Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 2399-3642 9 1 2026 Structural study of monomeric and dimeric photosystem I-LHCI supercomplexes from a bryophyte 146 EN Pi-Cheng Tsai Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Advanced Research Field, Okayama University Romain La Rocca Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Advanced Research Field, Okayama University Hiroyasu Motose Department of Biology, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Jian-Ren Shen Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Advanced Research Field, Okayama University Fusamichi Akita Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Advanced Research Field, Okayama University Photosystem I (PSI) is one of the two photosystems conserved from cyanobacteria to vascular plants, and associates with multiple light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) that capture and transfer solar energy. Liverworts such as Marchantia polymorpha occupy an early evolutionary position among land plants and faced major challenges during terrestrial adaptation, including desiccation, strong light, and UV radiation. We reveal the cryo-electron microscopic structures of PSI-LHCI monomer and homodimer from the liverwort M. polymorpha at resolutions of 1.94 and 2.52 Å, respectively. The high-resolution map allows identification of the cofactors of the monomer and reveal differences between the liverwort and moss, another clade of bryophytes. The PSI-LHCI monomer-monomer is stabilized by PsaG and PsaH interactions on the stromal side, which causes the bending and twisting of the homodimer. PsaM interacts with PsaB tightly, indicating a key role of PsaM in mediating the dimerization. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Elsevier BV Acta Medica Okayama 0304-4238 361 2026 Far-red-enriched ultra-long-day conditions induce constitutive FT expression and rapid flowering in radish rootstocks, promoting graft-mediated floral induction in Brassicaceae crops 114818 EN Ko Motoki Graduate School of Environmental, Life and Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Nami Kakita School of agriculture, Okayama University Tanjuro Goto Graduate School of Environmental, Life and Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Ken-ichiro Yasuba Graduate School of Environmental, Life and Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Efficient floral induction is essential for breeding and seed production in Brassicaceae crops, particularly for late-bolting cultivars and plant-vernalization–type species such as cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.), which require substantial time and labor for artificial flower induction. A graft-mediated floral induction method was recently developed for cabbage, enabling flowering without vernalization treatment by grafting cabbage scions onto radish (Raphanus sativus L.) rootstocks. Although high expression of florigen gene FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) in the rootstocks is a key determinant of success, environmental conditions capable of inducing strong FT expression in radish have remained unclear. Here, we demonstrate that a far-red-enriched ultra-long-day photoperiod (ULD-FR) markedly upregulates expression of radish FT homolog RsFTa and greatly enhances graft-mediated floral induction in cabbage. Under the ULD-FR condition, RsFTa expression remained constitutively high throughout the day, with daily transcript abundance increasing more than tenfold compared with standard high red/far-red (R/FR) ratio long-day conditions that employed fluorescent lamps. FT protein accumulation in cabbage scions grafted onto radish rootstocks was also strongly elevated, resulting in rapid flowering approximately 30 days after grafting. ULD-FR also promoted flowering in rapid-cycling Brassica rapa and B. oleracea accessions, and induced flowering in a vernalization-requiring R. sativus cultivar without low temperature treatment, suggesting that the response may be broadly conserved across Brassicaceae. Because ULD-FR can be implemented using standard lighting equipment by adding an FR light source, it presents potential utility as a versatile tool for breeding-related applications, including generation advancement and flowering synchronization among divergent accessions. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 1345-2630 2026 Tabtoxin biosynthetic gene cluster in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605 genomic island 1 (GI-1Pta6605) is required for severe disease symptoms EN Kotomi Kunishi The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Norika Fujisawa The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hidenori Matsui The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Nanami Sakata The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yoshiteru Noutoshi The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kazuhiro Toyoda The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yuki Ichinose The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University One of the genomic islands in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605 (GI-1Pta6605) has been identified as a pathogenicity island required for virulence because the deletion almost completely eliminated disease symptoms in inoculation tests at 4 ~ 105 CFU/ml. GI-1Pta6605 contains four cargo regions (CRs) named CR-1 to CR-4. The ∆CR-4 mutant did not produce tabtoxin like ∆GI-1 and disease symptoms did not develop in tobacco. However, it grew, although to a lesser extent than the wild-type strain. These results indicate that the tabtoxin biosynthetic gene cluster in GI-1 is required for virulence but not for establishment of compatibility. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Frontiers Media SA Acta Medica Okayama 1664-462X 16 2025 Structural analysis of PSI-ACPI and PSII-ACPII supercomplexes from a cryptophyte alga Rhodomonas sp. NIES-2332 1716939 EN Wenyue Zhang Advanced Research Field, Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, and Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Nozomi Yonehara Advanced Research Field, Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, and Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Mizuki Ishii Advanced Research Field, Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, and Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Haowei Jiang Advanced Research Field, Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, and Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Romain La Rocca Advanced Research Field, Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, and Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Pi-Cheng Tsai Advanced Research Field, Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, and Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hongjie Li Advanced Research Field, Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, and Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Koji Kato Advanced Research Field, Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, and Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Fusamichi Akita Advanced Research Field, Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, and Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Jian-Ren Shen Advanced Research Field, Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, and Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Light energy is converted to chemical energy by two photosystems (PSI and PSII) in complex with their light-harvesting complex proteins (LHCI and LHCII) in photosynthesis. Rhodomonas is a member of cryptophyte alga whose LHCs contain unique chlorophyll a/c proteins (ACPs) and phycobiliproteins. We purified PSI-ACPI and PSII-ACPII supercomplexes from a cryptophyte Rhodomonas sp. NIES-2332 and analyzed their structures at high resolutions of 2.08 Å and 2.17 Å, respectively, using cryo-electron microscopy. These structures are largely similar to those reported previously from two other species of cryptophytes, but exhibited some differences in both the pigment locations and subunit structures. A part of the antenna subunits of both photosystems is shifted compared with the previously reported structures from other species of cryptophytes, suggesting some differences in the energy transfer rates from the antenna to the PSI and PSII cores. Newly identified lipids are found to occupy the interfaces between the antennae and cores, which may be important for assembly and stabilization of the supercomplexes. Water molecules surrounding three iron-sulfur clusters of the PSI core are found in our high-resolution structure, some of which are conserved from cyanobacteria to higher plants but some are different. In addition, our structure of PSII-ACPII lacks the subunits of oxygen-evolving complex as well as the Mn4CaO5 cluster, suggesting that the cells are in the S-growth phase, yet the PSI-ACPI structure showed the binding of PsaQ, suggesting that it is in an L-phase. These results suggest that the S-phase and L-phase can co-exist in the cryptophytic cells. The high-resolution structures of both PSI-ACPIs and PSII-ACPIIs solved in this study provide a more solid structural basis for elucidating the energy transfer and quenching mechanisms in this group of the organisms. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw•ถ–พ“ฎ‘ิŠwŒค‹†Š Acta Medica Okayama 2436-8326 5 2026 “‡ชŒง’––ฺ“ดŒAˆโีo“ylœ‚ฬ”N‘ใEHซEˆโ“`“I“ม’ฅ 20 39 EN Hideaki KANZAWA-KIRIYAMA Division of Human Evolution, Paleontology and Anthropology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture Mai TAKIGAMI Division of Human Evolution, Paleontology and Anthropology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture Tsuneo KAKUDA Department of Legal Medicine, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi Leo SPEIDEL Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences, RIKEN Garrett HELLENTHAL Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London Genetics Institute (UGI), University College London Nancy BIRD Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London Genetics Institute (UGI), University College London Yousuke KAWAI Genome Medical Science Project, National Institute of Global Health and Medicine, National Institute for Health Security NCBN Controls WGS Consortium Minoru SAKAMOTO National Museum of Japanese History Yuichi KAMEDA Division of Human Evolution, Paleontology and Anthropology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture Noboru ADACHI Department of Legal Medicine, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine and Engineering, University of Yamanashi Ken-ichi SHINODA National Museum of Nature and Science Naruya SAITOU National Institute of Genetics Tatsuhiko HAMADA Research Institute for the Dynamics of Civilizations, Okayama University ˜_•ถ (Research article) 10.18926/70052 This paper reports on the integrative research findings of the human bones excavated from the Inome Cave Site in Shimane Prefecture, based on dietary estimation using carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis, radiocarbon dating, and whole genome analysis. The dates of the analyzed human bones span a wide range, from the Middle to Late Kofun period, the Nara period to the Early Heian period, and the Middle to Late Heian period, indicating that the Inome Cave Site was continuously used as a burial place. Dietary habits were a mixture of C3 resources (C3 plants and terrestrial animals that consumed C3 plants) and marine resources, with individual variations in the intake of marine and terrestrial resources. A correlation was observed between differences in dietary habits and individual variations in the Jomon ratio in the nuclear genome, with individuals who consumed higher amounts of marine resources tending to have a higher Jomon ratio. This suggests that individuals with different backgrounds were buried in the same site due to interactions with surrounding settlements. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

American Chemical Society (ACS) Acta Medica Okayama 2694-2445 5 6 2025 Electronic Structure of the S1 State Manganese Cluster in Photosystem II Investigated Using Q-Band Selective Hole-Burning 660 671 EN Shinya Kosaki Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University Naohiko Nakamura Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University Yoshiki Nakajima Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Advanced Research Field, and Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Jian-Ren Shen Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Advanced Research Field, and Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hiroyuki Mino Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University The electronic structure of the S1 state of photosystem II (PSII) was investigated using selective hole burning of Q-band pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance. The free induction decay and spin–echo signals of the tyrosine radical YD• in the plant PSII oscillated because of the magnetic dipole–dipole interaction with the S1 state Mn cluster. The initial period was 410 ns (2.44 MHz) and was assigned to the S = 1 spin state. Based on the oscillation analysis, both Mn1 and Mn4 and both Mn2 and Mn3 were assigned as Mn(III) and Mn(IV), respectively, which is consistent with the quantum chemical calculations. The 410 ns period was accounted for in the simplified model using the isotropic spin density distribution ratio [1.6:–1.1:–1.1:1.6] for Mn1–4 ions. This oscillation was identical with that observed in the presence of methanol. The oscillation decreased in PsbP/Q- and PsbO/P/Q-depleted PSII. In Thermosynechococcus vulcanus, two periods, 390 ns (2.56 MHz) and 630 ns (1.59 MHz), were detected, indicating that the cyanobacterial S1 state includes two isomers, S = 1 and S ≥ 2 spins. The S ≥ 2 spin was not detected in PsbO/U/V-depleted PSII without polyethylene glycol. The S ≥ 2 state was consistent with the reported quantum chemical calculation using S = 3. A simplified model accounted for the S = 1 state as the spin density distribution [1.8:–1.3:–1.3:1.8] and for the S ≥ 2 state as the isotropic spin density distribution [|0.5:0.5:0.5:0.5] for Mn1–4 ions. In combination with quantum chemical calculations, the most probable protonated structure is W1 = H2O, W2 = H2O, O4 = O2–, and O5 = O2– for the S1 state. These results demonstrate that the selective hole burning method is a powerful tool to complement X-ray studies to determine the valence and protonation structure of manganese clusters, not only in the S1 state but also in higher S-states and general metal clusters, which would provide important insights into the water oxidation mechanism. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Wiley Acta Medica Okayama 2575-6265 6 5 2025 Seaweed Extracts Improve Salinity Tolerance in Cereal Crops\A Meta]Analysis e70094 EN Md. Nuruzzaman Department of Plant Resources, College of Industrial Sciences, Kongju National University Md. Tahjib]Ul]Arif Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangladesh Agricultural University Md. Abdul Hannan Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangladesh Agricultural University Yoshiyuki Murata Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University M. Afzal Hossain Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangladesh Agricultural University Seaweeds are considered an essential component of the blue economy. Because seaweed extracts are rich in bioactive compounds that enhance plant stress resilience, exploiting this resource could offer a sustainable solution for crop production. Salinity is a major abiotic challenge that significantly impacts crop yield and food security. Through meta-analysis, we explored whether the exogenous application of seaweed extracts improves the salt tolerance of cereal crops. All the studies chosen for this study utilized aqueous seaweed extracts as foliar sprays. A multi-level meta-analysis with a mixed effects model was performed to determine the effect size. This meta-analysis demonstrated that applying aqueous seaweed extracts enhanced the shoot and root biomass under normal and salinity stress conditions, suggesting that seaweed extract can help improve crop stress tolerance. The seaweeds studied belonged to three classes: Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyta, and Chlorophyta, with extracts from Chlorophyta and Phaeophyceae significantly enhancing biomass production under salinity conditions. Applying aqueous seaweed extracts effectively improved salinity tolerance at both 34.2–100 mM and 101–400 mM NaCl equivalent salinity stress. Moreover, exogenous foliar application of ≤ 25% aqueous seaweed extracts was most effective for improving salinity tolerance in cereals. The impact of seaweed extracts on cereal crop yields has not been extensively reported; therefore, further studies should focus on this aspect. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Oxford University Press (OUP) Acta Medica Okayama 1347-6947 89 6 2025 PNGase activity and free N-glycans in phloem fluid prepared from Nerium oleander (oleander tree) 872 875 EN Fuki Otaguro Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yoshinobu Kimura Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Megumi Maeda Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Free N-glycans (FNGs) occur ubiquitously in growing plants. Recently, it was reported that these FNGs interact with auxin. In this study, we investigated whether PNGase activity responsible for producing the FNGs occurs in the extracellular fluid, where auxin is present during its polar transfer. Here, we report the occurrences of PNGase activity and FNGs in the phloem fluid. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Elsevier BV Acta Medica Okayama 1470-160X 177 2025 Long-term effects of forest growth dynamics and climate change on groundwater recharge and evapotranspiration in a steep catchment of western Japan 113652 EN Rendilicha Halake Guyo Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Kunyang Wang Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University Shin-ichi Onodera Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University Mitsuyo Saito Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University Toshitsugu Moroizumi Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Growing water demand for human and environmental needs has led to increased reliance on groundwater resources. However, groundwater is a finite resource, and its sustainability is closely linked to recharge processes, which are influenced by forest growth dynamics as well as climate change. Evapotranspiration, largely driven by vegetation cover and climatic conditions, represents a major component of terrestrial water loss that can reduce groundwater recharge. In this study, forest growth trends, reflecting the complete developmental stages from juvenile to post-maturity of a representative species, were reconstructed using remote sensing data, forest inventories, and field studies, and incorporated into the SWAT model to evaluate their impacts on groundwater recharge and evapotranspiration as indicators of forest hydrological function and ecosystem health. The modelfs vegetation growth simulation was enhanced and uncertainty reduced by dynamically updating it with MODIS-derived leaf area index (LAI) at 5-year intervals. Groundwater recharge estimates were further improved through multi-variable calibration using Penman–Monteith–Leuning evapotranspiration (V2) and streamflow data to ensure water budget closure. Results showed that evergreen conifer growth from planting to maturity significantly reduced groundwater recharge (–4.7 mm/year) and increased evapotranspiration (+7.6 mm/year). In contrast, natural and mature deciduous broadleaf forests showed more stable recharge and evapotranspiration trends. Rising temperatures were identified as a key climatic driver of reduced recharge and increased evapotranspiration, reflecting broader global warming impacts. This study demonstrates that forest growth dynamics, especially during the critical transition from planting to maturity, alongside climate change, play a crucial role in shaping the catchmentfs water balance and offer valuable insights for sustainable groundwater management, particularly in transitional forest ecosystems. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Wiley Acta Medica Okayama 1464-6722 26 11 2025 Comparative Genomic Analysis Identifies FleQ and GcbB as Virulence-Associated Factors in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci Strains e70168 EN Muhammad Taufiq Hidayat Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kei Yoshioka Faculty of Agriculture, Okayama University Takafumi Nishimura Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Shuta Asai Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Sachiko Masuda Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN-TRIP Ken Shirasu Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN-TRIP Nanami Sakata Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Mikihiro Yamamoto Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yoshiteru Noutoshi Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kazuhiro Toyoda Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yuki Ichinose Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hidenori Matsui Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci (Pta) is an important plant pathogen, which causes wildfire disease in Nicotiana species. However, the genetic basis underlying strain-level differences in virulence remains largely unresolved. To address this, we performed a comparative genomic analysis between a highly virulent strain Pta6605 and a less virulent strain Pta7375. Despite high overall genome similarity, we identified key single-nucleotide polymorphisms, including premature stop-codon mutations in seven open reading frames in Pta7375. Notably, point mutations in two regulatory genes, such as fleQ, which encodes a transcription factor essential for flagellar biogenesis and biofilm formation, and gcbB, which encodes a GGDEF domain-containing diguanylate cyclase responsible for cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) synthesis, were implicated in virulence disparity. Functional analyses using deletion and locus replacement mutants in the Pta6605 background revealed that the disruption of fleQ markedly reduced motility, flagellin production, c-di-GMP accumulation, biofilm formation and virulence level mirroring the Pta7375 phenotype. The gcbB replacement mutant showed reduced disease symptom development, although c-di-GMP levels remained comparable to the Pta6605 wild type. Locus replacement between strains confirmed that a point mutation in fleQ was the primary driver of reduced motility and flagellin expression in Pta7375. These findings indicate that the reduced virulence of Pta7375 is associated with impaired regulation of flagella-related genes and disruption of the FleQ-mediated c-di-GMP signalling, underscoring the value of comparative genomics in disentangling the complex regulatory networks that govern virulence in plant pathogens. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Microbiology Society Acta Medica Okayama 0022-1317 106 7 2025 Summary of taxonomy changes ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) from the Fungal and Protist Viruses Subcommittee, 2025 002115 EN Sead Sabanadzovic Institute for Genomics, Biocomputing and Biotechnology, Mississippi State University Chantal Abergel Information Génomique & Structurale, UMR7256, CNRS & Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, IMM, IM2B, IOM Marı́a A. Ayllón Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) Leticia Botella Forest Protection and Wildlife Management Mendel University in Brno Marta Canuti Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen Yuto Chiba School of Agriculture, Meiji University Jean-Michel Claverie Information Génomique & Structurale, UMR7256, CNRS & Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, IMM, IM2B, IOM Robert H.A. Coutts School of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Hertfordshire Stefania Daghino Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council of Italy Livia Donaire Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura-CSIC Marco Forgia Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, CNR Ondřej Hejna Department of Genetics and Biotechnologies, University of South Bohemia Jichun Jia College of Plant Protection, Shanxi Agricultural University Daohong Jiang College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University Ioly Kotta-Loizou School of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Hertfordshire Mart Krupovic Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Archaeal Virology Unit Andrew S. Lang Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland Matthieu Legendre Information Génomique & Structurale, UMR7256, CNRS & Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, IMM, IM2B, IOM Shin-Yi Lee Marzano United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Application Technology Research Unit Luca Nerva Council for Agricultural Research and Economics - Research Centre for Viticulture and Enology Judit Pénzes Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University Anna Poimala Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) Sofia Rigou Information Génomique & Structurale, UMR7256, CNRS & Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, IMM, IM2B, IOM Yukiyo Sato Department of Biology, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne Wajeeha Shamsi Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University Nobuhiro Suzuki Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Massimo Turina Department of Plant Protection, School of Agriculture, The University of Jordan Syun-ichi Urayama Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba Eeva J. Vainio Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) Jiatao Xie College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University The Fungal and Protist Viruses Subcommittee (SC) of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) has received a total of eight taxonomic proposals for the 2024 annual cycle. The extent of proposed changes varied, including nomenclatural updates, creation of new taxa and reorganization of established taxa. Following the ICTV procedures, all proposals were reviewed and voted upon by the members of the Executive Committee with ratification in March 2025. As a result, a total of 52 species in the families Botourmiaviridae and Marnaviridae were renamed to comply with the mandated binomial format. A new genus has been added to the dsRNA virus family Amalgaviridae, while two new families, Splipalmiviridae (Wolframvirales) and Mycoalphaviridae (Hepelivirales), were created to classify new groups of positive-sense (+) RNA mycoviruses. The class Arfiviricetes (Cressdnaviricota) was expanded by a new order Lineavirales and a new family Oomyviridae of ssDNA viruses. Additionally, a new class Orpoviricetes was created in the kingdom Orthornavirae to classify a group of bisegmented (+)RNA viruses reported from fungi and oomycetes. Finally, the order Pimascovirales was reorganized to better depict evolutionary relationships of pithoviruses and related viruses with large dsDNA genomes. The summary of updates in the taxonomy of fungal and protist viruses presented here is limited to taxa within the remit of this Subcommittee. For information on taxonomy changes on other fungal viruses closely related to animal and/or plant viruses, please see reports from sister ICTV Subcommittees (i.e. Plant Virus SC and Animal dsRNA and ssRNA(|) Viruses SC). No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Wiley Acta Medica Okayama 2198-3844 2025 A Viral RNA Silencing Suppressor Modulates Reactive Oxygen Species Levels to Induce the Autophagic Degradation of Dicer]Like and Argonaute]Like Proteins e06572 EN Shiyu Zhai State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Tianxing Pang State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Shiyu Peng State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Shenshen Zou Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University Zhiping Deng Institute of Virology and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences Nobuhiro Suzuki Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University Zhensheng Kang State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Ida Bagus Andika State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Liying Sun State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Mounting evidence indicates that viruses exploit elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels to promote replication and pathogenesis, yet the mechanistic underpinnings of this viral strategy remain elusive for many viral systems. This study uncovers a sophisticated viral counter-defense mechanism in the Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 (CHV1)-Fusarium graminearum system, where the viral p29 protein subverts host redox homeostasis to overcome antiviral responses. That p29 directly interacts with and inhibits the enzymatic activity of fungal NAD(P)H-dependent FMN reductase 1 (FMR1), leading to increased ROS accumulation and subsequent autophagy activation is demonstrated. Strikingly, this ROS-induced autophagy selectively targets for degradation two core antiviral RNA silencing components against CHV1 in F. graminearum, Dicer-like 2 (DCL2) and Argonaute-like 1 (AGL1), thereby compromising the host's primary antiviral defense system. Genetic analysis confirms this coordinated hijacking of host machineries, as CHV1 shows enhanced accumulation in the FMR1 knockout and reduced accumulation in autophagy-deficient fungal strains. This work reveals a tripartite interplay among oxidative stress, autophagy, and RNA silencing that CHV1 manipulates through p29 multifunctional activity. These findings provide a model for how viruses coordinately regulate distinct host defense systems to optimize infection. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 2041-1723 16 1 2025 A node-localized efflux transporter for loading iron to developing tissues in rice 9916 EN Jing Che Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Sheng Huang Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Yuting Qu State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Yuma Yoshioka Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Chiyuri Tomita Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Takaaki Miyaji Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Zhenyang Liu State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Renfang Shen State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Naoki Yamaji Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Jian Feng Ma Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Iron (Fe) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development. It plays crucial roles in various organs and tissues of plants, but the molecular mechanisms governing its distribution to the above-ground parts after root uptake remain unclear. In this study, we identify OsIET1 (Oryza sativa Iron Efflux Transporter 1), a rice gene highly expressed in the nodes. OsIET1 encodes a plasma membrane-localized protein, which shows efflux transport activity for ferrous iron. It is predominantly expressed in the xylem regions of diffuse vascular bundles, and its expression is upregulated under high Fe conditions. Disruption of OsIET1 impairs Fe allocation, reducing Fe transport to developing tissues (young leaves and grains), while increasing accumulation in nodes and older leaves. This misdistribution causes chlorosis in young leaves and decreases grain yield, especially under Fe-deficient conditions. Furthermore, we detect excessive Fe deposition around the xylem of diffuse vascular bundles in the nodes. Given the pivotal role of nodes in mineral distribution, our results indicate that OsIET1 mediates inter-vascular Fe transfer by facilitating Fe loading into the xylem of diffuse vascular bundles. This process ensures preferential Fe delivery to developing tissues, thereby promoting optimal plant growth and productivity. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Wiley Acta Medica Okayama 0013-8703 2025 Artificial Selections for Life-History Traits Affect Effective Cumulative Temperature and Developmental Zero Point in Zeugoducus cucurbitae EN Takahisa Miyatake Graduate School of Environment, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kentarou Matsumura Department of General Systems Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo Effective cumulative temperature and developmental zero point are important indicators for estimating the timing of organism development and the area of distribution. These indicators are generally considered to have unique values for different species of organisms and are also important for predicting the distribution range of animals and plants, especially insect pests. These values generally are species-specific, but there is variation within populations in traits having a genetic component. However, there are no studies on what kind of selection pressure affects these indicator values. To address this issue, it would be worthwhile to compare these values using individuals of strains that have been artificially selected for life-history traits by rearing them at various temperatures and calculating these indicators from developmental days and temperatures. In the present study, eggs were taken from adults of strains with many generations of artificial selection on two life-history traits (age at reproduction and developmental period) of the melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae, under constant temperature conditions. Eggs were reared at five different temperatures, and the effective cumulative temperatures and developmental zero points of the larval and developmental periods were compared. The results demonstrate that artificial selection on life-history traits in Z. cucurbitae induces evolutionary changes in both the effective cumulative temperature and the developmental zero point across successive generations. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 1345-2630 2025 Comparative analysis of interactions between five strains of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci and Nicotiana benthamiana EN Yuna Nakao Graduate School of Medicine, Science and Technology, Shinshu University Shuta Asai Graduate School of Environmental, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hidenori Matsui Graduate School of Environmental, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yuki Ichinose Graduate School of Environmental, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Shinpei Katou Graduate School of Medicine, Science and Technology, Shinshu University Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605 (Pta 6605), the agent of wildfire disease in tobacco, has been used as a model strain for elucidating the virulence mechanisms of Pta. However, the host genes involved in resistance or susceptibility to Pta remain largely unknown. Nicotiana benthamiana is a model plant species in the Solanaceae family and is useful in functional analyses of genes. We herein compared five Pta strains (6605, 6823, 7372, 7375, and 7380) in terms of their phenotypes on medium and interactions with N. benthamiana. Pta 6605 and Pta 6823 showed more active proliferation than the other strains in a high cell density culture. Moreover, Pta 6605 exhibited markedly higher swarming motility than the other strains. In inoculated leaves of N. benthamiana, Pta 6605 and Pta 6823 caused more severe disease symptoms and proliferated to a higher cell density than the other strains. However, Pta 6823 as well as Pta 7372 and Pta 7380 induced the high accumulation of salicylic acid (SA). Moreover, the inoculations of Pta 6823 and Pta 7372 resulted in the upregulation of ethylene biosynthesis genes. On the other hand, Pta 6605 induced neither SA accumulation nor the expression of ethylene biosynthesis genes, and suppressed the expression of jasmonate biosynthesis genes. Moreover, chlorosis was clearly induced in the upper uninoculated leaves of Pta 6605-infected plants. These results suggest that Pta 6605 escapes from or suppresses plant immune systems and, thus, is the most virulent on N. benthamiana among the five strains tested. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Japanese Society of Microbial Ecology Acta Medica Okayama 1342-6311 40 3 2025 Role of Formate Chemoreceptor in Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605 in Tobacco Infection ME25019 EN Phuoc Quy Thang Nguyen The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yuta Watanabe The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hidenori Matsui The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Nanami Sakata The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yoshiteru Noutoshi The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kazuhiro Toyoda The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yuki Ichinose The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Chemotaxis is essential for infection by plant pathogenic bacteria. The causal agent of tobacco wildfire disease, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605 (Pta6605), is known to cause severe leaf disease and is highly motile. The requirement of chemotaxis for infection has been demonstrated through the inoculation of mutant strains lacking chemotaxis sensory component proteins. Pta6605 possesses 54 genes that encode chemoreceptors (known as methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins, MCPs). Chemoreceptors are classified into several groups based on the type and localization of ligand-binding domains (LBD). Cache LBD-type chemoreceptors have been reported to recognize formate in several bacterial species. In the present study, we identified Cache_3 Cache_2 LBD-type Mcp26 encoded by Pta6605_RS00335 as a chemoreceptor for formate using a quantitative capillary assay, and named it McpF. Although the deletion mutant of mcpF (ƒขmcpF) retained attraction to 1% yeast extract, its chemotactic response to formate was markedly reduced. Swimming and swarming motilities were also impaired in the mutant. To investigate the effects of McpF on bacterial virulence, we conducted inoculations on tobacco plants using several methods. The ƒขmcpF mutant exhibited weaker virulence in flood and spray assays than wild-type and complemented strains, highlighting not only the involvement of McpF in formate recognition, but also its critical role in leaf entry during the early stages of infection. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Japanese Society for Plant Cell and Molecular Biology Acta Medica Okayama 1342-4580 42 3 2025 Root-exuded sugars as drivers of rhizosphere microbiome assembly 215 227 EN Niarsi Merry Hemelda Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia Yoshiteru Noutoshi Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Sugars in root exudates play a pivotal role in shaping plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere, serving as carbon sources and signaling molecules that orchestrate microbial behavior, community structure, and plant resilience. Recent research has shed light on the dynamics of sugar levels in root exudates, the factors that influence their secretion, and the mechanisms by which these sugars drive microbial colonization and community assembly in the rhizosphere. Microbial communities, in turn, contribute to plant physiological changes that enhance growth and stress tolerance. While well-studied sugars such as glucose, sucrose, and fructose are known to promote chemotaxis, motility, and biofilm formation, emerging evidence suggests that less-studied sugars like arabinose and trehalose may also play significant roles in microbial interactions and stress resilience. Key challenges remain, including the accurate measurement of labile sugars that are rapidly metabolized by microbes, and the elucidation of genetic mechanisms underlying rhizosphere metabolic interactions in both host plants and microbes. Addressing these challenges will advance our understanding of sugar-mediated interactions and inform the development of sustainable agricultural innovations. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Oxford University Press (OUP) Acta Medica Okayama 0305-7364 135 7 2025 Molecular polymorphisms of the nuclear and chloroplast genomes among African melon germplasms reveal abundant and unique genetic diversity, especially in Sudan 1329 1343 EN Odirichi Nnennaya Imoh Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Gentaro Shigita Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Mitsuhiro Sugiyama Institute of Vegetable and Floriculture Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) Tran Phuong Dung Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Katsunori Tanaka Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University Mami Takahashi Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Kazusa Nishimura Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yuki Monden Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hidetaka Nishida Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Mashaer Goda Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Research Center, Agricultural Research Corporation Michel Pitrat INRAE, UR1052, Génétique et amélioration des fruits et légumes Kenji Kato Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Background and Aims Africa is rich in wild species of Cucumis and is considered one of the places of origin of melon. However, our knowledge of African melon is limited, and genetic studies using melon germplasms with wide geographical coverage are required. Here, we analysed the genetic structure of African melons, with emphasis on Sudan.<br> Methods Ninety-seven accessions of African melon were examined along with 77 reference accessions representing Asian melon and major horticultural groups. Molecular polymorphisms in the nuclear and chloroplast genomes were investigated using 12 RAPD, 7 SSR and 3 SNP markers. Horticultural traits, including seed size, were measured for 46 accessions, mainly from Sudan.<br> Key Results African melons were divided into large and small seed-types based on seed length: large seed-type from Northern Africa and small seed-type from Western and Southern Africa. Both seed types are common in Sudan. Molecular genetic diversity in these geographical populations was as high as in India, the Asian centre of melon domestication. Large seed-types from Northern Africa were assigned to Pop4 by structure analysis and had Ib cytoplasm in common with Cantalupensis, Inodorus and Flexuosus. Small seed-types were highly diversified and geographically differentiated; specifically, Pop1 with Ia cytoplasm in Southern Africa and South Asia, Pop2 with Ia in East Asia, including Conomon and Makuwa, and Pop3 with Ia or Ic in Africa. Sudanese small seed-types were grouped in Pop3, while their cytoplasm type was a mixture of Ia and Ic. Sudanese Tibish had Ic cytoplasm, which was unique in Africa, common in Western Africa and Sudan, and also found in wild or feral types.<br> Conclusions Melon of Ic lineage, including Tibish, originated from wild melon in the ewestern Sudan regionf, and independently of melon with Ia or Ib cytoplasm, which originated in Asia. This clearly indicates the polyphyletic origin of melon. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Frontiers Media SA Acta Medica Okayama 1664-462X 16 2025 The response to thermospermine is fine-tuned by the balance between SAC51 and LHW family proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana EN Yao Xu Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Mitsuru Saraumi Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Tomohiko Toyoshima Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hiroyasu Motose Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Taku Takahashi Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Thermospermine negatively regulates xylem formation. In Arabidopsis, SAC51 and SACL3, members of the SAC51 gene family encoding basic loop-helix-loop (bHLH) proteins play a key role in this regulation. These mRNAs contain an upstream open-reading-frame (uORF) that is highly conserved across species, and its inhibitory effect on the main ORF translation is alleviated by thermospermine. A double knockout of SAC51 and SACL3 results in thermospermine insensitivity at high concentrations that normally inhibit xylem formation and shoot growth in the wild type. Conversely, uORF mutants of SAC51, SACL3, and SACL1 suppress the excessive xylem formation and dwarf phenotype of acl5, a mutant defective in thermospermine biosynthesis. In this study, we generated genome-edited uORF mutants of SACL2 and confirmed that they partially recover the acl5 phenotype. All uORF mutants exhibited increased sensitivity to thermospermine. SACL3 represses the function of LHW, a key bHLH transcription factor required for xylem proliferation, through direct interaction. We found that the lhw mutant is also hypersensitive to thermospermine, while this sensitivity was suppressed by the sac51 sacl3 double knockout. Yeast two-hybrid assays demonstrated that all four SAC51 family members interact with LHW and its family members. These findings suggest that overaccumulation of SAC51 family proteins leads to thermospermine hypersensitivity by repressing the function of LHW family proteins, whose activity must be fine-tuned to ensure proper xylem development. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Wiley Acta Medica Okayama 0960-7412 123 5 2025 RNA processing/modifying enzymes play key roles in the response to thermospermine in Arabidopsis thaliana e70476 EN Mitsuru Saraumi Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Takahiro Tanaka Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Daiki Koyama Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yoshitaka Nishi Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu Sangyo University Yoshihiro Takahashi Department of Life Science, Faculty of Life Science, Kyushu Sangyo University Hiroyasu Motose Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Taku Takahashi Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Thermospermine is involved in negative regulation of xylem differentiation by enhancing the translation of mRNAs of the SAC51 gene family in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). These mRNAs contain conserved upstream open reading frames (uORFs) that interfere with the translation of the main ORF. To investigate the mechanism by which thermospermine acts in this process, we isolated mutants insensitive to thermospermine, named eitsf. We show that the four genes responsible for these mutants, its1 to its4, encode: (i) a homolog of SPOUT RNA methyltransferase, (ii) an rRNA pseudouridine synthase CBF5/NAP57, (iii) a putative spliceosome disassembly factor STIPL1/NTR1, and (iv) a plant-specific RNA-binding protein PHIP1. These four mutants were found to have much higher levels of thermospermine than the wild-type. While all these mutants except its1 appear almost normal, they enhance the dwarf phenotype of a mutant of ACL5, which encodes thermospermine synthase, resulting in tiny plants resembling a double knockout of ACL5 and SACL3, a member of the SAC51 family. Reporter assays revealed that GUS activity from the CaMV 35S promoter-SAC51 5Œ-GUS fusion construct was significantly reduced in its1 and its4 or not affected in its2 and its3, while it was slightly increased in its1, its3, and its4, or not changed in its2 by thermospermine. These findings underscore the critical role of RNA processing and modification in the thermospermine-dependent translational regulation of uORF-containing transcripts. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 0167-6903 105 4 2025 Effect of environmental conditions on seed germination and seedling growth in Cuscuta campestris 1157 1167 EN Koki Nagao Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Taku Takahashi Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Ryusuke Yokoyama Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University Dodder (Cuscuta) is an obligate parasitic plant that cannot survive without a host and causes significant damage to crop yields. To understand its growth characteristics before parasitism, we examined the effects of environmental conditions on seed germination and seedling growth in Cuscuta campestris Yunck. Among various factors, we focused on the effects of light, pH, temperature, sugars, salts, hormones, amino acids and polyamines on seeds sown on agar plates. Regarding the effect of light on germination, far-red light was preferable rather than red light and the reversible response of seeds to red and far-red light was confirmed, implicating a phytochrome-mediated signaling pathway opposite to that in many seed plants. Among the amino acids, aspartic acid and alanine had a promotive effect, while histidine had an inhibitory effect on germination. We further found that, in addition to gibberellic acid, methyl jasmonate stimulated both germination and shoot elongation. While 2,4-D extended the viability of trichomes around the root cap, kinetin induced the formation of scale leaves on the shoot and undifferentiated cell clusters at the base of the shoot and root tip. Real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) experiments confirmed that the expression of a putative RbcS gene for photosynthesis showed no response to light, whereas that of a Phytochrome A homolog increased in the dark. Our results indicate that some of the molecular mechanisms involved in responding to light and hormone signals are uniquely modified in dodder seedlings, providing clues for understanding the survival strategy of parasitic plants. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Elsevier BV Acta Medica Okayama 1674-2052 18 10 2025 The OsATG8–OsATG1–SPIN6 module: Linking nutrient sensing to OsRac1-mediated rice immunity via autophagy-independent mechanisms 1623 1625 EN Yanjun Kou State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, China National Rice Research Institute Yoji Kawano Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Wiley Acta Medica Okayama 0912-3814 40 4 2024 Nationwide diversity of symbolic gcity flowersh in Japan is increasing 463 474 EN Yoichi Tsuzuki Health and Environmental Risk Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies Haruna Ohsaki Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University Yawako W. Kawaguchi Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo Sayaka Suzuki Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University Shogo Harada Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University Yurie Otake Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University Naoto Shinohara Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University Koki R. Katsuhara Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Recognizing and maintaining locally rooted human–nature interactions is essential for utilizing ecosystem services. Although the general public's awareness of biodiversity and ecosystem services has been examined using various proxies, it remains unclear how local governments\key sectors in creating conservation policies\appreciate them within a solid local context. Here, we focused on the gcity flower,h an official symbolic species of Japanese cities, as a new proxy for measuring governmental attitudes toward biota and its services. We aimed to capture temporal changes in the awareness of species with locally relevant value at the city government level by examining the changes in city flowers over more than half a century. Data from the official websites of municipalities, including the names, the adoption years, and the reasons for adoption, revealed two major periods of adoption, with a notable increase in species diversity in and after 1993. This increase could be attributed to a recent reduction in bias toward popular flowers and growing interest in alternative, less popular flowers. Analysis of the reasons for adoption suggested that the temporal change in adopted flower species was related to the increasing emphasis on species with an explicit local context, especially those with instrumental value to the city. Our findings indicate the tendency for local governments to increasingly recognize their biocultural backgrounds and the ecosystem services of plants within their regions. The growing awareness of the local governments regarding their biocultural background is a positive sign for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Wiley Acta Medica Okayama 0021-8901 2025 Urbanised landscape and microhabitat differences can influence flowering phenology and synchrony in an annual herb EN Hinata Fujiwara Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hiroto Yamaguchi Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kazuyoshi Nakata Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Koki R. Katsuhara Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University 1. Flowering phenology, a crucial determinant of plant reproductive success and biotic interactions, is susceptible to urbanisation. Numerous studies have shown the impact of urbanised landscapes on flowering phenology based on comparisons along urban–rural gradients. Phenological patterns among microenvironments in the urban ecosystem have received less attention, although they often offer unique habitats with varying artificial influences, such as roadsides, drainage ditches and vacant lots. If differences in microenvironments diversify flowering phenology, the urban matrix might reduce flowering synchrony with neighbouring populations, limiting outcrossing opportunities and therefore reducing reproductive success.<br> 2. We investigated the flowering phenology and synchrony of the native annual herb Commelina communis in approximately 250 populations at two rural and two urban sites over 3 years. To determine the effect of microhabitat differences, we categorised the microhabitats of C. communis populations into five types: drains, roadsides, vacant land, farmland and forest edge. In some study populations, we investigated reproductive success (seed set) to estimate the degree of outcross pollination limitation.<br> 3. Our findings revealed that populations in urban sites exhibited earlier flowering onset and longer flowering duration compared to rural locations. Besides, we did not detect consistent patterns of flowering onset, peak and duration among the different microhabitat types. For flowering synchrony, we found that the population in urban sites, growing in drain habitats, and with artificial disturbances exhibited relatively lower interpopulation flowering synchrony, suggesting their phenology differed from neighbouring populations within the same landscape. Additionally, populations in urban sites, especially those growing in drain and roadside habitats, suffered severe outcross pollen limitation compared to those in rural landscapes.<br> 4. Synthesis and applications. In conclusion, our results indicate that in addition to landscape changes associated with urbanisation, variations in local microhabitats also influence the flowering phenology and synchrony of C. communis populations. Urbanised landscapes and differences in microhabitats could contribute to the diversification of phenological patterns between populations, potentially having a negative impact on the reproductive success of native plant species. These findings highlight the need to consider not only spatial but also temporal fragmentation from diversified flowering phenology when addressing conservation in the urban matrix. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 0003-6072 118 10 2025 Duganella hordei sp. nov., Duganella caerulea sp. nov., and Duganella rhizosphaerae sp. nov., isolated from barley rhizosphere 146 EN Katsumoto Kishiro Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Nurettin Sahin Egitim Fakultesi, Mugla Sitki Kocman University Daisuke Saisho Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Naoki Yamaji Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Jun Yamashita Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Yuki Monden Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Tomoyuki Nakagawa Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University Keiichi Mochida RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Akio Tani Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Duganella sp. strains R1T, R57T, and R64T, isolated from barley roots in Japan, are Gram-stain-negative, motile, rod-shaped bacteria. Duganella species abundantly colonized barley roots. Strains R1T, R57T, and R64T were capable of growth at 4 ‹C, suggesting adaptation to colonize winter barley roots. Strains R57T and R64T formed purple colonies, indicating violacein production, while strain R1T did not. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, strains R1T, R57T, and R64T were most closely related to D. violaceipulchra HSC-15S17T (99.10%), D. vulcania FT81WT (99.45%), and D. violaceipulchra HSC-15S17T (99.86%), respectively. Their genome sizes ranged from 7.05 to 7.38 Mbp, and their genomic G+C contents were 64.2–64.7%. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between R1T and D. violaceipulchra HSC-15S17T, R57T and D. vulcania FT81WT, R64T and D. violaceipulchra HSC-15S17T were 86.0% and 33.2%, 95.7% and 67.9%, and 92.7% and 52.6%, respectively. Their fatty acids were predominantly composed of C16:0, C17:0 cyclo, and summed feature 3 (C16:1 ƒึ7c and/or C16:1 ƒึ6c). Based on their distinct genetic and phenotypic characteristics, and supported by chemotaxonomic analyses, we propose that strains R1T, R57T, and R64T represent novel species within the Duganella genus, for which the names Duganella hordei (type strain R1T = NBRC 115982 T = DSM 115069 T), Duganella caerulea (type strain R57T = NBRC 115983 T = DSM 115070 T), and Duganella rhizosphaerae (type strain R64T = NBRC 115984 T = DSM 115071 T) are proposed. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Oxford University Press (OUP) Acta Medica Okayama 0032-0889 198 1 2025 The thylakoid membrane remodeling protein VIPP1 forms bundled oligomers in tobacco chloroplasts kiaf137 EN Sarah W Gachie Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Alexandre Muhire Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Di Li Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Akihiro Kawamoto Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University Noriko Takeda-Kamiya Mass Spectrometry and Microscopy Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Yumi Goto Mass Spectrometry and Microscopy Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Mayuko Sato Mass Spectrometry and Microscopy Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Kiminori Toyooka Mass Spectrometry and Microscopy Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Ryo Yoshimura Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Tsuneaki Takami Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Lingang Zhang School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University/Key Laboratory of Herbage and Endemic Crop Biotechnology Genji Kurisu Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University Toru Terachi Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University Wataru Sakamoto Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University The thylakoid membrane (TM) serves as the scaffold for oxygen-evolving photosynthesis, hosting the protein complexes responsible for the light reactions and ATP synthesis. Vesicle inducing protein in plastid 1 (VIPP1), a key protein in TM remodeling, has been recognized as essential for TM homeostasis. In vitro studies of cyanobacterial VIPP1 demonstrated its ability to form large homo-oligomers (2 MDa) manifesting as ring-like or filament-like assemblies associated with membranes. Similarly, VIPP1 in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii assembles into rods that encapsulate liposomes or into stacked spiral structures. However, the nature of VIPP1 assemblies in chloroplasts, particularly in Arabidopsis, remains uncharacterized. Here, we expressed Arabidopsis thaliana VIPP1 fused to GFP (AtVIPP1-GFP) in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) chloroplasts and performed transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A purified AtVIPP1-GFP fraction was enriched with long filamentous tubule-like structures. Detailed TEM observations of chloroplasts in fixed resin-embedded tissues identified VIPP1 assemblies in situ that appeared to colocalize with GFP fluorescence. Electron tomography demonstrated that the AtVIPP1 oligomers consisted of bundled filaments near membranes, some of which appeared connected to the TM or inner chloroplast envelope at their contact sites. The observed bundles were never detected in wild-type Arabidopsis but were observed in Arabidopsis vipp1 mutants expressing AtVIPP1-GFP. Taken together, we propose that the bundled filaments are the dominant AtVIPP1 oligomers that represent its static state in vivo. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

MDPI AG Acta Medica Okayama 1422-0067 26 10 2025 Stem Cell Factors BAM1 and WOX1 Suppressing Longitudinal Cell Division of Margin Cells Evoked by Low-Concentration Auxin in Young Cotyledon of Arabidopsis 4724 EN Yuli Jiang Institute for Translational Brain Reaearch, Fudan University Jian Liang Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Chunyan Wang Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Li Tan Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Yoji Kawano Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Shingo Nagawa Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Highly differentiated tissues and organs play essential biological functions in multicellular organisms. Coordination of organ developmental process with tissue differentiation is necessary to achieve proper development of mature organs, but mechanisms for such coordination are not well understood. We used cotyledon margin cells from Arabidopsis plant as a new model system to investigate cell elongation and cell division during organ growth and found that margin cells endured a developmental phase transition from the gelongationh phase to the gelongation and divisionh phase at the early stage in germinating seedlings. We also discovered that the stem cell factors BARELY ANY MERISTEM 1 (BAM1) and WUSCHEL-related homeobox1 (WOX1) are involved in the regulation of margin cell developmental phase transition. Furthermore, exogenous auxin treatment (1 nanomolar,nM) promotes cell division, especially longitudinal cell division. This promotion of cell division did not occur in bam1 and wox1 mutants. Based on these findings, we hypothesized a new gmoderate auxin concentrationh model which emphasizes that a moderate auxin concentration is the key to triggering the developmental transition of meristematic cells. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Elsevier BV Acta Medica Okayama 0956-5663 287 2025 A plant-insertable multi-enzyme biosensor for the real-time monitoring of stomatal sucrose uptake 117674 EN Shiqi Wu Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems, Waseda University Wakutaka Nakagawa Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems, Waseda University Yuki Mori Faculty and Graduate School of Environmental Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu Saman Azhari Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems, Waseda University Gábor Méhes Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems, Waseda University Yuta Nishina Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University Tomonori Kawano Faculty and Graduate School of Environmental Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu Takeo Miyake Graduate School of Information, Production and Systems, Waseda University Monitoring sucrose transport in plants is essential for understanding plant physiology and improving agricultural practices, yet effective sensors for continuous and real-time in-vivo monitoring are lacking. In this study, we developed a plant-insertable sucrose sensor capable of real-time sucrose concentration monitoring and demonstrated its application as a useful tool for plant research by monitoring the sugar-translocating path from leaves to the lower portion of plants through the stem in living plants. The biosensor consists of a bilirubin oxidase-based biocathode and a needle-type bioanode integrating glucose oxidase, invertase, and mutarotase, with the two electrodes separated by an agarose gel for ionic connection. The sensor exhibits a sensitivity of 6.22 ƒสA mM|1 cm|2, a limit of detection of 100 ƒสM, a detection range up to 60 mM, and a response time of 90 s at 100 ƒสM sucrose. Additionally, the sensor retained 86 % of its initial signal after 72 h of continuous measurement. Day-night monitoring from the biosensor inserted in strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum) showed higher sucrose transport activity at night, following well the redistribution of photosynthetically produced sugars. In addition, by monitoring the forced translocation of sucrose dissolved in the stable isotopically labeled water, we demonstrated that a young seedling of Japanese cedar known as Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) can absorb and transport both water and sucrose through light-dependently opened stomata, which is the recently revealed path for liquid uptake by higher plants. These findings highlight the potential of our sensor for studying dynamic plant processes and its applicability in real-time monitoring of sugar transport under diverse environmental conditions. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Acta Medica Okayama 0027-8424 122 32 2025 Structural insights into a citrate transporter that mediates aluminum tolerance in barley e2501933122 EN Tran Nguyen Thao Degree Program in Interdisciplinary Sciences, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science, and Technology, Okayama University Namiki Mitani-Ueno Research Core for Plant Stress Science, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Ryo Urano Division of Superconducting and Functional Materials, Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University Yasunori Saitoh Degree Program in Interdisciplinary Sciences, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science, and Technology, Okayama University Peitong Wang Research Core for Plant Stress Science, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Naoki Yamaji Research Core for Plant Stress Science, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Jian-Ren Shen Degree Program in Interdisciplinary Sciences, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science, and Technology, Okayama University Wataru Shinoda Degree Program in Interdisciplinary Sciences, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science, and Technology, Okayama University Jian Feng Ma Research Core for Plant Stress Science, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Michihiro Suga Degree Program in Interdisciplinary Sciences, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science, and Technology, Okayama University HvAACT1 is a major aluminum (Al)-tolerance gene in barley, encoding a citrate transporter that belongs to the multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) family. This transporter facilitates citrate secretion from the roots, thereby detoxifying external Al ions\a major constraint of crop production on acidic soils. In this study, we present the outward-facing crystal structure of HvAACT1, providing insights into a citrate transport mechanism. The putative citrate binding site consists of three basic residues\K126 in transmembrane helix 2 (TM2), R358 in TM7, and R535 in TM12\creating substantial positive charges in the C-lobe cavity. Proton coupling for substrate transport may involve two pairs of aspartate residues in the N-lobe cavity, one of which corresponds to the essential Asp pair found in prokaryotic H+-coupled MATE transporters belonging to the DinF subfamily. Structural coupling between proton uptake in the N-lobe and citrate extrusion in the C-lobe can be enabled by an extensive, unique hydrogen-bonding network at the extracellular half of the N-lobe. Mutation-based functional analysis, structural comparisons, molecular dynamics simulation, and phylogenic analysis suggest an evolutionary link between citrate MATE transporters and the DinF MATE subfamily. Our findings provide a solid structural basis for citrate transport by HvAACT1 in barley and contribute to a broader understanding of citrate transporter structures in other plant species. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Microbiology Society Acta Medica Okayama 0022-1317 106 7 2025 Summary of taxonomy changes ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) from the Animal dsRNA and ssRNA(|) Viruses Subcommittee, 2025 002112 EN Holly R. Hughes Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Matthew J. Ballinger Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University Yiming Bao National Genomics Data Center, China National Center for Bioinformation; Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Nicolas Bejerman Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) and Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) Kim R. Blasdell CSIRO Health and Biosecurity Thomas Briese Center for Infection and Immunity, and Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Julia Brignone Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas Dr. Julio I. Maiztegui. INEVH -ANLIS Jean Paul Carrera Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud Lander De Coninck Division of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, KU Leuven William Marciel de Souza Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky Humberto Debat Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) Ralf G. Dietzgen QAAFI, The University of Queensland Ralf Dürrwald Robert Koch Institut Mert Erdin Department of Virology, University of Helsinki Anthony R. Fooks Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Kristian M. Forbes Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas Juliana Freitas-Astúa Embrapa Cassava and Fruits Jorge B. Garcia Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas Dr. Julio I. Maiztegui. INEVH -ANLIS Jemma L. Geoghegan Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago Rebecca M. Grimwood Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago Masayuki Horie Osaka International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Osaka Metropolitan University Timothy H. Hyndman School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University Reimar Johne German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment John D. Klena Viral Special Pathogens Branch, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Hideki Kondo Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Eugene V. Koonin Computational Biology Branch, Division of Intramural Research National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health Alexei Y. Kostygov University of Ostrava Mart Krupovic Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Archaeal Virology Unit Jens H. Kuhn Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health Michael Letko Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University Jun-Min Li Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University Yiyun Liu National Genomics Data Center, China National Center for Bioinformation; Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Maria Laura Martin Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas Dr. Julio I. Maiztegui. INEVH -ANLIS Nathaniel Mull Department of Natural Sciences, Shawnee State University Yael Nazar Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas Dr. Julio I. Maiztegui. INEVH -ANLIS Norbert Nowotny College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Health Márcio Roberto Teixeira Nunes Universidade Federal do Pará Arnfinn Lodden Økland Pharmaq Analytiq Dennis Rubbenstroth Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Brandy J. Russell Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Eric Schott Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Stephanie Seifert Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University Carina Sen Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Virales Humanas Dr. Julio I. Maiztegui. INEVH -ANLIS Elizabeth Shedroff Viral Special Pathogens Branch, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tarja Sironen Department of Virology, University of Helsinki Teemu Smura Department of Virology, University of Helsinki Camila Prestes Dos Santos Tavares Integrated Group of Aquaculture and Environmental Studies, Federal University of Paraná Robert B. Tesh Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Medical Branch Natasha L. Tilston Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine Noël Tordo Institut Pasteur Nikos Vasilakis Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Medical Branch Peter J. Walker University of Queensland Fei Wang Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Anna E. Whitfield North Carolina State University Shannon L.M. Whitmer Viral Special Pathogens Branch, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Yuri I. Wolf Computational Biology Branch, Division of Intramural Research National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health Han Xia Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Gong-Yin Ye Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University Zhuangxin Ye Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University Vyacheslav Yurchenko University of Ostrava Mingli Zhao Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College RNA viruses are ubiquitous in the environment and are important pathogens of humans, animals and plants. In 2024, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses Animal dsRNA and ssRNA(|) Viruses Subcommittee submitted 18 taxonomic proposals for consideration. These proposals expanded the known virosphere by classifying 9 new genera and 88 species for newly detected virus genomes. Of note, newly established species expand the large family of Rhabdoviridae to 580 species. A new species in the family Arenaviridae includes a virus detected in Antarctic fish with a unique split nucleoprotein ORF. Additionally, four new species were established for historically isolated viruses with previously unsequenced genomes. Furthermore, three species were abolished due to incomplete genome sequence information, and one family was moved from being unassigned in the phylum Negarnaviricota into a subphylum and order. Herein, we summarize the 18 ratified taxonomic proposals and the general features of the current taxonomy, thereby supporting public and animal health responses. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Microbiology Society Acta Medica Okayama 0022-1317 106 7 2025 Summary of taxonomy changes ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses from the Plant Viruses Subcommittee, 2025 002114 EN Luisa Rubino Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, CNR Peter Abrahamian USDA-ARS, BARC, National Germplasm Resources Laboratory Wenxia An Liaoning Key Laboratory of Urban Integrated Pest Management and Ecological Security, Shenyang University Miguel A. Aranda Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura-CSIC José T. Ascencio-Ibañez Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University Nicolas Bejerman Unidad de Fitopatología y Modelización Agrícola (UFYMA) INTA-CONICET Arnaud G. Blouin Plant Protection Department Thierry Candresse UMR 1332 Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, University of Bordeaux, INRAE Tomas Canto Margarita Salas Center for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC) Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) Mengji Cao National Citrus Engineering and Technology Research Center, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University John P. Carr Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge Won Kyong Cho Agriculture and Life Sciences Research Institute, Kangwon National University Fiona Constable Agriculture Victoria Research, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University Indranil Dasgupta University of Delhi South Campu Humberto Debat Unidad de Fitopatología y Modelización Agrícola (UFYMA) INTA-CONICET Ralf G. Dietzgen Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland Michele Digiaro CIHEAM, Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo of Bari Livia Donaire Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura-CSIC Toufic Elbeaino CIHEAM, Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo of Bari Denis Fargette Virus South Data Fiona Filardo Queensland Department of Primary Industries Matthias G. Fischer Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology Nuria Fontdevila Plant Protection Department Adrian Fox Fera Science Ltd (Fera), York Biotech Campus Juliana Freitas-Astua Embrapa Cassava and Fruits, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation Marc Fuchs Plant Pathology, Cornell University Andrew D.W. Geering Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland Mahan Ghafari Department of Biology, University of Oxford Anders Hafrén Swedish University of Agriculture John Hammond USDA-ARS, USNA, Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit Rosemarie Hammond USDA-ARS, BARC, Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory Beata Hasiów-Jaroszewska Institute of Plant Protection-NRI Eugenie Hebrard PHIM Plant Health Institute, University of Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Institute Agro Carmen Hernández Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), Universitat Politècnica de Valencia-CSIC Jean-Michel Hily Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin Ahmed Hosseini Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Department of Plant Protection Roger Hull Retired from John Innes Centre Alice K. Inoue-Nagata Embrapa Hortaliças Ramon Jordan USDA-ARS, USNA, Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit Hideki Kondo Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Jan F. Kreuze International Potato Center (CIP) Mart Krupovic Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Archaeal Virology Unit Kenji Kubota Institute for Plant Protection, NARO Jens H. Kuhn Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health Scott Leisner Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toledo Jean-Michel Lett CIRAD, UMR PVBMT Chengyu Li Liaoning Key Laboratory of Urban Integrated Pest Management and Ecological Security, Shenyang University Fan Li State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Yunnan Agricultural University Jun Min Li Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University Paola M. López-Lambertini Instituto de Patología Vegetal (IPAVE), INTA, Unidad de Fitopatología y Modelización Agrícola (UFYMA) INTA-CONICET Juan J. Lopez-Moya Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics, CRAG (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB) Francois Maclot UMR 1332 Biologie du Fruit et Pathologie, University of Bordeaux, INRAE Kristiina Mäkinen Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki Darren Martin Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town Sebastien Massart Plant Pathology Laboratory, TERRA Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege W. Allen Miller Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University Musa Mohammadi Department of Plant Protection, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Dimitre Mollov USDA-APHIS, Plant Protection and Quarantine Emmanuelle Muller CIRAD, AGAP Institut; AGAP Institut, University of Montpellier; CIRAD, INRAE Tatsuya Nagata Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília Jesús Navas-Castillo Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea gLa Mayorah (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Yutaro Neriya Utsunomiya University Francisco M. Ochoa-Corona Oklahoma State University, Institute for Biosecurity & Microbial Forensics Kazusato Ohshima Saga University Vicente Pallás Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (IBMCP), Universitat Politècnica de Valencia-CSIC Hanu Pappu Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University Karel Petrzik Institute of Plant Molecular Biology Mikhail Pooggin PHIM Plant Health Institute, University of Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD Maria Isabella Prigigallo Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, CNR Pedro L. Ramos-González Applied Molecular Biology Laboratory, Instituto Biológico de São Paulo Simone Ribeiro Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia Katja R. Richert-Pöggeler Julius Kühn Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics Philippe Roumagnac CIRAD, UMR PHIM Avijit Roy USDA-ARS, BARC, Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, USA Sead Sabanadzovic Department of Agricultural Science and Plant Protection, Mississippi State University Dana Šafářová Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc Pasquale Saldarelli Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, CNR Hélène Sanfaçon Summerland Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Cecilia Sarmiento Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology Takahide Sasaya Strategic Planning Headquarters, NARO Kay Scheets Department of Plant Pathology, Ecology and Evolution, Oklahoma State University Willem E.W. Schravesande Molecular Plant Pathology, University of Amsterdam Susan Seal Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich Yoshifumi Shimomoto Kochi Agricultural Research Center Merike Sõmera Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology Livia Stavolone Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, CNR Lucy R. Stewart Currently unaffiliated Pierre-Yves Teycheney CIRAD, UMR PVBMT & UMR PVBMT, Université de la Réunion John E. Thomas Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland Jeremy R. Thompson Plant Health and Environment Laboratory Antonio Tiberini Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Plant Protection and Certification Yasuhiro Tomitaka Institute for Plant Protection, NARO Ioannis Tzanetakis Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas System Marie Umber INRAE, UR ASTRO Cica Urbino PHIM Plant Health Institute, University of Montpellier, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Institute Agro Harrold A. van den Burg Molecular Plant Pathology, University of Amsterdam René A.A. Van der Vlugt Wageningen University and Research Arvind Varsani The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University Adriaan Verhage Rijk Zwaan Breeding B.V. Dan Villamor Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas System Susanne von Bargen Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Thaer-Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences Peter J. Walker The University of Queensland Thierry Wetzel Dienstleistungszentrum Ländlicher Raum Rheinpfalz Anna E. Whitfield North Carolina State University Stephen J. Wylie Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University Caixia Yang Liaoning Key Laboratory of Urban Integrated Pest Management and Ecological Security, Shenyang University F. Murilo Zerbini Dep. de Fitopatologia/BIOAGRO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa Song Zhang National Citrus Engineering and Technology Research Center, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University In March 2025, following the annual International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) ratification vote, newly proposed taxa were added to those under the mandate of the Plant Viruses Subcommittee. In brief, 1 new order, 3 new families, 6 new genera, 2 new subgenera and 206 new species were created. Some taxa were reorganized. Genus Cytorhabdovirus in the family Rhabdoviridae was abolished and its taxa were redistributed into three new genera Alphacytorhabdovirus, Betacytorhabdovirus and Gammacytorhabdovirus. Genus Waikavirus in the family Secoviridae was reorganized into two subgenera (Actinidivirus and Ritunrivirus). One family and four previously unaffiliated genera were moved to the newly established order Tombendovirales. Twelve species not assigned to a genus were abolished. To comply with the ICTV mandate of a binomial format for virus species, eight species were renamed. Demarcation criteria in the absence of biological information were defined in the genus Ilarvirus (family Bromoviridae). This article presents the updated taxonomy put forth by the Plant Viruses Subcommittee and ratified by the ICTV. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Oxford University Press (OUP) Acta Medica Okayama 1040-4651 36 12 2024 The leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase QSK1 regulates PRR-RBOHD complexes targeted by the bacterial effector HopF2Pto 4932 4951 EN Yukihisa Goto Plant Immunity Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) Yasuhiro Kadota Plant Immunity Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) Malick Mbengue The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia Jennifer D Lewis Department of Cell and System Biology, Centre for the Analysis of Genome Function and Evolution, University of Toronto Hidenori Matsui Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Noriko Maki Plant Immunity Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) Bruno Pok Man Ngou Plant Immunity Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) Jan Sklenar The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia Paul Derbyshire The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia Arisa Shibata Plant Immunity Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) Yasunori Ichihashi Plant Immunity Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) David S Guttman Department of Cell and System Biology, Centre for the Analysis of Genome Function and Evolution, University of Toronto Hirofumi Nakagami Plant Proteomics Research Unit, RIKEN CSRS Takamasa Suzuki College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University Frank L H Menke The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia Silke Robatzek The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia Darrell Desveaux Department of Cell and System Biology, Centre for the Analysis of Genome Function and Evolution, University of Toronto Cyril Zipfel Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich Ken Shirasu Plant Immunity Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) Plants detect pathogens using cell-surface pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) such as ELONGATION Factor-TU (EF-TU) RECEPTOR (EFR) and FLAGELLIN SENSING 2 (FLS2), which recognize bacterial EF-Tu and flagellin, respectively. These PRRs belong to the leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase (LRR-RK) family and activate the production of reactive oxygen species via the NADPH oxidase RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOG D (RBOHD). The PRR-RBOHD complex is tightly regulated to prevent unwarranted or exaggerated immune responses. However, certain pathogen effectors can subvert these regulatory mechanisms, thereby suppressing plant immunity. To elucidate the intricate dynamics of the PRR-RBOHD complex, we conducted a comparative coimmunoprecipitation analysis using EFR, FLS2, and RBOHD in Arabidopsis thaliana. We identified QIAN SHOU KINASE 1 (QSK1), an LRR-RK, as a PRR-RBOHD complex-associated protein. QSK1 downregulated FLS2 and EFR abundance, functioning as a negative regulator of PRR-triggered immunity (PTI). QSK1 was targeted by the bacterial effector HopF2Pto, a mono-ADP ribosyltransferase, reducing FLS2 and EFR levels through both transcriptional and transcription-independent pathways, thereby inhibiting PTI. Furthermore, HopF2Pto transcriptionally downregulated PROSCOOP genes encoding important stress-regulated phytocytokines and their receptor MALE DISCOVERER 1-INTERACTING RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASE 2. Importantly, HopF2Pto requires QSK1 for its accumulation and virulence functions within plants. In summary, our results provide insights into the mechanism by which HopF2Pto employs QSK1 to desensitize plants to pathogen attack. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 0028-0836 637 8046 2025 Centrophilic retrotransposon integration via CENH3 chromatin in Arabidopsis 744 748 EN Sayuri Tsukahara Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo Alexandros Bousios School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex Estela Perez-Roman School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex Sota Yamaguchi Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo Basile Leduque Institute of Plant Sciences Paris]Saclay (IPS2), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de Recherche pour lfAgriculture, lfAlimentation et lfEnvironnement, Université Evry, Université Paris Aimi Nakano Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo Matthew Naish Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge Akihisa Osakabe Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo Atsushi Toyoda Center for Genetic Resource Information, National Institute of Genetics Hidetaka Ito Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University Alejandro Edera Institute of Plant Sciences Paris]Saclay (IPS2), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de Recherche pour lfAgriculture, lfAlimentation et lfEnvironnement, Université Evry, Université Paris Sayaka Tominaga Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo Juliarni Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo Kae Kato Department of Integrated Genetics, National Institute of Genetics Shoko Oda Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo Soichi Inagaki Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo Zdravko Lorković Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC) Kiyotaka Nagaki Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Frédéric Berger Gregor Mendel Institute (GMI), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter (VBC) Akira Kawabe Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University Leandro Quadrana Institute of Plant Sciences Paris]Saclay (IPS2), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de Recherche pour lfAgriculture, lfAlimentation et lfEnvironnement, Université Evry, Université Paris Ian Henderson Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge Tetsuji Kakutani Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo In organisms ranging from vertebrates to plants, major components of centromeres are rapidly evolving repeat sequences, such as tandem repeats (TRs) and transposable elements (TEs), which harbour centromere-specific histone H3 (CENH3)1,2. Complete centromere structures recently determined in human and Arabidopsis suggest frequent integration and purging of retrotransposons within the TR regions of centromeres3,4,5. Despite the high impact of ecentrophilicf retrotransposons on the paradox of rapid centromere evolution, the mechanisms involved in centromere targeting remain poorly understood in any organism. Here we show that both Ty3 and Ty1 long terminal repeat retrotransposons rapidly turnover within the centromeric TRs of Arabidopsis species. We demonstrate that the Ty1/Copia element Tal1 (Transposon of Arabidopsis lyrata 1) integrates de novo into regions occupied by CENH3 in Arabidopsis thaliana, and that ectopic expansion of the CENH3 region results in spread of Tal1 integration regions. The integration spectra of chimeric TEs reveal the key structural variations responsible for contrasting chromatin-targeting specificities to centromeres versus gene-rich regions, which have recurrently converted during the evolution of these TEs. Our findings show the impact of centromeric chromatin on TE-mediated rapid centromere evolution, with relevance across eukaryotic genomes. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 2041-1723 15 1 2024 Shoot-Silicon-Signal protein to regulate root silicon uptake in rice 10712 EN Naoki Yamaji Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Namiki Mitani-Ueno Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Toshiki Fujii Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Tomonori Shinya Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Ji Feng Shao State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University Shota Watanuki Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yasunori Saitoh Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Jian Feng Ma Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Plants accumulate silicon to protect them from biotic and abiotic stresses. Especially in rice (Oryza sativa), a typical Si-accumulator, tremendous Si accumulation is indispensable for healthy growth and productivity. Here, we report a shoot-expressed signaling protein, Shoot-Silicon-Signal (SSS), an exceptional homolog of the flowering hormone gflorigenh differentiated in Poaceae. SSS transcript is only detected in the shoot, whereas the SSS protein is also detected in the root and phloem sap. When Si is supplied from the root, the SSS transcript rapidly decreases, and then the SSS protein disappears. In sss mutants, root Si uptake and expression of Si transporters are decreased to a basal level regardless of the Si supply. The grain yield of the mutants is decreased to 1/3 due to insufficient Si accumulation. Thus, SSS is a key phloem-mobile protein for integrating root Si uptake and shoot Si accumulation underlying the terrestrial adaptation strategy of grasses. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 0033-183X 262 2 2024 Analysis of the effect of permeant solutes on the hydraulic resistance of the plasma membrane in cells of Chara corallina 385 395 EN Masashi Tazawa Yoshida Biological Laboratory Randy Wayne Laboratory of Natural Philosophy, Plant Biology Section, Cornell University Maki Katsuhara Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University In the cells of Chara corallina, permeant monohydric alcohols including methanol, ethanol and 1-propanol increased the hydraulic resistance of the membrane (Lpm|1). We found that the relative value of the hydraulic resistance (rLpm|1) was linearly dependent on the concentration (Cs) of the alcohol. The relationship is expressed in the equation: rLpm|1 = ƒฯmCs + 1, where ƒฯm is the hydraulic resistance modifier coefficient of the membrane. Ye et al. (2004) showed that membrane-permeant glycol ethers also increased Lp|1. We used their data to estimate Lpm|1 and rLpm|1. The values of rLpm|1 fit the above relation we found for alcohols. When we plotted the ƒฯm values of all the permeant alcohols and glycol ethers against their molecular weights (MW), we obtained a linear curve with a slope of 0.014 M|1/MW and with a correlation coefficient of 0.99. We analyzed the influence of the permeant solutes on the relative hydraulic resistance of the membrane (rLpm|1) as a function of the external (ƒฮ0) and internal (ƒฮi) osmotic pressures. The analysis showed that the hydraulic resistance modifier coefficients (ƒฯm) were linearly related to the MW of the permeant solutes with a slope of 0.012 M|1/MW and with a correlation coefficient of 0.84. The linear relationship between the effects of permeating solutes on the hydraulic resistance modifier coefficient (ƒฯm) and the MW can be explained in terms of the effect of the effective osmotic pressure on the hydraulic conductivity of water channels. The result of the analysis suggests that the osmotic pressure and not the size of the permeant solute as proposed by (Ye et al., J Exp Bot 55:449–461, 2004) is the decisive factor in a solutefs influence on hydraulic conductivity. Thus, characean water channels (aquaporins) respond to permeant solutes with essentially the same mechanism as to impermeant solutes. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Wiley Acta Medica Okayama 1464-6722 26 5 2025 Genomic Islands of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605: Identification of PtaGI-1 as a Pathogenicity Island With Effector Genes and a Tabtoxin Cluster e70087 EN Yuta Watanabe The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kotomi Kunishi Faculty of Agriculture,Okayama University Hidenori Matsui The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Nanami Sakata The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yoshiteru Noutoshi The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kazuhiro Toyoda The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yuki Ichinose The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Genomic islands (GIs) are 20-500 kb DNA regions that are thought to be acquired by horizontal gene transfer. GIs that confer pathogenicity and environmental adaptation have been reported in Pseudomonas species; however, GIs that enhance bacterial virulence have not. Here, we identified 110 kb and 103 kb GIs in P. syringae pv. tabaci 6605 (Pta6605), the causative agent of tobacco wildfire disease, which has the ability to produce tabtoxin as a phytotoxin. These GIs are partially homologous to known genomic islands in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and P. syringae pv. phaseolicola and were designated PtaGI-1 and PtaGI-2. Both PtaGIs conserve core genes, whereas each GI possesses different accessory genes. PtaGI-1 contains a tabtoxin biosynthetic gene cluster and three type III effector genes among its accessory genes, whereas PtaGI-2 also contains homologous genes to hsvABC, pathogenicity-related genes in Erwinia amylovora. Inoculation revealed that the PtaGI-1 mutant, but not the PtaGI-2 mutant, lost the ability to biosynthesise tabtoxin and to cause disease. Therefore, PtaGI-1 is thought to be a pathogenicity island. Both PtaGI-1 and PtaGI-2 have a pseudogene of tRNALys on the left border and an intact tRNALys gene on the right border. In a colony of Pta6605, both GIs can be excised at tRNALys, and PtaGI-1 and PtaGI-2 exist in a circular form. These results indicate that tabtoxin biosynthesis genes in PtaGI-1 are required for disease development, and PtaGI-1 is necessary for Pta6605 virulence. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Wiley Acta Medica Okayama 1464-6722 26 5 2025 Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605 Requires Seven Type III Effectors to Infect Nicotiana benthamiana e70091 EN Kana Kuroe Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Takafumi Nishimura Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Sachi Kashihara Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Nanami Sakata Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Mikihiro Yamamoto Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yoshiteru Noutoshi Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kazuhiro Toyoda Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yuki Ichinose Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hidenori Matsui Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Type III effectors (T3Es), virulence factors injected into plant cells via the type III secretion system (T3SS), play essential roles in the infection of host plants. Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci 6605 (Pta 6605) is the causal agent of wildfire disease in tobacco and harbours at least 22 T3Es in its genome. However, the specific T3Es required by Pta 6605 to infect Nicotiana benthamiana remain unidentified. In this study, we investigated the T3Es that contribute to Pta 6605 infection of N. benthamiana. We constructed Pta 6605 poly-T3E-deficient mutants (Pta DxE) and inoculated them into N. benthamiana. Flood assay, which mimics natural opening-based entry, showed that mutant strains lacking 14-22 T3Es, namely, Pta D14E-D22E mutants, exhibited reduced disease symptoms. By contrast, infiltration inoculation, which involves direct injection into leaves, showed that the Pta D14E to Pta D20E mutants developed disease symptoms. Notably, the Pta D20E, containing AvrE1 and HopM1, induced weak but observable symptoms upon infiltration inoculation. Conversely, no symptoms were observed in either the flood assay or infiltration inoculation for Pta D21E and Pta D22E. Taken together, these findings indicate that the many T3Es such as AvrPto4/AvrPtoB, HopW1/HopAE1, and HopM1/AvrE1 in Pta 6605 collectively contribute to invasion through natural openings and symptom development in N. benthamiana. This study provides the basis for understanding virulence in the host by identifying the minimum T3E repertoire required by Pta 6605 to infect N. benthamiana. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw‹ณŽt‹ณˆ็ŠJ”ญƒZƒ“ƒ^[ Acta Medica Okayama 2186-1323 15 2025 ’†ŠwZ—‰ศ‹ณ‰ศ‘‚ช‚ย‚ญ‚่ใ‚ฐ‚ฤ‚ซ‚ฝ‚ซ‚ฬ‚ฑ‘œ@\’สŽž“I’ฒธ‚ฉ‚็“พ‚้‚ซ‚ฬ‚ฑ‚๐„‚้ŠwK‚ึ‚ฬŽฆด\ 133 145 EN Risa TAKAGI Graduate School of Education (Professional Degree Corse), Okayama University Masafumi IKEDA Faculty of Education, Okayama University Masaya YAMAMOTO Hyogo University of Teacher Education 10.18926/CTED/68487 @–{e‚ล‚อCํŒใ’†ŠwZ—‰ศŒŸ’่‹ณ‰ศ‘‚ษ‚จ‚ฏ‚้‚ซ‚ฬ‚ฑ‚ฬˆต‚ํ‚๊•๛C‚ท‚ศ‚ํ‚ฟŠwKŽา‚ชŽ๓‚ฏŽๆ‚้‚ฑ‚ฦ‚ษ‚ศ‚้‚ซ‚ฬ‚ฑ‘œ‚ษ‚ย‚ข‚ฤC‡@‚ว‚ฬ‚ๆ‚ค‚ศ‚ซ‚ฬ‚ฑ‚ชˆต‚ํ‚๊‚ฤ‚ซ‚ฝ‚ฬ‚ฉC‡AA•จ‚ษ•ช—�‚ณ‚๊‚ฤ‚ข‚้‚ฉ”�‚ฉC‡B‚ซ‚ฬ‚ฑ‚ฬ‚ฉ‚็‚พ‚อ‰ฝ‚ลŒ`ฌ‚ณ‚๊‚ฤ‚ข‚้‚ฬ‚ฉC‡Cถ‘ิŒn‚ษ‚จ‚ฏ‚้“ญ‚ซ‚ฬŽl‚ย‚ฬŠฯ“_‚ฉ‚็C’สŽž“I‚ศ’ฒธ‚ษ‚ๆ‚ม‚ฤ–พ‚็‚ฉ‚ษ‚ต‚ฝB‘S47Žํ‚ช‚ฑ‚๊‚�‚ล‚ฬ—‰ศ‹ณ‰ศ‘‚ล“o๊‚ต‚ฤ‚ซ‚ฝ‚ชC‹฿”N‚อŽํ‚ึ‚ฬˆำŽฏ‚ฦ‚ข‚ค‚ๆ‚่‚เC‚ซ‚ฬ‚ฑ‚ช•ช‰๐Žา‚ฦ‚ต‚ฤ‚ฬ–๐Š„‚๐Ž‚ย‚ฑ‚ฦ‚ษ‚ฬ‚�ล“_‚ช“–‚ฤ‚็‚๊‚ฤ‚ซ‚ฤ‚ข‚้‚ฑ‚ฦ‚๐Žw“E‚ต‚ฝB‚�‚ฝC‚ฑ‚๊‚�‚ล‹ณ‰ศ‘‚ษ‚จ‚ข‚ฤ‚อ‹�ชซ‚ฬ‚ซ‚ฬ‚ฑŽฉ‘ฬ‚ษ‚ย‚ข‚ฤŽๆ‚่ใ‚ฐ‚็‚๊‚ย‚ย‚เC‚ป‚ฬถ‘ิŒn‚ษ‚จ‚ฏ‚้‘Š—˜‹คถ‚ฬŠฯ“_‚ึ‚ฬŒพ‹y‚อ‚ศ‚ข‚ฑ‚ฦ‚ฉ‚็C‘Š—˜‹คถ‚ฬ—‰๐‚๐–ฺŽw‚ทŠwK‚ฬŠJ”ญ‚ช‰ย”\ซ‚ฦ‚ต‚ฤ•‚‚ฉ‚ัใ‚ช‚ม‚ฤ‚ญ‚้‚ฑ‚ฦ‚เŽw“E‚ต‚ฝB No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Taylor and Francis Group Acta Medica Okayama 1559-2316 20 1 2025 Specific enhancement of the translation of thermospermine-responsive uORF-containing mRNAs by ribosomal mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana 2480231 EN Koki Mutsuda Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yuichi Nishii Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Tomohiko Toyoshima Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hiroko Fukushima Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hiroyasu Motose Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Taku Takahashi Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Auxin-induced xylem formation in angiosperms is negatively regulated by thermospermine, whose biosynthesis is also induced by auxin. In Arabidopsis thaliana, loss-of-function mutants of ACL5, which encodes thermospermine synthase, exhibit a dwarf phenotype accompanied by excessive xylem formation. Studies of suppressor mutants that recover from the acl5 dwarf phenotype suggest that thermospermine alleviates the inhibitory effect of an upstream open-reading frame (uORF) on the main ORF translation of SAC51 mRNA. Many suppressor mutations for acl5 have been mapped to the uORF conserved in the SAC51 family or to ribosomal protein genes, such as RPL10A, RPL4A, and RACK1A. In this study, we identified newly isolated acl5 suppressors, sac501, sac504, and sac506, which are additional alleles of RPL10A and the uORFs of SAC51 family members, SACL1 and SACL3, respectively. To investigate whether acl5-suppressor alleles of ribosomal genes broadly affect translation of uORF-containing mRNAs, we examined GUS activity in several 5'-GUS fusion constructs. Our results showed that these alleles enhanced GUS activity in SAC51 and SACL3 5'-fusion constructs but had no effect on other 5'-fusion constructs unrelated to thermospermine response. This suggests that these ribosomal proteins are specifically involved in the thermospermine-mediated regulation of mRNA translation. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

MDPI Acta Medica Okayama 2075-1729 15 2 2025 Distinct Infection Mechanisms of Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IA and AG-4 HG-I+II in Brachypodium distachyon and Barley 235 EN Niranjan Mahadevan Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Rozi Fernanda Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yusuke Kouzai Crop Stress Management Group, Division of Plant Molecular Regulation Research, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) Natsuka Kohno Faculty of Agriculture, Okayama University Reiko Nagao Faculty of Agriculture, Okayama University Khin Thida Nyein Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Megumi Watanabe Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Nanami Sakata Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hidenori Matsui Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kazuhiro Toyoda Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yuki Ichinose Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Keiichi Mochida RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Hiroshi Hisano Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Yoshiteru Noutoshi Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Rhizoctonia solani is a basidiomycete phytopathogenic fungus that causes rapid necrosis in a wide range of crop species, leading to substantial agricultural losses worldwide. The species complex is divided into 13 anastomosis groups (AGs) based on hyphal fusion compatibility and further subdivided by culture morphology. While R. solani classifications were shown to be independent of host specificity, it remains unclear whether different R. solani isolates share similar virulence mechanisms. Here, we investigated the infectivity of Japanese R. solani isolates on Brachypodium distachyon and barley. Two isolates, AG-1 IA (from rice) and AG-4 HG-I+II (from cauliflower), infected leaves of both plants, but only AG-4 HG-I+II infected roots. B. distachyon accessions Bd3-1 and Gaz-4 and barley cultivar 'Morex' exhibited enhanced resistance to both isolates compared to B. distachyon Bd21 and barley cultivars 'Haruna Nijo' and 'Golden Promise'. During AG-1 IA infection, but not AG-4 HG-I+II infection, resistant Bd3-1 and Morex induced genes for salicylic acid (SA) and N-hydroxypipecolic acid (NHP) biosynthesis. Pretreatment with SA or NHP conferred resistance to AG-1 IA, but not AG-4 HG-I+II, in susceptible B. distachyon Bd21 and barley Haruna Nijo. On the leaves of susceptible Bd21 and Haruna Nijo, AG-1 IA developed extensive mycelial networks with numerous infection cushions, which are specialized infection structures well-characterized in rice sheath blight. In contrast, AG-4 HG-I+II formed dispersed mycelial masses associated with underlying necrosis. We propose that the R. solani species complex encompasses at least two distinct infection strategies: AG-1 IA exhibits a hemibiotrophic lifestyle, while AG-4 HG-I+II follows a predominantly necrotrophic strategy. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw”_Šw•” Acta Medica Okayama 2186-7755 114 2025 Effects of dark respiration on dry matter production of various crop species 1 10 EN Kuniyuki Saitoh Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Tomohiro Murakami Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yumi Nakamura School of Agriculture, Okayama University Misa Nishibori School of Agriculture, Okayama University Yuki Takagoshi Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yoshihiko Hirai Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University @Eleven crops were cultivated: maize, sunflower, soybean, groundnuts, sesame, kenaf, barley, wheat, rice, potato, and sweet potato. The crop growth rate (CGR) and specific dark-respiration rate (Rs) were measured, and growth efficiency GE =CGR/(CGR+R) (R, respiratory loss) was calculated. In each crop, whole-plant Rs reached a maximum in the earlier stages of growth, declined rapidly until the early reproductive growth, and remained almost constant during the ripening period. The Rs of leaves was higher than that of stems during the reproductive growth period, except for maize and potato. The Rs of storage organs was highest in the earlier stages, followed by a rapid decline to similar or lower values than those of leaves and stems during the ripening period. The GE in whole plant was higher than 60% in wheat, maize, barley, sunflower, rice, kenaf, sesame, but lower in soybean, sweet potato and groundnuts, and lowest in potato, which was affected by the higher respiratory loss. The GE in whole plant during the reproductive growth period was significantly lower, which we attributed to increased maintenance costs due to the increase of non-assimilative organs, and decrease in the dry weight of vegetative organs. A positive correlation was observed between the carbohydrate content of storage organs and GE, indicating that a crop with higher carbohydrate content in storage organs tended to have a higher GE. Crops with higher protein and crude fat content in storage organs tended to have lower GE. The GE over the growing season was low for kenaf, a fiber crop which contains high molecular weight compounds such as lignin and cellulose, and lower for sesame, groundnuts, and soybean, which contain high oil and protein and have high respiration costs for the synthesis of storage materials, suggesting that these higher respiration costs are related to lower dry matter production and hence lower yields. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Informa UK Limited Acta Medica Okayama 0038-0768 71 2 2024 Effects of aged microplastics on paddy soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions under laboratory aerobic conditions 215 224 EN Tian Zhang Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Hiroaki Somura Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Satoshi Akao Faculty of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University Nozomi Nakahara Environmental Management Center, Okayama University Gamamada Liyanage Erandi Priyangika Perera Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Chiyu Nakano Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Morihiro Maeda Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Microplastics (MPs) formed after changes in chemical or physical properties may alter soil properties, which in turn may affect microbial activities and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, few studies have focused on the effects of aged MPs changes on soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of MPs with different aging times on soil GHG emissions and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Low-density polyethylene (PE) and polylactic acid (PLA) were treated with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation for 0–2 weeks. Soil was incubated with PE or PLA 1% (w/w) concentration at 60% water holding capacity (WHC) for 35 days. Emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) were measured on days 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35. Results showed that CO2 and N2O emissions were higher (p < 0.05) in MPs-amended treatments than those without MPs and increased with MPs age. The addition of virgin PE did not affect soil DOC content, whereas aged PE and all PLA additions significantly increased soil DOC content on day 0, probably because UV irradiation caused the degradation of MPs to smaller molecules. In addition, aged MPs addition altered DOC spectral characteristics on day 7, possibly because aged PE and PLA promote microbial decomposition of organic matter by altering soil properties. Changes in soil DOC content and specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) by aged PE and PLA probably promoted the emissions of CO2 and N2O compared to virgin MPs or soil only. Our study revealed that aged PE and PLA promote GHG emissions from soil by changing DOC contents and qualities. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Frontiers Media SA Acta Medica Okayama 2296-858X 11 2024 Perspectives of traditional herbal medicines in treating retinitis pigmentosa 1468230 EN Shihui Liu Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University Toshihiko Matsuo Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University Chie Matsuo Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University Takumi Abe Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Jinghua Chen Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida, College of Medicine Chi Sun Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis Qing Zhao National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Medicinal plants, also known as herbs, have been discovered and utilized in traditional medical practice since prehistoric times. Medicinal plants have been proven rich in thousands of natural products that hold great potential for the development of new drugs. Previously, we reviewed the types of Chinese traditional medicines that a Tang Dynasty monk Jianzhen (Japanese: Ganjin) brought to Japan from China in 742. This article aims to review the origin of Kampo (Japanese traditional medicine), and to present the overview of neurodegenerative diseases and retinitis pigmentosa as well as medicinal plants in some depth. Through the study of medical history of the origin of Kampo, we found that herbs medicines contain many neuroprotective ingredients. It provides us a new perspective on extracting neuroprotective components from herbs medicines to treat neurodegenerative diseases. Retinitis pigmentosa (one of the ophthalmic neurodegenerative diseases) is an incurable blinding disease and has become a popular research direction in global ophthalmology. To date, treatments for retinitis pigmentosa are very limited worldwide. Therefore, we intend to integrate the knowledge and skills from different disciplines, such as medical science, pharmaceutical science and plant science, to take a new therapeutic approach to treat neurodegenerative diseases. In the future, we will use specific active ingredients extracted from medicinal plants to treat retinitis pigmentosa. By exploring the potent bioactive ingredients present in medicinal plants, a valuable opportunity will be offered to uncover novel approaches for the development of drugs which target for retinitis pigmentosa. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Oxford University Press (OUP) Acta Medica Okayama 0032-0781 65 11 2024 Nutrient Requirements Shape the Preferential Habitat of Allorhizobium vitis VAR03-1, a Commensal Bacterium, in the Rhizosphere of Arabidopsis thaliana 1769 1786 EN Niarsi Merry Hemelda Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Jiyuan Bao Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Megumi Watanabe Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hidenori Matsui Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kazuhiro Toyoda Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yuki Ichinose Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yoshiteru Noutoshi Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University A diverse range of commensal bacteria inhabit the rhizosphere, influencing host plant growth and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. While root-released nutrients can define soil microbial habitats, the bacterial factors involved in plant–microbe interactions are not well characterized. In this study, we investigated the colonization patterns of two plant disease biocontrol agents, Allorhizobium vitis VAR03-1 and Pseudomonas protegens Cab57, in the rhizosphere of Arabidopsis thaliana using Murashige and Skoog (MS) agar medium. VAR03-1 formed colonies even at a distance from the roots, preferentially in the upper part, while Cab57 colonized only the root surface. The addition of sucrose to the agar medium resulted in excessive proliferation of VAR03-1, similar to its pattern without sucrose, whereas Cab57 formed colonies only near the root surface. Overgrowth of both bacterial strains upon nutrient supplementation inhibited host growth, independent of plant immune responses. This inhibition was reduced in the VAR03-1 ƒขrecA mutant, which exhibited increased biofilm formation, suggesting that some activities associated with the free-living lifestyle rather than the sessile lifestyle may be detrimental to host growth. VAR03-1 grew in liquid MS medium with sucrose alone, while Cab57 required both sucrose and organic acids. Supplementation of sugars and organic acids allowed both bacterial strains to grow near and away from Arabidopsis roots in MS agar. These results suggest that nutrient requirements for bacterial growth may determine their growth habitats in the rhizosphere, with nutrients released in root exudates potentially acting as a limiting factor in harnessing microbiota. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Frontiers Media Acta Medica Okayama 1664-462X 15 2024 Illumina-based transcriptomic analysis of the fast-growing leguminous tree Acacia crassicarpa: functional gene annotation and identification of novel SSR-markers 1339958 EN Shougo Ishio Tsukuba Research Institute, Sumitomo Forestry Co. Ltd. Kazutaka Kusunoki Tsukuba Research Institute, Sumitomo Forestry Co. Ltd. Michiko Nemoto Graduate School of Environment, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Tadayoshi Kanao Graduate School of Environment, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Takashi Tamura Institute of Global Human Resource Development, Okayama University Acacia crassicarpa is a fast-growing leguminous tree that is widely cultivated in tropical areas such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, and southern China. This tree has versatile utility in timber, furniture, and pulp production. Illumina sequencing of A. crassicarpa was conducted, and the raw data of 124,410,892 reads were filtered and assembled de novo into 93,317 unigenes, with a total of 84,411,793 bases. Blast2GO annotation, Benchmark Universal Single-Copy Ortholog evaluation, and GO-term classification produced a catalogue of unigenes for studying primary metabolism, phytohormone signaling, and transcription factors. Massive transcriptomic analysis has identified microsatellites composed of simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci representing di-, tri-, and tetranucleotide repeat units in the predicted open reading frames. Polymorphism was induced by PCR amplification of microsatellite loci located in several genes encoding auxin response factors and other transcription factors, which successfully distinguished 16 local trees of A. crassicarpa tested, representing potentially exploitable molecular markers for efficient tree breeding for plantation and biomass exploitation. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Frontiers Media Acta Medica Okayama 1664-462X 15 2024 Lentil adaptation to drought stress: response, tolerance, and breeding approaches 1403922 EN Md. Mahmud Al Noor Plant Breeding Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture Md. Tahjib-Ul-Arif Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University S. M. Abdul Alim Plant Breeding Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture Md. Mohimenul Islam Horticulture Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture Md. Toufiq Hasan Department of Biotechnology, Bangladesh Agricultural University Md. Ali Babar Agronomy Departments, University of Florida Mohammad Anwar Hossain Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Bangladesh Agricultural University Zilhas Ahmed Jewel Faculty of Agriculture, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University Yoshiyuki Murata Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Mohammad Golam Mostofa Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is a cool season legume crop that plays vital roles in food and nutritional security, mostly in the least developed countries. Lentil is often cultivated in dry and semi-dry regions, where the primary abiotic factor is drought, which negatively impacts lentil growth and development, resulting in a reduction of yield. To withstand drought-induced multiple negative effects, lentil plants evolved a variety of adaptation strategies that can be classified within three broad categories of drought tolerance mechanisms (i.e., escape, avoidance, and tolerance). Lentil adapts to drought by the modulation of various traits in the root system, leaf architecture, canopy structure, branching, anatomical features, and flowering process. Furthermore, the activation of certain defensive biochemical pathways as well as the regulation of gene functions contributes to lentil drought tolerance. Plant breeders typically employ conventional and mutational breeding approaches to develop lentil varieties that can withstand drought effects; however, little progress has been made in developing drought-tolerant lentil varieties using genomics-assisted technologies. This review highlights the current understanding of morpho-physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms of lentil adaptation to drought stress. We also discuss the potential application of omics-assisted breeding approaches to develop lentil varieties with superior drought tolerance traits. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 0029-8549 206 1-2 2024 Does a coexisting congener of a mixed mating species affect the genetic structure and selfing rate via reproductive interference? 37 45 EN Koki R. Katsuhara Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Atushi Ushimaru Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University Yuko Miyazaki Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Reproductive interference is defined as an interspecific interaction that reduces fitness via mating processes. Although its ecological and evolutionary consequences have attracted much attention, how reproductive interference affects the population genetic structures of interacting species is still unclear. In flowering plants, recent studies found that self-pollination can mitigate the negative effects of reproductive interference. Selfing-biased seed production is expected to increase population-level inbreeding and the selfing rate, and limits gene flow via pollinator outcrossing among populations. We examined the population genetics of the mixed-mating annual herb Commelina communis f. ciliata, focusing on reproductive interference by the sympatric competing congener C. communis using microsatellite markers. First, we found that almost all C. c. f. ciliata populations had relatively high inbreeding coefficients. Then, comparing sympatric and allopatric populations, we found evidence that reproductive interference from a competing congener increased the inbreeding coefficient and selfing rate. Allopatric populations exhibit varied selfing rates while almost all sympatric populations exhibit extremely high selfing rates, suggesting that population selfing rates were also influenced by unexamined factors, such as pollinator limitation. Besides, our findings revealed that reproductive interference from a competing congener did not limit gene flow among populations. We present the first report on how reproductive interference affects the genetic aspects of populations. Our results suggested that the high selfing rate of C. c. f. ciliata promotes its sympatric distribution with C. communis, even in the presence of reproductive interference, although it is not clear whether reproductive interference directly causes the high selfing rate. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

American Society for Microbiology Acta Medica Okayama 2379-5042 9 8 2024 New lineages of RNA viruses from clinical isolates of Rhizopus microsporus revealed by fragmented and primer-ligated dsRNA sequencing (FLDS) analysis EN Wasiatus Sa'diyah Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Yan-Jie Zhao Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory of Fungal Interaction and Molecular Biology (Donated by IFO), University of Tsukuba Yuto Chiba Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory of Fungal Interaction and Molecular Biology (Donated by IFO), University of Tsukuba Hideki Kondo Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Nobuhiro Suzuki Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Sayaka Ban Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University Takashi Yaguchi Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University Syun-Ichi Urayama Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory of Fungal Interaction and Molecular Biology (Donated by IFO), University of Tsukuba Daisuke Hagiwara Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory of Fungal Interaction and Molecular Biology (Donated by IFO), University of Tsukuba Rhizopus microsporus is a species in the order Mucorales that is known to cause mucormycosis, but it is poorly understood as a host of viruses. Here, we examined 25 clinical strains of R. microsporus for viral infection with a conventional double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) assay using agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) and the recently established fragmented and primer-ligated dsRNA sequencing (FLDS) protocol. By AGE, five virus-infected strains were detected. Then, full-length genomic sequences of 12 novel RNA viruses were revealed by FLDS, which were related to the families Mitoviridae, Narnaviridae, and Endornaviridae, ill-defined groups of single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) viruses with similarity to the established families Virgaviridae and Phasmaviridae, and the proposed family "Ambiguiviridae." All the characterized viruses, except a potential phasmavirid with a negative-sense RNA genome, had positive-sense RNA genomes. One virus belonged to a previously established species within the family Mitoviridae, whereas the other 11 viruses represented new species or even new genera. These results show that the fungal pathogen R. microsporus harbors diverse RNA viruses and extend our understanding of the diversity of RNA viruses in the fungal order Mucorales, division Mucoromycota. Identifying RNA viruses from clinical isolates of R. microsporus may expand the repertoire of natural therapeutic agents for mucormycosis in the future. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Nature Portfolio Acta Medica Okayama 2045-2322 14 1 2024 Genetic background influences mineral accumulation in rice straw and grains under different soil pH conditions 15139 EN Toshio Yamamoto Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Kazunari Kashihara Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Tomoyuki Furuta Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Qian Zhang Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University En Yu Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Jian Feng Ma Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Mineral element accumulation in plants is influenced by soil conditions and varietal factors. We investigated the dynamic accumulation of 12 elements in straw at the flowering stage and in grains at the mature stage in eight rice varieties with different genetic backgrounds (Japonica, Indica, and admixture) and flowering times (early, middle, and late) grown in soil with various pH levels. In straw, Cd, As, Mn, Zn, Ca, Mg, and Cu accumulation was influenced by both soil pH and varietal factors, whereas P, Mo, and K accumulation was influenced by pH, and Fe and Ni accumulation was affected by varietal factors. In grains, Cd, As, Mn, Cu, Ni, Mo, Ca, and Mg accumulation was influenced by both pH and varietal factors, whereas Zn, Fe, and P accumulation was affected by varietal factors, and K accumulation was not altered. Only As, Mn, Ca and Mg showed similar trends in the straw and grains, whereas the pH responses of Zn, P, K, and Ni differed between them. pH and flowering time had synergistic effects on Cd, Zn, and Mn in straw and on Cd, Ni, Mo, and Mn in grains. Soil pH is a major factor influencing mineral uptake in rice straw and grains, and genetic factors, flowering stage factors, and their interaction with soil pH contribute in a combined manner. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

National Academy of Sciences Acta Medica Okayama 0027-8424 121 25 2024 Replication of single viruses across the kingdoms, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia e2318150121 EN Paul Telengech Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Kiwamu Hyodo Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Hiroaki Ichikawa Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization Ryusei Kuwata Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Okayama University of Science Hideki Kondo Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Nobuhiro Suzuki Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University It is extremely rare that a single virus crosses host barriers across multiple kingdoms. Based on phylogenetic and paleovirological analyses, it has previously been hypothesized that single members of the family Partitiviridae could cross multiple kingdoms. Partitiviridae accommodates members characterized by their simple bisegmented double-stranded RNA genome; asymptomatic infections of host organisms; the absence of an extracellular route for entry in nature; and collectively broad host range. Herein, we show the replicability of single fungal partitiviruses in three kingdoms of host organisms: Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia. Betapartitiviruses of the phytopathogenic fungusRosellinia necatrix could replicate in protoplasts of the carrot (Daucus carota), Nicotiana benthamiana and Nicotiana tabacum, in some cases reaching a level detectable by agarose gel electrophoresis. Moreover, betapartitiviruses showed more robust replication than the tested alphapartitiviruses. One of the fungal betapartitiviruses, RnPV18, could persistently and stably infect carrot plants regenerated from virion-transfected protoplasts. Both alpha- and betapartitiviruses, although with different host preference, could replicate in two insect cell lines derived from the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Our results indicate the replicability of single partitiviruses in members of three kingdoms and provide insights into virus adaptation, host jumping, and evolution. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Nature Portfolio Acta Medica Okayama 2041-1723 15 1 2024 An NLR paralog Pit2 generated from tandem duplication of Pit1 fine-tunes Pit1 localization and function 4610 EN Yuying Li Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Qiong Wang Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences Huimin Jia College of Agronomy, Jiangxi Agricultural University Kazuya Ishikawa Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences Ken-Ichi Kosami Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences Takahiro Ueba Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Nara Institute of Science and Technology Atsumi Tsujimoto Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Nara Institute of Science and Technology Miki Yamanaka Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Nara Institute of Science and Technology Yasuyuki Yabumoto Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Nara Institute of Science and Technology Daisuke Miki Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences Eriko Sasaki Faculty of Science, Kyushu University Yoichiro Fukao Department of Bioinformatics, Ritsumeikan University Masayuki Fujiwara YANMAR HOLDINGS Co., Ltd. Takako Kaneko-Kawano College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ritsumeikan University Li Tan Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences Chojiro Kojima Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University Rod A. Wing Arizona Genomics Institute, School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona Alfino Sebastian Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Hideki Nishimura Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Fumi Fukada Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Qingfeng Niu Advanced Academy, Anhui Agricultural University, Research Centre for Biological Breeding Technology Motoki Shimizu Iwate Biotechnology Research Center Kentaro Yoshida Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University Ryohei Terauchi Iwate Biotechnology Research Center Ko Shimamoto Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Nara Institute of Science and Technology Yoji Kawano Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University NLR family proteins act as intracellular receptors. Gene duplication amplifies the number of NLR genes, and subsequent mutations occasionally provide modifications to the second gene that benefits immunity. However, evolutionary processes after gene duplication and functional relationships between duplicated NLRs remain largely unclear. Here, we report that the rice NLR protein Pit1 is associated with its paralogue Pit2. The two are required for the resistance to rice blast fungus but have different functions: Pit1 induces cell death, while Pit2 competitively suppresses Pit1-mediated cell death. During evolution, the suppression of Pit1 by Pit2 was probably generated through positive selection on two fate-determining residues in the NB-ARC domain of Pit2, which account for functional differences between Pit1 and Pit2. Consequently, Pit2 lost its plasma membrane localization but acquired a new function to interfere with Pit1 in the cytosol. These findings illuminate the evolutionary trajectory of tandemly duplicated NLR genes after gene duplication. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Nature Portfolio Acta Medica Okayama 2041-1723 15 1 2024 Structure and distinct supramolecular organization of a PSII-ACPII dimer from a cryptophyte alga Chroomonas placoidea 4535 EN Zhiyuan Mao Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Xingyue Li Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Zhenhua Li Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Liangliang Shen Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Xiaoyi Li Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Yanyan Yang Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Wenda Wang Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Tingyun Kuang Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Jian-Ren Shen Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, and Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Guangye Han Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Cryptophyte algae are an evolutionarily distinct and ecologically important group of photosynthetic unicellular eukaryotes. Photosystem II (PSII) of cryptophyte algae associates with alloxanthin chlorophyll a/c-binding proteins (ACPs) to act as the peripheral light-harvesting system, whose supramolecular organization is unknown. Here, we purify the PSII-ACPII supercomplex from a cryptophyte alga Chroomonas placoidea (C. placoidea), and analyze its structure at a resolution of 2.47 & Aring; using cryo-electron microscopy. This structure reveals a dimeric organization of PSII-ACPII containing two PSII core monomers flanked by six symmetrically arranged ACPII subunits. The PSII core is conserved whereas the organization of ACPII subunits exhibits a distinct pattern, different from those observed so far in PSII of other algae and higher plants. Furthermore, we find a Chl a-binding antenna subunit, CCPII-S, which mediates interaction of ACPII with the PSII core. These results provide a structural basis for the assembly of antennas within the supercomplex and possible excitation energy transfer pathways in cryptophyte algal PSII, shedding light on the diversity of supramolecular organization of photosynthetic machinery. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

MDPI Acta Medica Okayama 2223-7747 13 5 2024 The Impact of Phenological Gaps on Leaf Characteristics and Foliage Dynamics of an Understory Dwarf Bamboo, Sasa kurilensis 719 EN Chongyang Wu Beijing for Bamboo & Rattan Science and Technology/International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration Ryota Tanaka Faculty of Agriculture, Okayama University Kyohei Fujiyoshi Faculty of Agriculture, Okayama University Yasuaki Akaji Biodiversity Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies Muneto Hirobe Department of Environmental Ecology, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Naoko Miki Department of Environmental Ecology, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Juan Li Beijing for Bamboo & Rattan Science and Technology/International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration Keiji Sakamoto Department of Environmental Ecology, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Jian Gao Beijing for Bamboo & Rattan Science and Technology/International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration Phenological gaps exert a significant influence on the growth of dwarf bamboos. However, how dwarf bamboos respond to and exploit these phenological gaps remain enigmatic. The light environment, soil nutrients, leaf morphology, maximum photosynthetic rate, foliage dynamics, and branching characteristics of Sasa kurilensis were examined under the canopies of Fagus crenata and Magnolia obovata. The goal was to elucidate the adaptive responses of S. kurilensis to phenological gaps in the forest understory. The findings suggest that phenological gaps under an M. obovata canopy augment the available biomass of S. kurilensis, enhancing leaf area, leaf thickness, and carbon content per unit area. However, these gaps do not appreciably influence the maximum photosynthetic rate, total leaf number, leaf lifespan, branch number, and average branch length. These findings underscore the significant impact of annually recurring phenological gaps on various aspects of S. kurilensis growth, such as its aboveground biomass, leaf morphology, and leaf biochemical characteristics. It appears that leaf morphology is a pivotal trait in the response of S. kurilensis to phenological gaps. Given the potential ubiquity of the influence of phenological gaps on dwarf bamboos across most deciduous broadleaf forests, this canopy phenomenon should not be overlooked. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 0003-6862 59 2 2024 Spatio-temporal distribution of adults and eggs of the West Indian sweetpotato weevil Euscepes postfasciatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on sweet potato stems 117 126 EN Kimiko Urasaki Okinawa Prefectural Plant Protection Center Kentarou Matsumura Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Takahisa Miyatake Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University The West Indian sweetpotato weevil, Euscepes postfasciatus, a serious pest of sweet potatoes, is being eradicated by sterile insect technique (SIT) in the south-western islands of Japan. Information on the diurnal movement of the target pests on host plants and where mating and egg-laying behavior occurs on the host is important for the application of SIT, which eradicates the target pest through mating of released sterile males and wild females. However, little such information is available on this species. In this study, male and female adults were released on host plants to examine the diurnal distribution on seedlings according to sex, as well as the sites where mounting behavior and egg laying occurs. The results showed that females left the host plant more frequently at night, whereas males were more likely to remain on the host plant at night. Both males and females stayed on the nodes of the host plant during the daytime. Mounting behavior also tended to occur more often at nodes. Furthermore, compared to unmated females, mated females stayed at the vertical top of the seedlings. However, it was found that eggs were often laid close to the roots rather than at the top of the vertical stems, even when the seedlings were placed upside down. The results of previous studies and this study will be discussed from the perspective of the application of SIT against E. postfasciatus. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Oxford University Press (OUP) Acta Medica Okayama 1751-7362 18 1 2024 Rhizoviticin is an alphaproteobacterial tailocin that mediates biocontrol of grapevine crown gall disease 1 12 EN Tomoya Ishii Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Natsuki Tsuchida Faculty of Agriculture, Okayama University Niarsi Merry Hemelda Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kirara Saito Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Jiyuan Bao Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Megumi Watanabe Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Atsushi Toyoda Department of Genomics and Evolutionary Biology, National Institute of Genetics Takehiro Matsubara Okayama University Hospital Biobank, Okayama University Hospital Mayuko Sato Mass Spectrometry and Microscopy Unit, Technology Platform Division, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Kiminori Toyooka Mass Spectrometry and Microscopy Unit, Technology Platform Division, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Nobuaki Ishihama Plant Immunity Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Ken Shirasu Plant Immunity Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Hidenori Matsui Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kazuhiro Toyoda Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yuki Ichinose Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Tetsuya Hayashi Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University Akira Kawaguchi Western Region Agricultural Research Center (WARC), National Agricultural and Food Research Organization (NARO) Yoshiteru Noutoshi Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Tailocins are headless phage tail structures that mediate interbacterial antagonism. Although the prototypical tailocins, R- and F-pyocins, in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and other predominantly R-type tailocins have been studied, their presence in Alphaproteobacteria remains unexplored. Here, we report the first alphaproteobacterial F-type tailocin, named rhizoviticin, as a determinant of the biocontrol activity of Allorhizobium vitis VAR03-1 against crown gall. Rhizoviticin is encoded by a chimeric prophage genome, one providing transcriptional regulators and the other contributing to tail formation and cell lysis, but lacking head formation genes. The rhizoviticin genome retains a nearly intact early phage region containing an integrase remnant and replication-related genes critical for downstream gene transcription, suggesting an ongoing transition of this locus from a prophage to a tailocin-coding region. Rhizoviticin is responsible for the most antagonistic activity in VAR03-1 culture supernatant against pathogenic A. vitis strain, and rhizoviticin deficiency resulted in a significant reduction in the antitumorigenic activity in planta. We identified the rhizoviticin-coding locus in eight additional A. vitis strains from diverse geographical locations, highlighting a unique survival strategy of certain Rhizobiales bacteria in the rhizosphere. These findings advance our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of tailocins and provide a scientific foundation for employing rhizoviticin-producing strains in plant disease control. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw”_Šw•” Acta Medica Okayama 2186-7755 113 2024 …ˆ๎‚ษ‚จ‚ฏ‚้’‚‘f—˜—pŒ๘—ฆ‚ฬ•iŽํŠิทˆู 17 24 EN Kuniyuki Saitoh The Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yoshifumi Iwame The Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Masahiko Maekawa Institute of Plant Science and Resources iIPSRj, Okayama University Kazuyoshi Takeda Institute of Plant Science and ResourcesiIPSRj, Okayama University We investigated the effects of fertilizer-free and fertilizer-applied cultivation on growth, yield and nitrogen (N) utilization of rice cultivars in our Kurashiki paddy fields (Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama Univ.), which have been cultivated without fertilizer since 1970, and also in our Okayama paddy fields, which are conventionally cultivated. In 2001, the cultivars Nipponbare (NIP) and Nourin 18 (N18) were cultivated in the Kurashiki fields, with a g0N ploth (no fertilizer application), a g1N ploth (standard fertilizer application), and a g2N ploth (double fertilizer application). In 2002, five cultivars were grown without fertilizer in the Kurashiki fields, and 51cultivars were tested in 0N and 1N plots in the Okayama fields. Yield (2001) in the Kurashiki fields was higher in the 0N plot for N18 (379g m–2), which had a higher number of spikelets per m2, than NIP (300 g m–2), while in the 1N and 2N plots it was higher for NIP, which had a higher percentage of ripening, and N18 had high yield potential even without fertilizer application, but low fertilizer tolerance. The differences in yield were related to N-uptake (NU), and the differences in N use efficiency (NUE, yield/NU) between cultivars were small. The pot experiment showed that the yield of 0N plot was higher for N18 than NIP grown in Kurashiki soil because of the higher number of spikelets per hill, and the yield in the Okayama soil was higher than that in the Kurashiki soil. Long-term non-fertilized soils are of poor soil fertility, which also decreases the NUE, and the NUE of N18 is higher than that of NIP under isolated conditions. The difference in yields is closely related to sink capacity (SC). In 2002, yields in the Kurashiki fields were highest in Takanari (TAK, 494g m–2) and lowest in NIP (350g m–2), and differences in yields were closely related to SC. NUE was highest in TAK (68.6) and lowest in Akebono (48.1). TAK had high NUE and high sink production efficiency (SPE, SC/NU), while N18 had low NUE but high SC due to higher NU, ensuring high yield even under unfertilized cultivation. Yields in the 0N and 1N plots cultivated in 2002 varied between 244–631g m–2 and 199–769g m–2, respectively. A close positive correlation was observed between yield and SC, and between NU and SC, suggesting that the SC through NU is involved in determining yield. A positive correlation was also observed between NUE and yield. It was found that yield increased with an increase in NUE, and that NUE decreased although yield increased with fertilizer application. Through selection of cultivars with high SPE, it is expected that it will be possible to breed low-input, high-yielding cultivars with high NUE in the future. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

eLife Sciences Publications Acta Medica Okayama 2050-084X 12 2023 Characterization of tryptophan oxidation affecting D1 degradation by FtsH in the photosystem II quality control of chloroplasts RP88822 EN Yusuke Kato Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University Hiroshi Kuroda Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University Shin-Ichiro Ozawa Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University Keisuke Saito Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo Vivek Dogra Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences Martin Scholz Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster Guoxian Zhang Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University Catherine de Vitry Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7141, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Sorbonne Université Pierre et Marie Curie Hiroshi Ishikita Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo Chanhong Kim Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences Michael Hippler Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University Yuichiro Takahashi Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University Wataru Sakamoto Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University Photosynthesis is one of the most important reactions for sustaining our environment. Photosystem II (PSII) is the initial site of photosynthetic electron transfer by water oxidation. Light in excess, however, causes the simultaneous production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to photo-oxidative damage in PSII. To maintain photosynthetic activity, the PSII reaction center protein D1, which is the primary target of unavoidable photo-oxidative damage, is efficiently degraded by FtsH protease. In PSII subunits, photo-oxidative modifications of several amino acids such as Trp have been indeed documented, whereas the linkage between such modifications and D1 degradation remains elusive. Here, we show that an oxidative post-translational modification of Trp residue at the N-terminal tail of D1 is correlated with D1 degradation by FtsH during high-light stress. We revealed that Arabidopsis mutant lacking FtsH2 had increased levels of oxidative Trp residues in D1, among which an N-terminal Trp-14 was distinctively localized in the stromal side. Further characterization of Trp-14 using chloroplast transformation in Chlamydomonas indicated that substitution of D1 Trp-14 to Phe, mimicking Trp oxidation enhanced FtsH-mediated D1 degradation under high light, although the substitution did not affect protein stability and PSII activity. Molecular dynamics simulation of PSII implies that both Trp-14 oxidation and Phe substitution cause fluctuation of D1 N-terminal tail. Furthermore, Trp-14 to Phe modification appeared to have an additive effect in the interaction between FtsH and PSII core in vivo. Together, our results suggest that the Trp oxidation at its N-terminus of D1 may be one of the key oxidations in the PSII repair, leading to processive degradation by FtsH. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Acta Medica Okayama 2643-6515 5 2023 Deep Learning Enables Instant and Versatile Estimation of Rice Yield Using Ground-Based RGB Images 0073 EN Yu Tanaka Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Tomoya Watanabe Graduate School of Mathematics, Kyushu University Keisuke Katsura Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Yasuhiro Tsujimoto Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences Toshiyuki Takai Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences Takashi Sonam Tashi Tanaka Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kensuke Kawamura Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences Hiroki Saito Tropical Agriculture Research Front, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences Koki Homma Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University Salifou Goube Mairoua Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) Kokou Ahouanton Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) Ali Ibrahim Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), Regional Station for the Sahel Kalimuthu Senthilkumar Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) Vimal Kumar Semwal Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), Nigeria Station Eduardo Jose Graterol Matute Latin American Fund for Irrigated Rice - The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT Edgar Corredor Latin American Fund for Irrigated Rice - The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT Raafat El-Namaky Rice Research and Training Center, Field Crops Research Institute, ARC Norvie Manigbas Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Eduardo Jimmy P. Quilang Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Yu Iwahashi Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University Kota Nakajima Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University Eisuke Takeuchi Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University Kazuki Saito Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important cereals, which provides 20% of the worldfs food energy. However, its productivity is poorly assessed especially in the global South. Here, we provide a first study to perform a deep-learning-based approach for instantaneously estimating rice yield using red-green-blue images. During ripening stage and at harvest, over 22,000 digital images were captured vertically downward over the rice canopy from a distance of 0.8 to 0.9 m at 4,820 harvesting plots having the yield of 0.1 to 16.1 t·ha|1 across 6 countries in Africa and Japan. A convolutional neural network applied to these data at harvest predicted 68% variation in yield with a relative root mean square error of 0.22. The developed model successfully detected genotypic difference and impact of agronomic interventions on yield in the independent dataset. The model also demonstrated robustness against the images acquired at different shooting angles up to 30‹ from right angle, diverse light environments, and shooting date during late ripening stage. Even when the resolution of images was reduced (from 0.2 to 3.2 cm·pixel|1 of ground sampling distance), the model could predict 57% variation in yield, implying that this approach can be scaled by the use of unmanned aerial vehicles. Our work offers low-cost, hands-on, and rapid approach for high-throughput phenotyping and can lead to impact assessment of productivity-enhancing interventions, detection of fields where these are needed to sustainably increase crop production, and yield forecast at several weeks before harvesting. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Taylor and Francis Acta Medica Okayama 1559-2316 18 1 2023 Microtubule-associated proteins WDL5 and WDL6 play a critical role in pollen tube growth in Arabidopsis thaliana 2281159 EN Takashi Okamoto Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hiroyasu Motose Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Taku Takahashi Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Morphological response of cells to environment involves concerted rearrangements of microtubules and actin microfilaments. A mutant of WAVE-DAMPENED2-LIKE5 (WDL5), which encodes an ethylene-regulated microtubule-associated protein belonging to the WVD2/WDL family in Arabidopsis thaliana, shows attenuation in the temporal root growth reduction in response to mechanical stress. We found that a T-DNA knockout of WDL6, the closest homolog of WDL5, oppositely shows an enhancement of the response. To know the functional relationship between WDL5 and WDL6, we attempted to generate the double mutant by crosses but failed in isolation. Close examination of gametophytes in plants that are homozygous for one and heterozygous for the other revealed that these plants produce pollen grains with a reduced rate of germination and tube growth. Reciprocal cross experiments of these plants with the wild type confirmed that the double mutation is not inherited paternally. These results suggest a critical and cooperative function of WDL5 and WDL6 in pollen tube growth. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Elsevier BV Acta Medica Okayama 0168-1702 334 2023 Exploration of the yadokari/yadonushi nature of YkV3 and RnMBV3 in the original host and a model filamentous fungus 199155 EN Yukiyo Sato Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Sakae Hisano Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Nobuhiro Suzuki Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University The yadokari/yadonushi nature is a recently discovered virus lifestyle; gyadokarih refers to the ability of capsidless positive-sense (+) RNA viruses (yadokariviruses) to utilize the capsids of phylogenetically distant double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses possibly as the replication site, while gyadonushih refers to the ability of dsRNA viruses to provide capsids to yadokariviruses. This virus–virus interaction, however, has been only studied with limited pathosystems. Here, we established a new study model with a capsidless (+)RNA yadokarivirus YkV3 (family Yadokariviridae) and its capsid donor RnMBV3 (family Megabirnaviridae) in the original host fungus Rosellinia necatrix and a model filamentous fungal host Cryphonectria parasitica. YkV3 has a simple genome structure with one open reading frame of 4305 nucleotides encoding a single polyprotein with an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and a 2A-like self-cleavage peptide domain. Reverse genetics of YkV3 in R. necatrix showed that YkV3 tolerates a nucleotide substitution in the extreme 5Œ-terminus. The insertion of two termination codons immediately downstream of the 2A-like cleavage site abolished YkV3 viability, suggesting the importance of the C-terminal portion of the polyprotein of unknown function. Transfection of RnMBV3 and YkV3 into an RNA silencing-deficient mutant ƒขdcl2 of C. parasitica showed the replication competency of both viruses. Comparison between the wild-type and ƒขdcl2 strains of C. parasitica in virus accumulation suggested that RnMBV3 and YkV3 are susceptible to RNA silencing in C. parasitica. Taken together, we have established a platform to further explore the yadokari/yadonushi nature using genetically manipulable host fungal and virus strains. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

MDPI Acta Medica Okayama 2076-3921 12 7 2023 Combined Effect of Salicylic Acid and Proline Mitigates Drought Stress in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) through the Modulation of Physiological Attributes and Antioxidant Enzymes 1438 EN Tahmina Akter Urmi Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University Md. Moshiul Islam Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kamrun Naher Zumur Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University Md. Anwarul Abedin Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University M. Moynul Haque Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University Manzer H. Siddiqui Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University Yoshiyuki Murata Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Md. Anamul Hoque Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University Salicylic acid (SA) and proline exhibit protective effects against a wide range of stresses. However, the combined impact of SA and proline on rice under drought stress is still unknown. Therefore, we investigated the protective roles of SA and/or proline in conferring drought tolerance in rice. There were eight treatments comprising the control (T1; 95-100% FC), 1.5 mM SA (T2), 2 mM proline (T3), 0.75 mM SA + 1 mM proline (T4), 45-50% FC (T5, drought stress), T5 + 1.5 mM SA (T6), T5 + 2 mM proline (T7), and T5 + 0.75 mM SA + 1 mM proline (T8), and two rice varieties: BRRI dhan66 and BRRI dhan75. Drought stress significantly decreased the plant growth, biomass, yield attributes, photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration rate (Tr), photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoids content), relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI), soluble sugar and starch content, and uptake of N, P and K+ in roots and shoots. Drought-induced oxidative stress in the form of increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production and lipid peroxidation (MDA) was observed. The combined application of SA (0.75 mM) + proline (1 mM) was found to be more effective than the single application of either for drought stress mitigation in rice. A combined dose of SA + proline alleviated oxidative stress through boosting antioxidant enzymatic activity in contrast to their separate application. The application of SA + proline also enhanced proline, soluble sugar and starch content, which resulted in the amelioration of osmotic stress. Consequently, the combined application of SA and proline significantly increased the gas exchange characteristics, photosynthetic pigments, RWC, MSI, nutrient uptake, plant growth, biomass and yield of rice. Therefore, the combined application of SA and proline alleviated the detrimental impacts of drought stress more pronouncedly than their separate application did by increasing osmoprotectants, improving nutrient transport, up-regulating antioxidant enzyme activity and inhibiting oxidative stress. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 0304-8608 167 12 2022 Identification of novel totiviruses from the ascomycetous fungus Geotrichum candidum 2833 2838 EN Haris Ahmed Khan Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Hideki Kondo Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University Sabitree Shahi Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University Muhammad Faraz Bhatti Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Nobuhiro Suzuki Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University Mycoviruses are widely distributed across the kingdom Fungi, including ascomycetous yeast strains of the class Saccharomycetes. Geotrichum candidum is an important fungal pathogen belonging to Saccharomycetes and has a diverse host range. Here, we report the characterization of four new classical totiviruses from two distinct Geotrichum candidum strains from Pakistan. The four identified viruses were tentatively named gGeotrichum candidum totivirus 1, 2, 3a, and 3bh (GcTV1-3b). The complete dsRNA genomes of the identified totiviruses are 4621, 4592, 4576, and 4576 bp in length, respectively. All totivirus genomes have two open reading frames, encoding a capsid protein (CP) and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP), respectively. The downstream RdRP domain is assumed to be expressed as a CP-RdRP fusion product via -1 frameshifting mediated by a heptameric slippery site. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis showed that each of the discovered viruses belongs to a new species of the genus Totivirus in the family Totiviridae, with GcTV1 and GcTV3 (a and b strains) clustering in one subgroup and GcTV2 in another subgroup. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

MDPI Acta Medica Okayama 2071-1050 15 9 2023 Integrating Perspectives from Education for Sustainable Development to Foster Plant Awareness among Trainee Science Teachers: A Mixed Methods Study 7395 EN Khalifatulloh Fiel'ardh Graduate School of Education, Okayama University Indra Fardhani Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Negeri Malang Hiroki Fujii Graduate School of Education, Okayama University This mixed-method study aimed to investigate the efficacy of an intervention unit that integrates perspectives from Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to foster plant awareness, within the context of botanical lessons for trainee science teachers. Third-year undergraduate students (n = 91) studying to become lower secondary school (grade 7-9) science teachers from a public university in East Java, Indonesia, participated in this study. Data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire, reflective journal entries, and focus group interviews. The findings revealed a statistically significant increase in the participants' attention and attitude towards plants, relative interest in plants, and self-efficacy in teaching plant-related topics. The triangulation of the analysis results from the reflective journals and focus group interviews demonstrated that through transformative learning, the participants' experiences, perceptions, and learning evolved throughout the intervention unit, leading to their more comprehensive understanding of plant-related issues and their connection to broader sustainability concerns. These findings imply that the integration of ESD perspectives into botanical education positively affects plant awareness. Future research could further investigate the long-term impact of integrating ESD perspectives on teacher training programs. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Taylor and Francis Acta Medica Okayama 1343-943X 2023 Biomass estimation of World rice (Oryza sativa L.) core collection based on the convolutional neural network and digital images of canopy EN Kota Nakajima Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University Yu Tanaka Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Keisuke Katsura United Graduate School of Agriculture Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Tomoaki Yamaguchi United Graduate School of Agriculture Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Tomoya Watanabe Independent researcher Tatsuhiko Shiraiwa Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University Above-ground biomass (AGB) is an important indicator of crop productivity. Destructive measurements of AGB incur huge costs, and most non-destructive estimations cannot be applied to diverse cultivars having different canopy architectures. This insufficient access to AGB data has potentially limited improvements in crop productivity. Recently, a deep learning technique called convolutional neural network (CNN) has been applied to estimate crop AGB due to its high capacity for digital image recognition. However, the versatility of the CNN-based AGB estimation for diverse cultivars is still unclear. We established and evaluated a CNN-based estimation method for rice AGB using digital images with 59 diverse cultivars which were mostly in World Rice Core Collection. Across two years at two locations, we took 12,183 images of 59 cultivars with commercial digital cameras and manually obtained their corresponding AGB. The CNN model was established by using 28 cultivars and showed high accuracy (R-2 = 0.95) to the test dataset. We further evaluated the performance of the CNN model by using 31 cultivars, which were not in the model establishment. The CNN model successfully estimated AGB when the observed AGB was lesser than 924 g m(-2) (R-2 = 0.87), whereas it underestimated AGB when the observed AGB was greater than 924 g m(-2) (R-2 = 0.02). This underestimation might be improved by adding training data with a greater AGB in further study. The present study indicates that this CNN-based estimation method is highly versatile and could be a practical tool for monitoring crop AGB in diverse cultivars. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

MDPI Acta Medica Okayama 2071-1050 15 1 2022 Interspecific Variability in Growth Characteristics and Phytoremediation of Cu by Free-Floating Azolla Macrophytes 497 EN Muhammad Shahbaz Akhtar Department of Environmental Sciences, Forman Christian College University Sohaib Aslam Department of Environmental Sciences, Forman Christian College University Allah Ditta Department of Environmental Sciences, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Bedur Faleh A. Albalawi Department of Biology, University of Tabuk Yoko Oki Department of Environmental Management Engineering, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Yoshitaka Nakashima Department of Environmental Management Engineering, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University The phytoremediation potential of aquatic plants, particularly for Cu, is scarcely reported in the pertinent literature. In this regard, differential growth behavior and phytoaccumulation ability of three free-floating Azolla species (A. japonica, A. pinnata, and A. hybrid) were evaluated in a climatically controlled (a temperature of 25/20 degrees C, light/dark 16/8 h, a light intensity of 60 mu mol m(-2) s(-1), and a relative humidity of 65%) microcosm study. Azolla plants were exposed to solutions having three Cu concentrations (0, 3, and 6 mg L-1) under two incubation periods (4 and 8 days). Different Cu treatments significantly reduced Azolla biomass during both incubation periods and A. pinnata was the most sensitive species. Azolla plants grown in aqueous solutions showed substantial variations in Cu removal capacity. Higher bioconcentration values displayed by Azolla plants indicated that these plants can be deployed as potential plants for Cu removal from Cu contaminated water. Nevertheless, the plants exposed to higher Cu concentrations displayed color changes and root detachment due to Cu phytotoxic effects which may also ultimately lead to plant death. Significant correlations between Cu removed from the aqueous solutions and Cu contents of plant biomass indicated that Cu phytoremediation by Azolla plants was due to the phytoaccumulation mechanism because the removed Cu from aqueous solutions was accumulated in plant biomass. Introduced Azolla species, i.e., A. hybrid, displayed comparable Cu removal efficiency with naturally grown Azolla species, i.e., A. japonica and A. pinnata. Tested Azolla species proved to be suitable candidates to remediate Cu contaminated water and can be deployed for phytoremediation. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

MDPI Acta Medica Okayama 2073-4409 11 22 2022 Natural Cross-Kingdom Spread of Apple Scar Skin Viroid from Apple Trees to Fungi 3686 EN Mengyuan Tian State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Shuang Wei State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Ruiling Bian State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Jingxian Luo State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Haris Ahmed Khan State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University Huanhuan Tai College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University Hideki Kondo Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Ahmed Hadidi U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Ida Bagus Andika College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University Liying Sun Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Viroids are the smallest known infectious agents that are thought to only infect plants. Here, we reveal that several species of plant pathogenic fungi that were isolated from apple trees infected with apple scar skin viroid (ASSVd) carried ASSVd naturally. This finding indicates the spread of viroids to fungi under natural conditions and further suggests the possible existence of mycoviroids in nature. A total of 117 fungal isolates were isolated from ASSVd-infected apple trees, with the majority (85.5%) being an ascomycete Alternaria alternata and the remaining isolates being other plant-pathogenic or -endophytic fungi. Out of the examined samples, viroids were detected in 81 isolates (69.2%) including A. alternata as well as other fungal species. The phenotypic comparison of ASSVd-free specimens developed by single-spore isolation and ASSVd-infected fungal isogenic lines showed that ASSVd affected the growth and pathogenicity of certain fungal species. ASSVd confers hypovirulence on ascomycete Epicoccum nigrum. The mycobiome analysis of apple tree-associated fungi showed that ASSVd infection did not generally affect the diversity and structure of fungal communities but specifically increased the abundance of Alternaria species. Taken together, these data reveal the occurrence of the natural spread of viroids to plants; additionally, as an integral component of the ecosystem, viroids may affect the abundance of certain fungal species in plants. Moreover, this study provides further evidence that viroid infection could induce symptoms in certain filamentous fungi. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Okayama University Medical School Acta Medica Okayama 0386-300X 76 5 2022 Viral Sequences Are Repurposed for Controlling Antiviral Responses as Non-Retroviral Endogenous Viral Elements 503 510 EN Hirohito Ogawa Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Tomoyuki Honda Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Review 10.18926/AMO/64025 Eukaryotic genomes contain numerous copies of endogenous viral elements (EVEs), most of which are considered endogenous retrovirus (ERV) sequences. Over the past decade, non-retroviral endogenous viral elements (nrEVEs) derived from ancient RNA viruses have been discovered. Several functions have been proposed for these elements, including antiviral defense. This review summarizes the current understanding of nrEVEs derived from RNA viruses, particularly endogenous bornavirus-like elements (EBLs) and endogenous filovirus-like elements (EFLs). EBLs are one of the most extensively studied nrEVEs. The EBL derived from bornavirus nucleoprotein (EBLN) is thought to function as a non-coding RNA or protein that regulates host gene expression or inhibits virus propagation. Ebolavirus and marburgvirus, which are filoviruses, induce severe hemorrhagic fever in humans and nonhuman primates. Although the ecology of filoviruses remains unclear, bats are believed to be potential reservoirs. Based on the knowledge from EBLs, it is postulated that EFLs in the bat genome help to maintain the balance between filovirus infection and the batfs defense system, which may partially explain why bats act as potential reservoirs. Further research into the functions of nrEVEs could reveal novel antiviral systems and inspire novel antiviral approaches. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

MDPI Acta Medica Okayama 2076-3417 12 19 2022 Machine Learning and Inverse Optimization for Estimation of Weighting Factors in Multi-Objective Production Scheduling Problems 9472 EN Hidetoshi Togo Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kohei Asanuma Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University Tatsushi Nishi Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Ziang Liu Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University In recent years, scheduling optimization has been utilized in production systems. To construct a suitable mathematical model of a production scheduling problem, modeling techniques that can automatically select an appropriate objective function from historical data are necessary. This paper presents two methods to estimate weighting factors of the objective function in the scheduling problem from historical data, given the information of operation time and setup costs. We propose a machine learning-based method, and an inverse optimization-based method using the input/output data of the scheduling problems when the weighting factors of the objective function are unknown. These two methods are applied to a multi-objective parallel machine scheduling problem and a real-world chemical batch plant scheduling problem. The results of the estimation accuracy evaluation show that the proposed methods for estimating the weighting factors of the objective function are effective. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Frontiers Media S.A. Acta Medica Okayama 1664-462X 13 2022 Structure and function of a silicic acid channel Lsi1 982068 EN Yasunori Saitoh Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University Michihiro Suga Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University Silicon is a beneficial element for plant growth and production, especially in rice. Plant roots take up silicon in the form of silicic acid. Silicic acid channels, which belong to the NIP subfamily of aquaporins, are responsible for silicic acid uptake. Accumulated experimental results have deepened our understanding of the silicic acid channel for its uptake mechanism, physiological function, localization, and other aspects. However, how the silicic acid channel efficiently and selectively permeates silicic acid remains to be elucidated. Recently reported crystal structures of the silicic acid channel enabled us to discuss the mechanism of silicic acid uptake by plant roots at an atomic level. In this mini-review, we focus on the crystal structures of the silicic acid channel and provide a detailed description of the structural determinants of silicic acid permeation and its transport mechanism, which are crucial for the rational creation of secure and sustainable crops. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Okayama University Medical School Acta Medica Okayama 0386-300X 76 4 2022 Therapeutic Approaches Targeting miRNA in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus 359 371 EN Sumie Hiramatsu-Asano Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Jun Wada Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Review 10.18926/AMO/63887 Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a potentially fatal systemic autoimmune disease, and its etiology involves both genetic and environmental factors such as sex hormone imbalance, genetic predisposition, epigenetic regulation, and immunological factors. Dysregulation of microRNA (miRNA) is suggested to be one of the epigenetic factors in SLE. miRNA is a 22-nucleotide single-stranded noncoding RNA that contributes to post-transcriptional modulation of gene expression. miRNA targeting therapy has been suggested to be useful for the treatment of cancers and other diseases. Gene knockout and miRNA targeting therapy have been demonstrated to improve SLE disease activity in mice. However, these approaches have not yet reached the level of clinical application. miRNA targeting therapy is limited by the fact that each miRNA has multiple targets. In addition, the expression of certain miRNAs may differ among cell tissues within a single SLE patient. This limitation can be overcome by targeted delivery and chemical modifications. In the future, further research into miRNA chemical modifications and delivery systems will help us develop novel therapeutic agents for SLE. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Wiley Acta Medica Okayama 0014-5793 596 23 2022 Loss of function of an Arabidopsis homologue of JMJD6 suppresses the dwarf phenotype of acl5, a mutant defective in thermospermine biosynthesis 3005 3014 EN Hirotoshi Matsuo Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hiroko Fukushima Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Shinpei Kurokawa Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Eri Kawano Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Takashi Okamoto Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hiroyasu Motose Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Taku Takahashi Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University In Arabidopsis thaliana, the ACL5 gene encodes thermospermine synthase and its mutant, acl5, exhibits a dwarf phenotype with excessive xylem formation. Studies of suppressor mutants of acl5 reveal the involvement of thermospermine in enhancing mRNA translation of the SAC51 gene family. We show here that a mutant, sac59, which partially suppresses the acl5 phenotype, has a point mutation in JMJ22 encoding a D6-class Jumonji C protein (JMJD6). A T-DNA insertion allele, jmj22-2, also partially suppressed the acl5 phenotype while mutants of its closest two homologs JMJ21 and JMJ20 had no such effects, suggesting a unique role for JMJ22 in plant development. We found that mRNAs of the SAC51 family are more stabilized in acl5 jmj22-2 than in acl5. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Frontiers Media SA Acta Medica Okayama 1664-302X 13 2022 Siderophore for Lanthanide and Iron Uptake for Methylotrophy and Plant Growth Promotion in Methylobacterium aquaticum Strain 22A 921635 EN Patrick Otieno Juma Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Yoshiko Fujitani Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Ola Alessa Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Tokitaka Oyama Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University Hiroya Yurimoto Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University Yasuyoshi Sakai Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University Akio Tani Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Methylobacterium and Methylorubrum species are facultative methylotrophic bacteria that are abundant in the plant phyllosphere. They have two methanol dehydrogenases, MxaF and XoxF, which are dependent on either calcium or lanthanides (Lns), respectively. Lns exist as insoluble minerals in nature, and their solubilization and uptake require a siderophore-like substance (lanthanophore). Methylobacterium species have also been identified as plant growth-promoting bacteria although the actual mechanism has not been well-investigated. This study aimed to reveal the roles of siderophore in Methylobacterium aquaticum strain 22A in Ln uptake, bacterial physiology, and plant growth promotion. The strain 22A genome contains an eight-gene cluster encoding the staphyloferrin B-like (sbn) siderophore. We demonstrate that the sbn siderophore gene cluster is necessary for growth under low iron conditions and was complemented by supplementation with citrate or spent medium of the wild type or other strains of the genera. The siderophore exhibited adaptive features, including tolerance to oxidative and nitrosative stress, biofilm formation, and heavy metal sequestration. The contribution of the siderophore to plant growth was shown by the repressive growth of duckweed treated with siderophore mutant under iron-limited conditions; however, the siderophore was dispensable for strain 22A to colonize the phyllosphere. Importantly, the siderophore mutant could not grow on methanol, but the siderophore could solubilize insoluble Ln oxide, suggesting its critical role in methylotrophy. We also identified TonB-dependent receptors (TBDRs) for the siderophore-iron complex, iron citrate, and Ln, among 12 TBDRs in strain 22A. Analysis of the siderophore synthesis gene clusters and TBDR genes in Methylobacterium genomes revealed the existence of diverse types of siderophores and TBDRs. Methylorubrum species have an exclusive TBDR for Ln uptake that has been identified as LutH. Collectively, the results of this study provide insight into the importance of the sbn siderophore in Ln chelation, bacterial physiology, and the diversity of siderophore and TBDRs in Methylobacterium species. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw—Šw•”’n‹…‰ศŠw‰ศ Acta Medica Okayama 1340-7414 28 1 2022 ‰ชŽRŽs–k•”‹g”๕‚Œด’nˆๆ‚ษ•ช•z‚ท‚้Œร‘ๆŽOŒnEV‘ๆŽOŒn‚ฬ•ช•zE‘อฯ‘Š‚ฦŒร’n—•ฯ‘J 1 25 EN Hajime Tanaka Seibu Engineering Consultants Co., Ltd. Shigeyuki Suzuki Department of Earth Sciences, Okayama University 10.18926/ESR/63514 No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Elsevier BV Acta Medica Okayama 0168-1702 307 2 2022 A new tetra-segmented splipalmivirus with divided RdRP domains from Cryphonectria naterciae, a fungus found on chestnut and cork oak trees in Europe 198606 EN Yukiyo Sato Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Sabitree Shahi Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Paul Telengech Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Sakae Hisano Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Carolina Cornejo Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Forest Health & Biotic Interactions Daniel Rigling Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Forest Health & Biotic Interactions Hideki Kondo Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Nobuhiro Suzuki Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Positive-sense (+), single-stranded (ss) RNA viruses with divided RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) domains have been reported from diverse filamentous ascomycetes since 2020. These viruses are termed splipalmiviruses or polynarnaviruses and have been characterized largely at the sequence level, but ill-defined biologically. Cryphonectria naterciae, from which only one virus has been reported, is an ascomycetous fungus potentially plant-pathogenic to chestnut and oak trees. We molecularly characterized multiple viruses in a single Portuguese isolate (C0614) of C. naterciae, taking a metatranscriptomic and conventional double-stranded RNA approach. Among them are a novel splipalmivirus (Cryphonectria naterciae splipalmivirus 1, CnSpV1) and a novel fusagravirus (Cryphonectria naterciae fusagravirus 1, CnFGV1). This study focused on the former virus. CnSpV1 has a tetra-segmented, (+)ssRNA genome (RNA1 to RNA4). As observed for other splipalmiviruses reported in 2020 and 2021, the RdRP domain is separately encoded by RNA1 (motifs F, A and B) and RNA2 (motifs C and D). A hypothetical protein encoded by the 5Œ-proximal open reading frame of RNA3 shows similarity to a counterpart conserved in some splipalmiviruses. The other RNA3-encoded protein and RNA4-encoded protein show no similarity with known proteins in a blastp search. The tetra-segment nature was confirmed by the conserved terminal sequences of the four CnSpV1 segments (RNA1 to RNA4) and their 100% coexistence in over 100 single conidial isolates tested. The experimental introduction of CnSpV1 along with CnFGV1 into a virus free strain C0754 of C. naterciae vegetatively incompatible with C0614 resulted in no phenotypic alteration, suggesting asymptomatic infection. The protoplast fusion assay indicates a considerably narrow host range of CnSpV1, restricted to the species C. naterciae and C. carpinicola. This study contributes to better understanding of the molecular and biological properties of this unique group of viruses. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 0304-8608 167 4 2022 A novel deltapartitivirus from red clover 1201 1204 EN Paul Telengech Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Sabitree Shahi Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Hideki Kondo Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Nobuhiro Suzuki Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University The family Partitiviridae has five genera, among which is the genus Deltapartitivirus. We report here the complete genome sequence of a deltapartitivirus from red clover, termed gred clover cryptic virus 3h (RCCV3). RCCV3 has a bisegmented double-stranded (ds) RNA genome. dsRNA1 and dsRNA2 are 1580 and 1589 nucleotides (nt) in length and are predicted to encode an RNA-directed RNA polymerase (RdRP) and a capsid protein (CP), respectively. The RCCV3 RdRP shares the highest sequence identity with the RdRP of a previously reported deltapartitivirus, Medicago sativa deltapartitivirus 1 (MsDPV1) (76.5%), while the RCCV3 CP shows 50% sequence identity to the CP of MsDPV1. RdRP- and CP-based phylogenetic trees place RCCV3 into a clade of deltapartitiviruses. The sequence and phylogenetic analyses clearly indicate that RCCV3 represents a new species in the genus Deltapartitivirus. RCCV3 was detectable in all three tested cultivars of red clover. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Okayama University Medical School Acta Medica Okayama 0386-300X 76 1 2022 Mouse Model for Optogenetic Genome Engineering 1 5 EN Tomoka Takao Department of Regenerative Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Daisuke Yamada Department of Regenerative Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Takeshi Takarada Department of Regenerative Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Review 10.18926/AMO/63202 Optogenetics, a technology to manipulate biological phenomena thorough light, has attracted much attention in neuroscience. Recently, the Magnet System, a photo-inducible protein dimerization system which can control the intracellular behavior of various biomolecules with high accuracy using light was developed. Furthermore, photoactivation systems for controlling biological phenomena are being developed by combining this technique with genome-editing technology (CRISPR/Cas9 System) or DNA recombination technology (Cre-loxP system). Herein, we review the history of optogenetics and the latest Magnet System technology and introduce our recently developed photoactivatable Cre knock-in mice with temporal-, spatial-, and cell-specific accuracy. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

SPRINGER HEIDELBERG Acta Medica Okayama 2190-5487 12 3 2022 Mitigation of groundwater iron-induced clogging by low-cost bioadsorbent in open loop geothermal heat pump systems 30 EN Claudia Fujita Geo‑Environmental Evaluation Laboratory, Department of Environmental Design and Civil Engineering, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University M. Shahbaz Akhtar Geo‑Environmental Evaluation Laboratory, Department of Environmental Design and Civil Engineering, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Ray Hidaka Geo‑Environmental Evaluation Laboratory, Department of Environmental Design and Civil Engineering, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Makoto Nishigaki Geo‑Environmental Evaluation Laboratory, Department of Environmental Design and Civil Engineering, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Green energy production from natural resources can reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants from burning of fossil fuels in power plants. Recently, groundwater geothermal energy (GGE) is harnessed by deploying closed- and open-loop heat systems. In open-loop geothermal heat pump systems (OLGHPS), groundwater is reinjected into aquifer after harnessing GGE. Nevertheless, OLGHPS face noxious clogging issue because of elusive chemistry (corrosion or precipitation) of chemical species, principally of iron (Fe), in pipes and aquifers during reinjection process via oxidation reactions. Plethora of filtering materials are available for removal of ions, but these are quite expensive and environmentally unsafe. More recently, low-cost, eco-friendly, green filtering materials gain much interest. These materials can remove ions from groundwater that can minimize clogging in heat exchange systems, injection wells, and aquifer. In the present study, three filtering materials, i.e., wooden charcoal (biomaterial), yamazuna fine sand, and volcanic ash, were tested to estimate their Fe removal capacity. In upward flow mode with minimum oxygen-water contact, serial column (each with 6 ports) experiments were conducted under constant pressure head and constant velocity conditions. Columns were connected to well water having dissolved Fe concentration of 10.85 mg L-1. Sampling was done at the well, column inlets, column's six sampling ports and column outlets, and samples were analyzed for Fe by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Related tested parameters include pH, EC, temperature, turbidity, porosity, particle diameter, and dissolved oxygen. Volcanic ash showed less Fe removal, while sand filter showed substantial reduction in velocity. Biomaterial (wooden charcoal) displayed higher Fe adsorption capacity compared to other materials that can be ascribed to its surface chemistry and functional groups. Under different flow rates, maximum Fe content of 3.5 g Fe kg(-1) dry charcoal was obtained. By considering a safety factor and influence of groundwater composition, it is possible to design a biomaterial-based iron filter system to minimize Fe-induced chemical clogging in OLGHPS which is an eco-friendly, green energy source. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 0304-8608 167 2022 A novel victorivirus from the phytopathogenic fungus Neofusicoccum parvum 923 929 EN Haris Ahmed Khan Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Yukiyo Sato Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Hideki Kondo Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Atif Jamal Crop Diseases Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre Muhammad Faraz Bhatti Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Nobuhiro Suzuki Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Neofusicoccum parvum is an important plant-pathogenic ascomycetous fungus that causes trunk diseases in a variety of plants. A limited number of reports on mycoviruses from this fungus are available. Here, we report the characterization of a novel victorivirus, Neofusicoccum parvum victorivirus 3 (NpVV3). An agarose gel dsRNA profile of a Pakistani strain of N. parvum, NFN, showed a band of similar to 5 kbp that was not detectable in Japanese strains of N. parvum. Taking a high-throughput and Sanger sequencing approach, the complete genome sequence of NpVV3 was determined to be 5226 bp in length with two open reading frames (ORF1 and ORF2) that encode a capsid protein (CP) and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP). The RdRP appears to be translated by a stop/restart mechanism facilitated by the junction sequence AUGucUGA, as is found in some other victoriviruses. BLASTp searches showed that NpVV3 CP and RdRP share the highest amino acid sequence identity (80.5% and 72.4%, respectively) with the corresponding proteins of NpVV1 isolated from a French strain of N. parvum. However, NpVV3 was found to be different from NpVV1 in its terminal sequences and the stop/restart facilitator sequence. NpVV3 particles similar to 35 nm in diameter were partially purified and used to infect an antiviral-RNA-silencing-deficient strain (Delta cl2) of an experimental ascomycetous fungal host, Cryphonectria parasitica. NpVV3 showed symptomless infection in the new host strain. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

MDPI Acta Medica Okayama 2073-4409 10 12 2021 Responses of Polyamine-Metabolic Genes to Polyamines and Plant Stress Hormones in Arabidopsis Seedlings 3283 EN Yusaku Yariuchi Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Takashi Okamoto Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yoshiteru Noutoshi Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Taku Takahashi Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University In plants, many of the enzymes in polyamine metabolism are encoded by multiple genes, whose expressions are differentially regulated under different physiological conditions. For comprehensive understanding of their regulation during the seedling growth stage, we examined the expression of polyamine metabolic genes in response to polyamines and stress-related plant hormones in Arabidopsis thaliana. While confirming previous findings such as induction of many of the genes by abscisic acid, induction of arginase genes and a copper amine oxidase gene, CuAO alpha 3, by methyl jasmonate, that of an arginine decarboxylase gene, ADC2, and a spermine synthase gene, SPMS, by salicylic acid, and negative feedback regulation of thermospermine biosynthetic genes by thermospermine, our results showed that expressions of most of the genes are not responsive to exogenous polyamines. We thus examined expression of OsPAO6, which encodes an apoplastic polyamine oxidase and is strongly induced by polyamines in rice, by using the promoter-GUS fusion in transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings. The GUS activity was increased by treatment with methyl jasmonate but neither by polyamines nor by other plant hormones, suggesting a difference in the response to polyamines between Arabidopsis and rice. Our results provide a framework to study regulatory modules directing expression of each polyamine metabolic gene. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Group of Wild Plant Science, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Acta Medica Okayama 2021 Naturalized plants in Japan : Seed-Image database EN Jun Yamashita Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University 10.48696/63011 Naturalized Plants in Japan Seed-Image database is an image database of naturalized alien plant seeds recorded in Japan. This database contains plant images, information on morphological features of seeds and the name list of naturalized alien plants, as well as seed images. Seeds are categorized into 5 groups based on morphological features such as reticulation (wrinkles or projections), ridges, edges and achene fruit. Users can search seed images by family names, species names and those features. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Nature Portfolio Acta Medica Okayama 2041-1723 12 1 2021 Structural basis for high selectivity of a rice silicon channel Lsi1 6236 EN Yasunori Saitoh Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University Namiki Mitani-Ueno Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Keisuke Saito Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo Kengo Matsuki Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Sheng Huang Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Lingli Yang Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University Naoki Yamaji Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Hiroshi Ishikita Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo Jian-Ren Shen Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University Jian Feng Ma Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Michihiro Suga Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University Silicon (Si), the most abundant mineral element in the earthfs crust, is taken up by plant roots in the form of silicic acid through Low silicon rice 1 (Lsi1). Lsi1 belongs to the Nodulin 26-like intrinsic protein subfamily in aquaporin and shows high selectivity for silicic acid. To uncover the structural basis for this high selectivity, here we show the crystal structure of the rice Lsi1 at a resolution of 1.8 Å. The structure reveals transmembrane helical orientations different from other aquaporins, characterized by a unique, widely opened, and hydrophilic selectivity filter (SF) composed of five residues. Our structural, functional, and theoretical investigations provide a solid structural basis for the Si uptake mechanism in plants, which will contribute to secure and sustainable rice production by manipulating Lsi1 selectivity for different metalloids. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

American Society for Microbiology Acta Medica Okayama 0022-538X 95 17 2021 Proof of Concept of the Yadokari Nature: a Capsidless Replicase-Encoding but Replication-Dependent Positive-Sense Single-Stranded RNA Virus Hosted by an Unrelated Double-Stranded RNA Virus e00467-21 EN Subha Das Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Md Mahfuz Alam Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Rui Zhang Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Sakae Hisano Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Nobuhiro Suzuki Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Viruses typically encode their own capsids that encase their genomes. However, a capsidless positive-sense single stranded RNA [(+)ssRNA] virus, YkV1, depends on an unrelated double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus, YnV1, for encapsidation and replication. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 0967-3849 29 3-4 2021 Effectiveness of Create ML in microscopy image classifications: a simple and inexpensive deep learning pipeline for non-data scientists 361 371 EN Kiyotaka Nagaki Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Tomoyuki Furuta Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Naoki Yamaji Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Daichi Kuniyoshi Laboratory of Plant Breeding, Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University Megumi Ishihara Laboratory of Plant Breeding, Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University Yuji Kishima Laboratory of Plant Breeding, Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University Minoru Murata Department of Agricultural and Food Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman Atsushi Hoshino National Institute for Basic Biology Hirotomo Takatsuka Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology Observing chromosomes is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, and chromosomes have been analyzed manually for many years. In the last decade, automated acquisition systems for microscopic images have advanced dramatically due to advances in their controlling computer systems, and nowadays, it is possible to automatically acquire sets of tiling-images consisting of large number, more than 1000, of images from large areas of specimens. However, there has been no simple and inexpensive system to efficiently select images containing mitotic cells among these images. In this paper, a classification system of chromosomal images by deep learning artificial intelligence (AI) that can be easily handled by non-data scientists was applied. With this system, models suitable for our own samples could be easily built on a Macintosh computer with Create ML. As examples, models constructed by learning using chromosome images derived from various plant species were able to classify images containing mitotic cells among samples from plant species not used for learning in addition to samples from the species used. The system also worked for cells in tissue sections and tetrads. Since this system is inexpensive and can be easily trained via deep learning using scientistsf own samples, it can be used not only for chromosomal image analysis but also for analysis of other biology-related images. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Nature Portfolio Acta Medica Okayama 2045-2322 11 1 2021 NB-LRR-encoding genes conferring susceptibility to organophosphate pesticides in sorghum 19828 EN Zihuan Jing Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Fiona W. Wacera Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Tsuneaki Takami Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Hideki Takanashi Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo Fumi Fukada Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Yoji Kawano Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Hiromi Kajiya-Kanegae Research Center for Agricultural Information Technology, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization Hiroyoshi Iwata Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo Nobuhiro Tsutsumi Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo Wataru Sakamoto Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Organophosphate is the commonly used pesticide to control pest outbreak, such as those by aphids in many crops. Despite its wide use, however, necrotic lesion and/or cell death following the application of organophosphate pesticides has been reported to occur in several species. To understand this phenomenon, called organophosphate pesticide sensitivity (OPS) in sorghum, we conducted QTL analysis in a recombinant inbred line derived from the Japanese cultivar NOG, which exhibits OPS. Mapping OPS in this population identified a prominent QTL on chromosome 5, which corresponded to Organophosphate-Sensitive Reaction (OSR) reported previously in other mapping populations. The OSR locus included a cluster of three genes potentially encoding nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR, NLR) proteins, among which NLR-C was considered to be responsible for OPS in a dominant fashion. NLR-C was functional in NOG, whereas the other resistant parent, BTx623, had a null mutation caused by the deletion of promoter sequences. Our finding of OSR as a dominant trait is important not only in understanding the diversified role of NB-LRR proteins in cereals but also in securing sorghum breeding free from OPS. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 1345-2630 87 6 2021 Identification and characterization of host factors involved in plant RNA virus replication 415 417 EN Kiwamu Hyodo Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Okayama University Medical School Acta Medica Okayama 0386-300X 75 4 2021 The Cell Cycle Checkpoint Gene, RAD17 rs1045051, Is Associated with Prostate Cancer Risk 415 421 EN Jingkai Sun Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University Wenfeng Lin Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Qixu Wang Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University Akiko Sakai Department of Molecular Genetics, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Ruizhi Xue Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Masami Watanabe Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Chunxiao Liu Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University Takuya Sadahira Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Yasutomo Nasu Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences Abai Xu Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University Peng Huang Department of Urology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University Original Article 10.18926/AMO/62379 Human RAD17, as an agonist of checkpoint signaling, plays an essential role in mediating DNA damage. This hospital-based case-control study aimed to explore the association between RAD17 rs1045051, a missense sin-gle nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and prostate cancer risk. Subjects were 358 prostate cancer patients and 314 cancer-free urology patients undergoing treatment at the Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University in China. RAD17 gene polymorphism rs1045051 was evaluated by the SNaPshot method. Compared with the RAD17 gene polymorphism rs1045051 AA genotype, there was a higher risk of prostate cancer for the CC gen-otype (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.731, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.031|2.908, p = 0.038). Compared with the A allele, the C allele was significantly associated with the disease status (AOR = 1.302, 95%CI = 1.037|1.634, p = 0.023). All these findings indicate that in the SNP rs1045051, both the CC genotype and C allele may have a substantial influence on the prostate cancer risk. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 1438-793X 2021 RNA-Seq-based DNA marker analysis of the genetics and molecular evolution of Triticeae species EN Kazuhiro Sato Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Kentaro Yoshida Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University Shigeo Takumi Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University The release of high-quality chromosome-level genome sequences of members of the Triticeae tribe has greatly facilitated genetic and genomic analyses of important crops such as wheat (Triticum aestivum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare). Due to the large diploid genome size of Triticeae plants (ca. 5 Gbp), transcript analysis is an important method for identifying genetic and genomic differences among Triticeae species. In this review, we summarize our results of RNA-Seq analyses of diploid wheat accessions belonging to the genera Aegilops and Triticum. We also describe studies of the molecular relationships among these accessions and provide insight into the evolution of common hexaploid wheat. DNA markers based on polymorphisms within species can be used to map loci of interest. Even though the genome sequence of diploid Aegilops tauschii, the D-genome donor of common wheat, has been released, the diploid barley genome continues to provide key information about the physical structures of diploid wheat genomes. We describe how a series of RNA-Seq analyses of wheat relatives has helped uncover the structural and evolutionary features of genomic and genetic systems in wild and cultivated Triticeae species. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

American Chemical Society (ACS) Acta Medica Okayama 1944-8244 13 29 2021 Wettability Difference Induced Out-of-Plane Unidirectional Droplet Transport for Efficient Fog Harvesting 35079 35085 EN Yutaka Yamada Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Eiji Sakata Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kazuma Isobe Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Akihiko Horibe Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Securing freshwater resources is a global issue for ensuring sustainable development. Fog harvesting is attracting great attention as a method to collect water without any energy input. Previous reports that were inspired by insects and plants have given insights such as the effectiveness of in-plane wettability and structural differences for droplet transport, which might enhance artificial water harvesting efficiency. However, further efforts to transfer droplets while maintaining performance are needed because droplet motion owing to these effects is limited to the in-plane direction. In this study, we report droplet transport between three-dimensional copper wire structures with nanostructured hydrophobic and superhydrophilic features. This mechanism enhanced the fog harvesting capability by more than 20% compared with the cumulative value of individual wires. In addition, the relationship between the droplet height and spacing of wires affected the performance. Our results show the importance of out-of-plane directional droplet transport from the wire surface assisted by differences in wire wettability, which minimizes limiting factors of fog harvesting including clogging and droplet shedding. Furthermore, the proposed arrangement reduces the overall system width compared with that of a two-dimensional arrangement while maintaining the amount of harvested water. These results provide a promising approach to designing large-scale and highly efficient fog harvesters. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Science and Business Media LLC Acta Medica Okayama 0304-8608 166 2021 A second capsidless hadakavirus strain with 10 positive-sense single-stranded RNA genomic segments from Fusarium nygamai 2711 2722 EN Haris Ahmed Khan Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Yukiyo Sato Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Hideki Kondo Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Atif Jamal Crop Diseases Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre Muhammad Faraz Bhatti Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Nobuhiro Suzuki Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University A unique capsidless virus with a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA genome (hadakavirus 1, HadV1), a member of the extended picorna-like supergroup, was isolated previously from the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum. Here, we describe the molecular and biological characterisation of a second hadakavirus strain from Fusarium nygamai, which has not been investigated in detail previously as a virus host. This virus, hadakavirus 1 strain 1NL (HadV1-1NL), has features similar to the first hadakavirus, HadV1-7n, despite having a different number of segments (10 for HadV1-1NL vs. 11 for HadV1-7n). The 10 genomic RNA segments of HadV1-1NL range in size from 0.9 kb to 2.5 kb. All HadV1-1NL segments show 67% to 86% local nucleotide sequence identity to their HadV1-7n counterparts, whereas HadV1-1NL has no homolog of HadV1-7n RNA8, which encodes a zinc-finger motif. Another interesting feature is the possible coding incapability of HadV1-1NL RNA10. HadV1-1NL was predicted to be capsidless based on the RNase A susceptibility of its replicative form dsRNA. Phenotypic comparison of multiple virus-infected and virus-free single-spore isolates indicated asymptomatic infection by HadV1-1NL. Less-efficient vertical transmission via spores was observed as the infected fungal colonies from which the spores were derived became older, as was observed for HadV1-7n. This study shows a second example of a hadakavirus that appears to have unusual features. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

MDPI Acta Medica Okayama 1422-0067 22 13 2021 Citric Acid-Mediated Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants 7235 EN Md. Tahjib-Ul-Arif Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Mst, Ishrat Zahan Plant Breeding Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Md. Masudul Karim Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University Shahin Imran Department of Agronomy, Khulna Agricultural University Charles T. Hunter Chemistry Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture\Agricultural Research Service Md. Saiful Islam Department of Fisheries, Bangamata Sheikh Fojilatunnesa Mujib Science and Technology University Md. Ashik Mia Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University Md. Abdul Hannan Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangladesh Agricultural University Mohammad Saidur Rhaman Department of Seed Science and Technology, Bangladesh Agricultural University Md. Afzal Hossain Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangladesh Agricultural University Marian Brestic Department of Plant Physiology, Slovak University of Agriculture Milan Skalicky Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Yoshiyuki Murata Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Several recent studies have shown that citric acid/citrate (CA) can confer abiotic stress tolerance to plants. Exogenous CA application leads to improved growth and yield in crop plants under various abiotic stress conditions. Improved physiological outcomes are associated with higher photosynthetic rates, reduced reactive oxygen species, and better osmoregulation. Application of CA also induces antioxidant defense systems, promotes increased chlorophyll content, and affects secondary metabolism to limit plant growth restrictions under stress. In particular, CA has a major impact on relieving heavy metal stress by promoting precipitation, chelation, and sequestration of metal ions. This review summarizes the mechanisms that mediate CA-regulated changes in plants, primarily CA's involvement in the control of physiological and molecular processes in plants under abiotic stress conditions. We also review genetic engineering strategies for CA-mediated abiotic stress tolerance. Finally, we propose a model to explain how CA's position in complex metabolic networks involving the biosynthesis of phytohormones, amino acids, signaling molecules, and other secondary metabolites could explain some of its abiotic stress-ameliorating properties. This review summarizes our current understanding of CA-mediated abiotic stress tolerance and highlights areas where additional research is needed. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Nature Acta Medica Okayama 1756-0500 14 1 2021 Development of a method to rapidly assess resistance/susceptibility of Micro-Tom tomatoes to Tomato yellow leaf curl virus via agroinoculation of cotyledons 237 EN Tomoaki Mori Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University Kosuke Takenaka Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University Fumiya Domoto Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University Yasuhiro Aoyama Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University Takashi Sera Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University Objective: Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is one of the pathogens severely damaging tomato crops. Therefore, methods to treat or prevent TYLCV infection need to be developed. For this purpose, a method to conveniently and quickly assess infection of tomatoes by TYLCV is desired. In the present study, we established a quick method to evaluate TYLCV infection using cotyledons of Micro-Tom, a miniature tomato cultivar.<br> Results: First, we constructed a binary plasmid harboring 1.5 copies of the TYLCV genome and transformed Agrobacterium with the plasmid. By injecting agroinoculum from the resulting transformant into the branches of Micro-Tom, we confirmed the susceptibility of Micro-Tom to TYLCV. To shorten the evaluation process of TYLCV infection further, we agroinoculated cotyledons of Micro-Tom 10 days after sowing seeds. We consistently observed typical symptoms of TYLCV infection on true leaves 10 days after agroinoculation. Molecular analysis detected TYLCV progeny DNA in all leaves demonstrating symptoms 6 days after agroinoculation. Therefore, our new protocol enabled assessment of TYLCV infection within 20 days after sowing seeds. Thus, agroinoculation of Micro-Tom cotyledons will accelerate the process of screening TYLCV-resistant Micro-Toms and enable screening of larger numbers of plants more quickly, contributing to the development of TYLCV-resistant tomatoes. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

American Chemical Society (ACS) Acta Medica Okayama 1523-7060 23 8 2021 Electrosynthesis of Phosphacycles via Dehydrogenative C–P Bond Formation Using DABCO as a Mediator 3120 3124 EN Yuji Kurimoto Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Jun Yamashita Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Koichi Mitsudo Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Eisuke Sato Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Seiji Suga Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University The first electrochemical synthesis of diarylphosphole oxides (DPOs) was achieved under mild conditions. The practical protocol employs commercially available and inexpensive DABCO as a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) mediator, leading to various DPOs in moderate to good yields. This procedure can also be applied to the synthesis of six-membered phosphacycles, such as phenophosphazine derivatives. Mechanistic studies suggested that the reaction proceeds via an electro-generated phosphinyl radical. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Oxford University Press (OUP) Acta Medica Okayama 1347-6947 85 1 2021 Synthesis of (12R,13S)-pyriculariol and (12R,13S)-dihydropyriculariol revealed that the rice blast fungus, Pyricularia oryzae, produces these phytotoxins as racemates 134 142 EN Yuta Nagashima Laboratory of Applied Bioorganic Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University Ayaka Sasaki Laboratory of Applied Bioorganic Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University Ryoya Hiraoka Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Yuko Onoda Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Koji Tanaka Laboratory of Applied Bioorganic Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University Zi-Yi Wang Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Atsuki Kuwana Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Yuki Sato Laboratory of Applied Bioorganic Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University Yuji Suzuki Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Function, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University Minoru Izumi Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Shigefumi Kuwahara Laboratory of Applied Bioorganic Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University Manabu Nukina Professor Emeritus, Yamagata University Hiromasa Kiyota Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Synthesis of assumed natural (12R,13S)-enantiomers of pyriculariol (1) and dihydropyriculariol (2), phytotoxins isolated from rice blast disease fungus, Pyricularia oryzae, was achieved using Wittig reaction or microwave-assisted Stille coupling reaction as the key step. The synthesis revealed that the natural 1 and 2 are racemates. Foliar application test on a rice leaf indicated that both the salicylaldehyde core and side chain were necessary for phytotoxic activity. The fungus is found to produce optically active phytotoxins when incubated with rotary shaker, but racemic ones when cultured using an aerated jar fermenter. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Wiley Acta Medica Okayama 0028-646X 231 1 2021 Divergence in red light responses associated with thermal reversion of phytochrome B between high] and low]latitude species 75 84 EN Hajime Ikeda Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Tomomi Suzuki Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University Yoshito Oka Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University A. Lovisa S. Gustafsson Natural History Museum, University of Oslo Christian Brochmann Natural History Museum, University of Oslo Nobuyoshi Mochizuki Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University Akira Nagatani Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University Summary<br> EPhytochromes play a central role in mediating adaptive responses to light and temperature throughout plant life cycles. Despite evidence for adaptive importance of natural variation in phytochromes, little information is known about molecular mechanisms that modulate physiological responses of phytochromes in nature.<br> EWe show evolutionary divergence in physiological responses relevant to thermal stability of a physiologically active form of phytochrome (Pfr) between two sister species of Brassicaceae growing at different latitudes.<br> The higher latitude species (Cardamine bellidifolia; Cb) responded more strongly to light]limited conditions compared with its lower latitude sister (C. nipponica; Cn). Moreover, CbPHYB conferred stronger responses to both light]limited and warm conditions in the phyB]deficient mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana than CnPHYB: that is Pfr CbphyB was more stable in nuclei than CnphyB. <br> EOur findings suggest that fine tuning Pfr stability is a fundamental mechanism for plants to optimise phytochrome]related traits in their evolution and adapt to spatially varying environments, and open a new avenue to understand molecular mechanisms that fine tune phytochrome responses in nature. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

MDPI Acta Medica Okayama 2073-8994 13 3 2021 On the Root Causes of the Fukushima Daiichi Disaster from the Perspective of High Complexity and Tight Coupling in Large-Scale Systems 414 EN Atsuo Murata Department of Intelligent Mechanical Systems, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Waldemar Karwowski Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems, University of Central Florida This study explores the root causes of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster and discusses how the complexity and tight coupling in large-scale systems should be reduced under emergencies such as station blackout (SBO) to prevent future disasters. First, on the basis of a summary of the published literature on the Fukushima Daiichi disaster, we found that the direct causes (i.e., malfunctions and problems) included overlooking the loss of coolant and the nuclear reactor's failure to cool down. Second, we verified that two characteristics proposed in "normal accident" theory-high complexity and tight coupling-underlay each of the direct causes. These two characteristics were found to have made emergency management more challenging. We discuss how such disasters in large-scale systems with high complexity and tight coupling could be prevented through an organizational and managerial approach that can remove asymmetry of authority and information and foster a climate of openly discussing critical safety issues in nuclear power plants. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw‹ณŽt‹ณˆ็ŠJ”ญƒZƒ“ƒ^[ Acta Medica Okayama 2186-1323 11 2021 ‹C�Šw‚ฦA•จŠw‚ฦ‚ฬ˜AŒg‚ษ‚ๆ‚้Žฉ‘RŠย‹ซŒn‚ฬ ESD “I—‰๐‚ึ‚ฬŠw�“IƒAƒvƒ[ƒ`\‘ๅŠw‚ษ‚จ‚ฏ‚้Ž๖‹ฦŽภ‘H‚ฬŽŽ‚�\ 149 163 EN Taro HARADA Graduate School of Education, Okayama University Kuranoshin KATO Graduate School of Education, Okayama University 10.18926/CTED/61571 —‰ศ‚ฬŠw–โ•ช–์‚ล‚ ‚้‹C�Šw‚ฦA•จŠw‚ฦ‚ฬ˜AŒg‚ษ‚ๆ‚่CŽ‘ฑ‰ย”\‚ศŠJ”ญ‚ฬ‚ฝ‚฿‚ฬ‹ณˆ็iESDj‚๐ŽuŒ�‚ต‚ฝŽฉ‘RŠย‹ซŒn‚ฬ—‰๐‚๐–ฺŽw‚ตC‘ๅŠw‚ฬ‹ณ‰ศE•ช–์‰ก’f“I‚ศ‰ศ–ฺ‚ษ‚จ‚ฏ‚้Ž๖‹ฦŽภ‘H‚๐s‚ม‚ฝBล‰‚ฬŽŽ‚�‚ฦ‚ต‚ฤC‹C�E‹G฿E‹CŒ๓‚จ‚ๆ‚ัA•จ‚ฦ‚ฬŠึ˜A‚ชd—v‚ฦ‚ศ‚้—‰ศ‚ฬ‹ณ‰ศ“เ—e‚๐ƒx[ƒX‚ษCŠw�“I‚ศ‘ค–ส‚๐Ž‚ย‚ข‚ญ‚ย‚ฉ‚ฬƒe[ƒ}‚ชŒฉo‚ณ‚๊‚ฝB‚ฦ‚่‚ํ‚ฏCถ•จ‹G฿iƒtƒFƒmƒƒW[j‚อCESD ‚ษŠึ˜A‚ต‚ฝ‹C�E‹CŒ๓‚ฬ‹G฿ƒTƒCƒNƒ‹‚ฦA•จ‚ฬฌ’ท‚จ‚ๆ‚ัŠย‹ซ‰ž“š‚ฦ‚ฬŠึ‚ํ‚่‚ษŠึ‚ท‚้Šwถ‚ฬ—‰๐‚๐‘ฃi‚ท‚้‚ค‚ฆ‚ล—L—p‚ล‚ ‚้‚ฑ‚ฦ‚ชCŽ๖‹ฦ•ชอ‚ฉ‚็Žฆด‚ณ‚๊‚ฝB‚ฑ‚๊‚็‚ฬŽ๖‹ฦŽภ‘H‚ฉ‚็C‹C�Šw‚ฦA•จŠw‚ฦ‚ฬ˜AŒg‚ชCŽฉ‘RŠย‹ซŒn‚ฬ ESD “I—‰๐‚ฬ‘ฃi‚ฬ‚�‚ศ‚็‚ธC‹ณ‰ศ“เ—e\ฌ‚ฬ•ช–์‰ก’f“I‚ศŒŸ“ข‚ษ‚เ–๐—ง‚ฟC‹ณŽt‹ณˆ็‚ฬ‚ฝ‚฿‚ฬƒAƒvƒ[ƒ`‚ฦ‚ต‚ฤ—L–]‚ล‚ ‚้‰ย”\ซ‚ชŽฆ‚ณ‚๊‚ฝB No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Nature Acta Medica Okayama 2041-1723 12 1 2021 Structure of photosystem I-LHCI-LHCII from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in State 2 1100 EN Zihui Huang Department of Biophysics, and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Liangliang Shen Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Wenda Wang Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Zhiyuan Mao Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Xiaohan Yi Department of Biophysics, and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Tingyun Kuang Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Jian-Ren Shen Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, and Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Xing Zhang Department of Biophysics, and Department of Pathology of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine Guangye Han Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Photosystem I (PSI) and II (PSII) balance their light energy distribution absorbed by their light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) through state transition to maintain the maximum photosynthetic performance and to avoid photodamage. In state 2, a part of LHCII moves to PSI, forming a PSI-LHCI-LHCII supercomplex. The green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii exhibits state transition to a far larger extent than higher plants. Here we report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of a PSI-LHCI-LHCII supercomplex in state 2 from C. reinhardtii at 3.42 Å resolution. The result reveals that the PSI-LHCI-LHCII of C. reinhardtii binds two LHCII trimers in addition to ten LHCI subunits. The PSI core subunits PsaO and PsaH, which were missed or not well-resolved in previous Cr-PSI-LHCI structures, are observed. The present results reveal the organization and assembly of PSI core subunits, LHCI and LHCII, pigment arrangement, and possible pathways of energy transfer from peripheral antennae to the PSI core. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Nature Acta Medica Okayama 2056-5968 7 1 2021 Antenna arrangement and energy-transfer pathways of PSI-LHCI from the moss Physcomitrella patens 10 EN Qiujing Yan Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Liang Zhao State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology & Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University Wenda Wang Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Xiong Pi State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology & Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University Guangye Han Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Jie Wang Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lingpeng Cheng State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology & Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University Yi-Kun He College of Life Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Tingyun Kuang Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences Xiaochun Qin School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan Sen-Fang Sui State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology & Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University Jian-Ren Shen Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, and Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Plants harvest light energy utilized for photosynthesis by light-harvesting complex I and II (LHCI and LHCII) surrounding photosystem I and II (PSI and PSII), respectively. During the evolution of green plants, moss is at an evolutionarily intermediate position from aquatic photosynthetic organisms to land plants, being the first photosynthetic organisms that landed. Here, we report the structure of the PSI-LHCI supercomplex from the moss Physcomitrella patens (Pp) at 3.23 angstrom resolution solved by cryo-electron microscopy. Our structure revealed that four Lhca subunits are associated with the PSI core in an order of Lhca1-Lhca5-Lhca2-Lhca3. This number is much decreased from 8 to 10, the number of subunits in most green algal PSI-LHCI, but the same as those of land plants. Although Pp PSI-LHCI has a similar structure as PSI-LHCI of land plants, it has Lhca5, instead of Lhca4, in the second position of Lhca, and several differences were found in the arrangement of chlorophylls among green algal, moss, and land plant PSI-LHCI. One chlorophyll, PsaF-Chl 305, which is found in the moss PSI-LHCI, is located at the gap region between the two middle Lhca subunits and the PSI core, and therefore may make the excitation energy transfer from LHCI to the core more efficient than that of land plants. On the other hand, energy-transfer paths at the two side Lhca subunits are relatively conserved. These results provide a structural basis for unravelling the mechanisms of light-energy harvesting and transfer in the moss PSI-LHCI, as well as important clues on the changes of PSI-LHCI after landing. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Nature Acta Medica Okayama 2373-8065 7 2021 Gravity sensing in plant and animal cells 2 EN Ken Takahashi Department of Cardiovascular Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Hideyuki Takahashi Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University Takuya Furuichi Faculty of Human Life Sciences, Hagoromo University of International Studies Masatsugu Toyota Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saitama University Makoto Furutani-Seiki Department of Systems Biochemistry in Regeneration and Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University Takeshi Kobayashi Department of Integrative Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University Haruko Watanabe-Takano Department of Cell Biology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute Masahiro Shinohara Department of Rehabilitation for the Movement Functions, Research Institute, National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities Takuro Numaga-Tomita Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Shinshu University School of Medicine Asako Sakaue-Sawano Lab for Cell Function and Dynamics, CBS, RIKEN Atsushi Miyawaki Lab for Cell Function and Dynamics, CBS, RIKEN Keiji Naruse Department of Cardiovascular Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Gravity determines shape of body tissue and affects the functions of life, both in plants and animals. The cellular response to gravity is an active process of mechanotransduction. Although plants and animals share some common mechanisms of gravity sensing in spite of their distant phylogenetic origin, each species has its own mechanism to sense and respond to gravity. In this review, we discuss current understanding regarding the mechanisms of cellular gravity sensing in plants and animals. Understanding gravisensing also contributes to life on Earth, e.g., understanding osteoporosis and muscle atrophy. Furthermore, in the current age of Mars exploration, understanding cellular responses to gravity will form the foundation of living in space. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Oxford University Press Acta Medica Okayama 1340-2838 27 4 2020 History and future perspectives of barley genomics dsaa023 EN Kazuhiro Sato Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Barley (Hordeum vulgare), one of the most widely cultivated cereal crops, possesses a large genome of 5.1Gbp. Through various international collaborations, the genome has recently been sequenced and assembled at the chromosome-scale by exploiting available genetic and genomic resources. Many wild and cultivated barley accessions have been collected and preserved around the world. These accessions are crucial to obtain diverse natural and induced barley variants. The barley bioresource project aims to investigate the diversity of this crop based on purified seed and DNA samples of a large number of collected accessions. The long-term goal of this project is to analyse the genome sequences of major barley accessions worldwide. In view of technical limitations, a strategy has been employed to establish the exome structure of a selected number of accessions and to perform high-quality chromosome-scale assembly of the genomes of several major representative accessions. For the future project, an efficient annotation pipeline is essential for establishing the function of genomes and genes as well as for using this information for sequence-based digital barley breeding. In this article, the author reviews the existing barley resources along with their applications and discuss possible future directions of research in barley genomics. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Public Library of Science Acta Medica Okayama 1932-6203 16 1 2021 Amplitude of circadian rhythms becomes weaken in the north, but there is no cline in the period of rhythm in a beetle e0245115 EN Masato S. Abe Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, RIKEN Kentarou Matsumura Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Taishi Yoshii Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Takahisa Miyatake Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Many species show rhythmicity in activity, from the timing of flowering in plants to that of foraging behavior in animals. The free-running periods and amplitude (sometimes called strength or power) of circadian rhythms are often used as indicators of biological clocks. Many reports have shown that these traits are highly geographically variable, and interestingly, they often show latitudinal or longitudinal clines. In many cases, the higher the latitude is, the longer the free-running circadian period (i.e., period of rhythm) in insects and plants. However, reports of positive correlations between latitude or longitude and circadian rhythm traits, including free-running periods, the power of the rhythm and locomotor activity, are limited to certain taxonomic groups. Therefore, we collected a cosmopolitan stored-product pest species, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, in various parts of Japan and examined its rhythm traits, including the power and period of the rhythm, which were calculated from locomotor activity. The analysis revealed that the power was significantly lower for beetles collected in northern areas than southern areas in Japan. However, it is worth noting that the period of circadian rhythm did not show any clines; specifically, it did not vary among the sampling sites, despite the very large sample size (n = 1585). We discuss why these cline trends were observed in T. castaneum. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Acta Medica Okayama 0166-8595 147 1 2021 Phos-tag-based approach to study protein phosphorylation in the thylakoid membrane 107 124 EN Keiji Nishioka Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University Yusuke Kato Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University Shin-ichiro Ozawa Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University Yuichiro Takahashi Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University Wataru Sakamoto Institute of Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University Protein phosphorylation is a fundamental post-translational modification in all organisms. In photoautotrophic organisms, protein phosphorylation is essential for the fine-tuning of photosynthesis. The reversible phosphorylation of the photosystem II (PSII) core and the light-harvesting complex of PSII (LHCII) contribute to the regulation of photosynthetic activities. Besides the phosphorylation of these major proteins, recent phosphoproteomic analyses have revealed that several proteins are phosphorylated in the thylakoid membrane. In this study, we utilized the Phos-tag technology for a comprehensive assessment of protein phosphorylation in the thylakoid membrane of Arabidopsis. Phos-tag SDS-PAGE enables the mobility shift of phosphorylated proteins compared with their non-phosphorylated isoform, thus differentiating phosphorylated proteins from their non-phosphorylated isoforms. We extrapolated this technique to two-dimensional (2D) SDS-PAGE for detecting protein phosphorylation in the thylakoid membrane. Thylakoid proteins were separated in the first dimension by conventional SDS-PAGE and in the second dimension by Phos-tag SDS-PAGE. In addition to the isolation of major phosphorylated photosynthesis-related proteins, 2D Phos-tag SDS-PAGE enabled the detection of several minor phosphorylated proteins in the thylakoid membrane. The analysis of the thylakoid kinase mutants demonstrated that light-dependent protein phosphorylation was mainly restricted to the phosphorylation of the PSII core and LHCII proteins. Furthermore, we assessed the phosphorylation states of the structural domains of the thylakoid membrane, grana core, grana margin, and stroma lamella. Overall, these results demonstrated that Phos-tag SDS-PAGE is a useful biochemical tool for studying in vivo protein phosphorylation in the thylakoid membrane protein. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Nature Research Acta Medica Okayama 2041-1723 11 1 2020 Establishment of Neurospora crassa as a model organism for fungal virology 5627 EN Shinji Honda Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui Ana Eusebio-Cope Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Shuhei Miyashita Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University Ayumi Yokoyama Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui Annisa Aulia Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Sabitree Shahi Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Hideki Kondo Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Nobuhiro Suzuki Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University The filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa is used as a model organism for genetics, developmental biology and molecular biology. Remarkably, it is not known to host or to be susceptible to infection with any viruses. Here, we identify diverse RNA viruses in N. crassa and other Neurospora species, and show that N. crassa supports the replication of these viruses as well as some viruses from other fungi. Several encapsidated double-stranded RNA viruses and capsid-less positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses can be experimentally introduced into N. crassa protoplasts or spheroplasts. This allowed us to examine viral replication and RNAi-mediated antiviral responses in this organism. We show that viral infection upregulates the transcription of RNAi components, and that Dicer proteins (DCL-1, DCL-2) and an Argonaute (QDE-2) participate in suppression of viral replication. Our study thus establishes N. crassa as a model system for the study of host-virus interactions. The fungus Neurospora crassa is a model organism for the study of various biological processes, but it is not known to be infected by any viruses. Here, Honda et al. identify RNA viruses that infect N. crassa and examine viral replication and RNAi-mediated antiviral responses, thus establishing this fungus as a model for the study of host-virus interactions. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Acta Medica Okayama 2020 Studies on the effect of bioactive molecules derived from medicinal plants on cancer stem cells EN Hend Magdy Abdelhamid Nawara Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Springer Acta Medica Okayama 1345-2630 87 2020 HopH1 effectors of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 and pv. syringae B728a induce HR cell death in nonhost eggplant Solanum torvum 24 29 EN Kamrun Nahar Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Takafumi Mukaihara Research Institute for Biological Sciences, Okayama (RIBS) Fumiko Taguchi Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Hidenori Matsui Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Mikihiro Yamamoto Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Kazuhiro Toyoda Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yoshiteru Noutoshi Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Tomonori Shiraishi Research Institute for Biological Sciences, Okayama (RIBS) Yuki Ichinose Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University HopH1 is an effector protein of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 and P. syringae pv. syringae B728a and is a homolog of the putative Zn-dependent protease effector Rip36 of Ralstonia solanacearum, which induces hypersensitive response (HR) cell death in a nonhost plant, Solanum torvum Sw. cv. Torubamubiga. Although P. syringae pv. phaseolicola (Pph) 1448A neither produces HopH1 nor induces HR cell death, hopH1-introduced Pph 1448A acquired the ability to induce HR. These results indicate that the putative Zn-protease HopH1 effector induces HR cell death in nonhost S. torvum. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Nature Research Acta Medica Okayama 2058-5276 1 1 2016 A capsidless ssRNA virus hosted by an unrelated dsRNA virus 15001 EN Rui Zhang Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Sakae Hisano Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Akio Tani Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Hideki Kondo Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Satoko Kanematsu NARO Institute of Fruit Tree Science Nobuhiro Suzuki Agrivirology Laboratory, Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Viruses typically encode the capsid that encases their genome, while satellite viruses do not encode a replicase and depend on a helper virus for their replication1. Here, we report interplay between two RNA viruses, yado-nushi virus 1 (YnV1) and yado-kari virus 1 (YkV1), in a phytopathogenic fungus, Rosellinia necatrix2. YkV1 has a close phylogenetic affinity to positive-sense, single-stranded (+)ssRNA viruses such as animal caliciviruses3, while YnV1 has an undivided double-stranded (ds) RNA genome with a resemblance to fungal totiviruses4. Virion transfection and infectious full-length cDNA transformation has shown that YkV1 depends on YnV1 for viability, although it probably encodes functional RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Immunological and molecular analyses have revealed trans-encapsidation of not only YkV1 RNA but also RdRp by the capsid protein of the other virus (YnV1), and enhancement of YnV1 accumulation by YkV1. This study demonstrates interplay in which the capsidless (+)ssRNA virus (YkV1), hijacks the capsid protein of the dsRNA virus (YnV1), and replicates as if it were a dsRNA virus. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

American Society for Microbiology Acta Medica Okayama 2150-7511 11 3 2020 Hadaka Virus 1: a Capsidless Eleven-Segmented Positive-Sense Single-Stranded RNA Virus from a Phytopathogenic Fungus, Fusarium oxysporum e00450-20 EN Yukiyo Sato Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Wajeeha Shamsi Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Atif Jamal Crop Diseases Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre Muhammad Faraz Bhatti Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Hideki Kondo Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Nobuhiro Suzuki Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University The search for viruses infecting fungi, or mycoviruses, has extended our knowledge about the diversity of RNA viruses, as exemplified by the discovery of polymycoviruses, a phylogenetic group of multisegmented RNA viruses with unusual forms. The genomic RNAs of known polymycoviruses, which show a phylogenetic affinity for animal positive-sense single-stranded RNA [(+)RNA] viruses such as caliciviruses, are comprised of four conserved segments with an additional zero to four segments. The double-stranded form of polymycovirus genomic RNA is assumed to be associated with a virally encoded protein (proline-alanine-serine-rich protein [PASrp]) in either of two manners: a capsidless colloidal form or a filamentous encapsidated form. Detailed molecular characterizations of polymycoviruses, however, have been conducted for only a few strains. Here, a novel polymyco-related virus named Hadaka virus 1 (HadV1), from the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum, was characterized. The genomic RNA of HadV1 consisted of an 11-segmented positive-sense RNA with highly conserved terminal nucleotide sequences. HadV1 shared the three conserved segments with known polymycoviruses but lacked the PASrp-encoding segment. Unlike the known polymycoviruses and encapsidated viruses, HadV1 was not pelleted by conventional ultracentrifugation, possibly due to the lack of PASrp. This result implied that HadV1 exists only as a soluble form with naked RNA. Nevertheless, the 11 genomic segments of HadV1 have been stably maintained through host subculturing and conidiation. Taken together, the results of this study revealed a virus with a potential novel virus lifestyle, carrying many genomic segments without typical capsids or PASrp-associated forms. IMPORTANCE Fungi collectively host various RNA viruses. Examples include encapsidated double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses with diverse numbers of genomic segments (from 1 to 12) and capsidless viruses with nonsegmented (+)RNA genomes. Recently, viruses with unusual intermediate features of an infectious entity between encapsidated dsRNA viruses and capsidless (+)RNA viruses were found. They are called polymycoviruses, which typically have four to eight dsRNA genomic segments associated with one of the virus-encoded proteins and are phylogenetically distantly related to animal (+)RNA caliciviruses. Here, we identified a novel virus phylogenetically related to polymycoviruses, from the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum. The virus, termed Hadaka virus 1 (HadV1), has 11 (+)RNA genomic segments, the largest number in known (+)RNA viruses. Nevertheless, HadV1 lacked a typical structural protein of polymycoviruses and was not pelleted by standard ultracentrifugation, implying an unusual capsidless nature of HadV1. This study reveals a potential novel lifestyle of multisegmented RNA viruses. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Nature Research Acta Medica Okayama 2045-2322 10 1 2020 Identification of effector candidate genes of Rhizoctonia solani AG-1 IA expressed during infection in Brachypodium distachyon 14889 EN Sobhy S. H. Abdelsalam Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Yusuke Kouzai Bioproductivity Informatics Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Megumi Watanabe Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Komaki Inoue Bioproductivity Informatics Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Hidenori Matsui Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Mikihiro Yamamoto Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Yuki Ichinose Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Kazuhiro Toyoda Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Seiji Tsuge Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto Prefectural University Keiichi Mochida Institute for Plant Science and Resources (IPSR), Okayama University Yoshiteru Noutoshi Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Rhizoctonia solani is a necrotrophic phytopathogen belonging to basidiomycetes. It causes rice sheath blight which inflicts serious damage in rice production. The infection strategy of this pathogen remains unclear. We previously demonstrated that salicylic acid-induced immunity could block R. solani AG-1 IA infection in both rice and Brachypodium distachyon. R. solani may undergo biotrophic process using effector proteins to suppress host immunity before necrotrophic stage. To identify pathogen genes expressed at the early infection process, here we developed an inoculation method using B. distachyon which enables to sample an increased amount of semi-synchronous infection hyphae. Sixty-one R. solani secretory effector-like protein genes (RsSEPGs) were identified using in silico approach with the publicly available gene annotation of R. solani AG-1 IA genome and our RNA-sequencing results obtained from hyphae grown on agar medium. Expression of RsSEPGs was analyzed at 6, 10, 16, 24, and 32 h after inoculation by a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and 52 genes could be detected at least on a single time point tested. Their expressions showed phase-specific patterns which were classified into 6 clusters. The 23 RsSEPGs in the cluster 1-3 and 29 RsSEPGs in the cluster 4-6 are expected to be involved in biotrophic and necrotrophic interactions, respectively. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Oxford University Press Acta Medica Okayama 0022-0957 71 16 2020 Low temperature modulates natural peel degreening in lemon fruit independently of endogenous ethylene 4778 4796 EN Oscar W. Mitalo Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Takumi Otsuki Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Rui Okada Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Saeka Obitsu Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Kanae Masuda Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Yuko Hojo Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Takakazu Matsuura Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Izumi C. Mori Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Daigo Abe National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Shikoku Research Station William O. Asiche Department of Research and Development, Del Monte Kenya Ltd Takashi Akagi Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Yasutaka Kubo Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Koichiro Ushijima Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University Peel degreening is an important aspect of fruit ripening in many citrus fruit, and previous studies have shown that it can be advanced by ethylene treatment or by low-temperature storage. However, the important regulators and pathways involved in natural peel degreening remain largely unknown. To determine how natural peel degreening is regulated in lemon fruit (Citrus limon), we studied transcriptome and physiochemical changes in the flavedo in response to ethylene treatment and low temperatures. Treatment with ethylene induced rapid peel degreening, which was strongly inhibited by the ethylene antagonist, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP). Compared with 25 degrees C, moderately low storage temperatures of 5-20 degrees C also triggered peel degreening. Surprisingly, repeated 1-MCP treatments failed to inhibit the peel degreening induced by low temperature. Transcriptome analysis revealed that low temperature and ethylene independently regulated genes associated with chlorophyll degradation, carotenoid metabolism, photosystem proteins, phytohormone biosynthesis and signalling, and transcription factors. Peel degreening of fruit on trees occurred in association with drops in ambient temperature, and it coincided with the differential expression of low temperature-regulated genes. In contrast, genes that were uniquely regulated by ethylene showed no significant expression changes during on-tree peel degreening. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that low temperature plays a prominent role in regulating natural peel degreening independently of ethylene in citrus fruit. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Wiley Acta Medica Okayama 0022-1147 85 9 2020 A comparative study of the antioxidant profiles of olive fruit and leaf extracts against five reactive oxygen species as measured with a multiple free]radical scavenging method 2737 2744 EN Yoshimi Sueishi Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Okayama University Risako Nii Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Okayama University Olive fruits and leaves are recognized to have great potential as natural sources of antioxidants. The major phenolic antioxidant component in these plant tissues is oleuropein. The antioxidant activity of olive fruits and leaves was evaluated in this study using multiple free]radical scavenging (MULTIS) methods, wherein we determined the scavenging abilities of different extracts against five reactive oxygen species (ROS; HO·, O2|·, RO·, t]BuOO·, and 1O2). Raw olive fruits taste bitter and are inedible without undergoing a debittering treatment. Following the NaOH]debittering process, the radical scavenging activity of olives decreased by 90%. The MULTIS measurements indicated that oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol are responsible for the radical scavenging activity of olive fruits. Furthermore, we evaluated the radical scavenging profiles of olive leaf extracts against five ROS and found significant seasonal variations in their antioxidant activities. Leaves picked in August possessed greater radical scavenging abilities (180% to 410% for different ROS) than those picked in the cold season (December and February). In roasted olive leaves, we found marked increases (230% to 300% and 180% to 220%) in the antioxidant activities of Maillard reaction products against RO· and t]BuOO·, respectively. This study presented a useful comparative analysis of the antioxidant capacities of food against various types of ROS. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒ_ƒ“ƒhƒN EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒEƒXƒQƒqƒƒ€ƒJƒVƒˆƒ‚ƒM EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒzƒ\ƒoƒcƒ‹ƒmƒQƒCƒgƒE EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Elsevier Acta Medica Okayama 0005-2728 1861 7 2020 Spectral tuning of light-harvesting complex II in the siphonous alga Bryopsis corticulans and its effect on energy transfer dynamics 148191 EN Parveen Akhtar Biological Research Centre Paweł J. Nowakowski ivision of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University Wenda Wang Photosynthesis Research Centre, Chinese Academy of Sciences Thanh Nhut Do Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University Songhao Zhao Photosynthesis Research Centre, Chinese Academy of Sciences Giuliano Siligardi Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Győző Garab Biological Research Centre Jian-Ren Shen Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Howe-Siang Tan Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University Petar H. Lambrev Biological Research Centre Light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) from the marine green macroalga Bryopsis corticulans is spectroscopically characterized to understand the structural and functional changes resulting from adaptation to intertidal environment. LHCII is homologous to its counterpart in land plants but has a different carotenoid and chlorophyll (Chl) composition. This is reflected in the steady-state absorption, fluorescence, linear dichroism, circular dichroism and anisotropic circular dichroism spectra. Time-resolved fluorescence and two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy were used to investigate the consequences of this adaptive change in the pigment composition on the excited-state dynamics. The complex contains additional Chl b spectral forms – absorbing at around 650 nm and 658 nm – and lacks the red-most Chl a forms compared with higher-plant LHCII. Similar to plant LHCII, energy transfer between Chls occurs on timescales from under hundred fs (mainly from Chl b to Chl a) to several picoseconds (mainly between Chl a pools). However, the presence of long-lived, weakly coupled Chl b and Chl a states leads to slower exciton equilibration in LHCII from B. corticulans. The finding demonstrates a trade-off between the enhanced absorption of blue-green light and the excitation migration time. However, the adaptive change does not result in a significant drop in the overall photochemical efficiency of Photosystem II. These results show that LHCII is a robust adaptable system whose spectral properties can be tuned to the environment for optimal light harvesting. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

MDPI Acta Medica Okayama 2076-3417 10 14 2020 Finite Element Study of the Effect of Internal Cracks on Surface Profile Change due to Low Loading of Turbine Blade 4883 EN Junji Sakamoto Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Naoya Tada Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Takeshi Uemori Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hayato Kuniyasu Shimadzu Corporation Turbine blades for thermal power plants are exposed to severe environments, making it necessary to ensure safety against damage, such as crack formation. A previous method detected internal cracks by applying a small load to a target member. Changes in the surface properties of the material were detected before and after the load using a digital holographic microscope and a digital height correlation method. In this study, this technique was applied in combination with finite element analysis using a 2D and 3D model simulating the turbine blades. Analysis clarified that the change in the surface properties under a small load varied according to the presence or absence of a crack, and elucidated the strain distribution that caused the difference in the change. In addition, analyses of the 2D model considering the material anisotropy and thermal barrier coating were conducted. The difference in the change in the surface properties and strain distribution according to the presence or absence of cracks was elucidated. The difference in the change in the top surface height distribution of the materials with and without a crack was directly proportional to the crack length. As the value was large with respect to the vertical resolution of 0.2 nm of the digital holographic microscope, the change could be detected by the microscope. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

MDPI Acta Medica Okayama 2223-7747 9 6 2020 Easy-to-Use InDel Markers for Genetic Mapping between Col-0 and Ler-0 Accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana 779 EN Takahiro Tanaka Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Yuichi Nishii Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Hirotoshi Matsuo Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Taku Takahashi Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Map-based gene cloning has played a key role in many genetic studies using the model plant,Arabidopsis thaliana. In the post-next generation sequencing era, identification of point mutations and their corresponding genes is increasingly becoming a powerful and important approach to define plant gene function. To perform initial mapping experiments efficiently on Arabidopsis mutants, enrichment of easy-to-use and reliable polymorphic DNA markers would be desirable. We present here a list of InDel polymorphic markers between Col-0 and Ler-0 accessions that can be detected in standard agarose gel electrophoresis. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Frontiers Media Acta Medica Okayama 1664-302X 11 2020 Diverse Partitiviruses From the Phytopathogenic Fungus,Rosellinia necatrix 1064 EN Paul Telengech Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Sakae Hisano Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Cyrus Mugambi Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Kiwamu Hyodo Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Juan Manuel Arjona-Lopez Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Carlos Jose Lopez-Herrera Institute for Sustainable Agriculture,Spanish Research Council Satoko Kanematsu Institute of Fruit Tree Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) Hideki Kondo Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Nobuhiro Suzuki Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Partitiviruses (dsRNA viruses, familyPartitiviridae) are ubiquitously detected in plants and fungi. Although previous surveys suggested their omnipresence in the white root rot fungus,Rosellinia necatrix, only a few of them have been molecularly and biologically characterized thus far. We report the characterization of a total of 20 partitiviruses from 16R. necatrixstrains belonging to 15 new species, for which "Rosellinia necatrix partitivirus 11-Rosellinia necatrix partitivirus 25" were proposed, and 5 previously reported species. The newly identified partitiviruses have been taxonomically placed in two genera,Alphapartitivirus, andBetapartitivirus. Some partitiviruses were transfected into reference strains of the natural host,R. necatrix, and an experimental host,Cryphonectria parasitica, using purified virions. A comparative analysis of resultant transfectants revealed interesting differences and similarities between the RNA accumulation and symptom induction patterns ofR. necatrixandC. parasitica. Other interesting findings include the identification of a probable reassortment event and a quintuple partitivirus infection of a single fungal strain. These combined results provide a foundation for further studies aimed at elucidating mechanisms that underly the differences observed. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Wiley Acta Medica Okayama 2045-7758 2020 Ambiguous species boundaries: Hybridization and morphological variation in two closely relatedRubusspecies along altitudinal gradients EN Makiko Mimura Department of Biology, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University Mihoko Suga Graduate School of Agriculture, Tamagawa University Although hybridization frequently occurs among plant species, hybrid zones of divergent lineages formed at species boundaries are less common and may not be apparent in later generations of hybrids with more parental-like phenotypes, as a consequence of backcrossing. To determine the effects of dispersal and selection on species boundaries, we compared clines in leaf traits and molecular hybrid index along two hybrid zones on Yakushima Island, Japan, in which a temperate (Rubus palmatus) and subtropical (Rubus grayanus) species of wild raspberry are found. Leaf sinus depth in the two hybrid zones had narrower clines at 600 m a.s.l. than the molecular hybrid index and common garden tests confirmed that some leaf traits, including leaf sinus depth that is a major trait used in species identification, are genetically divergent between these closely related species. The sharp transition in leaf phenotypic traits compared to molecular markers indicated divergent selection pressure on the hybrid zone structure. We suggest that species boundaries based on neutral molecular data may differ from those based on observed morphological traits. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Oxford University Press Acta Medica Okayama 0022-0957 70 5 2019 Honeydew-associated microbes elicit defense responses against brown planthopper in rice 1683 1696 EN David Wari Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Md Alamgir Kabir Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Kadis Mujiono Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Yuko Hojo Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Tomonori Shinya Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Akio Tani Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Hiroko Nakatani Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Ivan Galis Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Feeding of sucking insects, such as the rice brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens; BPH), causes only limited mechanical damage on plants that is otherwise essential for injury-triggered defense responses against herbivores. In pursuit of complementary BPH elicitors perceived by plants, we examined the potential effects of BPH honeydew secretions on the BPH monocot host, rice (Oryza sativa). We found that BPH honeydew strongly elicits direct and putative indirect defenses in rice, namely accumulation of phytoalexins in the leaves, and release of volatile organic compounds from the leaves that serve to attract natural enemies of herbivores, respectively. We then examined the elicitor active components in the honeydew and found that bacteria in the secretions are responsible for the activation of plant defense. Corroborating the importance of honeydew-associated microbiota for induced plant resistance, BPHs partially devoid of their microbiota via prolonged antibiotics ingestion induced significantly less defense in rice relative to antibiotic-free insects applied to similar groups of plants. Our data suggest that rice plants may additionally perceive herbivores via their honeydew-associated microbes, allowing them to discriminate between incompatible herbivores\that do not produce honeydew\and those that are compatible and therefore dangerous. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Okayama University Medical School Acta Medica Okayama 0386-300X 74 3 2020 Stem Cell Therapy in Heart Disease: Limitations and Future Possibilities 185 190 EN Toshikazu Sano Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of California San Francisco Shuta Ishigami Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of California San Francisco Tatsuo Ito Department of Hygiene, Kawasaki Medical University Shunji Sano Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of California San Francisco Review 10.18926/AMO/59948 Heart diseases are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite major advances in drug and interventional therapies, surgical procedures, and organ transplantation, further research into new therapeutic options is still necessary. Stem cell therapy has emerged as one option for the treatment of a variety of heart diseases. Although a large number of clinical trials have shown stem cell therapy to be a promising therapeutic approach, the results obtained from these clinical studies are inconsistent, and stem cell-based improvements of heart performance and cardiac remodeling were found to be quite limited. Since the precise mechanisms underlying the therapeutic actions of stem cells are still under debate, researchers have developed a variety of strategies to improve and boost the potency of stem cells in repair. In this review, we summarize both the current therapeutic strategies using stem cells and future directions for enhancing stem cell potency. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒlƒWƒoƒi EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒLƒoƒiƒ_ƒ“ƒhƒN EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒEƒLƒ„ƒKƒ‰ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒ^ƒCƒƒ“ƒ„ƒ}ƒC EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒTƒ“ƒJƒNƒC EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒJƒ“ƒKƒŒƒC EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒtƒgƒC EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒRƒEƒLƒ„ƒKƒ‰ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒVƒYƒC EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒqƒƒzƒ^ƒ‹ƒC EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒCƒkƒzƒ^ƒ‹ƒC EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒzƒ^ƒ‹ƒC EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒCƒKƒNƒT EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒqƒ“ƒWƒKƒ„ƒcƒŠ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒ„ƒ}ƒC EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒAƒ[ƒeƒ“ƒcƒL EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒqƒfƒŠƒR EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒNƒƒeƒ“ƒcƒL EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒeƒ“ƒcƒL EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒmƒeƒ“ƒcƒL EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒRƒAƒ[ƒeƒ“ƒcƒL EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒVƒJƒNƒC EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒIƒIƒkƒ}ƒnƒŠƒCiƒkƒ}ƒnƒŠƒCj EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒNƒƒOƒƒC EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒnƒŠƒC EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒ}ƒcƒoƒC EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒqƒƒKƒ„ƒcƒŠiƒ~ƒYƒnƒiƒrj EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒ~ƒYƒKƒ„ƒcƒŠ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒJƒƒ‰ƒXƒKƒi EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒnƒ}ƒXƒQ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒCƒKƒKƒ„ƒcƒŠ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒIƒjƒKƒ„ƒcƒŠ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒEƒVƒNƒO EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒAƒIƒKƒ„ƒcƒŠ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒJƒ„ƒcƒŠƒOƒT EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒRƒSƒƒKƒ„ƒcƒŠ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒRƒAƒ[ƒKƒ„ƒcƒŠ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒkƒ}ƒKƒ„ƒcƒŠ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒAƒ[ƒKƒ„ƒcƒŠ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒqƒiƒKƒ„ƒcƒŠ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒ^ƒ}ƒKƒ„ƒcƒŠ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒCƒkƒNƒO EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒNƒOƒKƒ„ƒcƒŠ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒqƒƒNƒO EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒAƒCƒ_ƒNƒO EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒ`ƒƒƒKƒ„ƒcƒŠ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒAƒ[ƒXƒQ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒSƒEƒ\ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒqƒJƒQƒXƒQ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒ}ƒXƒNƒT EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒJƒTƒXƒQ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒAƒ[ƒiƒ‹ƒR EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒAƒIƒXƒQ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒGƒiƒVƒqƒSƒNƒT EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒ~ƒmƒ{ƒƒXƒQ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒnƒ^ƒKƒ„ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒRƒKƒ} EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒKƒ} EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒqƒƒKƒ} EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒIƒIƒ~ƒNƒŠ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒ~ƒNƒŠ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒAƒIƒEƒLƒNƒT EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒJƒ‰ƒXƒrƒVƒƒƒN EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒVƒ‡ƒEƒu EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒlƒUƒT EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒVƒo EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒ}ƒRƒ‚ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒ€ƒ‰ƒTƒLƒiƒMƒiƒ^ƒKƒ„ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒIƒIƒiƒMƒiƒ^ƒKƒ„ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒiƒMƒiƒ^ƒKƒ„ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒCƒkƒiƒMƒiƒ^ƒKƒ„ EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒƒŠƒPƒ“ƒjƒNƒLƒr EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒJƒjƒcƒŠƒOƒT EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒXƒXƒLƒƒqƒVƒo EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒlƒYƒ~ƒmƒI EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒtƒ^ƒVƒxƒlƒYƒ~ƒmƒI EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒXƒYƒƒqƒQƒVƒo EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒIƒIƒAƒuƒ‰ƒXƒXƒL EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒqƒƒ‚ƒƒRƒV EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

‰ชŽR‘ๅŠw Ž‘ŒนA•จ‰ศŠwŒค‹†Š –์ถA•จƒOƒ‹[ƒv Acta Medica Okayama ƒZƒCƒoƒ“ƒ‚ƒƒRƒV EN No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.