Circulating interleukin-18 and osteopontin are useful to evaluate disease activity in patients with tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: T helper type 1 (Th1) responses have been implicated in the protective immunity, pathophysiology and development of tuberculosis. However, it is still unclear which molecule(s) reflect disease activity in patients with tuberculosis. METHODS: By specific enzyme immunoassays, circulating interferon-gamma. (IFN-gamma), interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-18 and osteopontin (OPN) were measured in 47 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and 7 patients with miliary tuberculosis before anti-tuberculosis therapy, and also measured in 19 patients with tuberculosis before and after anti-tuberculosis therapy. RESULTS: Circulating IFN-gamma, IL-18 and OPN levels were significantly higher in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis than in healthy controls, while there was no significant difference in levels of circulating IL-12 between tuberculosis patients and controls. Circulating IFN-gamma, IL-12, IL-18 and OPN paralleled the extent of lung lesions, and circulating IFN-gamma, IL-18 and OPN paralleled the magnitude of fever in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Patients with miliary tuberculosis had extremely high levels of circulating OPN, IFN-gamma and IL-18. Circulating IL-18 and OPN were significantly decreased with anti-tuberculosis therapy, whereas circulating IL-12 and IFN-gamma were not. CONCLUSIONS: Among Th1 response associated molecules, circulating levels of IL-18 and OPN, but not IFN-gamma or IL-12, reflect disease activity in patients with tuberculosis.     

Inhibition of the biosynthesis of plant cell wall materials, especially cellulose biosynthesis, by coumarin

Coumarin in a concentration range from of 10–100 ppm inhibitedthe growth of rice, mung bean, lettuce and clover seedlings.These growth inhibitions were accompanied by remarkable tissueswelling in the stem-base and root tip zones. Microscopic observationof the swollen tissue showed that there was no increase in cellnumber, but swelling of individual cells was observed. In aconcentration range of 25–100 ppm, coumarin increasedthe fresh weight of plumular hook sections of mung bean, butdecreased the dry weight. This phenomenon indicates that abnormalwater-imbibition by cells occurs as an effect of coumarin. Inaddition, 25 ppm of coumarin noticeably induced wilting in thenewly developing leaves of rice plants. With plumular hook sectionsof mung bean, 100 ppm of coumarin did not affect the incorporationof ¹⁴C-glucose into the cytoplasm, but did inhibit its incorporationinto the cell wall by about 30%. Of the inhibition ratios for¹⁴C-glucose incorporation into the cell wall fraction, thatinto cellulose was conspicuous at about 70%, while ratios intoother cell wall fractions were less than 10%. It has also beendemonstrated that the inhibition of ¹⁴C-glucose incorporationinto cellulose by coumarin is due to the inhibition of its biosynthesisand not to a stimulation of its breakdown. The relation of theinhibition of cellulose biosynthesis by coumarin to the inductionof cell swelling is discussed, illustrating coumarin's effecton isolated root cells of soybean. ¹Present address: International Rice Research Institute, P.O. Box 1300, M. C. C, Makati, Philippines. ²Present address: Nippon Roche Research Center, Kamakura, Japan. (Received July 12, 1972; )     

Exploitation of K near roots of cotton,maize, upland rice,and soybean grown in an Ultisol

Native soil potassium (K) has received increased attention as a K source for plants to reduce fertiliser input. Our objective was to compare the ability of different crops to utilise native K. We also wanted to study the exploitation and transport pattern of soil K influenced by plant uptake. Cotton, maize, soybean, and upland rice were cultivated in rhizoboxes. The system permitted sampling of 1-mm-thin soil layers at increasing distances from the plant roots. Both exchangeable and nonexchangeable K was determined and compared with plant uptake of K. The upland rice was superior in K uptake, and took up some nonexchangeable K. Soybean and cotton grew poorly, and K was accumulated in the root zone due to excess supply by mass flow. The importance of mass flow over diffusion of K was verified by calculations and is contrary to accepted principles of K transport in soil. The reasons were high transpiration and restricted root growth. This indicates that mass flow of K in some situations is more important than generally assumed. Mass flow also caused the accumulation of Ca and Na in the root zone, especially that of rice. Accumulation of K in the root zone of rice did not cause K fixation, possibly due to an unknown K-releasing mechanism of upland rice. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Investigation on the Toxin Production by Several Blast Fungus Strains and Isolation of Tenuazonic Acid as a Novel Toxin

A survey of the toxin production by several strains of blast fungus was carried out. Among the strains tested only one strain, C₁(THU 69-03) produced α-picolinic acid with good yield and other strains produced neither α-picolinic acid nor piricularin. On the other hand, tenuazonic acid and its Fe-cbelate compound were isolated as novel blast fungus toxins from the surface culture brothes of these strains, but they could not be isolated from the shaking culture brothes. The phytotoxic effect of tenuazonic acid on rice plants in regard to varietal difference was also studied.     

Effect of Tenuazonic Acid on In Vitro Amino Acid Incorporation by Rice Embryo Ribosomes

Deacetylcephalosporin C negative mutants, lacking a certain step in the pathway of deacetylcephalosporin C biosynthesis, were obtained from the deacetylcephalosporin C producing mutant No. 40 of Cephalosporium acremonium by treatment with N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Among these mutants, the strain No. 40-20 was found to mainly accumulate a cephalosporin compound other than deacetylcephalosporin C and cephalosporin C. The cephalosporin was isolated as crystals from the culture broth of the mutant No. 40-20, and identified as deacetoxycephalosporin C, possessing a D-a-aminoadipyl side chain at C-7, by physical, chemical and biological methods. The profile of deacetoxycephalosporin C fermentation and the examination of the biochemical reduction of deacetylcephalosporin C led us to the conclusion that deacetoxycephalosporin C would be produced through de novo synthesis by this mutant.     

Chromosomal regions with quantitative trait loci controlling cadmium concentration in brown rice (Oryza sativa)

A novel mapping population consisting of 39 chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) was used to locate the putative quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for cadmium (Cd) concentration in brown rice (Oryza sativa). The mapping population carried a single chromosome segment of 'Kasalath' (indica) in each line overlapping with neighbouring segments in a 'Koshihikari' (japonica) genetic background. The parents and CSSLs were grown in pots filled with Cd-polluted soil until grain filling. The brown rice of three of the 39 CSSLs had significantly lower Cd concentrations than that of Koshihikari, and the brown rice of a further three had significantly higher concentrations. On the basis of graphical genotypes of CSSLs, putative QTLs controlling the Cd concentration in brown rice were detected on chromosomes 3, 6 and 8. Each of the CSSLs was nearly isogenic to Koshihikari, which is the most popular rice cultivar in Japan: they carried > 90% of the Koshihikari genetic background. Therefore, the development of a new Koshihikari with less Cd concentration in brown rice would be feasible in the near future.     

IL-12 and IL-18 are increased and stimulate IFN-gamma production in sarcoid lungs

Sarcoidosis is a systemic chronic granulomatous disease of unknown cause. Recent investigations revealed that the cytokine profile in inflamed lesions of sarcoidosis is Th1 dominant. To obtain better immunopathologic understanding of sarcoidosis, we examined the expression of IL-12 and IL-18 and their roles in IFN-gamma production in pulmonary sarcoidosis. Sarcoid cases had significantly elevated levels of IL-12 (p40 and p70) and IL-18 in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids compared with healthy subjects. IL-12 p70 and IL-18 were immunohistochemically expressed in the epithelioid cells and giant cells of sarcoid granulomas. Significant induction of IFN-gamma, IL-12 p70, and IL-18 was observed from sarcoid BAL fluid cells with LPS stimulation, whereas LPS tended to induce only IL-12 p70 in BAL fluid cells from healthy subjects. Sarcoid cases had significantly greater IFN-gamma induction with LPS stimulation than healthy subjects did. IL-18 mRNA expression was observed in freshly isolated sarcoid BAL fluid cells as well as in LPS-stimulated sarcoid BAL fluid cells, but IFN-gamma and IL-12 mRNA expression was observed only in LPS-stimulated BAL fluid cells. Treatment with anti-IL-12- and anti-IL-18-neutralizing Abs significantly inhibited IFN-gamma production from LPS-stimulated BAL fluid cells of sarcoid cases. Coadministration of rIL-12 or rIL-18 induced greater IFN-gamma production in sarcoid BAL fluid cells than in normal BAL fluid cells. We concluded that bioactive IL-12 and IL-18 were produced in sarcoid BAL fluid cells and synergistically induced IFN-gamma production, indicating important cytokines in the Th1 response of sarcoidosis.     

Biotechnological applications of serpentine soil bacteria for phytoremediation of trace metals

Serpentine or ultramafic soils are produced by weathering and pedogenesis of ultramafic rocks that are characterized by high levels of Ni, Cr, and sometimes Co, but contain low levels of essential nutrients such as N, P, K, and Ca. A number of plant species endemic to serpentine soils are capable of accumulating exceptionally high concentrations of Ni, Zn, and Co. These plants are known as metal “hyperaccumulators.” The function of hyperaccumulation depends not only on the plant, but also on the interaction of the plant roots with rhizosphere microbes and the concentrations of bioavailable metals in the soil. The rhizosphere provides a complex and dynamic microenvironment where microorganisms, in association with roots, form unique communities that have considerable potential for the detoxification of hazardous materials. The rhizosphere bacteria play a significant role on plant growth in serpentine soils by various mechanisms, namely, fixation of atmospheric nitrogen, utilization of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) as the sole N source, production of siderophores, or production of plant growth regulators (hormones). Further, many microorganisms in serpentine soil are able to solubilize “unavailable” forms of heavy metal–bearing minerals by excreting organic acids. In addition, the metal-resistant serpentine isolates increase the efficiency of phytoextraction directly by enhancing the metal accumulation in plant tissues and indirectly by promoting the shoot and root biomass of hyperaccumulators. Hence, isolation of the indigenous and stress-adapted beneficial bacteria serve as a potential biotechnological tool for inoculation of plants for the successful restoration of metal-contaminated ecosystems. In this study, we highlight the diversity and beneficial features of serpentine bacteria and discuss their potential in phytoremediation of serpentine and anthropogenically metal-contaminated soils.