Influence of Sulfur and Nitrogen Content of Rice Grains on Flavor in Stored Sake

The influence of nitrogen and sulfur compounds in rice grains on changes in flavor in stored sake was investigated using Japanese rice cultivars for sake making. Nitrogen content exhibited a significant positive correlation with sulfur content. Based on the molar ratio of nitrogen to sulfur in the rice grain, the sulfur compounds appeared to be derived from protein‐associated sulfur‐containing amino acids, as reported previously. The higher the protein content of the rice, the greater the amount of nitrogen and sulfur compounds found in both the digest of steamed rice grains and in the sake. Physicochemical changes were investigated in the stored sake to confirm the influence of total sulfur content. Polysulfides in the stored sake appeared to be higher when made from rice grains of high total sulfur content. Staling of stored sake was affected by levels of protein‐associated sulfur‐containing amino acids in the rice.     

Erythema multiforme possibly triggered by food substances in a dog

A 5-year-old female border collie presented with erythematous skin lesions at the axillae, groin, mucocutaneous junctions, and pinnae. Biopsy revealed lymphocytic interface dermatitis with hydropic degeneration of basal cells and keratinocyte apoptosis. Based on gross and histological features, diagnosis of erythema multiforme was made. The disease was resolved by treatment with azathioprine, prednisolone, and a hypoallergenic diet. Finally, the skin lesion was controlled without drug therapy but recurred easily every time commercial foods except the hypoallergenic diet were used, suggesting that food substances triggered this outbreak.     

Genetic characterization of GRA6 genes from Toxoplasma gondii from pigs in Okinawa, Japan

Toxoplasma gondii from pigs in Okinawa Prefecture was characterized by nested PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequence analysis of the dense granule antigen GRA6 gene. By nested PCR, parasite DNA was detected in 33 out of 91 lymph node samples with lesions similar to those found in toxoplasmosis samples that had been collected from pigs at an abattoir. RFLP analysis with MseI was successfully conducted in 29 of 33 PCR-positive samples to group the isolates into one of the three genotypes of T. gondii. Genotyping of the 29 studied samples rendered the following results: 13 of type I (44.8%), 14 of type II (48.3%), and 2 of type III (6.9%). The GRA6 genes of 12 Okinawa isolates were cloned and sequenced. Nine new nucleotide sequences were found, and nucleotide substitutions specific for the Okinawa isolates were found at 13 positions. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all GRA6 sequences were divided into one of the 3 main groups, and Okinawa isolates of GRA6 genotypes II and III seemed to be closely related to the Beverley strain and the NED strain, respectively. The results from this study may provide basic and useful information for the analysis of the molecular epidemiology of T. gondii infection within Japan.     

A plant peptide encoded by CLV3 identified by in situ MALDI-TOF MS analysis

The Arabidopsis CLAVATA3 (CLV3) gene encodes a stem cell-specific protein presumed to be a precursor of a secreted peptide hormone. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) applied to in situ Arabidopsis tissues determined the structure of a modified 12-amino acid peptide (MCLV3), which was derived from a conserved motif in the CLV3 sequence. Synthetic MCLV3 induced shoot and root meristem consumption as cells differentiated into other organs, displaying the typical phenotype of transgenic plants overexpressing CLV3. These results suggest that the functional peptide of CLV3 is MCLV3.     

Choroid plexus papilloma in a dog surviving for 15 months after diagnosis with symptomatic therapy

A 4-year-old female French bulldog presented with a 6-month history of right-sided head tilt and acute onset ataxia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a large mass lesion at the cerebellomedullary pontine angle. The dog was able to stand and walk after beginning symptomatic therapy with prednisolone, acetazolamide and glycerin. Magnetic resonance imaging 10 months after the first examination indicated slight expansion of the tumor. The dog was able to walk with continuous symptomatic therapy for 15 months until death, although the head tilt persisted. On postmortem examination, the gross tumor was slightly larger than when seen on the second MRI scan and was histopathologically diagnosed as a choroid plexus papilloma.     

Enumeration of oligotrophic rhizosphere pseudomonads with diluted and selective media formulations

Summary Diluted and selective media formulations were evaluated for the recovery of oligotrophic pseudomonads from the rhizosphere of the cucumber plant (Cucumis sativus L.). Full-strength King's B medium (KB) and 250-fold diluted medium (KB/250) were used as the basal formulations. The selective media formulations were: (1) Novobiocin, penicillin, and cycloheximide; (2) crystal violet and nitrofurantoin; and (3) Irgasan. On average, more rhizobacteria were recovered on the KB/250 than on the KB medium. For the recovery of pseudomonads, media made selective with either the novobiocin-penicillin-cycloheximide or the crystal violet and nitrofurantoin formulations were superior to the Irgasan formulation. Attempts to identify isolates using phospholipid fatty acid profiling met with limited success. The test isolates yielded mostly low similarity indices or no matches with the Microbial Identification System (aerobic library version) used for this study. All oligotrophic isolates were facultative and no evidence was obtained for the presence of obligate oligotrophs in these plating experiments.     

Phosphorylation of ovalbumin by dry-heating in the presence of pyrophosphate: effect on protein structure and some properties

Ovalbumin (OVA) was phosphorylated by dry-heating in the presence of pyrophosphate at pH 4.0 and 85 degrees C for 1 and 5 days, and the physicochemical and structural properties of phosphorylated OVA were investigated. The phosphorus content of OVA increased to 1.01% by phosphorylation, and the electrophoretic mobility of PP-OVA also increased. Although the solubility of dry-heated OVA decreased, the decrease was slightly depressed by phosphorylation. The circular dichroism spectra showed that the change of the secondary structure in the OVA molecule, as measured by alpha-helix content, was mild by phosphorylation. The exchange reaction between the sulfhydryl and disulfide groups was enhanced and the surface hydrophobicity of OVA increased by phosphorylation. The tryptophan fluorescence intensity of OVA decreased by phosphorylation, suggesting that the conformational change occurred in the OVA molecule by phosphorylation. Although the differential scanning calorimetry thermograms of OVA showed a lowering of the denaturation temperature from 78.3 to 70.1 degrees C by phosphorylation, the stability of OVA against heat-induced insolubility at pH 7.0 was improved. The results indicated molten (partially unfolded) conformations of OVA formed by dry-heating in the presence of pyrophosphate.     

Varietal difference in vitamin C content in the fruit of kiwifruit and other actinidia species

Vitamin C content in the fruit of various cultivars of kiwifruit and other Actinidia species was estimated by determination of L-ascorbic acid and L-dehydroascorbic acid using ion-pair reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Fruit of A. deliciosa cv. Hayward, the most common commercially available cultivar, contained 65.5 mg/100 g fresh weight (FW) vitamin C. Vitamin C content in A. deliciosa fruit varied from 29 mg/100 g FW to 80 mg/100 g FW. In most cultivars of A. chinensis, vitamin C content in fruit was higher than that of Hayward. In particular, vitamin C content in cv. Sanuki Gold fruit reached more than 3-fold that of Hayward on a weight for weight basis. In A. argutafruit, there was wide variation in vitamin C content, with concentrations ranging from 37 to 185 mg/100 g FW. In cv. Gassan, Issai, and Mitsuko, vitamin C content of the fruit was much higher than that of Hayward. In A. arguta fruit, the ratio of L-ascorbic acid to total ascorbic acid tended to be higher than that of other species.     

Constituents and their sweetness of food additive enzymatically modified licorice extract

Enzymatically modified licorice extract (EMLE) is a natural sweetener, which is prepared with cyclodextrin glucanotransferase. It is used because of its unique properties such as higher solubility and better taste than those of licorice extract. In the present paper, the structures of six major constituents isolated from EMLE were determined, and their sweetness was studied. The isolated compounds were glycyrrhizin (1), 3-O-[beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl]liquiritic acid (2), and their derivatives glucosylated at the C-4 position of the terminal glucuronopyranose with additional one (3 and 4, respectively) and two (5 and 6, respectively) glucose moieties. Compounds 1 and 2 are the major and minor sweet constituents in licorice extract, respectively. Compounds 3-6 are new compounds isolated for the first time. Compound 2 was sweeter than compound 1. Interestingly, compound 3, which is a monoglucosylated derivative of compound 1, was sweeter than compound 4. The sweetness of both compounds was lower than that of the parent compounds, while the lingering sweet aftertaste was markedly improved. Compounds 5 and 6, which have two additional glucose moieties, showed only slight sweetness.     

Genotypic diversity of Theileria orientalis detected from cattle grazing in Kumamoto and Okinawa prefectures of Japan

Theileria orientalis is a benign protozoan species that is widely distributed in Japan, yet sometimes causes serious economic losses in the livestock industry. In this study, we conducted a molecular survey based on genes encoding the major piroplasm surface protein (MPSP) and p23 for T. orientalis detected in cattle grazing in southern areas of Japan, consisting of 2 farms in Kumamoto prefecture (Aso and Kuma districts) and 3 farms in Okinawa prefecture (Ishigaki, Iriomote, and Yonaguni Islands). High prevalence rates of T. orientalis infection were shown in all the cattle populations using the diagnostic MPSP- and p23-PCR assays. Phylogenetic analyses revealed 4 MPSP genotypes and 3 p23 genotypes. Furthermore, MPSP genotype-specific PCR methods were developed in this study and wide distributions of 5-district genotypes of T. orientalis were observed for the examined farms. Our results indicate that at least 5 types of T. orientalis exist in Kumamoto and Okinawa prefectures of Japan and that genotype-specific PCR assays are highly applicable for the quarantine of transported cattle and for epidemiological surveys of bovine theileriosis in Japan.