Effect of Illuminance Transition Rate on Survival of Juvenile Pacific Bluefin Tuna,Thunnus orientalis

To investigate the reason for the high mortality of cultured juvenile Pacific bluefin tuna (PBT), especially during land‐based culture, we examined the effect of the rate of light‐intensity change during the dawn period. Juvenile PBT kept in a natural light environment (control) were compared with those exposed to an artificially slowed change in light intensity during the dawn period (test group). For the test group, lamps, which were connected to automatic timers and placed above the rearing tank, were switched on from 0345 to 0515 h at 15‐min intervals. After 9 d, the survival rate of the test and control group was identical. Between Day 1 and Day 6, whole‐body cortisol levels were not different between groups. However, whole‐body glucose levels in the test group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Both groups displayed a diel rhythm in plasma cortisol concentration that peaked at 0300–0600 h. These results suggest that slowing the increase in light intensity during the dawn period did not improve survival and that low light intensity itself induces high mortality in cultured PBT juveniles.     

Electrocorticographic and histological findings in a Shetland sheepdog with intractable epilepsy

A Shetland sheepdog with epilepsy refractory to antiepileptic drugs was brought to the division of Veterinary Radiology at Nippon Veterinary and Animal Science University. Scalp electroencephalography and computed tomography was performed, but no abnormality was detected in either examination. To obtain detailed information, electrodes were implanted on the dura mater, and the electrocorticogram (ECoG) was recorded. In the ECoG, sporadic spikes were detected in the left parietal region, suggesting the presence of the epileptic focus in this region. After the dog's death, abnormalities of gyri were found in the region where spikes were detected in the ECoG. On histopathological examination, laminar malacia of the cingulate gyrus was observed. Furthermore, in the hippocampus, neuronal loss of pyramidal cells was observed.     

Predation by scavenging amphipods to injured hatchery-raised juvenile Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus under laboratory conditions

ABSTRACT:   The attacking potential of the scavenging amphipod Scopelocheirus onagawae on artificially injured hatchery-raised Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus juveniles was investigated in relation to the degree of injury on the fish. All injured flounder juveniles were attacked by amphipods regardless of the degree of injury, while non-injured juveniles were not attacked. The attack by amphipods on the juveniles generally depended on the amount of glycine, a main feeding stimulant for the amphipod, released from the injury opening. The swimming ability of flounder juveniles was important to avoid the attack of amphipods. Furthermore, an area of injury allowing the amphipods to cling to the fish affects to the vulnerability of juveniles against the predation of amphipods. This study suggests that scavenging amphipods are potentially involved in the rapid reduction of the number of hatchery-raised juveniles.     

Effects of permanent magnetic fields on the proliferation of Phalaenopsis protocorm-like bodies using liquid medium

Magnetic fields (MFs) have been applied for the first time in orchid micropropagation. Protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) – approximately 3 mm in diameter – first derived from leaf segment culture of Phalaenopsis Gallant Beau ‘George Vazquez’, were subcultured every 2 months, and served as initial explants. The proliferation of Phalaenopsis PLBs in liquid medium in the Miracle Pack^® culture system was affected by the action of different intensities and polarities of MFs: 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2 Tesla (T) at North (N) and South (S) poles. The MF of 0.1 T – S resulted in the greatest fresh weight of regenerated PLBs. The average number of neo-PLBs formed per clusters in the PLB treated by MF: 0.1–0.2 T was decreased compared to the control exposed to natural MF (5 × 10⁻⁶ T). The proliferation of PLBs under 0.15 T – MF at both N and S poles for 2 and 7 weeks demonstrated that a longer duration of exposure to an MF of 0.15 T, regardless of the polarity, resulted in greater biomass of newly formed PLBs and smaller average number of newly formed PLBs. The S pole of MF had stronger effects on Phalaenopsis PLBs proliferation than the N pole did in all treatments.     

Anti-Mycobacterial Nucleoside Antibiotics from a Marine-Derived Streptomyces sp. TPU1236A

Five new nucleoside antibiotics, named streptcytosines A–E (1–5), and six known compounds, de-amosaminyl-cytosamine (6), plicacetin (7), bamicetin (8), amicetin (9), collismycin B (10), and SF2738 C (11), were isolated from a culture broth of Streptomyces sp. TPU1236A collected in Okinawa, Japan. The structures of new compounds were elucidated on the basis of their spectroscopic data (HRFABMS, IR, UV, and 2D NMR experiments including ¹H-¹H COSY, HMQC, HMBC, and NOESY spectra). Streptcytosine A (1) belonged to the amicetin group antibiotics, and streptcytosines B–E (2–5) were derivatives of de-amosaminyl-cytosamine (6), 2,3,6-trideoxyglucopyranosyl cytosine. Compound 1 inhibited the growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis (MIC = 32 µg/mL), while compounds 2–5 were not active at 50 µg/disc. Bamicetin (8) and amicetin (9) showed the MICs of 16 and 8 µg/mL, respectively.     

Identification of a novel cytotoxic protein, Cry45Aa, from Bacillus thuringiensis A1470 and its selective cytotoxic activity against various mammalian cell lines

Parasporal inclusion proteins produced by Bacillus thuringiensis strain A1470 exhibit strong cytotoxicity against human leukemic T cells when activated by protease treatment. One of the cytotoxic proteins was separated by anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography and designated Cry45Aa. Its gene was then expressed in recombinant Escherichia coli, in which the Cry45Aa precursor was accumulated in an inclusion body. It was solubilized in sodium carbonate buffer and processed with proteinase K, and cytotoxic activities of the protein against various mammalian cell lines were evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H tetrazolium bromide assay. The protein exhibited high cytotoxic activity against CACO-2, Sawano, MOLT-4, TCS, and HL60 cells and moderate activity against U-937 DE-4, PC12, and HepG2 cells. On the other hand, the EC50 values against Jurkat, K562, HeLa, A549, Vero, COS-7, NIH3T3, CHO, and four normal tissue cells (human primary hepatocyte cells, UtSMC, MRC-5, and normal T cells) were >2 microg/mL.     

Intensification of arsenic toxicity to paddy rice by hydrogen sulfide and ferrous iron

Abstract

The phytotoxicity of arsenic to paddy rice was examined by the pot culture method using Utsunomiya grey lowland soil which had received nutrient salts including ammonium sulfate with or without additional rice straw powder as a reducing agent.

By treatment with 50 ppm of arsenic and straw, plant growth was retarded from the beginning of culture, and about 6 weeks later, at the middle of July, small reddish black spots emerged near the tips of expanded green leaves. The spots then increased and spread over the whole leaves resulting in bronzing and final dieback in about the mid-August. On treatment with higher concentrations of arsenic and straw, the plants were more severely injured and died through bronzing at earlier stages. All such dead plants were found to have accumulated abnormally high iron in their leaf tissues. On treatment with lower concentrations of arsenic and straw or in the case of higher arsenic without straw, plant growth and grain yield were reduced with the occurrence of partial bronzing or oranging of leaves and the iron content of the plants was somewhat increased.

These results indicate that arsenic may induce ferrous iron toxicity which intensifies the toxicity of arsenic to paddy rice.