Use of comprehensive target analysis for determination of contaminants of emerging concern in a sediment core collected from Beppu Bay, Japan.

In recent years, concern about the release of anthropogenic organic micropollutants referred to as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) has been growing. The objective of this study was to find potential CECs by means of an analytical screening method referred to as comprehensive target analysis with an automated identification and quantification system (CTA-AIQS), which uses gas and liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (GC-MS and LC-QTOF-MS). We used CTA-AIQS to analyze samples from a sediment core collected in Beppu Bay, Japan. With this method, we detected 80 compounds in the samples and CTA-AIQA could work to useful tool to find CECs in environmental media. Among the detected chemicals, three PAHs (anthracene, chrysene, and fluoranthene) and tris(isopropylphenyl)phosphate (TIPPP) isomers were found to increase in concentration with decreasing sediment depth. We quantified TIPPP isomers in the samples by means of targeted analysis using LC-MS/MS for confirmation. The concentration profiles, combined with previous reports indicating persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic properties, suggest that these chemicals can be categorized as potential CECs in marine environments.

Two carbohydrate recognizing domains from Cycas revoluta leaf lectin show the distinct sugar-binding specificity-A unique mannooligosaccharide recognition by N-terminal domain.

Cycas revoluta leaf lectin (CRLL) of mannose-recognizing jacalin-related lectin (mJRL) has two tandem repeated carbohydrate recognition domains, and shows the characteristic sugar-binding specificity toward high mannose-glycans, compared with other mJRLs. We expressed the N-terminal domain and C-terminal domain (CRLL-N and CRLL-C) separately, to determine the fine sugar-binding specificity of each domain, using frontal affinity chromatography, glycan array and equilibrium dialysis. The specificity of CRLL toward high mannose was basically derived from CRLL-N, whereas CRLL-C had affinity for α1-6 extended mono-antennary complex-type glycans. Notably, the affinity of CRLL-N was most potent to one of three Man 8 glycans and Man 9 glycan, whereas the affinity of CRLL-C decreased with the increase in the number of extended α1-2 linked mannose residue. The recognition of the Man 8 glycans by CRLL-N has not been found for other mannose recognizing lectins. Glycan array reflected these specificities of the two domains. Furthermore, it was revealed by equilibrium dialysis method that the each domain had two sugar-binding sites, similar with Banlec, banana mannose-binding Jacalin-related lectin.

Impact of Climate Change on Irrigation Demand and Crop Growth in a Mediterranean Environment of Turkey.

A simulation study was carried out to describe effects of climate change on cropgrowth and irrigation water demand for a wheat-maize cropping sequence in aMediterranean environment of Turkey. Climate change scenarios were projected using dataof the three general circulation models-GCMs (CGCM2, ECHAM4 and MRI)-for theperiod of 1990 to 2100 and one regional climate model-RCM-for the period of 2070 to2079. Potential impacts of climate change based on GCMs data were estimated for the A2scenario in the Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES). The forcing data for theboundary condition of the RCM were given by the MRI model. Daily CGCM2 and RCMdata were used for computations of water balance and crop development. Predictionsderived from the models about changes in irrigation and crop growth in this study coveredthe period of 2070 to 2079 relative to the baseline period of 1994 to 2003. The effects ofclimate change on water demand and on wheat and maize yields were predicted using thedetailed crop growth subroutine of the SWAP (Soil-Water-Atmosphere-Plant) model. Precipitation was projected to decrease by about 163, 163 and 105 mm during the periodof 1990 to 2100 under the A2 scenario of the CGCM2, ECHAM4 and MRI models,respectively. The CGCM2, ECHAM4 and MRI models projected a temperature rise of 4.3,5.3 and 3.1 oC, respectively by 2100. An increase in temperature may result in a higherevaporative demand of the atmosphere. However, actual evapotranspiration (ETa) fromwheat cropland under a doubling CO2 concentration for the period of 2070 to 2079 wasSensors 2007, 7 2298 predicted to decrease by about 28 and 8% relative to the baseline period based on the CGCM2 and RCM data, respectively. According to these models, irrigation demand by wheat would be higher for the same period due to a decrease in precipitation. Both ETa and irrigation water for maize cropland were projected to decrease by 24 and 15% according to the CGCM2, and 28 and 22% according to the RCM, respectively. The temperature rise accelerated crop development but shortened the growing period by 24 days for wheat and 9 days for maize according to the CGCM2 data. The shortened growth duration with a higher temperature reduced the biomass accumulation of both crops regardless of CO2-fertilization effect. With the combined effect of CO2-fertilization and increased temperature, the CGCM2 and RCM projections resulted in an increase by 16 and 36% in grain yield of wheat and a decrease by about 25% and an increase by 3% in maize yield, respectively.

Cloning and expression of a mannose-binding jacalin-related lectin from leaves of Japanese cycad (Cycas revoluta Thunb.).

Cycad leaf lectin (CRLL), a mannose-recognizing jacalin-related lectin (mJRL), was first cloned as a gymnosperm lectin and expressed. The cDNA sequence of CRLL (DDBJ, accession no. AB198328), coding 291 amino acid residues, has a tandem repeat of about 150 amino acids divided into N- and C-terminal domains as Japanese chestnut mJRL. Sequence alignment showed deletion and insertion of the sequence, and its putative carbohydrate-binding sites showed some differences from other JRLs. PCR analysis showed that this lectin was expressed in the cycad leaf but not in the root or seed. Recombinant CRLL (rCRLL) was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by affinity chromatography after refolding procedures. Properties of active rCRLL appeared to be almost the same as those of native CRLL.

The lectin from leaves of Japanese cycad, Cycas revoluta Thunb. (gymnosperm) is a member of the jacalin-related family.

A novel lectin was isolated from leaves of the Japanese cycad, Cycas revoluta Thunb. (gymnosperm), and its characteristics including amino acid composition, molecular mass, carbohydrate binding specificity and partial amino acid sequences were examined. The inhibition analysis of hemagglutinating activity with various sugars showed that the lectin has a carbohydrate-binding specificity similar to those of mannose recognizing, jacalin-related lectins. Partial amino acid sequences of the lysylendopeptic peptides shows that the lectin might have a repeating structure and belong to the jacalin-related lectin family.