Evaluation and Elimination of the Interference by Starch in the Biuret Determination of Wheat Protein

In the biuret determination of wheat protein, starch, color substances and lipids extractable with an alkaline solution such as biuret reagent were found to interfere with the biuret method. Comparative evaluation of their effects revealed that starch, a major component of wheat, has the most significant effect on the biuret method. In the presence of starch, the correlation between Kjeldahl protein and the optical density of biuret was poor.

It was found that several organic solvents effectively retarded solubilization of wheat starch in the biuret reaction mixture. By treatment of the wheat samples with these solvents prior to the biuret procedure, the effect of starch was completely eliminated and the optical density of biuret became closely correlated with Kjeldahl protein.     

Streptococcal preparation OK-432 promotes fusion efficiency and enhances induction of antigen-specific CTL by fusions of dendritic cells and colorectal cancer cells

Dendritic/tumor fusion cell (FC) vaccine is an effective approach for various types of cancer but has not yet been standardized. Antitumor activity can be modulated by different mechanisms such as dendritic cell (DC) maturation state. This study addressed optimal strategies for FC preparations to enhance Ag-specific CTL activity. We have created three types of FC preparations by alternating fusion cell partners: 1) immature DCs fused with autologous colorectal carcinoma cells (Imm-FCs); 2) Imm-FCs followed by stimulation with penicillin-inactivated Streptococcus pyogenes (OK-432) (Imm-FCs/OK); and 3) OK-432-stimulated DCs directly fused to autologous colorectal carcinoma cells (OK-FCs). Both OK-FCs and Imm-FCs/OK coexpressed the CEA, MUC1, and significantly higher levels of CD86, CD83, and IL-12 than those obtained with Imm-FCs. Short-term culture of fusion cell preparations promoted the fusion efficiency. Interestingly, OK-FCs were more efficient in stimulating CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells capable of high levels of IFN-gamma production and cytolysis of autologous tumor or semiallogeneic targets. Moreover, OK-FCs are more effective inducer of CTL activation compared with Imm-FCs/OK on a per fusion cell basis. The pentameric assay confirmed that CEA- and MUC1-specific CTL was induced simultaneously by OK-FCs at high frequency. Furthermore, the cryopreserved OK-FCs retained stimulatory capacity for inducing antitumor immunity. These results suggest that OK-432 promotes fusion efficiency and induction of Ag-specific CTL by fusion cells. We conclude that DCs fused after stimulation by OK-432 may have the potential applicability to the field of antitumor immunotherapy and may provide a platform for adoptive immunotherapy in the clinical setting.     

α-Amylase production is induced by sulfuric acid in rice aleurone cells

The hydrolytic enzyme alpha-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) is produced mainly in aleurone cells of germinating cereals, and the phytohormone gibberellin (GA) is essential for its induction. However, in rice (Oryza sativa L.), sulfuric acid (H(2)SO(4)) induces alpha-amylase production in aleurone tissue even in the absence of GA. Here, the pre-treatment of rice aleurone cells with H(2)SO(4) and incubation in water induced alpha-amylase activity, as if the cells had been incubated in GA solution.     

Pattern of immigration of the sorghum plant bug Stenotus rubrovittatus (Hemiptera: Miridae) into paddy fields from a large source habitat

Evaluation of the landscape-level movement of Stenotus rubrovittatus (Matsumura), a major rice pest in Japan, is essential for establishing management strategies. We assessed the immigration timing and the average dispersal distance from a bank slope covered with Italian ryegrass Lolium multiflorum Lam. to paddy fields by periodic sampling in two regions in Chiba Prefecture. The immigrant densities in paddy fields increased exponentially as they approached the bank slope as a large-scale habitat of the insect. The relationship between immigrant density and distance from the source habitat fit an empirical model and theoretical model well. The theoretical model estimated the average dispersal distance during immigration: that of females was 72.0 and 92.1 m and that of males was 122.0 and 112.9 m in the respective regions. In addition, the average dispersal distance of males increased 7 days or later after the rice heading date despite the steady dispersal distance of females.     

A food-supply device for maintaining Cotesia vestalis,a larval parasitoid of the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella,in greenhouses

The limited availability of sugar sources (e.g., flowers) in greenhouses may affect biological pest control by parasitoid wasps. However, few studies have focused on feeding devices to provide parasitoids with sugar foods. We investigated the accessibility of a yellow-colored bottle-type feeding device to adult Cotesia vestalis (Halliday), a larval endoparasitoid of the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella (L.). All parasitoids died within four days in a room with no sugar source, whereas 66.7 % of individuals survived if a bottle-type feeding device providing honey solution was installed. We also investigated female longevity in response to different sugar solutions presented in a bottle-type feeding device. Honey and sugar mixtures (glucose and fructose) improved female longevity (38.4 and 39.2 days, respectively) much more than water (3.1 days), indicating these feeding devices containing sugar foods to be potentially useful for maintaining C. vestalis in greenhouses where natural food sources are limited.     

Role of olfaction and vision in homing behaviour of black rockfish Sebastes inermis

How fish find their original habitat and natal home remains an unsolved riddle of animal behaviour. Despite extensive efforts to study the homing behaviour of diadromous fish, relatively little attention has been paid to that of non-diadromous marine fish. Among these, most rockfish of the genus Sebastes exhibit homing ability and/or a strong fidelity to their habitats. However, how these rockfish detect the homeward direction has not been clarified. The goal of the present research was to investigate the sensory mechanisms involved in the homing behaviour of the black rockfish Sebastes inermis, using acoustic telemetry. Vision-blocked or olfactory-ablated rockfish were released in natural waters and their homing behaviours compared with those of intact or control individuals. Blind rockfish showed homing from both inside and outside their habitat. The time taken by blind fish to reach their home habitat was not significantly different from that of the control fish. In contrast, most olfactory-ablated fish did not successfully reach their original habitat. Our results indicate that black rockfish predominantly use the olfactory sense in their homing behaviour.     

Molecular arrangement in blocklets and starch granule architecture

The main hypotheses and the data regarding the starch granule structure and behaviour were gathered and considered comprehensively in this paper. The starch molecules such as amylopectin, amylose and intermediate materials, the non-starch molecules such as bound phosphates and lipids, and the crystal dimensions etc. their roles were demonstrated in the architectures of blocklet and granular ultrastructure. A normal blocklet is mainly constructed by the crystalline and amorphous lamellaes that are formed with the clusters of amylopectin molecule(s). The reducing terminal of the amylopectins in the blocklets may be toward an equal course. However, the defective blocklet production may be due to the participation of lower branching molecules such as amylose and intermediate materials. From the viewpoint of the physicochemical properties of the starch granules, the blocklet of two types may be arranged into the two formations, heterogeneous shell and homogenous shell. The amylopectin plays main role in blocklet architecture, while the other component is important in contributing to the strength and flexibility of starch granule.     

A Convenient Method for Rapid Determination of Cereal Proteins: A Device to Eliminate the Effect of Color Substances on the Biuret Procedure

At least, four kinds of amylase inhibitors are found in culture of Streptomyces sp. No.280.¹⁾ A large amount of amylase inhibitors were produced by Streptomyces sp. No. 280 when cultivated on 3% oatmeal medium and it was found that the molecular weight of the inhibitors were transformed to smaller molecules during the cultivation time. The transformation of the amylase inhibitor was found to result from degradation of its carbohydrate moiety by α-amylase in the culture broth. The amylase inhibitor was hydrolyzed partially by the action of taka-amylase A or hog pancreatic α-amylase. With hydrolyzation of amylase inhibitor by α-amylase, neutral sugars (mainly maltose) were liberated from the amylase inhibitor and a modified inhibitor was newly formed, but amylase inhibitory activity against glucoamylase was not changed. The inhibitory activity against muscle Phosphorylase a, however, was almost completely lost.     

Crystallization and preliminary diffraction studies of hydroxypyruvate reductase (D-glycerate dehydrogenase) from Hyphomicrobium methylovorum.

Two crystal forms of hydroxypyruvate reductase (D-glycerate dehydrogenase) from the methylotrophic bacterium Hyphomicrobium methylovorum have been grown from ammonium sulphate solutions. One crystal form is triclinic, with unit cell parameters a = 60.4 A, b = 60.5 A, c = 66.3 A, alpha = 102.3 degrees, beta = 113.7 degrees and gamma = 102.7 degrees, suggesting that a dimer (monomer M(r) 38,000) occupies the unit cell. This crystal form diffracts to beyond 2.4 A resolution and is suitable for crystallographic structure analysis.     

Interspecific hybridization between introduced and indigenous green lacewings (Neurop., Chrysopidae: Chrysoperla) at different adult densities

Abstract  We investigated laboratory hybridization in different-capacity cages between the indigenous Chrysoperla nipponensis and its close relative, Chrysoperla carnea , which has been recently introduced from Germany to Japan. Fertility varied depending on the combination of cross and cage capacity, and was decreased by reduced adult density in all crosses. Conspecific crosses showed significantly higher fertility than interspecific crosses. Interspecific crosses, especially C. nipponensis females ×  C. carnea males, showed low fertility at all adult densities. There will be few losses of identity of the indigenous C. nipponensis via interspecific hybridization with the introduced C. carnea , even if C. carnea were to become established in the wild.