Kunimitsu Fujieda

Endogenous levels of IAA in relation to parthenocarpy in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Abstract The role of endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) on parthenocarpic fruit set in cucumber was investigated. Parthenocarpic fruit set was closely related to the accumulation of IAA in the ovary. Application of N-1-napthylphthylamic acid (naptalam) and 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA), auxin transport inhibitors, to the ovary or peduncle significantly increased the IAA content in the ovary. Exogenously applied auxins, naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4-CPA), gibberellic acid (GA 3 ) and cytokinins, N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N′-phenylurea (CPPU) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BA), also increased it. It is suggested that endogenous IAA is the main hormonal factor for parthenocarpic fruit set and exogenously applied hormones are considered to promote IAA accumulation in the ovary.

Phylogeny of eggplant and related Solanum species constructed by allozyme variation

Abstract Seventy-three accessions of eggplant ( Solanum melongena ) and seven related Solanum species; Solanum incanum, Solanum indicum, Solanum sanitwongsei, Solanum surattense, Solanum gilo, Solanum integrifolium and Solanum torvum were examined for allozyme variation in order to elucidate phylogenetic relationships of these species. Cluster analysis using 11 enzyme loci classified the species into five groups; (i) S. melongena and S. incanum ; (ii) S. gilo and S. integrifolium ; (iii) S. indicum and S. sanitwongsei (iv) S. surattense ; (v) S. torvum .

Techniques for propagation and breeding of kakrol (Momordica dioica Roxb.)

Abstract Seeds of Momordica dioica Roxb. germinated at 30°C but not at 20 or 25°C when the seed coat was removed. There was no effect of gibberellic acid (GA3) on germination of the intact seeds. Seed-originated plants had a 1:1 ratio of male and female plants. The tuberous roots had no dormancy. The plants were successfully propagated by vine cuttings with or without rooting hormone. The use of ethephon on the male plant was not effective in converting the sex. Application of silver nitrate (AgNO3), at a concentration of 300–600 mg l−1, to the female plant was effective in inducing bisexual flowers. The pollen viability of bisexual flowers was as high as that of normal male flowers. This pollen was effective in producing fruits and seeds in female flowers of the same, as well as of different, plants. Bisexual flowers produced no fruit on self pollination. Most of the floral parts of the bisexual flowers were bigger than those of the male and female flowers.

Resistance of eggplant, its wild relatives and their hybrids to different strains of Pseudomonas solanacearum.

Abstract Resistance of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), its wild relatives and six intervarietal/interspecific hybrids of Solanum was evaluated with respect to five specialized plant pathogenic strains of Pseudomonas solanacearum. Eggplant was highly susceptible to all the strains except one to which it showed moderate reaction. Solanum ferox and Solanum toxicarium were found to be immune to four and five strains, respectively. Moderate susceptible reaction was evident in Solanum sisymbriifolium against most of the strains. Solanum integrifolium and its hybrids with eggplants were found to be highly tolerant to two to three strains. The poorest level of resistance was observed in S. melongena var. insanum, Solanum gilo and their hybrids with eggplants. In general, symptom severity decreased with age. Differential pathogenicity among the strains was also recorded.

Two acylated anthocyanins from Dioscorea alata

Abstract Two new anthocyanins, cyanidin and peonidin 3-gentiobioside acylated with sinapic acid, have been isolated from the tuber of Dioscorea alata L. ‘King yam’ originated from Sri Lanka. These structures are elucidated by spectroscopic methods.

Anthocyanidin malonylglucosides in flowers of Hibiscus syriacus

Abstract The methanolic formic acid extraction of the petals of Hibiscus syriacus yielded 3- O -malonylglucosides of delphinidin, cyanidin, petunidin, pelargonidin, peonidin and malvidin. The structures were determined by hydrolytic studies and 1 H NMR and FABMS examination.

Genetic control of isozymes in eggplant and its wild relatives

SummaryThis study was conducted to elucidate the inheritance and linkage relationships of isozymes in aspartate aminotransferase (AAT, EC 2.6.1.1), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH, EC 1.1.1.1), phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD, EC 1.1.1.43), phosphoglucomutase (PGM, EC 2.7.5.1) and shikimate dehydrogenase (SKDH, EC 1.1.1.25) in eggplant and its wild relatives. Segregating populations were generated by backcrossing of hybrids among the species. Evidence of Mendelian inheritance was obtained for seven loci: Aat-1, Adh-1, Adh-2, Pgd-1, Pgm-1, Pgm-2 and Skdh-1. Twenty-one pairs of loci were tested for independent assortment, suggesting three linked pairs, Aat-2 with Pgd-2 (R=0.35±0.07), Adh-2 with Pgm-1 (R=0.33±0.07) and Pgd-2 with Pgm-2 (R=0.32±0.06).

A new biologically active phenolic from Cattleya trianaei

Abstract A new phenolic, hydroxyeucomic acid, and dopamine were isolated from Cattleya trianaei and their biological activities examined.

Comparison of the anatomy and physiology of seeds of two varieties of winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus)

Seeds of winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus L. DC) cultivar ‘KUS-1’ are largely impermeable to water and showed a very low percentage of germination, whereas seed germination in ‘KUS-8’ was higher, presumably due to greater permeability. Scanning electron microscopy revealed more extensive surface deposition in the seed coat of ‘KUS-1’ than in that of ‘KUS-8’. The cell layers of the mature seed coat structures are more highly developed than those of the immature seed coat. The seed coat structure of ‘KUS-1’ showed a compact arrangement of cell layers and a thicker hilar region including seed coat in comparison to ‘KUS-8’. Gibberellin-like substances were higher in the embryo-cotyledon of 35-day-old seeds of ‘KUS-8’ than in those of ‘KUS-1’, and they declined with maturation. Indole-3-acetic acid increased with maturation. More abscisic acid (ABA) was found in the embryo-cotyledon of ‘KUS-1’ than in that of ‘KUS-8’. The impermeability of the ‘KUS-1’ seeds may be related to the dense surface deposits, thick hilum with highly developed sclereid cells, compact arrangement of cell layers, and a greater accumulation of gibberellic acid and ABA in the embryo-cotyledon of immature and mature seeds, respectively.

Production and characterization of Solanum amphidiploids and their resistance to bacterial wilt

Efforts to generate amphidiploid hybrids between eggplant (Solanum melongena L. and Solanum integrifolium Poir. were made in order to obtain easily propagated and disease-resistant rootstocks for eggplant and tomato production. In vitro treatment of shoot tip explants of sterile interspecific hybrids, between S. melongena and S. integrifolium, with 0.05% colchicine induced a high percentage of amphidiploids. The amphidiploids had larger anthers containing approximately 70% viable and larger pollen than those of the interspecific hybrids. The amphidiploid plants produced a profuse number of viable seeded fruits, while the interspecific hybrids produced no fruit or a poor number of parthenocarpic fruits. The seeds of the amphidiploids were bigger than those of the interspecific hybrids. Chromosome number from pollen mother cell and root tips, nucleus volume of the histogenic layers and stomata size assisted in identifying true amphidiploids and chromosomal chimeric types. Seed-grown amphidiploid seedlings were found resistant to two of the most virulent strains of bacteria.