Anatomical patterns of condensed tannin in fine roots of tree species from a cool-temperate forest.

Background And Aims: Condensed tannin (CT) is an important compound in plant biological structural defence and for tolerance of herbivory and environmental stress. However, little is known of the role and location of CT within the fine roots of woody plants. To understand the role of CT in fine roots across diverse species of woody dicot, we evaluated the localization of CT that accumulated in root tissue, and examined its relationships with the stele and cortex tissue in cross-sections of roots in 20 tree species forming different microbial symbiotic groups (ectomycorrhiza and arbuscular mycorrhiza).

Adverse reproductive effects of S100A9 on bovine sperm and early embryonic development in vitro.

The phenomenon of aging arises from multiple, complex interactions causing dysfunction in cells and organs. In particular, fertility drastically decreases with age. Previously, we have demonstrated that the functional characteristics of the bovine oviduct and uterus change with the age-dependent upregulation of inflammation and noted that S100A9 triggers inflammatory responses in oviduct epithelial cells.

Characterizing fine-root traits by species phylogeny and microbial symbiosis in 11 co-existing woody species.

Understanding the differences in fine-root traits among different species is essential to gain a detailed understanding of resource conservation and acquisition strategies of plants. We aimed to explore whether certain root traits are consistent among subsets of species and characterize species together into meaningful community groups. We selected 11 woody species from different microbial symbiotic groups (ectomycorrhiza, arbuscular mycorrhiza, and rhizobia) and phylogenetic groups (broad-leaved angiosperms and coniferous gymnosperms) from the cool temperate forests of Nagano, Japan.

Improvement of fertility in repeat breeder dairy cattle by embryo transfer following artificial insemination: possibility of interferon tau replenishment effect.

Repeat breeder cattle do not become pregnant until after three or more breeding attempts; this represents a critical reproductive disorder. Embryo transfer (ET) following artificial insemination (AI) in repeat breeder cattle reportedly improves pregnancy rate, leading to speculation that interferon tau (IFNT) is associated with this phenomenon. However, the reason why the conception rate improves remains unknown.

Oxygen concentration modulates cellular senescence and autophagy in human trophoblast cells.

Problem: We investigated the effect of oxygen concentrations on cellular senescence and autophagy and examined the role of autophagy in human trophoblast cells.

Method Of Study: Human first-trimester trophoblast cells (Sw.71) were incubated under 21%, 5%, or 1% O concentrations for 24 hours.