Experimental studies on sulfur dioxide injuries in higher plants

Photosynthesis is reversibly inhibited by exposing plants to SO₂. The formation of α-hydroxy sulfonate in the exposed plants is suggested as one of the effects, because this compound inhibits glycolic oxidase which is necessary in the glycolic acid pathway. The suppression of the glycolic acid path should affect various aspects of metabolism in plants, particularly the reduction of the biosynthesis of glycine and serine. In this paper, the biosynthesis of these amino acids in plants exposed to SO₂ was investigated to estimate the significance of the formation of α-hydroxy sulfonate in the plants. The results show that photosynthetic formation of serine was reduced in the exposed plants, and that α-hydroxy sulfonate was formed.     

Diversity in the carotenoid profiles and the expression of genes related to carotenoid accumulation among citrus genotypes

Carotenoids are not only important to the plants themselves but also are beneficial to human health. Since citrus fruit is a good source of carotenoids for the human diet, it is important to study carotenoid profiles and the accumulation mechanism in citrus fruit. Thus, in the present paper, we describe the diversity in the carotenoid profiles of fruit among citrus genotypes. In regard to carotenoids, such as β-cryptoxanthin, violaxanthin, lycopene, and β-citraurin, the relationship between the carotenoid profile and the expression of carotenoid-biosynthetic genes is discussed. Finally, recent results of quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses of carotenoid contents and expression levels of carotenoid-biosynthetic genes in citrus fruit are shown.     

Effects of Inoculation of Phototrophic Purple Bacteria on Grain Yield of Rice and Nitrogenase Activity of Paddy Soil in a Pot Experiment

Phototrophic purple bacteria (PPB) are one group of dinitrogen (N₂)-fixing bacteria often found in the anoxic and photic zone of paddy soil. In the present study, the effects of inoculation of PPB on grain yield of rice and changes in their populations and nitrogenase activity were investigated with and without surface application of rice straw in a pot experiment. As an inoculant, Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain KN122 isolated from a paddy soil was selected, and the cell suspension was inoculated into the floodwater once or three times during the cultivation. As a result, the inoculation of PPB increased the grain yield of rice. Compared to the control, the grain yield was 9% higher in the inoculated plot without rice straw application. The treatment was more effective in combination with rice straw application. In the plots where PPB were inoculated with rice straw, grain yields were 21% (single inoculation) and 29% (triple inoculation) higher. Populations of PPB in the plots without rice straw application significantly increased by the inoculation, unlike those in the plots with rice straw application, except for the bulk soil. Phototrophic and heterotrophic nitrogenase activities (acetylene-reducing activity) associated with the soils or residues of the rice straw were not affected by PPB inoculation throughout the experiment. This indicates that the inoculation of PPB into floodwater may not be effective for enhancing N₂ fixation in paddy soils and that the beneficial effect of PPB inoculation on the grain yield of rice may be due to unidentified functions of PPB other than biological N₂ fixation.     

Community structure of bacteria on different types of mineral particles in a sandy soil

Various types of mineral particles in a soil probably provide different microenvironments for microorganisms. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether different types of mineral in a soil harbor different bacterial populations. DNA was extracted from five types (quartz, feldspar, pyroxene, magnetite, iron-coated reddish brown particles) of sand-size mineral particles separated from a sandy soil, and was amplified for partial 16 S rRNA gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Twenty-nine to 69 amplicons per each type of mineral were cloned and sequenced, followed by phylogenetic affiliation of the sequences. As a result, some types of bacteria were detected on all of the types of mineral including the orders Rhizobiales, Bacillales, and Acidobacteriales. In the case of Acidobacteriales, higher percentages were found on magnetite and quartz. Some taxa were restricted to specific types of mineral; the class Actinobacteria was found on pyroxene but not on quartz, and rarely on magnetite and feldspar. Bacterial diversity at the order level estimated by Chao1 value was higher in feldspar and pyroxene than the other three types of mineral. The UniFrac Significance test indicated that the differences in bacterial communitiy structures among the particles were suggestive except that between feldspar and pyroxene. These results support the idea that different communities of bacteria were associated with each of the mineral types.     

Real-space observation of helical spin order

Helical spin order in magnetic materials has been investigated only in reciprocal space. We visualized the helical spin order and dynamics in a metal silicide in real space by means of Lorentz electron microscopy. The real space of the helical spin order proves to be much richer than that expected from the averaged structure; it exhibits a variety of magnetic defects similar to atomic dislocations in the crystal lattice. The application of magnetic fields allows us to directly observe the deformation processes of the helical spin order accompanied by nucleation, movement, and annihilation of the magnetic defects.     

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.     

Hypoxia inducible factor 1α expression and effects of its inhibitors in canine lymphoma

Hypoxic conditions in various cancers are believed to relate with their malignancy, and hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) has been shown to be a major regulator of the response to low oxygen. In this study, we examined HIF-1α expression in canine lymphoma using cell lines and clinical samples and found that these cells expressed HIF-1α. Moreover, the HIF-1α inhibitors, echinomycin, YC-1 and 2-methoxyestradiol, suppressed the proliferation of canine lymphoma cell lines. In a xenograft model using NOD/scid mice, echinomycin treatment resulted in a dose-dependent regression of the tumor. Our results suggest that HIF-1α contributes to the proliferation and/or survival of canine lymphoma cells. Therefore, HIF-1α inhibitors may be potential agents to treat canine lymphoma.     

Distribution of photoperiod-insensitive allele Ppd-A1a and its effect on heading time in Japanese wheat cultivars

The Ppd-A1 genotype of 240 Japanese wheat cultivars and 40 foreign cultivars was determined using a PCR-based method. Among Japanese cultivars, only 12 cultivars, all of which were Hokkaido winter wheat, carried the Ppd-A1a allele, while this allele was not found in Hokkaido spring wheat cultivars or Tohoku-Kyushu cultivars. Cultivars with a photoperiod-insensitive allele headed 6.9–9.8 days earlier in Kanto and 2.5 days earlier in Hokkaido than photoperiod-sensitive cultivars. The lower effect of photoperiod-insensitive alleles observed in Hokkaido could be due to the longer day-length at the spike formation stage compared with that in Kanto. Pedigree analysis showed that ‘Purple Straw’ and ‘Tohoku 118’ were donors of Ppd-A1a and Ppd-D1a in Hokkaido wheat cultivars, respectively. Wheat cultivars recently developed in Hokkaido carry photoperiod-insensitive alleles at a high frequency. For efficient utilization of Ppd-1 alleles in the Hokkaido wheat-breeding program, the effect of Ppd-1 on growth pattern and grain yield should be investigated. Ppd-A1a may be useful as a unique gene source for fine tuning the heading time in the Tohoku-Kyushu region since the effect of Ppd-A1a on photoperiod insensitivity appears to differ from the effect of Ppd-B1a and Ppd-D1a.