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In order to investigate the historical expansion of common oaks (Quercus sect. Prinus) in the northeastern part of Japan, the relation between the chloroplast haplotypes (I and II) in Quercus mongolica var. crispula and the chloroplast types (T-and C-type) were examined. Complete linkage between haplotype II and chloroplast C-type was found. The chloroplasts examined in the oak species collected from Sakhalin and Primorski Krai, Russia, and Harbin, China were all T-type. This suggests that the T to C mutation had occurred in haplotype II in Japan. Neither of haplotype I nor haplotype II was found outside Japan, suggesting both occurred in Japan independently from an ancestral haplotype VI. Haplotype I, which has been known only in Mount Hayachine within Honshu, is distributed southward to the Kanto district, where refugia might have occurred during glaciations.

In this study, a MADS-box gene (BpMADS), which is an ortholog of AP1 from Arabidopsis, was isolated from birch (Betula platyphylla). Transgenic Arabidopsis containing a BpMADS promoter::GUS construct was produced, which exhibited strong GUS staining in sepal tissues. Ectopic expression of BpMADS significantly enhanced the flowering of tobacco (35S::BpMADS). In addition, the chloroplasts of transgenic tobacco exhibited much higher growth and division rates, as well rates of photosynthesis, than wild-type. A grafting experiment demonstrated that the flowering time of the scion was not affected by stock that overexpressed BpMADS. In addition, the overexpression of BpMADS resulted in the upregulation of some flowering-related genes in tobacco.

Lipase-catalyzed synthesis of ferulic acid oleyl alcohol ester in an ionic liquid (IL)/isooctane system was investigated. Considerable bioconversion and volumetric productivity were achieved in inexpensive 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([Hmim][PF(6)]) and 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([Omim][PF(6)]) mediated systems, and thus, the two types of ILs were selected for further optimization of variables. The results showed that, before reaching a maximum, the increase of ferulic acid concentration, temperature, or enzyme dosage led to an increase in volumetric productivity. Variations of the ratios of IL/isooctane and concentrations of oleyl alcohol also profoundly affected the volumetric productivity. To a higher extent, [Hmim][PF(6)]/isooctane and [Omim][PF(6)]/isooctane show similar reaction behaviors. Under the optimized reaction conditions (60 °C, 150 mg of Novozym 435 and 100 mg of molecular sieves), up to 48.50 mg/mL productivity of oleyl feruleate could be achieved for the [Hmim][PF(6)]/isooctane (0.5 mL/1.5 mL) system with a substrate concentration of ferulic acid of 0.08 mmol/mL and oleyl alcohol of 0.32 mmol; while an optimum volumetric productivity of 26.92 mg/mL was obtained for the [Omim][PF(6)]/ isooctane (0.5 mL/1.5 mL) system under a similar reaction condition other than the substrate concentrations of ferulic acid at 0.05 mmol/mL and oleyl alcohol at 0.20 mmol.