Responding to climate change and expectations for research

Paddy and Water Environment -     

Changes of lymphocyte subpopulations and natural killer cells in mice sensitized with Toxoplasma lysate antigen before and after Babesia infection

When 8-week-old BALB/c mice were sensitized with two intramuscular injections of Toxoplasma lysate antigen (TLA) at 2 week interval, the numbers of sIg(+), Thy-1,2(+), Lyt-1,2(+) Lyt-2,2(+), and Asialo GM1(ASGM1)(+) cells in the spleen, liver and peripheral blood increased by 2 to 4 times over those found in unsensitized mice of the same age. When TLA-sensitized and unsensitized mice were infected with Babesia, 4 of 10 (40%) of the TLA-sensitized mice survived infection, while none of the unsensitized control mice lived longer than 14 days after Babesia infection. By contrast, sensitization of nude mice with TLA had no effect on survival, and mice did not live more than 12 days. The number of thymic Thy-1,2(+) cells decreased in TLA-sensitized and unsensitized BALB/c mice by almost 80% within 10 days after infection (AI). During the same time, the numbers of B cells, T cells, and NK cells increased in the spleen, liver and peripheral blood of both sensitized and unsensitized mice. Especially notable were increases in numbers of Lyt-2,2(+) cells in the spleen and blood and increases in numbers of NK cells in the spleen, liver and blood in both TLA-sensitized and unsensitized mice. When spleen cells from TLA-sensitized and unsensitized mice were cultured in the presence or absence of TLA for 6 days, assays for cytotoxicity using NK-insensitive P-815 target cells and NK-sensitive YAC-1 target cells demonstrated higher rates of cytotoxicity in cultures of TLA-sensitized spleen cells.     

A serological comparison of 4 Japanese isolates of porcine enteroviruses with the international reference strains

The reference strains of four serotypes (J6, J8, J9 and J10) of porcine enterovirus isolated in Japan were compared with the international reference strains of 11 serotypes (W1 to W11) by cross neutralization tests. No cross reactions were observed between the two groups, although there were minor one-way crosses between W10 and J10, W11 and J9, and W4 and J9. This leads to our conclusion that all 4 Japanese serotypes can be newly added to 11 international serotypes. J9 virus produced type 1 of CPE (CPE I), J6 and J8 did CPE II, and J10 did CPE III. J10 grew in Vero, HeLa cells, and the primate cells, but J6, J8 and J9 did not.     

Molecular and genealogical analysis of grain dormancy in Japanese wheat varieties,with specific focus on MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1 on chromosome 3A

In the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar ‘Zenkoujikomugi’, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter of MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1 on chromosome 3A (MFT-3A) causes an increase in the level of gene expression, resulting in strong grain dormancy. We used a DNA marker to detect the ‘Zenkoujikomugi’-type (Zen-type) SNP and examined the genotype of MFT-3A in Japanese wheat varieties, and we found that 169 of 324 varieties carry the Zen-type SNP. In Japanese commercial varieties, the frequency of the Zen-type SNP was remarkably high in the southern part of Japan, but low in the northern part. To examine the relationship between MFT-3A genotype and grain dormancy, we performed a germination assay in three wheat-growing seasons. On average, the varieties carrying the Zen-type SNP showed stronger grain dormancy than the varieties carrying the non-Zen-type SNP. Among commercial cultivars, ‘Iwainodaichi’ (Kyushu), ‘Junreikomugi’ (Kinki-Chugoku-Shikoku), ‘Kinuhime’ (Kanto-Tokai), ‘Nebarigoshi’ (Tohoku-Hokuriku), and ‘Kitamoe’ (Hokkaido) showed the strongest grain dormancy in each geographical group, and all these varieties, except for ‘Kitamoe’, were found to carry the Zen-type SNP. In recent years, the number of varieties carrying the Zen-type SNP has increased in the Tohoku-Hokuriku region, but not in the Hokkaido region.     

Aging of whiskey increases the potentiation of GABA(A) receptor response

It is known that the target of most mood-defining compounds such as ethanol is an ionotropic gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABA(A) receptor). The potentiation of the response of these inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors induces anxiolytic, sedative, and anesthetic activities in the human brain. Because both extracts of whiskey by pentane and fragrant components in whiskey potentiate the GABA(A) receptor-mediated response, GABA(A) receptors were expressed in Xenopus oocyte by injecting cRNAs prepared from the cloned cDNA for the alpha(1) and beta(1) subunits of the bovine receptors in order to study the effects of whiskey itself on the GABA(A) receptor-mediated response. Whiskey itself also potentiated the electrical responses of GABA(A) receptors generally more than ethanol at the same concentration as that of the whiskey. The potentiation of the GABA(A) receptor-mediated response increased with the aging period of the whiskey. Inhalation of whiskey to mice increased the sleeping time induced by pentobarbital more than that of the same concentration of ethanol as the whiskey. These results suggest that not only ethanol but also minor components in whiskey play an important role in the potentiation of GABA(A) receptor-mediated response and possibly the sedative effect of whiskey. Although the minor components are present in extremely small quantities compared with ethanol in alcoholic beverages, they may modulate the mood or consciousness of humans through the potentiation of the GABA(A) receptor response after absorption into the brain, because these hydrophobic compounds are easily absorbed into the brain across the blood-brain barrier and are several thousands times as potent as ethanol in the potentiation of the GABA(A) receptor-mediated response.     

Effects of coffee components on the response of GABA(A) receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes

The effects of both coffee components and coffee extract on the electrical responses of GABA(A) receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes were studied by injecting cRNAs of the alpha(1) and beta(1) subunits of the bovine receptors. The aqueous extract of coffee dose-dependently inhibited the GABA-elicited responses, whereas the lipophilic extract of coffee by diethyl ether slightly potentiated it at low doses (0.1-0.4 microL/mL) but showed inhibition at high doses (0.5-0.8 microL/mL). Theophylline inhibited the response in a noncompetitive mechanism (K(i) = 0.55 mM), whereas theobromine and trigonelline hydrochloride inhibited it in a competitive manner, K(i) = 3.8 and 13 mM, respectively. Benzothiazole, catechol, 2,4-dimethylstyrene, guaiacol, 1-octen-3-ol, sotolone, and 2,3,5-trimethylphenol potentiated the responses significantly. Potentiation elicited by guaiacol and sotolone was independent of GABA concentrations, whereas that by 1-octen-3-ol was dependent. When 1-octen-3-ol (100 mg/kg) was orally administered to mice prior to intraperitoneal administration of pentobarbital, the sleeping time of mice induced by pentobarbital increased significantly.     

Why invest in minor projects in sub-Saharan Africa? An exploration of the scale economy and diseconomy of irrigation projects

It is well-known that major irrigation projects have a strong scale economy, handicapping irrigation development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) because of the difficulty in formulating large-scale projects. Using project-level investment cost and performance data of major and minor irrigation projects, this paper examines the causes of the economy of scale phenomenon. We find that strong scale economy exists not only for major but also for minor projects, i.e., small- and micro-scale, projects. This is largely because of the existence of indivisible overhead costs such as high-opportunity-cost human resources for planning, designing and engineering management and supervision. We also find that large differences between major and minor projects in the absolute level of overhead as well as construction costs creates a strong scale diseconomy and results in better performance of minor projects. The advantage of minor projects holds even when their higher risk associated with the water source is taken into consideration. We argue that there is an urgent need to promote irrigation development in SSA through developing minor projects, and to reduce the heavy burden of overhead costs by developing the capacity of human resources at the national, local and farmer levels in the fields of irrigation engineering, irrigation agronomy, institutional development, and micro water management technologies.     

Sex-linked genetic influence on caste determination in a termite

The most ecologically successful and destructive termite species are those with both a nymph caste and an irreversibly wingless worker caste. The early developmental bifurcation separating these castes is widely accepted to be strictly environmentally determined. We present evidence that genotype also influences this process. Offspring from four different crosses of nymph- and worker-derived secondary reproductive individuals had strongly differentiated caste and sex ratios, despite uniform rearing conditions. These data fit an X-linked, one-locus-two-allele model. Of five possible genotypes, one was lethal, two resulted in workers, and two resulted in either nymphs or environmentally determined workers. Caste is thus controlled both by environment and by a complex genetic inheritance pattern.     

Subaru telescope observations of Deep Impact

The impact cratering process on a comet is controversial but holds the key for interpreting observations of the Deep Impact collision with comet 9P/Tempel 1. Mid-infrared data from the Cooled Mid-Infrared Camera and Spectrometer (COMICS) of the Subaru Telescope indicate that the large-scale dust plume ejected by the impact contained a large mass (approximately 10(6) kilograms) of dust and formed two wings approximately +/-45 degrees from the symmetric center, both consistent with gravity as the primary control on the impact and its immediate aftermath. The dust distribution in the inner part of the plume, however, is inconsistent with a pure gravity control and implies that evaporation and expansion of volatiles accelerated dust.