NgcE Acts as a Lower-Affinity Binding Protein of an ABC Transporter for the Uptake of N,N'-Diacetylchitobiose in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).

In the model species Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), the uptake of chitin-degradation byproducts, mainly N,N'- diacetylchitobiose ([GlcNAc]) and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), is performed by the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter DasABC-MsiK and the sugar-phosphotransferase system (PTS), respectively. Studies on the S. coelicolor chromosome have suggested the occurrence of additional uptake systems of GlcNAc-related compounds, including the SCO6005-7 cluster, which is orthologous to the ABC transporter NgcEFG of S.

Continuous measurements of stable isotopes of carbon dioxide and water vapour in an urban atmosphere: isotopic variations associated with meteorological conditions.

Isotope ratios of carbon dioxide and water vapour in the near-surface air were continuously measured for one month in an urban area of the city of Nagoya in central Japan in September 2010 using laser spectroscopic techniques. During the passages of a typhoon and a stationary front in the observation period, remarkable changes in the isotope ratios of CO and water vapour were observed. The isotope ratios of both CO and water vapour decreased during the typhoon passage.

In situ measurement of CO2 and water vapour isotopic compositions at a forest site using mid-infrared laser absorption spectroscopy.

We conducted continuous, high time-resolution measurements of CO2 and water vapour isotopologues ((16)O(12)C(16)O, (16)O(13)C(16)O and (18)O(12)C(16)O for CO2, and H2(18)O for water vapour) in a red pine forest at the foot of Mt. Fuji for 9 days from the end of July 2010 using in situ absorption laser spectroscopy. The δ(18)O values in water vapour were estimated using the δ(2)H-δ(18)O relationship.

Genetic improvement for root growth angle to enhance crop production.

The root system is an essential organ for taking up water and nutrients and anchoring shoots to the ground. On the other hand, the root system has rarely been regarded as breeding target, possibly because it is more laborious and time-consuming to evaluate roots (which require excavation) in a large number of plants than aboveground tissues. The root growth angle (RGA), which determines the direction of root elongation in the soil, affects the area in which roots capture water and nutrients.

Fine mapping of , a quantitative trait locus for resistance to , on rice chromosome 1.

Bacterial grain rot (BGR), caused by the bacterial pathogen , is a destructive disease of rice. At anthesis, rice panicles are attacked by the pathogen, and the infection causes unfilled or aborted grains, reducing grain yield and quality. Thus, increasing the level of BGR resistance is an important objective for rice breeding.

Atmospheric burden of organochlorine pesticides in Ghana.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are subject to the Stockholm Convention on POPs and have been banned or restricted globally. In Ghana, concerns of illicit applications of some OCPs have been raised in recent times. Applying polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air samplers (PAS), the levels of OCPs in the atmosphere and their spatial resolution were investigated.

The msiK gene, encoding the ATP-hydrolysing component of N,N'-diacetylchitobiose ABC transporters, is essential for induction of chitinase production in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).

The dasABC genes encode an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, which is one of the uptake systems for N,N'-diacetylchitobiose [(GlcNAc)(2)] in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), although the gene encoding the ABC subunit that provides ATP hydrolysis for DasABC has not been identified. In this study, we disrupted the sequence that is highly homologous to the msiK gene, the product of which is an ABC subunit assisting several ABC permeases in other Streptomyces species. Disruption of msiK severely affected the ability of S.

Size hierarchy and stability in competitive plant populations.

A neighbourhood-based competition model for plant individuals is studied to evaluate how a hierarchical structure related to size may emerge in plant communities. It is shown by numerical simulations and linear stability analysis that many stable states exist in the hierarchical structure when both the total number of individuals and the degree of asymmetry of competition are high. When the hierarchical structures are self-organized by the dynamic instability of the homogeneous state due to non-linearity of competition, it is proved that these states are always locally stable.

Cloning of inulin fructotransferase (DFA III-producing) gene from Arthrobacter globiformis C11-1.

A gene encoding an inulin fructotransferase (DFA III-producing) [EC 2.4.1.

Elevated CO and nitrogen availability have interactive effects on canopy carbon gain in rice.

•  Here we analysed the effects of CO (C ) elevation and nitrogen availability on canopy structure, leaf area index (LAI) and canopy photosynthesis of rice (Oryza sativa). •  Rice was grown at ambient and elevated C (c. 200 µmol mol above ambient, using the free-air CO enrichment, FACE) and at two N availabilities.

Classification and nomenclature of Agrobacterium and Rhizobium.

Farrand et al. [Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 53 (2003), 1681-1687] have presented a critique of the proposal of Young et al. [Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 51 (2001), 89-103] to revise the nomenclature and classification of RHIZOBIUM: They argued that Young et al.

Distribution and evolution of chitinase genes in Streptomyces species: involvement of gene-duplication and domain-deletion.

Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) possesses nine genes for family 18 chitinases and two for family 19, showing high multiplicity. By hybridization analyses, distribution of those chitinase genes was investigated in six other Streptomyces species covering the whole phylogenetic range based on 16S rDNA sequences. All strains showed high-multiplicity of chitinase genes, like S.

Survey Methods for Assessment of Citrus tristeza virus Incidence in Urban Citrus Populations.

This article concerns survey methodology for pathogens in urban citrus populations, motivated in particular by the need for assessments of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) incidence. We envisage a large area R not devoted primarily to the commercial cultivation of citrus, that nevertheless has a substantial population of citrus trees. It is desired to sample the citrus population of area R in order to be able to make a statement about the level of infection of the population with CTV, or with particular isolates thereof.

[The fate of dioxins during green tea manufacture].

Dioxin concentrations and homologue profiles were examined in plucked new shoots, crude tea and its hot water extracts, soils and atmosphere in tea orchards. The rate of dry provisions in crude tea has increased 4 times as that of the plucked new shoots. However, dioxin concentrations except O8CDD in crude tea have increased only 2 to 3 times as those of the plucked new shoots.

Genotypic differences in the presence of hairs on roots and gynophores of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) and their significance for phosphorus uptake.

Root hairs substantially increase the surface area of plant roots with positive effects for phosphorus (P) uptake, but the ability of peanuts to form root hairs has been questioned. The aim was to examine hair development on roots and gynophores of a variety of peanut genotypes and to relate genotypic differences in hair formation to differences in P uptake. Five out of eighteen genotypes completely lacked hairs on both organs whereas others consistently developed hairs on roots and gynophores, although with considerable variation in hair density.

Plant growth inhibitory activity of L-canavanine and its mode of action.

L-Canavanine is a nonprotein amino acid contained in jack bean [Canavalia ensiformis (L.) DC] and shows a plant inhibitory effect. The inhibitory effect was determined by an immersion test and a microdrop test that employed rice seedlings.

Expression of 2-halobenzoate dioxygenase genes (cbdSABC) involved in the degradation of benzoate and 2-halobenzoate in Burkholderia sp. TH2.

Burkholderia sp. TH2, isolated from soil, utilizes 2-chlorobenzoate (2CB) and benzoate (BA) as its sole source of carbon and energy. The genes for 2-halobenzoate dioxygenase (cbdABC) from Burkholderia sp.

The chlorobenzoate dioxygenase genes of Burkholderia sp. strain NK8 involved in the catabolism of chlorobenzoates.

Burkholderia sp. NK8 grows abundantly on 3-chlorobenzoate (3CB),4-chlorobenzoate (4CB) and benzoate. The genes encoding the oxidation of (chloro)benzoates (cbeABCD) and catechol (catA, catBC), the LysR-type regulatory gene cbeR and the gene cbeE with unknown function, all of which form a single cluster in NK8, were cloned and analysed.

Complete Nucleotide Sequence of : A New Species of the Genus .

The genome of (RGMoV) comprises 4210 nucleotides. The genomic RNA contains four open reading frames (ORFs). The largest ORF 2 encodes a polyprotein of 947 amino acids (103.

Topographic effects on spatial data at a Japanese macaque study site.

In mountainous topography, actual travel distances and home range areas are larger than those measured on a flat map. This paper analyzed the increase in spatial measures that occurred when topography was taken into account for data collected at a mountainous study site of the Japanese macaque. Both travel distances and home range areas increased when measured on a computerized terrain model compared to those measured on a flat map.

Transcriptional co-regulation of five chitinase genes scattered on the Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) chromosome.

Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) strain M145 has eight chitinase genes scattered on the chromosome: six genes for family 18 (chiA, B, C, D, E and H) and two for family 19 (chiF and G). In this study, the expression and regulation of these genes were investigated. The transcription of five of the genes (chiA, B, C, D and F) was induced in the presence of colloidal chitin while that of the other three genes (chiE, G and H) was not.

Temperature tolerance of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) in tropical and temperate regions of Asia.

Temperature tolerance was investigated in nine populations of Plutella xylostella Linnaeus from tropical and temperate regions of Asia. At all rearing temperatures between 15 and 35 degrees C, no clear differences were observed in female egg production or larval development between tropical and temperate populations. Thus, tropical populations did not show a high-temperature tolerance superior to that of the temperate populations.

Induction and repression of a Streptomyces lividans chitinase gene promoter in response to various carbon sources.

Induction and repression of a gene for chitinase (chiA) in Streptomyces lividans was investigated using a catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene (xylE) as the reporter gene. Of various substrates examined, expression of the promoter (PchiA) was observed after a delay when colloidal chitin or small chitin-oligosaccharides were added to the medium. N-acetylglucosamine completely repressed the chiA promoter.

Phylogenetic analysis of Pseudomonas syringae pathovars suggests the horizontal gene transfer of argK and the evolutionary stability of hrp gene cluster.

Pseudomonas syringae are differentiated into approximately 50 pathovars with different plant pathogenicities and host specificities. To understand its pathogenicity differentiation and the evolutionary mechanisms of pathogenicity-related genes, phylogenetic analyses were conducted using 56 strains belonging to 19 pathovars. gyrB and rpoD were adopted as the index genes to determine the course of bacterial genome evolution, and hrpL and hrpS were selected as the representatives of the pathogenicity-related genes located on the genome (chromosome).

Transcriptional activation of the chlorocatechol degradative genes of Ralstonia eutropha NH9.

Ralstonia eutropha (formerly Alcaligenes eutrophus) NH9 degrades 3-chlorobenzoate via the modified ortho-cleavage pathway. A ca. 5.