The tendency of damage of stone walls in terrace fields in the northwestern Kumamoto City by the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake and heavy rain in 2016 and 2006

Paddy and Water Environment - The topographical features of farmland stone walls that were damaged by two heavy rains and the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake were studied. Topographical analyses were...     

Chiral response of Oryzeae and Paniceae plants in alpha-methylbenzyl-3-p-tolyl urea agar medium

The results presented here support the hypothesis that plants of the tribe Oryzeae respond enantioselectively and homogeneously to optically active 1-alpha-methylbenzyl-3-p-tolylurea (MBTU) in root growth inhibition, in contrast to Echinochloa species. The Oryzeae plants tested in this study belong to different genera (Oryza, Leersia, Chikusichloa and Zizania), to different species (O sativa, O glaberrima, O alta, O coarctata, O latifolia, O minuta, O rufipogon), to various ecospecies of Oryza (japonica, indica, japonica x indica, javanica) and to different levels of evolution [cultivated rice (O sativa and O glaberrima) and ancestral wild rice species]. In spite of their different phylogenic status and diverse sensitivity, the root growth of all members of the genus Oryza was inhibited more by R-MBTU than by S-MBTU. Zizania palustris, Z latifolia, Leersia oryzoides and Chikusichloa aquatica belonging to the tribe Oryzeae exhibited similar chiral recognition to the Oryza plants, suggesting that Oryzeae have a common chiral recognition mechanism in their response to optically active MBTUs. In contrast, Echinochloa plants (E crus-galli (L) Beauv var crus-galli and E colonum (L) Link), belonging into subfamily Panicoideae tribe Paniceae, responded in a different way, where their root growth was more sensitive to S-MBTU than to the antipodal R-MBTU. A reverse chiral response between the tribe Oryzeae and the genus Echinochloa was clearly indicated in this study. This diverse response may be relevant to Gramineae classification.     

Effects of colostrum whey on immune function in the digestive tract of goats

The objective of the present study is to examine whether colostrum whey can have an effect on immune function in goats digestive tract. Two milliliters of colostrum whey (colostrum group) or water (control group) were administrated orally to goats every day for 3 weeks. Blood was collected twice a week for 3 weeks to measure immunoglobulin A (IgA), interleukin 8 (IL‐8), and IL‐10. At the end of the experimental period, the parotid glands, oral mucosa, lingua, esophagus, jejunum, and ileum were collected for immunohistochemical detection of IgA, cathelicidin‐7, and S100A8. The ratio of the length of IgA‐positive mucosal surface in the esophagus to the total esophageal length was significantly greater in the colostrum group than in the control group. The number of IgA‐positive cells in the labial gland and ileum in the colostrum group was significantly higher than that in the control group. There were no significant differences between the colostrum and control groups in the number of cathelicidin‐7‐positive cells in the jejunum and ileum and in the number of S100A8‐positive cells in the lingua, jejunum, and ileum. These results suggest that colostrum stimulates the recruitment of plasma cells into the labial gland, which then secrete more IgA into the saliva.     

A sterile hydroponic system for characterising root exudates from specific root types and whole-root systems of large crop plants

Background

Plant roots release a variety of organic compounds into the soil which alter the physical, chemical and biological properties of the rhizosphere. Root exudates are technically challenging to measure in soil because roots are difficult to access and exudates can be bound by minerals or consumed by microorganisms. Exudates are easier to measure with hydroponically-grown plants but, even here, simple compounds such as sugars and organic acids can be rapidly assimilated by microorganisms. Sterile hydroponic systems avoid this shortcoming but it is very difficult to maintain sterility for long periods especially for larger crop species. As a consequence, studies often use small model species such as Arabidopsis to measure exudates or use seedlings of crop plants which only have immature roots systems.

Results

We developed a simple hydroponic system for cultivating large crop plants in sterile conditions for more than 30 days. Using this system wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants were grown in sterile conditions for 30 days by which time they had reached the six-leaf stage and developed mature root systems with seminal, nodal and lateral roots. To demonstrate the utility of this system we characterized the aluminium-activated exudation of malate from the major types of wheat roots for the first time. We found that all root types measured released malate but the amounts were two-fold greater from the seminal and nodal axile roots compared with the lateral roots. Additionally, we showed that this sterile growth system could be used to collect exudates from intact whole root systems of barley.

Conclusions

We developed a simple hydroponic system that enables cereal plants to be grown in sterile conditions for longer periods than previously recorded. Using this system we measured, for the first time, the aluminium-activated efflux of malate from the major types of wheat roots. We showed the system can also be used for collecting exudates from intact root systems of 30-day-old barley plants. This hydroponic system can be modified for various purposes. Importantly it enables the study of exudates from crop species with mature root systems.

     

Supplementary immunocytochemistry of hepatocyte growth factor production in activated macrophages early in muscle regeneration

Regenerative intramuscular motor‐innervation is thought to reside in the spatiotemporal expression of axon‐guidance molecules. Our previous studies showed that resident myogenic stem cells, satellite cells, up‐regulate a secreted neural‐chemorepellent semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) during the early‐differentiation period, in response to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) elevated in injured muscle. However, a paracrine source of the HGF release is still unknown. Very recently, we proposed a possible contribution of anti‐inflammatory macrophages (CD206‐positive M2) by showing that M2 cells infiltrate predominantly at the early‐differentiation phase (3–5 days post‐injury) and produce/secrete large amounts of HGF. However, in understanding this concept there still remains a critical need to examine if phagocytotic pro‐inflammatory macrophages (CD86‐positive M1), another activated‐phenotype still present at the early‐differentiation phase concerned, produce HGF upon muscle injury. The current immunocytochemical study demonstrated that the HGF expression is negative for M1 prepared from cardiotoxin‐injured Tibialis anterior muscle at day 5, in contrast to the intense fluorescent‐signal of M2 served as a positive control. This supplementary result advances our understanding of a spatiotemporal burst of HGF secretion from M2 populations (not M1) to impact Sema3A expression, which ensures a coordinated delay in attachment of motoneuron terminals onto damaged and generating fibers during the early phase of muscle regeneration.     

Microbial metabolites of ingested caffeic acid are absorbed by the monocarboxylic acid transporter (MCT) in intestinal Caco-2 cell monolayers

It was previously reported that m-coumaric acid, m-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid (mHPP), and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acid (DHPP) are major metabolites of ingested caffeic acid formed by gut microflora and would be transported by the monocarboxylic acid transporter (MCT). We have directly measured their absorption characteristics in Caco-2 cells using a coulometric detection method involving HPLC-ECD. The proton-coupled directional transport of m-coumaric acid, mHPP, and DHPP was observed, and the transport was inhibited by an MCT substrate. The permeation of m-coumaric acid and mHPP was concentration-dependent and saturable: The Michaelis constant for m-coumaric acid and mHPP was 32.5 and 12.9 mM, respectively, and the maximum velocity for m-coumaric acid and mHPP was 204.3 and 91.2 nmol (min)(-1) (mg protein)(-1), respectively. By contrast, the permeation of DHPP was nonsaturable even at 30 mM and was inversely correlated with the paracellular permeability of Caco-2 cells. Our results demonstrate that these compounds are absorbed by the MCT, although DHPP is mainly permeated across Caco-2 cells via the paracellular pathway. MCT-mediated absorption of phenolic compounds per se and their colonic metabolites would exert significant impact on human health.