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Combining genetic heterogeneity and crop homogeneity serves a dual purpose: disease control and maintaining harvest quality. Multilines, which consist of a genetically uniform mixture of plants, have the potential to suppress disease while maintaining eating quality, yet practical methods that facilitate commercial use over large geographical areas are lacking. Here, we describe effective rice multiline management based on seed mixture composition changes informed by monitoring virulent blast races in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The most elite nonglutinous cultivar, Koshihikari, was converted into the multiline, Koshihikari BL (blast resistant lines) and planted on 94,000 ha in 2005. The most destructive rice disease, blast, was 79.4% and 81.8% less severe in leaves and panicles, respectively, during the 2005–2019 period compared to the year 2004. In addition, fungicidal application was reduced by two-thirds after the introduction of BL. Our results suggest that seed mixture diversification and rotation of resistant BL provides long-term disease control by avoiding virulent race evolution.

Recently, breeding programs have attempted to produce high growth rates for shorter rotation cycles in plantation trees. In these trees, the ratio of juvenile wood increases; thus, the juvenile wood properties should be improved for structural use. To this end, it is important to understand the influences on juvenile wood properties precisely. In this study, we report on the indole acetic acid (IAA) amounts of juvenile sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) trees in September and compare the IAA amounts to those in mature trees. The IAA amounts at the lower trunks in juvenile trees were significantly larger than those in mature trees and the IAA amounts decreased with tree height. In each stand, except a mature tree stand, there is no significant effect of IAA amounts on latewood width and MFA. However, put together all samples, the latewood width and MFA increased with IAA amounts in samples with IAA

The requirement for data on the inhibition and involvement of transporters in the pharmacokinetics of drugs in regulatory applications has increased considerably over the last few decades as the knowledge around drug transporters has evolved and regulatory guidance documents have been regularly updated. Drug interactions guidance from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW)/Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) gives detailed information on the data that are recommended in applications, including decision trees on the need to study specific transporters. This chapter will describe strategies to determine the potential for drug interactions and the exposure of the drug in all sub-populations with altered transport protein activity, and how such data should be presented in the drug labels. Alongside this, the process for submission of new drug applications to respective agencies is described, including processes for obtaining advice from the respective agencies with particular emphasis on transporter mediated interactions.

Nanolithography used in conjunction with atomic force microscopy (AFM) has attracted considerable attention as a technique for fabricating nanoscale structures. To obtain nanostructures and devices, AFM nanoscratching was performed on a photoresist and on NiFe at various values of the applied force, scan speed, and number of scan cycles. The scratching process was carried out using a diamond-coated tip on NiFe and a Si tip on the photoresist. By conducting scratching processes on NiFe and on the photoresist, we investigated the dependence of the size of the scratched part on the scratching parameters. These results show that the width and depth of the scratched part increase as the applied force and number of scan cycles increase, but not as the scan speed increases. This means that it is possible to control the size of the scratched parts by adjusting the applied force and number of scan cycles. AFM nanoscratching was then used to directly fabricate a nanoconstricted area with a width of 139 nm and a cross-sectional area of less than 300 nm2 was fabricated.

Carnitine/organic cation transporter (OCTN1/SLC22A4) accepts various therapeutic agents as substrates in vitro and is expressed ubiquitously, although its function in most organs has not yet been examined. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate functional expression of OCTN1 in small intestine and liver, using octn1 gene knockout [octn1(-/-)] mice. After oral administration of [(3)H]ergothioneine ([(3)H]ERGO), a typical substrate of OCTN1, the amount of [(3)H]ERGO remaining in the small intestinal lumen was much higher in octn1(-/-) mice than in wild-type mice. In addition, uptake of [(3)H]ERGO by human embryonic kidney 293 cells heterologously expressing OCTN1 gene product and uptake of [(3)H]ERGO at the apical surface of intestinal everted sacs from wild-type mice were inhibited by OCTN1 substrates, tetraethylammonium and verapamil. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that OCTN1 is localized on the apical surface of small intestine in mice and humans. These results suggest that OCTN1 is responsible for small intestinal absorption of [(3)H]ERGO. However, the plasma concentration of [(3)H]ERGO after oral administration was higher in octn1(-/-) mice than in wild-type mice, despite the lower absorption in octn1(-/-) mice. This was probably because of efficient hepatic uptake of [(3)H]ERGO, as revealed by integration plot analysis; the uptake clearance was close to the hepatic plasma flow rate. The uptake of [(3)H]ERGO by isolated hepatocytes was minimal, whereas [(3)H]ERGO uptake was observed in isolated nonparenchymal cells. This finding is consistent with immunostaining of OCTN1 in liver sinusoids. Thus, our results indicate that OCTN1 is functionally expressed in nonparenchymal liver cells.

金沢大学医薬保健研究域薬学系, Purpose. Solute carrier OCTN1 (SLC22A4) is an orphan transporter, the physiologically important substrate of which is still unidentified. The aim of the present study was to examine physiological roles of OCTN1. Methods. We first constructed octn1 gene knockout (octn1-/-) mice. Metabolome analysis was then performed to identify substrates in vivo. The possible association of the substrate identified with diseased conditions was further examined. Results. The metabolome analysis of blood and several organs indicated complete deficiency of a naturally occurring potent antioxidant ergothioneine in octn1-/- mice among 112 metabolites examined. Pharmacokinetic analyses after oral administration revealed, the highest distribution to small intestines and extensive renal reabsorption of [3H]ergothioneine, both of which were much reduced in octn1-/- mice. The octn1 -/- mice exhibited greater susceptibility to intestinal inflammation under the ischemia and reperfusion model. The blood ergothioneine concentration was also much reduced in Japanese patients with Crohn's disease, compared with healthy volunteers and patients with another inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis. Conclusions. These results indicate that OCTN1 plays a pivotal role for maintenance of systemic and intestinal exposure of ergothioneine, which could be important for protective effects against intestinal tissue injuries, providing a possible diagnostic tool to distinguish the inflammatory bowel diseases. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

The ion exchange of octosilicate with a series of quaternary organoammonium ions was examined. The ion exchange proceeds almost quantitatively to replace the interlayer sodium ions. When n-alkyltrimethylammonium ions were exchanged with sodium ions, the basal spacings increased with the alkyl chain length, showing the formation of paraffin type surfactant aggregates in the interlayer space. When the organic cations with complex molecular geometry (dimethyldioctadecylammonium, N-(α-trimethylammonioacetyl)-didodecyl-l-glutamate, and O,O′,O′′-tridodecanoyl-N-(ω-trimethyl ammoniodecanoyl)-tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane) were used, the basal spacings changed as a function of the molecular weight of the intercalated guest species. It is speculated that the molecular geometries of the intercalated species are flexible to form densely packed nanostructures in the interlayer space.

This study was designed to clarify the pharmacological role of carnitine/organic cation transporter (Octn) family members in mouse heart. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that Octn1 was exclusively expressed on endothelial cells in blood vessels. Octn2 was detected on the plasma membrane of cardiac muscle cells by immunoelectron microscopy. Octn3 was not detected in the heart. Integration plot analysis showed that coadministration of unlabeled L-carnitine reduced distribution of L-[3H]carnitine to the heart. L-[3H]Carnitine uptake in heart slices was reduced by carnitine analogs and various Octn2 substrates. L-[3H]Carnitine uptake by heart slices from juvenile visceral steatosis (jvs) mice, which have a hereditary octn2 gene deficiency, was negligible. Distribution of [3H]quinidine, another Octn2 substrate, to the heart was not reduced by L-carnitine, and [3H]quinidine uptake in heart slices was Na(-)-independent and inhibited by cationic drugs, but not carnitine analogs. [3H]Quinidine uptake by heart slices from jvs mice was similar to that of wild-type mice. These results demonstrate that OCTN2 is functionally expressed on the plasma membrane of muscle cells and is involved in distribution of carnitine to the heart. Some mechanism(s) other than OCTN2 is involved in the distribution of quinidine to the heart.

効率的な糖尿病診療のために，血糖値の簡易な測定方法の開発が求められている．今回，全反射型プリズムを用いた光学系を用い，フーリエ変換赤外分光法による血清中のグルコースの定量を試みた．血清は試料ホルダーに入れ，減圧乾燥した．その際，定量値の再現性を高めるために試料ホルダーの形状に工夫を加えた．定量は，グルコース由来の吸収である1038～1020 cm－1付近の吸収を，2点ベース法を用いて行ったが，その吸収領域の選定に2次微分を用いた．また，吸収強度は総タンパク質量に影響されるので，補正を加えた．これらの改善を加えて定量した結果，本法で求めた値と従来の酵素法により求めた値との相関係数が，R ＝0.807となり，改善前のR ＝0.206に比べて著しく優れた結果を得ることができた．この結果は，血糖値の定量に赤外吸収スペクトルを用いることができることを示すものである．

Of the 10 Australian crayfish genera, Euastacus is the largest with 49 species described, including some of the largest, and some of the rarest, species in the World. Many species are slow growing, late maturing, and the lifespan of some exceeds 30 years. The distribution of the genus encompasses most of the east coast of Continental Australia, latitudinal range of approximately 23 0 . This chapter reviews the distribution, habitat, population data, and biology for these crayfish, and their current conservation status where available. Sixteen species were listed on the IUCN Red List in 1996, and there have been increasing concerns regarding the conservation status of the genus since then. The current review was undertaken in order to allow, 1) assessment of the conservation status of all species against current IUCN Red List Criteria, and, 2) a discussion of research, conservation and management imperatives for the genus, presented in two accompanying papers. Keywords:biology; conservation status; Continental Australia; crayfish; Euastacus ; IUCN Red List

Nanofabrication using atomic force microscope (AFM) has attracted high attention as a technique fabricating nanoscale structures. In order to obtain nanostructures and devices, resist scratch lithography and direct scratch lithography were performed using AFM scratch lithography with scanning parameters of applied force and scan speed. The nanoconstriction which has 139 nm width and 3.0 × 102 nm2 cross-sectional area was fabricated on NiFe thin film using direct scratch lithography sucessfully.