Publications by authors named "K Kuwata"

• Induction of SWEET sugar transporters by bacterial pathogens via transcription activator-like (TAL) effectors is necessary for successful blight infection of rice, cassava and cotton, - likely providing sugars for bacterial propagation. • Here, we show that infection of by the necrotrophic fungus causes increased accumulation of amino acid transporter UmamiT20 mRNA in leaves. UmamiT20 protein accumulates in leaf veins surrounding the lesions after infection.

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Article Synopsis
  • Amphidoma languida, a dinoflagellate known for producing the toxin azaspiracids, has been detected in environmental DNA in the Asia Pacific, despite no confirmed sightings.
  • The study examined the morphology, ultrastructure, and phylogeny of nine recently isolated strains of Amphidoma from Japan, Malaysia, and the Philippines, revealing differences from the Atlantic species.
  • Findings indicate that these Pacific strains, proposed as a new species named Amphidoma fulgens sp. nov., are non-toxigenic and display unique structural features compared to Am. languida.
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In 2018, classical swine fever (CSF) reemerged in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, after 26 years of absence, and vaccination of domestic pigs using a live attenuated vaccine was initiated in 2019. Because the vaccine efficacy in piglets is influenced by the maternal antibody levels, vaccination should be administered at the optimal age by assuming the antibody level in sows. In this study, the shift in the antibody titer distribution in sows due to the initiation of vaccination to naïve herds and its influence on the vaccine-induced immunity rate in fattening pigs were investigated for 3 years.

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The impacts of Criegee intermediates (CIs) on atmospheric chemistry depend significantly on the CI conformation. In this Perspective, I highlight examples of how electronic structure and statistical rate theory calculations, in conjunction with experiment, have revealed conformation-dependent details of both CI ground-state reactivity and electronic excitation. Calculations using single-reference electronic structure methods and conventional transition state theory have predicted that CIs with -alkyl or -vinyl substituents isomerize rapidly to vinyl hydroperoxides (VHPs) or dioxoles, both of which can decompose rapidly under atmospheric conditions.

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Plants initiate specific defense responses by recognizing conserved epitope peptides within the flagellin proteins derived from bacteria. Proteolytic cleavage of epitope peptides from flagellin by plant apoplastic proteases is thought to be crucial for the perception of the epitope by the plant receptor. However, the identity of the plant proteases involved in this process remains unknown.

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