Interaction of dinotefuran and its analogues with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of cockroach nerve cords

To investigate the action of dinotefuran (MTI-446, 1-methyl-2-nitro-3-(tetrahydro-3-furylmethyl)guanidine), a recently developed insecticide, on insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), we determined the potencies of the compound and 15 analogues in inhibiting the specific binding of [3H]epibatidine (EPI), a nAChR agonist, and [3H]alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BGT), a competitive nAChR antagonist, to the nerve cord membranes of American cockroaches (Periplaneta americana). Racemic dinotefuran inhibited [3H]EPI binding with an IC50 of 890 nM and [3H]alpha-BGT binding with an IC50 of 36.1 microM. Scatchard analysis indicated that the dinotefuran inhibition of [3H]EPI binding was a competitive one. Slight structural modification caused a drastic reduction in potency; only four analogues were found to be equipotent to or more potent than dinotefuran. Chloropyridinyl and chlorothiazolyl neonicotinoid insecticides displayed two or three orders of magnitude higher potency than dinotefuran. There was a good correlation between the IC50 values of tested compounds obtained with [3H]EPI and those obtained with [3H]alpha-BGT. A better correlation was observed between 3-h knockdown activities (KD50) against German cockroaches (Blattella germanica) and IC50 values obtained from [3H]EPI assays than between 24-h lethal activities (LD50) and IC50 values. While the results indicate that dinotefuran and its analogues interact with the ACh-binding site in cockroach nAChRs, it remains to be elucidated why they displayed lower potencies than those expected based on their insecticidal activities.     

Biotin-labeled proteins of Eimeria tenella sporozoite

To identify surface proteins of eimerian sporozoite, Eimeria tenella sporozoites were labeled with biotin-LC-hydrazide, and analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and Western blotting. More than 200 sporozoite proteins were recognized with silver staining after 2D-PAGE. Among them, 7 biotin-labeled proteins were detected as surface molecules after Western blotting and reaction with horseradish peroxidase conjugated streptavidin. Their molecular masses ranged from 23 to 117 kilo daltons and their isoelectric points from 4.3 to 6.3. It appears that the biotin-labeling technique can be used to analyze of surface proteins of eimerian parasites.     

Effects of in vivo administration of anti-IL-10 or anti-IFN-gamma monoclonal antibody on the host defense mechanism against Plasmodium yoelii yoelii infection

Our previous reports indicated that C57BL/6 mice infected with a lethal variant of Plasmodium yoelii 17X (P. yoelii 17XL) produced high levels of interleukin 10 (IL-10) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) while mice infected with the nonlethal variant of the parasite did not produce detectable levels of IL-10. In the present study, the involvement of IL-10 and IFN-gamma in exacerbation or regulation of blood-stage malaria was investigated by using the lethal variant of P. yoelii 17XL and monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against the cytokines. C57BL/6 mice were injected intraperitoneally with a neutralizing anti-IL-10 mAb or anti-IFN-gamma mAb after inoculation with P. yoelii 17XL. Treatment of mice with anti-IL-10 mAb resulted in substantial prolongation of survival and 60% of treated mice survived while 100% of control mice died by day 11. On the contrary, treatment of mice with anti-IFN-gamma mAb exacerbated infection and all mice died after an earlier period than those treated with normal rat Ig. No differences in parasitemias were found between treated and untreated mice. To elucidate the involvement of nitric oxide in the host protection or exacerbation, mice were treated with aminoguanidine, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthetase, after inoculation of P. yoelii 17XL. Neither mortality nor parasitemia was influenced by the treatment. These results indicate that an IFN-gamma response is associated with protective immunity in mice infected with P. yoelii 17XL, while an IL-10 response is associated with disease exacerbation during the infection.     

Appearance of race Pfs:5 of spinach downy mildew fungus, Peronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae, in Japan

The races for the causal agent of spinach downy mildew Peronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae were identified by inoculation of race-differential cultivars. One isolate was identified as Pfs:5s and the others belonged to a new race. This is the first report of race Pfs:5 and another new race in Japan.     

Assessing raindrop impact energy at the forest floor in a mature Japanese cypress plantation using continuous raindrop-sizing instruments

The raindrop size distribution of throughfall and open rainfall was monitored continuously during a rainfall event using laser raindrop-sizing instruments (LD gauges), in order to calculate the raindrop impact energy in a plantation of mature Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), where surface erosion at the forest floor had been a problem. Data from two rainfall events were analyzed. The LD gauges recorded qualitative raindrop size distribution, and the capture rate during each rainfall event was used to manipulate raindrop data quantitatively. Throughfall and open rainfall comparisons revealed several important differences. First, throughfall raindrops were fewer in number and larger in size than open rainfall drops. In one rainfall event, for example, throughfall raindrops were less than one-fifth as frequent as open rainfall raindrops; in addition, the maximum throughfall raindrop diameter was 6.35mm compared to 3.31mm for open rainfall raindrops. Second, throughfall raindrops that were larger than the largest open rainfall raindrops comprised 63.8% of the throughfall precipitation by volume. Third, total raindrop impact energy from throughfall was over twice that of open rainfall. Moreover, comparison of throughfall events implied that throughfall raindrops did not always have a uniform distribution between different events or among different periods of time in one rainfall event, in contrast to findings in previous studies which showed that throughfall raindrops had a uniform size distribution independent of rainfall intensity. It is possible that an abrupt transition of throughfall intensity from low to high changes the distribution of throughfall raindrops.     

Specific developmental stages of gametogenesis for radiosensitivity and mutagenesis in rice

Summary Developmental stages during gametogenesis of rice were histologically examined in the period from differentiation of reproductive organs to anthesis. Plants were exposed to acute X-rays of 20 Gy. Radiosensitivity and mutation frequency were investigated in relation to the developmental stages of reproductive organs. The most radiosensitive stage, as measured by reduction of the M1 pollen-and seed-fertilities, was the last premeiotic interphase. Mutations induced at different developmental stages were scored in M3 strains. Sterility mutants and short-culm mutants were most frequently observed. Grain shape, panicle morphology, heading-date and endosperm character mutants were induced at a relatively low frequency. The overall mutation frequency varied with the developmental stage at the time of irradiation. The highest overall mutation frequency was observed when radiation was applied 10 days before anthesis, the late tetrad stage of microspores. Radiation exposure of florets at the late tetrad stage was found to be a more efficient method of inducing a large number of mutations than radiations applied to seeds and fertilized egg cells.     

茶树内源IAA和ABA与茶树生育的相互关系(英文)

通过用HPLC检测茶树根系及芽梢的内源激素IAA和ABA含量,研究了茶树生长与内源激素的关系.根系中IAA和ABA的含量,在地上部生长休止期间达到最高,随着芽梢的生长逐渐下降,IAA与ABA的比值越小,根系生长越快,Al能显著促进茶树根系生长,根系生长 AlpH4.5> Al pH3.5>-Al pH4.5>-Al pH3.5,根系IAA与ABA的比值按上述顺序依次增大,新梢中IAA和ABA的含量在萌动芽中最高,随着芽的生长逐渐下降.新梢的生长不仅受IAA和ABA含量的影响,更受二者比值的影响,在芽梢中,IAA与ABA的比值越高,新梢生长越快.