Emasculation of Tartary buckwheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagopyrum tataricum</Emphasis> Gaertn.) using hot water

Hot water treatment was applied to Tartary buckwheat (var. ‘Hokkai T8’) for emasculation. Apical clusters of flower buds were soaked in a constant temperature water bath (42–44°C) in the afternoon and then the flowers which opened in the next morning were used for the investigation of self-fertilization and the artificial pollination. Hand pollination was carried out by rubbing the anthers taken from the male parent (var. ‘Hokkai T10’) to the stigma of the flowers treated by hot water. The seed set by self-fertilization was almost 0% when treated at 42°C for 8 min or more, at 43°C for 5 min or more and at 44°C for 3 min or more. With artificial pollination, the best performance was obtained when treated at 44°C for 3 min, in which the seed set was 55.1% and the matured seed was obtained 37.7% of the hand-pollinated flowers. Nine out of 26 progeny seedlings emerged and the cotyledonal color of them were all reddish green, probably indicating the hybrid of ‘Hokkai T8’ and ‘Hokkai T10’. The hybridization was reconfirmed by the segregation in F₂. The hot water treatment at 44°C for 3 min was available to other seven varieties. From 24.5% to 100% of the hand-pollinated flowers set mature seeds though only one self-fertilized seed remained without artificial pollinations. This hot water treatment must be practically useful in hybridization breeding of Tartary buckwheat.     

Obtaining an Ogura-type CMS line from asymmetrical protoplast fusion between cabbage (fertile) and radish (fertile)

Cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) plants were obtained by asymmetrical protoplast fusion between red cabbage (fertile) and normal radish (fertile). The CMS plants showed restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns of mitochondrial (mt) DNA that were different from those of both parental lines. PCR analysis of mtDNA of the CMS plants and though Southern blot analysis showed that the mtDNA of the CMS line had the characteristics of the ogura CMS type. The results suggested that the orf138 gene and the ogura type atp6 gene are present in normal fertile cabbage and radish at a low copy level. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the Japanese flying fish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cypselurus hiraii</Emphasis>

ABSTRACT:   In this study, to develop a technique that enables authentication of processed seafood, the complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial genome for the Japanese flying fish Cypselurus hiraii was determined. Three segments spanning the entire genome were amplified using polymerase chain reaction, and products were subsequently used as templates for direct sequencing with 60 primers. The genome (16 528 base pairs) was found to contain the same 37 genes (two ribosomal RNA, 22 transfer RNA, and 13 protein-coding genes) as those found in other vertebrate mitochondrial genomes, with the gene order being identical to that typical of vertebrates. A major non-coding region between the tRNA^Pro and tRNA^Phe genes (868 base pairs) appears to be the control (D-loop) region, as it has several conserved blocks characteristic of control regions.     

Mechanical properties of wood swollen in organic liquids with two or more functional groups for hydrogen bonding in a molecule

The modulus of elasticity and the modulus of rupture during static bending in the radial direction, and the viscoelastic properties in the radial direction in the temperature range 20°–100°C of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) swollen in organic liquids with two or more functional groups in a molecule were compared with those of wood swollen by moisture. The wood swollen in organic liquids in or near the swelling equilibrium, but not that swollen in organic liquids distant from the swelling equilibrium, showed higher moduli of elasticity and rupture than the wood swollen to a similar degree by moisture. This suggests that wood exists in an unstable state as it approaches the swelling equilibrium, rendering it highly flexible and weak. During the first viscoelastic measurements for wood swollen in various organic liquids, thermal softening was observed in 40°–60°C range and above 80°C, though this softening disappeared during the second measurement. The softening observed in the 40°–60°C range and above 80°C was thought to have been caused by the redistribution of liquid toward the equilibrium state at a higher temperature and the swelling accompanying an elevated temperature, respectively.Part of this report was presented at the 49th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Tokyo, April 1999     

The effects of twisting and type of aspiration needle on the efficiency of transvaginal ultrasound-guided ovum pick-up in cattle

The effects of twisting and type (single- or double-lumen) of aspiration needle on the efficiency of transvaginal ultrasound-guided ovum pick-up (US-guided OPU) were investigated in cattle. The first study using slaughterhouse ovaries revealed that twisting of the needle during follicle aspiration improved the oocyte recovery rate without deleterious effects on the attachment of cumulus layers. Vacuum pressure affected the oocyte recovery and cumulus attachment, regardless of the needle type. The needle type did not affect the oocyte recovery or cumulus attachment with an optimized vacuum pressure. In the second study, US-guided OPU was performed in live cows using two types of needles with a vacuum pressure of 75 mmHg. The needle type did not affect the oocyte recovery or cumulus attachment of the recovered oocytes. The results revealed that twisting of the needle is effective in follicle aspiration, and suggested that a single-lumen needle is as useful as a double-lumen needle for US-guided OPU in cattle.