Evaluation of the efficacy of aquaculture feeds for the climbing perch Anabas testudineus: replacement of fishmeal by black soldier fly Hermetia illucens prepupae

Fisheries Science - The growth of the climbing perch Anabas testudineus reared on lower protein feeds with the replacement of fishmeal (FM) by prepupae of the black soldier fly (BSF) Hermetia...     

Gonadal morphogenesis and sex differentiation in cultured chub mackerel,Scomber japonicus

The timing of primordial germ‐cell (PGC) migration with regard to the gonadal anlagen, gonad formation and sex differentiation was examined histologically in the chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) at 5–190 days post hatching (dph). At 5 dph, PGCs appeared on the peritoneal epithelium surface or in the mesentery, on the dorsal side of the abdominal cavity. By 10 dph, stromal cells around the PGCs proliferated. The gonadal primordium was formed by 15 dph. The gonadosomatic index was 0.01% at 30 dph and increased thereafter (0.32% in females and 0.04% in males at 160 dph). Ovarian differentiation occurred at 30–40 dph, indicated by ovarian cavity formation (elongation and fusion of the upper and lower ovarian edges). Meiosis was subsequently initiated. A few meiotic oocytes surrounded the cavity at 50 dph; most were in the perinucleolus stage at 60 dph and attained a diameter of 60–70 μm at 190 dph. Testicular differentiation occurred at 30 dph, indicated by the formation of the sperm duct primordium. Spermatogonia gradually proliferated, developing into spermatocytes at the chromatin–nucleolus stage (after 90 dph) and subsequently into spermatids and spermatozoa (160 dph). These data could aid the development of seeding and cell‐engineering technologies for scombrid fish.     

Annual monitoring of growth of red sea bream by multi-stereo-image measurement

Fisheries Science - In aquaculture, periodic measurement of fish body size is required to suitably assess growth progress. The aim of this study is to monitor the growth of free-swimming red sea...     

Characterization of ACE Inhibitory Peptides Prepared from Pyropia pseudolinearis Protein

More than 7000 red algae species have been classified. Although most of them are underused, they are a protein-rich marine resource. The hydrolysates of red algal proteins are good candidates for the inhibition of the angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE). The ACE is one of the key factors for cardiovascular disease, and the inhibition of ACE activity is related to the prevention of high blood pressure. To better understand the relationship between the hydrolysates of red algal proteins and the inhibition of ACE activity, we attempted to identify novel ACE inhibitory peptides from Pyropia pseudolinearis. We prepared water soluble proteins (WSP) containing phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. In vitro analysis showed that the thermolysin hydrolysate of the WSP had high ACE inhibitory activity compared to that of WSP. We then identified 42 peptides in the hydrolysate by high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Among 42 peptides, 23 peptides were found in chloroplast proteins. We then synthesized the uncharacterized peptides ARY, YLR, and LRM and measured the ACE inhibitory activity. LRM showed a low IC₅₀ value (0.15 μmol) compared to ARY and YLR (1.3 and 5.8 μmol). In silico analysis revealed that the LRM sequence was conserved in cpcA from Bangiales and Florideophyceae, indicating that the novel ACE inhibitory peptide LRM was highly conserved in red algae.     

Increase in Iron and Zinc Concentrations in Rice Grains Via the Introduction of Barley Genes Involved in Phytosiderophore Synthesis

Increasing the iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) concentrations of staple foods, such as rice, could solve Fe and Zn deficiencies, which are two of the most serious nutritional problems affecting humans. Mugineic acid family phytosiderophores (MAs) play a very important role in the uptake of Fe from the soil and Fe transport within the plant in graminaceous plants. To explore the possibility of MAs increasing the Fe concentration in grains, we cultivated three transgenic rice lines possessing barley genome fragments containing genes for MAs synthesis (i.e., HvNAS1, HvNAS1, and HvNAAT-A and HvNAAT-B or IDS3) in a paddy field with Andosol soils. Polished rice seeds with IDS3 inserts had up to 1.40 and 1.35 times higher Fe and Zn concentrations, respectively, compared to non-transgenic rice seeds. Enhanced MAs production due to the introduced barley genes is suggested to be effective for increasing Fe and Zn concentrations in rice grains.     

Spatial variability in the growth of direct-seeded rainfed lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) in northeast Thailand

Large within-field variation in rice growth often causes production loss in broadcast-seeded (BC) rainfed lowland rice. The spatial variability of direct-seeded rainfed lowland rice was evaluated in 2004, 2005, and 2007 in on-station experiments at Ubon Ratchathani, northeast Thailand, in relation to soil water content and weed infestation, by adopting semivariogram and block kriging, including comparisons among BC with harrowing (BCH; no weeding), BC with no harrowing (BCNH; no weeding), and row-seeded (RS; interrow weeding once) fields. BCH and BCNH were also compared in 11 farmers’ fields in 2006 and 2007, to assess the effect of harrowing on rice growth and weed infestation. During most of the rice growing periods, flooded and non-flooded portions existed simultaneously in the fields, with different proportions among years and among seeding methods in the on-station experiment. BCH and BCNH rice had large within-field variation in seedling density, heading date, shoot dry matter, grain yield, harvest index, panicle density, and filled spikelet per panicle, as well as in weed infestation, measured by a quick visual estimation. Many of the measured variables (except mean soil water content in RS in 2007, seedling density in BCH in 2005 and 2007, shoot dry matter in BCH and BCNH in 2007, and panicle density in BCH in 2007) were spatially dependent (i.e., data from nearby locations were most similar) by geostatistical analysis. Analysis of correlations using the 420 data sets of BCH plots in 2005 and BCH, BCNH, and RS plots in 2007 revealed a positive correlation between soil water content and grain yield and negative correlations between weed infestation and soil water content and grain yield. Compared with BCH, in 2007 BCNH had much lower grain yield because of lower soil water content after establishment and more weed infestation. BCH had higher grain yield than BCNH in weedy fields in the farmers’ fields experiment. RS with interrow weeding resulted in a smaller coefficient of variation, smaller sill value, and higher grain yield than BCH, due to less weed infestation and a higher proportion of flooded water. These results indicated that reducing the spatial variability in rice growth requires careful field preparation, such as harrowing to level the soil surface and to reduce the uneven distribution of standing water and the variability in soil water content, combined with effective crop and weed management (i.e., harrowing and row-seeding). This is the first study that examined spatial variability in the growth of direct-seeded rice as a function of soil water content and weed infestation in a rainfed lowland environment.     

Autophagy is essential for preimplantation development of mouse embryos

After fertilization, maternal proteins in oocytes are degraded and new proteins encoded by the zygotic genome are synthesized. We found that autophagy, a process for the degradation of cytoplasmic constituents in the lysosome, plays a critical role during this period. Autophagy was triggered by fertilization and up-regulated in early mouse embryos. Autophagy-defective oocytes derived from oocyte-specific Atg5 (autophagy-related 5) knockout mice failed to develop beyond the four- and eight-cell stages if they were fertilized by Atg5-null sperm, but could develop if they were fertilized by wild-type sperm. Protein synthesis rates were reduced in the autophagy-null embryos. Thus, autophagic degradation within early embryos is essential for preimplantation development in mammals.     

Photosensitivity in mice caused by pyropheophorbide in the midgut gland of the scallop <Emphasis Type="Italic">Patinopecten yessoensis</Emphasis> observed in diarrhetic shellfish poisoning mouse bioassays

Photosensitivity was observed in the mice used in bioassays of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. The mice were intraperitoneally injected with the extracts from the midgut glands of cultured scallops Patinopecten yessoensis gathered in early spring in Funka Bay, Hokkaido, Japan. The injections induced atypical symptoms in the mice within 24 h. The symptoms included piloerection, substantial eye discharge, swelling of the ears and head, and ear scratching. They were similar to those reported in studies of photosensitivity caused by pyropheophorbide in the midgut glands of abalones, which are herbivorous gastropods. The problematic scallops also accumulated a large amount of pyropheophorbide-a. The amount determined with high-performance liquid chromatography was 300–530 μg per 1 g of the homogenate of the midgut glands. The dose of pyropheophorbide sufficient to cause photosensitivity in a mouse is estimated to be 0.99–2.3 mg per mouse with 20-g body weight. Moreover, comparative tests in mice showed that the onset of the symptoms required light and a substantial amount of pyropheophorbide. Therefore, we determined that the observed symptoms were photosensitivity caused by pyropheophorbide. Scallops, which are suspension-feeding bivalves, can accumulate a large amount of pyropheophorbide in the midgut glands depending on the habitat environment.     

Dietary value of gametophytes and juvenile sporophytes of the brown macroalga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eisenia bicyclis</Emphasis> for juvenile abalone <Emphasis Type="Italic">Haliotis diversicolor</Emphasis>

The dietary value of juvenile stages (gametophyte and juvenile sporophyte) of the brown macroalga Eisenia bicyclis for post-larval and juvenile abalone Haliotis diversicolor of 2.0–6.5 mm in shell length (SL) was examined and compared with that of a benthic diatom, Nitzschia sp., in laboratory experiments. Most abalone actively fed on these diets, but there were large variations in the growth rate among the diets and among the growth stages of abalone. Growth rates of abalone fed on Nitzschia sp. were highly variable within each growth stage, but showed no clear differences among growth stages. In contrast, in abalone fed gametophytes or juvenile sporophytes, growth rates linearly increased as abalone grew. Growth rates of >60 μm SL/day were observed in juveniles of >3 mm SL fed gametophytes, and juveniles of >5 mm SL fed juvenile sporophytes. These results indicate that the dietary value of the juvenile stages of E. bicyclis for the abalone changes as they grow, and with growth juvenile abalone begin to efficiently utilize gametophytes and juvenile sporophytes in that order.