Adenosine Deaminase Activity in Soils

Adenosine deaminase activity in six soil samples was measured. One g of moist soil was incubated with 0.02 M adenosine in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.6) and toluene in a shaking water bath (30°C) for 72 h. Inosine and NH₂ ⁺ were detected in the filtrate as degradation products of adenosine; inosine was identified by paper chromatography, and NH₂ ⁺ was determined by Nessler’s method.

The adenosine deaminase activity in soils was completely inhibited by autoclaving (120°C, 15 min).

The relation between substrate concentration and reaction rate followed the Michaelis-Menten equation.

The optimum pH for adenosine deaminase activity in soils ranged from about 7 to 8.

The adenosine deaminase activity in soils ranged from about 1.51 to 4.33 munit (nmol per min) per g of dry soil at 30°C.     

Relationships between immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G or A in colostrum of Japanese black multiparous cows

This study was conducted to clarify the relationships among immunoglobulin (Ig)M, IgG, IgA, β‐carotene, vitamin A and α‐tocopherol contents in colostrum of 24 Japanese Black multiparous cows in order to evaluate the role of IgM on colostral IgG and IgA production. Compared with colostral IgG, colostral IgM and IgA were very low but varied widely. There was positive correlation between colostral IgM and IgG, but colostral IgM was not related with colostral IgA. There was no relationship between colostral IgM and age of cows, although colostral IgG was increased with aging. There were positive correlations among colostral β‐carotene, vitamin A and α‐tocopherol and these vitamins were positively correlated with colostral IgM and IgG. These results indicate that fat‐soluble vitamins may affect colostral IgG and IgM in cows and colostral IgG increases with the increase of colostral IgM.     

Biomass Cycling and Soil Properties in an Agroforestry-based Plantation System of kayu putih (Melaleuca leucadendron LINN) in East Java, Indonesia

We investigated age-related changes in biomass cycling and soil properties in a kayu putih (Melaleuca leucadendron LINN, Myrtaceae) with improved shifting cultivation system in East Java, Indonesia, to design better management plans for sustainable kayu putih oil production and crop yield. Harvested biomass of kayu putih increased markedly from 7- to 15-year-old stands, but did not increase further in older stands averaging 2.41 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Kayu putih contributed 1.9–31.0% of total biomass production. Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) tuber was the largest component of biomass cycling. Harvested biomass of cassava decreased with increasing stand age and there was a trade-off between above- and below-ground biomass productions. Harvested biomass of maize (Zea mays L.) grain was constant throughout stand growth, whereas returned biomass fluctuated. With increasing stand age, soil organic matter (SOM) accumulated in soil indicating that returned biomass was decomposing slowly. Content of primary nutrients did not change with stand age. The contribution of cassava to harvested biomass was considerably larger than that of kayu putih. For this reason, selection of cassava as a single companion crop may not be suitable for sustaining kayu putih oil production. Maize may be a good companion crop for kayu putih because it produces a constant grain yield throughout stand growth and its contribution to harvested biomass is comparable to that of kayu putih. In addition, maize is shallow-rooted and causes less below-ground competition with deep-rooted kayu putih trees.     

Epsilon-polylysine microparticle adjuvant drives cytokine production to Th1 profile

Epsilon-polylysine micro particles (SGEPL) and polyethyleneimine micro particles (SGPEI) were developed by the addition of a hydrophobic group and the immunological characterization of these micro particles and aluminum hydroxide (ALUM) was investigated. BALB/c mice were injected intraperitoneally with ovalbumin (OVA) as an antigen and SGEPL, SGPEI or ALUM as an adjuvant. The results showed that the mice injected with SGEPL produced a significant portion of anti-OVA antibody subclass IgG2a in the sera and suppressed interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5, but enhanced IL-12 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) from the spleen cells. Similar results relating to cytokines were also obtained, even without OVA. Direct stimulation with SGEPL to na?ve BALB/c mouse spleen cells induced IL-12 and IFN-gamma. Both spleen and purified B cells produced IgG1 and IgE after stimulation with IL-4 and the anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody. With the addition of SGEPL, the IgE production from the cells was suppressed as a result of enhanced IFN-gamma production. Furthermore, IgE production was also suppressed in the purified B cells without the influence of IFN-gamma or IL-12. Thus, we suggest SGEPL drives cytokine production to Th1 profile. It will be a novel promising adjuvant based on this viewpoint.     

Difference in the stable nitrogen isotope ratio of Sargassum piluliferum (Phaeophyceae: Fucales) associated with fish and pearl oyster aquaculture facilities

In order to estimate the nitrogen loading from fish aquaculture facilities, we studied the nitrogen and carbon stable isotope ratios (δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C, respectively) in the brown macroalga Sargassum piluliferum and small amphipod crustaceans Caprella spp., both of which are lower trophic level biota found at fish and pearl oyster aquaculture facilities situated along the eastern coast of the Uwa Sea, Japan. This coastal region is one of the least populated areas along the Japanese coast. The mean concentrations of chlorophyll a, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic phosphate, and dissolved silicate-Si were 1.5- to 2-fold higher in samples from the fish aquaculture facilities than in those from the pearl oyster aquaculture facilities, indicating that the fish aquaculture facilities were associated with nitrogen loading. The δ¹⁵N abundance level in S. piluliferum collected from the fish aquaculture facilities was significantly higher (1.3‰) than that in macroalga collected at the pearl oyster aquaculture facilities, whereas that in Caprella spp., primary consumers, was only slightly higher (0.3‰). The feeding style of Caprella spp., which depends on suspended particulate organic matter and attached microalgae, is considered to the primary causal factor for the lack of a significant difference in δ¹⁵N abundance level between the two types of aquaculture facilities. Based on these results, we conclude that S. piluliferum found in close proximity of aquaculture facilities is a suitable organism for monitoring nitrogen loading from fish aquaculture facilities, through the analysis of δ¹⁵N.     

Collection,preservation and distribution of Oryza genetic resources by the National Bioresource Project RICE (NBRP-RICE)

Biological resources are the basic infrastructure of bioscience research. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a good experimental model for research in cereal crops and monocots and includes important genetic materials used in breeding. The availability of genetic materials, including mutants, is important for rice research. In addition, Oryza species are attractive to researchers for both finding useful genes for breeding and for understanding the mechanism of genome evolution that enables wild plants to adapt to their own habitats. NBRP-RICE contributes to rice research by promoting the usage of genetic materials, especially wild Oryza accessions and mutant lines. Our activity includes collection, preservation and distribution of those materials and the provision of basic information on them, such as morphological and physiological traits and genomic information. In this review paper, we introduce the activities of NBRP-RICE and our database, Oryzabase, which facilitates the access to NBRP-RICE resources and their genomic sequences as well as the current situation of wild Oryza genome sequencing efforts by NBRP-RICE and other institutes.