Change in flower morphology of Torenia fournieri Lind. induced by forchlorfenuron application

We induced various flower morphologies in torenia (Torenia fournieri Lind.) by the application of forchlorfenuron (CPPU). Those morphologies were the combination of four basic morphological changes, the development of serrate petals, incised petals, a paracorolla, and an increased number of floral organs. These morphological changes occurred systematically depending on the floral stage at the time of CPPU application. Serrate petals were induced when CPPU was applied during the stages of corolla development, whereas application at younger stages induced petal incision. The serrate petal margin resulted from preferential proliferation of cells around the vascular bundles, whereas petal incision likely resulted from the lateral outgrowths of petal. A paracorolla was induced at the adaxial petal face when CPPU was applied between the sepal development stage and early corolla development. The paracorolla appears to have arisen from the lateral outgrowths of the stamen. The numbers of stamens, petals, and sepals increased when CPPU was applied at and before the differentiation of sex organs and the corolla. Enlargement of the floral meristem probably caused this increase. Application of N⁶-benzylaminopurine and zeatin did not induce these morphological changes.     

Age trends in the genetic parameters of wood density and the relationship with growth rates in hybrid larch (Larix gmelinii var. japonica × L. kaempferi) F1

Age trends in variance components and heritability of overall wood density, earlywood and latewood density, and latewood proportion were investigated in 29-year-old trees of 19 full-sib families of hybrid larch (Larix gmelinii var. japonica × Larix kaempferi) F₁. The age–age correlation and optimum selection age for these traits were also estimated and genetic and phenotypic correlations between wood density and radial growth rate were calculated for each growth ring. Intraring wood density data were obtained using X-ray densitometry. The coefficient of additive genetic variance was stable over all ages, whereas the coefficient of environmental variances gradually decreased with increasing age, resulting in increases in heritability estimates with age for overall density. The latewood proportion had the highest heritability estimates at all ages, ranging from 0.44 to 0.66. Overall density and its various components at 28 years of age showed strong genetic correlations with their respective traits at all younger ages. Optimum selection ages for the wood density traits ranged from 8 to 14 years, at which point maximum gain efficiencies per year were obtained. There were negative correlations between wood density and radial growth rate at early ages, although these relationships tended to be weaker with increasing age. These results suggest that selection at a young age is effective for wood density, but particular care must be taken in selecting trees with an improved radial growth rate because rapid growth will result in a low-density wood product, especially in the early growth period.     

Lignin-degrading activity of edible mushroom <Emphasis Type="Italic">Strobilurus ohshimae</Emphasis> that forms fruiting bodies on buried sugi (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptomeria japonica</Emphasis>) twigs

Strobilurus ohshimae is an edible mushroom, and it specifically forms its fruiting bodies on buried sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) twigs. In this research, we studied lignindegrading activity of S. ohshimae. We isolated 18 strains of S. ohshimae from various regions of Japan, and determined their lignin degradation rates on sugi wood meal medium. All the strains of S. ohshimae degraded approximately 6%–12% of sugi lignin in 30 days, and these lignin degradation rates were 1.5–3 times higher than those of Trametes versicolor, which is a typical lignin-degrading fungus. Among the three main lignin-degrading enzymes, activity of lignin peroxidase and manganese peroxidase was not observed, while 4340U/g of laccase was produced in 30 days. To investigate the effect of wood species on lignin degradation by S. ohshimae, the lignin degradation rate and laccase productivity on sugi wood meal medium were compared with those on beech (Fagus crenata). In T. versicolor, both lignin degradation rate and laccase productivity were higher on beech than on sugi. Conversely, in S. ohshimae, lignin degradation rate and laccase productivity were higher on sugi than on beech. Therefore, it was suggested that coniferous lignin is not always difficult to degrade for the fungi that inhabit softwood. Part of this article presented at the 54th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Sapporo, August 2004     

Determination of bacteria constituting ruminal fibrolytic consortia developed on orchard grass hay stem

To determine the relationship between Fibrobacter succinogenes and other rumen bacteria, the bacterial community structure on fiber was analyzed by using two different materials. These were ruminally incubated orchard grass hay stems without and with preincubation with F. succinogenes (natural and artificial consortia, respectively). The natural consortium mainly consisted of Firmicutes (56.6%) and Bacteroidetes (33.1%), while the artificial consortium showed a significantly higher proportion of Firmicutes (85.5%) and a lower proportion of Bacteroidetes (4.6%). At species or genus level, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, the U2 group, Ruminococcus albus and Lachnospiraceae incertae sedis made up a higher proportion in the artificial consortium. The most dominant bacterial group was the Butyrivibrio‐Pseudobutyrivibrio‐Lachnospiraceae incertae sedis group, which accounted for 19.7% in the natural and 29.5% in the artificial consortium. Within the genus Butyrivibrio, the phylogenetic groups SA and VA2 and phylogeny‐undefined Butyribivrio, but not VA1, were detected at high frequency in the artificial consortium. These results suggest that ecological and possibly functional relationships exist in the rumen among F. succinogenes, a subset of B. fibrisolvens, the U2 group, R. albus and Lachnospiraceae incertae sedis.     

Effect of a seaweed mixture on serum lipid level and platelet aggregation in rats

ABSTRACT:   To assess the effect of a seaweed mixture on lipid levels in serum as well as platelet aggregation in rats, Eisenia bicyclis ('Arame'), Hizikia fusiformis ('Hijiki') and Undaria pinnatifida sporophylls ('Mekabu'), all brown seaweeds, and Porphyra yezoensis ('Susabinori'), a red seaweed, were powdered and mixed in a ratio of 45:30:20:5 (w/w). When rats were fed a cholesterol-rich diet containing this mixture of seaweeds (9–10% w/w) for 28 days, serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, free cholesterol, and triglyceride levels declined significantly to 49.7%, 48.1%, 49.0% and 74.8%, respectively, of those of the control. Serum HDL-cholesterol, however, was unchanged. Though activated partial thromboplatin time, prothrombin time, antithrombin III activity, and fibrinogen levels in plasma were unchanged, the maximal ADP- and collagen-induced platelet aggregation decreased significantly to 89.0% and 85.5% control levels, respectively. These results indicate that this mixture of E. bicyclis , H. fusiformis , U. pinnatifida sporophylls, and P. yezoensis , is useful for the prevention of hyperlipidemia and thrombosis in rats.     

Revisiting the mechanism of <Emphasis Type="Italic">β-O</Emphasis>-4 bond cleavage during acidolysis of lignin IV: dependence of acidolysis reaction on the type of acid

The dependence of the acidolysis reaction of a C₆-C₃ dimeric nonphenolic β-O-4 type lignin model compound, 2-(2-methoxyphenoxy)-1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl) propane-1,3-diol (veratrylglycerol-β-guaiacyl ether, VG), on the type of acid applied was examined using three different acids [0.2 mol/l HCl, 0.2 mol/l HBr, and 0.1 mol/l (0.2 N) H₂SO₄ in 82% aqueous 1,4-dioxane at 85°C]. In the HCl system, the major reaction modes of the corresponding benzyl cation-type intermediate (BC), which is produced by protonation of the α-hydroxyl group of VG and successive release of the water molecule, are the abstraction of the β-proton and hydride transfer from the β-to the α-position. The liberation of formaldehyde from the γ-hydroxymethyl group of BC is the predominant reaction mode in the H₂SO₄ system. Apparently, an unknown reaction mode or modes is operative in the early stage of the HBr system that causes rapid disappearance of VG accompanied by the quantitative formation of 2-methoxyphenol without affording the common counterpart of a Hibbert’s ketone, 1-hydroxy-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl) propan-2-one. The reaction mode in the HBr system changes with the progress of the reaction and is the same as that in the HCl system after the early stage.     

Oxygen isotopic compositions of asteroidal materials returned from Itokawa by the Hayabusa mission

Meteorite studies suggest that each solar system object has a unique oxygen isotopic composition. Chondrites, the most primitive of meteorites, have been believed to be derived from asteroids, but oxygen isotopic compositions of asteroids themselves have not been established. We measured, using secondary ion mass spectrometry, oxygen isotopic compositions of rock particles from asteroid 25143 Itokawa returned by the Hayabusa spacecraft. Compositions of the particles are depleted in (16)O relative to terrestrial materials and indicate that Itokawa, an S-type asteroid, is one of the sources of the LL or L group of equilibrated ordinary chondrites. This is a direct oxygen-isotope link between chondrites and their parent asteroid.     

Quantitative structure-activity studies of benzoylphenylurea larvicides: I. Effect of substituents at aniline moiety against Chilo suppressalis walker

The larvicidal activity of a series of N-2,6-difluoro- and N-2,6-dichlorobenzoyl-N′-(4-substituted phenyl)ureas against nondiapause larvae of the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis Walker, was measured by topical application and oral administration methods under conditions with and without piperonyl butoxide as an inhibitor of oxidative metabolism. The effects of substituents at the anilide moiety on the larvicidal activity were analyzed quantitatively using physicochemical substituent parameters and regression analysis. The results indicate that the oxidative metabolism in the larval body which is favored by electron-donating substituents is significant in determining the activity. The activity, when the metabolic factor is eliminated, is enhanced by electron-with-drawing and hydrophobic substituents and lowered by bulky groups. The inhibitory activity against new cuticle formation of the same series of compounds was also measured using cultured integument of the rice stem borer diapause larva. The comparison of the quantitative analyses between larvicidal and integument-level activities shows that inhibition of cuticular development is the most important factor governing larvicidal activity.     

Metabolism of dibutyl-14C-labeled dibutylaminosulfenyl derivative of carbofuran in the cotton plant

The fate of the di-n-butylaminosulfenyl moiety in 2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranyl (di-n-butylaminosulfenyl)(methyl)carbamate (DBSC or Marshal) was studied in the cotton plant at 1, 3, 6, and 10 days following foliage treatment with [di-n-butylamino-¹⁴C]DBSC. Dibutylamine and two major radioactive metabolites were obtained following extraction of the plant tissue with a methanol-buffer containing N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), a sulfhydryl scavenger which was added to prevent the cleavage of the NS bond during the workup procedure. The most adundant radioactive material recovered from plants was identified as a product arising from the reaction between NEM and dibutylamine. Extraction of plant tissue with straight methanol-buffer solution or with methol-buffer containing other sulfhydryl scavengers resulted in 57–86% of the applied radioactivity being recovered as dibutylamine in the organosoluble fraction. When [¹⁴C]dibutylamine was applied to cotton leaves, most of the radioactivity, i.e., 96% of the total recovered radioactivity, was found in the organosoluble fraction as dibutylamine. Dibutylamine is the major metabolite of [di-n-butylamino-¹⁴C]DBSC in the cotton plant.     

Comparison of two different nutritive conditions against the changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of periparturient dairy cows

To clarify the relationship between cellular immune status and nutritive condition in periparturient dairy cows, feeding content, blood profiles, and immune condition were observed in cows from two dairy herds with different types of feed content. Immunological analyses such as leukocyte population and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) mRNA of IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-4, and IL-10, quantified by real-time RT-PCR were performed. With regard to feed content during dry periods, there were six cows in the herd with insufficient non-structural carbohydrate (NFC) intake (group I) and six cows in the herd with sufficient NFC intake (group II). Significantly lower levels of blood glucose were observed in group I between weeks -12 and 16 compared with group II. Serum cholesterol level was significantly lower in group I between weeks 2 and 10 than in group II. The numbers of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells in group I were significantly lower than those in group II in weeks 6 and 14. The numbers of CD21+ B cells were significantly lower in group I than in group II in weeks -16, -12, 2, and 10. On the other hand, the CD4+/CD8+ ratio in group II was significantly higher than group I between weeks 2 and 14. The IFNgamma/IL-4 mRNA rate in group I was significantly lower than group II in week 6. We concluded that cellular immune depression occurrs after calving in dairy cows with low nutritional status in the periparturient period.