Amberjack <Emphasis Type="Italic">Seriola dumerili</Emphasis> interleukin-10 negatively suppresses host cell-mediated immunity

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine and negatively regulates cell-mediated immunity (CMI) induction by inhibiting cytokine production in type 1 T helper cells. IL-10 genes have been isolated from several fish, and inflammatory cytokine inhibition by IL-10 has been well examined. However, a CMI regulator of IL-10 in fish has not yet been identified. In this study, we cloned the IL-10 gene in amberjack Seriola dumerili and analyzed its function using its recombinant protein (rIL-10). In an in vitro culture experiment, gene expression of inflammatory cytokines was suppressed in leukocytes incubated with rIL-10 compared with cells that only received Nocardia seriolae stimulation. This result suggests amberjack IL-10 has conserved function as an inflammatory cytokine inhibitor. Bactericidal activity of amberjack cells against intracellular pathogen stimulation was decreased in a rIL-10 dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, a significant reduction in the T-bet/GATA-3 ratio was observed in N. seriolae living cell (LC)?+?rIL-10-injected fish. Taken together, these results suggest amberjack rIL-10 suppresses CMI induction both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the number of IgM⁺ cells among spleen leukocytes in N. seriolae?+?rIL-10-injected fish was higher than in only N. seriolae LC, suggesting that Th2-dominant immunity was induced by adding rIL-10.     

Two new species,Phytophthora nagaii sp. nov. and P. fragariaefolia sp. nov., causing serious diseases on rose and strawberry plants,respectively, in Japan

A new disease of rose was noticed in Chiba Prefecture of Japan in 1968, and the pathogen was initially identified as Phytophthora megasperma based on morphological characteristics. Similar Phytophthora isolates have since been collected from rose plants in Chiba, Kanagawa, and Shizuoka Prefectures. In 2005, several Phytophthora isolates were recovered from crowns of strawberry plants in Hokkaido Prefecture. These were considered to be members of a new species. In this study, we re-examined all these isolates using morphological and physiological studies and a multilocus phylogenetic analysis. The rose and strawberry isolates were mostly similar morphologically and physiologically, with some exceptions. The rose isolates differed significantly from P. megasperma sensu stricto and other related Phytophthora species. The rose and strawberry isolates had external proliferation of sporangia, characteristic funnel-shaped oogonia, predominantly paragynous antheridia, and fast growth rates of 10.5 mm/24 h at an optimum temperature of 28 °C. In the multilocus phylogenetic tree constructed using sequences from the rDNA ITS regions, rDNA LSU, and the translation elongation factor 1-α, β-tubulin and coxI genes, they formed a distinct monophyletic group in clade 7 with strong bootstrap support. The rose and strawberry isolates separated into two distinct groups. The results indicate that the rose and strawberry isolates constitute two separate species, designated here as Phytophthora nagaii and P. fragariaefolia.     

Mechanism of the rice hull‐induced germination of Monochoria vaginalis seeds in darkness

The seeds of Monochoria vaginalis require light to germinate. However, they are able to germinate in darkness in the presence of rice hulls. The mechanism of this phenomenon was investigated in this study, in which only the unsterilized seeds of Monochoria were induced to germinate by the presence of a rice hull extract. The rice hull extract was able to be replaced by either a mixture of amino acids and phosphate or a yeast extract. The culture media in which germination was observed always showed turbidity, indicating the propagation of bacteria, which were identified as Bacillus sp., Pedobacter sp., Pantoea sp. and Sphingomonas sp. Treatment with the individual bacterial species or combinations of these bacteria induced Monochoria seed germination when added to the media containing the rice hull extract. It was concluded that the rice hull extract accelerates the propagation of bacteria, which in turn digest the seed coat of Monochoria, facilitating its germination.     

Impact of the spatial and temporal arrangement of pastoral use on land degradation around animal concentration points

In mobile pastoral systems, the spatial movement of herders is tied to requirements such as water, markets and medical services, resulting in the concentration of livestock in particular areas and subsequent desertification in those areas. The spatial and temporal distributions of these requirements are subject to changes in external forces, such as political regimes and economic systems. To assess and counteract desertification requires an understanding of, and ability to predict, the spatial and temporal arrangements of such concentration points and how these arrangements cause or inhibit desertification. To this end we developed a model that explicitly simulates how animals and vegetation interact. The model has spatial settings for extensive pasture to represent the points at which animals concentrate. We found that the spatial dynamics of the interaction between animal behavior and vegetation were nonlinear and markedly affected the size of the area desertified, and that the distribution of grazing pressure was more important than total grazing pressure, which had only a limited influence on desertification. These findings indicate that application of the carrying capacity concept is not capable of preventing desertification in extensive pasture, even under equilibrium conditions. Therefore, explicit management of the spatial distribution of animals is essential to prevent desertification in extensively grazed rangelands. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Several possible spawning sites of the Japanese eel determined from collections of their eggs and preleptocephali

The spawning area of the Japanese eel is located at the southern part of the West Mariana Ridge in the western North Pacific, but their spawning events have not been observed. To further understand Japanese eel spawning ecology, an interdisciplinary research survey by the R/V NATSUSHIMA (NT14-09, 14 May–4 June 2014) was conducted to detect spawning sites based on the seamount, salinity front, new moon and third quadrant (spawning south of front, west of ridge) hypotheses. Attempts were made to film spawning events with underwater camera systems and to consider if eels might be detected in hydroacoustic observations. Although no Japanese eels or spawning events were video-recorded and no eel aggregations could be clearly identified acoustically, three eggs were collected at two stations in the third quadrant region at or just south of 13° N on 26 and 27 May. Three or four days later, newly hatched preleptocephali were collected at two stations far to the south, including 224 at a station > 160 km southwest of the egg catches, and a few preleptocephali were caught at two stations closer to the egg stations. The eggs and southern preleptocephali were from discrete spawning events, which indicated that at least two spawning sites occurred in May 2014.

     

Cadmium transport and tolerance in rice: perspectives for reducing grain cadmium accumulation

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal which harms human health. In Japan, a major source of human Cd-intake is rice grains and contamination of paddy soils by Cd and accumulation of Cd in rice grains are the serious agricultural issues. There also exist Cd contamination of rice and its toxicity in several populations in countries including China and Thailand. Understanding the Cd transport mechanisms in rice can be a basis for regulating rice Cd transport and accumulation by molecular engineering and marker-assisted breeding. Recently, a number of studies have revealed the behavior of Cd in rice, genetic diversity of Cd accumulation, quantitative trait loci controlling Cd accumulation and transporter molecules regulating Cd accumulation and distribution in rice. In this article, we summarize recent advances in the field and discuss perspectives to reduce grain Cd contents.     

Cylindrocladium brown leaf spot on Howea belmoreana caused by Calonectria ilicicola (anamorph: Cylindrocladium parasiticum) in Japan

Brown leaf spot disease caused by Cylindrocladium was found on Howea belmoreana on Hachijojima Island, Tokyo, Japan, in December 2001. Typical symptoms were incited after artificial inoculation. A culture of white mycelia, isolated from leaf spot symptoms, produced reddish perithecia of a nectriaceous fungus. Based on morphological and molecular analyses, this fungus was identified as Calonectria ilicicola (anamorph: Cylindrocladium parasiticum). Pathogenicity of this fungus on five plants cultivated on Hachijojima Island was confirmed by artificial inoculation. This report is the first on Cylindrocladium brown leaf spot of H. belmoreana caused by C. ilicicola (anamorph: Cy. parasiticum).     

First application of PCR-Luminex system for molecular diagnosis of fungicide resistance and species identification of fungal pathogens

Fungicide resistance in plant pathogens is often caused by a single point mutation in a gene encoding fungicide target proteins. Such is the case for resistance to MBI-D (inhibitors of scytalone dehydratase in melanin biosynthesis) fungicides in rice blast fungus (Magnaporthe oryzae), which is caused by a mutation in the scytalone dehydratase gene that results in a replacement of valine with methionine at codon 75 of the fungicide target protein. PCR-Luminex, a novel system developed for high-throughput analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was successfully introduced to diagnose MBI-D resistance using specific oligonucleotide probes coupled with fluorescent beads. The PCR-Luminex system was further tested for its potential in identifying species causing Fusarium head blight on wheat. Four major pathogens, Fusarium graminearum (=F. asiaticum), F. culmorum, F. avenaceum, and Microdochium nivale, known to cause the disease, were tested, and the species were identified using the PCR-Luminex method. So far, this report is the first on the application of the DNA-based PCR-Luminex system in the area of crop protection and/or agricultural sciences.     

Biological and phylogenetic characterization of Fusarium oxysporum complex, which causes yellows on Brassica spp., and proposal of F. oxysporum f. sp. rapae, a novel forma specialis pathogenic on B. rapa in Japan

Although the causal agent of yellows of Brassica rapa (turnip, pak choi, and narinosa) in Japan was reported in 1996 to be Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans, this classification has remained inconclusive because of a lack of detailed genetic and pathogenic studies. Therefore, we analyzed the taxonomic position of this organism using Japanese isolates of F. oxysporum complex obtained from diseased individuals of various B. rapa subspecies. Phylogenetic analyses using partial sequences of the rDNA intergenic spacer region and the mating-type gene (MAT1-1-1alpha-box) showed that B. rapa and cabbage isolates belong to different monophyletic clades that separated at early evolutionary stages. Additionally, correlations were observed between the molecular phylogeny and the vegetative compatibility groups. Isolates from turnip, komatsuna, and narinosa (B. rapa group) did not show pathogenicity against cabbage or broccoli (B. oleracea group), although they caused severe symptoms on their original host species. In contrast, cabbage isolates had significantly higher (P = 0.05) virulence on B. oleracea than on B. rapa crops. Our results indicate that F. oxysporum complex isolates from B. rapa and B. oleracea are not only phylogenetically distinct but also differ in host specificity. Therefore, we propose a novel forma specialis, F. oxysporum f. sp. rapae, which causes yellows on B. rapa, including turnip, komatsuna, pak choi, and narinosa.