Narthecium asiaticum Maxim. Poisoning of grazing cattle: observations on spontaneous and experimental cases

A total of 39 Holstein cattle were grazed in tracts of wild grassland on account of shortage in pasture grass. Twenty-nine cattle were affected and 26 of them died during a 21-day period. The main signs were depression, anorexia, ascites, and oliguria. There was elevated serum urea nitrogen and sugar and protein in the urine. Pathological examination revealed turbid swelling of the kidney, an increase in the amount of fluid in the body cavity, edema in the perirenal adipose tissue and hemorrhage in various visceral organs and tissues. Histologically, acute tubular necrosis in the kidney, hypoplasia of the erythroblast series in the bone marrow, atrophy and degeneration of the lymphatic tissue and focal necrosis of the liver were observed in many of the cattle. Among cows experimentally fed Narthecium asiaticum Maxim., Polygonum sachalinense Fr. Schum., and Vitis coignetiae Pulliat which were presumed to have been ingested in large amounts by grazing cattle in the field, the cows fed N. asiaticum revealed the clinical, biochemical and pathological changes similar to those noticed in naturally affected cattle. Cows fed P. sachalinense and V. coignetiae showed no distinct systemic symptoms except transient anorexia and hypothermia.     

Characterization of segregation distortion on chromosome 3 induced in wide hybridization between indica and japonica type rice varieties

We previously surveyed chromosomal regions showing segregation distortion of RFLP markers in the F₂ population from the cross between a japonica type variety ‘Nipponbare’ and an indica type variety ‘Milyang23’, and showed that the most skewed segregation appeared on the short arm of chromosome 3. By comparison with the marker loci where distortion factors were previously identified, this region was assumed to be a gametophytic selection-2 (ga2) gene region. To evaluate this region, two near isogenic lines (NILs) were developed. One NIL had the ‘Nipponbare’ segment of this region on the genetic background of ‘Milyang23’ (NIL9-23), and the other NIL had the ‘Milyang23’ segment on the genetic background of ‘Nipponbare’ (NIL33-18). NIL9-23 and ‘Milyang23’, NIL33-18 and ‘Nipponbare’, and ‘Nipponbare’ and ‘Milyang23’ were respectively crossed to produce F₁ and F₂ populations. The F₁ plants of NIL9-23 × ‘Milyang23’ and NIL33-18 × ‘Nipponbare’ showed high seed fertility and the same pollen fertility as their parental cultivars, indicating that ga2 does not reduce seed and pollen fertility. Segregation ratio of a molecular marker on the ga2 region in the three F₂ populations was investigated to clarify whether segregation distortion occurred on the different genetic backgrounds. Segregation distortion of the ga2 region appeared in the both F₂ populations from the NIL9-23 and ‘Milyang23’ cross (background was ‘Milyang23’ homozygote) and the ‘Nipponbare’ and ‘Milyang23’ cross (background was heterozygote), but did notin the F₂ population from the NIL33-18 and ‘Nipponbare’ cross (background was ‘Nipponbare’ homozygote). This result indicates that ga2 interacts with a ‘Milyang23’ allele(s) on the different chromosomal region(s) to cause skewed segregation of the ga2 region. In addition, segregation ratio was the same between the F₂ populations from NIL9-23 × ‘Milyang23’ and ‘Nipponbare’ × ‘Milyang23’ crosses, suggesting that the both genotypes, ‘Milyang23’ homozygote and heterozygote, of gene(s) located on the different chromosomal region(s) have the same effect on the segregation distortion. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Antitumor activity of compounds isolated from leaves of Eriobotrya japonica

In a search for possible antitumor agents from natural sources, megastigmane glycosides and polyphenolic constituents isolated from the leaves of Eriobotrya japonica (Rosaceae) were found to inhibit the 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced activation of Epstein-Barr virus early antigen in Raji cells. Roseoside and procyanidin B-2 were among the active compounds found in an in vitro assay; these compounds were further assessed for antitumor activity in vivo in a two-stage carcinogenesis assay on mouse skin. Roseoside significantly delayed carcinogenesis induced by peroxynitrite (initiator) and TPA (promoter), and its potency was comparable to that of a green tea polyphenol, (-)-epigallocatechin 3-O-gallate, in the same assay.     

Radiocesium transfer from Andosols to brown rice in the northern and northwest areas of Tochigi Prefecture,in the first 3 years following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident

ABSTRACT

Following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident of 2011, the potential for radiocesium transfer from contaminated soils, such as Andosols, to agricultural crops became a significant concern. Andosols account for up to 70％ of paddy soils in the northern and northwest areas of Tochigi Prefecture, where the radiocesium concentration is 1000 Bq kg^?1 or greater in the soil of some fields. The present study was carried out in order to determine the phytoavailability of radiocesium in Andosols by comparing it with that of gray lowland soils in the first 3 years following the accident. The transfer factor (TF) tended to be higher in Andosols than in gray lowland soils, leading to higher radiocesium concentrations in brown rice grown in Andosols. The exchangeable potassium (Ex-K₂O) in Andosols was highly and negatively correlated with TF, followed by clay. The Ex-K₂O value was positively correlated with the clay/total carbon (T-C) value, suggesting that a high T–C ratio could weaken K₂O adsorption on clay mineral sites; hence, the low clay/T-C values can partially explain the relatively large TF values of Andosols. Samples with Ex-K₂O contents less than 200 mg kg^?1 and with low clay/T-C values showed striking decreases in TF values from 2011 to 2012. However, the decrease from 2012 to 2013 was quite small; radiocesium in these samples was potentially available for rice uptake for a long time, likely due to the reversible adsorption and fixation characteristics of allophane. Most gray lowland soil samples showed very low TF values over the 3 years of the study, except for those with TF values greater than 0.1 due to low Ex-K₂O and clay contents; the geometric mean (GM) value of TF was below 0.01 in 2012. The extraction of exchangeable radiocesium (Ex-Cs) with a 1 mol L^?1 ammonium acetate solution may not be an appropriate method for explaining the variability in radiocesium TF in Andosols. This is because the Ex-Cs value was significantly correlated with Ex-K₂O in Andosols, but not in gray lowland soils, indicating that Ex-K₂O explained this variability in relation to Ex-Cs.     

Cycloamylose (cyclodextrin) glucanotransferase degrades intact granules of potato raw starch

Cycloamylose (cyclodextrin) glucanotransferase (EC 2.4.1.19, CGTase) originated from Bacillus macerans degraded intact granules of potato raw starch and converted them into cyclodextrins (CDs). The degradation required sufficient stirring of starch-CGTase suspension. The morphology of the degraded starch granules was unique; that is, the inner part of the granules was observed by scanning electron microscope to be more susceptible to CGTase than the outer part. Effects of pH, temperature, starch concentration, and enzyme amount on CD production were studied.     

Biological dinitrogen fixation and soil microbial biomass carbon as influenced by free-air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) at three levels of nitrogen fertilization in a paddy field

An experiment was conducted in an Andosol paddy field in Shizukuishi (Iwate Prefecture, Japan) to determine the effects of free-air CO₂ enrichment (FACE) on biological N₂-fixation activity and soil microbial biomass C at three levels of N application. Rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Akitakomachi) plants were grown under ambient CO₂ or FACE (ambient +200 µmol mol^-1 CO₂) conditions throughout the growing season with each treatment having four replicated plots. Three levels of N fertilizer (high, standard and low; 15, 9 and 4 g N m^-2, respectively) were applied to examine the effect of different N availability under both CO₂ conditions. Soil samples were collected at four different times from upper and lower soil layers (0-1-cm and 1-10-cm soil depths, respectively) and analysed for biological N₂-fixation (BNF) activity and microbial biomass C (MBC) by the acetylene reduction and chloroform fumigation-extraction methods, respectively. The amounts of chlorophyll-type compounds (Chls), an index of algal growth, and soil available C were also determined. Compared to the ambient CO₂ treatment, the FACE treatment had significantly higher BNF activity in both the upper and lower soil layers at ripening only in low-N soil and at harvest at all three levels of N fertilization rates. MBC was significantly increased by FACE in both the upper and lower soil layers from the middle to later period of the growing season compared to the ambient CO₂ treatment. The FACE treatment increased the Chls in the upper soil layers at ripening only in low-N soil and at harvest at all three levels of N fertilization rates. The amount of soil available C was not significantly different between FACE and ambient CO₂ treatments in both the upper and lower soil layers throughout the cropping season. From these results it can be concluded that the FACE treatment had a significantly positive influence on BNF activity, MBC and Chls at different levels of N fertilization rates in paddy field during the cropping season.     

Application of DNDC model to estimate N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O emissions from green tea fields in Japan

Heavy doses of N fertilizers are commonly applied to green tea fields in Japan, and cause large amount of nitrate leaching in ground water and emission of ammonia and nitrous oxide (N₂O) to the atmosphere. The Denitrification and Decomposition (DNDC) model was tested against experimental data on N₂O emissions from the tea field in Nishio, Aichi, Japan. There were reasonable agreements between the simulated and measured values of N₂O emissions for this site. The model was then applied for estimating the environmental impacts as affected by farm management practices, climate change, and soil properties. The model results were assessed with respect to major indicators of agro-ecosystems including crop yield, soil organic carbon sequestration, nitrate leaching loss, and N₂O emission. The results indicated that use of compost significantly reduced nitrate leaching and N₂O emissions in comparison with N fertilizer. When soil pH and texture shifted to non-acidic and coarser soil, N₂O emission increased; and a change in temperature and precipitation affected N₂O emission, nitrate leaching, and SOC sequestration. This study thus revealed the biogeochemistry model as a powerful tool in addressing the complex efficacy of the alternative farm management practices in tea fields across various climate and soil conditions.     

Prevention of acute liver failure in rats with reversibly immortalized human hepatocytes

Because of a critical shortage in suitable organs, many patients with terminal liver disease die each year before liver transplantation can be performed. Transplantation of isolated hepatocytes has been proposed for the temporary metabolic support of patients awaiting liver transplantation or spontaneous reversion of their liver disease. A major limitation of this form of therapy is the present inability to isolate an adequate number of transplantable hepatocytes. A highly differentiated cell line, NKNT-3, was generated by retroviral transfer in normal primary adult human hepatocytes of an immortalizing gene that can be subsequently and completely excised by Cre/Lox site-specific recombination. When transplanted into the spleen of rats under transient immunosuppression, reversibly immortalized NKNT-3 cells provided life-saving metabolic support during acute liver failure induced by 90% hepatectomy.     

A 49-kilodalton phosphoprotein in the Drosophila photoreceptor is an arrestin homolog

The gene encoding the 49-kilodalton protein that undergoes light-induced phosphorylation in the Drosophila photoreceptor has been isolated and characterized. The encoded protein has 401 amino acid residues and a molecular mass of 44,972 daltons, and it shares approximately 42 percent amino acid sequence identity with arrestin (S-antigen), which has been proposed to quench the light-induced cascade of guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate hydrolysis in vertebrate photoreceptors. Unlike the 49-kilodalton protein, however, arrestin, which appears to bind to phosphorylated rhodopsin, has not itself been reported to undergo phosphorylation. In vitro, Ca2+ was the only agent found that would stimulate the phosphorylation of the 49-kilodalton protein. The phosphorylation of this arrestin-like protein in vivo may therefore be triggered by a Ca2+ signal that is likely to be regulated by light-activated phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C.     

Drosophila Sex lethal gene initiates female development in germline progenitors

Sex determination in the Drosophila germ line is regulated by both the sex of the surrounding soma and cell-autonomous cues. How primordial germ cells (PGCs) initiate sexual development via cell-autonomous mechanisms is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that, in Drosophila, the Sex lethal (Sxl) gene acts autonomously in PGCs to induce female development. Sxl is transiently expressed in PGCs during their migration to the gonads; this expression, which was detected only in XX PGCs, is necessary for PGCs to assume a female fate. Ectopic expression of Sxl in XY PGCs was sufficient to induce them to enter oogenesis and produce functional eggs when transplanted into an XX host. Our data provide powerful evidence that Sxl initiates female germline fate during sexual development.