Aluminum-tolerance of carrot (daucus carota L.) plants regenerated from selected cell cultures

Abstract

Aluminum-tolerant variants from cell cultures of carrot (Daucus carota L. cv. MS Yonsun) were selected by exposing them to excess ionic aluminum. The medium contained A1CI₃ and 0.1 mM phosphate at pH 4.0. Under ionic aluminum stress (0.5-1.0 mM), 282 calli were selected. Twenty-eight fertile plants were regenerated from 7 selected calli. Based on the root elongation tests of the seedlings, the seeds displayed aluminum-tolerance. In the case of the cell line H7-08, the selection occurred at a frequency of ca. 6 × 10^-7 when the materials were plated on agar medium containing 0.5 mM aluminum.     

QTLs for phosphorus deficiency tolerance detected in upland NERICA varieties

Phosphorous (P) deficiency is a major yield limiting factor in rice (Oryza sativa L.) production. The interspecific New Rice for Africa (NERICA) varieties combine general stress tolerance from African cultivated rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud) with characteristics associated with high yield from O. sativa. However, little is known about their ability to tolerate P deficiency. Here, we examined the variation for tolerance to P deficiency among the 18 upland NERICAs and their parents in multi‐year field experiments. The good performance under P deficiency of the O. glaberrima parent CG 14 and some NERICAs suggested that these tolerant NERICAs contain loci associated with P deficiency tolerance inherited from CG 14. Additionally, four QTL clusters for P deficiency tolerance were detected on chromosomes 4, 6 and 11 using F₃ lines derived from the cross between the P deficiency tolerant variety NERICA10 and a Japonica‐type sensitive variety ‘Hitomebore’. These QTLs represent the first step in identifying stress tolerance genes from O. glaberrima that could subsequently be used to enhance P deficiency tolerance in O. sativa.     

ATP depletion inhibits retraction of chromatophores induced by GABA in cephalopod Todarodes pacificus

Color changes in cephalopods are generated by the expansion or retraction of chromatophores located under the dermis. The behavior of the chromatophores is regulated by neurotransmitters; l-glutamate (l-Glu) is an excitatory transmitter that causes the chromatophores to expand. To date, serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)] is the only neurotransmitter known to stimulate retraction of chromatophores. We found that the chromatophores in the Japanese squid Todarodes pacificus were regulated by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter, and that GABA caused expanded chromatophores to retract. We also found that adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) concentrations in skin samples remained stable at their initial values for more than 24 h after the death of each squid; therefore, the chromatophores could respond to both l-Glu and GABA during that period. Furthermore, we attempted to reduce the levels of ATP by storing skin sample in sodium azide solution. The chromatophores in sodium azide-treated skin samples were induced to expand by l-Glu, but these expanded chromatophores could not be induced to retract by GABA. Based on these observations, we conclude that ATP is essential for retraction, but not expansion, of chromatophores.     

Toxicity and absorption of dietary leucomalachite green in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus

Farmed fish are exposed to risks from feed-borne chemical contamination, such as leucomalachite green (LMG) in fish meal. Consequently, the use of malachite green is prohibited in aquacultural practice. An improved understanding of the toxicity of dietary LMG provided to farmed fish is needed in order to manage risk. Oreochromis niloticus specimens were fed experimental diets containing 0, 100, 500, and 2500 μg/kg LMG for 28 days. On sampling days 7, 14, and 28, fish in the exposed groups had detectable levels of LMG. Accumulation levels were approximately 12.2 % (in the liver) and 6.2 % (in the muscle) of the LMG concentration in the feed (104, 510, and 2200 μg/kg). Hematocrit and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations in the 500 and 2500 μg/kg groups were significantly elevated at 7 and 14 days. Hemoglobin in the group that received the highest dose was significantly higher than that in the control group. Significant increases in the activities of alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase were also detected in the group receiving the highest dose. Total cholesterol concentrations in all of the exposed groups were significantly higher than those in the control group. These observations of toxicity were dose dependent. Histological changes in gills and livers were observed in LMG-exposed fish.     

Thermal denaturation profiles of catfish and tilapia myofibrils as affected by pH for heating

Thermal denaturation profiles of catfish myosin when heated as myofibrils (Mf) were compared with those of tilapia. The Ca²⁺-ATPase inactivation rate of catfish myofibrils was the same as that of tilapia myofibrils. The conclusion was the same with isolated myosin. Catfish Mf was clearly distinguished from tilapia Mf in terms of subfragment-1 (S-1) and rod denaturation. Quick denaturation of rod relative to S-1 was characteristic of catfish Mf, while slower denaturation of rod relative to S-1 was the pattern for tilapia Mf. These patterns were greatly affected by the pH for heating. Rod denaturation was accelerated with increasing pH for heating and oppositely suppressed by lowering the pH, for both Mf. Tilapia Mf showed a S-1 and rod denaturation pattern similar to that for catfish Mf, but at 1 pH unit higher; for example, the pattern of catfish Mf at pH 7.5 was similar to that for tilapia Mf at pH 8.5. Less rigid filament structure of catfish Mf than tilapia Mf was demonstrated by studying chymotryptic digestion at various pH values. Accordingly, the difference in the S-1/rod denaturation patterns between the two fish species can be explained by the different rigidity of their myosin filaments.     

Deformation and blemishing of pearls caused by bacteria

Bacteria cause deformation and blemishing in pearls, and we investigate this relationship. We examined pearls derived from Pinctada margaritifera, Pinctada maxima, and Pinctada fucata, and determined the location of bacteria using histopathological and immunohistochemical techniques and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequence analyses. The most remarkable change was the inflammatory reaction located between the pearl nucleus and the nacreous layer, composed of hemocytic infiltration with melanization, periostracum, and fibrous aragonite-like structures. These anomalous changes were limited to abnormal sites, and such inflammatory reaction sites are a major factor in the formation of pearl abnormalities. Bacteria were detected from the inflammatory sites and are suspected as the causative agent. Most of these bacteria were anaerobic.     

Myosin denaturation in “Burnt” Bluefin tuna meat

A quantitative conversion of tuna meat into muscle homogenate made it possible to study myosin denaturation in Bluefin tuna meat. Myosin denaturation was accessed by measuring Ca²⁺-ATPase activity, salt-solubility with and without Mg-ATP, monomeric myosin content, and amount of subfragment-1 (S-1) and rod produced by chymotryptic digestion. Commercially available tuna used in this study showed a pH around 5.4–5.7. Myosin in the meat lost the salt-solubility measured in the absence of Mg-ATP; however, such myosin showed full salt-solubility when released from actin in the presence of Mg-ATP. Incubation of tuna meat at 30 °C for up to 90 min caused obvious myosin denaturation. However, the tuna meat dialyzed against neutral pH buffer showed practically no myosin denaturation by the same heating. It was suggested that exposure to lowered pH to around 5.5 and increased temperature of 30 °C led myosin denaturation. Myosin denaturation in the “Burnt” Bluefin tuna sample was analyzed. A significant myosin denaturation was observed with the part showing the “Burning” symptom, the inner part of the tuna meat near the spine. Myosin in that part showed almost no Ca²⁺-ATPase activity, no salt-solubility even with Mg-ATP, no recovery of monomeric myosin, and almost no production of S-1 by chymotryptic digestion. However, myosin denaturation was not detectable for the meat taken from outer parts of the same tuna near the skin with normal appearance. It was demonstrated that “Burning” of tuna meat occurring in the deep part of the body is accompanied by myosin denaturation. The above results suggested that insufficient cooling of the deep part of body would be the reason for “Burning” of tuna meat.     

Modeling the effects of N application on growth,yield and plant properties associated with the occurrence of chalky grains of rice

The objective of this study was to propose a model for explaining rice responses to a wide range of N application rates in various growth attributes associated with the occurrence of chalky grains. We improved the sub-model for N uptake process of a previous rice model which was originally developed for explaining genotypic and environmental variations in the whole growth processes, considering the difference in the rate of N loss from the plant-soil system between indigenously supplied soil mineral N and fertilizer N. A total of 80 growth datasets of cultivar ‘Koshihikari’ grown at Shiga prefecture, Japan, in 2010 was utilized for the calibration and validation of the model. The rice growth model well explained the above-ground biomass growth (RMSD = 78.7 g m^?2) and rough dry grain yield (RMSD = 83.2 g m^?2) for the validation data-set, simultaneously. The simulated carbohydrate content available per single spikelet was negatively correlated with the observed percentage of the milky-white grain which includes white-cored grain (r = ?.77, p < .001) for all the data-sets of calibration and validation. On the other hand, the observed percentage of the sum of white-back and white-base grains was closely correlated with the simulated plant N content available per single spikelet (r = ?.59, p < .001). It was suggested that the present rice growth model would rationally explain the effects of N application on the occurrence of the chalky grains through the dynamic change of the carbohydrate content and plant N content available per single spikelet.