Identification of Petunia hybrida cultivars that diurnally emit floral fragrances

In order to identify genetic resources for breeding fragrant petunias for use as bedding plants, volatile compounds released by day from the flowers of 40 commercial Petunia hybrida cultivars were analyzed using a solid-phase micro-extraction technique coupled with GC–MS. The three cultivars with solid deep-blue flowers that accumulate malvidin in corollas with high tissue pH were found to emit abundant iso-eugenol as the principal floral fragrance. Several other cultivars that emitted considerable amounts of methylbenzoate and/or benzylbenzoate from the flower were also identified. Association between the floral fragrance and the other floral traits such as floral anthocyanin composition and corolla-tissue pH was discussed.     

Taurine transporter from the giant Pacific oyster <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassostrea gigas</Emphasis>: function and expression in response to hyper- and hypo-osmotic stress

ABSTRACT:   Taurine is the primary osmolyte in marine molluscs, whose cellular osmo-conforming process is vital for environmental adaptation because of a lack of osmotic homeostasis. Here, cDNA cloning and expression, and functional analyses of taurine transporter (TAUT) from the giant Pacific oyster are reported on. The deduced amino-acid sequence of oyster TAUT (oyTAUT) showed 47–51% identity to those of vertebrate TAUT, whereas identity among the vertebrates is 78–95%. Functional analysis of oyTAUT expressed in Xenopus oocytes revealed that oyTAUT has a lower affinity and specificity for taurine and a requirement for higher NaCl concentration, compared with vertebrate TAUT. Taken together with similar functional properties of TAUT from mussel, indicated by our previous study, it is possible that these functional features reflect the internal environment of the molluscs (i.e. higher taurine and NaCl concentrations). Oyster taurine transporter mRNA expression was induced by not only hyper-osmotic stress, similar to other TAUT, but also hypo-osmotic stress. It is speculated that the expression in response to hypo-osmotic stress was induced by a substantial decrease in tissue taurine content following the decrease in the internal osmolality.     

Utilization of free amino acids, yolk proteins and lipids in developing eggs and yolk-sac larvae of walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma

ABSTRACT:   To elucidate the utilization of the major yolk nutrient stocks in eggs and larvae of walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma , the contents of free amino acids (FAA), the major yolk protein (180 kDa lipovitellin originated from vitellogenin B in ovulated eggs: oLv B), and lipids were measured. Most eggs hatched 18 days after fertilization at 5°C, and all larvae absorbed almost all their yolk mass by 28 days. The total FAA content showed no change during the first 6 days, and then decreased to 28% of the initial level by 18 days. The oLv B contents, measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using a specific antiserum against oLv B, gradually decreased from 6 to 18 days, followed by a rapid decline. The content of phospholipids (PL) and triacylglycerols (TG) showed no marked change until hatching, and then decreased until disappearance of yolk sac. From these results, it is proposed that there are two main periods for nutrient utilization in embryos and larvae of walleye pollock. In the first period, FAA was mainly utilized until 18 days after fertilization. Active utilization of oLv B and lipids (PL and TG) instead of FAA occurred during the second period from 18 to 28 days.     

猪隐秘杆菌型出血性坏死性脾炎

六月龄去势公猪表现昏睡、食欲不振、站立困难。尸检发现脾脏边缘呈多重出血灶。从脾脏、肾脏、肌肉和肝脏中分离出革兰氏阳性杆菌,对分离株(TO16177)的16S rDNA基因序列比较分析发现,其可能与未发表过的隐秘杆菌属HJ57-14E菌株(登记号:gi18873551)(比较675bp个碱基,相似性达99.7%)为同一个属。脾脏组织切片的组织学检查发现呈广泛性坏死和炎症,其中革兰氏阳性杆菌显而易见。肝脏中可见多病灶的坏死斑。免疫组织化学检测发现,分离株与抗化脓性隐秘杆菌属(Arcanobacterium pyogenes)和内氏放线菌(Actinomyces naeslundii)的多克隆抗体具有交叉反应,且与后者的交叉反应更强烈。相似的反应也见于扁桃体的化脓灶中分离株,偶尔也见于脾脏和淋巴结中的分离株。本研究结果表明,这种未公开发布的隐秘杆菌属的细菌会引起生长肥育猪多器官功能衰竭,而后继发急性出血性坏死性脾炎。     

GaN photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser at blue-violet wavelengths

Shorter-wavelength surface-emitting laser sources are important for a variety of fields, including photonics, information processing, and biology. We report on the creation of a current-driven blue-violet photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser. We have developed a fabrication method, named "air holes retained over growth," in order to construct a two-dimensional gallium nitride (GaN)/air photonic-crystal structure. The resulting periodic structure has a photonic-crystal band-edge effect sufficient for the successful operation of a current-injection surface-emitting laser. This represents an important step in the development of laser sources that could be focused to a size much less than the wavelength and be integrated two-dimensionally at such short wavelengths.     

Prevalence and characteristics of intimin- and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli from gulls,pigeons and broilers in Finland

The role of birds as sources of Shiga toxin-and intimin-producing Escherichia coli was studied. Fecal samples from live gulls (n=86), pigeons (n=33) and broiler chickens (n=199) from 23 flocks were analyzed for stx and eae by PCR. No stx positive samples were detected. In contrast, eae E. coli were highly prevalent among gulls (40%), and was also found in pigeons (7%) and chickens (57% of the flocks contaminated). The eae positive isolates were analyzed genetically and O-serogrouped. One isolate from a pigeon was found to have stx (2f). The isolates of gulls differed from those of pigeons and chickens, and all eae E. coli isolates from birds differed from human pathogenic strains by the lack of EHEC-hlyA and bfp/EAF as well as distribution of O-serogroups. Thus, birds cannot be regarded as important carriers of zoonotic stx or eae E. coli in Finland.     

Detection of Pythium aphanidermatum in tomato using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) with species-specific primers

A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) reaction with a primer set designed from the rDNA ITS sequence of P. aphanidermatum was developed. Results of a specificity test using 57 strains of Pythium spp. indicated that the LAMP assay gave no cross reactions in other 39 Pythium species, 11 strains of Phytophthora spp. and eight other soil borne pathogens. The detection limit was 10 fg of genomic DNA, which was ten times the sensitivity of the polymerase chain reaction. The LAMP assay was applied to hydroponic solution samples from tomato fields, and the results were compared to those of the conventional plating method. LAMP was observed to be effective for the specific detection of P. aphanidermatum. Furthermore, P. aphanidermatum was detected directly in tomato roots infected with P. aphanidermatum without DNA extraction. The LAMP method established in this study is a simple, sensitive and rapid tool for the detection of P. aphanidermatum.     

Effect of pH on the thermal stability of potent roasty odorants, 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl esters, in coffee drink

The effect of pH on the thermal stability of potent roasty odorants, 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl esters, in coffee drinks was investigated. The concentration of 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate in the coffee drink was drastically decreased during the heat processing. However, the residual ratio of this compound in the coffee drink adjusted to pH 5.0 was higher than that of pH 6.5. On the other hand, the residual ratios of 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl acetate showed high values in the coffee drinks adjusted to both pHs. In the pH range of 3-7, the residual ratios of 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate in aqueous model solutions varied depending on the pH value. It had a thermal stability maximum at pH 4.0, while 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl acetate showed stability during heat processing over all the pH values tested. In addition, the residual ratios of the formate and acetate esters, which were composed of various alcohol derivatives, showed the same tendency as that of the 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl esters. These results suggested that the low thermal stability and pH dependence of 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate are based on the structure of the formate ester.