Diversity of Intestinal Bifidobacteria in Patients with Japanese Cedar Pollinosis and Possible Influence of Probiotic Intervention

This study was conducted to evaluate the potential association between intestinal bifidobacteria and Japanese cedar pollinosis (JCPsis) and possible influences of probiotic intervention. In this study, fecal samples were the collected from 29 JCPsis patients. The qualitative and quantitative analyses of fecal bifidobacteria were conducted by quantitative real-time PCR with 16S rRNA-gene-targeted species-specific primers before cedar pollen spread and after a 10-week intervention with fermented milk prepared with Lactobacillus GG and L. gasseri TMC0356 during pollen spread. Each JCPsis patient had a unique diversity of bifidobacteria, which varied qualitatively and quantitatively in an individual-dependent manner during pollen spread. The serum IgE concentration of JCPsis patients with more than 3 detectable Bifidobacterium species was significantly lower than that of patients with less than 2 detected species. The prevalence of B. adolescentis, B. longum, and B. catenulatum increased after probiotic intervention, although the changes were not statistically significant. These results suggest that lower diversity of intestinal Bifidobacterium species might be a pathological aspect of JCPsis. The diversity of intestinal bifidobacteria could be a prospective target for using probiotics in the management of IgE-mediated allergic disorders including JCPsis.     

Nuclear-encoded chloroplast RNA polymerase sigma factor SIG2 activates chloroplast-encoded phycobilisome genes in a red alga, Cyanidioschyzon merolae

The phycobilisome (PBS) is a photosynthetic light-harvesting complex in red algae, whose structural genes are separately encoded by both the nuclear and chloroplast genomes. While the expression of PBS genes in both genomes is responsive to environmental changes to modulate light-harvesting efficiency, little is known about how gene expression of the two genomes is coordinated. In this study, we focused on the four nuclear-encoded chloroplast sigma factors to understand aspects of this coordination, and found that SIG2 directs the expression of chloroplast PBS genes in the red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae.     

Assessment of effect of partial sterility on mating performance in sweetpotato weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

The sterile insect technique (SIT) is widely used to suppress or eradicate target pest insect populations. Although the effectiveness of SIT depends on the ability of released sterile males to mate with and inseminate wild females, the use of gamma radiation to induce sterility negatively impacts reproductive cells as well as somatic cells. Consequently, sterilization by irradiation drastically diminishes mating performance over time. In the current study, we evaluated the effect of irradiation dose intensity on fertility, mating propensity, and mating competitiveness in sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius elegantulus (Summers) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), for 16 d after irradiation. Although the mating propensity of males irradiated with 200 Gy, the dose currently used to induce complete sterility of C. f. elegantulus in the SIT program in Okinawa Prefecture, was equal to that of nonirradiated weevils for the first 6 d, the mating propensity of males irradiated with doses between of 75 and 150 Gy was maintained for the first 12 d. The potential fertilization ability of weevils was highly depressed compared with the control weevils, even in those treated with 75 Gy. Mating performance was severely compromised in weevils that were irradiated with a dose of 100 Gy or more. These results demonstrate that partial sterilization can be highly advantageous in eradication programs for the sweetpotato weevil. We discuss the advantages of the application of partial irradiation in insect eradication programs.     

Does correlation of cellulase gene expression and cellulolytic activity in the gut of termite suggest synergistic collaboration of cellulases?

Termites play an important role in degradation of dead plant materials in nature. Over the last century, many researchers have investigated the mechanisms of their lignocellulose digesting system. A recent publication by Zhou et al. (Zhou, X., Smith, J.A., Oi, F.M., Koehler, P.G., Bennett, G.W., Scharf, M.E., 2007. Correlation of cellulase gene expression and cellulolytic activity throughout the gut of the termite Reticulitermes flavipes. Gene 395, 29-39) dealt with the cellulolytic system of the flagellate-harboring termite R. flavipes and suggested "the presence of a single unified cellulose digestion system" in the termite, as an alternative hypothesis of a "dual (i.e. endogenous and symbiotic) cellulose digesting system" proposed by Nakashima et al. (Nakashima, K., Watanabe, H., Saitoh, H., Tokuda, G., Azuma, J.-I., 2002. Dual cellulose-digesting system of the wood-feeding termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 32, 777-784). Here we show that their results actually support a dual cellulose digesting system rather than "a single unified cellulose digestion system". In addition, potential problems with their results are highlighted.     

Production of novel antioxidative prenyl naphthalen-ols by combinational bioconversion with dioxygenase PhnA1A2A3A4 and prenyltransferase NphB or SCO7190

We performed combinational bioconversion of substituted naphthalenes with PhnA1A2A3A4 (an aromatic dihydroxylating dioxygenase from marine bacterium Cycloclasticus sp. strain A5) and prenyltransferase NphB (geranyltransferase from Streptomyces sp. strain CL190) or SCO7190 (dimethylallyltransferase from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)) to produce prenyl naphthalen-ols. Using 2-methylnaphthalene, 1-methoxynaphthalene, and 1-ethoxynaphthalene as the starting substrates, 10 novel prenyl naphthalen-ols were produced by combinational bioconversion. These novel prenyl naphthalen-ols each showed potent antioxidative activity against a rat brain homogenate model. 2-(2,3-Dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-chromen-4-one (2',3'-dihydroxychrysin) generated with another aromatic dihydroxylating dioxygenase and subsequent dehydrogenase was also geranylated at the C-5'-carbon by the action of NphB.     

Comparison of Barium and Arsenic Concentrations in Well Drinking Water and in Human Body Samples and a Novel Remediation System for These Elements in Well Drinking Water

Health risk for well drinking water is a worldwide problem. Our recent studies showed increased toxicity by exposure to barium alone (≤700 µg/L) and coexposure to barium (137 µg/L) and arsenic (225 µg/L). The present edition of WHO health-based guidelines for drinking water revised in 2011 has maintained the values of arsenic (10 µg/L) and barium (700 µg/L), but not elements such as manganese, iron and zinc. Nevertheless, there have been very few studies on barium in drinking water and human samples. This study showed significant correlations between levels of arsenic and barium, but not its homologous elements (magnesium, calcium and strontium), in urine, toenail and hair samples obtained from residents of Jessore, Bangladesh. Significant correlation between levels of arsenic and barium in well drinking water and levels in human urine, toenail and hair samples were also observed. Based on these results, a high-performance and low-cost adsorbent composed of a hydrotalcite-like compound for barium and arsenic was developed. The adsorbent reduced levels of barium and arsenic from well water in Bangladesh and Vietnam to <7 µg/L within 1 min. Thus, we have showed levels of arsenic and barium in humans and propose a novel remediation system.     

Roles of transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels and reverse-mode Na/Ca exchanger on cell proliferation in human cardiac fibroblasts: Effects of transforming growth factor β1

Expression of transient receptor potential canonical channels (TRPC) and the effects of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) on Ca²⁺ signals and fibroblast proliferation were investigated in human cardiac fibroblasts. The conventional and quantitative real-time RT-PCR, western blot, immunocytochemical analysis, and intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration [Ca²⁺]_i measurement were applied. Cell proliferation and cell cycle progression were assessed using MTT assays and fluorescence activated cell sorting. Human cardiac fibroblasts have the expression of TRPC1,3,4,6 mRNA and proteins. 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG) and thapsigargin induced extracellular Ca²⁺-mediated [Ca²⁺]_i rise. siRNA for knock down of TRPC6 reduced OAG-induced Ca²⁺ entry. Hyperforin as well as angiotensin II (Ang II) induced Ca²⁺ entry. KB-R7943, a reverse-mode Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchanger (NCX) inhibitor, and/or replacement of Na⁺ with NMDG⁺ inhibited thapsigargin-, OAG- and Ang II-induced Ca²⁺ entry. Treatment with TGF-β1 increased thapsigargin-, OAG- and Ang II-induced Ca²⁺ entry with an enhancement of TRPC1,6 protein expression, suppressed by KB-R7943. TGF-β1 and AngII promoted cell cycle progression from G0/G1 to S/G2/M and cell proliferation. A decrease of the extracellular Ca²⁺ and KB-R7943 suppressed it. Human cardiac fibroblasts contain several TRPC-mediated Ca²⁺ influx pathways, which activate the reverse-mode NCX. TGF-β1 enhances the Ca²⁺ influx pathways requiring Ca²⁺ signals for its effect on fibroblast proliferation.     

Vulnerability of phenological synchrony between plants and pollinators in an alpine ecosystem

The relationship between flowering phenology and abundance of bumble bees (Bombus spp.) was investigated using 2 years of phenological data collected in an alpine region of northern Japan. Abundance of Bombus species was observed along a fixed transect throughout the flowering season. The number of flowering species was closely related to the floral resources for pollinators at the community scale. In the year with typical weather, the first flowering peak corresponded to the emergence time of queen bees from hibernation, while the second flowering peak corresponded to the active period of worker bees. In the year with an unusually warm spring, however, phenological synchrony between plants and bees was disrupted. Estimated emergence of queen bees was 10 days earlier than the first flowering date owing to earlier soil thawing and warming. However, subsequent worker emergence was delayed, indicating slower colony development. The flowering season finished 2 weeks earlier in the warm-spring year in response to earlier snowmelt. A common resident species in the alpine environment, B. hypocrita sapporoensis, flexibly responded to the yearly fluctuation of flowering. In contrast, population dynamics of other Bombus species were out of synchrony with the flowering: their frequencies were highest at the end of the flowering season in the warm-spring year. Therefore, phenological mismatch between flowers and pollinators is evident during warm years, which may become more prevalent in a warmer climate. To understand the mechanism of phenological mismatch in the pollination system of the alpine ecosystem, ground temperature, snowmelt regime, and life cycle of pollinators are key factors.     

Development and characterization of ten novel microsatellite loci for the emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) and genetic diversity of Japanese farm populations

Molecular Biology Reports - The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is a useful poultry animal farmed for fat, meat, and eggs. Genetic structure and relationships among farmed emu populations in Japan...