Mayumi Sato

Profiling of Hepatic Gene Expression of Mice Fed with Edible Japanese Mushrooms by DNA Microarray Analysis: Comparison among Pleurotus ostreatus, Grifola frondosa, and Hypsizigus marmoreus

To compare and estimate the effects of dietary intake of three kinds of mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus, Grifola frondosa, and Hypsizigus marmoreus), mice were fed a diet containing 10-14% of each mushroom for 4 weeks. Triacylglycerol in the liver and plasma decreased and plasma cholesterol increased in the P. ostreatus-fed group compared with those in the control group. Cholesterol in the liver was lower in the G. frondosa-fed group than in the control group, but no changes were found in the H. marmoreus-fed group. DNA microarray analysis of the liver revealed differences of gene expression patterns among mushrooms. Ctp1a and Fabp families were upregulated in the P. ostreatus-fed group, which were considered to promote lipid transport and β-oxidation. In the G. frondosa-fed group, not only the gene involved in signal transduction of innate immunity via TLR3 and interferon but also virus resistance genes, such as Mx1, Rsad2, and Oas1, were upregulated.

Prominent Differences in Leaf Fatty Acid Composition in the F1 Hybrid Compared with Parent Trees Larix gmelinii var. japonica and L. kaempferi

Fatty acid (FA) compositions in leaves were investigated for two families of F1 hybrids of Larix gmelinii var. japonica × L. kaempferi (F1) and their parent clones. Twenty-one FAs, from C12 to C32, were found in the leaves of both adult trees and seedlings. The levels of 18:1/(18:2 + 18:3) increased in the order L. kaempferi, F1, and L. gmelinii var. japonica, with significant differences between L. gmelinii var. japonica and F1 in adult trees, but these differences were not found in the seedlings. Moreover, in the adult trees, the 18:1/(18:2 + 18:3) levels in the neutral phospholipid fraction and the ΣC18/ΣC16, especially in the glycolipid fraction, showed significant differences among the three species. These characteristics are discussed from the viewpoint of lipid synthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum and chloroplasts, and of the activities and substrate specificities in sequential FA desaturation. Linear discriminant analysis suggested that the FA compositions are useable as an index in the identification of hybrid seedlings.

Comparative analysis of diterpene composition in the bark of the hybrid larch F1, Larix gmelinii var. japonica × L. kaempferi and their parent trees

The diterpene compositions in the bark of branches were investigated for two families of the F1 hybrid, Kurile larch (Larix gmelinii var. japonica Pilg.) × Japanese larch [Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) Carr.] (hereafter F1) and their parents clones. 13-Epimanool, larixol, larixyl acetate, 13-epitorulosyl acetate (not detected in L. gmelinii var. japonica), isopimaric acid, abietic acid, dehydroabietic acid, and neoabietic acid were detected. Larixol and abietic acid represented more than 50% of the diterpene content in L. gmelinii var. japonica and L. kaempferi, respectively. Larixol and abietic acid were the predominant diterpene components in the F1, and the proportions of these diterpenes were between those of the parental species. Therefore, the diterpene compositions in the F1 were hereditarily infl uenced by their parents. The ratios of labdane, pimarane, and abietane diterpenes suggested that the main diterpene biosynthesis pathway in L. gmelinii var. japonica was from copalyl diphosphate (CDP) to labdane-type diterpenes, and that in L. kaempferi was from CDP to abietane-type diterpenes via pimarane type. Furthermore, linear discriminant analysis suggested that the diterpene contents are effective indices for the discrimination of the hybrid seedlings.

Accumulation of constitutive diterpenoids in the rhytidome and secondary phloem of the branch bark of Larix gmelinii var. japonica

The quantitative compositions of the major constitutive diterpenoids in the rhytidome and secondary phloem of the branch bark of Kuril larch (Larixgmelinii var. japonica) were investigated. The eight major diterpenoids were isolated from a diethyl ether extract of the branch bark of L. gmelinii var. japonica and identified as 13-epimanool (1), larixol (2), larixyl acetate (3), 13-epitorulosyl acetate (4), abietic acid (5), neoabietic acid (6), dehydroabietic acid (7), and isopimaric acid (8). The amount of each diterpenoid was subsequently quantified in both the rhytidome and secondary phloem. All of the diterpenoids were present in both bark tissues, but the amounts were significantly higher in the rhytidome than in the secondary phloem. Developed fusiform resin cavities containing oleoresins were commonly observed in dead secondary phloem captured into the rhytidome of a bark transverse section. The accumulation and distribution of these constitutive diterpenoids in the bark tissues can probably be attributed to terpenoid biosynthesis in the living secondary phloem and the rhytidome formation process. From the viewpoint of constitutive chemical defense in conifers, it is suggested that the tree body may be more effectively defended against natural enemies by the higher amount of diterpenoid amount in the outermost and dead bark tissue, the rhytidome, where the potentially poisonous and easily oxidizable diterpenoids can be safely and stably maintained.

CE–MS-based metabolomics reveals the metabolic profile of maitake mushroom (Grifola frondosa) strains with different cultivation characteristics

Maitake mushroom (Grifola frondosa [Dicks.] Gray) is generally cultured using the sawdust of broadleaf trees. The maitake strain Gf433 has high production efficiency, with high-quality of fruiting bodies even when 30% of the birch sawdust on the basal substrate is replaced with conifer sawdust. We performed metabolome analysis to investigate the effect of different cultivation components on the metabolism of Gf433 and Mori52 by performing CE–MS on their fruiting bodies in different cultivation conditions to quantify the levels of amino acids, organic acids, and phosphorylated organic acids. We found that amino acid and organic acid content in Gf433 were not affected by the kind of sawdust. However, Gf433 contained more organic acids and less amino acids than Mori52, and Gf433 also contained more chitin compared with Mori52. We believe that these differences in the metabolome contents of the two strains are related to the high production efficiency of Gf433. The yield and the production efficiency of Maitake Gf433 (GL, GB) are higher than the existing strain Mori52 (MB). Gf433 contained more organic acids and less amino acids than MB.

Content and fatty acid composition of sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol in conifer leaves grown in Hokkaido, Japan.

Sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG) contents in conifer leaves and their fatty acid (FA) compositions were determined. The SQDG content was 16–36 mg/100 g, and was high in Picea glehnii. Palmitic and α-linolenic acid were the usually predominant FAs. In Picea, the proportion of α-linolenic acid was low, and those of oleic and linoleic acid were high. The essential oil residues of Abies sachalinensis leaves were found to be a potential source of SQDG material.