Determination of Rhizobitoxine and Dihydrorhizobitoxine in Soybean Plants by Amino Acid Analyzer

Investigations were carried out on the effect of the activity ratio of potassium to calcium and magnesium in the nutrient solution applied by drip irrigation on the growth and nutrient uptake of lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. Great Lakes 366) grown on Tottori sand dune soil.

The of the soil solution was influenced by that of the nutrient solution. Calcium nutrition of lettuce was not influenced by the in the soil solution. However, the magnesium nutrition was improved at a low activity ratio, which resulted in the alleviation of the physiological injury.     

Host factors used by positive-strand RNA plant viruses for genome replication

Replication of positive-strand RNA [(+)RNA] viruses proceeds through well-orchestrated actions of both viral and host factors. Remarkable features of eukaryotic (+)RNA virus replication include hijacking of host factors by viral components and remodeling of intracellular membranes to establish the viral replication factory, where viral RNA is synthesized. Here we review recent progress in our understanding of how (+)RNA plant viruses use host factors to create favorable environments for viral RNA replication.     

Diversity and community structure of wood-inhabiting fungi found in Japanese wooden houses analyzed by the next-generation sequencing

The diversity and community structures of wood-inhabiting fungi in 16 decayed wood samples from ten wooden houses in Japan were analyzed using a next-generation sequencing (NGS) to determine the fungi responsible for wood decay. DNA of fungi in decayed wood was extracted directly, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region in ribosomal DNA (rDNA) was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and then, sequences of tagged ITS fragments were analyzed by NGS. Results of sequencing indicated that 68 species of ascomycetes, 37 species of basidiomycetes, and one fungus each from Mortierellales and Mucoromycetes were detected. The fungal community structures showed diversity and included various species of ascomycetes. A microscopic examination of cell wall structure in decayed wood samples suggested that some ascomycetes were soft-rot fungi. Heat map analysis indicated that the similarity in the structures of fungal communities was influenced to a greater extent by the wood species of samples than where they were used as a component.