Makoto Morita

Phenolic compounds from the rhizomes of Alpinia speciosa

From the rhizomes of Alpinia speciosa, a new dihydrochalcone, dihydroflavokawin B, has been isolated together with six known phenolic compounds. The chemotaxonomic significance of these findings is discussed briefly.

Phenolic glucosides from the root of Pueraria lobata

Abstract Six phenolic glucosides were isolated from the methanolic extract of the root of Pueraria lobata . Three of them were new compounds and their structures were proved to be kuzubutenolide A, 3′-hydroxy-4′-O-β- d - glucosylpuerarin and 3′-methoxydaidzin.

Polyacetylenes from the roots of Panax ginseng

Abstract Five new polyacetylenes named ginsenoynes A, B, C, D and E were isolated from the hexane extract of the root of Panax ginseng . These structures were determined by spectral and chemical methods.

Three acetylenic compounds from roots of Panax ginseng

Abstract Three new acetylenic compounds named ginsenoynes I–K were isolated from a hexane extract of the roots of Panax ginseng . Their structures were determined by spectral and chemical methods.

Inheritance of early elongation ability in floating rice revealed by diallel and QTL analyses

In floating rice, stem elongation begins much earlier than in non-floating rice, which is the major survival mechanism for flooding. Inheritance of this early elongation ability was studied using diallel and quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses. The diallel analysis was undertaken using a set of 6×6 half-diallel crosses involving four floating (‘Goai’, ‘Habiganj Aman VIII’, ‘Badal 106’, and Oryza rufipogon strain W120) and two non-floating (‘Latisail’ and ‘Patnai 23’) parents. The additive gene effects were higher than the dominant effects. The dominant alleles were concentrated in the cultivated floating parents (‘Goai’, ‘Habiganj ‘Aman VIII’, and ‘Badal 106’), whereas the recessive alleles were in the wild floating parent (W120). A QTL analysis using a ‘Patnai 23’ × ‘Goai’ F2 population detected two putative QTLs. Of these QTLs, the one on chromosome 12 behaved as a partially dominant major gene that explained more than half of the total genetic variation.

Polyacetylenes from roots of Bupleurum falcatum

Abstract Three new polyacetylenes, saikodiynes AC were isolated from an ethereal extract of roots of Bupleurum falcatum, along with a known compound, 2Z-9Z-pentadecadiene-4,6-diyn-1-ol. The chemical structures were elucidated by spectral and chemical methods.

Linoleoylated polyacetylenes from the root of Panax ginseng

Abstract Three new linoleoylated acetylenic compounds were isolated from the methanol extract of the roots of Panax ginseng . The structures were determined by spectral and chemical methods.

Three acetylated polyacetylenes from the roots of Panax ginseng

Abstract Three new acetylated polyacetylenes named ginsenoynes F, G and H were isolated from the hexane extract of the roots of Panax ginseng . The structures were determinated by spectral and chemical methods.

Quantitative trait loci for rice phyllochron in Lemont × IR36 cross.

Abstract In rice, genetic variation in “phyllochron” (the time interval between the appearance of successive leaves) affects many aspects of shoot system development. The objective of our study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that control phyllochron in a Lemont (japonica) × IR36 (indica) F2 population. Composite interval mapping detected four phyllochron QTLs located on chromosomes 1, 2, 9 and 11. Individually, these QTLs accounted for 8-14% of the phenotypic variation, indicating that phyllochron is controlled by multiple QTLs rather than by a major gene system. At these QTLs, the presence of a Lemont allele increased phyllochron. The only exception was for the QTL on chromosome 9, where the Lemont allele decreased phyllochron. Based on the synteny between rice and maize genomes, the ortholog of the maize terminal ear 1 gene was considered a candidate gene for the QTL on chromosome 1.