Flowering ability of commercial Calibrachoa cultivars as compared to that of natural species

To evaluate and describe the current status of Calibrachoa cultivars as bedding plants, the seasonal flowering of 91 commercial cultivars were compared to those of natural species using principal components analysis. The predominant flowering of the cultivars, that is, floriferous in late spring to early summer with a tendency to reduce flower production toward winter, seems to have remained unchanged from that of natural species. However, properties desired in bedding plants, such as early flowering and continuous flowering under short-day and/or low temperature conditions, appear to have been improved in a considerable number of cultivars, although there is still room for improvement. Seasonal and total floral counts were higher in many cultivars compared to natural species. Several natural species were selected for their unique flowering ability and should be evaluated as gene resources for improving the flowering of Calibrachoa cultivars.     

Assessment of decay risk of airborne wood-decay fungi

The decay risk of airborne wood-decay fungi was investigated by using an air sampler. Japanese cedar disks 7.8 cm in diameter and about 3 mm in thickness with moisture content of about 100% were placed in a “BIOSAMP” air sampler and exposed to 1000 l air. Air sampling was carried out from June to September at the same sampling site in Tsukuba, Japan. The exposed disks were then incubated for 16 weeks in a damp container kept at 26° ± 2°C. During the incubation period, wood mass loss ranged from −15 to 807 mg with a mean mass loss of 244 mg. Factors affecting mass loss were explored. Wood moisture content and ratio of heartwood area proved to be significant factors. In addition, six weather factors were found to influence mass loss. Disks that were sampled on a cloudy day showed significantly higher mean mass loss compared to those sampled on a sunny day. Subculturing of filamentous fungi from 16-week incubated disks suggested one-third of the isolated fungi produced ligninolytic enzymes.     

Inhibitory effect of heat‐killed Lactobacillus strain on immunoglobulin E‐mediated degranulation and late‐phase immune reactions of mouse bone marrow‐derived mast cells

This study investigated the in vitro effect of Lactobacillus strains, a major group of probiotic lactic acid bacteria, on immunoglobulin E (IgE)‐ and antigen‐induced mast cell degranulation and subsequent gene expression. Bone marrow‐derived mast cells (BMMCs) from DBA/2 mice were cultured with heat‐killed Lactobacillus strains for 24 h. Some strains significantly inhibited IgE‐ and antigen‐induced β‐hexosaminidase release from BMMCs. Furthermore, Lactobacillus reuteri NBRC 15892, which exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity, significantly reduced the elevated interleukin (IL)‐4, IL‐13, tumor necrosis factor‐α, and cyclooxygenase‐2 expression levels that was induced by 1–2 h of stimulation with IgE and antigens. The suppressive effect of NBRC 15892 strain on BMMC degranulation was significantly reduced in the presence of a toll‐like receptor (TLR)2‐neutralizing antibody. In addition, downregulation of cell surface FcεRIα expression was observed after 6 h of NBRC 15892 treatment. These results suggest that some Lactobacillus strains inhibited IgE‐mediated mast cell degranulation and subsequent late‐phase reactions involving mast cells via a TLR2‐dependent mechanism with FcεRIα downregulation.     

Marine bacterial sialyltransferases

Sialyltransferases transfer N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) from the common donor substrate of these enzymes, cytidine 5'-monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-Neu5Ac), to acceptor substrates. The enzymatic reaction products including sialyl-glycoproteins, sialyl-glycolipids and sialyl-oligosaccharides are important molecules in various biological and physiological processes, such as cell-cell recognition, cancer metastasis, and virus infection. Thus, sialyltransferases are thought to be important enzymes in the field of glycobiology. To date, many sialyltransferases and the genes encoding them have been obtained from various sources including mammalian, bacterial and viral sources. During the course of our research, we have detected over 20 bacteria that produce sialyltransferases. Many of the bacteria we isolated from marine environments are classified in the genus Photobacterium or the closely related genus Vibrio. The paper reviews the sialyltransferases obtained mainly from marine bacteria.     

Submergence Tolerant Rice: SUB1’s Journey from Landrace to Modern Cultivar

Rice landraces tolerant of up to 2 weeks of complete submergence were collected from farmers’ fields in the 1950s. Success in fine mapping of SUBMERGENCE 1 (SUB1), a robust quantitative trait locus from the submergence tolerant FR13A landrace, has enabled marker-assisted breeding of high-yielding rice capable of enduring transient complete submergence. At the molecular level, SUB1 is a variable polygenic locus encoding two or three ethylene responsive factor (ERF) DNA binding proteins. All Oryza sativa accessions encode SUB1B and SUB1C at this locus. An additional ERF, SUB1A, is present at SUB1 in FR13A and other tolerant accessions. The induction of SUB1A expression by ethylene during submergence disrupts the elongation escape strategy typical of lowland and deepwater rice, by limiting ethylene-induced gibberellic acid-promoted elongation. Microarray and metabolite studies confirm that SUB1A orchestrates its effects on metabolism and growth in a submergence-dependent manner. Due to the conditional activity of SUB1A, new “Sub1” mega-varieties effectively provide submergence tolerance without apparent ill effect on development, productivity, or grain quality.     

alpha-Klotho as a regulator of calcium homeostasis

alpha-klotho was identified as a gene associated with premature aging-like phenotypes characterized by short lifespan. In mice, we found the molecular association of alpha-Klotho (alpha-Kl) and Na+,K+-adenosine triphosphatase (Na+,K+-ATPase) and provide evidence for an increase of abundance of Na+,K+-ATPase at the plasma membrane. Low concentrations of extracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]e) rapidly induce regulated parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion in an alpha-Kl- and Na+,K+-ATPase-dependent manner. The increased Na+ gradient created by Na+,K+-ATPase activity might drive the transepithelial transport of Ca2+ in cooperation with ion channels and transporters in the choroid plexus and the kidney. Our findings reveal fundamental roles of alpha-Kl in the regulation of calcium metabolism.     

New Azaphilones,Seco-Chaetomugilins A and D,Produced by a Marine-Fish-Derived Chaetomium globosum

Seco-chaetomugilins A and D were isolated from a strain of Chaetomium globosum that was originally isolated from the marine fish Mugil cephalus, and their absolute stereostructures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses, including 1D and 2D NMR techniques, along with the chemical transformation from known chaetomugilins A and D. Seco-chaetomugilin D exhibited growth inhibitory activity against cultured P388, HL-60, L1210, and KB cells.     

Heat-tolerant rice cultivars retain grain appearance quality under free-air CO2 enrichment

Background

Heat-tolerant rice cultivars have been developed as a countermeasure to poor grain appearance quality under high temperatures. Recent studies showed that elevated CO₂ concentrations (E-[CO₂]) also reduce grain quality. To determine whether heat-tolerant cultivars also tolerate E-[CO₂], we conducted a free-air CO₂ enrichment (FACE) experiment with 12 rice cultivars differing in heat tolerance.

Results

The percentage of undamaged grains of five standard cultivars (Akitakomachi, Kinuhikari, Koshihikari, Matsuribare, Nipponbare) averaged 61.7% in the ambient [CO₂] (AMB) plot and 51.7% in the FACE plot, whereas that of heat-tolerant cultivars (Eminokizuna, Wa2398, Kanto 257, Toyama 80, Mineharuka, Kanto 259, Saikai 290) averaged 73.5% in AMB and 71.3% in FACE. This resulted in a significant [CO₂] by cultivar interaction. The percentage of white-base or white-back grains increased from 8.4% in AMB to 17.1% in FACE in the sensitive cultivars, but from only 2.1% in AMB to only 4.4% in FACE in the heat-tolerant cultivars.

Conclusion

Heat-tolerant cultivars retained their grain appearance quality at E-[CO₂] under present air temperatures. Further improvements in appearance quality under present conditions will be needed to achieve improvements under E-[CO₂], because E-[CO₂] will likely lower the threshold temperature for heat stress.     

Stereochemistry and biosynthesis of (+)-lyoniresinol, a syringyl tetrahydronaphthalene lignan in Lyonia ovalifolia var. elliptica I: isolation and stereochemistry of syringyl lignans and predicted precursors to (+)-lyoniresinol from wood

Steps leading to the biosynthesis of syringyl lignans and tetrahydronaphthalene and naphthalene lignans, especially the formation of the C2–C7′ linkage, have not been elucidated. Lyoniresinol is a typical syringyl lignan, as well as a tetrahydronaphthalene lignan found in Lyonia ovalifolia var. elliptica. To demonstrate the biosynthetic pathway for (+)-lyoniresinol, three putative biosynthetic intermediates of lyoniresinol, syringaresinol, 5,5′-dimethoxylariciresinol, and 5,5′-dimethoxysecoisolariciresinol, were isolated from wood. The identity of the putative intermediates was confirmed by spectroscopic analyses, as well as by comparison of spectral and chromatographic data with those of authentic samples previously synthesized. The stereochemistry (enantiomeric composition and absolute configuration) of the isolated lignans were determined as (±)-syringaresinol, (8S,8′S)-(−)-5,5′-dimethoxylariciresinol [46% enantiomeric excess (e.e.)], (8S,8′S)-(+)-5,5′-dimethoxysecoisolariciresinol (91% e.e.), and (8R,8′R)-(+)-lyoniresinol (42% e.e.). The absolute configurations of (+)-and (-)-5,5′-dimethoxylariciresinols, and (+)-and (-)-5,5′-dimethoxysecoisolariciresinols were determined by their synthesis (catalytic reduction) from (8R,8′R)-(+)-and (8S,8′S)-(-)-syringaresinols and by subsequent chiral high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. This report was presented at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kyoto, March 2005     

杜仲不同无性系叶中杜仲胶含量及相对分子质量研究

用有机溶剂法提取杜仲不同无性系叶中的杜仲胶,对其含量进行比较,并用高效液相凝胶渗透色谱对杜仲胶的相对分子质量及相对分子质量分布进行了分析。结果表明,14个杜仲无性系间杜仲胶的含量、相对分子质量及相对分子质量分布均存在极显著差异;无性系G 3叶中的杜仲胶含量最高,G 2中的含量最低,无性系G 3,X 18,L 49和L 1(胶含量均在35.00 g/kg以上)可以作为叶胶产量高的优良无性系;相对分子质量较高(Mw在1.550×105以上)且相对分子质量分布范围较宽(MW D在13.50以上)的无性系G 2,L 23,L 33和G 1叶中的杜仲胶较适合用作高弹性材料,而相对分子质量较低(Mw在1.000×105以下)且相对分子质量分布范围较窄(MW D在10.00以下)的L 45,L 49和L 9叶中的杜仲胶更适合用作热塑性材料。