Sacrocaudal agenesis in a Korean native calf (Bos Taurus Coreanae)

A male deformed Korean native calf was examined macroscopically. The deformed calf had no caudal vertebral columns from 5th lumbar vertebra, sacrum and coccygeal vertebrae. The spinal cord was terminated in the vertebral foramen of the 3rd lumbar vertebra. The cervical vertebrae had scoliosis and the 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae were fused. The 2nd and 3rd lumbar vertebrae were fused and the left and right transverse processes of the 4th lumbar vertebra articulated with ala of the ilium. The rectum was greatly expanded by the imperforate anus and a rectourethral fistula was formed between the rectum and urethra. The deformed calf was recorded as a first documentation of sacrocaudal agenesis confirmed in a Korean native calf.     

Ethanol decreases the expression of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide in rat testes

The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of ethanol on pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) expression in adult rat testes. Ethanol (3 g/kg i.p., 15% v/v in saline) was administrated to adult male rats for 10 days. Using northern blot analysis, we elucidated the decrease of PACAP mRNA in rat testes by ethanol administration. The level of PACAP mRNA was decreased by 46.5% in testes of the ethanol-treated animals, compared to that of saline-treated animals. In particular, ethanol exposure decreased the expression of PACAP mRNA and protein in developing germ cells, which are sperm cell progenitors. Thus, our findings suggest that the decrease of PACAP in developing germ cells by ethanol administration may contribute to the suppression of male reproductive activity.     

Effect of different planting times on the quantitative variation of total seed isoflavone content and composition in Korean soybean cultivars (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - There is great interest in the enhancement of isoflavones as one of the functional ingredients in soybean. This study aimed to investigate the effects of...     

Enhanced seed production and metabolic alterations in Larix leptolepis by girdling

The demand for Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis) seeds has increased in Korea but their supply has been limited due to sporadic natural seed production. Among the various flower induction techniques, girdling woody stems has been recognized as a simple and efficient method to enhance seed production in a number of conifers. In this study, stem girdling was applied to 42-year-old Japanese larches, resulting in remarkable enhancement of seed cone production with no morphological changes in the seed characteristics. Metabolic alterations in needles of the girdled and the control trees were interrogated by using 23 individual metabolites including soluble sugars, polyamines and amino acids. In the girdled trees, the contents of both soluble sugars and polyamines were higher from June to July and then became similar to those in the control. The levels of amino acids were significantly increased only in August by girdling compared to the non-girdled trees. In control larch trees, the dominant amino acids were changed from Glu and Ala until July to Asp and Tyr in August. Interestingly, the concentrations of Asp-derived amino acids such as Lys, Met and Thr, were increased by girdling and they also showed significant correlations with the number of seed cones per trees, suggesting that the enhanced levels of three amino acids might positively influence on the development of seed cones in girdled larch trees. Although the role of Asp-derived amino acids on enhanced seed cone production remains unclear, the approach presented in this study might provide useful information in elucidating metabolic network modulation induced by girdling and will be further applied for enhanced seed cone production in Japanese larch trees.     

Evaluation of serum interleukin 2 receptor and beta-2-microglobulin as prognostic factors for canine lymphoma: A pilot study

Interleukin 2 receptor (IL-2R) is released from activated T cell lymphocytes and related to proliferation of B cells and T cells. Beta-2-microglobulin (B2M) is synthesized from all nucleated cells and constitutes a major histocompatibility complex class I antigen. In human medicine, high concentrations of these two factors have been found to be related to prognosis in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In this pilot study, we aimed to assess the correlation between the serum concentration of IL-2R and B2M and the diagnosis and prognosis of canine lymphoma. This study included 8 healthy dogs and 17 dogs with lymphoma. To measure the serum concentration of IL-2R and B2M, a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used. In dogs with lymphoma, IL-2R concentrations were significantly high at the time of diagnosis, but B2M concentrations were not. In relapsed dogs, both IL-2R and B2M concentrations were significantly higher than those in the control and chemotherapy response groups. When the serum concentrations of IL-2R and B2M during chemotherapy were monitored in four relapsed dogs, B2M levels were more closely related with relapse. This study demonstrated that serum IL-2R and B2M concentration can be a diagnostic or prognostic tool for canine lymphoma. Monitoring of serum B2M concentration seems to be useful for predicting relapse.     

Analysis of differentially expressed genes in soybean leaf tissue of tolerant and susceptible cultivars under flooding stress revealed by RNA sequencing

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - Flooding stress causes severe yield reduction in soybean worldwide. The development of stress-tolerant cultivars could be an effective measure to reduce...