Catalog of Micro-Tom tomato responses to common fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens

Lycopersicon esculentum cultivar Micro-Tom is a miniature tomato with many advantages for studies of the molecular biology and physiology of plants. To evaluate the suitability of Micro-Tom as a host plant for the study of pathogenesis, Micro-Tom plants were inoculated with 16 well-known fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens of tomato. Athelia rolfsii, Botryotinia fuckeliana, Oidium sp., Phytophthora infestans, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum caused typical symptoms and sporulated abundantly on Micro-Tom. Micro-Tom was resistant to Alternaria alternata, Corynespora cassiicola, and Fusarium oxysporum. When Micro-Tom was inoculated with 17 isolates of Ralstonia solanacearum, many isolates induced wilt symptoms. Agrobacterium tumefaciens also was pathogenic, causing crown galls on stem tissue after needle prick inoculation. In Micro-Tom sprayed with Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, P. s. pv. tabaci, or P. s. pv. glycinea, bacterial populations did not increase, and yellow lesions appeared only on leaves sprayed with P. s. pv. tomato. Tomato mosaic virus, Tomato aspermy virus, and Cucumber mosaic virus systemically infected Micro-Tom, which developed symptoms characteristic of other cultivars of tomato after infection with the respective virus. These results indicated that Micro-Tom was generally susceptible to most of the important tomato pathogens and developed typical symptoms, whereas certain pathogens were restricted by either hypersensitive resistance or nonhost resistance on Micro-Tom. Therefore, an assortment of Micro-Tom–pathogen systems should provide excellent models for studying the mechanism of susceptible and resistant interactions between plants and pathogens.     

Sward characteristics,nutritive value and choice by cattle of conterminous monocultures of centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) and bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum)

In south‐western Japan, centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides; CG) offers a novel option for a warm‐season perennial for grazing use in areas where bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum; BG) can be grown. However, the potential of CG as a forage has not been fully explored because of the short history as a forage crop. We conducted four experiments to evaluate CG (cv. TifBlair) in comparison with BG (cv. Pensacola) in terms of sward characteristics, nutritive value and choice by animals. In each experiment, four Japanese Black cows (Bos taurus) were individually allowed to graze conterminous monocultures of CG and BG (5 × 10 m each) for 30 min. Irrespective of regrowth durations and fertilizer rates, CG was consistently shorter, leafier and denser, contained lower acid detergent fiber and cellulose, and was preferred or equally selected by cows, as compared with BG. Furthermore, CG maintained sufficient levels of crude protein (80–89 g/kg DM) to ensure voluntary intake of ruminant animals under extended regrowth^? and without fertilizer, whereas BG failed to do so (65 g/kg DM). CG provided higher digestible dry matter than BG when crude protein concentration exceeded 86 g/kg DM. The results indicate advantages of CG as a forage.     

A dog with myelodysplastic syndrome: chronic myelomonocytic leukemia

An eleven-year-old female pug was referred to Yamaguchi University Animal Hospital for evaluation of anemia and thrombocytopenia. The cytological examination of the peripheral blood showed some giant monocytic lineage blast cells. A few granulocytes and platelets had dysplastic features. On day 7, in addition to increasing the monocytic lineage cells, the dysplastic features of the blood had also increased compared to the initial examination. We performed bone marrow aspiration upon her death. The bone marrow revealed dysplastic features in all three hematopoietic cell lines, and an increase in the monocytic cell line. Based on the features of the bone marrow and the peripheral blood, this case was confirmed to be myelodysplastic syndrome--Chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (MDS-CMML).     

Validation of the DNDC-Rice model by using CH4 and N2O flux data from rice cultivated in pots under alternate wetting and drying irrigation management

The DNDC (DeNitrification-DeComposition)-Rice model, one of the most advanced process-based models for the estimation of greenhouse gas emissions from paddy fields, has been discussed mostly in terms of the reproducibility of observed methane (CH₄) emissions from Japanese rice paddies, but the model has not yet been validated for tropical rice paddies under alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation management, a water-saving technique. We validated the model by using CH₄ and nitrous oxide (N₂O) flux data from rice in pots cultivated under AWD irrigation management in a screen-house at the International Rice Research Institute (Los Baños, the Philippines). After minor modification and adjustment of the model to the experimental irrigation conditions, we calculated grain yield and straw production. The observed mean daily CH₄ fluxes from the continuous flooding (CF) and AWD pots were 4.49 and 1.22?kg?C?ha^?1?day^?1, respectively, and the observed mean daily N₂O fluxes from the pots were 0.105 and 34.1?g?N?ha^?1?day^?1, respectively. The root-mean-square errors, indicators of simulation error, of daily CH₄ fluxes from CF and AWD pots were calculated as 1.76 and 1.86?kg?C?ha^?1?day^?1, respectively, and those of daily N₂O fluxes were 2.23 and 124?g?N?ha^?1?day^?1, respectively. The simulated gross CH₄ emissions for CF and AWD from the puddling stage (2 days before transplanting) to harvest (97 days after transplanting) were 417 and 126?kg?C?ha^?1, respectively; these values were 9.8% lower and 0.76% higher, respectively, than the observed values. The simulated gross N₂O emissions during the same period were 0.0279 and 1.45?kg?N?ha^?1 for CF and AWD, respectively; these values were respectively 87% and 29% lower than the observed values. The observed total global warming potential (GWP) of AWD resulting from the CH₄ and N₂O emissions was approximately one-third of that in the CF treatment. The simulated GWPs of both CF and AWD were close to the observed values despite the discrepancy in N₂O emissions, because N₂O emissions contributed much less than CH₄ emissions to the total GWP. These results suggest that the DNDC-Rice model can be used to estimate CH₄ emission and total GWP from tropical paddy fields under both CF and AWD conditions.     

Mutations in dynein link motor neuron degeneration to defects in retrograde transport

Degenerative disorders of motor neurons include a range of progressive fatal diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal-bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Although the causative genetic alterations are known for some cases, the molecular basis of many SMA and SBMA-like syndromes and most ALS cases is unknown. Here we show that missense point mutations in the cytoplasmic dynein heavy chain result in progressive motor neuron degeneration in heterozygous mice, and in homozygotes this is accompanied by the formation of Lewy-like inclusion bodies, thus resembling key features of human pathology. These mutations exclusively perturb neuron-specific functions of dynein.     

Effect of propylene glycol and undegradable protein source on rumen fermentation, blood metabolism and milk production in lactating dairy cows

Eight lactating Holstein cows were divided into two groups ( n  = 4) and used in a double reversal trial with three periods of 14 days each, to evaluate diets containing propylene glycol (PG) and ruminally undegradable protein (RUP) blend on milk yield and composition, ruminal fermentation and blood metabolism. The control diet contained 20% chopped Sudangrass hay, 20% cubed alfalfa hay, 12% corn silage, and 48% of the respective concentrate mixtures (dry matter basis). The experimental diet (PG + RUP) partially replaced the concentrate mixture from the control diet with 1.4% PG and 2.1% RUP. Both diets contained about 16% crude protein and 71% total digestible nutrients. Dry matter intake was similar between the two diets. Daily production of milk, milk lactose and milk solids-not-fat increased by 9.0%, 11.3% and 9.3%, respectively ( P  < 0.1), for cows fed diets with PG + RUP; milk composition was unchanged. Although the concentration of ruminal total volatile fatty acids was unchanged, the proportion of propionic acid increased, and the proportion of acetic acid decreased with PG + RUP. The concentration of ruminal ammonia nitrogen and number of ciliate protozoa was not significantly affected by PG + RUP. The concentration of glucose in blood plasma increased, the concentration of urea nitrogen was unaffected, and the concentration of some essential free amino acids decreased with PG + RUP. It is suggested that these changes might be caused predominantly by PG, and the addition of PG may exert a favorable effect on milk production through increased metabolism.