Reproductive biology of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Pasiphaea japonica</Emphasis> females in Toyama Bay,central Japan

The reproductive biology of female Pasiphaea japonica, including the minimum size of females carrying embryos, spawning and hatching seasons, and brood size, was examined in Toyama Bay, central Japan, during 2004 through 2007. Sampling was conducted onboard a commercial seiner and a fisheries research vessel. The minimum size of ovigerous females was 47.7 mm body length. The percent occurrence of ovigerous females increased with body size, reaching 50% at 57.9 mm body length. Ovigerous females occurred all year round with a seasonal change in percent occurrence, ranging between 41.5 and 94.3% of the total observed females. Consequently, reproduction in females seems to occur throughout the year in Toyama Bay, with seasonal differences in reproductive intensity. Spawning intensity was high during April–July and October–January based on the occurrence of the early developmental stage of embryos, while hatching intensity was high in October–May based on the occurrence of embryos just before hatching. Brood sizes were similar at the same size of body length regardless of embryo stage, except just after spawning.     

Factors associated with canine skin extensibility in toy poodles

To assess factors for canine skin extensibility, our study investigated associations between the dogs’ skin extension index and the following factors, gender, age, neuter status, weight, coat color and six coat color related gene polymorphisms. Swab samples were collected from 69 toy poodles to extract DNA. The skin extension indices of the lower back and the neck were measured using the following formula: vertical height of the skin fold divided by body length multiplied by 100. The dogs’ age, weight, gender, neuter status and coat color were also recorded, as well as polymorphisms of the following six selected coat color related genes, Melanocortin 1 receptor, Tyrosinase-related protein 1, Melanophilin, Canine β-defensin-1, Major Facilitator Superfamily Domain Containing 12 and Agouti-signaling protein (ASIP). Univariable analysis showed there was a meaningful association between the lower back skin extension index and both gender and age (P<0.001 and P=0.048, respectively). Also, there was a possible association between the lower back skin extension index and ASIP Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (R96C) (P=0.078). Linear model analysis showed there was a significant association between the lower back skin extension index and gender (P<0.001), and there was a tendency of the association between the lower back skin extension index and ASIP SNP (R96C) (P=0.098). In addition, there was an association between gender and age for the skin extension index. (P=0.048). Therefore, these results suggest that a greater risk of skin extensibility in toy poodle could be related to being female and the ASIP SNP (R96C), because these factors were associated with higher lower back skin extension index.     

Occurrence of a temperate coastal flatfish,the marbled flounder Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae,at high water temperatures in a shallow bay in summer detected by acoustic telemetry

Fisheries Science - The marbled flounder Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae, a flatfish found in temperate coastal waters, is an important commercial species in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, but little...     

Burkholderia gladioli associated with symptoms of bacterial grain rot and leaf-sheath browning of rice plants

Rice plants with bacterial leaf-sheath browning and grain rot were observed in Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan during the autumn seasons of 1995 and 1996. Burkholderia spp. were consistently isolated from the infected leaf sheaths and grains. These isolates were pathogenic and induced symptoms of seedling rot, grain rot, and leaf-sheath browning in rice plants, as well as in some orchidaceous plants (cymbidium, dendrobium, and oncidium leaves), gladiolus leaves, and onion bulbs. On the basis of morphological, physiological and pathological tests, and species-specific polymerase chain reaction, the isolates were identified as belonging to either Burkholderia glumae or Burkholderia gladioli. B. gladioli, as well as B. glumae, attacked rice plants after artificial inoculation and reproduced the symptoms similar to those after natural infections. We confirmed that rice is an additional natural host of B. gladioli. It is clarified that bacterial grain rot of rice is caused not only by B. glumae but also by B. gladioli.     

Race 3, a new race of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Fusarium oxysporum</Emphasis> f. sp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">lactucae </Emphasis>determined by a differential system with commercial cultivars

 Pathogenic variation among 26 Japanese isolates of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae (FOL) was tested using 21 lettuce cultivars to select commercial lettuce cultivars as race differential indicators. Cultivar Costa Rica No. 4 was resistant to race 1 but susceptible to race 2, consistent with the conventional standard differential line VP1010. Cultivar Banchu Red Fire was susceptible to race 1 but resistant to race 2, which showed an opposite type of reaction as another differential line VP1013. Cultivar Patriot was susceptible to both races. The resistance reactions of the three cultivars under field conditions were identical with that observed in the seedlings. Thus cv. Costa Rica No. 4 and cv. Banchu Red Fire can be used as differential hosts to identify pathogenic races of FOL. This differential system showed that all FOL isolates obtained from diseased butterhead lettuce in Fukuoka, Japan were new races (i.e., pathogenic to three cultivars). We propose that the new race be designated race 3. Isolates of FOL, the pathogen of Fusarium wilt in lettuce, obtained from California showed the same reaction as that of race 1. Furthermore, the Japanese isolate SB1-1 (race 1) and California isolate HL-2 belonged to the same vegetative compatibility group. Our results suggest that both of the fungi are the same forma specialis. Received: March 25, 2002 / Accepted: August 26, 2002     

Influence of estrogen on acetylcholinesterase activity in primary cultures of cerebral cells from neonatal rats

To estimate the influence of estrogen on the functional development of the central nervous system during the neonatal period, several doses of estradiol‐17β (E₂) were treated to cultured cells from the cerebral cortex of neonatal rats and the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was examined. E₂ was added to give the following final concentrations: 0, 10^?10, 10^?9, and 10^?8 M. After 72 h of incubation, all cells were obtained from dishes to determine the AChE activity. Although apparent morphological changes were not observed among treatments cultured for 72 h, E₂ suppressed dose‐dependently the spontaneous increase of AChE activity in cerebral cells. Furthermore, a single dose of tamoxifen, an E₂ receptor binding molecule with agonist and antagonist properties, also acted in a similar manner as E₂. These findings suggest that the functional development of the cerebral cortex, at least the cholinergic system, during the neonatal period is regulated by E₂.     

Performance of Four Rice Cultivars Transplanted Monthly over Full Year under Irrigated Conditions in Tanzania

In Tanzania,the phenology and seasonal variations of the yields of different rice cultivars have rarely been studied,especially under fully-irrigated conditions. A trial was conducted to identify the most suitable calendar for rice production in Tanzania under fully-irrigated conditions. Four popular rice cultivars,NERICA1,Wahiwahi,IR64 and TXD306,were transplanted monthly from January to December 2011. The four cultivars recorded similarly higher or lower yields than the annual means when transplanted in July(0.50–0.57 kg/m2) and April(0.07–0.31 kg/m2). A yield-ranking analysis showed that plants transplanted in July was the most productive while those transplanted in April was the least productive,and also revealed a yield-seasonality for irrigated rice in Tanzania,a low-yield season(April–May),a high-yield season(June–August),and an unstable-yield season(September–March). These yield seasons would appear to be closely linked to seasonal temperature variations. When transplanted in April–May,plants were exposed to very low temperatures between panicle initiation and flowering,apparently reducing yield through cold-induced sterility. Those transplanted in June–August prolonged their growth under relatively low temperatures and increased yield through increasing biomass production. In September–March,yield levels varied greatly due to the shortened phenological growth durations at higher temperatures. We conclude that under fully-irrigated conditions in Tanzania,rice should be transplanted in July to ensure the maximum production and yield stability. The yield-seasonality suggests that implementing measures to protect plants from low and high temperature stress at critical phenological stages may allow year-round rice production under fully-irrigated conditions in Tanzania.     

Various species of Pyricularia constitute a robust clade distinct from Magnaporthe salvinii and its relatives in Magnaporthaceae

In a phylogenetic analysis of species of Magnaporthaceae based on nucleotide sequences of rDNA-ITS and the RPB1 gene, isolates of the tested species were divided into two clusters with high bootstrap support. One group was composed of Pyricularia spp.; the other was composed of Magnaporthe salvinii, M. rhizophila, M. poae, Gaeumannomyces graminis, and G. incrustans. On the basis of this result, we concluded that Pyricularia spp. constitute a large but distinct phylogenetic species group that is not congeneric with Magnaporthe salvinii, the type species of Magnaporthe.     

Expression of p63 in the mouse primordial germ cells

Proteins encoded by p63 gene a have structural similarity with tumor suppressor p53, and were thought to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis during development. The p63 proteins are also expressed in the basal cells of many epithelial tissues in the adult, and supposed to play important roles in maintaining the epidermal stem cells. Previously, we reported the p63 expression in the testis of mouse embryos, suggesting their involvement in the growth arrest and apoptosis of testicular germ cells (Nakamuta and Kobayashi, J. Vet. Med. Sci. 65:853-856). In this study, we investigated the timing of this p63 expression in the germ cells during migration and colonization to the gonads. Immunohistochemical analysis of mice from embryonic day (E) 7.5 to E12.5 demonstrated that p63 positive reactivity was seen as early as E8.5 when the founder cells of germ cells, primordial germ cells (PGCs), were located in the hind gut epithelium, but PGCs were negative for p63 at E7.5 when they first appeared. p63 is expressed as six isoforms, resulting from alternative splicing at C-terminus and by the use of two promoters that generate variations at N-terminal end. RT-PCR analyses suggested that different types of p63 mRNAs were likely to be expressed in PGCs during development. These results imply that p63 may be involved in the regulation of PGC development by controlling the gene expression required for their migration and colonization to the gonads.