Ginkgolide production in relation to organogenesis inGinkgo biloba

The contents of diterpenoids, ginkgolides A, B, and C, in seeds, embryos, and plantlets ofGinkgo biloba were analyzed to clarify the relations between organogenesis and terpene contents inG. biloba. There is so far no published report on the contents and changes in such terpenes in seeds and very young plantlets ofG. biloba. Ginkgolides were present in seeds and embryos. Plantlets cultured in both the dark and under illumination contained substantial amounts of ginkgolides, more abundant than in seeds and embryos. It is concluded that ginkgo yields ginkgolides in its early stage of development regardless of light.     

Gallbladder adenocarcinomas in two captive African lions (Panthera leo).

Gallbladder adenocarcinomas in two captive African lions (Panthera leo), an 18-yr-old male and a 17-yr-old female, are described in this report. Grossly, both lions had hemoperitoneum with thickened and sclerotic gallbladder walls. Histopathologically, the male's tumor was well differentiated and the female's was poorly differentiated with multinucleate giant cells. Both tumors were highly invasive and involved the gallbladder serosa. The male also had a tumor in the liver, and the female's tumor had disseminated to the serosal surfaces of abdominal organs. In both cases, neoplastic cell cytoplasm stained diffusely for cytokeratin AE-1/AE-3 and cytokeratin 7 and granularly for lysozyme on immunohistochemical staining.     

The occurrence of coral spot of Japanese persimmon caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nectria cinnabarina</Emphasis> (Tode: Fries) Fries

A twig canker disease of Japanese persimmon with characteristic coral spots was found in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. The causal fungus was identified as Nectria cinnabarina, which causes coral spot disease on many host plants. This is the first report of the disease caused by N. cinnabarina on Japanese persimmon in Japan.     

New multilocus genotypes of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phytophthora infestans</Emphasis> in Japan

Twelve isolates of Japanese Phytophthora infestans, which differed from the major genotypes US-1, JP-1, JP-2, and JP-3, were analyzed for RG57 fingerprints, mtDNA haplotypes, two allozyme genotypes, and mating types. Genotypes JP-1.1, JP-2.1, JP-2.2, JP-3.1, and JP-4 were newly defined. JP-1.1 and JP-2.1 were isolated discontinuously from potato fields in several years, and JP-1.1 was found in Hokkaido and Kagoshima. These results show that some minor genotypes can overwinter and disperse from their original site.     

Addition of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pestalotiopsis </Emphasis>spp. to leaf spot pathogens of Japanese persimmon

 In June 1996, a leaf spot disease widely occurred in Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki) orchards in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. The main diagnostic symptom was ring spot on the leaves and calyxes of young fruits; in severe cases, lesions developed on more than half of the area of the leaf, resulting in early defoliation. Based on morphological and pathological studies of the isolated fungi, it was shown that Pestalotiopsis longiseta, P. glandicola, P. acaciae, and P. crassiuscula were responsible for the diseases. These fungi, except P. longiseta, were found to be new pathogens of the disease. Received: May 20, 2002 / Accepted: July 25, 2002     

Proteome analysis of cashmere

As an analysis of the cashmere proteins by Type IV 2‐DE, ten kinds of components, including three components with molecular mass 42–50 kDa whose expression level increased in the winter, were separated. In analyzing nine components of these ten using a mass spectrometer, the three components of molecular mass 70–120 kDa and pI 5.3 were identified as keratin type II microfibrillar (accession no. KRSHL2 ), keratin 48 k type I microfibrillar component 8c‐1 (accession no. KRSHL1 ) and cytosolic phospholipase A2 (accession no. O77793 ), respectively. The three components whose expression level increased in the winter, were identified as keratin type I microfibrillar 48 kDa component 8C‐1 (accession no. P02534 ) and keratin type I microfibrillar 47.6 kDa (accession no. P25690 ) (pI 5.2/42 kDa), keratin type II microfibrillar component 7C (accession no. P15241 ) and keratin typeII‐sheep (accession no. S34165 ) (pI 5.5/45 kDa), and the keratin type II microfibrillar component 5 (accession no. P25691 ) (pI 5.8–6.0/45 kDa), respectively. The three components of less than 17 kDa were identified as hair keratin type II intermediate filament (accession no. CAA51836 ) (pI 5.2) and keratin high‐sulfur matrix protein IIIB2 (accession no. P02447 ) with a different isoelectric point (pI 5.4 and 5.9), respectively.     

Different growth rates of male chicken skeletal muscles related to their histochemical properties

1. Early, M. pubo‐ischio‐femoralis pars medialis (PIF muscle) and late, M. iliotibialis lateralis pars postacetabularis (ITL muscle), maturing muscles were studied. These two muscles contained different populations of histo‐chemical fibre types.

2. The profile measurements of the muscles showed diphasic allometric growth relative to the weights. In the early stage of growth (up to 15 weeks after hatching), the muscle length, width and depth all increased, while in the later stage (from 15 to 35 weeks) muscle growth resulted mainly from the marked increase in the depth and to a lesser degree, from an increase in the width.

3. Type I fibres, observed predominantly in PIF muscle matured earlier than the Type II fibres of ITL muscle.

4. From these results, the detailed process of skeletal muscle growth in the chicken was discussed.     

Quantitative mapping of kelp forests (Laminaria spp.) before and after harvest in coastal waters of the Shiretoko Peninsula,Hokkaido, Japan

In the Shiretoko Peninsula, a World Natural Heritage site, the sustainable management of kelp forests has drawn public attention because of the economic and ecological importance of kelp. We spatially estimated the distributions of kelp forests in the Shiretoko Peninsula before and after harvest. Field surveys were conducted in coastal waters (23.74 km²) at the ends of July and August 2008, immediately before and after harvest. Data on the presence or absence and thickness of the kelp forests were collected via acoustic observation. The data were interpolated using geostatistical methods. Before harvest, the kelp forests were continuously distributed over 5.64 km² (thickness 33–132 cm), especially near the north part of the study area. After harvest, they were sparsely distributed over 2.73 km² (thickness 35–105 cm). In the southern part of the study area, the influence of harvests was observed as declines in forest area. In addition, relatively thickly forested areas formed the majority of the part most likely to be harvested. Selective harvesting for area and size was confirmed though quantitative mapping of kelp forests. The quantitative mapping of both the distribution and harvest of kelp forests was successful.     

Day–night change in fish community structure in a seagrass bed in subarctic waters

The day–night change in fish community structure over a year was examined in a seagrass bed in Lake Notoro, Hokkaido, northern Japan, to examine nocturnal increases in predation risk. This seagrass bed has previously been considered a predation refuge for juvenile and small-sized fishes. Species richness, abundance and biomass of piscivorous fishes during nighttime were higher than those during daytime on all sample dates surveyed (May, August and November 2013), indicating an increase in predation risk for juvenile and small-sized fishes during nighttime. The mean biomass-weighted trophic level of fish communities in the seagrass bed was also higher at night than in the day. The piscivorous fishes collected in the seagrass bed during the night included important fishery species. These may obtain energy through nocturnal feeding in the seagrass bed. Therefore, the function of seagrass beds as fish habitats should be re-evaluated by considering two possible characteristics contributing to fishery production: as a daytime predation refuge for juvenile and small-sized fishes, and as a nighttime foraging ground for piscivorous fishes.