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.     

Moisture distribution of soaked rice grains observed by magnetic resonance imaging and physicochemical properties of cooked rice grains

Moisture distribution in individual polished rice grains was observed during soaking by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal intensity profile (SI-profile) was generated from the MR image. The water penetration pattern during soaking roughly showed dissimilar trends between different varieties of japonica and japonica-indica hybrid rice. NMR signal intensity at the completion of water absorption varied within each grain; high at the periphery and the central region and low in the area between the periphery and the central region. High moisture content within the central region is due to loosely packed starch granules. The SI-profile was congruent for grains of the same variety harvested in different regions and years and characterized a grain moisture distribution for each variety. Moisture distribution was compared using SI-profiles for varieties with different amylose contents and new varieties bred for specific end-uses in Japan. The NMR signal intensity, which is related to the moisture content, at the surface of soaked grain was negatively correlated to the grain amylose content. The NMR signal intensities at the surface of soaked grain negatively correlated with the overall hardness of the cooked rice grain as measured by the single-grain low-high compression test.     

Epigallocatechin gallate promotes the vasorelaxation power of the antiatherosclerotic dipeptide trp-his in contracted rat aorta

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the enhancement of the vasorelaxation power of the antiatherosclerotic voltage-dependent L-type Ca(2+) channel (VDCC)-blocking peptide Trp-His by epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg). We found that 300 μM EGCg dramatically enhanced the magnitude of Trp-His-induced vasorelaxation by a factor of >6 (EC(50) of Trp-His: EGCg(-), 2.80 ± 0.05 mM; EGCg(+), 0.45 ± 0.04 mM) in phenylephrine-contracted rat aorta. The enhancing effect of EGCg was completely abolished in endothelium-removed aorta and high K(+)-contracted aorta. The enhancement of Trp-His-induced vasorelaxation by EGCg was significantly diminished by either N(G)-monomethyl-l-arginine acetate (NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor) or 1-H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3]quinoxalin-1-one (soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor), together with the enhancement of NOS activity by EGCg. These results indicate that the enhancing effect of EGCg in Trp-His-induced vasorelaxation may be involved in the activation of NO/cGMP pathway.     

Overexpression of the LASAP2 gene for secretory acid phosphatase in white lupin improves the phosphorus uptake and growth of tobacco plants

Secretion of acid phosphatase (APase) from the roots to take up phosphorus (P) is a well-known strategy of plants under P-deficient conditions. White lupin, which shows vigorous growth in low-P soils, is noted for its ability to secrete APase under P-deficient conditions. The APase secreted by white lupin roots is stable in soil solution and shows low substrate specificity, suggesting that genetic modification of plants using the APase gene LASAP2 might improve their ability to use organic P. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the potential of LASAP2 transgenic plants to increase organic P utilization. Dry matter production and P accumulation were higher in LASAP2 transgenic tobacco plants grown in gel media containing soluble phytate as the sole P source than in wild-type tobacco plants. Phosphorus uptake by the transgenic plants also increased in soil culture conditions. LASAP2 was apparently more effective in the liberation of organic P, including phytate, in the soil than the native tobacco APase. Thus, the enzymatic stability of LASAP2 in the soil appears to be an important factor for P acquisition.     

Metabolite profiling of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves by altering the ratio of in the culture solution

To observe the effect of different forms of N, we have applied metabolic profiling using gas chromatography mass spectrometry to evaluate the metabolite composition of spinach. The aim of the present study was to find an appropriate indicator of overall metabolic response to N source. The effect of the     ratio on spinach tissue was investigated, comparing two cultivars that differed in their ability to use N. There was wide variation in     absorption without any distinct growth inhibition in either cultivar. Statistical analysis revealed that the metabolites could be broadly divided into two types, correlating either positively or negatively with     uptake in the culture solution. Principal component analysis (PCA) was an effective tool that extracted the indexes of the effect of the ratio of N forms as PCA scores. Close relationships between metabolite profiles and     uptake were observed, indicating that metabolic profiling is able to distinguish the invisible metabolic change in mature leaves of spinach and may provide a new tool for the investigation of quality features or rhizosphere nutritional condition.     

Efficiency of soil and water conservation practices in different agro-ecological environments in the Upper Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia

In developing countries such as Ethiopia, research to develop and promote soil and water conservation practices rarely addressed regional diversity. Using a water-balance approach in this study, we used runoff plots from three sites, each representing a different agro-ecological environment, e.g., high, mid and low in both elevation and rainfall, in the Upper Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia to examine the runoff response and runoff conservation efficiency of a range of different soil and water conservation measures and their impacts on soil moisture. The plots at each site represented common land use types(cultivated vs. non-agricultural land use types) and slopes(gentle and steep). Seasonal runoff from control plots in the highlands ranged 214–560 versus 253–475 mm at midlands and 119–200 mm at lowlands. The three soil and water conservation techniques applied in cultivated land increased runoff conservation efficiency by 32% to 51%, depending on the site. At the moist subtropical site in a highland region, soil and water conservation increased soil moisture enough to potentially cause waterlogging, which was absent at the lowrainfall sites. Soil bunds combined with Vetiveria zizanioides grass in cultivated land and short trenches in grassland conserved the most runoff(51% and 55%, respectively). Runoff responses showed high spatial variation within and between land use types, causing high variation in soil and water conservation efficiency. Our results highlight the need to understand the role of the agro-ecological environment in the success of soil and water conservation measures to control runoff and hydrological dynamics. This understanding will support policy development to promote the adoption of suitable techniques that can be tested at other locations with similar soil, climatic, and topographic conditions.     

Diversity of rDNA-ITS sequences of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Polymyxa graminis</Emphasis> from wheat and barley in Japan

Polymyxa graminis is a soil-borne obligate organism that transmits bymoviruses and furoviruses to barley and wheat. We analyzed rDNA-ITS sequences of P. graminis from roots of wheat and barley in fields in Japan and obtained five kinds of sequences; two sequences were almost the same as known ribotype Ia and IIa, respectively, and three were close to ribotype Ib. When infection of P. graminis was examined using PCR, ribotype Ia was detected only in barley, but ribotypes Ib and IIa were detected in both wheat and barley. Our analysis suggested that Japanese ribotype Ib transmits furoviruses and bymoviruses.