Construction of rice chromosome segment substitution lines harboring Oryza barthii genome and evaluation of yield-related traits.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important staple food in the world. To meet the increasing demand for food, a strategy for improving rice yield is needed. Alleles of wild relatives are useful because they confer adaptation to plants under diverse harsh environments and have the potential to improve rice. O. barthii is a wild rice species endemic to Africa and the known progenitor of the African cultivated rice, O. glaberrima. To explore the genetic potential of the O. barthii as a genetic resource, 40 chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSL) of O. barthii in the background of the elite japonica cultivar Koshihikari were developed and evaluated to identify QTLs associated with 10 traits related to flag leaf morphology, grain yield and other agronomic traits. More than 90% of the entire genome of the donor parent was represented in contiguous or overlapping chromosome segments in the CSSLs. Evaluation of the CSSLs for several agriculturally important traits identified candidate chromosome segments that harbors QTLs associated with yield and yield-related traits. These results suggest that alleles from O. barthii might be used as a novel genetic resource for improving the yield-related traits in cultivars of O. sativa.

Protein Cryoprotectant Ability of the Aqueous Zwitterionic Solution.

Protein cryopreservation is important for the long-term storage of unstable proteins. Recently, we found that N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-V (GnT-V) can be cryopreserved in a deep freezer without temperature control using a dilute binary aqueous solution of 3-(1-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl)imidazol-3-io)butane-1-carboxylate (OE2imC3C) [10 wt %, mole fraction of solute (x) = 7.75 × 10-3], an artificial zwitterion. However, it is unclear which solvent properties are required in these media to preserve unstable proteins, such as GnT-V. In this study, we investigated the melting phenomena and solution structure of dilute binary aqueous OE2imC3C solutions [x = 0-2.96 × 10-2 (0-30 wt %)] using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies combined with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to compare the cryoprotectant ability of OE2imC3C with two general cryoprotectants (CPAs), glycerol and dimethyl sulfoxide. DSC results indicated that aqueous OE2imC3C solutions can be melted at lower temperatures with less energy than the control CPA solution, with increasing x, primarily due to OE2imC3C having a higher content of unfrozen water molecules. Moreover, Raman and FTIR results showed that the high content of unfrozen water molecules in aqueous OE2imC3C solutions was due to the hydration around the ionic parts (the COO- group and imidazolium ring) and the OCH2CH2O segment. In addition, the MD simulation results showed that there were fewer structured water molecules around the OCH2CH2O segment than the hydration water molecules around the ionic parts. These solvent properties suggest that dilute aqueous OE2imC3C solutions are effective in preventing freezing, even in a deep freezer. Therefore, this medium has the potential to act as a novel cryoprotectant for proteins in biotechnology and biomedical fields.

Phenomenological kinetics of the thermal decomposition of sodium hydrogencarbonate.

Aiming to find rigorous understanding and novel features for their potential applications, the physico-geometrical kinetics of the thermal decomposition of sodium hydrogencarbonate (SHC) was investigated by focusing on the phenomenological events taking place on a single crystalline particle during the course of the reaction. The overall kinetics evaluated by systematic measurements of the kinetic rate data by thermogravimetry under carefully controlled conditions were interpreted in association with the morphological studies on the precursory reaction, mechanism of surface reaction, structure of the surface product layer, diffusion path of evolved gases, crystal growth of the solid product, and so on. The precursory reaction was identified as the decomposition of impurity, taking place at the boundary between the surface of the SHC crystal and the adhesive small SHC particles deposited on the surface. In flowing dry N(2), the thermal decomposition of SHC proceeds by two-dimensional shrinkage of the reaction interface controlled by chemical reaction with the apparent activation energy of about 100 kJ mol(-1), after rapid completion of the surface reaction and formation of porous surface product layer. Atmospheric CO(2) and water vapor influence differently on the overall kinetics of the thermal decomposition of SHC. Added gas phase of CO(2) slightly inhibits the overall rate because of the increasing contribution of the surface reaction. Under higher water vapor pressure, the physico-geometrical mechanism of the surface reaction changes drastically, indicating the preliminary reformation of reactant surface and the formation of needle crystals of solid product on the surface. The mechanistic change and extended contribution of the surface reaction result in the deceleration of the surface reaction and acceleration of the established reaction.

Electrochemical Control of Bioluminescence by Blocking the Adsorption of the Bacterial Luciferase Using a Mercaptobipyridine Self-assembled Monolayer.

An N-butyl-N'-(4-mercaptobutyl)-4,4'-bipyridinium (4BMBP) was modified on a gold electrode to improve the electrochemical control of the bacterial luciferase (BL) luminescence system. The 4BMBP-modified gold electrode (4BMBP/Au) was able to prevent the adsorption of BL on the electrode surface, and enhanced the electrochemical regeneration rate of the reduced flavin mononucleotide (FMNH2), which is one of the substrates of the BL luminescence reaction. By using the 4BMBP/Au, the luminescence intensity increased by about 27% compared to that of a bare gold electrode (bare Au). Moreover, the modified electrode improved the time required for analysis because the modified layer prevented BL adsorption. Even without a refreshing procedure for each measurement, a constant luminescence intensity could be observed, and the analysis time was reduced to half (about 10 min) for one sample. The 4BMBP/Au is not only useful to control of the BL luminescence system, but also for electrochemical measurements in the presence of proteins.

Multistep kinetic behavior in the thermal degradation of poly(L-lactic acid): a physico-geometrical kinetic interpretation.

A physico-geometrical kinetic interpretation of the thermal degradation of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) is described based on the results of a kinetic study using thermogravimetry (TG) and the microscopic observation of the reaction process. From the physico-geometrical viewpoint, the reaction process is separated into two different stages characterized by a surface reaction of the molten PLLA in the initial reaction stage followed by continuous bubble formation and disappearance in the established reaction stage. The generally reported trend of variation in the apparent activation energy as the reaction advances is explained by the partial overlapping of these two reaction stages. The kinetic rate data obtained using TG were kinetically separated into those for the respective reaction stages by optimizing the kinetic parameters. The significance of the kinetic results is discussed in terms of the physico-geometrical characteristics of the reaction. Such systematic kinetic analyses demonstrate the importance of considering the physico-geometrical perspective when interpreting the kinetic results for the thermal degradation of polymers.

Bioluminescence inhibition of bacterial luciferase by aliphatic alcohol, amine and carboxylic acid: inhibition potency and mechanism.

The inhibitory effects of hydrophobic molecules on the bacterial luciferase, BL, luminescence reaction were analyzed using an electrochemically-controlled BL luminescence system. The inhibition potency of alkyl amines, C(n)NH(2), and fatty acids, C(m)COOH (m = n - 1), on the BL reaction increased with an increase in the alkyl chain-length of these aliphatic compounds. C(m)COOH showed lower inhibition potency than C(n)NH(2) and alkyl alcohols, C(n)OH, data for which have been previously reported. To make clear the inhibition mechanisms of the aliphatic compounds on the BL reaction, the initial rate of the BL reaction was measured and analyzed using the Dixon plot and Cornish-Bowden plot. The C(12)OH inhibited the BL reaction in competition with the substrate C(11)CHO, while C(12)NH(2) and C(11)COOH inhibited in an uncompetitive manner with the C(11)CHO. These results suggest that the alkyl chain-length and the terminal unit of the aliphatic compound determine the inhibition potency and the inhibition mechanism, respectively.

Immobilization of bacterial luciferase into poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) film for electrochemical control of a bioluminescence reaction.

A poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) film was modified on an indium-tin oxide electrode in order to immobilize bacterial luciferase (BL) on the electrode surface. By using the modified electrode, flavin mononucleotide (FMN) was electrochemically reduced to FMNH(2), which is one of the substrates of the BL luminescence reaction, to control the bioluminescence reaction by BL. The BL reaction in the modified film could be promoted and controlled by the electrochemical generation of FMNH(2). This BL luminescence system was evaluated as a model system for the inhibitory assay of hydrophobic molecules on protein functions.

Inhibition of electrochemically controlled bioluminescence of bacterial luciferase by n-alkyl alcohols.

An electrochemical system has been developed in order to assay the effect of hydrophobic molecules on the bioluminescence of bacterial luciferase (BL). The inhibition of BL luminescence by the long-chain n-alkyl alcohol has been examined using this system. The 1-heptanol, 1-octanol, 1-nonanol, 1-decanol, 1-undecanol and 1-dodecanol inhibited the BL reaction in a dose-dependent manner. The IC(50) value, that is, the inhibitor concentration required to decrease the luminescence intensity by half, of these alcohols decreased with increasing the alkyl chain-length of the alcohols. In contrast, the shorter chain 1-hexanol did not inhibit the BL luminescence at all in the examined concentration range. These results indicate that the molecular size and hydrophobicity of the n-alkyl alcohol are the key factors to the inhibitory potency of the BL reaction. The IC(50) values are in agreement with values obtained for the bioluminescence of the firefly luciferase system. The proposed electrochemical BL luminescence system will be used for an inhibitory assay of hydrophobic drugs, such as general anesthetics on protein functions.

Steady-state bioluminescence of bacterial luciferase using electrochemical regeneration of flavin substrate and its application to inhibitory analysis.

The model system for the biological reaction using a bacterial luciferase (BL) was developed and applied to the inhibitory analysis of the hydrophobic molecules for enzymatic reactions. The homemade flow electrochemical luminescence cell was embedded in the BL reaction system to regenerate the reduced form of the flavin mononucleotide, which is one of the substrates of the BL luminescence reaction, and to measure the luminescence intensity. The constant intensity of the continuous BL luminescence was observed using the continuous-flow BL reaction system. The proposed system was successfully applied to the inhibitory reaction of dodecaneamide on the BL luminescence reaction.

Binding properties of hydrophobic molecules to human serum albumin studied by fluorescence titration.

Two fluorescence modes were combined to analyze the binding properties of terminally substituted alkanes (C(n)X, X = COOH, OH, CHO, NH(2)) to human serum albumin (HSA). A competitive binding assay using an 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate (ANS) fluorescence probe provides information on all the hydrophobic binding sites in HSA. A binding assay using the intrinsic fluorescence of the tryptophan residue in HSA (Trp-HSA) provides information on the specific binding site close to the tryptophan residue. There are three fluorescence-active ANS binding sites in HSA, which can be classified into two types by their affinity for ANS. C(n)COOH bound to all three ANS binding sites including the Trp-HSA site, however, it did not quench the fluorescence of Trp-HSA. C(n)CHO bound only to the Trp-HSA site with quenching of the fluorescence of Trp-HSA. By comparing the binding affinities of HSA for C(n)OH and C(n)CHO, it was concluded that the C(n)OH binding site is different from the C(n)CHO binding site. C(n)NH(2) did not bind to any of the three ANS binding sites in HSA.