Artificially Produced Chimeras between Haploids and Diploids in Japanese Anurans

An investigation was undertaken to test the validity of the hypothesis that edema is the major cause of the low viability of haploid embryos and tadpoles. Chimeras were produced by exchanging the anterior and posterior parts of haploid embryos (H) with those of diploid embryos (D) by joining them after cutting transversely at the site immediately before and behind the pronephros (p). It was found that severe edema usually found in haploid embryos at the early stage is remarkably diminished in the Dp・H and H・pD chimeras which have diploid pronephroi in the anterior and posterior diploid halves, respectively. Especially, the Dp・H chimeras which consist of anterior diploid halves with pronephroi and posterior haploid halves are comparatively good in development. Of the Dp・H chimeras, 18 (9.7%) in Rana nigromaculata and 15 (10%) in Rana japonica attained the stage immediately before or after the completion of metamorphosis

Studies on Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Amphibians : III. Effects of Inhibitor and Temperature on Alkaline Phosphatases in Japanese Amphibians

The effects of L-homoarginine, L-phenylalanine, L-phenylalanylglycylglycine and L-leucine and high temperatures on the alkaline phosphatases extracted from the skins, lungs, livers, kidneys, ovaries and small intestines of Rana nigromaculata, Rana japonica, Rana rugosa, Rana limnocharis, Rana catesbeiana, Rhacophorus schlegelii, Hyla arborea japonica, Bufo japonicus and Cynops pyrrhogaster were examined in order to confirm the differences in the stability of alkaline phosphatases to these inhibiting-agents. The alkaline phosphatases of the skins, lungs, livers, kidneys and ovaries from all species, as well as those of the small intestines from Rana nigromaculata, Rana japonica, Rana rugosa, Rana limnocharis, Rana catesbeiana and Rhacophorus schlegelii required nearly the same concentrations of inhibitors for 50 0nhibition, while the alkaline phosphatases of the small intestines from Hyla arborea japonica, Bufo japonicus and Cynops pyrrhogaster required remarkably higher concentrations of inhibitors for 50 0nhibition than the foregoing alkaline phosphatases. The alkaline phosphatases of all the organs from Rana limnocharis other than the small intestine were remarkably temperature-resistant

Studies on Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Amphibians : II. Changes in Alkaline Phosphatase Activity during Development in Rana catesbeiana

The changes in alkaline phosphatase activity during development in Rana catesbeiana were examined by electrophoresis and spectrophotometry in embryos and hatching and hatched tadpoles, and in various visceral organs, such as the liver, pancreas, kidney and intestine of tadpoles and froglets. Alkaline phosphatase first appeared at the hatching tadpole stage. The liver showed the first band of alkaline phosphatase at st. III. This band migrated at 2.3∿2.4cm from the origin. A new band having a mobility of 2.1cm appeared at one month after st. XXV. The activity of this enzyme became low at st. XIX, and then increased. In the pancreas, a band having the same mobility as the first band of the liver appeared at st. III and remained in all subsequent stages. Activity was high at st. XIX and after st. XXIII. In the kidney, a band migrating at 1.3∿1.4cm appeared at st. III and existed in all the subsequent stages. Activity was high at st. XIX and again at one month after st. XXV. In the intestine, the first band of 2.0∿2.1cm in mobility appeared at st. 24∿25 and was replaced by the second band of 1.6cm in mobility which appeared at st. XXIV or XXV. Activity was high at st. XIX and also at st. XXIV or XXV

Distribution of Transferrin Phenotypes in Rana nigromaculata from Japan and Korea

Transferrins present in sera of Rana nigromaculata collected from 27 locations in Japan and one location in Korea were analyzed by acrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The results showed that there were 10 different phenotypes controlled by four codominant alleles, a, b, c and d. Of these alleles, allele c was the highest in frequency as a whole and particularly predominant in the Honshu, Chubu, Kinki and Sanin regions. All the four alleles were distributed in the Sanyo and Shikoku regions, and the three other than allele d were found in the Kyushu region and Korea

Studies on Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Amphibians : I. Alkaline Phosphatase Activity during Development in Rana japonica and Rana nigromaculata

Electrophoretic patterns of alkaline phosphatase and its activities at 20 developmental stages from cleavage to completion of metamorphosis and in 18 organs and plasma of adults were compared with one another in Rana japonica and Rana nigromaculata. The bands of alkaline phosphatase first appeared at the tail-bud stage in Rana japonica, while they appeared at the hatching tadpole stage in Rana nigromaculata. In each species, a distinct change in electrophoretic pattern occurred at an early tadpole stage, then at a late tadpole stage, and finally at the stage of complete metamorphosis. Ten kinds of isozymes of alkaline phosphatase were found in nine organs of Rana japonica, while seven kinds of isozymes were observed in eight organs and plasma of adult Rana nigromaculata

Phylogenetic Relationships of the Rana esculenta Group Clarified by Electrophoretic Analyses of Serum Transferrins

In order to clarify the phylogenetic relationships of Rana nigromaculata, R. brevipoda, R. plancyi chosenica, R. p. fukienensis, R. lessonae, R. ridibunda and R. esculenta distributed in the Palearctic region, serum transferrins obtained from field-caught animals as well as interspecific hybrids and allotriploids were analyzed by acrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Transferrins of R. nigromaculata were found to have nine phenotypes determined by four alleles, while those of R. p. chosenica had five phenotypes determined by three alleles. R. esculenta had two phenotypes, which were identical to those of the other two European species. Transferrins of R. brevipoda, R. p. fukienensis, R. lessonae and R. ridibunda each showed one phenotype, controlled by one gene. These genes controlled transferrin bands differing in mobility. Bands moved faster in the two R. plancyi subspecies than in the five frog species from Japan and Europe. The electrophoretic patterns of interspecific hybrids and allotriploids completely corresponded to the kind and number of their genes. These findings demonstrated that these frogs belonging to the R. esculenta group were all closely related to each other, and that the two Japanese species, the two Taiwan and Korean subspecies and the three European species composing three subgroups differentiated systematically

Inbreeding ratio and genetic relationships among strains of the Western clawed frog, Xenopus tropicalis

The Western clawed frog, Xenopus tropicalis, is a highly promising model amphibian, especially in developmental and physiological research, and as a tool for understanding disease. It was originally found in the West African rainforest belt, and was introduced to the research community in the 1990s. The major strains thus far known include the Nigerian and Ivory Coast strains. However, due to its short history as an experimental animal, the genetic relationship among the various strains has not yet been clarified, and establishment of inbred strains has not yet been achieved. Since 2003 the Institute for Amphibian Biology (IAB), Hiroshima University has maintained stocks of multiple X. tropicalis strains and conducted consecutive breeding as part of the National BioResource Project. In the present study we investigated the inbreeding ratio and genetic relationship of four inbred strains at IAB, as well as stocks from other institutions, using highly polymorphic microsatellite markers and mitochondrial haplotypes. Our results show successive reduction of heterozygosity in the genome of the IAB inbred strains. The Ivory Coast strains clearly differed from the Nigerian strains genetically, and three subgroups were identified within both the Nigerian and Ivory Coast strains. It is noteworthy that the Ivory Coast strains have an evolutionary divergent genetic background. Our results serve as a guide for the most effective use of X. tropicalis strains, and the long-term maintenance of multiple strains will contribute to further research efforts

Angiomatous Nasal Polyp Diagnosed by Preoperative Imaging and Successfully Resected by Endonasal Endoscopic Surgery: A Case Report

Angiomatous polyp is a benign, nonneoplastic nasal polyp that accounts for 4-5% of all inflammatory nasal polyps but is rarely reported in the literature. It can grow rapidly and exhibit an aggressive clinical behavior that can simulate malignant sinonasal tumor. We herein report a case of a 13-year-old boy with a rapidly growing angiomatous polyp in the nasal cavity. We had followed up the patient without significant changes for two years, but the tumor had rapidly grown in the last six months. At first, the rapid growth of the tumor and the bone erosion of the maxilla were suggestive of a malignant tumor. However, with preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and [18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography imaging findings, we established the corrective diagnosis of an angiomatous polyp. After the diagnostic imaging, we performed an endoscopic endonasal surgery and totally resected the tumor without unnecessary excessive surgery. Recognition of this disease that can mimic malignancy is important to avoid excessive surgery such as en bloc resection by craniofacial approach, and we believe that MRI findings can be helpful for the imaging diagnosis