Utsunomiya University

About: Utsunomiya University is a education organization based out in Utsunomiya, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Laser & Holography. The organization has 4139 authors who have published 6812 publications receiving 91975 citations. The organization is also known as: Utsunomiya daigaku.

OsYSL18 is a rice iron(III)-deoxymugineic acid transporter specifically expressed in reproductive organs and phloem of lamina joints.

Abstract: Iron uptake and translocation in plants are important processes for both plant and human nutrition, whereas relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms of iron transport within the plant body. Several reports have shown that yellow stripe 1 (YS1) and YS1-like (YSL) transporters mediate metal-phytosiderophore uptake and/or metal-nicotianamine translocation. Among the 18 YSL genes in rice (OsYSLs), OsYSL18 is predicted to encode a polypeptide of 679 amino acids containing 13 putative transmembrane domains. An OsYSL18-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion was localized to the plasma membrane when transiently expressed in onion epidermal cells. Electrophysiological measurements using Xenopus laevis oocytes showed that OsYSL18 transports iron(III)–deoxymugineic acid, but not iron(II)–nicotianamine, zinc(II)–deoxymugineic acid, or zinc(II)–nicotianamine. Reverse transcriptase PCR analysis revealed more OsYSL18 transcripts in flowers than in shoots or roots. OsYSL18 promoter-β-glucuronidase (GUS) analysis revealed that OsYSL18 was expressed in reproductive organs including the pollen tube. In vegetative organs, OsYSL18 was specifically expressed in lamina joints, the inner cortex of crown roots, and phloem parenchyma and companion cells at the basal part of every leaf sheath. These results suggest that OsYSL18 is an iron-phytosiderophore transporter involved in the translocation of iron in reproductive organs and phloem in joints.

Flagellar proteins and type III-exported virulence factors are the predominant proteins secreted into the culture media of Salmonella typhimurium.

Abstract: We analysed all major proteins secreted into culture media from Salmonella typhimurium. Proteins in culture supernatants were collected by trichloroacetic acid precipitation, separated in SDS-polyacrylamide gels and analysed by amino acid sequencing. Wild-type strain SJW1103 cells typically gave rise to nine bands in SDS gels: 89, 67, 58, 52, 50, 42, 40, 35 and (sometimes) 28 kDa. A search of the sequences in the available databases revealed that they were either flagellar proteins or virulence factors. Six of them were flagella specific: FlgK or HAP1 (58 kDa), FliC or flagellin (52 kDa), FliD or HAP2 (50 kDa), FlgE or hook protein (42 kDa), FlgL or HAP3 (35 kDa) and FlgD or hook-cap protein (28 kDa). The other four bands were specific for virulence factors: SipA (89 kDa), SipB (67 kDa), SipC (42 kDa) and InvJ (40 kDa). The 42 kDa band was a mixture of FlgE and SipC. We also analysed secreted proteins from more than 30 flagellar mutants, and they were categorized into four groups according to their band patterns: wild type, mot type, polyhook type and master gene type. Virulence factors were constantly secreted at a higher level in all flagellar mutants except a deltamot (motAB deletion) mutant, in which the amounts were greatly reduced. A new morphological pathway of flagellar biogenesis including protein secretion is presented.

Catalytic gasification of wood biomass in subcritical and supercritical water

Abstract: Research in biomass gasification with subcritical and supercritical water is reviewed. Catalytic conversion of biomass in sub- and supercritical water is a low-temperature gasification technique that can be carried out from 473 to 973 K. Research is categorized according to temperature and water density, since reaction mechanisms greatly depend on these variables.

Family-dependent cadmium accumulation characteristics in higher plants

Abstract: Thirty four plant species belonging to 9 families were grown on a sand soil with various levels of added Cd. The Cd content of aerial parts of the plants (tc) was correlated to the soil Cd level (sc) in a double-logarithmic relationship: log (tc)=α+β log (sc). The regression coefficients α and β statistically differed among plant families. Plant families were classified into 3 groups based on the α values; (1) low accumulation, Leguminosae; (2) moderate accumulation, Gramineae, Liliaceae, Cucurbitaceae and Umbelliferae; and (3) high accumulation, Chenopodiaceae, Cruciferae, Solanaceae and Compositae. Values of β also enabled to discriminate the families into (1) Umbelliferae, Cucurbitaceae and Cruciferae in which Cd accumulation was promoted at higher soil Cd levels, and. (2) the other families which were of the excluder type.