Localization of leptin and leptin receptor in the bovine adenohypophysis

The present study was carried out to detail the cellular localization of leptin (Lep) and the leptin receptor (LepR) in the bovine adenohypophysis. Lep immunoreactivity (Lep-ir) was found in about 30% of adenohypophysial cells in the gland. Immunochemistry of Lep and specific hormones using serial sections revealed that Lep-ir was present in 60.4% of somatotrophs, 15.9% of gonadotrophs, 6.5% of mammotrophs, 6.5% of thyrotrophs and 2.4% of corticotrophs. Both the common short isoform (OBRa) and the long isoform (OBRb) of LepR mRNA were expressed in the bovine adenohypophysis. LepR immunoreactivity (LepR-ir) was found in only 2.8% of the adenohypophysial cells and over 50% of LepR-ir cells were gonadotrophs, in which most of the cells were distributed in the zona tuberalis. The findings on Lep and LepR in the adenohypophysial cells indicate that Lep may regulate gonadotroph function through autocrine/paracrine pathway in the bovine adenohypophysis.     

Storage of plug seedlings of tomato under limited fertilisation,and growth,flowering and yield after planting

We stored plug seedlings of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Momotaro) under limited fertilisation (LF) for 12 weeks, and evaluated growth and development during storage and after planting. Seedlings in the LF treatment were grown in substrate containing starter fertiliser and irrigated with water. Controls (CT) were irrigated with nutrient solution. Stem growth, leaf growth, and biomass accumulation slowed or ceased during storage of LF seedlings, while CT seedlings showed increases in these parameters. At 2 weeks after planting, the stem length of LF seedlings was shorter than that of CT seedlings, but the two seedling types had similar numbers of leaves. At harvest, LF and CT plants had similar numbers of leaves under the fruit trusses, but the trusses formed at lower heights in LF than in CT seedlings. LF and CT plants produced similar numbers of fruits and similar yields from the first to third trusses. These results indicate that tomato plug seedlings can be stored for more than 2 months under LF.     

Dietary intake of iodine‐enriched eggs decreases the incidence of mouse mammary tumors caused by the activated ErbB2 oncogene

Human epigenetic studies suggest that consumption of seaweed prevents mammary cancer, which possibly is explained by iodine daily intake. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of dietary intake of iodine‐enriched eggs on mammary tumor incidence caused by the expression of activated type ErbB2. Female transgenic mice were divided into three groups, and fed a basic diet, a diet supplemented with ordinary eggs, or with iodine‐enriched eggs. The number of mammary tumors greater than 5 mm in diameter was recorded in mice at 6 months of age. We report that the average number of mammary tumors per mouse was significantly lower in the iodine‐enriched egg‐added diet group than in either the basic diet or ordinary egg diet groups. These results indicate that iodine intake through livestock‐derived products can reduce the incidence of mammary cancers caused by the expression of activated type ErbB2.     

Movements of dams milked for fermented horse milk production in Mongolia

Airag, (Fermented horse milk) is a traditional milk product in Mongolia. Herders separate foals from their dams and tie them at a milking site during the daytime to produce airag. To evaluate the effects of horse management on the movement of dams, we tracked three dams in a herd in camp 1 during summer and camp 2 during autumn of 2013 and analyzed their movements during the milking (daytime) and non‐milking (nighttime) periods in an area famous for its high‐quality airag. Dams were gathered every 1.7 ± 0.0 h between 07.46 and 15.47 hours at the milking sites and milked 4.6 ± 0.2 times/day during the study period (86 days). Daily cumulative and maximum linear distances from the milking sites were longer (P < 0.01) during the non‐milking period than during the milking period. Daily home ranges were 91 and 26 times greater during the non‐milking period (P < 0.001) in camps 1 and 2, respectively. The greater range during the non‐milking period would reflect the spatial distributions of water, salt and forage. The dams initially used similar areas and gradually shifted their daily home ranges after several days. This shift suggests that the dams grazed farther afield as forage availability declined around the milking site. For better airag production and sustainable pasture use, our results provide insights useful for evaluating the effects of milking management on vegetation and soil in those pastures, for selecting the appropriate milking times and frequency, and for choosing the right timing to shift milking sites.     

Isolation and structural characterization of rhamnogalacturonan II-borate complex fromPinus densiflora

A boron-containing pectic polysaccharide was isolated from Driselase digests of akamatsu (Pinus densiflora) cell wall. The boron-containing polysaccharide was purified by successive column chromatography of Cosmosil C₁₈ OPN, DEAE Sepharose FF, and Superdex 75. The complex had 0.12% (w/w) boron (B) and¹¹B-NMR spectroscopy showed the complex to be the tetrahedral diester form of boron. The sugar composition and glycosyl linkage analyses showed that the sugar portion of the complex was rhamnogalacturonan-II (RG-11). The boron-attached glycosyl residue was identified to be 2-O-Me-xylose-containing apiosyl side chain in RG-II. These results established that the location of borate in the cell wall is conserved among dicots, gramineous monocots, and coniferous gymnosperm.Part of this study was presented at the 8th Cell Wall Symposium, Norwich, September 3, 1998     

Detection of canine herpesvirus DNA in the ganglionic neurons and the lymph node lymphocytes of latently infected dogs.

To determine the site of latent infection of canine herpesvirus (CHV), tissues from dogs convalescent from acute infection with CHV were examined for the presence of viral genome DNA by the nested polymerase chain reaction. CHV DNA was detected in the trigeminal ganglia and the retropharyngeal lymph nodes. In situ hybridization study of the tissues revealed that CHV genome persisted in the nuclei of ganglionic neurons and lymphocytes.     

Reduced sensitivity to fenarimol in Japanese field strains of Venturia nashicola

Monoconidial strains of Venturia nashicola Tanaka et Yamamoto were isolated from Japanese or Chinese white pear trees which had never been treated with sterol demethylation inhibitors (DMIs) and their baseline sensitivities to fenarimol were determined by mycelial growth tests on fungicide-amended culture media. Strains were also obtained from Japanese pear orchards, which had been intensively treated with DMIs for several years and monitored for the shifts of fenarimol sensitivity in comparison with the baseline sensitivity. Results suggested slight shifts to lower fenarimol sensitivity in strains isolated from DMI-treated Japanese pear orchards. However, in inoculation tests on pear seedlings, fenarimol still provided adequate control of V. nashicola strains with reduced sensitivity to fenarimol in vitro, suggesting that the performance of this fungicide will still be maintained in the field. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry     

Estimation of kelp forest, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Laminaria</Emphasis> spp., distributions in coastal waters of the Shiretoko Peninsula,Hokkaido, Japan,using echosounder and geostatistical analysis

Sustainable management of the kelp forests of the Shiretoko Peninsula, a World Natural Heritage site, is necessary due to kelp’s ecological and economic importance. The objectives of this study were to estimate the area of kelp forests and to clarify their spatial characteristics in coastal waters of the Shiretoko Peninsula. Data on the presence/absence and thickness of kelp forests were collected via acoustic observation on transects over about 80 km using an echosounder at 200 kHz. Acoustic data were geostatistically interpolated, and the areas covered by kelp forests were estimated. Differences in kelp distribution between the eastern and western sides of the peninsula were compared. The total area of kelp forest was 3.88 km² (eastern area: 3.49 km²; western area: 0.39 km²). The range of thickness of the kelp forests was 34–91 cm. Many kelp forests in the eastern area were thick (>78 cm) and distributed continuously, while kelp forests in the western area were sparsely distributed.     

Characterisation of starch properties and physical characteristics in buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.) mutant lacking accumulation of ‘granule-bound starch synthase a’

The concentration of amylose, which is synthesised using granule-bound starch synthase, affects the physical properties of food. However, no studies have focused on starch properties and physical characteristics of low-amylose buckwheat. Here, we hypothesised that low-amylose buckwheat would be useful to produce new buckwheat products because low-amylose characteristics change the texture of buckwheat food. In this study, we bred relatively low-amylose buckwheat compared to wild type and investigated the causative genes of the traits, starch properties and physical properties of noodles. In the GBSSa mutant, the amylose concentration was lower than that in the wild type. Compared with the wild type, the mutant exhibited the following traits: Amylose concentration decreased by approximately 2%, setback in the Rapid Visco Analyzer decreased by 30 points and the physical characteristics of noodles in the sensory analysis were soft and sticky. These results suggest that this trait may be useful for changing the texture of foods. In addition, the mutant is promising for producing new foods with physical characteristics that are different from those of the wild type.