To determine if the CIRCE/HrcA system operates in cyanobacteria, we have inactivated the hrcA repressor gene in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by gene targeting. In the hrcA mutant, the groESL1 operon and the groEL2 gene, both of which have the CIRCE operator in their upstream regions, were derepressed at 30 ‡C without a¡ecting expression of other major heat-shock genes. However, expression of these groE genes in the mutant was not fully derepressed. Their transcription increased further upon heat shock, and was initiated from the same sites as those used under normal conditions. This suggests that their expression is regulated by at least two di¡erent mechanisms, a negative one controlled by HrcA and an unknown positive one. The heat-induced expression of clpB1 and htpG was greatly repressed by the absence of HrcA. The hrcA mutant which constitutively overexpressed GroEL displayed improved cellular thermotolerance and also reduced photobleaching of phycocyanin under heat stress conditions. ß

Purpose:We estimated the dietary qualities of green soybean (edamame) by using a specialized NIR transmission spectrometer to determine the constitutive properties of the soybean, such as the sucrose content and ninhydrine reaction quantity (NRQ; defined by the ninhydrine reaction, which has a high positive correlation with the total free amino acids), with the purpose of establishing a quality assurance system. Methods: We used a newly developed spectrometer probe that enables in situ estimation of the constituents of the soybean. Results: The calibration results obtained using a wavelength range of 760-960 nm were characterized by R 2 = 0.57 and standard error of cross-validation (SECV) of 0.78% for sucrose, and R 2 = 0.59 and SECV = 0.35% for NRQ. Conclusions: These results are inferior to those of our previous study obtained using a specialized bench-type transmission spectrometer. The poorer results are attributed to several possible reasons, including the effect of direct sunlight and the unstable sample presentation. We plan to conduct further study using improved optical layout and sample presentation.