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Objective:To investigate whether Leu72Met polymorphism of the preproghrelin gene is associated with overweight/obesity in middle-aged and older Japanese.Design:Cross-sectional analysis.Subjects:A total of 2238 community-dwelling middle-aged and older Japanese people (age: 40–79 years) who participated in the first wave of examinations in the National Institute for Longevity Sciences – Longitudinal Study of Aging from April 1998 to March 2000.Measurements:The Leu72Met polymorphism of prepoghrelin gene, anthropometric variables including body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and whole-fat mass and biochemical variables including serum lipid levels, fasting plasma glucose, insulin and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance.Results:The frequencies of the Leu72Leu, Leu72Met and Met72Met alleles were 63.4, 32.7 and 4.0%, respectively. No differences in the genotype distributions of the Leu72Met polymorphism were found between genders or age groups, and no significant associations were observed between polymorphism and anthropometric variables in women and older men. However, middle-aged men who were 72Met allele carriers showed a higher body weight change from body weight at 18 years of age, as well as a higher waist circumference and a tendency to a higher waist-hip-ratio than noncarriers. Although there were no significant differences in the genotype distribution according to BMI in women and older men, a significantly higher frequency of the 72Met allele was found in the higher BMI group (BMI25 kg/m2) of middle-aged men than in the normal-weight group. No significant associations were observed between polymorphism and serum lipid, glucose or insulin levels.Conclusions:These results suggest that the 72Met allele of the preproghrelin gene is a contributing factor for midlife weight change in men.International Journal of Obesity (2006) 30, 1609–1614. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0803296; published online 25 July 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological races of powdery mildew (Podosphaera xanthii) cause different symptoms in eight melon lines. Infection by races 1, 2, and 5 was examined in different melon lines. After a compatible reaction, conidia germination, haustorium initiation from the germ tube, germ tube branching, and sporulation occurred within 12, 24, 48, and 120 h, respectively, and the conidia matured within 240 h. In contrast, type i and ii inhibition were identified through incompatible reactions. The germ tube and haustorium were initiated from conidia, but no germ tube branching occurred in the lines with type i resistance within 48-240 h. In type ii resistance, germ tube branching was observed within 120 h, but no sporulation was observed within 240 h. The number of fluorescing epidermal cells was higher within 24 h in type i, and within 48-120 h in type ii resistance lines than in susceptible lines. Callose accumulation around the haustorium was detected in type ii resistance lines within 48-120 h. This suggests that the rapid hypersensitive response (HR) within 24 h has an important role in the type i response, while HR and callose accumulation in the type ii response occur slowly between 48 and 120 h. Of the resistant lines, PMR 45 and WMR 29 showed a type i incompatible response; the PI 414723 response was entirely type ii; and PMR 5, PI 124112, and MR-1 showed different responses depending on the race. Therefore, the two types of incompatible responses were intermixed in the same germplasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quantitative elemental analysis of ceramics was carried out with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was focused on ceramic targets in an argon atmosphere at reduced pressure, and the emission spectra from laser-induced plasma were measured using time-resolved spectroscopy. The experimental results showed that in argon at approximately 200 Torr, the spectral line intensity and the line-to-background ratio were maximized by observing the laser plasma with a time delay of 0.4 μs. Also, time-resolved measurement of a spectrum in the initial stage of plasma generation (∼1 μs) was effective for improving the slope of the calibration curve. Based on the results, standard ceramic samples were analyzed for magnesium, aluminum, calcium, iron and titanium, and linear calibration curves with a slope of unity were obtained by measuring spectra with a gate width of 0.4 μs at a delay time of 0.4 μs after the laser pulse in argon at 200 Torr. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The major cause of powdery mildew in melons (Cucumis melo L.) is the fungus Sphaerotheca fuliginea. There are several cultivar‐ and season‐specific races of this fungus. In order to control powdery mildew, it is important to introduce resistance to fungal infection into new cultivars during melon breeding. Haploid breeding is a powerful tool for the production of pure lines. In this study, it was investigated whether powdery mildew resistance could be manifested at the haploid level from two disease‐resistant melon lines, PMR 45 and WMR 29. the effects of various races of S. fuliginea on diploid and haploid plants of PMR 45 and WMR 29 and of a disease‐susceptible line, Fuyu 3 were measured. The responses of haploid and diploid plants to powdery mildew were identical. In addition, haploids that were generated from hybrids between Fuyu 3 and disease‐resistant lines were examined. Seven out of 13 haploids from a Fuyu 3×PMR 45 cross and 10 out of 12 haploids from a Fuyu 3×WMR 29 cross were classified as resistant plants because they showed the same responses as their disease‐resistant diploid parents to the various fungal races. These results indicate that resistance in PMR 45 and WMR 29 is selectable at the haploid level. All of the plant responses were observed by microscopy. A possible mechanism for generating powdery mildew resistance in two different melon lines is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Effects of the resistant cultivars of melon on the powdery mildew fungus, Sphaerotheca fuliginea, were investigated in a melon-growing area of Japan. Powdery mildew fungi were isolated from four melon cultivars ('HN21', 'Quincy', 'Earl's Knight Natsu 2' and 'Earl's Miyabi Natsu 2') which are resistant to different races of S. fidiginea. 'HN21' is resistant to races 1 and N1, 'Quincy' and 'Earl's Knight Natsu 2' are resistant to races 1 and N2, and 'Earl's Miyabi Natsu 2' is resistant to races 1, N1 and N2. All 155 strains isolated from 'HN21' were identified as race N2. Seventy out of 81 strains isolated from 'Quincy' and 'Earl's Knight Natsu 2' were identified as race N1, while other strains were identified as races 1, 2US, N2 and N3. Nineteen out of 29 strains isolated from 'Earl's Miyabi Natsu 2' were identified as race N3, while other strains were identified as races 1, 2US, N1 and N4. These results suggest that, although the resistant cultivars are extremely effective for protecting the plants from their respective races, a race succession rapidly takes place, even in a small area, and other minor races become predominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With 5 figures and 2 tables Use of resistance genes would be the most effective way to address Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. melonis in melon. In this study, based on the BAC 31O16 sequence which contains the cluster of melon resistance gene homologue, we developed four new DNA markers linked to Fom‐1, a dominant resistance gene against F. oxysporum f.sp. melonis races 0 and 2. Linkage analysis using 125 F2 plants derived from the cross between P11 (fom‐1fom‐1) and MR‐1 (Fom‐1Fom‐1) indicated that Fom‐1 was located between CAPS markers C‐MRGH12 and 62‐CAPS at a distance of 0.4 and 1.2 cM, respectively. Map position of Fom‐1 was confirmed using another mapping population consisting of 104 recombinant inbred lines derived from the cross P11 × MR‐1. The analysis of 43 fixed lines and 27 commercial F1 hybrids showed that the developed DNA markers linked to Fom‐1 correctly predicted the genotype in relation to the variety, suggesting that the region around the Fom‐1 locus is very polymorphic or there is no linkage disequilibrium between the locus and the marker loci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]