Assessment of genetic diversity in Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) populations with no family records using ddRAD-seq.

OBJECTIVE: Selective breeding for desirable traits is becoming popular in aquaculture. In Miyagi prefecture, Japan, a selectively bred population of Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) has been established with the original, randomly breeding population maintained separately. Since they have been bred without family records, the genetic diversity within these populations remains unknown. In this study, we estimated the genetic diversity and key quantitative genetic parameters such as heritability and genomic breeding value for body size traits by means of genomic best linear unbiased prediction to assess the genetic health of these populations. RESULTS: Ninety-nine and 83 females from the selective and random groups, respectively, were genotyped at 2350 putative SNPs by means of double digest restriction associated DNA sequencing. The genetic diversity in the selectively bred group was low, as were the estimated heritability and prediction accuracy for length and weight (h2 = 0.26-0.28; accuracy = 0.34), compared to the randomly bred group (h2 = 0.50-0.60; accuracy = 0.51-0.54). Although the tested sample size was small, these results suggest that further selection is difficult for the selectively bred population, while there is some potential for the randomly bred group, especially with the aid of genomic information.

[Two cases of patients with Parkinson's disease developing valvular heart disease while taking cabergoline].

We experienced 2 patients of valvular heart disease in Parkinson's patients taking cabergoline. Patient 1 was a 79-year-old woman who began taking 4 mg cabergoline daily after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) in June 2003. She presented with dyspnea in November 2005. The patient had cardiomegaly, pulmonary congestion, and pleural effusion, and an echocardiogram showed valvular heart disease in the form of aortic regurgitation (AR) (grade I), tricuspid regurgitation (TR) (grade I), and mitral regurgitation (MR) (grade III). Cabergoline was thought to have caused these phenomena, so it was replaced with pramipexole, and after administration of diuretics and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) the patient's symptoms gradually disappeared. MR, AR and TR also disappeared 3 months later. Patient 2 was a 74-year-old woman who presented with sluggish movement in April 2001 and subsequently developed Parkinson's. While being administered 700 mg levodopa (Menesit) and 4 mg cabergoline, the patient presented with shortness of breath in April 2005. An echocardiogram showed valvular heart disease in the form of MR (grade I) and TR (grade I). Heart function improved with the administration of diuretics. However, heart function again worsened in November 2005, and the patient presented with edema of the lungs and lower limbs. An echocardiogram in January 2006 showed worsening MR (grade III) and TR (grade II), and the patient also had pulmonary hypertension. ACEIs were administered along with diuretics and cabergoline was replaced with pramipexole, but the patient also developed malignant syndrome and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and later died. Patient 2 is the first case in Japan of death due to heart failure caused by the side effects of cabergoline. Caution is usually needed when treating a Parkinson's patient for valvular heart disease due to a dopamine agonist, and periodic checks for heart murmurs and echocardiography are crucial. When signs of heart failure develop during treatment with an ergot preparation of dopamine agonist, it is essential to immediately either stop the administration of the ergot preparation or change to a non-ergot preparation of dopamine agonist.

Studies on the synthesis of safflomin-A, a yellow pigment in safflower petals: oxidation of 3-C-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-5-methylphloroacetophenone.

The direct C-glycosylation of methylphloroacetophenone 8 with d-glucose gave C-beta-d-glucopyranosylmethylphloroacetophenone (7) in 65% yield, which, on oxidation in the presence of small amount of pyridine under an oxygen atmosphere afforded the quinone 9, oxidized at the methylated position of the benzene ring as a pair of diastereomers in 27% yield. A detailed NMR analysis and a comparison of the UV-vis and CD spectra of their acetates indicated that the structure and stereochemistry of 9 was (1R,1'S,2R,3S,3aS,5R and 1R,1'S,2R,3S,3aS,5S)-7-acetyl-2-(1',2'-dihydroxyethyl)-5-methyl-3,5,6-trihydroxy-8-oxofuro[3,2-d]benzo[b]furan.

Environmentally friendly C-glycosylation of phloroacetophenone with unprotected D-glucose using scandium(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate in aqueous media: key compounds for the syntheses of mono- and di-C-glucosylflavonoids.

The direct C-glycosylation of phloroacetophenone with an unprotected d-glucose in aqueous media using scandium(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate (Sc(OTf)3) as the catalyst, gave mono- and bis-C-beta-glycosylic compounds in highest total yield of 81%. The second and third use of the recovered Sc(OTf)3 afforded them in total yields of 56% and 53%, respectively.

Synthesis and enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of a radical-masked glycosylated spin-label reagent.

N1-Acetoxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-4-yl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-alpha- and -beta-D-glucopyranosides (3-alpha, beta) and N1-acetoxy-2,2,5,5-tetramethylpyrrolin-3-oyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-alpha- and -beta-D-glucopyranosylamines (9-alpha, beta) were synthesized in good yield by Schmidt's glycosylation method. Their subsequent O-debenzylation was proceeded successfully to give the desired products 1-alpha, and 1-beta in good yield, and 2-alpha in a low yield, without 2-beta by only short-timed hydrogenolysis in the presence of palladium-on-carbon (Pd-C) in a CHCl3-MeOH solvent system that included concentrated HCl. Upon enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis, only 2-alpha was hydrolyzed by the esterase, while both of 1-alpha and 1-beta were not hydrolyzed by any other enzyme such as lipase. These 2-alpha can likely be used as a new water-soluble radical-masked glycosylated spin-label reagent.

Synthesis of C-glycopyranosylphloroacetophenone derivatives and their anomerization facilitated by 1,3-diaxial interactions.

The reaction of 2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-6-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl fluoride, 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-alpha-D-allopyranosyl fluoride, and 2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-alpha-L-fucopyranosyl fluoride with 2,4-di-O-benzylphloroacetophenone, in the presence of boron trifluoride diethyl etherate, afforded, respectively, the corresponding 3-C-beta-D-glycopyranosylphloroacetophenone derivatives exclusively in anomerically pure form. Alternatively, the reaction of 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-alpha-D-gulopyranosyl fluoride with 2,4-di-O-benzylphloroacetophenone afforded both the 3-C-beta-D-gulopyranosylphloroacetophenone derivative (4C(1) conformation) as the major product and the 3-C-alpha-D-gulopyranosylphloroacetophenone derivative (1C(4) conformation) as the minor product under identical conditions. Including the previously prepared C-glycosylphloroacetophenone derivatives that contain 3-C-beta-D-glucosyl, 3-C-beta-D-xylosyl, 3-C-beta-2-deoxy-D-arabino-hexosyl, 3-C-beta-D-galactosyl, 3-C-beta-L-arabinosyl, and 3-C-alpha-L-arabinosyl moieties, the conformation is dictated primarily by the preference of the bulky aromatic aglycon to orient equatorially, due to the strong repulsion of the aglycon. The anomerization is directed secondarily by the presence of 1,3-diaxial interactions in the sugar moiety.