The Comparative Analysis of the DNA Repeat Composition among Cannabis Sativa L., Humulus Lupulus L. And Humulus Japonicus Siebold & Zucc. With Heteromorphic Sex Chromosomes

Heteromorphic sex chromosomes are rarely found in plants. They were observed only in 47 species from phylogenetically distant families, suggesting that the evolution of sex chromosomes was independent in these species. It was shown that DNA repeat sequences are one of the major factors driving sex chromosomes evolution, and an accumulation or elimination of the repetitive DNA elements are closely linked with the formation of differences in the sex chromosomes. The goal of this study was to characterize the transposon composition in male and female plants of Cannabis sativa L., Humulus lupulus L. and Humulus japonicus Siebold & Zucc. For the first time, the male and female genomes of H. japonicus as well as male genomes of H. lupulus and C. sativa have been sequenced (there were no open data about them). The analysis of genome-wide sequencing data with using Repeatexplorer2 and author’s scripts was carried out. It was shown that accumulation of Ty3-gypsy may be associated with speciation in Cannabaceae family which is the opposite of the theory of speciation throw whole-genome duplication. Moreover, the sex-specific DNA repeat clusters in C. sativa and H. japonicus were found. The analysis also revealed that the concentration of Tekay, Retand and Ikeros repeats in the Y chromosome of C. sativa is lower than in the X chromosome and the Angela concentration is higher in the Y chromosome.

Japanese Hops (Humulus japonicus) Control and Management Strategies in Large River Floodplains

Japanese hops (Humulus japonicus) is an invasive vine that establishes in open areas in riverine habitats and suppresses tree regeneration and native vegetation. This study evaluated the use of herbicides and tree plantings to control and manage Japanese hops on five Mississippi River islands over a four-year period. Herbicide treatments included a preemergent (sulfometuron methyl), a postemergent (glyphosate), and a combination of both. Tree plantings used containerized and bareroot American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) and eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) trees. Japanese hops biomass was significantly lower in all herbicide treatments in 2012 and 2015, but the preemergent treatment was less effective than other treatments in 2012 and 2014. After two years, average survivorship of containerized trees was 20%–42%, whereas bareroot seedlings had near 100% mortality. Results indicate that postemergent treatments are effective for short-term control, but large floods reestablish Japanese hops in treated areas. Reforestation, if combined with herbicide treatments and active management, may be a promising approach in large river floodplains that experience frequent flooding, but low tree survivorship presents challenges to reforestation. Study Implications Japanese hops (Humulus japonicus) is an invasive vine that establishes in open riparian areas and suppresses tree regeneration and other native vegetation. We confirmed that glyphosate provides effective short-term control, but also found that large floods can quickly reestablish Japanese hops in treated areas. Bareroot seedling mortality was extremely high, but initial survival and growth rates of containerized trees were more promising. We conclude that tree plantings combined with active maintenance, including glyphosate application, may be a viable option for long-term control of Japanese hops in upper Mississippi River floodplains.

Study on the Adsorption of Methylene Blue from Dye Wastewater by Humulus Japonicus Leaves

This paper took the objective of preparing high-performance, low-cost biological adsorbent for printing and dyeing wastewater, and the adsorption experiment of dyestuff wastewater with high chromaticity and high biodegradability was studied. The Methylene Blue was adsorbed by the prepared Humulus Japonicus Leaves (HJ), the effects of adsorption time, pH, dosage of adsorbent, initial Methylene Blue concentration and temperature on the adsorption process were investigated, and the adsorption mechanism was described by adsorption isotherm, adsorption thermodynamics and adsorption kinetics, and the results showed that: when HJ was added 0.15g and ph was 7, the temperature was 30°C (303K), adsorption was carried out for 20min, simulated dye wastewater, adsorption efficiency of Methylene Blue of 100mg/l were excellent, adsorption rate reached up to 92%, the equilibrium adsorption rate was positively correlated with the initial concentration of CV dye. Humulus leaves adsorption CV Gibbs free energy of ΔG<0, ΔH>0, ΔS>0 showed spontaneous adsorption process, the adsorption process Methylene Blu was more suitable for the Freundlich isothermal adsorption equation, the adsorption kinetics accorded with the quasi two level kinetic model, the adsorption of the Methylene Blue dye molecule by the HJ was chemically adsorbed as the rate control step, the Methylene Blue molecule was mainly adsorbed on the surface of the Humulus leaves; the model of internal diffusion kinetics showed that there was membrane diffusion and internal diffusion of the HJ in the process of Methylene Blue adsorption. The experimental results showed that HJ as adsorbent can effectively remove Methylene Blue from dye wastewater, and the research results provide a new method and idea for biological treatment of dye wastewater.

A Mixture of Humulus japonicus Increases Longitudinal Bone Growth Rate in Sprague Dawley Rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of administration of a mixture of Humulus japonicus (MH) on longitudinal bone growth in normal Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. We measured the femur and tibia length, growth plate area, proliferation of chondrocytes, and expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I) and IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), and Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) phosphorylation after dietary administration of MH in SD rats for four weeks. The nose–tail length gain and length of femur and tibia increased significantly in the group that received MH for a period of four weeks. We performed H&E staining and Bromodeoxyuridine/5-Bromo-2′-Deoxyuridine (BrdU) staining to examine the effect of dietary administration of MH on the growth plate and the proliferation of chondrocytes and found that MH stimulated the proliferation of chondrocytes and contributed to increased growth plate height during the process of longitudinal bone growth. In addition, serum levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 and expression of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 mRNAs in the liver and bone were increased, and phosphorylation of JAK2/STAT5 in the liver was increased in the MH groups. Based on these results, we suggest that the effect of MH on longitudinal bone growth is mediated by increased JAK2/STAT5-induced IGF-1 production.