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Pyrolysis mass spectrometry (PyMS) is a rapid, simple, high-resolution analytical method based on thermal degradation of complex material in a vacuum and has been widely applied to the discrimination of closely related microbial strains. Leaf samples of six species and one variety of higher plants ( Rosa multiflora, R. multiflora var. platyphylla, Sedum kamtschaticum, S. takesimense, S. sarmentosum, Hepatica insularis, and H. asiatica) were subjected to PyMS for spectral fingerprinting. Principal component analysis of PyMS data was not able to discriminate these plants in discrete clusters. However, canonical variate analysis of PyMS data separated these plants from one another. A hierarchical dendrogram based on canonical variate analysis was in agreement with the known taxonomy of the plants at the variety level. These results indicate that PyMS is able to discriminate higher plants based on taxonomic classification at the family, genus, species, and variety level.

Although the expression of important genes in the embryo at pre-implantation stage, which encompasses the period from fertilization to implantation, have been reported for mice and cows, little information relevant to this subject is known in pigs. The objective of this study was to investigate the changes of importantly expressed genes and proteins in endometrial tissue of pigs from fertilization to implantation. Six genes, including estrogen receptor-?, estrogen receptor-?, LIF, LR (LIF receptor), TGF?1, and TGF?2, that may play important roles in regulating uterine receptivity and successful implantation and that show different expression patterns by the stages of pregnancy were selected. As a step toward understanding the role of gene and protein expression changes in endometrial tissue of pigs during the preimplantation stage (Day 2, Day 6, Day 8, Day 12, and Day 17, n = 3/group) and the post-implantation stage (Day 21 and Day 33, n = 3/group) and Day 0 (estrous), real-time PCR methods for quantitative analysis of genes and immunohistochemistry methods to localize protein expression were utilized. Data from quantitative real-time PCR were analyzed by ANOVA. The results of this experiment indicated that estrogen receptor-? mRNA level was sharply increased to Day 12 of pregnancy, while estrogen receptor-? mRNA did not change drastically during early pregnancy stage. In contrast, levels of LIF and LR mRNA were increased from Day 2 to Day 33. Although TGF?1 mRNA reached peak on Day 17 and TGF?2 mRNA showed the highest level on Day 17, TGF?2 did not appear to change drastically. For the protein expression patterns, estrogen receptor-? and estrogen receptor-? proteins were expressed in both luminal epithelium and glandular epithelium, but they were only partially expressed in some tissues of stroma cells. LIF protein was expressed in all cell types, while TGF ?1 protein was high expressed in glandular epithelium. Also, ERs, LIF, and TGF ?1 mRNA and protein expression showed stage- and cell-specific expression patterns. We also investigated the gene expression of TGF ?1 mRNA and TGF ?2 mRNA in early conceptus (Day 12 and Day 17). TGF ?1 mRNA expression was low in Day 12 embryos, and increased progressively to Day 17. This indicated that both the maternal uterus and the conceptus represent the same gene expression pattern. These results suggest that estrogen receptor-? could be an important factor in estrogen action in endometrial tissue during early gestation in pigs, and TGF ?s function in both autocrine and paracrine interactions. Progressive increase in TGF ?1 mRNA expression in conceptus and uterine tissues suggest important roles of TGF ?1 in conceptus development and establishment of the uterine receptivity during the peri-implantation period.