Dynamic Analysis of Photosynthate Translocation Into Strawberry Fruits Using Non-invasive 11C-Labeling Supported With Conventional Destructive Measurements Using 13C-Labeling

In protected strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cultivation, environmental control based on the process of photosynthate translocation is essential for optimizing fruit quality and yield, because the process of photosynthate translocation directly affects dry matter partitioning. We visualized photosynthate translocation to strawberry fruits non-invasively with 11CO2 and a positron-emitting tracer imaging system (PETIS). We used PETIS to evaluate real-time dynamics of 11C-labeled photosynthate translocation from a 11CO2-fed leaf, which was immediately below the inflorescence, to individual fruits on an inflorescence in intact plant. Serial photosynthate translocation images and animations obtained by PETIS verified that the 11C-photosynthates from the source leaf reached the sink fruit within 1 h but did not accumulate homogeneously within a fruit. The quantity of photosynthate translocation as represented by 11C radioactivity varied among individual fruits and their positions on the inflorescence. Photosynthate translocation rates to secondary fruit were faster than those to primary or tertiary fruits, even though the translocation pathway from leaf to fruit was the longest for the secondary fruit. Moreover, the secondary fruit was 25% smaller than the primary fruit. Sink activity (11C radioactivity/dry weight [DW]) of the secondary fruit was higher than those of the primary and tertiary fruits. These relative differences in sink activity levels among the three fruit positions were also confirmed by 13C tracer measurement. Photosynthate translocation rates in the pedicels might be dependent on the sink strength of the adjoining fruits. The present study established 11C-photosynthate arrival times to the sink fruits and demonstrated that the translocated material does not uniformly accumulate within a fruit. The actual quantities of translocated photosynthates from a specific leaf differed among individual fruits on the same inflorescence. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported observation of real-time translocation to individual fruits in an intact strawberry plant using 11C-radioactive- and 13C-stable-isotope analyses

Specific Expression of Human Intelectin-1 in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma and Gastrointestinal Goblet Cells

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a fatal tumor. It is often hard to discriminate MPM from metastatic tumors of other types because currently, there are no reliable immunopathological markers for MPM. MPM is differentially diagnosed by some immunohistochemical tests on pathology specimens. In the present study, we investigated the expression of intelectin-1, a new mesothelioma marker, in normal tissues in the whole body and in many cancers, including MPM, by immunohistochemical analysis. We found that in normal tissues, human intelectin-1 was mainly secreted from gastrointestinal goblet cells along with mucus into the intestinal lumen, and it was also expressed, to a lesser extent, in mesothelial cells and urinary epithelial cells. Eighty-eight percent of epithelioid-type MPMs expressed intelectin-1, whereas sarcomatoid-type MPMs, biphasic MPMs, and poorly differentiated MPMs were rarely positive for intelectin-1. Intelectin-1 was not expressed in other cancers, except in mucus-producing adenocarcinoma. These results suggest that intelectin-1 is a better marker for epithelioid-type MPM than other mesothelioma markers because of its specificity and the simplicity of pathological assessment. Pleural intelectin-1 could be a useful diagnostic marker for MPM with applications in histopathological identification of MPM

Helical magnetic ordering studied in single-crystalline GdBe13

The beryllide GdBe13 with the NaZn13-type face-centered-cubic structure has been known to undergo a proper helical-magnet ordering from experimental studies using polycrystalline samples. In the present study, we carried out electrical resistivity, specific heat, and magnetization measurements of single-crystalline GdBe13 in order to investigate a mechanism of its helical ordering. These measurements reveal that the present compound is a metallic system exhibiting the magnetic ordering of local Gd3+ moments at T-N = 24.8 K accompanied with strong magnetic fluctuations extending to temperatures well above T-N. Furthermore, we constructed a magnetic field-temperature (B-T) phase diagram for B parallel to [001]. It consists of a multidomain state, which is composed of magnetic structures with B applied parallel and perpendicular to the helical plane, in the lower-magnetic-field region below similar to 0.45 T and a possible single-domain conical one in the higher-field region in the ordering state. The helical structure of GdBe(13 )characterized by an incommensurate ordering vector q(0) of (0, 0, 0.285) is discussed on the basis of a competition of Heisenberg exchange interactions between the Gd3+ moments assuming an one-dimensional layer crystal. The sequential change in the exchange interactions determined by a mean-field (MF) calculation can be essentially understood by the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction via anisotropic Fermi surfaces, whereas the orientation of the magnetic moments will be determined by the dipole-dipole interaction. On the other hand, the MF theory predicts a much smaller critical field B-c than the experimentally obtained one. To discuss the deviation of B-c from the MF calculation, we show a possibility of a fluctuation-induced first-order transition

Advanced Insulin Synthesis by One-pot/stepwise Disulfide Bond Formation Enabled by Acid-activated S-Protected Cysteine Sulfoxide in the Presence of Chloride Anion

An advanced insulin synthesis is presented that utilizes one-pot/stepwise disulfide bond formation enabled by acid-activated S-protected cysteine sulfoxides in the presence of chloride anion. S-chlorocysteine generated from cysteine sulfoxides reacts with an S-protected cysteine to afford S-sulfenylsulfonium cation, which then furnishes the disulfide or reversely returns to the starting materials depending on the S-protection employed and the reaction conditions. Use of S-acetamidomethyl cysteine (Cys(Acm)) and its sulfoxide (Cys(Acm)(O)) selectively give the disulfide under weak acid conditions in the presence of MgCl2 even if S-p-methoxybenzyl cysteine (Cys(MBzl)) and its sulfoxide (Cys(MBzl)(O)) are also present. In contrast, the S-MBzl pair yields the disulfide under more acidic conditions in the presence of a chloride anion source. These reaction conditions allowed a one-pot insulin synthesis. Additionally, lipidated insulin was prepared by a one-pot disulfide-bonding/lipidation sequence

Spectrum Conversion Film for Regulation of Plant Growth

In order to regulate the plant growth, we newly developed the spectrum conversion films (red film and blue film). The red film can convert the blue-green light (450-550 nm) into the red light (600-700 nm), and the blue film can convert the ultraviolet (UV)-violet light (350-450 nm) into the blue-green light. The effect of covering plants with these films on leaf photosynthesis, plant growth and seed germination were examined in three species of plants under the natural light. Leaf photosynthesis of radish was slightly accelerated in the red film. Fresh and dry weights of root of radish were higher in the red film, and were up to 1.5 times higher than that in the blue and clear films. Therefore, the acceleration of root growth through the activation of leaf photosynthesis was observed in the red film. Fresh and dry weights of shoot of Welsh onion were also higher in the red film. On the other hand, leaf elongation was accelerated in the blue film, and this was observed in radish and Welsh onion. The seed germination of Blue Star (Oxypetalum caeruleum) was accelerated under the red film, and reached to 98%. From these results, the red film enables the accelerations of leaf photosynthesis and seed germination, and the blue film accelerates the leaf elongation. Therefore, the spectrum conversion films are applicable to regulate the plant growth in plant productions