Cytochrome oxidase I gene sequence of Hypoderma sinense infecting yaks in the Qinghai-Tibet high plateau of China

The previous scanning electron microscopy study of the Hypoderma species suggested that Hypoderma sinense Pleske (H. sinense) was different from Hypoderma bovis (H. bovis) and Hypoderma lineatum (H. lineatum). In this study, the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequence of H. sinense was compared with those of the other two species. The H. sinense sequence showed only 88.3% homology to H. bovis and 88.5% to H. lineatum. The results of the sequencing analysis confirm that H. sinense is a different species from H. bovis and H. lineatum.     

Migration of warble fly larvae in the yak and optimum timing of ivermectin treatment

Sixty yaks were autopsied to determine the migration pattern of warble fly larvae. In August, first instars were observed in the body of yak for the first time. These larvae peaked in number in October. From November to February, second instars were detected and their number peaked in January. Third instars appeared in January and peaked in March. Forty-five yaks were administered with ivermectin: 15 animals in September, 15 in October and 15 in November. Between December and June, the number of warbles was checked by palpation. Although some warbles were observed in the September- and November-treated groups, no warbles were detected in the October-treated group. Treatment of yaks with ivermectin was most effective for warble fly in October.     

Characterization of Murine Pituitary-Derived Cell Lines Tpit/F1, Tpit/E and TtT/GF

The pituitary is an important endocrine tissue of the vertebrate that produces and secretes many hormones. Accumulating data suggest that several types of cells compose the pituitary, and there is growing interest in elucidating the origin of these cell types and their roles in pituitary organogenesis. Therein, the histogenous cell line is an extremely valuable experimental tool for investigating the function of derived tissue. In this study, we compared gene expression profiles by microarray analysis and real-time PCR for murine pituitary tumor-derived non-hormone-producing cell lines TtT/GF, Tpit/F1 and Tpit/E. Several genes are characteristically expressed in each cell line: Abcg2, Nestin, Prrx1, Prrx2, CD34, Eng, Cspg4 (Ng2), S100β and nNos in TtT/GF; Cxcl12, Raldh1, Msx1 and Twist1 in Tpit/F1; and Cxadr, Sox9, Cdh1, EpCAM and Krt8 in Tpit/E. Ultimately, we came to the following conclusions: TtT/GF cells show the most differentiated state, and may have some properties of the pituitary vascular endothelial cell and/or pericyte. Tpit/F1 cells show the epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes with stemness still in a transiting state. Tpit/E cells have a phenotype of epithelial cells and are the most immature cells in the progression of differentiation or in the initial endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Thus, these three cell lines must be useful model cell lines for investigating pituitary stem/progenitor cells as well as organogenesis.     

Solvated electrons in high-temperature melts and glasses of the room-temperature stable electride [Ca₂₄Al₂₈O₆₄]⁴⁺·4e⁻

Solvated electrons in alkali metal-ammonia solutions have attracted attention as a prototype electronic conductor and chemical reducing agent for over a century. However, solvated electrons have not been realized in a high-temperature melt or glass of an oxide system to date. We demonstrated the formation of persistent solvated electrons in both a high-temperature melt and its glass by using the thermally stable electride [Ca(24)Al(28)O(64)](4+)·4e(-) (C12A7:e(-)) and controlling the partial pressure of oxygen. The electrical and structural properties of the resulting melt and glass differ from those of the conventional C12A7:O(2-) oxide, exhibiting metallic and hopping conduction, respectively, and a glass transition temperature that is ~160 kelvin lower than that of C12A7:O(2-) glass. Solvated electrons reside in cage structures in C12A7:e(-) and form a diamagnetic paired state.     

Low molecular weight compounds responsible for savory taste of Indonesian soy sauce

Indonesian soy sauce is made using only soybeans as the nitrogenous source. Moromi obtained from fermentation of yellow soybeans using Aspergillus sojae as the starter was investigated. The fraction with molecular weights of less than 500 Da obtained by stepwise ultrafiltration was then fractionated by several chromatographic procedures, including gel filtration chromatography and RP-HPLC. Several chemical analyses, CE profiles, and taste profiles were performed to obtain the most intense umami fraction. The main components eliciting or enhancing the umami taste present in the fraction were purified and identified by protein sequencing, ESI-MS, and (1)H NMR at 400 MHz. Besides free l-glutamic acid and aspartic acid, free aromatic amino acids such as l-phenylalanine and l-tyrosine may also play an important role in impressing savory or umami taste of Indonesian soy sauce at their subthreshold concentrations and in the presence of salt and free acidic amino acids. This is reported as a new phenomenon of the so-called bitter amino acids.     

Transgenic rice plants expressing human CYP1A1 remediate the triazine herbicides atrazine and simazine

The human cytochrome P450 CYP1A1 gene was introduced into rice plants (Oryza sativa cv. Nipponbare). One-month-old CYP1A1 plants grown in soil clearly showed a healthy growth and tolerance to 8.8 microM atrazine and 50 microM simazine, but nontransgenic plants were completely killed by the herbicides. Although transgenic and nontransgenic plants metabolized the two herbicides into the same sets of compounds, CYP1A1 plants metabolized atrazine and simazine more rapidly than did control plants. In small-scale experiments, residual amounts of atrazine and simazine in the culture medium of CYP1A1 plants were 43.4 and 12.3% of those in control medium; those of nontransgenic Nipponbare were 68.3 and 57.2%, respectively. When cultivated in soil with 2.95 microM atrazine and 3.15 microM simazine for 25 days, CYP1A1 plants eliminated 1.3 times more atrazine and 1.4 times more simazine from the soil than did control plants. Thus, CYP1A1 rice plants make it possible to remove atrazine and simazine more rapidly from the culture medium and soil than can nontransgenic Nipponbare.     

Phytoremediation of metolachlor by transgenic rice plants expressing human CYP2B6

We introduced the human cytochrome P450 gene CYP2B6 into rice plants (Oryza sativa L. cv. Nipponbare), and the CYP2B6-expressing rice plants became more tolerant to various herbicides than nontransgenic Nipponbare rice plants. In particular, CYP2B6 rice plants grown in soil showed tolerance to the chloroacetanilide herbicides alachlor and metolachlor. We evaluated the degradation of metolachlor by CYP2B6 rice plants to confirm the metabolic activity of the introduced CYP2B6. Although both CYP2B6 and nontransgenic Nipponbare rice plants could decrease the amount of metolachlor in plant tissue and culture medium, CYP2B6 rice plants could remove much greater amounts. In a greenhouse, the ability of CYP2B6 rice plants to remove metolachlor was confirmed in large-scale experiments, in which these plants appeared able to decrease residual quantities of metolachlor in water and soil.