Abstract: A novel cell culture medium suitable for primary culture of insect cells, an insect-derived water-soluble chitin, and a process of preparing an insect culture cell line in a short period of time by using the insect primary culture medium and the insect-derived water-soluble chitin. The insect cell primary culture medium comprises lactalbumin hydrolysate, yeastolate, and tryptose phosphate broth as protein extracts, and polyvinylpyrrolidone as a viscosity-supplementing agent. The insect-derived water-soluble chitin is subjected to deacetylation as the sole chemical modification.

Abstract: Transgenic plants capable of metabolizing drugs are constructed by introducing a drug-metabolizing P450 molecular species into plants. These plants are capable of detoxifying and metabolizing foreign compounds such as environmental loads and extrinsic endocrine disruptors including drugs, poisons, and agrochemicals. Thus, they are highly useful when applied to field crops, etc. Also, a method for selecting the drug-metabolizing P450 molecular species is provided.

Abstract: A method for regulating cell death in a plant, includes the steps of: transforming a plant cell with a polynucleotide containing a gene encoding DS9 or a homologue thereof or a part of the gene; and redifferentiating the transgenic plant cell to obtain a plant. The DS9 or the homologue thereof is an ATP-dependent Zn-type metalloprotease. The polynucleotide decreases or increases production of the ATP-dependent Zn-type metalloprotease in the plant cell, whereby cell death of a cell in the plant is promoted or suppressed.

Abstract: The invention provides novel naturally occurring (plant) naringenin derivatives of the general formula (I): 1

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and composition for specific expression of a heterologous gene in the anthers and/or pollen of a plant. Specifically, this invention provides a recombinants expression vector comprising the rice CatA gene promoter, or functionally equivalent variant thereof, operably linked to a heterologous gene. The invention also provides male sterile plants produced using the expression vector.

Abstract: A region containing the glutelin gene promoter, which expresses a gene specifically in the endosperm of rice plant seed, was isolated; a vector was constructed to have the natural or modified soybean glycinin gene ligated downstream of the promoter; the vector construct was introduced into a cultured cell of rice plant; and thus a transgenic rice plant was obtained. The inventors studied the tissue specificity and form of soybean glycinin expressed in the created transgenic rice plant, and then found that the expressed soybean glycinin was accumulated in rice plant seeds in the transgenic rice plant and that the accumulated soybean glycinin was present as the matured protein formed by protein processing.

Abstract: The present invention provides three insertion elements and transposases encoded by the insertion elements that are derived from the genome of Ralstonia solanacearum, which has been isolated with a transposon trap vector.

Abstract: The invention provides an in vitro culture medium for in vitro-produced porcine embryo for the in vitro culture thereof, which can improve the quality of the resulting blastocyst and can raise the ratio of the development into fetus and infant after transfer, along with a method for in vitro culturing in vitro-produced porcine embryo using the culture medium, which can improve the quality of the resulting blastocyst and can develop the blastocyst into fetus and infant after transfer.

Abstract: The present invention provides three insertion elements and transposases encoded by the insertion elements that are derived from the genome of Ralstonia solanacearum, which has been isolated with a transposon trap vector.

Abstract: The invention provides a high capacity binary shuttle vector having T-DNA region and Ri ori and capable to integrate a large genome fragment in it; a genomic library having the ability to transform a plant, especially monocotyledonous ones; a plant transformed with the high capacity binary shuttle vector; and a method of searching for a useful gene by use of the above vector. The present high capacity binary shuttle vector can introduce a large genome fragment of 10 kb or more, easily, efficiently and stably into a plant, especially monocotyledonous ones under those conditions in which the rearrangement or deletion of these genome fragments does not occur. The invention also provides some other vectors derived from the above Ri ori driven vectors, which can integrate circular genome library plasmids with a lox site, or which can efficiently transform plants with genes of arbitrary expression properties.

Abstract: A method of dwarfing plants comprises controlling the expression of the genes involved in the dwarfism of the plants is provided. A molecule to be utilized for dwarfing plants is also provided. A single gene that causes the d1 mutation, which results in the dwarf abnormality of rice, was identified and isolated from a vast chromosomal region by the map-based cloning technique. This method enables, for example, creating ornamental plants and agricultural products with new commercial values, and therefore is useful especially in the areas of agriculture and horticulture.

Abstract: The present invention provides three insertion elements and transposases encoded by the insertion elements that are derived from the genome of Ralstonia solanacearum, which has been isolated with a transposon trap vector.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide antibacterial peptides of high safety, improved antibacterial activity, wide antibacterial spectrum and lower molecular weight, and antibacterial agents containing such peptides as an effective ingredient, whose effects on in vivo immune system is decreased because of lower molecular weight thereof when they are given. To achieve this object, there are provided antibacterial peptides represented by the following formula: X-Ala-Ile-Arg-Lys-Arg-NH2  (1) wherein X is a peptide in which one or more than two amino acid residues are linked by peptide linkage, and Arg-NH2 means that a carboxyl group of Arg is amidated.

Abstract: The main theme of the invention is to provide a method for manufacturing industrially, by mechanically comminuting silk yarn, crystalline silk fibroin powder below 3 &mgr;m in an average particle diameter, which can be used for various applications. A silk substance such as cocoon filament, silk yarn, or raw silk is brought into an alkali aqueous solution under a pressure of 1 through 5 atmospheric pressure at temperatures from 100° C. through 150° C. to reduce the tensile strength of the silk substance to around 0.02 g/d or less. Thereafter, the resultant silk substance is subjected to dealkalization and drying. Subsequently, the resultant dried silk substance is comminuted into powder below 3 &mgr;m in an average particle diameter. Thus, the crystalline silk fibroin powder below 3 &mgr;m in an average particle diameter is manufactured.