Development and evaluation of pyramiding lines carrying early or late heading QTLs in the indica rice cultivar ‘IR64’

The heading date is an important trait for determining regional and climatic adaptability in rice. To expand the adaptability of the indica rice cultivar ‘IR64’, we pyramided multiple early or late heading quantitative trait locus (QTLs) in the ‘IR64’ genetic background by crossing previously developed near-isogenic lines (NILs) with a single QTL for early or late heading. The effects of pyramiding QTLs were observed in three different climatic zones of the Philippines, Madagascar, and Japan. The early heading pyramiding lines (PYLs) headed 6.2 to 12.8 days earlier than ‘IR64’ while the late heading PYLs headed 18.8 to 27.1 days later than ‘IR64’. The PYLs tended to produce low grain yield compared to ‘IR64’. The low yield was not improved by combining SPIKE, which is a QTL that increases the number of spikelets per panicle. Conversely, ‘IR64-PYL(7+10)’ carrying Hd5 and Hd1 headed earlier, produced more tillers, and more panicles per m² than ‘IR64’, and mitigated the yield decrease in early heading. These results suggest that the effects of pyramided QTLs on heading date were consistent across various environments and PYLs could be used to enhance the adaptation of ‘IR64’ in other rice growing environments.     

Oocyte maturation and active motility of spermatozoa are triggered by retinoic acid in pen shell <Emphasis Type="Italic">Atrina pectinata</Emphasis>

For recovery of the declining population of pen shells in the wild, the production of pen shell juveniles for transplantation or aquaculture is underway in Japan. For more stable juvenile production, artificial fertilization methods for pen shells are needed, but methods to induce oocyte maturation (meiosis resumption) used in other bivalves, which make oocytes fertilizable, were ineffective for pen shells. Here, we report evidence showing that retinoic acid (RA) has strong activity in inducing oocyte maturation and activating sperm motility in pen shells. Treatment of fully developed oocytes with 1.0 μM all-trans-RA (at-RA) induced germinal vesicle breakdown, a typical morphological sign of oocyte maturation, but 1.0 μM at-retinol and at-retinal, 2 mM ammonia, and 1.0 μM serotonin were ineffective. Treatment with at-RA for 30 min was sufficient for oocyte maturation and was more potent than its isomers, 9-cis- and 13-cis-RA. Parallel results were obtained for sperm motility activation. Oocyte responsiveness to at-RA increased during the final stage of ovary development. Artificial fertilization was successful only with the oocytes treated with at-RA, and fertilized eggs developed to D-shaped (veliger) larvae without apparent morphological abnormalities. These results indicate the possible application of RA for the artificial fertilization of pen shells.     

Fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of colorectal cancer in Japan: The Miyagi Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE: Adequate fruit and vegetable intake has been suggested to protect against colorectal cancer. However, several recent prospective studies have reported no association. We therefore examined the association between fruit and vegetable intakes and the risk of colorectal cancer in a prospective cohort study in Japan. DESIGN: Between June and August 1990, 47 605 Japanese men and women completed a self-administered questionnaire, including a food-frequency questionnaire. We divided the subjects into quartiles based on their self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption. There were 165 colon cancer and 110 rectal cancer incidences identified during 7 years of follow-up, to the end of December 1997. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the relative risk (RR) of developing colorectal cancer according to the level of fruit and vegetable consumption, applying adjustments for potential confounders. RESULTS: No statistically significant association was observed between fruit and vegetable consumption and the risk of colorectal cancer. The multivariate RR of colon cancer in the highest quartile of fruit and vegetable intake compared with the lowest was 1.13 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.73-1.75), the RR for vegetables alone was 1.24 (95% CI 0.79-1.95) and that for fruit alone was 1.45 (95% CI 0.85-2.47). The corresponding multivariate RRs for rectal cancer were 1.12 (95% CI 0.67-1.89), 1.14 (95% CI 0.67-1.93) and 1.41 (95% CI 0.73-2.73). CONCLUSIONS: We found no association between the consumption of fruit and vegetables and the risk of colorectal cancer among the Japanese population.     

Mineral composition of leaves and bark in aluminum accumulators in a tropical rain forest in Indonesia

Mineral composition including AI, Ca, Mg, P, S, and Si and relationships between Al and other elements such as Ca, Mg, P, S, and Si in leaves and bark of trees in a tropical rain forest in West Sumatra were studied. Sixty five tree species and 12 unidentified trees were referred to as AI accumulators based on Chenery\s's definition (more than 1 g kg^-1 Al in leaves). For most of the Al accumulators, Al concentration in leaves was higher than in bark. However, some members of Euphorbiaceae, Melastomataceae, and Ulmaceae families showed a reverse trend. Most of the non-accumulators also showed a higher Al concentration in bark than in leaves. These results indicated that there was a difference in the mechanism of Al accumulation in tree bodies. Some of the Al accumulators showed an extremely high Al concentration (more than 10 g kg^-1) not only in the mature leaves, but also in the new leaves. Analysis of the relationships between the concentration of Al and the other 5 elements in leaves, revealed that Al accumulators could be separated into two groups at the Al concentration of 3 g kg^-1. This finding suggested that new criteria based on Al concentration (23 g kg^-1) or Al/Ca ratio in leaves could be proposed in order to define Al accumulators, apart from Chenery's criterion. Aluminium accumulators with an Al concentration in leaves lower than 3 g kg^-1 (AI accumulators <3 g kg^-1) showed the same trend as the non-accumulators in terms of these elemental relationships, while Al accumulators with an Al concentration in leaves higher than 3 g kg^-1 (AI accumulators 23 g kg^-1) showed a different trend from the non-accumulators. The Al accumulators 23 g kg^-1 and the other trees (AI accumulators < 3 g kg^-1 and non-accumulators) showed separately positive correlations between the concentrations of AI and Ca (or Mg) in the leaves. This observation seems to be opposite to general findings in plant nutrition, i.e. inhibition of Ca or Mg uptake by AI. A positive correlation between Al and S was also observed for all the trees. The Al accumulators ≥3 g kg^-1 showed positive correlations between the concentrations of Al and P (or Si) in the leaves, unlike the other trees. These findings suggested that Al stimulated P, S, or Si accumulation in leaves or Al was transported with P, S, or Si for the Al accumulators ≥3 g kg^-1. No negative relationships between Al and the other 5 elements in the leaves were observed for the Al accumulators ≥3 g kg^-1.     

Effects of environmental factors on growth and mortality of Parashorea macrophylla (Dipterocarpaceae) planted on slopes and valleys in a degraded tropical secondary forest in Sarawak,Malaysia

Enrichment planting with climax trees such as dipterocarps is required to rehabilitate degraded tropical forests in Southeast Asia, because these forests have been damaged by various anthropogenic activities. Severely degraded tropical secondary forests are the most important targets for enrichment planting in the region, because secondary forest trees potentially provide moderate conditions for planted seedlings by preventing strong sunlight and high temperatures. In an enrichment planting site located in Sarawak, Malaysia, we explored how variation in secondary forest structure (biomass and stand density) and soil (nutrient and water) conditions influenced the mortality and growth rates of planted dipterocarp seedlings (Parashorea macrophylla, Wyatt-Sm. ex P.S. Ashton) over the period from 2000–2007. Experimental plots were set up on different topographical features (slopes and valleys). Using the data collected, we demonstrated the ways in which environmental factors, such as soil nitrogen content, relate to climax tree seedling growth and mortality in degraded tropical secondary forests dominated by the genera Macaranga, Ficus, and Glochidion. Stand density and total aboveground biomass of secondary forest trees were significantly lower in the valley plots than on the slopes, whereas soil total nitrogen and water contents were significantly higher in valley plots. Over seven years, the total biomass of trees increased, whereas the density of secondary forest trees decreased in all plots. Nutrient stocks (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium) in the soil (0–5?cm) also decreased over seven years in all plots. Height, diameter, and mortality of planted seedlings were higher in the valley plots than on slopes. Multiple stepwise regression demonstrated significant positive effects of total soil nitrogen and water content on the relative growth rate of seedlings over seven years. There were no significant relationships between seedling mortality and any of the environmental factors measured, including soil conditions. We conclude that (1) seedling growth was enhanced by soil total nitrogen rather than by available phosphorus or potassium, and (2) planted seedlings grew faster and died more often in the valley plots than on the slopes.     

Inactivation of Escherichia coli in soil by solarization

Contamination of agricultural soil by fecal pathogenic bacteria poses a potential risk of infection to humans. For the biosafety control of field soil, soil solarization in an upland field was examined to determine the efficiency of solarization on the inactivation of Escherichia coli inoculated into soil as a model microorganism for human pathogenic bacteria. Soil solarization, carried out by sprinkling water and covering the soil surface with thin plastic sheets, greatly increased the soil temperature. The daily average temperature of the solarized soil was 4–10°C higher than that of the non-solarized soil and fluctuated between 31 and 38°C. The daily highest temperature reached more than 40°C for 8 days in total in the solarized soil during the second and third weeks of the experiment. Escherichia coli in the solarized soil became undetectable (< 0.08 c.f.u. g⁻¹ dry soil) within 4 weeks as a result, whereas E. coli survived for more than 6 weeks in the non-solarized soil. Soil solarization, however, had little influence on the total direct count and total viable count of bacteria in the soil. These results indicate that soil solarization would be useful for the biosafety control of soil contaminated by human pathogens via immature compost or animal feces.     

Effect of chloropicrin fumigation on microbial communities evaluated by community-level physiological profile and the resistance against fusarium wilt

Different microbial communities characterized by the Biolog pattern were developed in the rhizosphere of radish grown on a rockwool hydroponic system treated with chloropicrinfumigated and non-fumigated soil suspensions although no differences were observed in their viable counts. Different microbial communities also were developed in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere. After the development of microbial communities in the rhizosphere, bud cells of Fusarium oxysporum that causes vascular wilt of radish plants were inoculated, and disease symptoms were examined. Treatment with the non-fumigated soil suspension was much more effective than that with the fumigated one in controlling the disease, indicating that the Biolog method might be applicable to characterize microbial communities that control the disease caused by F. oxysporum.     

Characterization of the reproductive cycle in female bharals (Pseudois nayaur) based on the changes in serum progesterone concentrations and parturition season

The purpose of present study was to determine annual changes in serum progesterone (P(4)) concentrations and to clarify basic reproductive characteristics, such as breeding season, estrous cycle, and puberty in female bharals (Pseudois nayaur). Blood was collected from 9 female bharals once or twice weekly for approximately one year. Serum P(4) concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay. Serum P(4) concentrations showed remarkable and cyclic changes between November/December (winter) and May/June (late spring). The mean estrous cycle was 24.9 +/- 0.5 days. Chasing insistently to other females and discharge of mucus from the vulva were observed around the time when the serum P(4) concentrations began to increase. The chasing behavior and discharge of mucus were considered to be external indicators of estrus in female bharals. Serum P(4) concentrations of a pregnant female had non-cyclic changes, and the values remained high. In this study, all 37 deliveries were between April and September, and about 70% of these were concentrated in May and June. The conception month determined on the day of birth was between October and April for all animals, and the most common month was in December (54%). This month corresponded to an early stage of the period when the serum P(4) concentrations changed cyclically. These results indicate that many female bharals become pregnant at the beginning of the breeding seasons and, if they do not become pregnant, the estrous cycle, about 25 days in length, is repeated.