Genetic and phylogenetic analysis of glycoprotein of rabies virus isolated from several species in Brazil

Genetic and phylogenetic analyses of the region containing the glycoprotein (G) gene, which is related to pathogenicity and antigenicity, and the G-L intergenic region were carried out in 14 Brazilian rabies virus isolates. The isolates were classified as dog-related rabies virus (DRRV) or vampire bat-related rabies virus (VRRV), by nucleoprotein (N) analysis. The nucleotide and amino acid (AA) homologies of the area containing the G protein gene and G-L intergenic region were generally lower than those of the ectodomain. In both regions, nucleotide and deduced AA homologies were lower among VRRVs than among DRRVs. There were AA differences between DRRV and VRRV at 3 antigenic sites and epitopes (IIa, WB+ and III), suggesting that DRRV and VRRV can be distinguished by differences of antigenicity. In a comparison of phylogenetic trees between the ectodomain and the area containing the G protein gene and G-L intergenic region, the branching patterns of the chiropteran and carnivoran rabies virus groups differed, whereas there were clear similarities in patterns within the DRRV and VRRV groups. Additionally, the VRRV isolates were more closely related to chiropteran strains isolated from Latin America than to Brazilian DRRV. These results indicate that Brazilian rabies virus isolates can be classified as DRRV or VRRV by analysis of the G gene and the G-L intergenic region, as well as by N gene analysis.     

A gain-of-function mutation in a cytokinin receptor triggers spontaneous root nodule organogenesis

Legume root nodules originate from differentiated cortical cells that reenter the cell cycle and form organ primordia. We show that perception of the phytohormone cytokinin is a key element in this switch. Mutation of a Lotus japonicus cytokinin receptor gene leads to spontaneous development of root nodules in the absence of rhizobia or rhizobial signal molecules. The mutant histidine kinase receptor has cytokinin-independent activity and activates an Escherichia coli two-component phosphorelay system in vivo. Mutant analysis shows that cytokinin signaling is required for cell divisions that initiate nodule development and defines an autoregulated process where cytokinin induction of nodule stem cells is controlled by shoots.     

水旱轮作大豆的营养生长与根系活力的关系

大豆是实行水旱轮作制度的重要作物之一,水田的排水不良是导致轮作大豆减产的重要原因.通过对水旱轮作大豆幼苗进行过湿处理,分析了不同大豆品种的营养生长特性与根系生理活性的关系.轮作大豆在过湿条件下,所有品种的生育都受到抑制,干物质生产受抑制程度存在着品种间的差异.营养生长诸性状中,伤流速度受过湿处理影响最大,处理区的伤流速度仅为对照区的64.2%.过湿处理导致伤流液中氮含量几乎减少了一半,伤流中的氮含量与叶片氮素含量之间存在极显著正相关关系,过湿条件下叶片氮含量的减少是由于根的氮素吸收能力的低下所致.遭遇过湿逆境时的植株个体大小与维持物质生产关系密切.过湿处理期间及其后的干物质增加量的大小与以伤流速度为代表的根系活力密切相关,说明从田间管理技术上提高大豆的根系活力以维持水旱轮作大豆的干物质生产是可行的.     

The influence of barley malt protein modification on beer foam stability and their relationship to the barley dimeric alpha-amylase inhibitor-I (BDAI-I) as a possible foam-promoting protein

The foam stability of beer is one of the important key factors in evaluating the quality of beer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the level of malt modification (degradation of protein, starch, and so on) and the beer foam stability. This was achieved by examining foam-promoting proteins using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE). We found that the foam stability of beer samples brewed from the barley malts of cultivars B and C decreased as the level of malt modification increased; however, the foam stability of cultivar A did not change. To identify the property providing the increased foam stability of cultivar A, we analyzed beer proteins using 2DE. We analyzed three fractions that could contain beer foam-promoting proteins, namely, beer whole proteins, salt-precipitated proteins, and the proteins concentrated from beer foam. As a result, we found that in cultivar A, some protein spots did not change in any of these three protein fractions even when the level of malt modification increased, although the corresponding protein spots in cultivars B and C decreased. We analyzed these protein spots by peptide mass finger printing using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. As a result, all of these spots were identified as barley dimeric alpha-amylase inhibitor-I (BDAI-I). These results suggest that BDAI-I is an important contributor to beer foam stability.     

Effects of photoperiod on gonadotropin-releasing hormone levels in the brain and pituitary of underyearling male barfin flounder

ABSTRACT:   A pleuronectiform fish, the barfin flounder Verasper moseri , expresses three gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) forms in the brain: salmon GnRH (sGnRH), chicken GnRH-II (cGnRH-II) and seabream GnRH (sbGnRH). To clarify the effects of photoperiod on GnRH systems, changes in brain and pituitary GnRH peptide levels were examined using time-resolved fluoroimmunoassays. In experiment 1, 5-month-old male barfin flounder (mean total length 9.0 cm, body weight 11.0 g) were divided into short (8:16 h light : dark [L:D] cycle; lights on 08.00–16.00 hours) and long photoperiod (16:8 h L:D cycle; lights on 04.00–20.00 hours) groups in mid September and maintained until November under natural water temperature (19.3–15.2°C). Brain sGnRH concentrations were significantly higher in the 16:8 h L:D group than in the 8:16 h L:D group, whereas no significant differences were observed in total length, body weight, plasma testosterone concentration, brain cGnRH-II concentration and pituitary sbGnRH content. In experiment 2, 7-month-old male barfin flounder (mean total length 16.5 cm, body weight 76.8 g) were divided into short and long photoperiod groups in mid December and maintained until February under natural water temperature (12.5–6.6°C). Total length, body weight and condition factor were significantly greater in the 16:8 h L:D group than in the 8:16 h L:D group, whereas no significant differences were observed in plasma testosterone concentration and GnRH levels in the brain and pituitary. These results indicate that levels of sGnRH in barfin flounder are influenced by photoperiodic treatment dependent on water temperature and/or body size.     

Spatial distribution pattern of attack of the oak borer,Platypus quercivorus (Murayama) (Coleoptera: Platypodidae), and scolytid ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) on fresh logs

The spatial distribution patterns of the attack on fresh logs ofPasania edulis was studied for the oak borer,Platypus quercivorus (Murayama), and two species of Scolytid ambrosia beetles,Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky) andXyleborus attenuatus Blanford, in 1994 and 1995. On the logs where onlyP. quercivorus attacked, the entry holes were distributed uniformly when attack intensity was low. However, the distribution pattern became more aggregated with the increase in attack intensity. On logs where bothP. quercivorus and the two Scolytid species attacked, there was a negative association between the spatial distribution of the entry holes ofP. quercivorus and that of scolytids. Simultaneous attack of two scolytids also increased the degree of aggregation of the entry holes ofP. quercivorus. The entry holes of scolytids were distributed in groups irrespective of the attack intensity of scolytids andP. quercivorus. These results suggest an asymmetrical interspecific relationship betweenP. quercivorus and scolytids. Concentration of the entry holes ofP. quercivorus in a small area may cause a considerable decline in the reproductive success in the galleries constructed there.     

Manufacture and mechanical properties of binderless boards from kenaf core

Binderless boards were prepared from finely ground powders of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) core under varying manufacturing conditions. This research was designed to investigate their mechanical properties and evaluate the various manufacturing conditions: pressing temperature and time, pressing pressure, board density, board thickness, grain size of raw materials, and addition of furfural. The mechanical properties (i.e., modulus of rupture and elasticity, internal bonding strength) of boards increased with increasing board density and met the requirement for 15 type medium-density fiberboard (MDF) by JIS A 5905-1994. Thickness swelling and water absorption of boards exceeded the maximum permitted levels for 15 type MDF and S20 grade hardboard by JIS A 5905-1994, which indicates the low water-resistant property of binderless boards. In contrast to that in usual wood-based materials, internal bonding strength showed significant correlations with other board properties: modulus of rupture and elasticity, thickness swelling, and water absorption. We confirmed experimentally that the best manufacturing conditions proved to be as follows: pressing temperature 180°C, time 10min; pressing pressure 5.3MPa; board thickness 5mm; board density 1.0g/cm³; average grain size 53µm; and powder with no furfural content.Part of this paper was presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Gifu, April 2002     

Effects of thinning on wind damage in Pinus thunbergii plantation ——Based on theoretlcal derlvation of risk—ratios for assessing wind damage

Based on paper of “Theoretical derivation of risk-ratios for assessing wind damage in coastal forest“,wind damage in the pine coasteal forest,which was thinned at four levels in December of 1997,was investigated for four successive growing seasons.Besides wind damage,the wind profiles outside and inside the coastal forest stand and the distributions of optical stratification porosity (OSP) were also observed.Based on these data,risk-ratios of wind damage for both individual trees and stands were estimated according to the methods developed in “Theoretical derivation of risk-ratios for assessing wind damage in a coastal forest“.The results showed that risk-ratios of wind damage,which were calculated from the meen height and diameter only and from the combination of wind and stand sructure profiles,accurately predicted wind damage in the plantation.Relationships between different thinning ratios and incidence of wind damage showed that stand stability decreased soon after the thinning.This was due to the immediate effects of thinning on increasing the canopy roughness and wind load,and on decreasing the sheltering effects from surrounding trees.However,thinning strategies could improve the stability by long-term effects on growthand development of trees against extreme wind.Only canopy damage was recorded during the experimental period,no stem damage was found,even though the maximum 10-min wind speed outside the coastal forest attained 30.2m s^-1.The results obtained in this study indicate that thinning is the most effective silvicultural strategy available for managing coastal forest despite the increased probability of wind damage soon after thinning.     

Influence of surface charge on viscosity behavior of cellulose microcrystal suspension

Microcrystalline cellulose with minimal surface charge was prepared from softwood kraft pulp via hydrolysis by 4N hydrochloric acid instead of sulfuric acid. To this material, sulfate ester groups as surface charge were introduced by treating with 55% (w/w) sulfuric acid. A treatment at 60°C for 2h gave nearly the same level of surface charge as that of the H₂SO₄ -hydrolyzed microcrystal. The number of sulfate groups were controlled by changing the H₂SO₄ treatment conditions. Although the microscopic size and shape of the microcrystalline particles were the same irrespective of the preparation method, the introduction of surface charge drastically reduced the viscosity and removed its time dependence. These changes in viscosity behavior are considered to result from charge-induced dispersion of loose aggregates existing in the initial charge-free microcrystals prepared by HCl hydrolysis.Part of this report was presented at the 48th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Shizuoka, April 1998     

Nonrandom distribution of chum salmon stocks in the Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean estimated using mitochondrial DNA microarray

More than 1,000 age-identified chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta collected at 23 stations in the Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean in June to July 2003 were used to estimate their origin of stocks using a DNA microarray developed for analyzing the mitochondrial (mt)DNA haplotypes. The observed haplotype distribution was nearly the same as that reported previously for fish collected in September 2002 and 2003 in the present surveyed areas. A conditional maximum-likelihood method for estimation of stock compositions indicated that the Japanese stocks mainly distributed in north central Bering Sea, whereas the Russian stocks were mainly in western Bering Sea. The North American stocks were abundant in eastern Bering Sea and around the Aleutian Islands. Such an area-specific stock composition was not significantly different between mature and immature fish. Thus, the combined results of 2 years suggest that the distribution of chum salmon is nonrandom in the surveyed areas in summer and autumn, and that fish of the same origin migrate together to the same area irrespective of age.