Studies on the green liver in cultured red sea bream fed low level and non-fish meal diets: Relationship between hepatic taurine and biliverdin levels

SUMMARY: The aim of this study was to investigate the cause of green liver in red sea bream fed substitute protein diets. Red sea bream Pagrus major was given either of the following diets for 28 weeks: (1) control diet (50% fish meal), (2) low level fish meal diet (15% fish meal), and (3) non-fish meal diet (0% fish meal). The green liver was observed in all groups tested, but the incidence was much higher in the experimental diet groups. The feeding of substitute protein diets reduced plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels. However, there was no significant difference in plasma hepatic enzyme activities and plasma bile salts concentration among the treatments. Fish fed the substitute protein diets showed low hepatic taurine levels with an appearance of a biliverdin in the liver. Moreover, the proportion of ditaurobilirubin to total biliary bile pigments was significantly lower in fish fed the substitute protein diets. These data indicate that feeding of substitute protein diets did not induce any cholestatic hepatobiliary obstructions and that the low hepatic taurine level was one of the probable factors responsible for the occurrence of green liver in red sea bream fed substitute protein diets.     

New severe strains of Melon necrotic spot virus: symptomatology and sequencing

New strains of Melon necrotic spot virus (MNSV), designated MNSV-YS and MNSV-KS, caused much more severe growth retardation on melon plants than MNSV-NH, which was previously reported as the most severe strain of MNSV in Japan. MNSV-YS spread much more quickly than MNSV-NH in infected plants, and induced more severe growth retardation, even though the appearance of necrotic lesions on inoculated cotyledons was much slower. MNSV-KS had properties intermediate between those of the other two strains. The results suggest that faster-spreading strains can multiply more rapidly as a result of lower levels of activity in inducing necrotic lesions in melon plants. The complete sequences of MNSV-YS and MNSV-KS were determined, and an RT–PCR–RFLP method based on these sequences was successfully developed to detect and discriminate between the three strains.     

Quantitative structure-activity relationships of herbicidal N′-substituted phenyl-N-methoxy-N-methylureas

Relationships between three types of herbicidal activity of N′-substituted phenyl-N-methoxy-N-methylureas and substitution at the benzene ring were analyzed by the Hansch-Fujita method. First, the Hill inhibitory activity was correlated with electronic (σ) as well as hydrophobic (π) substituent constants. The existence of an optimum value of hydrophobicity for substituents was suggested to reach the target site of action. Second, bliaching activity observed for the 3-substituted but not for 4-substituted compounds was correlated with π, σ, and steric substituent constant, E_s. Third, the postemergent herbicidal activity was shown to correlate linearly with the Hill inhibitory activity, pI₅₀, and hydrophobic parameter, π.     

Monosaccharide composition of sweetpotato fiber and cell wall polysaccharides from sweetpotato, cassava, and potato analyzed by the high-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection method

The cell wall materials (CWMs) from sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas cv. Kokei 14), cassava (Manihot esculenta), and potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Danshaku) and commercial sweetpotato fiber as well as their polysaccharide fractions were analyzed for sugar composition by the high-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) method. The separation of arabinose and rhamnose, and xylose and mannose, by this method has been improved using a CarboPac PA 10 column. Pretreatment of the CWMs and cellulose fractions with 12 M H(2)SO(4) was required for complete hydrolysis to occur. Commercial sweetpotato fiber was found to be mainly composed of glucose (88.4%), but small amounts of other sugars were also detected. Among the root crops, sweetpotato CWM had the highest amount of pectin and galacturonic acid. Fucose was detected only in cassava CWM and its hemicellulose fraction, while galactose was present in the highest amount in potato CWM. Among the polysaccharide fractions, it was only in the hemicellulose fraction where significant differences in the sugar composition, especially in the galactose content, were observed among the root crops.     

Isolation of influenza A viruses from migratory waterfowl in San-in District, western Japan in the winter of 1983-1984

Certain species of winter migratory waterfowl in San-in District, western Japan, were surveyed for influenza virus from November 1983 to March 1984. Faeces of the waterfowl were collected regularly at five stations. Eleven influenza A viruses including H5N3 and H10N4 subtypes were isolated from 450 faecal samples from whistling swans, 28 viruses including H2N2 and H10N4 subtypes were isolated from 362 faecal samples from pintails; and subtype H13N6 was isolated from 240 faecal samples of black-tailed gulls.     

Effect of niacin supplementation in long‐distance transported steer calves

Long‐distance transportation has negative impacts on production and health in cattle. Feed and water are routinely deprived from cattle during transportation. We investigated whether niacin supplementation could improve niacin nutrition and mitigate the adverse effect of transportation with feed and water deprivation in steer calves. We also studied the adverse effect of feed and water deprivation in nontransported steer calves. Twelve calves were assigned to feed and water deprivation for 2 days, or full access to feed and water in experiment 1. Ten calves were assigned to 2‐day transportation with feed and water deprivation, or the transportation with feed and water deprivation, but with supplementation of rumen‐protected niacin at 100 g/day per head in experiment 2. Bodyweight was measured and blood was collected for 32 days in each experiment. Feed and water deprivation temporarily decreased serum glucose concentrations and bodyweight gain. Transportation with deprivation of feed and water caused a temporal decrease in bodyweight gain and serum albumin concentration, and a continuous decrease in serum glucose and total cholesterol concentrations, which was suppressed by niacin supplementation. Niacin supplementation increased blood niacin concentration. These results suggest that niacin supplementation mitigates adverse effects of transportation with feed and water deprivation in steer calves.     

Effects of Secondary Structures of Heated Egg White Protein on the Binding Between Prime Starch and Tailings Fractions in Fresh Wheat Flour

Dried egg white protein was heated at 120°C for 1 hr, added to a fresh wheat flour (protein 8.6%), and the protein and wheat flour were subjected to acetic acid (pH 3.5) fractionation. The results showed that egg white protein increased the binding between prime starch (PS) and tailings (T) fractions in wheat flour. Several conditions for heating of egg white protein were examined to determine 1) the effect of the amount of water added to the protein before heating; 2) the effect of heating time (hr) on protein at 120°C; and 3) the effect of heating temperature on the binding between PS and T fractions. The amount of protein per 50.0 g of wheat flour was further examined for the maximum binding between PS and T fractions. The heated egg white protein was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy, and the changes in the secondary structures (α‐helix, β‐sheets, and others) of the protein caused by heating were studied. When egg white protein was heated at 120°C for 8 hr, 9.0% of the α‐helix structures of egg white protein decreased to 3.0%, and 37.0% of the β‐sheet structures increased to 41.0%. The decrease of α‐helix and increase of β‐sheet structures of heated egg white protein were related to the increase in the binding between PS and T fractions in the same heated egg white protein and wheat flour sample. A relationship between the structural changes in heated egg white protein (180°C, 1 hr) and the binding between PS and T fractions in the heated egg white protein and wheat flour was also observed.     

Effect of flutianil on the morphology and gene expression of powdery mildew

Flutianil, a fungicide effective only on powdery mildew, was previously reported to affect the host cell''s haustorial formation and nutrient absorption. Studies were conducted to investigate flutianil''s primary site of action on Blumeria graminis morphology using transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation and RNA sequencing (RAN-seq) techniques. TEM observation revealed that flutianil caused the extra-haustorial matrix and fungal cell wall to be obscured, without remarkable changes of other fungal organelles. RNA-seq analysis indicated that, unlike other powdery-mildew fungicides, flutianil did not significantly affect the constantly expressed genes for the survival of B. graminis. Genes whose expression is up- or downregulated by flutianil were found; these are the three sugar transporter genes and various effector genes, mainly expressed in haustoria. These findings indicate that the primary site of action of flutianil might be in the haustoria.