Theileria-free grazing of dairy heifers on grassland in Kyushu,Japan where T. orientalis was epidemic before a 7-year vacancy

This study aimed to produce a Theileria-free grazing system for Holstein heifers reared on a dairy farm in the Hita area, Kyushu, Japan. In the grazing area, spreading of T. orientalis infection was confirmed in 2009. To eradicate the T. orientalis infection, four measures were conducted: 1) 7-year deferred grazing; 2) grazing only T. orientalis-uninfected heifers; 3) anemia check by red blood cell parameters at least once per month; and 4) protecting heifers from blood-sucking T. orientalis-infected ticks. Grazing was restarted in 2017 in the same area and continued to 2021. During last 2 years of pasturing (2020–2021) all of the 129 heifers were confirmed to be T. orientalis-free. In summary, it is possible to establish a T. orientalis-free grazing system by conducting appropriate measures.     

Biodegradation of nonlignocellulosic substances II: physical and chemical properties of sawdust before and after use as artificial soil

The physical properties of sawdust including porosity, water retention, and water drainage were analyzed to prove its suitability for use as an artificial soil in the automatic decomposer-extinguisher (GADE) machine. The physical and chemical properties of residual sawdust from the GADE machine were also analyzed, the mechanical abrasion of sawdust in the GADE machine was tested, and the morphology of this residue was observed through a scanning electron microscope to investigate changes of these properties in the medium of decomposing garbage. Sawdust, which showed a lower specific gravity and larger porosity than soil, is considered capable of supplying air to bacteria. It was found that sawdust became worn from the operation of the machine. The spaces of residual sawdust were still observed, but water drainage decreased. The portion of hollocellulose in residual sawdust decreased, although the extractives in it increased. Results indicated that the capacity of sawdust to function as an artificial soil in the GADE machine was decreased owing not only to the destruction of sawdust grain but also to the adherence of products from decomposition, such that sawdust needed to be replaced every few months.Part of this report was presented at the 43rd annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Morioka, April 1993     

Preventive effect of Kaempferia parviflora ethyl acetate extract and its major components polymethoxyflavonoid on metabolic diseases

Previously, we reported that rhizome powder of Kaempferia parviflora Wall. Ex. Baker prevented obesity and a range of metabolic diseases. In this study, to clarify which molecular mechanisms and active ingredients of K. parviflora have an anti-obesity effect, we investigated the effect of ethyl acetate extract of K. parviflora (KPE) on TSOD mice, a spontaneously obese Type II diabetes model, and on pancreatic lipase. In the TSOD groups, KPE showed a suppressive effect on body weight increase and visceral fat accumulation and also showed preventive effects on symptoms related to insulin resistance, hypertension and fatty liver. In addition, KPE also suppressed body weight increase and food intake in TSNO mice groups, which served as reference animals, at an early stage of administration. Searching for the ingredients in KPE revealed that KPE contains at least 12 kinds of polymethoxyflavonoid (PMF). Furthermore, KPE and its component PMFs showed an inhibitory effect on pancreatic lipase. The above results suggest that KPE has a preventive effect on obesity and various metabolic diseases. The mechanisms of action probably involve inhibition of pancreatic lipase by the PMFs in KPE.     

Molecular Characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bean yellow mosaic virus </Emphasis>from Vegetatively Propagated Dwarf <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gentiana </Emphasis>Plants

The causative virus (isolate No. 4) of gentian (Gentiana spp.) mosaic, which had been identified previously as Clover yellow vein virus (C1YVV) on the basis of host range and serological reactions, was re-identified as Bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV) on the basis of the nucleotide sequences of the gene for the coat protein (CP) and the 3′-noncoding region, as well as the predicted amino acid sequence of CP. Received 16 April 2002/ Accepted in revised form 19 June 2002     

Improved physical control of glyphosate‐resistant Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) on rice paddy levees in Japan

Italian ryegrass ( Lolium multiflorum Lam.) is a non‐native annual winter grass that has seriously infested rice paddy levees and wheat fields in Japan. Recently, glyphosate‐resistant Italian ryegrass was found on paddy levees in central Japan, thereby making control of the grass by using glyphosate less effective. In this study, physical control methods were tested that combined the timing and frequency of mowing in order to more effectively control glyphosate‐resistant Italian ryegrass on rice paddy levees. A 3 year field experiment was conducted from 2012 to 2014 in a western region of Shizuoka Prefecture, where glyphosate‐resistant Italian ryegrass has become dominant. Five treatments were tested: (i) mowing once before the flowering of the grass (i.e. conventional mowing measure); (ii) mowing once during flowering; (iii) mowing twice during flowering; (iv) glyphosate application before flowering (i.e. one of the conventional mowing measures); and (v) no treatment. The above‐ground biomass, seed production, soil seed bank and seedling occurrence of Italian ryegrass were measured to determine the effectiveness of these treatments. Mowing during the flowering period resulted in reduced above‐ground biomass, seed production and soil seed bank when compared with the other treatments. Additionally, mowing twice during the flowering period resulted in a lower seedling density than mowing once. The results suggest that, in this region, physical control by mowing during the flowering period would be more effective than conventional measures for controlling glyphosate‐resistant Italian ryegrass.     

Phylogenetic and serological analyses reveal genetic diversity of Agrobacterium vitis strains in Japan

Twenty-eight strains of Agrobacterium vitis , including both tumorigenic and nonpathogenic phenotypes involving 26 isolated in Japan and strains NCPPB 3554^T and NCPPB 2562 isolated in Australia and Greece, respectively, were characterized by means of a slide agglutination test (SAT) using antisera prepared against somatic antigens. Phylogenetic analyses were also carried out, using the results of repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction and the partial nucleotide sequences of pyrG , recA and rpoD . The A. vitis strains separated into four serogroups (A to D) based on the SAT reactivity. The phylogenetic analyses showed A. vitis strains separated into four tumorigenic groups (A to D) and one nonpathogenic group (E). Serogroups A to C corresponded exactly to genetic groups A to C, respectively, whereas serogroup D further divided into two distinct genetic groups, D and E. Genetic group E was isolated in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, and all strains of it have been found to coexist with tumorigenic strains belonging to the other groups within the same galled grapevine tissues. These results suggest that A. vitis strains are genetically heterogeneous and can be separated into several genetic groups. The differences between the nucleotide sequences of pyrG , recA and rpoD of the genetic groups will enable the development of a simple and convenient monitoring method, which will increase understanding of the dynamics of each genetic group of A. vitis in the natural environment.     

Biological control of crown gall of grapevine, rose, and tomato by nonpathogenic Agrobacterium vitis strain VAR03-1

A nonpathogenic strain of Agrobacterium vitis VAR03-1 was tested as a biological control agent for crown gall of grapevine (Vitis vinifera). When roots of grapevine, rose (Rose multiflora), and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) were soaked in a cell suspension of antagonists before planting in soil infested with tumorigenic A. vitis, A. rhizogenes, and A. tumefaciens, respectively, treatment with VAR03-1 significantly reduced the number of plants with tumors and disease severity in the three plant species. The inhibitory effects of treatment with VAR03-1 and the nonpathogenic A. rhizogenes strain K84 on crown gall of rose and tomato were almost identical, and the inhibitory effect of VAR03-1 on grapevine was superior to that of K84. Moreover, VAR03-1 greatly controlled crown gall of grapevine due to tumorigenic A. vitis in the field. VAR03-1 established populations averaging 10(6) colony forming units (CFU)/g of root in the rhizosphere of grapevine and persisted on roots for 2 years. VAR03-1 was bacteriocinogenic, producing a halo of inhibition against those three species of Agrobacterium. This is the first report that a nonpathogenic strain, VAR03-1, can effectively control crown gall caused by tumorigenic A. vitis, A. rhizogenes, and A. tumefaciens.     

Identification of genes expressed during spore germination of Mycosphaerella pinodes

Mycosphaerella blight, caused by Mycosphaerella pinodes, is one of the major diseases of cultivated pea (Pisum sativum L.). To isolate the genes that are up- and down-regulated during spore germination, suppression subtraction hybridization (SSH) was performed between ungerminated and germinated spores. The 232 and 128 clones from forward and reverse libraries, respectively, were collected, sequenced, and analyzed with a BLASTX homology search. About 95% of the 32 selected clones were expressed during spore germination on a paper sheet and during infection of pea leaves. We discuss the applicability of the SSH libraries for analyzing M. pinodes genes involved in the early stage of infection.     

Harpinpsta from Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci Is Defective and Deficient in Its Expression and HR-inducing Activity

To elucidate the role of harpins produced by Pseudomonas syringae, the corresponding hrpZ gene was isolated from P. s. pv. tabaci. The sequence information revealed that this gene carries a serious mutation with 326 bp lacking in the central region and potentially encodes only 140 N-terminal amino acids because of a frame shift. The investigation of biological properties using recombinant harpin indicated harpin_psta was incapable of inducing HR in both host and nonhost plants. Based on an immunoblot analysis to detect harpin from P. s. pathovars in hrp-inducing medium, the truncated harpin_psta was neither expressed nor secreted into the culture medium. These results suggest that harpin is not the sole determinant of the host-parasite specificity in P. s. pv. tabaci. Received 10 August 2000/ Accepted in revised form 21 December 2000