Japonica Species Research Articles

Lonicerin promotes wound healing in diabetic rats by enhancing blood vessel regeneration through Sirt1-mediated autophagy.

Among the numerous complications of diabetes mellitus, diabetic wounds seriously affect patients' quality of life and result in considerable psychological distress. Promoting blood vessel regeneration in wounds is a crucial step in wound healing. Lonicerin (LCR), a bioactive compound found in plants of the Lonicera japonica species and other honeysuckle plants, exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, and it recently has been found to alleviate ulcerative colitis by enhancing autophagy. In this study we investigated the efficacy of LCR in treatment of diabetic wounds and the underlying mechanisms. By comparing the single-cell transcriptomic data from healing and non-healing states in diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) of 5 patients, we found that autophagy and SIRT signaling activation played a crucial role in mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress, and promoting cell survival in wound healing processes. In TBHP-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), we showed that LCR alleviated cell apoptosis, and enhanced the cell viability, migration and angiogenesis. Furthermore, we demonstrated that LCR treatment dose-dependently promoted autophagy in TBHP-treated HUVECs by upregulating Sirt1 expression, and exerted its anti-apoptotic effect through the Sirt1-autophagy axis. Knockdown of Sirt1 significantly decreased the level of autophagy, and mitigated the anti-apoptotic effect of LCR. In a STZ-induced diabetic rat model, administration of LCR significantly promoted wound healing, which was significantly attenuated by Sirt1 knockdown. This study highlights the potential of LCR as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetic wounds and provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying its effects.

Description of two new species of the Genus Ducetia Stål 1874 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from India.

In the present paper the genus Ducetia Stål 1874 in India is reviewed. The diagnostic characters for two new species of Ducetia Stål 1874, D. assamica sp. nov. from North-East India and D. rohinii sp. nov. from Western Ghats are described. The two species are part of Ducetia japonica species complex. Further information on the distribution and ecology of species is given. A key to studied species of Ducetia is presented. While morphologically similar, D. assamica and D. rohinii show distinct differences in their call structures. Our work demonstrates the importance of acoustic signals in taxonomic studies.

Predicting the Potential Distribution of Hylomecon japonica in China under Current and Future Climate Change Based on Maxent Model

Hylomecon japonica is considered a natural medicinal plant with anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antibacterial activity. The assessment of climate change impact on its habitat suitability is important for the wild cultivation and standardized planting of H. japonica. In this study, the maximum entropy model (Maxent) and geographic information system (ArcGIS) were applied to predict the current and future distribution of H. japonica species, and the contributions of variables were evaluated by using the jackknife test. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value confirmed the accuracy of the model prediction based on 102 occurrence records. The predicted potential distributions of H. japonica were mainly concentrated in Jilin, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Henan, Heilongjiang and other provinces (adaptability index > 0.6). The jackknife experiment showed that the precipitation of driest month (40.5%), mean annual temperature (12.4%), the precipitation of wettest quarter (11.6%) and the subclass of soil (9.7%) were the most important factors affecting the potential distribution of H. japonica. In the future, only under the shared socioeconomic Pathway 245 (SSP 245) scenario model in 2061–2080, the suitable habitat area for H. japonica is expected to show a significant upward trend. The area under other scenarios may not increase or decrease significantly.

The effect of shadow conditions on stomatal characters of several plants used in landscape design

The present study aims to determine the changes in stomatal characters of several plants depending on the shadow conditions. Within this scope, the leaf samples were collected from Platanus orientalis, Cercis siliquastrum, Eonymus japonica, Cotoneaster franchettii, and Buxus sempervirens species grown in open spaces. Scales images of leaf samples were taken using Scanning Electron Microscope and measurements were performed on these images in order to determine the micro-morphological characteristics such as stoma length (µm), stoma width (µm), pore opening length (µm), and pore opening width (µm) in the statistical analyses. The changes of these characteristics depending on the species, individuals, and shadow conditions were determined. The results showed that the differences in stomatal characteristics were statistically significant only between the individuals, whereas the effects of light and individual were statistically non-significant.

Phenology and growth indicators of honey trees and bushes in Uzbekistan

This article presents the results of research on the study of some bioecological properties of honey-producing trees and shrubs. The flowering period of the main trees and shrubs is March-June and allows to obtain a high amount of honey. During the summer months, Lycium barbarum, Symphoricarpos albus, Sophora japonica species continue to bloom until autumn. According to the data, the growth rates of all trees and shrubs were at the level of demand. In particular, when growing linden trees in the spring, their height increased from 190.5 cm to 230.5 cm in autumn. That was, it grew by 40 cm during one vegetation. The Ligustrum bush had the highest growth rate, with seedlings planted in spring averaging 90 cm in height and 155.8 cm in autumn, with an annual growth rate of 65.8 cm. These indicators depicted that the conditions in the experimental fields were suitable for the growth of trees and shrubs.

Analysis of the Flavor and Active Compounds in <i>Lonicera japonica </i>Wine Produced by a New Extraction and Fermentation Method

Lonicera japonica species have been used as an adjuvant therapy for physical fitness, due to their extensive biological activity and pharmaceutical properties. For example, this species demonstrates antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and detoxifying effects. Therefore, the changes in the chlorogenic acid, amino acid, and total polyphenol contents and in the antioxidant activity were analyzed. The results showed that the content of chlorogenic acid was 2378.63 mg/L without residue fermentation, 2039.05 mg/L with residue fermentation and 1476.74 mg/L with liquor extraction, which were increases of 1.86, 1.53 and 0.87 times more, respectively, than the chlorogenic content in unfermented L. japonica broth. The total content of polyphenols during the fermentation time had a positive linear correlation and the following values were obtained; fermentation without residue was 0.73 mg/mL, fermentation with residue was 0.62 mg/mL, and liquor extraction was 0.45 mg/mL. The clearance rate of ABTS and DPPH reached approximately 95%. Moreover, flowers could be used to avoid the production of methanol and fusel oil. Therefore, the nutrients and active functional components in L. japonica and the flower flavor of L. japonica could be preserved. This suggested fermentation process is better than the liquor extraction process and is a safe and controllable metabolic process.

Phytoremediation potential of Youngia japonica (L.) DC: a newly discovered cadmium hyperaccumulator.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic contaminants, causing a lot of harm to environment and the human health. An outdoor pot experiment for 60days was conducted to study the Cd(II) effects on growth, biomass, physiological properties, Cd uptake, and accumulation in Youngia japonica plants but also to evaluate the effect of Y. japonica growth on enzyme activity of Cd-contamination soils. Generally, the application of Cd(II) less than 120mgkg-1 stimulated the growth of the plants, whereas at 160mgkg-1 or higher levels, a significant reduction was observed. For all treatments > 10mgkg-1 Cd(II) in soil, values of Cd in roots and aboveground parts were more than the critical value of 100mgkg-1 and reached highest values of 252.51 and 314.29mgkg-1, respectively. The bioconcentration factors (BCF) and translation factors (TF) for all Cd treatments were more than 1.0, with the former ranging from 1.03 to 5.46 and the later from 1.04 to 1.33. The activities of peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as the levels of glutathione (GSH) and proline in Y. japonica plants after exposure to 10-200mgkg-1 Cd(II) were stimulated, implying that they were defensive guards to the oxidative stress produced by Cd. The urease, dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase activities under low Cd concentrations can be enhanced by planting Y. japonica species but inhibited under high Cd concentrations. Our data provide comprehensive evidence that Y. japonica has the typical properties of a Cd hyperaccumulator and thus may be practically employed to alleviate Cd from contaminated soils.

Certain soil characteristics and light conditions of enzyme activities and variance conditional to plant type.

Soil is one of the most important factors in plant cultivation, and its content affects plant growth significantly. However, soil composition and characteristics vary depending on the environmental conditions in the area where the soil is located. In this study, urease and catalase enzyme activities in plant soils grown under different shade conditions were examined. The Prunus cerasifera, Tilia tomentosa, Gleditsia triacanthos, Euonymus japonica, and Betula pendula species were grown in five different light conditions during one vegetation period, and the urease and catalase enzyme activities and Ph, EC (mS.cm ̄1), CaCO3 (%), OM (%), P (ppm), and K (ppm) changes were examined within the scope of the study. As a result, it was found that characteristics other than Ph, which was the subject of the study, changed to a great extent depending on the plant species and light conditions; however, in the areas where different plant species were grown, the soil characters changed at different levels depending on the light. As a result of the study, the highest values in many characteristics were obtained under 45% and 65% light conditions.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Haloa japonica (Pilsbry, 1895) (Cephalaspidea, Haminoeidae)

Haloa japonica is a bubble snail species in the family Haminoeidae. In the present study, the complete mitochondrial genome of H. japonica was decoded and analyzed. With the size of 13,797 bp, the mitogenome of H. japonica is the shortest among all known mitogenomes of the order Cephalaspidea. Overall base-pair composition of the mitogenome was 69% A–T and 31% C–G. The phylogenetic tree showed a clade of H. japonica and other species in the family Haminoeidae.

Green energy from brown seaweed: Sustainable polygeneration industrial process via fast pyrolysis of S. Japonica combined with the Brayton cycle

Carbohydrate-rich and fast-growing seaweeds such as the S. japonica species are increasingly becoming the 3rd generation biomass of choice. Environmentally friendly as well as economically sound processes for biofuel production are essential if the benefits of these novel marine feedstocks are to be harnessed. This study features an experiment-based process design that combines a fluidized bed fast pyrolysis reactor system, non-intensive pretreatment, and a Bryton power cycle in an, energy-wise, nearly self-sustainable system, considerably reducing the utilization of fossil fuel-derived utilities. Complex liquid products of pyrolysis and catalytic upgrading were modeled using a specialized software ensuring strict adherence to experimental data, hence retaining a highly realistic simulation. Results of comprehensive techno-economic and market uncertainty assessments have shown a capital investment of 170 mil. USD, and a minimum selling price range of 1.534–1.852 USD/L. When compared to traditional oil and gas extraction and refining processes, the designed process yielded a 12.8-fold reduction of the total CO2 emitted, indicating a superior process in terms of environmental sustainability.

Phylogenetic relationships within the primitive acanthomorph fish genus Polymixia, with changes to species composition and geographic distributions.

The genus Polymixia is the only survivor of a Late Cretaceous marine fish radiation and is often said to be the most primitive living acanthomorph (i.e., Polymixia possesses the greatest number of primitive character states for Acanthomorpha). Recent studies, including this one, place Polymixia as the sister to all other Paracanthopterygii. Despite its importance, most species of Polymixia are extremely difficult to discriminate on the basis of morphology. As a result, the number of valid species is uncertain. Moreover, there has never been a phylogenetic analysis of the genus. Thus, a molecular phylogenetic study was needed to clarify species boundaries and to resolve relationships within the genus. Tissue or DNA samples backed by museum vouchers were obtained for most species, with additional samples from new geographic areas representing specimens with distinctively different meristics and uncertain identifications. Seven loci (five nuclear and two mitochondrial) were sequenced, from which Bayesian and maximum-likelihood trees were generated. Results reveal nine species-level clades, of which five represent previously known species (Polymixia berndti, P. japonica, P. longispina, P. lowei, and P. nobilis). Surprisingly, results also reveal four previously unknown species-level clades, one close to P. lowei, one close to P. nobilis, and two new species clades related to P. japonica. The species clades are distinguished by their phylogenetic histories, sequence differences, geographic distributions, and morphologies. The clade containing P. berndti is recovered as the sister to all other species of Polymixia. Its genetic variability suggests that it might contain two or more species and it is referred to here as a “species complex”. Polymixia nobilis, the type species, was previously thought to be restricted to the Atlantic, but is now shown to be widespread in the Pacific and possibly in the Indian Ocean. Specimens from waters off Australia identified as P. busakhini actually belong to P. nobilis. In contrast, P. japonica is confirmed only in the area near Japan and the East China Sea; other more distant records are misidentifications. Wide (antipodal) geographic distributions are seen in several clades, including P. nobilis, the P. berndti species complex, and the P. japonica species group. The new phylogeny helps explain the evolution of some morphological characters previously used to distinguish groups of species, particularly dorsal-fin soft-ray count, shape of rows of scale ctenii, and number of pyloric caeca.

Pronectria japonicaSpecies Nova and a Key to the Lichenicolous Fungi and Lichens Growing on Ochrolechia

Zhurbenko M.P., Tadome K. & Ohmura Y. 2018: Pronectria japonica species nova and a key to the lichenicolous fungi and lichens growing on Ochrolechia. – Herzogia 31: 494–504.Pronectria japonica growing on an unidentified Ochrolechia species is described as new to science. Dactylospora glaucomarioides, D. cf. pertusariicola, Lichenodiplis anomala, L. ochrolechiae, and Sagediopsis campsteriana are newly reported for Japan. Pyrenidium actinellum s. l. is for the first time documented on Ochrolechia. A key to the known species of lichenicolous fungi and lichens growing on Ochrolechia is presented.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Korean Lonicera japonica and intra-species diversity

Lonicera japonica is a traditional medicinal plant well known for its anti-inflammatory effect. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of L. japonica collected from Korea was obtained by de novo assembly using whole genome sequence data. The chloroplast genome is 155,060 bp in length, containing 88,853 bp in a large single copy (LSC), 18,653 bp in a small single copy (SSC) and 23,777 bp in a pair of inverted repeats (IRs). A total of 112 genes including 78 protein-coding genes and 34 structural RNA genes were identified. The sequence comparison of two L. japonica collected from Korea and China revealed 48 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 45 insertions/deletions (InDels). In addition, phylogenetic analysis represented intraspecific diversity within L. japonica species collected in Korea and China.

Aquaporin Expression and Water Transport Pathways inside Leaves Are Affected by Nitrogen Supply through Transpiration in Rice Plants.

The photosynthetic rate increases under high-N supply, resulting in a large CO2 transport conductance in mesophyll cells. It is less known that water movement is affected by nitrogen supply in leaves. This study investigated whether the expression of aquaporin and water transport were affected by low-N (0.7 mM) and high-N (7 mM) concentrations in the hydroponic culture of four rice varieties: (1) Shanyou 63 (SY63), a hybrid variant of the indica species; (2) Yangdao 6 (YD6), a variant of indica species; (3) Zhendao 11 (ZD11), a hybrid variant of japonica species; and (4) Jiuyou 418 (JY418), another hybrid of the japonica species. Both the photosynthetic and transpiration rate were increased by the high-N supply in the four varieties. The expressions of aquaporins, plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs), and tonoplast membrane intrinsic protein (TIP) were higher in high-N than low-N leaves, except in SY63. Leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) was lower in high-N than low-N leaves in SY63, while Kleaf increased under high-N supply in the YD6 variant. Negative correlations were observed between the expression of aquaporin and the transpiration rate in different varieties. Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between transpiration rate and intercellular air space. In conclusion, the change in expression of aquaporins could affect Kleaf and transpiration. A feedback effect of transpiration would regulate aquaporin expression. The present results imply a coordination of gas exchange with leaf hydraulic conductance.

Glycosides from edible sea cucumbers stimulate macrophages via purinergic receptors.

Since ancient times, edible sea cucumbers have been considered a jewel of the seabed and used in Asian folk medicine for stimulation of resistance against different diseases. However, the power of this sea food has not been established on a molecular level. A particular group of triterpene glycosides was found to be characteristic metabolites of the animals, responsible for this biological action. Using one of them, cucumarioside A2-2 (CA2-2) from the edible Cucumaria japonica species as an example as well as inhibitory analysis, patch-clamp on single macrophages, small interfering RNA technique, immunoblotting, SPR analysis, computer modeling and other methods, we demonstrate low doses of CA2-2 specifically to interact with P2X receptors (predominantly P2X4) on membranes of mature macrophages, enhancing the reversible ATP-dependent Ca2+ intake and recovering Ca2+ transport at inactivation of these receptors. As result, interaction of glycosides of this type with P2X receptors leads to activation of cellular immunity.

Differences and Variations among Anguilla japonica, Muraenesox cinereus and Conger myriaster from the Yellow Sea.

Genomic DNAs were extracted from the muscle of twenty-one specimens of three eel species collected in Anguilla japonica (AJ), Muraenesox cinereus (MC) and Conger myriaster (CM) from the Yellow Sea, respectively. In the present study, 7 oligonucleotides primers generated 191 specific loci in the AJ species, 226 in the (MC) species and 181 in the CM species, respectively. The primer BION-02 generated the most loci (a total of 83), with an average of 11.86 in the AJ species. The specific loci generated by oligonucleotides primers exhibited inter-individual-specific characteristics, thus revealing DNA polymorphisms. With regard to average bandsharing value (BS) results, individuals from Conger myriaster species (0.808) exhibited higher bandsharing values than did individuals from Muraenesox cinereus species (0.729) (p<0.05). The longest genetic distance (0.430) displaying significant molecular difference was also between individual no. 01 within Anguilla japonica eel species and individual no. 04 within Anguilla japonica species. In this study, the dendrogram resulted from reliable seven oligonucleotides primers, indicating three genetic clusters composed of group I (ANGUILLA 01~ANGUILLA 07), group II (MURAENESOX 08~MURAENESOX 14) and group III (CONGER 15~CONGER 21). The existence of species differentiation and DNA polymorphisms among three eel species were detected by PCR analysis. As mentioned above, a dendrogram revealed close relationships between individual identities within three eel species. High levels of a significant genetic distance among three eel species showed this PCR approach is one of the most suitable tools for individuals and/or species biological DNA studies.

Hybridisation boosts the invasion of an alien species complex: Insights into future invasiveness

The invasion success of plants into new regions and ecosystems is assumed to depend on certain constellations of species traits. Often, effective sexual reproduction and the generation of high performance genotypes allow invaders to rapidly colonize even unfavourable sites by demonstrating high plasticity. Interspecific hybridisation, can produce such high performance genotypes, which may serve as an evolutionary stepping stone for invaders of limited genetic variability.A very aggressive invader with particularly limited genetic variability is the Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica). Hybridisation with the Giant Knotweed Fallopia sachalinensis in recent years, however, has created the hybrid Bohemian Knotweed (Fallopia×bohemica) presenting new opportunities for the species complex. An accelerated invasion process could be the result.We assessed whether or not different taxa of the F. japonica species complex would exhibit different growth potential depending on site conditions. After taxon identification for over 100 samples using genetic markers (microsatellite DNA), we combined the data with observations on Fallopia stand growth, horizontal spreading behaviour, flowering and seed set in relation to different environmental site conditions across an ecologically diverse region in Germany (Rhineland Palatinate).The majority of the samples were interspecific hybrids, which is an outstanding finding compared to earlier studies. The hybrids were genetically diverse exhibiting a high number of multilocus genotypes, suggesting that sexual reproduction is a major strategy for generating new genotypes and for dispersal. Hybrids that were closely related to F. japonica exhibited the highest potential for aggressive growth in terms of horizontal spreading and reduction of competitor plants within stands. Site conditions, especially N-supply, contributed to the aggressive growth found but were less relevant than taxonomic characteristics. Moreover, several hybrids set a lot of seeds that germinated very well.We demonstrated that hybridisation is able to generate new high performance genotypes and enables the taxa to accelerate and increase the invasion potential. Our study provides new insights into the invasiveness of alien plants in general and for the taxa F. japonica s. l. in particular.

Identity and specificity of Rhizoctonia-like fungi from different populations of Liparis japonica (Orchidaceae) in Northeast China.

Mycorrhizal association is known to be important to orchid species, and a complete understanding of the fungi that form mycorrhizas is required for orchid ecology and conservation. Liparis japonica (Orchidaceae) is a widespread terrestrial photosynthetic orchid in Northeast China. Previously, we found the genetic diversity of this species has been reduced recent years due to habitat destruction and fragmentation, but little was known about the relationship between this orchid species and the mycorrhizal fungi. The Rhizoctonia-like fungi are the commonly accepted mycorrhizal fungi associated with orchids. In this study, the distribution, diversity and specificity of culturable Rhizoctonia-like fungi associated with L. japonica species were investigated from seven populations in Northeast China. Among the 201 endophytic fungal isolates obtained, 86 Rhizoctonia-like fungi were identified based on morphological characters and molecular methods, and the ITS sequences and phylogenetic analysis revealed that all these Rhizoctonia-like fungi fell in the same main clade and were closely related to those of Tulasnella calospora species group. These findings indicated the high mycorrhizal specificity existed in L. japonica species regardless of habitats at least in Northeast China. Our results also supported the wide distribution of this fungal partner, and implied that the decline of L. japonica in Northeast China did not result from high mycorrhizal specificity. Using culture-dependent technology, these mycorrhizal fungal isolates might be important sources for the further utilizing in orchids conservation.

Analysis of Saccharina japonica transcriptome using the high-throughput DNA sequencing technique and its vanadium-dependent haloperoxidase gene

Saccharina is one of the most important cold-water living marine brown algal genera. In this study we analyzed the transcriptome of S. japonica, which belongs to the 1 000 Plants (OneKP) Project, by using a next-generation high-throughput DNA sequencing technique. About 5.16 GB of raw data were generated, and 65 536 scaffolds with an average length of 454 bp were assembled with SOAP de novo assembly method. In total, 19 040 unigenes were identified by BLAST; 25 734 scaffolds were clustered into 37 Gene ontology functional groups; 6 760 scaffolds were classified into 25 COG categories, as well as 2 665 scaffolds that were assigned to 306 KEGG pathways. Majority of the unigenes exhibited more similarities to algae including brown algae and diatom than other cyanobacteria, marine diatom, and plant. Saccharina japonica has the outstanding capability to accumulate halogen such as Br and I via halogenation processes from seawater. We acquired 42 different vanadium-dependent haloperoxidases (vHPO) in S. japonica transcriptome data, including 5 segments of vanadium-dependent iodoperoxidase (vIPO) and 37 segments of vanadium-dependent bromoperoxidase (vBPO). Complicated analyses of identified fulllength S. japonica vBPO1 and S. japonica vBPO2 revealed the importance of vBPO among species of brown algae and the strong relationship between marine algal vBPOs and vIPOs. This study will enhance our understanding of the biological characteristics and economic values of S. japonica species.

The effects of the Reynoutria japonica species on the biodiversity in the Natural Park of Maramureș Mountains.

Reynoutria japonica was introduced in Romania as an ornamental plant in parks and botanic gardens or private gardens from where the plant has escaped being declared spontaneous, and later invasive. In the year 2000 was registered in more than 137 localities all around the country (1). The species has evolved along Vișeu River becoming a problem that affected everyone. Reynoutria japonica takes important surfaces along Vișeu River which initially have been cultivated by the ones inhabitants affecting biodiversity.