本研究では新聞記事を質的情報として収集し，遺伝子組み換え食品をめぐる記事上の議論の特徴や推移について，計量テキスト分析を行った．計量的手法のデータとして，読売新聞を採用し，遺伝子組み換え作物の国内輸入が開始した1988年12月から，2018年11月までの29年11か月の記事を収集した．テキストの分析には，「KH Coder」を利用し，データ中から語を抽出し，それらの出現頻度や相関関係を分析して，有用な情報の抽出を試みた．各年の記事数，出現語の分析では，表示に対する記事が一時的に増加していたことが明らかとなった．この結果を受けて，遺伝子組み換え食品の流通と表示に注目して，4つのフェーズを設定し，対応分析をこれら期間について行った．対応分析の結果と，クラスター分析でのグルーピング，共起ネットワーク分析の結果から，遺伝子組み換え作物の輸入開始から遺伝子組み換え表示制度成立迄（1996.10～2001.3），および遺伝子組み換え表示制度成立から消費者庁に食品表示業務移管迄（2001.4～2009.9）の期間において活発な報道があったことを明らかにした．また，安全についてはコンスタントに報じられていたが，表示については期間集中的に報じられていたことを明らかにした．

The presence of alkaloids is rather specific to certain plant species. However, berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid, is relatively broadly distributed in the plant kingdom. Thus, berberine biosynthesis has been intensively investigated, especially using Coptis japonica cell cultures. Almost all biosynthetic enzyme genes have already been characterized at the molecular level. Particularly, two transcription factors (TFs), a plant-specific WRKY-type TF, CjWRKY1, and a basic helix-loop-helix TF, CjbHLH1, were shown to comprehensively regulate berberine biosynthesis in C. japonica cells. In this study, we characterized the promoter region of some biosynthetic enzyme genes and associated cis-acting elements involved in the transcriptional regulation via two TFs. The promoter regions of three berberine biosynthetic enzyme genes (CYP80B2, 4'OMT and CYP719A1) were isolated, and their promoter activities were dissected by a transient assay involving the sequentially truncated promoter::luciferase (LUC) reporter constructs. Furthermore, transactivation activities of CjWRKY1 were determined using the truncated promoter::LUC reporter constructs or constructs with mutated cis-elements. These results suggest the involvement of a putative W-box in the regulation of biosynthetic enzyme genes. Direct binding of CjWRKY1 to the W-box DNA sequence was also confirmed by an electrophoresis mobility shift assay and by a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. In addition, CjbHLH1 also activated transcription from truncated 4'OMT and CYP719A1 promoters independently of CjWRKY1, suggesting the involvement of a putative E-box. Unexpected transcriptional activation of biosynthetic enzyme genes via a non-W-box sequence and by CjWRKY1 as well as the possible involvement of a GCC-box in berberine biosynthesis in C. japonica are discussed.

Specific plant species produce unique isoquinoline alkaloids (IQAs); however, the mechanism of their evolution and the regulation of their biosynthesis are largely unknown. We report here the isolation of a novel basic helix-loop-helix protein, CjbHLH1, from IQA-producing Coptis japonica. A BLAST search indicated that CjbHLH1 homologs were only found in plant species that produce IQAs. Transient RNA interference (RNAi) and overexpression of CjbHLH1 in C. japonica protoplasts revealed the activity of CjbHLH1 in transcription of IQA biosynthetic genes, and little activity in the transcription of genes involved in primary metabolism or the stress response. A chromatin immunoprecipitation experiment using CjbHLH1-specific antibodies revealed the direct interaction of CjbHLH1 with promoter sequences of IQA biosynthetic genes in vivo. We discuss the unique role of CjbHLH1 in IQA biosynthesis.