Genetic diversity among Japanese local populations of an edible and medicinal coastal plant Glehnia littoralis F. Schmidt ex Miq.

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - To assess the current genetic status of a useful coastal plant Glehnia littoralis F. Schmidt ex Miq. in Japan, the genetic diversity within and among natural...     

Isolation and characterization of a cDNA from Catharanthus roseus which is highly homologous with phosphate transporter

The PIT1 gene which is highly homologous with phosphate transporter was isolated from Catharanthus roseus and analyzed. The cBNA PIT1 contained an open reading frame of 542 amino acids and its sequence showed a 31, 30, and 34% identity with the phosphate transporter of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (PBO84), Neurospora crassa (PHO-5), and Glomus versiforme (GvPT), respectively. Furthermore, the cDNA PIT1 encoded a highly hydrophobic protein with 12 putative membrane-spanning regions and contained a conserved amino acid sequence reported in the human glucose transporter super-family* S. cerevisiae strain DpU (pho84 knockout strain) was unable to grow on low phosphate (55 μM) medium (LP medium). Expression of the PIT1 cDNA enabled DpU to grow on LP medium. Northern hybridization analysis revealed that the PIT1 gene was expressed in roots, stems, and young whole plant of C. roseus, but not in leaves.     

Effect of soil microorganisms on the growth of roots in rice seedlings

Abstract

Root system of rice seedlings grown on nutrient solution inoculated with soil microorganisms were examined morphologically in comparison with those obtained under sterile condition. In the presence of soil microorganisms, primary roots increased in their number and decreased in the total length. Inoculated plants had more secondary roots equipped with tertiary roots. In addition, longer root hairs developed densely on primary and secondary roots of the inoculated seedlings.

Anatomical examination of the primary roots revealed that the number and width of cortical layers, as well as the length and width of the cortical cells, were increased by the effect of microorganisms. Microbial effect on outer morphology of rice roots, consequently, was estimated to have been induced from the alteration in histological and cytological activities including the activation of the periclinal divisions of the epidermal cells, the inactivation of the transverse divisions of the cortical cells and the activation of the elongation of cortical cells.     

Acibenzolar-S-methyl efficacy against bacterial brown stripe caused by Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae in creeping bentgrass

Journal of General Plant Pathology - Bacterial brown stripe caused by Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (Aaa) causes serious damage on creeping bentgrass on golf course greens. However, there are few...     

Production of Diabetic Offspring Using Cryopreserved Epididymal Sperm by In Vitro Fertilization and Intrafallopian Insemination Techniques in Transgenic Pigs

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a useful technique for creating pig strains that model human diseases. However, production of numerous cloned disease model pigs by SCNT for large-scale experiments is impractical due to its complexity and inefficiency. In the present study, we aimed to establish an efficient procedure for proliferating the diabetes model pig carrying the mutant human hepatocyte nuclear factor-1α gene. A founder diabetes transgenic cloned pig was generated by SCNT and treated with insulin to allow for normal growth to maturity, at which point epididymal sperm could be collected for cryopreservation. In vitro fertilization and intrafallopian insemination using the cryopreserved epididymal sperm resulted in diabetes model transgenic offspring. These results suggest that artificial reproductive technology using cryopreserved epididymal sperm could be a practical option for proliferation of genetically modified disease model pigs.     

First report of bacterial blight of crucifers caused by Pseudomonas cannabina pv. alisalensis in Japan

In October 2010, a bacterial disease produced flecks and spots on leaves of Chinese cabbage, cabbage and Japanese radish in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. The symptoms started on the abaxial surface of leaves as angular, water-soaked flecks of 1–2 mm in diameter with a yellow halo of 3–4 mm width. These flecks then became visible on both leaf surfaces, enlarged and coalesced into large blight lesions. The symptoms were similar to bacterial leaf spot caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola. The bacterium isolated from leaf lesions formed a white colony and produced polysaccharides on YP agar. The isolates were identified as P. syringae group by LOPAT tests and the 16S rDNA sequence. Moreover, the results of pathogenicity on cruciferous plants, bacteriological characteristics, rep-PCR and the sequences of rpoD and gyrB showed that the isolates should be identified as P. cannabina pv. alisalensis (recently transferred from P. syringae pv. alisalensis). This is the first report of P. cannabina pv. alisalensis isolated from diseased crucifers in Japan.     

Automated analysis of fine‐root dynamics using a series of digital images

Information related to the growth of fine roots is important for understanding C allocation in trees and the mechanisms of C cycling in ecosystems. Observations using a camera or scanner embedded in the soil enabled us to obtain continuous images of fine‐root‐growth dynamics. However, these methods are still labor‐intensive because the image analysis has to be conducted manually. We developed an automated method for tracking movement or elongation of fine roots using a sequence of scanner images. We also show how data obtained with these methods can be used for calculating fine‐root behavior. Two A4‐size scanners were buried in a mixed forest in Japan and images were taken continuously from within the soil. We preprocessed these images by extracting the fine‐root area from the images and developed an automated calculation plug‐in we named A‐root for tracking growth movement of the tips of fine roots. A‐root and manual‐tracking results were compared using the same images. The results show the A‐root and manual‐tracking methods yielded similar levels of accuracy. The average growth rate of 17 fine roots tracked using the program was 0.16 mm h^–1. The observation of the direction of growth in fine roots showed the direction may be influenced by the original root's growth where the fine roots branched, distribution of soil particles, other roots, and the force of gravity. The A‐root analysis also suggested there may be an interaction between speed of growth and changes in direction of growing fine roots.     

Domain composition of rhamnose-binding lectin from shishamo smelt eggs and its carbohydrate-binding profiles

Osmerus (Spirinchus) lanceolatus egg lectin (OLL) is a member of the rhamnose-binding lectin (RBL) family which is mainly found in aqueous beings. cDNA of OLL was cloned, and its genomic architecture was revealed. The deduced amino acid (aa) sequence indicated that OLL was composed of 213 aa including 95 aa of domain N and 97 aa of domain C. N and C showed 73 % sequence identity and contained both -ANYGR- and -DPC-KYL-peptide motifs which are conserved in most of the RBL carbohydrate recognition domains. The calculated molecular mass of mature OLL was 20,852, consistent with the result, and 20,677.716, from mass spectrometry. OLL was encoded by eight exons: exons 1 and 2 for a signal peptide; exons 3–5 and 6–8 for N- and C-domains, respectively. Surface plasmon resonance spectrometric analyses revealed that OLL showed comparable affinity for Galα- and β-linkages, whereas Silurus asotus lectin (SAL), a catfish RBL, bound preferentially to α-linkages of neoglycoproteins. The Kd values of OLL and SAL against globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) were 1.69 × 10^?5 M for and 2.81 × 10^?6 M, respectively. Thus, the carbohydrate recognition property of OLL is slightly different from that of SAL. On the other hand, frontal affinity chromatography revealed that both OLL and SAL interacted with only glycolipid-type oligosaccharides such as Gb3 trisaccharides, not with N-linked oligosaccharides. The domain composition of these RBLs and an analytical environment such as the “cluster effect” of a ligand might influence the binding between RBL and sugar chains.     

Relationship between resistance to pine wilt disease and the migration or proliferation of pine wood nematodes

To study the relationship between resistance to pine wilt disease and the migration or proliferation of pine wood nematodes (PWN) (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus), we conducted experiments using clonally-propagated Japanese black pines (Pinus thunbergii) with pre-evaluated individual resistance levels. Bark including the cortical resin canals—one of the main migration pathways of PWN—was removed by girdling, but neither the migration of PWN nor symptom development of pine wilt disease were inhibited by this treatment in non-resistant clones. Histological observations showed no significant differences in the lumen area or the number of cortical- and xylem- axial resin canals between resistant and susceptible clone groups from a half-sib family. A bioassay using methanol extracts from resistant and susceptible clones showed that extracts from both clones showed similar attractant effects to PWN, but neither had repellent effects. The resistant clones were multi-inoculated with PWN into three split points to mimic migration in the stem. The proportion of damaged plants was not significantly different from that in single-inoculated plants (control). In this experiment, the number of PWN detected from partially-damaged plants was much higher than that from non-damaged plants. An inoculation test using stem cuttings showed that the population of PWN increased in susceptible cuttings at 1–20 days after inoculation (dai), while it remained unchanged or gradually decreased in resistant cuttings. These findings suggested that the factors contributing to resistance were associated with inhibiting the proliferation of PWN, rather than inhibiting their migration.