Publications

papain protects papaya trees from herbivorous insects: role of cysteine proteases in latex.	many plants contain latex that exudes when leaves are damaged, and a number of proteins and enzymes have been found in it. the roles of those latex proteins and enzymes are as yet poorly understood. we found that papain, a cysteine protease in latex of the papaya tree (carica papaya, caricaceae), is a crucial factor in the defense of the papaya tree against lepidopteran larvae such as oligophagous samia ricini (saturniidae) and two notorious polyphagous pests, mamestra brassicae (noctuidae) and ...	2004	14731257
isoprene emission from tropical trees in okinawa island, japan.	this study surveyed isoprene emission from 42 indigenous and exotic tropical trees in subtropic okinawa, japan. of the 42 trees studied, 4 emitted isoprene at a rate in excess of 20 microg g(-1)h(-1), and 28 showed the rates of 1-10 microg g(-1)h(-1). the remainder emitted less than 1 microg g(-1)h(-1). the majority of trees in this study may therefore fall within the lower emitting species. however, species in moraceae that is indigenous in okinawa emitted isoprene at relatively higher rates wi ...	2006	16860371
temperature threshold of isoprene emission from tropical trees, ficus virgata and ficus septica.	this paper describes the existence of temperature threshold in isoprene emission from tropical trees for the first time. isoprene emission capacity of ficus virgata leaves kept outdoors were measured over a period of 20 d in the wintertime. when the plants experienced the low temperature below 12 °c in the daytime, isoprene emission was completely suppressed, and re-activated by elevated temperature above the threshold of 12 °c. photosynthesis is also decreased similarly, but too much smaller ex ...	2014	24080006
molecular cloning and biochemical characterization of isoprene synthases from the tropical trees ficus virgata, ficus septica, and casuarina equisetifolia.	three isoprene synthase (isps) cdna clones have been isolated from tropical trees (ficus septica, f. virgata, and casuarina equisetifolia), and their enzyme properties have been compared with those of populus alba isps. phylogenetic analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences with known monoterpene synthase resolved isps from f. septica and f. virgata and other ispss in a clade together with tps-b clade i, whereas isps from c. equisetifolia was within another clade, sister to tps-b clade ii. th ...	2015	26081976