The functional-morphological adaptive strategy of digestive organs of decapodiform cephalopods

The digestive organs in decapodiform cephalopod species morphologically vary byindividual lifestyle. We examined the following six species of adult decapodiformescephalopods representing different habitats: Todarodes pacificus, Loligobleekeri, Loligo edulis, Wataseniascintillans (pelagic), Sepia lycidas and Euprymnamorsei (benthic). L. bleekeri and L. edulispossess a bursiform cecal sac connected to the cecum. Pelagic species have a singledigestive gland smaller than in benthic species. T. pacificus has an ovaldigestive gland larger than that of L. bleekeri and L.edulis, which possess withered-looking and smaller digestive glands. Incontrast, the digestive glands in benthic species are paired. S. lycidasand E. morsei have well-developed and larger digestive glands than thoseof the pelagic species. Well-developed digestive duct appendages are found in benthicspecies. In qualification of the mass of digestive organs, pelagic species have smallerstomachs, digestive glands and digestive ducts’ appendages than benthic species. Becausepelagic species need to swim, they may possess smaller stomachs and larger cecums for morerapid digestion. A smaller digestive gland may have the advantage of reducing the bodyweight in pelagic species for rapid swimming. In contrast, since benthic species require alonger time for digestion than pelagic species, they compact more food in their stomachsand absorb nutrients via more organs, such as the digestive grand and digestive ductappendages, in addition to cecum.     

Improvement in recruitment of Japanese sardine with delays of the spring phytoplankton bloom in the Sea of Japan

To evaluate the impact of temporal variation of primary productivity on the recruitment of Japanese sardine (Sardinops melanostictus) in the Sea of Japan, the phenology of sea surface phytoplankton abundance was estimated from 8 day multiple satellite (SeaWiFS, MODIS‐Aqua, MERIS, and VIIRS) derived sea surface chlorophyll (SSChl) a concentrations from January 1998 to December 2015. Because relationships between SSChl a and in situ chlorophyll a concentrations were significantly different among periods based on the satellite combinations used, maximum and minimum SSChl a concentrations of 1 year were relativized as 1 and 0, respectively. Spatio‐temporal variation of relativized SSChl a concentrations was determined by using empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis. Scores in the first EOF mode denoted the basin‐scale variations of SSChl a concentrations in the Sea of Japan, and the major peak from the end of February to the end of May displayed the spring bloom. The logarithm of recruitment per spawner (LNRPS) for sardine was positively affected by delays in the start and end dates of the spring phytoplankton bloom. The delay of the date of the lowest sea surface temperature contributed to the delay of the end of the spring bloom during the period 1998–2015 and elevated the LNRPS during the period 1982–2015. Sardine spawns in the southern Sea of Japan from April to May, hence, delays of the spring bloom prolonged its overlap with sardine larval periods, and thus improved the recruitment of Japanese sardine in the Sea of Japan.     

AFLP analysis of genetic diversity in low chill requiring walnut (Juglans regia L.) genotypes from Hatay,Turkey

In this study, the genetic relatedness of 22 low chill requiring walnut genotypes adapted to the south east Mediterranean region of Turkey was analysed by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. Relatively low level of genetic variation was detected among the genotypes examined by five AFLP primer combinations, suggesting that these walnut genotypes selected predominantly for their low chill requirement have relatively narrow genetic base. In addition, the geographical proximity of the genotypes analysed was not correlated with their level of genetic relatedness. These results have implications for walnut breeding and conservation.     

Catalog of Micro-Tom tomato responses to common fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens

Lycopersicon esculentum cultivar Micro-Tom is a miniature tomato with many advantages for studies of the molecular biology and physiology of plants. To evaluate the suitability of Micro-Tom as a host plant for the study of pathogenesis, Micro-Tom plants were inoculated with 16 well-known fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens of tomato. Athelia rolfsii, Botryotinia fuckeliana, Oidium sp., Phytophthora infestans, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum caused typical symptoms and sporulated abundantly on Micro-Tom. Micro-Tom was resistant to Alternaria alternata, Corynespora cassiicola, and Fusarium oxysporum. When Micro-Tom was inoculated with 17 isolates of Ralstonia solanacearum, many isolates induced wilt symptoms. Agrobacterium tumefaciens also was pathogenic, causing crown galls on stem tissue after needle prick inoculation. In Micro-Tom sprayed with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, P. s. pv. tabaci, or P. s. pv. glycinea, bacterial populations did not increase, and yellow lesions appeared only on leaves sprayed with P. s. pv. tomato. Tomato mosaic virus, Tomato aspermy virus, and Cucumber mosaic virus systemically infected Micro-Tom, which developed symptoms characteristic of other cultivars of tomato after infection with the respective virus. These results indicated that Micro-Tom was generally susceptible to most of the important tomato pathogens and developed typical symptoms, whereas certain pathogens were restricted by either hypersensitive resistance or nonhost resistance on Micro-Tom. Therefore, an assortment of Micro-Tom–pathogen systems should provide excellent models for studying the mechanism of susceptible and resistant interactions between plants and pathogens.     

Iristectorone K,a novel monocyclic triterpene ester from Iris germanica rhizomes growing in Turkey

A new monocyclic triterpene ester (1) was isolated from the rhizomes of Iris germanica from Turkey. Structure elucidation of compound (1) was carried out by the combined application of HMQC, HMBC, DEPT, COSY and NOESY experiments and named as iristectorone K.     

Detecting endotoxin activity in bovine serum using an automated testing system

The aim of the present study was to compare the ability of the commercially available portable test system (PTS^TM) to detect endotoxin activity in bovine serum, with that of the traditional LAL-kinetic turbidimetric (KT) and chromogenic (KC) assays. Prior to testing, serum samples, which were obtained from endotoxin-challenged cattle, were diluted 1:20 in endotoxin-free water and heated to 80°C for 10 min. The performance of the PTS^TM was not significantly different from that of the traditional LAL-based assays. The results using PTS^TM correlated with those using KT (r²=0.963, P<0.001) or KC assays (r²=0.982, P<0.001). Based on these findings, the PTS^TM could be applied as a simplified system to assess endotoxin activity in bovine serum.     

Golgin tethers define subpopulations of COPI vesicles

Coiled-coil proteins of the golgin family have been implicated in intra-Golgi transport through tethering coat protein complex I (COPI) vesicles. The p115-golgin tether is the best studied, and here we characterize the golgin-84-CASP tether. The vesicles bound by this tether were strikingly different from those bound by the p115-golgin tether in that they lacked members of the p24 family of putative cargo receptors and contained enzymes instead of anterograde cargo. Microinjected golgin-84 or CASP also inhibited Golgi-enzyme transport to the endoplasmic reticulum, further implicating this tether in retrograde transport. These and other golgins may modulate the flow patterns within the Golgi stack.     

Positional strategy of trunk muscles among aquatic,semi-aquatic and terrestrial species in Urodela

Clarification of the trunk structure in Urodela is important in understanding the locomotive evolution of basal tetrapods. The components of the muscular trunk wall among Urodela using different modes of locomotion were compared. Since the whole trunk may be used for swimming and the effect of limbs may be small in the more aquatic species, they showed smaller differences in the trunk muscles among anterior, middle and posterior sections of the trunk. By contrast, in the more terrestrial species, the dorsal and abdominal muscles are larger in the middle section than those in the anterior and posterior sections. High compressive stresses occur in the supporting limbs and their insertion at the trunk on the ventral side, and spread from the forelimbs along the back to the supporting hindlimbs on the dorsal side. Tensile stresses occur in the middle ventral part. The components of the trunk muscles among the three sections may reflect differences in stresses occurring in the trunk of the more terrestrial species. The findings also suggest that in the middle section, larger dorsal muscles for stiffening the back to maintain posture and larger abdominal muscles are responsible for balancing the body weight while it is supported by the limbs in the more terrestrial species.     

Origin identification method by multiple trace elemental analysis of intermuscular bones in grilled eel products produced in Japan, China, and Taiwan

Trace elemental composition in intermuscular bones of grilled eel fillets was analyzed to discriminate the geographic origin of eel products derived from Japan, China, and Taiwan. The intermuscular bones were decomposed with nitric acid-hydrogen peroxide, and twelve elements (Li, Ti, V, Mn, Ni, Co, Zn, Rb, Sr, Ba, Pb, and U) were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Trace elemental composition including six elements: V, Co, Sr, Ba, Pb, and U, in intermusucular bones were significantly different between Japanese domestic eels and imported eels from China and Taiwan. The average content of lead in Japanese eels was 1/4 to 1/6 that in eels imported from China and Taiwan. The data of elemental content in intermuscular bones were used for linear discriminant analysis, and two discriminant models were constructed. In the Japan–China discriminant model, the discriminant probabilities between Japanese origin and Chinese origin were 82.5 and 93.3 %, respectively. In the Japan–Taiwan discriminant model, the discriminant probabilities between Japanese origin and Taiwanese origin were 87.5 and 87.0 %, respectively. Therefore, trace elemental analysis is effective for country-of-origin identification of eels processed as grilled eel fillets.     

Identifying the origin of Corbicula clams using trace element analysis

The trace element contents of Corbicula clam shells collected from Japan, Russia, China, and the Republic of Korea were analyzed to determine their geographic origin. The crushed shells were decomposed with nitric acid–hydrogen peroxide, and the concentrations of 14 elements (Li, Mg, V, Mn, Co, As, Rb, Mo, Ba, Ce, Pb, U, Sr, and Ca) were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Some of the elements identified in samples displayed a geographic trend. The average content of manganese in Japanese samples was twice that of Russian samples. Conversely, the arsenic content in Japanese samples was approximately half of that in Russian samples. Linear discriminant analysis was applied to the data from Japanese and Russian samples, and a discriminant model was constructed. The discriminant model was used to determine the geographic origin of Corbicula clams produced in Japan, with 89.8 % of those identified as Japanese and 92.2 % of those identified as Russian being classified correctly. Therefore, trace element analysis of the shells of Corbicula clams is a useful technique for the identification of their country of origin.