cDNA cloning and expressions of cytochrome P450 1A in zebrafish embryos

Cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A) is well known for being induced by aromatic hydrocarbons, including 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). We determined the complete cDNA sequence of a CYP1A open reading frame with both 5'- and 3'-ends in zebrafish (zfCYP1A), a useful model for environmental toxicology. zfCYP1A shows high percentage identity with CYP1As of mammals, domestic fowl and xenopus (51.9-60.4%), as well as the other fish species (63.8-89.2%). As revealed by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, zfCYP1A was scarcely detected in control embryos but was markedly induced by TCDD especially in heart, vascular endothelial cells, intestinal epithelium, pronephros and outer integument in both prehatched and hatched embryos. These expression patterns are consistent with possible involvement of zfCYP1A in TCDD-induced toxicities.     

A canine case of gliosis with cyst formation in the posterior fossa

A 5-month-old male Great Pyrenees with symptoms of convulsions, circling, and a head tilt was referred to the Animal Medical Center of Nihon University. On a magnetic resonance image (MRI), a cyst in the posterior fossa was noted and a part of the cyst enhanced by gadoteridol. Based on MRI and clinical findings, the patient was tentatively diagnosed with a cyst formation tumor, and an operation to open the cyst and remove the part enhanced by contrast was performed. Postoperatively, the clinical course was good. Pathologically, the removed tissue was diagnosed as a gliosis with cyst formation.     

Activated transformations of organophosphorus insecticides in the case of non-AChE inhibitory oxons

Many organophosphorus (OP) compounds are of the thiono form and in insects or animals are converted by microsomal mixed function oxidases (MFO) into the oxon forms which inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and give toxic activity. However, certain S-alkyl phosphorothiolates (RS-P(O) <) such as methamidophos, profenophos and prothiophos oxon are strongly insecticidal, but very poor inhibitors of AChE in vitro. Their oxons are converted further to the S-oxides, which either inhibit AChE or decompose, depending on the alkyl substituents on the sulfur atom. It is also inferred in the case of prothiophos oxon that its S-oxide not only inhibits AChE but also conjugates with glutathione (GSH) by the action of glutathione S-transferase (GST), and the conjugate inhibits AChE. Certain phosphoramidates (R2N-P(O) <) such as isofenphos oxon, schradan and propetamphos oxon are weak AChE inhibitors, but strongly insecticidal. It is well known that isofenphos oxon is converted into the stable N-desalkyl form (H2N-P(O) <) by oxidative dealkylation to inhibit AChE. The authors have studied activation of phosphoramidates using 2,4-dichlorophenyl methyl N-alkylphosphoramidates as model compounds using various approaches including computational chemistry, and these studies indicated that the O-aminophosphate structure (R2N-O-P(O) <) is an activated form.     

Production of germ-line chimeras by the transfer of cryopreserved gonadal germ cells collected from 7- and 9-day-old chick embryos

Gonadal germ cells (GGC) were collected from the gonads of 7‐ or 9‐day‐old White Leghorn chick embryos and suspended in freezing medium containing 10% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The cell suspension was frozen at ?1°C/min. until the temperature reached ?80°C. Then, the cells were immersed in liquid nitrogen at ?196°C and stored for 3–4 months. Approximately 50 frozen/thawed GGC were injected into the dorsal aorta of each 2‐day‐old Rhode Island Red (RIR) embryo, from which blood was drawn before germ‐cell injection. The injected embryos were incubated until they hatched and the chicks were raised until sexually mature. On reaching sexual maturity, a progeny test was performed by mating recipient chicks with normal RIR of the opposite sex. Progenies were obtained from male germ cell recipients that were injected with germ cells collected from 7‐ and 9‐day‐old embryos. The results demonstrated that frozen/thawed GGC collected from 7‐ or 9‐day‐old fertilized eggs can be used to produce male germ‐line chimeras.     

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor arising from the spinal canal in a cat

A 10-year-old female mongrel cat with back pain was brought to the Nihon University Animal Medical Center. Palpation demonstrated a mass in the back region. Radiography revealed partial destruction of the processus spinosus and the arch of the T8 and T9 vertebrae. On magnetic resonance imaging, the mass was found to have compressed the spinal cord and extended to the outside of the spinal canal. We performed extirpation of the mass, and confirmed that it arose from the spinal canal. Histopathologically, the mass was a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor.     

Detection of a major QTL related to smut disease resistance inherited from a Japanese wild sugarcane using GRAS-Di technology

Smut disease of sugarcane causes considerable yield losses and the use of resistant varieties is the best control practice. Our group identified a Japanese wild sugarcane with highly smut disease resistance named ‘Iriomote8’. In this study, we conducted QTL analysis for smut disease resistance using a mapping population derived from a resistant variety ‘Yaenoushie’, in which resistance is inherited from ‘Iriomote8’. We identified 4813 non-redundant markers using GRAS-Di technology and developed a linkage map of mapping parents. We evaluated smut disease resistance of the mapping population by the inoculation test. Consequently, a large number of clones did not show the disease symptoms and the distribution of smut disease incidence tended to be “L shaped”. Composite interval mapping detected an identical QTL for indices of smut disease incidence with a markedly high LOD score (26.6~45.6) at the end of linkage group 8 of ‘Yaenoushie’. This QTL explained approximately 50% of the cases of smut disease incidence. In the mapping population, there were no correlations between the indices of smut disease incidence and other agronomic traits. In conclusion, this QTL could be used for marker-assisted selection to significantly improve smut disease resistance without negative effects on other agronomic traits.     

中国茶树的起源与分布——根据茶叶香气组分中萜烯指数化学分类所作的推论(英文)

茶挥发性成分中的萜烯醇类具有生物合成的遗传特性。根据萜烯指数(即:芳樟醇及其氧化物/(芳樟醇及其氧化物十香叶醇)比值,TI〕所作的化学分类表明,云南省茶的 TI 值接近于1.0,而分布于其他产茶省区的茶树 TI 值均低于上述值,并伴随有由西南向东和东南逐渐下降的趋势。由云南引入的日本山茶,具有与云南相近的 TI 值,而日本当地茶树品种的 TI 值与中国浙江相近似,因而推测中国茶树的原产地为云南,然后沿长江和沿海逐渐向东和南方传播。     

Differences of tensile strength distribution between mechanically high-grade and low-grade Japanese larch lumber I: Effect of length on the strength of lumber

An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the effect of length on the parallel-to-grain tensile strength of Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi, Carriere) lumber. Six hundred pieces of mechanically graded lumber were tested at gauge lengths of 60, 100, and 180 cm. The lumber was sorted into matched groups according to the dynamic Young's modulus measured by the longitudinal vibration method before the lumber was cut to the particular length. The averages of the dynamic Young's modulus of high-grade (H) and low-grade (L) specimens were 12.8 and 7.5 GPa, respectively. Using nonparametric estimates, the estimated length effect parameters of H and L were 0.268 and 0.304 for the 50th percentile and 0.121 and 0.256 for the 5th percentile, respectively. We then concluded that the different length effect factors between H and L could be used when using the lumber for practical purposes. The parameters of L were larger than those for H, and the parameters for 5th percentiles were smaller than the parameters for 50th percentiles. When two-parameter Weibull distribution functions were fitted to the strength data, the estimated shape parameters of the Weibull distribution by the parametric method were almost identifical to the inverse of nonparametric parameters except the 5th percentiles for H. The influence of defects such as knots on the lower tail of the strength distribution in H may be different from that in L.Part of this paper was presented at the 48th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Shizuoka, April 1998     

Differences of tensile strength distribution between mechanically high-grade and low-grade Japanese larch lumber 11: Effect of knots on tensile strength distribution

The tensile strength (TS) test results of Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi, Carriere) lumber of varying length have shown that the length effects on TS were different between high-grade (H) and low-grade (L) lumber. In this paper, we examined the effect of knots on the TS distribution by measuring the number of knots and the knot area ratio of each specimen. There were more knots in L than in H; and the knot area ratio in L distinctly increased as the length increased compared to that in H. The correlation coefficients between physical properties and TS indicated that knots were the most influencial factor for TS among several physical properties: annual ring width, distance from pith, density, dynamic Young's modulus, and knots. We attempted to estimate the length effect parameters by introducing the concept of assumed knot strength. We thought that the length effect parameters for 50th percentiles of TS could be estimated well with fitted 3P-Weibull, and that the parameters for 5th-percentiles could be estimated well with 2P-Weibull fitted to lower-tail 10% data by the likelihood method. The differences of length effect on TS between H and L should be governed by the presence of knots. The independent model based on the concept of assumed knot strength may express the TS of structural lumber of various lengths.     

The effects of one-time hoof trimming on blood biochemical composition, milk yield, and milk composition in dairy cows

Although not scientifically proven, hoof trimming has been empirically shown to increase milk yields in healthy dairy cows. In this study, we examined the effect of one-time hoof trimming on blood biochemical composition, milk yield, and milk composition in healthy dairy cows. Eleven cows in the mid to late lactation period that were clinically fit and without hoof disease were subjected to hoof trimming, and metabolic profile tests and dairy herd improving tests were performed before and three weeks after the hoof trimming. The metabolic profiles showed changes in albumin, blood urea nitrogen, ammonia, glucose, and beta-hydroxybutyric acid as a result of the hoof trimming. This was indicated by the fact that the cows began to intake more roughage after hoof trimming than prior to hoof trimming, and rumen fermentation became stable. There was no change in milk yield after trimming. However, the milk fat and milk protein compositions were significantly increased after trimming.