Estimation of genetic data and breeding values of traits related to wax production in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhus succedanea</Emphasis> L. clones using the REML/BLUP method

Rhus succedanea L. is cultivated in Japan for the wax that can be extracted from its fruits. We determined genetic data for specific traits associated with wax production (fruit number per cluster, FN, fruit weight, FW, number of clusters per area, CN, and wax content, WC) in five traditional cultivars and 13 newer clones. Data were collected over 4 years and alternate bearing was observed: 2001 and 2003 were years with high yields; in 2002 and 2004 yields were poor. The restricted maximum likelihood method was used to calculate (co)variance components for analysis. Broad sense heritability was estimated and ranged from low (FN and CN) to high (FW and WC) for the traits examined. There were positive genetic correlations between FW and WC and negative ones between FN and FW throughout the 4 years. Genetic correlations between CN and the other traits were positive in good crop years and negative in bad crop years. For each assessed clone, the four traits in the 4 years were evaluated using best linear unbiased predictors (BLUP) of the clonal breeding values. The BLUP scores for both FW and WC exhibited positive correlations between pairs of years, whereas there were positive BLUP correlations for CN when the high yield and low yield years were examined separately. The traditional cultivars and the newer clones were also characterized. Some of the clones were better than the traditional cultivars with regard to wax yield and reliability of production. The trait characteristics and the future breeding are discussed.     

Inhibitory modes of Kunitz and Bowman-Birk soybean trypsin inhibitors to tryptic and chymotryptic proteinases of tiger puffer and yellowtail

SUMMARY: An inhibitory effect of Kunitz and Bowman-Birk soybean trypsin inhibitors (K- and BB-SBTI) was investigated on tryptic and chymotryptic proteinases of a brood of tiger puffer Takifugu rubripes and yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata . These assist to comprehend the differences in dietary soybean meal (SBM) utility by fish species and to develop low cost SBM diets with low contents of fish meal. The K-SBTI strongly inhibited tryptic proteinase and weakly inhibited chymotryptic proteinase from the hepatopancreas and intestine including pyloric ceca of the fishes. The BB-SBTI strongly inhibited both proteinases of the fishes. The K-SBTI inhibition for tryptic protease and the BB-SBTI inhibition for tryptic and chymotryptic proteases were relatively constant in tiger puffer with growth of 12–199 g bodyweight. In yellowtail with growth of 7–672 g bodyweight, the K-SBTI inhibition for tryptic protease and the BB-SBTI inhibition for chymotryptic protease were also relatively constant. The BB-SBTI inhibition for yellowtail tryptic protease typically fell in the stage from 7 g to 57 g bodyweight, and then decreased slightly or was maintained constantly. These results indicate that there are different inhibitory modes of K- and BB-SBTI and there is inter- and intraspecific diversity of tryptic protease conformation between the two species.     

Degradation of malathion, in aqueous extracts of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)

Malathion was incubated in water extracts of vegetables at various temperatures and pH, and the amount of malathion present over time was analyzed by a gas chromatograph with a flame photometric detector. Malathion was degraded to a nondetectable level in a 1% asparagus extract incubated at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C for 4 h. Carrot extract showed the second highest rate of malathion degradation (76%), followed by kale extract (23.7%), spinach extract (9.7%), and broccoli extract (1.5%) under the same conditions. The highest degradation rates of malathion were observed at 37 degrees C, when three different temperatures were tested (5, 25, and 37 degrees C) at pH 7.4. Rate constants were 0.134 min(-)(1) from a 1% asparagus solution and 0.095 min(-)(1) from a 0.5% asparagus solution. The highest degradation rate of malathion was achieved at pH 9 among the pHs tested (pH 4, 7.4, and 9) in a 0.5% asparagus solution. The 0.5% asparagus solution degraded dicarboxylic acid esters by almost 100% for dimethyl succinate and diethyl adipate, by 64% for diethyl acetyl succinate, and 30% for diethyl benzyl malonate when incubated at pH 9 for 20 min. The results support the hypothesis that the enzyme that degrades malathion in the asparagus solutions is a carboxylesterase.     

Spatiotemporal catch distribution of age-0 Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis caught by the Japanese troll fishery in relation to surface sea temperature and seasonal migration

This study used a delta-lognormal model to analyze monthly catches of age-0 Pacific bluefin tuna by the troll fishery. The model included fixed effects of month, area, and month–area interaction, and random effects of port, year and port–year interaction. The catch patterns by month and area predicted by the statistical model (standardized catch) revealed that main fishing grounds along the Tsushima Warm Current generally shifted from north to south as the season turned from autumn to winter. In contrast, the standardized catch along the Kuroshio Current did not show such clear spatiotemporal patterns. The standardized catch along the Tsushima Warm Current is significantly associated with average monthly sea surface temperatures in the fishing grounds and consistent with migration routes revealed by tagging experiments in previous studies. These associations indicate the spatiotemporal catch pattern in the Tsushima Warm Current region partly reflects seasonal migration. Knowledge of the possible associations among fish migration, environmental factors and spatiotemporal distribution of the catch will contribute to future management of this species.