Egg and larval development of induced spawned Sandfish (Holothuria scabra) in hatchery

Holothuria scabra, commonly known as sandfish has a high market demand, especially in South East Asian countries such as Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam. This species that is very popular among the Chinese is served as luxorius delicacy because it has high protein and medicinal properties. The increasing demand for sandfish has led to the over-exploitation worldwide. Hatchery production enables continuous seed production of H. scabra throughout the year by artificial spawning. Fifty healthy broodstocks collected from Kampung Baru-Baru, Tuaran Sabah (6° 18’ 18.1656” N, 116° 17’43.1052” E) were acclimatized in Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) hatchery for 2 weeks prior to spawning induction. The broodstocks were fed twice a day with ground Sargassum sp. and Enhalus sp. The combination of 3 spawning induction methods: thermal shock, desiccation and algal bath were applied. Total fertilized eggs obtained were approximately 700,000, with a 9 % hatching rate. The larval rearing was carried out in high density polyethylene (HDPE) tank filled with filtered and UV treated seawater (29-30°C). The larvae were fed twice daily with Nannochloropsis sp. at a specific feeding rate. The egg and larval development were recorded daily. The duration for each stages of larval development was as followed: Gastrula (24 hours after fertilization), Early auricularia (Day 2), Mid auricularia (Day 4), Late auricularia (Day 6), Early doliolaria (Day 21), Late doliolaria (Day 24), Pentactula (Day 26)

Ablation of Mrds1/Ofcc1 Induces Hyper-γ-Glutamyl Transpeptidasemia without Abnormal Head Development and Schizophrenia-Relevant Behaviors in Mice

Mutations in the Opo gene result in eye malformation in medaka fish. The human ortholog of this gene, MRDS1/OFCC1, is a potentially causal gene for orofacial cleft, as well as a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia, a devastating mental illness. Based on this evidence, we hypothesized that this gene could perform crucial functions in the development of head and brain structures in vertebrates. To test this hypothesis, we created Mrds1/Ofcc1-null mice. Mice were examined thoroughly using an abnormality screening system referred to as “the Japan Mouse Clinic”. No malformations of the head structure, eye or other parts of the body were apparent in these knockout mice. However, the mutant mice showed a marked increase in serum γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), a marker for liver damage, but no abnormalities in other liver-related measurements. We also performed a family-based association study on the gene in schizophrenia samples of Japanese origin. We found five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located across the gene that showed significant transmission distortion, supporting a prior report of association in a Caucasian cohort. However, the knockout mice showed no behavioral phenotypes relevant to schizophrenia. In conclusion, disruption of the Mrds1/Ofcc1 gene elicits asymptomatic hyper-γ-glutamyl-transpeptidasemia in mice. However, there were no phenotypes to support a role for the gene in the development of eye and craniofacial structures in vertebrates. These results prompt further examination of the gene, including its putative contribution to hyper-γ-glutamyl transpeptidasemia and schizophrenia

Burkholderia cepacia-contaminated dentures possibly cause pneumonia

We report a case in which a patient was suspected of developing pneumonia due to wearing dentures that were immersed in a storage solution contaminated with 3.0 × 108 colony-forming units (cfu)/mL of Burkholderia cepacia. It is highly possible that the contaminated denture solution entered the trachea and caused the pneumonia, possibly due to the prolonged supine positioning of the patient. We demonstrated that B. cepacia isolated from the sputum and B. cepacia isolated from the denture storage solution had the same DNA fingerprint, and that the patient recovered from pneumonia after stopping the use of dentures. These findings suggest the storage solution as the main source of infection. HIGHLIGHTS Commercially available denture cleaning solution was found to harbor viable bacteria such as Burkholderia cepacia when used by a patient in a hospital.; Compromised hosts are susceptible to infections such as pneumonia through use of denture solutions harboring bacteria.

DNA-Binding Property of the Novel DNA-Binding Domain STPR in FMBP-1 of the Silkworm Bombyx mori

The STPR domain is a novel DNA-binding domain composed of repeats of 23 amino-acid-long peptide found in the fibroin-modulator-binding protein-1 (FMBP-1) of the silkworm Bombyx mori. Theoretical proteins having the STPR domain are highly conserved, particularly in vertebrates, but the functions are mostly unknown. In this study, the DNA-binding property of the STPR domain in FMBP-1 was examined. Use of reagents selecting the DNA groove and an oligonucleotide in which the dA:dT pairs of the probe were replaced with dI:dC pairs in mobility shift assay demonstrated that FMBP-1 approaches DNA from the major groove. Permutation electrophoresis using probes of the same length but containing the FMBP-1-binding site at different positions showed that FMBP-1 bends DNA through its binding. To induce the sharp bend of DNA, the STPR domain alone was insufficient and the long N-terminal extending region was necessary. Moreover, the basic region extending from the N-terminus of the STPR domain stabilized the DNA binding of the STPR domain. These results suggested that DNA-binding properties of the STPR domain are affected strongly by the structure of the flanking regions in the STPR domain-containing proteins

Silk Gland Factor-2, Involved in Fibroin Gene Transcription, Consists of LIM Homeodomain, LIM-interacting, and Single-stranded DNA-binding Proteins

SGF-2 binds to promoter elements governing posterior silk gland-specific expression of the fibroin gene in Bombyx mori. Wepurified SGF-2 and showed that SGF-2 contains at least four gene products: the silkworm orthologues of LIM homeodomain protein Awh, LIM domain-binding protein (Ldb), a sequence-specific single-stranded DNA-binding protein (Lcaf), and the silk protein P25/fibrohexamerin (fhx). Using co-expression of these factors in Sf9 cells, Awh, Ldb, and Lcaf proteins were co-purified as a ternary complex that bound to the enhancer sequence in vitro. Lcaf interacts with Ldb as well as Awh through the conserved regions to mediate transcriptional activation in yeast. Misexpression of Awh in transgenic silkworms induces ectopic expression of the fibroin gene in the middle silk glands, where Ldb and Lcaf are expressed. Taken together, this study demonstrates that SGF-2 is a multisubunit activator complex containing Awh. Moreover, our results suggest that the Ldb.Lcaf protein complex serves as a scaffold to facilitate communication between transcriptional control elements