Daily ration of Japanese Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus niphonius larvae

SUMMARY: Diel successive samplings of Japanese Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus niphonius larvae were conducted throughout 24 h both in the sea and in captivity in order to estimate their daily ration. Using the Elliott and Persson model, the instantaneous gastric evacuation rate was estimated from the depletion of stomach contents (% dry bodyweight) with time during the night for wild fish (3.0–11.5 mm standard length) and from starvation experiments for reared fish (8, 10, and 15 days after hatching (DAH)). Japanese Spanish mackerel is a daylight feeder and exhibited piscivorous habits from first feeding both in the sea and in captivity. Feeding activity peaked at dusk. The estimated daily ration for wild larvae were 111.1 and 127.2% in 1996 and 1997, respectively; and those for reared larvae ranged from 90.6 to 111.7% of dry bodyweight. Based on the estimated value of daily rations for reared fish, the total number of newly hatched red sea bream Pagrus major larvae preyed by a Japanese Spanish mackerel from first feeding (5 DAH) to beginning of juvenile stage (20 DAH) in captivity was calculated to be 1139–1404.     

Comparative observations on the growth changes of the histochemical property and collagen architecture of the Musculus pectoralis from Silky, layer-type and meat-type cockerels

Growth‐related changes in the histochemical properties and collagen architecture of the Musculus pectoralis were compared among Silky, layer‐type and meat‐type cockerels. Histochemical and immunohistochemical methods were used and collagen architecture was studied using scanning electron microscopy. The total amount of collagen present was also measured. The diameter of type IIB myofibers was similar or rather larger in the layer‐type birds compared with the meat‐type. The collagen content was generally low for 5–10 weeks across the breeds and then increased in the other breeds except for Silky. In the perimysium, the collagen bundles gradually increased in size and the density of the fibrils also increased during growth. At 30 weeks of age, the layer‐type birds showed compact collagen bundles while the meat‐type had loose bundles. The endomysial collagen network appeared relatively denser in the meat‐type chicks compared to the others at week 1. At 30 weeks of age, compact and felt‐like structure of endomysium was shown by Silky and layer‐type chickens, while the meat‐type showed a relatively loose arrangement of tissue in the endomysial collagen. From these results, it appears that the meat‐type chicken can produce a large M. pectoralis with many, relatively thinner myofibers and a relatively undeveloped form of intramuscular collagen structure.     

环境会计在日本

近年来, 引进环境会计的日本公司激增了。通过前期的调查研究发现, 日本环境会计普及的原因主要为环境管理体系和环境报告书的引进等企业内部因素, 导则指南的制定、循环型社会系列法和环境友好行动促进法等环境政策外部因素, 生态金融和绿色购买、绿色消费者运动等市场和社会的外部因素。基于这些研究, 文中提出了在中国推广环境会计的必要措施。     

Gene Expression and Fungal Morphology in Submerged Culture Using Whole Barley of Aspergillus kawachii

The authors described a novel submerged batch culture system that produced high levels of amylase by Aspergillus kawachii using whole barley （WB）, the surface of which is covered by its husk. In this study, detailed analyses determining the amylase activities, residual sugars, fungal morphology and expression levels of genes were performed in a submerged culture using WB to address the mechanism underlying high amylase productivity in A. kawachii. High levels of glucoamylase and acid-stable u-amylase were produced in this culture, and expression levels of amylases, as well as glucose-repressive genes including high-affinity glucose transporter and peroxidase/catalase were also high. On the other hand, the morphology of mycelia was altered, with swollen, bulbous, multi-septum hyphae and conidiophores that normally form in a solid culture being partially generated. Furthermore, cell cycle and post-translational modification-related gene expression levels were altered, and were similar to those in the solid culture. These findings suggest that high amylase productivity in the submerged culture using WB is accompanied by both the up-regulation of amylase genes and activation of post-translational modifications due to fungal morphological changes being brought closer to those in the solid culture.     

Effects of genetic and environmental factors on muscle glycogen content in Japanese Black cattle

Monosaccharides such as glucose contribute to the development of meat flavor upon heating via the Maillard reaction; therefore, monosaccharide content is related to beef palatability. Here, we analyzed the effects of genetic and environmental factors on the content of glycogen, one of the precursors of monosaccharides, in the muscles of 958 fattened Japanese Black cattle from Yamagata Prefecture. Analysis of variance showed that muscle glycogen content was affected by the farm and postmortem periods, but not by sex, slaughter age, slaughter month or number of days detained at the slaughter yard. Additionally, consumption of digestible brown rice feed elevated muscle glycogen levels. Glycogen heritability was estimated to be 0.34, and genetic correlations between glycogen and carcass weight (CW) or beef marbling standard (BMS) were weak. The predicted breeding values varied among paternal lines. These results demonstrated that genetic factors might improve muscle glycogen content and therefore beef palatability, but do not influence CW or BMS.     

Effects of parent‐of‐origin models with different pedigree information on beef carcass traits and fatty acid composition in Japanese Black cattle

Genomic imprinting should be considered in animal breeding systems to avoid lead in bias in genetic parameter estimation. The objective of this study was to clarify the effects of pedigree information on imprinting variances for carcass traits and fatty acid composition in Japanese Black cattle. Carcass records [carcass weight, rib eye area, rib thickness (RT), subcutaneous fat thickness and beef marbling score (BMS)] and fatty acid composition were obtained for 11,855 Japanese Black feedlot cattle. To estimate and compare the imprinting variances for the traits, two imprinting models with different pedigree information [the sire–dam gametic relationship matrix (Model 1) and the sire–maternal grandsire (MGS) numerator relationship matrix (Model 2)] were fitted. The ratio of the imprinting variance to the total additive genetic variance for RT (6.33%) and BMS (19.00%) was significant in Model 1, but only that for BMS (21.09%) was significant in Model 2. This study revealed that fitting the sire–MGS model could be useful in estimating imprinting variance under certain conditions, such as when restricted pedigree information is available. Furthermore, the present result suggested that the maternal gametic effects on BMS should be included in breeding programmes for Japanese Black cattle to avoid selection bias caused by imprinting effects.     

Allopatric distributions of tetraploid and hexaploid forms of Aegilops neglecta Req. ex Bertol.

The genus Aegilops L. comprises 22 annual wild species that are closely related to wheat (Hammer in Kulturpflanze 28: 33–180, 1980). Aegilops neglecta Req. ex Bertol. is a member of the Aegilops section of this genus and is distributed from Morocco and Spain in the west to Transcaucasia and western Iran in the east. This species includes tetraploid (2n = 28, genome UUMM) and hexaploid forms (2n = 42, UUMMNN). However, the geographical distributions of the two cytological forms remain unclear. Clarifying the distribution of the two cytological forms is essential for a better understanding of the diffusion of Ae. neglecta and its tetraploid and hexaploid forms. In the present study, chromosome numbers were determined for accessions of Ae. neglecta from a total of 137 populations, located in the western area of the species distribution from the Aegean Islands to Morocco. Taken together with previous studies, the present data reveal a difference in the geographical distribution of tetraploid and hexaploid forms: tetraploid form is distributed in the eastern part of the species area and hexaploid form predominantly occurs in the western part with their border on the western margin of the Aegean Sea. Near the border, tetraploid and mixed populations are sporadically found among hexaploid populations in the Balkan and Peloponnesus Peninsulas, while a few hexaploid and mixed populations are found among tetraploid populations in the East Aegean Islands and West Anatolia.     

Effects of Low pH on Upstream Migratory Behavior in Land-Locked Sockeye Salmon Oncorhynchus nerka

The effects of low pH on upstream migratory behavior in land-locked sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka were examined using 2-way flow-through channels. Homing mature salmon captured at the mouth of their native stream were used. When neutral (pH 6.7) hatchery water of the same origin as native stream water was allowed to flow through both channels, fish showed active swimming into both channels during a 48 hrs period. When water pH in one channel was lowered by the addition of sulfuric acid, salmon completely ceased upstream swimming behavior into areas of pH lower than 6.0, and swam up into only neutral areas. In the lower pond of the 2-way channels, fish also avoided acidic areas even when average pH was 6.2. Since it has been reported that extremely slight changes in pH such as in the pH 6 range inhibits spawning behavior in this species, it is suggested that land-locked sockeye salmon have a sensitive ability to perceive even slight acidity, and avoid environments which may be deleterious to their offspring.     

The Dnmt3b splice variant is specifically expressed in in vitro-manipulated blastocysts and their derivative ES cells

Manipulation of preimplantation embryos in vitro, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), in vitro culture (IVC), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and other assisted reproduction technologies (ART), has contributed to the development of infertility treatment and new animal reproduction methods. However, such embryos often exhibit abnormal DNA methylation patterns in imprinted genes and centromeric satellite repeats. These DNA methylation patterns are established and maintained by three DNA methyltransferases: Dnmt1, Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b. Dnmt3b is responsible for the creation of methylation patterns during the early stage of embryogenesis and consists of many alternative splice variants that affect methylation activity; nevertheless, the roles of these variants have not yet been identified. In this study, we found an alternatively spliced variant of Dnmt3b lacking exon 6 (Dnmt3bΔ6) that is specific to mouse IVC embryos. Dnmt3bΔ6 also showed prominent expression in embryonic stem (ES) cells derived from in vitro manipulated embryos. Interestingly, IVC blastocysts were hypomethylated in centromeric satellite repeat regions that could be susceptible to methylation by Dnmt3b. In vitro methylation activity assays showed that Dnmt3bΔ6 had lower activity than normal Dnmt3b. Our findings suggest that Dnmt3bΔ6 could induce a hypomethylation status especially in in vitro manipulated embryos.     

Effect of activation treatments on actin filament distribution and in vitro development of miniature pig somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos

In the present study, we investigated the effect of activation treatments on the actin filament distribution and in vitro development of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos in miniature pigs. We combined three activation methods, ionomycin (ION), electrical stimulation (ES), and cycloheximide treatment (CH), to prepare seven activation treatments (ION, ES, CH, ION + CH, ION + ES, ES + CH and ION + ES + CH). First, we investigated the activation rate of oocytes and in vitro development of parthenotes. The activation rates of the oocytes in the ION, ES, CH, ION + CH, ION + ES, ES + CH, and ION + ES + CH groups were 42.9, 51.3, 0.0, 82.1, 80.6, 78.1 and 78.6%, respectively, showing that the rates of the combined treatment groups were significantly higher (P<0.05) than those of the single treatment groups. Although there were no significant differences in the activation rates of the combined treatment groups, the developmental rate to blastocysts in the ION + CH treatment group (36.1%) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the other combined treatment groups (14.6-24.7%). Subsequently, we investigated the in vitro development and distribution of microfilaments in SCNT embryos. The developmental rate to blastcysts of the SCNT embryos in the ION + CH treatment group (11.3%) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than in the ES and ION + ES + CH treatment groups (4.5 and 5.2%, respectively). The rate of normal actin filament distribution in the SCNT embryos activated with ION + CH was significantly higher (P<0.05) than those activated with ES or ION + ES + CH treatment (63.3 vs. 46.8 or 46.4%). In addition, the fragmentation rate of the SCNT embryos activated with ION + CH was significantly lower (P<0.05) than those activated with ION + ES + CH (14.9 vs. 26.1%). The present results suggest that an activation treatment of ionomycin combined with cycloheximide may avoid physical damage to microfilaments and result in improved subsequent development of miniature pig SCNT embryos.