊接种连续传代9次，随后再在鸡脑内传代5次，结果显示，该病毒的毒力变得很强，致死率可达100%，通过致病性试验证实，其具有典型的速发型病毒特征；融合蛋白裂解位点的序列分析表明，原始的分离株含有无毒力型毒株共有的裂解序列；E-R-Q-E-R/L，而通过鸡体反复传代后，该序列变为致癞 性毒株共有的序列：K-R-Q-K-R/F，这些结果表明，野生水禽中自然存在的无毒力毒株，具有无毒力株相应的序列，但当其在鸡群中传播时，则具有变成高致病性病毒的能力，同时研究表明，鸡体提供了该病毒从非致病型向致病型转变的选择机制。     

Unrecognized difficult airway management during anesthesia in two brachycephalic dogs with narrow cricoid cartilage

Difficulty in airway management during anesthesia was noted in a 10-year-old, castrated, male Pekingese dog and a 13-year-old male French Bulldog. They showed strong resistance during tracheal tube insertion through the subglottic lumen. Therefore, the airway was secured by using a small endotracheal tube or supraglottic airway device. Computed tomography scan revealed a markedly narrower vertical dimension of the cricoid cartilage compared to that seen in common brachycephalic breeds. Posterior glottis was relatively more accessible for translaryngeal intubation in the present cases. Our findings showed that brachycephalic airway syndrome may be associated with narrow cricoid cartilage. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical case report of airway management during anesthesia in dogs with narrow cricoid cartilage.     

Anti-hyperglycemic effect of diacylated anthocyanin derived from Ipomoea batatas cultivar Ayamurasaki can be achieved through the alpha-glucosidase inhibitory action

To clarify a postprandial glucose suppression effect of diacylated anthocyanin with alpha-glucosidase (AGH) inhibitory activity, a single oral administration study of it in male 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats was performed. The diacylated anthocyanin used in this study was peonidin 3-O-[2-O-(6-O-E-feruloyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-6-O-E-caffeoyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside]-5-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside isolated from storage roots of the purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas cv. Ayamurasaki), which showed a potent maltase inhibitory activity with an IC(50) value of 200 microM preferable to sucrase inhibition. When the diacylated anthocyanin (100 mg/kg) was administered following maltose (2 g/kg), a maximal blood glucose level (BGL) at 30 min was significantly decreased by 16.5% (P < 0.01) compared to vehicle. A minimum 10 mg/kg dose of the anthocyanin was necessary for the suppression of glycemic rise, and the ED(20) (69 mg/kg) was estimated to be approximately 30-fold lower than that of the therapeutic drug acarbose (ED(20) = 2.2 mg/kg). A reduction of serum insulin secretion was also observed corresponding to the decrease in BGL. No significant change in BGL was observed when sucrose or glucose was ingested, suggesting that the anti-hyperglycemic effect of the anthocyanin was achieved by maltase inhibition, not by sucrase or glucose transport inhibition at the intestinal membrane.     

日本野生大豆中的一个Kunitz型胰蛋白酶抑制剂变异的纯化与活性测定

大豆Ｋｕｎｉｔｚ型胰蛋白抑制剂现已报告有６个电泳形态,Ｔｉａ,Ｔｉｂ,Ｔｉｃ,Ｔｉａ－ｓ,Ｔｉｂ－ｆ一一个最慢的电泳移动形态。Ｔｉａ,Ｔｉｂ,Ｔｉｃ的活性已被报道。Ｔｉａ和Ｔｉｃ有相似的活性,Ｔｉｂ的活性低于前两者。本文使用ＤＥＡＥ－ｃｅｌｌｕｌｏｓｅ层析化纯化了Ｔｉａ和Ｔｉａ－ｓ蛋白和测定比较了这两个形态的活性。     

Pathogenicity of fowl adenovirus isolated from gizzard erosions to immuno-suppressed chickens

Pathogenicity of a fowl adenovirus (FAV), JM1/1 strain of serotype 1 derived from gizzard erosions of a broiler chicken, was examined to specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens pre-treated with infectious bursal disease viruses (IBDVs) or cyclophosphamide (CY). Virulent IBDVs, classical type, were inoculated orally at 3 days of age of SPF chickens. CY was treated subcutaneously for 3 days after hatch. FAV was given orally at 30 days of age. At 40 days of age, all chickens were bled and autopsied for serology and gross observation. Gizzard lesions were ranked by the scores depending on their severities. IBDV- or CY-treated chickens showed significantly higher gizzard lesion scores than non treated birds. There were no gross lesions in any other organs except for bursal atrophy. Serologically, antibody production against FAV was highly suppressed by IBDV infection or CY treatment.