Fowl Adenoviruses Type 8b Isolated from Chickens with Inclusion Body Hepatitis in Japan.

Fowl adenovirus (FAdV) type 8b isolated from chickens with inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) in Japan from 2018 to 2019 were characterized serologically and genetically. Serologically, all isolates were well neutralized by antisera against the FAdV-8b strain, but they were not neutralized by antisera against the FAdV-8a strain. Phylogenetic analysis of the part of the hexon protein gene that includes the L1 region revealed that these isolates were all identical. They were also identical to foreign strains such as the SD1356 strain isolated in China and belonged to FAdV-8b. Furthermore, the 2018-19 Japanese IBH 8b isolates were genetically identical to the SD1356 strain by phylogenetic analysis of fiber genes, but they were different from previous Japanese 8b strains. These findings suggest that the 2018-19 Japanese IBH isolates might have been introduced from other countries.

Effect of methyl substitution on the antioxidative property and genotoxicity of resveratrol.

Resveratrol ( trans-3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene) is a natural phytoalexin with various biological activities including inhibition of lipid peroxidation and free radical scavenging properties. In addition to its beneficial effects, resveratrol also has significant genotoxicity that leads to a high frequency of chromosome aberration together with micronucleus and sister chromatid exchanges. To enhance the radical scavenging activities and to reduce the genotoxicity of resveratrol, we designed 4'-methyl resveratrol analogues where a methyl group was introduced at the ortho position relative to the 4'-hydroxy group, which is responsible for both antioxidative activities and genotoxicity of resveratrol. These synthesized methyl analogues of resveratrol showed increased antioxidative activities against galvinoxyl radical as an oxyl radical species. Furthermore, the methyl analogues also surprisingly showed reduced in vitro genotoxicities, suggesting that methyl substitution may improve resveratrol efficacy.

Transcriptomic analysis indicates putative metabolic changes caused by manipulation of phosphorus availability in rice leaves.

Plants have developed several strategies for coping with phosphorus (P) deficiency. However, the details of the regulation of gene expression of adaptations to low P are still unclear. Using a cDNA microarray, transcriptomic analyses were carried out of the rice genes regulated by P deficiency and P re-supply to P-deficient plants. The OsPI1 gene, which was isolated as the most significant up-regulated gene under -P conditions, was also the most significant down-regulated gene following P re-supply. Many starch metabolism-related genes, as well as several genes for P(i)-liberating enzymes, were up-regulated by -P treatment, suggesting a homeostatic contribution to the P(i) concentration in leaf tissues. mRNAs for glucanases were also induced by P re-supply: these are suspected to play a role in loosening the cell wall compounds. Most of the genes up-regulated by -P treatment were down-regulated by P re-supply, suggesting that their responses were specific to -P conditions. Conversely, the number of genes up-regulated by P re-supply was also larger following P re-supply than in the -P condition. It is proposed that the genes up-regulated by P re-supply play an important role in P acquisition by P-deficient plants.

A simple and rapid in situ preconcentration method for trace ammonia nitrogen in environmental water samples using a solid-phase extraction followed by spectrophotometric determination.

A simple and rapid in situ preconcentration method for the spectrophotometric determination of trace ammonia nitrogen in environmental water samples has been developed based on solid-phase extraction using a small column packed with octadecyl group-bonded silica gel (Sep-Pak C18 cartridge). A water sample was taken into a graduated syringe for easy and simple operation and prevention of contamination immediately after sample collection. Ammonia in the sample was reacted with hypochlorite and thymol to be converted into indothymol blue; then the formed indothymol blue was collected as an ion pair between indothymol blue and tetrabutylammonium ion on a Sep-Pak C18 cartridge. The indothymol blue on the cartridge was stable for 4 days. The retained indothymol blue was easily eluted with a mixture of methanol and 0.01 mol/l sodium hydroxide solution. The color intensity due to the indothymol blue was spectrophotometrically measured at 725 nm. The proposed method was successfully applied to environmental water samples such as river water.

Birth after intracytoplasmic sperm injection of ejaculated spermatozoa from a man with mosaic Klinefelter's syndrome.

AIM: To report a birth after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of ejaculated spermatozoa from a man with mosaic Klinefelter's syndrome detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. METHODS: A 35-year-old man with a normal appearance consulted our hospital because of sterility over a 5-year period. Chromosome analysis showed low-incidence mosaic Klinefelter's syndrome. Using FISH, 96 % hyperploidy of the lymphocytes was found. We examined the sex chromosome of the ejaculated spermatozoa. Using FISH, we examined 200 ejaculated spermatozoa and no hyperploidy was found. RESULTS: The 33-year-old female partner of the male patient underwent an uncomplicated controlled ovarian hyperstimulation sequence using a combined recombinant-follicle stimulating hormone (rec-FSH) + human menopausal gonadotrophin (hMG) protocol, following late luteal phase pituitary down regulation. This culminated in the retrieval of seven oocytes, six of which were fertilized with ICSI. One ICSI attempt led to clinical pregnancy with a healthy baby girl. CONCLUSION: We report a male patient with low-incidence mosaic Klinefelter's syndrome whose ejaculated spermatozoa were identified as being haploid by FISH before ICSI, leading to the successful pregnancy of his wife and the birth of a healthy baby girl.

Genomics approach to abscisic acid- and gibberellin-responsive genes in rice.

We used an 8987-EST collection to construct a cDNA microarray system with various genomics information (full-length cDNA, expression profile, high accuracy genome sequence, phenotype, genetic map, and physical map) in rice. This array was used as a probe to hybridize target RNAs prepared from normally grown callus of rice and from callus treated for 6 hr or 3 days with the hormones abscisic acid (ABA) or gibberellin (GA). We identified 509 clones, including many clones that had never been annotated as ABA-or GA-responsive. These genes included not only ABA- or GA-responsive genes but also genes responsive to other physiological conditions such as pathogen infection, heat shock, and metal ion stress. Comparison of ABA- and GA-responsive genes revealed antagonistic regulation for these genes by both hormones except for one defense-related gene, thionin. The gene for thionin was up-regulated by both hormone treatments for 3 days. The upstream regions of all the genes that were regulated by both hormones had cis-elements for ABA and GA response. We performed a clustering analysis of genes regulated by both hormones and various expression profiles that showed three notable clusters (seed tissues, low temperature and sugar starvation, and thionin-gene related). A comparison of the cis-elements for hormone response genes between rice and Arabidopsis thaliana, we identified cis-elements for dehydration-stress response or for expression of amylase gene as Arabidopsis gene-specific or rice gene-specific, respectively.