Impacts of elevated atmospheric CO₂ on nutrient content of important food crops.

One of the many ways that climate change may affect human health is by altering the nutrient content of food crops. However, previous attempts to study the effects of increased atmospheric CO2 on crop nutrition have been limited by small sample sizes and/or artificial growing conditions. Here we present data from a meta-analysis of the nutritional contents of the edible portions of 41 cultivars of six major crop species grown using free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) technology to expose crops to ambient and elevated CO2 concentrations in otherwise normal field cultivation conditions.

Long-term monitoring of feral genetically modified herbicide-tolerant Brassica napus populations around unloading Japanese ports.

Genetically modified, herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) Brassica napus plants originating from seed spill have recently been found along roadsides leading from Japanese ports that unload oilseed rape. Such introductions have potential biodiversity effects (as defined by the Cartagena Protocol): these include replacement of native elements in the biota through competitive suppression or hybridization. We conducted surveys in the period 2006-2011 to assess such threats.

Comparative toxicity of 20 herbicides to 5 periphytic algae and the relationship with mode of action.

The authors used 5 species of periphytic algae to conduct toxicity assays of 20 herbicides. The 5 tested species represent riverine primary producers most likely to be affected by herbicides. A fluorescence microplate toxicity assay was used as an efficient and economical high-throughput assay.

Development of an Immunosensor for Determination of the Fungicide Chlorothalonil in Vegetables, Using Surface Plasmon Resonance.

An immunosensor based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR-sensor) was developed to analyze chlorothalonil residues and maximum residue limits (MRLs; 0.5-50 mg/kg) in vegetables in Japan. Conjugates of N-(pentachlorophenoxyacetyl)glycine and bovine serum albumin were covalently coated on the sensor chip.

Effects of N loading rate on CH4 and N2O emissions during cultivation and fallow periods from forage rice fields fertilized with liquid cattle waste.

The use of liquid cattle waste (LCW) as a fertilizer for forage rice is important for material recycling because it can promote biomass production, and reduce the use of chemical fertilizer. Meanwhile, increase in emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), especially CH4 and N2O would be concerned. We conducted a field study to determine the optimum loading rate of LCW as N to promote forage rice growth with lower GHG emissions.

Evolution of substrate recognition sites (SRSs) in cytochromes P450 from Apiaceae exemplified by the CYP71AJ subfamily.

Background: Large proliferations of cytochrome P450 encoding genes resulting from gene duplications can be termed as 'blooms', providing genetic material for the genesis and evolution of biosynthetic pathways. Furanocoumarins are allelochemicals produced by many of the species in Apiaceaous plants belonging to the Apioideae subfamily of Apiaceae and have been described as being involved in the defence reaction against phytophageous insects.

Results: A bloom in the cytochromes P450 CYP71AJ subfamily has been identified, showing at least 2 clades and 6 subclades within the CYP71AJ subfamily.

Simultaneous bioethanol distillery wastewater treatment and xylanase production by the phyllosphere yeast Pseudozyma antarctica GB-4(0).

Bioethanol production using lignocellulosic biomass generates lignocellulosic bioethanol distillery wastewater (LBDW) that contains a large amount of xylose, making it a potential inexpensive source of xylose for biomaterials production. The main goal of this study was the production of useful enzymes from LBDW during treatment of this wastewater. In this study, we found that xylose strongly induced two yeast strains, Pseudozyma antarctica T-34 and GB-4(0), to produce novel xylanases, PaXynT and PaXynG, respectively.

Insecticide applications to soil contribute to the development of Burkholderia mediating insecticide resistance in stinkbugs.

Some soil Burkholderia strains are capable of degrading the organophosphorus insecticide, fenitrothion, and establish symbiosis with stinkbugs, making the host insects fenitrothion-resistant. However, the ecology of the symbiotic degrading Burkholderia adapting to fenitrothion in the free-living environment is unknown. We hypothesized that fenitrothion applications affect the dynamics of fenitrothion-degrading Burkholderia, thereby controlling the transmission of symbiotic degrading Burkholderia from the soil to stinkbugs.

Influence of the nonexchangeable potassium of mica on radiocesium uptake by paddy rice.

A pot cultivation experiment was conducted to elucidate the influence of the nonexchangeable potassium (K) of mica on radiocesium ((137)Cs) uptake by paddy rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Koshihikari), and to evaluate the potential of mica application as a countermeasure to reduce radiocesium transfer from soil to paddy rice.

Cyanamide is biosynthesized from L-canavanine in plants.

Cyanamide had long been recognized as a synthetic compound but more recently has been found as a natural product from several leguminous plants. This compound's biosynthetic pathway, as yet unelaborated, has attracted attention because of its utility in many domains, such as agriculture, chemistry, and medicine. We noticed that the distribution of L-canavanine in the plant kingdom appeared to include that of cyanamide and that the guanidino group structure in L-canavanine contained the cyanamide skeleton.

Depth profile and mobility of (129)I and (137)Cs in soil originating from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident.

The (129)I derived from the FDNPP accident were clearly identified near the surface and showed a trend of rapid decrease with depth. The FDNPP (129)I and (137)Cs was 51.6 ± 1.

Effects of biosurfactants, mannosylerythritol lipids, on the hydrophobicity of solid surfaces and infection behaviours of plant pathogenic fungi.

Aims: To investigate the effects of mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs) on the hydrophobicity of solid surfaces, their suppressive activity against the early infection behaviours of several phytopathogenic fungal conidia, and their suppressive activity against disease occurrences on fungal host plant leaves.

Methods And Results: The changes in the hydrophobicity of plastic film surfaces resulting from treatments with MEL solutions (MEL-A, MEL-B, MEL-C and isoMEL-B) and synthetic surfactant solutions were evaluated based on the changes in contact angles of water droplets placed on the surfaces. The droplet angles on surfaces treated with MELs were verified to decrease within 100 s after placement, with contact angles similar to those observed on Tween 20-treated surfaces, indicating decreases in surface hydrophobicity after MEL treatments.

Synthetic signal sequences that enable efficient secretory protein production in the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus.

Background: Targeting of cellular proteins to the extracellular environment is directed by a secretory signal sequence located at the N-terminus of a secretory protein. These signal sequences usually contain an N-terminal basic amino acid followed by a stretch containing hydrophobic residues, although no consensus signal sequence has been identified. In this study, simple modeling of signal sequences was attempted using Gaussia princeps secretory luciferase (GLuc) in the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus, which allowed comprehensive recombinant gene construction to substitute synthetic signal sequences.

Singing from the grave: DNA from a 180 year old type specimen confirms the identity of Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens).

Historically serving as repositories for morphologically-based taxonomic research, natural history collections are now increasingly being targeted in studies utilizing DNA data. The development of advanced molecular techniques has facilitated extraction of useable DNA from old specimens, including type material. Sequencing diagnostic molecular markers from type material enables accurate species designation, especially where modern taxonomic hypotheses confirm morphologically cryptic species complexes.

Contribution of soil esterase to biodegradation of aliphatic polyester agricultural mulch film in cultivated soils.

The relationship between degradation speed of soil-buried biodegradable polyester film in a farmland and the characteristics of the predominant polyester-degrading soil microorganisms and enzymes were investigated to determine the BP-degrading ability of cultivated soils through characterization of the basal microbial activities and their transition in soils during BP film degradation. Degradation of poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) film was evaluated in soil samples from different cultivated fields in Japan for 4 weeks. Both the degradation speed of the PBSA film and the esterase activity were found to be correlated with the ratio of colonies that produced clear zone on fungal minimum medium-agarose plate with emulsified PBSA to the total number colonies counted.

Importance of farmland in urbanized areas as a landscape component for barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) nesting on concrete buildings.

Urbanization is one of the key factors in the population declines of many species. Conversely, some species may favor urbanized areas. The barn swallow Hirundo rustica is well known to breed in urban areas of Japan, and uses both urban and farmland areas as habitat during the breeding season.

Inversely estimating the vertical profile of the soil CO2 production rate in a deciduous broadleaf forest using a particle filtering method.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux from the soil surface, which is a major source of CO2 from terrestrial ecosystems, represents the total CO2 production at all soil depths. Although many studies have estimated the vertical profile of the CO2 production rate, one of the difficulties in estimating the vertical profile is measuring diffusion coefficients of CO2 at all soil depths in a nondestructive manner. In this study, we estimated the temporal variation in the vertical profile of the CO2 production rate using a data assimilation method, the particle filtering method, in which the diffusion coefficients of CO2 were simultaneously estimated.

Extracellular esterases of phylloplane yeast Pseudozyma antarctica induce defect on cuticle layer structure and water-holding ability of plant leaves.

Aerial plant surface (phylloplane) is a primary key habitat for many microorganisms but is generally recognized as limited in nutrient resources. Pseudozyma antarctica, a nonpathogenic yeast, is commonly isolated from plant surfaces and characterized as an esterase producer with fatty acid assimilation ability. In order to elucidate the biological functions of these esterases, culture filtrate with high esterase activity (crude enzyme) of P.

A new East-Asian species in the Chrysoperla carnea-group of cryptic lacewing species (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) based on distinct larval morphology and a unique courtship song.

Larval morphology and substrate-borne vibrational courtship songs have been hypothesized to distinguish and isolate Chrysoperla 'nipponensis-B' from true 'Type A' Chrysoperla nipponensis (Okamoto), both of which occur sympatrically in eastern Asia. Here, we formally describe C. 'nipponensis-B' as Chrysoperla nigrocapitata sp.

Mineralization of melamine and cyanuric acid as sole nitrogen source by newly isolated Arthrobacter spp. using a soil-charcoal perfusion method.

Melamine belongs to the s-triazine family, and industrially used as raw product in many ways all over the world. Melamine has been reported for human harmful effects and detected from some crops, soil and water. To remove melamine from the polluted environment, the efficient melamine-mineralizing microorganisms have been needed.

Elevated atmospheric CO2 levels affect community structure of rice root-associated bacteria.

A number of studies have shown that elevated atmospheric CO2 ([CO2]) affects rice yields and grain quality. However, the responses of root-associated bacteria to [CO2] elevation have not been characterized in a large-scale field study. We conducted a free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiment (ambient + 200 μmol.

Environmental factors shaping the community structure of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea in sugarcane field soil.

The effects of environmental factors such as pH and nutrient content on the ecology of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) in soil has been extensively studied using experimental fields. However, how these environmental factors intricately influence the community structure of AOB and AOA in soil from farmers' fields is unclear. In the present study, the abundance and diversity of AOB and AOA in soils collected from farmers' sugarcane fields were investigated using quantitative PCR and barcoded pyrosequencing targeting the ammonia monooxygenase alpha subunit (amoA) gene.

Insecticide-degrading Burkholderia symbionts of the stinkbug naturally occupy various environments of sugarcane fields in a Southeast island of Japan.

The stinkbug Cavelerius saccharivorus, which harbors Burkholderia species capable of degrading the organophosphorus insecticide, fenitrothion, has been identified on a Japanese island in farmers' sugarcane fields that have been exposed to fenitrothion. A clearer understanding of the ecology of the symbiotic fenitrothion degraders of Burkholderia species in a free-living environment is vital for advancing our knowledge on the establishment of degrader-stinkbug symbiosis. In the present study, we analyzed the composition and abundance of degraders in sugarcane fields on the island.