First Identification of 12β-Deoxygonyautoxin 5 (12α-Gonyautoxinol 5) in the Cyanobacterium Dolichospermum circinale (TA04) and 12β-Deoxysaxitoxin (12α-Saxitoxinol) in D. circinale (TA04) and the Dinoflagellate Alexandrium pacificum (Group IV) (120518KureAC)

Saxitoxin and its analogues, paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs), are potent and specific voltage-gated sodium channel blockers. These toxins are produced by some species of freshwater cyanobacteria and marine dinoflagellates. We previously identified several biosynthetic intermediates of PSTs, as well as new analogues, from such organisms and proposed the biosynthetic and metabolic pathways of PSTs. In this study, 12β-deoxygonyautoxin 5 (12α-gonyautoxinol 5 = gonyautoxin 5-12(R)-ol) was identified in the freshwater cyanobacterium, Dolichospermum circinale (TA04), and 12β-deoxysaxitoxin (12α-saxitoxinol = saxitoxin-12(R)-ol) was identified in the same cyanobacterium and in the marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium pacificum (Group IV) (120518KureAC) for the first time from natural sources. The authentic standards of these compounds and 12α-deoxygonyautoxin 5 (12β-gonyautoxinol 5 = gonyautoxin 5-12(S)-ol) were prepared by chemical derivatization from the major PSTs, C1/C2, produced in D. circinale (TA04). These standards were used to identify the deoxy analogues by comparing the retention times and MS/MS spectra using high-resolution LC-MS/MS. Biosynthetic or metabolic pathways for these analogues have also been proposed based on their structures. The identification of these compounds supports the α-oriented stereoselective oxidation at C12 in the biosynthetic pathway towards PSTs.     

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...     

Annual changes in macrobenthos abundance in Funka Bay,Japan

The temporal variation in macrobenthos abundance was studied in Funka Bay in the periods 2001–2004 and 2007–2010. Dissolved oxygen just above the sea floor of the basin was lower and ignition loss at the level of the sea floor was higher in 2007–2010 than in 2001–2004. Macrobenthic species were categorized into three groups: long-lived species, sedental polychaeta Notomastus latericeus, and short-lived species. Ignition loss was the most influential factor affecting macrobenthos abundance as this variable restricts the recruitment of macrobenthos. The abundance of both long-lived species and N. latericeus was lower between 2007 and 2010 than between 2001 and 2004. Supplementation of oxygen from outside the bay by the Tsugaru Warm Current may be an important factor impacting the increase in the abundance of long-lived species. The abundance of N. latericeus barely increased between 2007 and 2010, possibly because dissolved organic matter, which is their food item, may have become limited due to a narrow chink between sediments with eutrophication. The abundances of short-lived species did not differ between the periods 2001–2004 and 2007–2010 due to the organisms having a low tolerance to hypoxia. The current conditions in Funka Bay are on the verge of turning the bay into an azoic zone.     

广东南岭自然保护区翼手类物种资源调查

2009年9月,对南岭自然保护区翼手类物种多样性进行了调查。采集蝙蝠标本9种36号,其中西南鼠耳蝠和中管鼻蝠为广东省蝙蝠新纪录。结合以往调查资料,得出该保护区共有翼手类25种,隶属5科12属,其物种多样性十分丰富。     

Mapping of QTLs controlling epicotyl length in adzuki bean (Vigna angularis)

Epicotyl length (ECL) of adzuki bean (Vigna angularis) affects the efficiency of mechanized weeding and harvest. The present study investigated the genetic factors controlling ECL. An F₂ population derived from a cross between the breeding line ‘Tokei1121’ (T1121, long epicotyls) and the cultivar ‘Erimo167’ (common epicotyls) was phenotyped for ECL and genotyped using simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. A molecular linkage map was generated and fifty-two segregating markers, including 27 SSRs and 25 SNPs, were located on seven linkage groups (LGs) at a LOD threshold value of 3.0. Four quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for ECL, with LOD scores of 4.0, 3.4, 4.8 and 6.4, were identified on LGs 2, 4, 7 and 10, respectively; together, these four QTLs accounted for 49.3% of the phenotypic variance. The segregation patterns observed in F₅ residual heterozygous lines at qECL10 revealed that a single recessive gene derived from T1121 contributed to the longer ECL phenotype. Using five insertion and deletion markers, this gene was fine mapped to a ~255 kb region near the end of LG10. These findings will facilitate marker-assisted selection for breeding in the adzuki bean and contribute to an understanding of the mechanisms associated with epicotyl elongation.     

Clinical and histopathological evaluation of Dermatophagoides farinae-induced dermatitis in NC/Nga mice orally administered Bacillus subtilis

Probiotic strains have been reported to have the ability to control allergic and inflammatory diseases. In this study, we studied the inhibitory effect of Bacillus subtilis (natto) (BS) on atopic dermatitis. The effects of continuous oral administration of BS for 4 weeks on the development of atopic dermatitis induced by Dermatophagoides farinae body antigen (DF) in NC/Nga (NC) mice were evaluated using 4 groups of mice: group (Gp) DF, DF(+) with no administration of bacteria (n=3); Gp DF/BS, DF(+) and BS(+) (n=5); and Gp PBS, DF(-) with no administration of bacteria (n=3). The mice were gavaged with 1.2 × 10(17) CFU/head of BS 6 times a week for 4 weeks, and DF was applied twice a week for 4 weeks. Histopathological examination revealed significant differences in auricular thickness between Gp DF (664.4 μm, SD=78.0) and Gp DF/BS (278.7 μm, SD = 88.8; p<0.01). The dorsal skin of Gp DF/BS (316.7 μm, SD=187.4) was significantly thinner than that of Gp DF (503 μm, SD=116.3). These results suggest that continuous oral administration of fermented food-derived bacteria (BS) can be effective in alleviating the development of skin lesions induced by DF in NC mice.     

Inhibitory Effect of N,N-Didesmethylgrossularine-1 on Inflammatory Cytokine Production in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated RAW 264.7 Cells

N,N-Didesmethylgrossularine-1 (DDMG-1), a compound with a rare α-carboline structure, was isolated from an Indonesian ascidian Polycarpa aurata as responsible for the observed inhibitory activity against TNF-α production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells. DDMG-1 inhibited the mRNA level of mTNF-α, IκB-α degradation, and binding of NF-κB to the target DNA site in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, DDMG-1 had an inhibitory effect on the production of IL-8, which is produced in CD14⁺-THP-1 cells stimulated by LPS. DDMG-1 is thus a promising drug candidate lead compound for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.