Long‐term changes in recruitment of age‐0 Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) and environmental conditions around Japan

Recruitment of age‐0 Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) from 1952 to 2014 was examined by a sequential regime shift detection method. The regime shifts in recruitment were detected in 1957, 1972, 1980, 1994 and 2009. The durations of regime shift ranged from 8–15 years and averaged 13.0 years. In both the total (1952–2014) and data rich (1980–2014) periods, negative relationships were found between recruitment and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation in autumn, and positive relationships were found between recruitment and sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the northern part of the East China Sea, in the southwestern part of the Sea of Japan, and in the waters off Shikoku and Tokai in summer and autumn. The 1994 and 2009 regime shifts in recruitment occurred in the same years as shifts in SST anomalies in the northern part of the East China Sea in summer. These results suggest that the ocean conditions in the northern part of the East China Sea are closely related to recruitment of Pacific bluefin tuna, and that the warmer conditions result in higher recruitment of the species.     

Rice <Emphasis Type="Italic">terpene synthase 18</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">OsTPS18</Emphasis>) encodes a sesquiterpene synthase that produces an antibacterial (<Emphasis Type="Italic">E</Emphasis>)-nerolidol against a bacterial pathogen of rice

Plant volatile compounds, including terpenes, are known to be involved in the rice defense system. In the present analysis of a terpene synthase, OsTPS18, in rice, we found that OsTPS18 was localized in the cytoplasm and synthesized the sesquiterpenes (E)-nerolidol and (E)-β-farnesene. The amounts of (E)-nerolidol and (E)-β-farnesene increased after jasmonic acid (JA) treatment. (E)-Nerolidol had significant antibacterial activity against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). These results suggest that (E)-nerolidol plays an important role in JA-induced resistance against Xoo and that it functions as an antibacterial compound in rice.     

Identification of a 4-Deoxy-l-erythro-5-hexoseulose Uronic Acid Reductase,FlRed, in an Alginolytic Bacterium Flavobacterium sp. Strain UMI-01

In alginate-assimilating bacteria, alginate is depolymerized to unsaturated monosaccharide by the actions of endolytic and exolytic alginate lyases (EC 4.2.2.3 and EC 4.2.2.11). The monosaccharide is non-enzymatically converted to 4-deoxy-l-erythro-5-hexoseulose uronic acid (DEH), then reduced to 2-keto-3-deoxy-d-gluconate (KDG) by a specific reductase, and metabolized through the Entner–Doudoroff pathway. Recently, the NADPH-dependent reductase A1-R that belongs to short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDR) superfamily was identified as the DEH-reductase in Sphingomonas sp. A1. We have subsequently noticed that an SDR-like enzyme gene, flred, occurred in the genome of an alginolytic bacterium Flavobacterium sp. strain UMI-01. In the present study, we report on the deduced amino-acid sequence of flred and DEH-reducing activity of recombinant FlRed. The deduced amino-acid sequence of flred comprised 254 residues and showed 34% amino-acid identities to that of A1-R from Sphingomonas sp. A1 and 80%–88% to those of SDR-like enzymes from several alginolytic bacteria. Common sequence motifs of SDR-superfamily enzymes, e.g., the catalytic tetrad Asn-Lys-Tyr-Ser and the cofactor-binding sequence Thr-Gly-x-x-x-Gly-x-Gly in Rossmann fold, were completely conserved in FlRed. On the other hand, an Arg residue that determined the NADPH-specificity of Sphingomonas A1-R was replaced by Glu in FlRed. Thus, we investigated cofactor-preference of FlRed using a recombinant enzyme. As a result, the recombinant FlRed (recFlRed) was found to show high specificity to NADH. recFlRed exhibited practically no activity toward variety of aldehyde, ketone, keto ester, keto acid and aldose substrates except for DEH. On the basis of these results, we conclude that FlRed is the NADH-dependent DEH-specific SDR of Flavobacterium sp. strain UMI-01.     

Survival of plant pathogens in static piles of ground green waste

Ground green waste is used as mulch in ornamental landscapes and for tree crops such as avocados. Survival of Armillaria mellea, Phytophthora cinnamomi, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and Tylenchulus semipenetrans was assessed for 8 weeks within unturned piles of either recently ground or partially composted green waste. S. sclerotiorum survived at the pile surface and at 10, 30, and 100 cm within the pile for the entire 8 weeks in both fresh green waste (FGW) and aged green waste (AGW). A. mellea and T. semipenetrans did not survive more than 2 days in FGW, while P. cinnamomi persisted for over 21 days in FGW. AGW was less effective in reducing pathogen viability than FGW, most likely because temperatures in AGW peaked at 45 degrees C compared with 70 degrees C in FGW. Survival modeling curves based on pile temperatures indicate the time to inactivate 10 propagules of pathogens was 11, 30, 363, and 50 days for A. mellea, P. cinnamomi, S. sclerotiorum, and T. semipenetrans, respectively. Sclerotia-forming pathogens pose the greatest risk for escape; to ensure eradication of persistent fungi, green waste stockpiles should be turned intermittently to mix pile contents and move pathogen propagules to a location within the pile where they are more likely to be killed by heat, microbial attack, or chemical degradation.     

Culture method and growth characteristics of marine benthic dinoflagellate Ostreopsis spp. isolated from Japanese coastal waters

Blooms of toxic dinoflagellates of the genus Ostreopsis, which is known as a producer of palytoxin (PTX) analogs, may pose a threat to human health in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions around the world. In the present study, we established a suitable culture method for Ostreopsis spp. isolated from Japanese coastal waters and characterized their growth potential using the method to discuss their bloom dynamics. Each clonal strain of Ostreopsis cf. ovata, Ostreopsis sp.?1, Ostreopsis sp.?5, and Ostreopsis sp.?6 was incubated in 25?×?150?mm test tubes with a flat bottom containing various kinds of medium. Since Ostreopsis spp. strains grew well in IMK and/or f/2 media, we selected these media for cultivation of all the Ostreopsis spp. isolates. Growth rates of O. cf. ovata (0.834?divisions/day), Ostreopsis sp.?1 (0.619?divisions/day), and Ostreopsis sp.?6 (1.04?divisions/day) that produce PTX analogs significantly differed (p?<?0.05) respectively and are clearly higher than those of other reported epiphytic dinoflagellate Gambierdiscus toxicus, Prorocentrum lima, and Coolia monotis cultures, which suggest that these species have ecological advantages to predominate through the algal succession in Japanese coastal waters, resulting in a potential risk to human health in this region.     

Association of breed and histopathological grade in canine mast cell tumours

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between breed and the histopathological grade of canine mast cell tumours (MCTs). A retrospective survey of pathology data of 9375 histopathologically confirmed diagnoses of cutaneous MCTs in the US was evaluated in the context of breed prevalence in over two million registered purebred dogs. Association of histopathological grade with breed, age, sex and spay/neuter status was assessed. The data indicate that the proportion of high‐grade tumours increases with advancing age, and that male and intact dogs have increased odds of developing high‐grade tumours. A significant difference in the proportion of high‐grade tumours between breeds was detected. The Pug was at significantly increased risk of developing low/intermediate‐grade tumours, but not high‐grade tumours, resulting in preponderance of less aggressive MCTs in this breed. The results of this study suggest a genetic association for the development of high‐grade MCTs.     

Hepatic AA amyloidosis in a cat: cytologic and histologic identification of AA amyloid in macrophages

A 3‐year‐old, spayed female, Domestic Shorthair cat presented with anorexia, lethargy, vomiting, probable hemoabdomen, and multiple masses on the right lateral liver lobe. Clinicopathologic and imaging abnormalities included anemia, azotemia, icterus, and hepatomegaly with hypoechoic masses. On cytologic evaluation of a fine‐needle aspiration of a liver mass there was abundant extracellular pink‐ to purple‐colored material between hepatocytes. The amorphous material was stained with direct fast scarlet (DFS), and green birefringent areas were observed under polarized light, confirming the presence of amyloid. A unique finding on the cytologic smear were macrophages containing amorphous and fibrillar amyloid‐like protein. Histopathologic examination using H&E and Congo red staining confirmed amyloid deposits within the space of Disse, along the sinusoids, portal tracts, blood vessel walls, and within the cytoplasm of macrophages. Immunohistochemical staining with anti‐AA amyloid antibodies further confirmed the presence of AA amyloid. To the author's knowledge, this is the first report of the cytologic finding of AA amyloid protein within macrophages and DFS stain detection of amyloid on a cytologic smear.