First report of trunk rot caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fomitiporia torreyae</Emphasis> in Kyoto prefecture on cultivars of Japanese cedar with no relatedness to ‘Sanbu-sugi’

Trunk rot, caused by Fomitiporia torreyae, is one of the most economically important sap rot diseases on Cryptomeria japonica, especially on a cutting cultivar ‘Sanbu-sugi’. This disease had been reported only from Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures in Japan; however, a similar trunk rot on Japanese cedars was found recently in Kyoto prefecture. We identified the causal agent of the trunk rot on Japanese cedars in Kyoto prefecture, clarified the genotype of ‘Sanbu-sugi’ (sensu stricto) using microsatellite markers, and then investigated the relatedness of these infected cedars with ‘Sanbu-sugi’. The pathogen was identified as F. torreyae by its DNA sequences and morphological characteristics of the fruiting body. The 25 ramets of ‘Sanbu-sugi’ had only one genotype based on eight microsatellite loci. Infected Japanese cedars in Kyoto were comprised of different genotypes and showed no close relatedness to ‘Sanbu-sugi’. This is the first report of trunk rot caused by F. torreyae on cultivars of Japanese cedar with no relatedness to ‘Sanbu-sugi’ outside of Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures and showed the potential for expansion of this disease to Japanese cedar plantations in other areas.     

Reactivity of secondary hydroxyl groups in methylβ-d-xylopyranoside toward aβ-o-4-type quinone methide

Methyl-d-xylopyranoside was allowed to react with-O-4-type quinone methide without a catalyst to elucidate the reactivities of secondary hydroxyl groups at the C2, C3, and C4 positions. Benzyl ether-type lignin-carbohydrate complex (LCC) compounds linked at the C2 and C4 positions were predominant, at a ratio of 23. However, the reactivity of the hydroxyl group at the C3 position was quite low. These results strongly suggest that the reactivity of the C2 hydroxyl group in xylan toward quinone methide intermediate is higher than that of the C3 hydroxyl group during biosynthesis of LCCs.     

细胞分裂素:杨树气孔运动的调节剂

通过在三种杨树无性系，Ｉ－２１４（Ｐｏｐｕｌｕｓ×ｅｕｒａｎｅｒｉｃａｎａｃｖ．Ｉ－２１４）（ｌｔａｌｉｃａ）、中东杨（Ｐ．ｂｅｒｏｌｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ）（Ｂｅｒｏｌｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ）和群众杨（Ｐ．ｐｏｐｕｌａｒｉｓ３５－４４）（Ｐｏｐｕｌａｒｉｓ）一年生盆栽插条苗的木质部导入ＡＢＡ和细胞分裂素，研究了这两类激素在气孔调控中的作用。尽管不同无性系的气孔在对ＡＢＡ的敏感性上存在显著差异，但ＡＢＡ仍可导致气孔的关闭，然而在蒸腾流中的细胞分裂素（与ＡＢＡ共导入或分别导入）可以明显地抑制ＡＢＡ的作用。并且玉米素还能推迟土壤干旱所诱导的气孔关闭，在水分胁迫条件下，内源细胞分裂素浓度下降而同时ＡＢＡ上升．据此提出了复合胁迫信号的概念，即在根冠通讯中，是ＡＢＡ和细胞分裂素共同调控气孔的运动。另外还研究了玉米素、激动素、６－ＢＡ等不同细胞分裂素与ＡＢＡ的相互作用，结果发现６－ＢＡ与玉米素和激动素的作用相反，它不能抑制ＡＢＡ的作用，反而促进其对气孔的关闭     

Nickel-catalyzed carbonization of wood for coproduction of functional carbon and fluid fuels I: production of crystallized mesoporous carbon

Japanese larch wood loaded with nickel (1%–4%) alone or with nickel and calcium (0.25%–1.5%) was carbonized at 800°–900°C for 0–120min with a heating rate of 5°–20°C min⁻¹ in a helium flow of 5.8−46.4 ml STP cm⁻² min⁻¹ to examine the influence of these variables on the crystallization of carbon (the formation of T component) and the development of mesoporosity. From the obtained results, reaction conditions suitable for effective production of carbon with the dual functions of adequate electroconductivity and adsorption capacity in liquid phase were established, thereby explaining the factors that govern the process. It was also confirmed that mesopore having a diameter of about 4 nm was selectively produced at the cost of specific (BET) surface area in parallel with the formation of T component. This result provided good insight into how the simultaneous dual function could be realized.     

Antitumor activity of compounds isolated from leaves of Eriobotrya japonica

In a search for possible antitumor agents from natural sources, megastigmane glycosides and polyphenolic constituents isolated from the leaves of Eriobotrya japonica (Rosaceae) were found to inhibit the 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced activation of Epstein-Barr virus early antigen in Raji cells. Roseoside and procyanidin B-2 were among the active compounds found in an in vitro assay; these compounds were further assessed for antitumor activity in vivo in a two-stage carcinogenesis assay on mouse skin. Roseoside significantly delayed carcinogenesis induced by peroxynitrite (initiator) and TPA (promoter), and its potency was comparable to that of a green tea polyphenol, (-)-epigallocatechin 3-O-gallate, in the same assay.     

Anthocyanin composition and antioxidant activity of the Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) and other berries

The anthocyanin composition and antioxidant activity of the crowberry ( Empetrum nigrum) were studied. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with a diode array detector and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry were used for identification and quantification of individual anthocyanins. Freeze-dried crowberry powder was extracted with 80% methanol containing 0.5% acetic acid and subjected to HPLC. Thirteen kinds of anthocyanins were identified. The major anthocyanins were cyanidin-3-galactoside and delphinidin-3-galactoside, at 8.04 and 8.62 mg/g extract, respectively. The HPLC profile of crowberry extract was similar to bilberry and blueberry. The total content of anthocyanins in crowberry was 41.8 mg/g extract, higher than the other nine major berry species (2.5-38.8 mg/g extract). The antioxidant activity was also evaluated using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethybenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical quenching assays and the ferric reducing activity power assy. Crowberry extract exerted the strongest antioxidant activity. In conclusion, individual anthocyanins in crowberry were identified and then quantified in this study. Additionally, crowberry is suggested to be associated with a reduction in the risk of developing chronic diseases because of its strong antioxidant activity.     

Mathematical equations describing the behaviour of soil bacteria

A.D. McLaren made a major contribution to the development of quantitative studies in soil microbiology by presenting equations to describe the behaviour of microorganisms in soil. His three most important equations describe: the effect of the molecular environment at a solid-liquid interface on microbial activity; the vectorial reactions of nitrogen in soil; and the competition between species in soil. In his earlier research he illuminated physico-chemical features of the microenvironment of soil bacteria by means of kinetic models. Later his research expanded into the dynamics of microbial reactions in soil profiles and resulted in his second and third equations. Various experiments were carried to test these equations. Thus an elegant combination of the theoretical and practical aspects of soil microbiology was created. Furthermore he gave an insight into future research in modifying these classic approaches to include discrete and separate microsites.By studying bacterial populations established in capillary tubes inserted in soil, we have shown that there is a probabilistic feature in the proliferation of bacteria at microsites in soil: among several hundred viable bacteria existing at the start of the experiment only one or few bacteria proliferated during incubation. Colony formation of bacterial cells on solid media was described mathematically and this suggested that bacteria, after a lag, may form colonies by chance. The probability of forming colonies in a unit of time will depend on a large number of factors and vary according to species.     

Relationship between antibacterial activity of (+)-catechin derivatives and their interaction with a model membrane

(+)-Catechin derivatives with different alkyl chain lengths were synthesized from (+)-catechin and various straight chain alkylaldehydes in the presence of methyl mercaptan, and their antibacterial activities against Gram-positive bacteria were evaluated. The antibacterial activity increased markedly with elongation of the alkyl chain lengths of the derivatives and reached a maximum at a chain of four to seven carbons. Subsequently, interaction of the (+)-catechin derivatives with a model membrane using liposome was investigated. The derivatives with a chain of three carbons or more were found to have very strong affinity for the membrane. The injury action of the derivatives against the membrane was examined with liposome in which calcein was enclosed as a fluorescent indicator. The leakage was observed in the derivatives with chain lengths of four carbons or more. Particularly the derivatives with chains longer than five carbons are considered to destroy the liposome membrane judging from the degree of the fluorescent leakage. These results implied that the lipophilicity and disrupting ability of the (+)-catechin derivatives to the liposome membrane participate in their antibacterial activity.     

Phosphorus availability to corn from wood ash-amended soils

Wood ash is a residual material produced during biomass burning. In the northeastern United States up to 80 % of the ash is spread on agricultural lands as a liming amendment with the remainder being disposed of in landfills. As well as raising soil pH, wood ash also adds plant nutrients to soil. This study is an examination of the plant availability of the P in 8 different soils amended with one wood ash. Plant availability was assessed by measuring the biomass and P concentration of corn (Zea mays) L.) plants grown in the greenhouse for 28 d in soil amended with either CaCO₃ (control), wood ash to supply 200 mg kg^?1 total P, or monocalcium phosphate (MCP) to supply 200 mg kg^?1 total P and CaCO₃. Both corn growth and P uptake were highest in the MCP treatments, intermediate in the wood ash treatments, and lowest in the controls for all soil types. The soil property which seemed to have the greatest influence on P availability was pH buffer capacity. The soils with the greatest capacity to buffer OH additions also tended to exhibit the greatest absolute P uptake from wood ash-amended soils and the greatest P uptake relative to that from MCP-amended soils. The ability of soil test extractants to predict uptake of P in the three soil treatments was examined. A buffered ammonium acetate extradant overestimated P availability in the ash-amended soils relative to the MCP-amended soils. An unbuffered, acid, fluoride-containing extract provided a measure of P levels that was consistent with P uptake from all soil treatments. In this study the predictive relationship was as follows: P uptake = 0.017× (Bray P, mg kg^?1) + 1.19; r = 0.81.