Analysis of regulation site and manner of abundant nodulation in a soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cultivar,kitantusunte, using grafting techniques

To characterize the regulation site and manner of the abundant nodulation in the soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cv. Kitamusume, three grafting eperiments were carried out as follows: reciprocal wedge grafting and inter-cultivar approach grafting between Kitamusume and a normal nodulating cultivar, Toyosuzu, as well as wedge grafting of scions of the supernodulating mutant En6500 onto either Kitamusume or Toyosuzu rootstock. In the reciprocal wedge grafting, the number of nodules per shoot dry weight and average weight per nodule in the grafted plants were consistent with those exhibited by the genotype of their rootstocks. Approach grafting did not affect the number of nodules per shoot dry weight on either side of the inter-cultivar approachgrafted plant. Although grafting of the mutant scion resulted in the loss of the autoregulatory response from the roots of both cultivars, difference in the number of nodules per g shoot dry weight still remained between the two cultivars. These results suggested that the abundant nodulation in Kitamusume is controlled by the root in a non-systemic manner and is independent of the autoregulation mechanism.     

Triterpenoids isolated from Zizyphus jujuba inhibit foam cell formation in macrophages

Because foam cell formation in macrophages is believed to play an essential role in the progression of early atherosclerotic lesions in vivo, prevention of foam cell formation is considered to be one of the major targets for the treatment of atherosclerosis. The present study examined the inhibitory effect of 50 crude plant extracts on foam cell formation. Among those crude extracts, Zizyphi Fructus (ZF) and Zizyphi Semen (ZS) extracts significantly inhibited the foam cell formation induced by acetylated LDL. Furthermore, triterpenoids such as oleanonic acid, pomolic acid, and pomonic acid were the major active compounds, and triterpenoids containing a carboxylic acid at C-28 play an important role in the inhibitory effect on foam cell formation in human macrophages. These data suggest that triterpenoids in Zizyphus jujuba , the plant source of ZF and ZS, may therefore be useful for the prevention of atherosclerosis.     

"Weak gel"-type rheological properties of aqueous dispersions of nonaggregated kappa-carrageenan helices

The rheological properties of kappa-carrageenan helices dispersed in an aqueous medium, which prevents aggregation of helices, were investigated. A dispersion of 1.5% w/w nonaggregated kappa-carrageenan helices exhibited gel-like dynamic mechanical spectra at 20 degrees C; that is, the storage modulus G' predominated over the loss modulus G' ' in the entire frequency range examined (0.5-100 rad/s). However, the observed slight frequency dependence of the moduli and the relatively large value of tan delta (= G' '/G' > 0.1) were typical of so-called weak gels. The magnitude of G' of the kappa-carrageenan weak gels was less than that of conventional gels formed by 0.15% w/w kappa-carrageenan in an aggregating condition at 20 degrees C. Under large deformation, enough for the conventional gels to rupture, the weak gel systems flowed but never ruptured, suggesting that the weak gel-type rheological properties of the kappa-carrageenan dispersions were due to a sufficiently long relaxation time of topological entanglements among double-helical conformers but not due to the formation of a three-dimensionally percolated permanent network.     

Relative importance of motility and antibiosis in the rhizoplane competence of a biocontrol agent Pseudomonas fluorescens MelRC2Rif

Mutants defective in motility or antibiotics production were obtained by Tn5 mutagenesis of a biocontrol agent Pseudomonas fluorescens MelRC2Rif (wt). Tomato or melon seeds were co-inoculated with a Tn5 mutant and wt in a 1:1 ratio and then grown in soil for 10 days. There was no change in ratios of Tn5 mutants defective in antibiosis to wt in the process of rhizoplane colonization, suggesting little contribution of in vitro antibiosis to the rhizoplane competence of P. fluorescens MelRC2Rif. Similar results were also obtained when seeds treated with bacteria were planted in soil artificially infested with fungal pathogens. In contrast, ratios of Tn5 mutants defective in motility to wt significantly decreased, suggesting the contribution of motility to the rhizoplane competence of this bacterium. When a non-motile Tn5 mutant and wt were co-inoculated into soil at a matric potential of pF 2.3 (–20 kPa) and plants were then grown, there was no change in the ratio in rhizoplane colonization, suggesting that motility might have a role in the movement along roots but an insignificant role in the movement from bulk soil towards roots. When they were co-inoculated into 0.2% water agar (WA) instead of soil, a remarkable decline in ratios was detected. Thus it was soil structure that hindered the efficiency of motility. Time course enumeration of rhizoplane colonization of tomatoes grown in WA revealed that motility was an important means of movement towards and/or along roots rather than the multiplication on roots. Received: 8 July 1996     

Evaluation of fresh pasta-making properties of extra-strong common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The relationship between characterictics of flour of common wheat varieties and fresh pasta-making qualitites was examined, and the fresh pasta-making properties of extra-strong varieties that have extra-strong dough were evaluated. There was a positive correlation between mixing time (PT) and hardness of boiled pasta, indicating that the hardness of boiled pasta was affected by dough properties. Boiled pasta made from extra-strong varieties, Yumechikara, Hokkai 262 and Hokkai 259, was harder than that from other varieties and commercial flour. There was a negative correlation between flour protein content and brightness of boiled pasta. The colors of boiled pasta made from Yumechikara and Hokkai 262 grown under the condition of standard manuring culture were superior to those of boiled pasta made from other varieties. Discoloration of boiled pasta made from Yumechikara grown under the condition of heavy manuring culture was caused by increase of flour protein content. On the other hand, discoloration of boiled pasta made from Hokkai 262 grown under the condition of heavy manuring culture was less than that of boiled pasta made from Yumechikara. These results indicate that pasta made from extra-strong wheat varieties has good hardness and that Hokkai 262 has extraordinary fresh pasta-making properties.     

Myopathy and encephalopathy in chick embryos experimentally infected with Akabane virus

Chick embryos infected with Akabane virus by the yolk sac route at 6 days of incubation developed polymyositis and encephalitis. At 3 to 7 days after inoculation, skeletal muscles had myotubule degeneration, clumping of muscle cell nuclei, and infiltration of heterophils; dysplasia and aplasia were evident at 9 to 15 days after inoculation. Changes in the cerebral neostriatum and optic lobes at 2 to 11 days after inoculation included necrosis of primordial nervous tissue, hemorrhages, and hyperplasia of the vascular endothelial cells. Cavities were in nervous tissue subsequent to encephalitis. Hydranencephaly and vascular wall thickening were found 13 and 15 days after inoculation. Embryos infected intravenously at 15 days incubation had foci of encephalitis 3 to 6 days after inoculation, including neuronal degeneration, neuroglial hyperplasia, vascular endothelial proliferation, and heterophil infiltration.     

Discrete sandwich compounds of monolayer palladium sheets

Despite the abundance of "sandwich" complexes, in which two cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ligands flank a metal center, this motif has not been extended to sheets of multiple metal atoms. We prepared and isolated two such compounds. In the first, three palladium centers form a planar triangular array, capped by chlorides, between two cycloheptatrienyl ligands. In the second, a pentapalladium sheet adopts an edge-sharing triangle-trapezoid skeleton between two naphthacene rings. The compounds were characterized by x-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The nature of bonding in the clusters was analyzed by quantum calculations.     

Magnetic field-tuned quantum criticality in the metallic ruthenate Sr3Ru2O7

The concept of quantum criticality is proving to be central to attempts to understand the physics of strongly correlated electrons. Here, we argue that observations on the itinerant metamagnet Sr3Ru2O7 represent good evidence for a new class of quantum critical point, arising when the critical end point terminating a line of first-order transitions is depressed toward zero temperature. This is of interest both in its own right and because of the convenience of having a quantum critical point for which the tuning parameter is the magnetic field. The relationship between the resultant critical fluctuations and novel behavior very near the critical field is discussed.     

Evaluation of Intestinal Absorption of Dietary Halocynthiaxanthin,a Carotenoid from the Sea Squirt Halocynthia roretzi

Halocynthiaxanthin is an acetylenic carotenoid mainly found in Halocynthia roretzi. To date, several bioactivities of halocynthiaxanthin have been reported, but its mechanism of digestion and absorption in mammals has not been studied yet. In this study, we evaluated the intestinal absorption of halocynthiaxanthin in mice. The halocynthiaxanthin-rich fraction was prepared from the tunicate Halocynthia roretzi. Mice were orally administered the fraction at a dose of 5 mg/kg body weight. The halocynthiaxanthin levels in the plasma, liver, and small intestine, were quantified using HPLC-PDA, 1, 3, 6, and 9 h after ingestion. The halocynthiaxanthin-rich fraction mainly consisted of the all-trans form and a small amount of cis forms. These three isomers were detected in the plasma of mice 3 h after ingestion. Time-course changes after the ingestion of this fraction were found, with cis isomers being more abundant than the all-trans isomer in the mouse plasma and liver. In the small intestine, however, the all-trans isomer was primarily detected. The possibility that cis isomers might be absorbed rapidly from the small intestine cannot be denied, but our results suggest that dietary all-trans-halocynthiaxanthin might be isomerized to the cis isomer after intestinal absorption.     

Relationships among the chalkiness,kernel size and endosperm cell morphology of rice kernels at different spikelet positions within a panicle

The occurrence of chalky kernels in rice is causally related to kernel size and endosperm morphology. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of chalky kernels by analyzing kernel size, and the number and area of endosperm cells. Spikelets were sampled from upper and middle primary branches and lower secondary branches in a panicle, and divided into four categories: upper, middle, and lower perfect (PF) kernels and lower milky-white (MW) kernels. On the lower secondary branches, there was a higher percentage of chalky kernels, with smaller kernel lengths, widths and thicknesses, than the kernels on the upper and middle primary branches. MW kernels were smaller in size than PF kernels even on the same lower secondary branches. Regardless of grain appearance quality traits, the total areas of endosperm cross sections in lower kernels were significantly smaller than in upper kernels owing to the decreased cell area, and there was a significant negative correlation between the number of cells and average cell area. When the numbers and the areas of cells were analyzed using angular 30° intervals from the line connecting the center point and the dorsal vascular bundle, the MW kernels had significantly less cells than PF kernels near the ventral side at 120–180°. Thus, the decrease in the number of cells near the ventral side was a main causal factor in the decrease in MW kernel widths compared with PF kernel widths, and this suggested that cell division in MW kernels was inhibited at the early grain-filling stage.