Biodeposition,respiration, and excretion rates of an introduced clam <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mercenaria mercenaria</Emphasis> in ponds with implications for potential competition with the native clam <Emphasis Type="Italic">Meretrix meretrix</Emphasis> in Shuangtaizi estuary,China

This study aimed to evaluate the potential impacts of an introduced clam Mercenaria mercenaria on estuarine ecosystem, and implications for the niche competition with a native clam Meretrix meretrix. The biodeposition, respiration, and excretion rates of M. mercenaria were determined seasonally using a sediment trap and a closed respirator in field. The biodeposition rates of M. mercenaria were 0.06–0.37 g/ (ind.·d), and the respiration rates were 0.31–14.66 mg/(ind.·d). The ammonia and phosphate excretion rates were 0.18–36.70 and 1.44–14.87 μg/(ind.·d), respectively. The hard clam M. mercenaria may discharge dry deposits up to 2.1×10⁵ t, contribute 18.3 t ammonia and 9.0 t phosphate to culture ponds, and consume 7.9×10³ t O₂ from ponds annually. It suggested that the hard clam M. mercenaria might play an important role in pelagic-benthic coupling in pond ecosystem through biodeposition and excretion. A comparison of the key physiological parameters of the introduced clam M. mercenaria and the native clam Meretrix meretrix suggested that M. mercenaria had a niche similar to that of Meretrix meretrix in Shuangtaizi estuary and might have a potential competition with Meretrix meretrix for habitat and food if M. mercenaria species escaped from the culture pond or artificially released in estuarine ecosystem.     

Oxygen consumption and ammonia-N excretion of Meretrix meretrix in different temperature and salinity

Effects of temperatures and salinities on oxygen consumption and ammonia-N excretion rate of clamMeretrix meretrix were studied in laboratory from Oct. 2003 to Jan. 2004. Two schemes were designed in incremented temperature at 10, 15, 20, 25°C at 31.5 salinity and in incremented salinity at 16.0, 21.0, 26.0, 31.5, 36.0, and 41.0 at 20°C, all for 8–10 days. From 10 to 25°C, both respiration and excretion rate were increased. One-way ANOVA analysis demonstrated significant difference (P<0.01) in physiological parameters in this temperature range except between 15 and 20°C. The highestQ ₁₀ thermal coefficient value (12.27) was acquired between 10 and 15°C, and about 1 between 15 and 20°C, indicatingM. meretrix could well acclimate to temperature changes in this range. Salinity also had significant effects on respiration and excretion rate (P<0.05). The highest values of respiration and excretion rate ofM. meretrix were recorded at 16.0 salinity (20°C). These two physiological parameters decreased as salinity increased until reached the minimumQ ₁₀ value at 31.5 (20°C), then again, these parameters increased with increasing salinity from 31.5 to 41.0.M. meretrix can catabolize body protein to cope with osmotic pressure stress when environmental salinity is away from its optimal range. No significant difference was observed between 26.0 and 36.0 in salinity (P>0.05), suggesting that a best metabolic salinity range for this species is between 26.0 and 36.0. This work is supported by National High-Tech R & D Program of China. (863 Program) (2002AA603014).     

Antiangiogenic activity of low-temperature lysozyme from a marine bacterium <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vivo</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>

We extracted marine low-temperature lysozyme (MLTL), a novel lysozyme, from a marine microorganism through fermentation. Our previous study suggested that a low molecular weight (16 kDa) may exert anti-tumor activity through antiangiogenesis. In this study, we extracted a high weight (39 kDa) and investigated its antiangiogenic activity in vivo and in vitro. Using zebrafish embryos as an in vivo study model, we found that treatment with MLTL significantly inhibited the growth of subintestinal vessels (SIVs) in a dose-dependent manner and that 400 μg/ml MLTL was sufficient to block the growth of SIVs. An in vitro study conducted using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) revealed that MLTL suppressed the proliferation, migration and tube formation of HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, assays by flow cytometry and DNA electrophoresis indicated that MLTL was able to induce apoptosis of HUVECs. Moreover, further study demonstrated that the disruption of intracellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis may play an important role in MLTL induced apoptosis of HUVECs. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate for the first time that MLTL inhibits angiogenesis through its pleiotropic effects on vascular endothelial cells and induces apoptosis through regulation of cellular Ca²⁺ levels. The results of this study also revealed a possible mechanism underlying the antiangiogenic effect of MLTL and suggested that MLTL may be a promising new antiangiogenic agent for use in cancer therapy.     

Assessment of parental contribution and effective population size from a 3×3 diallel cross of clam Meretrix meretrix

Unbalanced parental contribution and small effective population size(N e)are common issues during the artifi cial breeding of marine bivalves.The impact of hatchery-spawning practices on parental contribution,effective population size,the N e/N ratio,and genetic diversity are largely unknown.To address this,we conducted a parentage analysis on a complete 3×3 diallel cross of clam M eretrix meretrix using eight microsatellite markers.The genetic diversity of the parents was higher than that of their respective offspring in most crosses(8/9).Sires or dams from the same family contributed unequally to the pool of offspring from a particular cross,and the same parent clam exhibited large variation in parental contribution among different crosses.The variance in male contribution was higher than that of the female contribution in most crosses,suggesting that male contribution was more skewed than for females.The N e/N ratio for nine crosses ranged from 0.58 to 0.86.There was no linear relationship between the sex ratio and the N e/N ratio(P0.05).Moreover,a sex ratio closer to one-to-one does not necessarily mean a larger effective population size.A solution to small effective population size in commercial breeding programs is increasing broodstock numbers and attempting to maintain a balanced sex ratio.     

Effects of NO and different media on the growth of prorocentrum micans

1Introduction NOisadiffusible,gaseousfreeradicalthatplaysimportantrolesinanimalsandplants.Itfunctionsin diseaseresistance,abioticstress,celldeath,respira tion,senescence,rootdevelopments,germinationandhormoneresponses.Itisanunusualsignalinthatitis areactive,lipophilicandvolatilefreeradicalthatcanbecytotoxic.ThewidespreadbiologicalsignificanceofnitricoxidewasrecognizedbySciencein1992whichnamedthefreeradicalNO‘Moleculeoftheyear’,andin1998theNobelPrizeinPhysiologyandMedicinewasawardedforwor…     

Activation of macrophages by an exopolysaccharide isolated from Antarctic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Psychrobacter</Emphasis> sp. B-3

An exopolysaccharide (EPS) was isolated and purified from an Antarctic psychrophilic bacterium B-3, identified as Psychrobacter sp., and the activation of RAW264.7 cells by B-3 EPS was investigated. The results show that B-3 EPS, over a certain concentration range, promoted cell viability, nitric oxide production, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α secretion, and phagocytic ability. Furthermore, TAK-242, an inhibitor of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) significantly reduced nitric oxide production by these cells after stimulation with B-3 EPS. Moreover, B-3 EPS induced p65 phosphorylation and IκBα degradation in these cells. In conclusion, B-3 EPS might have activated RAW264.7 cells by combining with TLR4 on cell surface and triggering activation of NF-κB signaling pathways, implying that this EPS could activate macrophages and regulate initial immune response.     

PI3K/Akt pathway is involved in the activation of RAW 264.7 cells induced by hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - We previously demonstrated that 2-hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) promoted the production of nitric oxide (NO) and proinflammatory...     

The study on the effect of NO on the growth of Chaetoceros curvisetus

1 INTRODUCTION As a recently recognized information molecule in campaign of the “Molecule of the Year” by Sci- ence magazine, nitric oxide (NO) has attracted much attention from biologists and many other field scien- tists, for its very important physio…     

Construction of inorganic elemental fingerprint and multivariate statistical analysis of marine traditional Chinese medicine Meretricis concha from Rushan Bay

Meretricis concha is a kind of marine traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and has been commonly used for the treatment of asthma and scald burns. In order to investigate the relationship between the inorganic elemental fingerprint and the geographical origin identification of Meretricis concha, the elemental contents of M. concha from five sampling points in Rushan Bay have been determined by means of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Based on the contents of 14 inorganic elements (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn), the inorganic elemental fingerprint which well reflects the elemental characteristics was constructed. All the data from the five sampling points were discriminated with accuracy through hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principle component analysis (PCA), indicating that a four-factor model which could explain approximately 80% of the detection data was established, and the elements Al, As, Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb could be viewed as the characteristic elements. This investigation suggests that the inorganic elemental fingerprint combined with multivariate statistical analysis is a promising method for verifying the geographical origin of M. concha, and this strategy should be valuable for the authenticity discrimination of some marine TCM.     

A Comparative study on the nonspecific immunity of juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei ever inhabiting freshwater and seawater

A study on the nonspecific immunity of Litopenaeus vannamei ever inhabiting freshwater and seawater was carried out at different molt stages by comparing their total hemocyte count(THC) and respiratory burst(RB) and activity of phenol oxidase(PO), nitric oxide synthase(NOS) and lysozyme(LY). Two-way ANOVA showed that salinity and molt stage independently affected THC and RB and the activity of PO, NOS and LY of juvenile L. vannamei significantly(P 0.05). The THC and RB and the activity of NOS gradually increased from the post-molt stages(A and B) to the pre-molt stages(D0–D3), which were common in shrimps inhabiting freshwater and seawater. The activity of PO peaked at the inter-molt stage(C), and touched the lowest at the post-molt stage in freshwater and pre-molt stage in seawater. The activity of LY was stable over the molt cycle. The RB and the activity of PO, NOS and LY of juvenile L. vannamei were significantly lower in freshwater than in seawater; whereas THC was significantly higher in freshwater than in seawater(P 0.05). It was concluded that the post-molt stage(especially stage A) was critical to shrimp culture, which should be intensively attended when L. vannamei was cultured in freshwater.     

Two new species of Ophidiasterid sea-stars from the vicinity of Diaoyudao,East China Sea

Two new species of the asteroid family Ophidiasteridae are described from two specimens collected by commercial fishery vessels of Qingdao from the vicinity of Diaoyudao (25°45′N, 123°15′E), East China Sea.Hacelia tuberculata sp. nov. shows affinities withH. tyloplax (H. L. Clark, 1914) andLinckia gracilis sp. nov. is related toL. laevigata (Linnaeus). Contribution No. 1163 from the Institute of Oceanology, Academia Sinica.     

Metabolic plasticity of nitrogen assimilation by Porphyra umbilicalis (Linnaeus) Kützing

The physical stresses associated with emersion have long been considered major factors determining the vertical zonation of intertidal seaweeds.We examined Porphyra umbilicalis(Linnaeus) Kützing thalli from the vertical extremes in elevation of an intertidal population(i.e.upper and lower intertidal zones) to determine whether Porphyra thalli acclimate to different vertical elevations on the shore with different patterns of nitrate uptake and nitrate reductase(NR) and glutamine synthetase(GS) activities in response to different degrees of emersion stress.We found that the nitrate uptake and NR recovery in the emersed tissues took longer in lower intertidal sub-population than in upper intertidal sub-population;and GS activity was also significantly affected by emersion and,interestingly,such an activity was enhanced by emersion of thalli from both upper and lower intertidal zones.These results suggested that intra-population variability in post-emersion recovery of physiological functions such as nutrient uptake and NR activity enables local adaptation and contributes to the wide vertical distribution of P.umbilicalis.The high GS activity during periodic emersion stress may be a protective mechanism enabling P.umbilicalis to assimilate nitrogen quickly when it again becomes available,and may also be an evidence of photorespiration during emersion.     

Effects of supplemental coated or crystalline methionine in low-fishmeal diet on the growth performance and body composition of juvenile cobia Rachycentron canadum （Linnaeus）

We evaluated the effects of supplemental coated and crystalline methionine （Met） on the growth performance and feed utilization of juvenile cobia （Rachycentron canadum Linnaeus） in a 60-d feeding trial. Fish groups were fed one of six isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets： 1） fishmeal control; 2） un- supplemented experimental （low-fish-meal diet deficient in Met）; or 3） one of four Met diets supplemented with crystalline L-Met, cellulose-acetate-phthalate coated L-Met, acrylic-resin coated L-Met, or tripalmitin- polyvinyl alcohol coated L-Met. The test diets were fed to triplicate groups of cobia （initial body weight 5.40-4-0.07 g） twice a day. The weight gain and specific growth rate of the fish fed the RES diet were highest among the Met-supplemented groups and were 23.64% and 7.99%, respectively, higher than those of the fish fed with the un-supplemented experimental diet （P〈0.05）. The protein efficiency ratio of the fish fed the MET diet was significantly higher than that of the fish fed the un-supplemented experimental diet and the fish in the other methionine supplementation groups （P〈0.05）. Our results suggest that supplementation of crystalline Met in low-fish-meal diets promotes the growth performance of juvenile cobia.     

Field experiments of multi-channel oceanographic fluorescence lidar for oil spill and chlorophyll-a detection

A Multi-channel Oceanographic Fluorescence Lidar (MOFL), with a UV excitation at 355 nm and multiple receiving channels at typical wavelengths of fluorescence from oil spills and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), has been developed using the Laser-induced Fluorescence (LIF) technique. The sketch of the MOFL system equipped with a compact multi-channel photomultiplier tube (MPMT) is introduced in the paper. The methods of differentiating the oil fluorescence from the background water fluorescence and evaluating the Chl-a concentration are described. Two field experiments were carried out to investigate the field performance of the system, i.e., an experiment in coastal areas for oil pollution detection and an experiment over the Yellow Sea for Chl-a monitoring. In the coastal experiment, several oil samples and other fluorescence substances were used to analyze the fluorescence spectral characteristics for oil identification, and to estimate the thickness of oil films at the water surface. The experiment shows that both the spectral shape of fluorescence induced from surface water and the intensity ratio of two channels (I ₄₉₅/I ₄₀₅) are essential to determine oil-spill occurrence. In the airborne experiment, MOFL was applied to measure relative Chl-a concentrations in the upper layer of the ocean. A comparison of relative Chl-a concentration measurements by MOFL and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) indicates that the two datasets are in good agreement. The results show that the MOFL system is capable of monitoring oil spills and Chl-a in the upper layer of ocean water.     

Expression of nitric oxide synthase in the developing eye of Ze-brafish Danio rerio

1 INTRODUCTION Nitric oxide (NO), a highly free radical gas, is recently discovered as messenger molecule involved in different cellular and developmental events including cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis as well as neural pathfinding and synapse formation. NO is synthesized from amino acid L-arginine by catalytic action of a family of isoen-zymes called nitric oxide synthases (NOS) (Palmer, 1988). NOS require nicotinamide adenine dinucleo-tide phosphate (NADPH) as a…     

Effects of ocean acidification driven by elevated CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> on larval shell growth and abnormal rates of the venerid clam, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mactra veneriformis</Emphasis>

The venerid clam (Mactra veneriformis Reeve 1854) is one of the main cultured bivalve species in intertidal and shallow subtidal ecosystems along the west coast of Korea. To understand the effects of ocean acidification on the early life stages of Korean clams, we investigated shell growth and abnormality rates and types in the D-shaped, umbonate veliger, and pediveliger stages of the venerid clam M. veneriformis during exposure to elevated seawater pCO₂. In particular, we examined abnormal types of larval shell morphology categorized as shell deformations, shell distortions, and shell fissures. Specimens were incubated in seawater equilibrated with bubbled CO₂-enriched air at (400±25)×10^-6 (ambient control), (800±25)×10^-6 (high pCO₂), or (1 200±28)×10^-6 (extremely high pCO₂), the atmospheric CO₂ concentrations predicted for the years 2014, 2084, and 2154 (70-year intervals; two human generations), respectively, in the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario. The mean shell lengths of larvae were significantly decreased in the high and extremely high pCO₂ groups compared with the ambient control groups. Furthermore, under high and extremely high pCO₂ conditions, the cultures exhibited significantly increased abundances of abnormal larvae and increased severity of abnormalities compared with the ambient control. In the umbonate veliger stage of the experimental larvae, the most common abnormalities were shell deformations, distortions, and fissures; on the other hand, convex hinges and mantle protuberances were absent. These results suggest that elevated CO₂ exerts an additional burden on the health of M. veneriformis larvae by impairing early development.     

Layered farming for Marsupenaeus japonicus Bate

Marsupenaeusjaponicus Bate is one of the most valuable cultured shrimp species in China and outdoor earthen pond farming is the most common method of culturing this organism. The need to increase soil usage efficiency in aquaculture has been recognized and a great deal of research effort has been directed toward development of super-intensive farming systems. However, current research and development in this field is largely devoted to Litopenaeus vannamei Boone, while to M.japonicus Bate it has been neglected. In this study, a layered fanning system was designed and a 66-day study was conducted in M.japonicus Bate culture. The system comprised bracket and sand layers that divided a shrimp tank filled to a depth of 1.2 m into four water layers. Conventional tank culture （unlayered） was used as a control. The results show that survival rate, feed conversion efficiency and production of M.japonicus Bate in the layered farming system were 68%, 18%, and 0.59 kg/m^2, respectively, all of which are significantly higher than in the unlayered fanning system （P〈0.01）. These findings confirmed the possibility of using a layered system to culture M. japonicus Bate.     

Significance of different microalgal species for growth of moon jellyfish ephyrae, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aurelia</Emphasis> sp.1

The scyphozoan Aurelia aurita (Linnaeus) sp. l., is a cosmopolitan species-complex which blooms seasonally in a variety of coastal and shelf sea environments around the world. The effects of different microalgal species on the growth of newly-released Aurelia sp.1 ephyrae were studied under laboratory conditions. We fed ephyrae with four different microalgal species (diatom, autotrophic dinoflagellate, heterotrophic dinoflagellate, and chlorophyta) plus Artemia nauplii for 12-24 d at 18°C. Results showed that the growth rate diverged significantly for Artemia nauplii compared to other food types. In addition, there was no significant variation between the growth rates for Skeletonema costatum and Prorocentrum donghaiense, and no significant variation was found in the growth rates for N. scintillans and P. subcordiformis. Artemia nauplii could support the energy requirement for the newly-released ephyrae to develop to meduase, and the ephyrae with Artemia nauplii showed a significant average growth rate of 25.85% d^?1. Newly-released ephyrae could grow slightly with some species of microalgae in the earliest development stage. Chain diatom Skeletonema costatum and autotrophic dinoflagellate Prorocentrum donghaiense, could not support the growth of the ephyrae, while heterotrophic dinoflagellate Noctiluca scintillans and chlorophyta Platymonas subcordiformis could support the growth of the ephyrae. However, none of the ephyrae fed with the tested phytoplankton could mature to medusae.     

Root structure,distribution and biomass in five multipurpose tree species of Western Himalayas

【Title】

【Author】

【Addresses】1

The tree root distribution pattern and biomass of seventeen year old trees of Grewia optiva, Morus alba, Celtis australis, Bauhinia variegata and Robinia pseudoacacia were studied by excavation method. B. variegata roots penetrated to a maximum depth of 4.78 m, whereas, M. alba roots were found down to 1.48 m depth. Lateral spread was minimum in B. variegata （1.10 m）and maximum inR. pseudoacacia （7.33 m）. Maximum root biomass of 6.30 kg was found in R. pseudoacacia and minimum （2.43 kg） was found in M. alba. For four species viz.,G. optiva, M. alba, C. australis andR. pseudoacacia, 68%-87% root biomass occurred within top 0-30 cm soil depth, but forB. variegata this was only45%. The soil binding factor was maximum in G. optiva and minimum in B. variegata. Soil physico-chemical properties also showed wide variation. The study suggests thatB. variegata with a deep root system is the most suitable species for plantation under agroforestry systems. R. pseudoacacia and G. optiva with deep root systems, more lateral spread and high soil binding factor are suitable for plantation on degraded lands for soil conservation.