A pathogen- and salicylic acid-induced WRKY DNA-binding activity recognizes the elicitor response element of the tobacco class I chitinase gene promoter

Using a simple oligo selection procedure, we have previously identified a tobacco sequence-specific DNA-binding activity, TDBA12, that increases markedly during the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)-induced hypersensitive response (HR). Based on the binding specificity and the two cDNA clones isolated, TDBA12 is related to a novel class of DNA-binding factors containing WRKY domains. In the present study, we report that TDBA12 could be induced not only by TMV infection but also by treatment with salicylic acid (SA) or its biologically active analogs capable of inducing pathogenesis-related (PR) genes and enhanced resistance. TDBA12 was sensitive to temperature and the protein dissociating agent sodium deoxycholate, suggesting that it may be a multimeric factor in which protein–protein interaction is important for the enhanced DNA-binding activity. Pre-treatment of nuclear extracts with alkaline phosphatase abolished TDBA12, suggesting that protein phosphorylation is important for its high DNA-binding activity. TDBA12 specifically recognized the elicitor response element of the tobacco class I basic chitinase gene promoter. The increase in the levels of TDBA12 following TMV infection or SA treatment preceded the induced expression of the tobacco chitinase gene. These results strongly suggest that certain WRKY DNA-binding proteins may be activated by enhanced protein phosphorylation and regulate inducible expression of defense-related genes during pathogen- and SA-induced plant defense responses.     

Heavy Metal Level in Human Semen with Different Fertility: a Meta-Analysis

Researches conducted worldwide indicate a frequent deficiency in mineral matters. Due to the increased need during the period of accelerated growth and development, children belong to the group that is exposed to the highest risk of mineral matter deficiency. Our objectives were to determine the iron, zinc, copper, manganese, and calcium intake in the collective diet of the preschool population in the in the northwestern region of Bosnia- in the Republic of Srpska and to estimate the adequacy of the application of the international food composition tables for nutrition planning relating to mineral matters. Samples of food intended for children’s diet were collected in the preschool institution “Radost” (a kindergarten), in the city of Prijedor. In daily portions, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, and Ca contents were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Contents of mineral matters in daily meals were also calculated by the food composition tables. An average daily meal contained 2.86 mg of Fe, 1.71 mg of Zn, 0.19 mg of Cu, 0.21 mg of Mn, and 83.5 mg of Ca. With calculation method, contents of all minerals are significantly higher than the experimental data for all used food composition tables. The obtained results indicate a significant deficiency in mineral matters in the collective diet of the preschool population in the Republic of Srpska, a certain non-compliance with the applicable recommendations, and also suggest a need to create food composition tables for food being consumed in our region.     

Neuron-derived FGF9 is essential for scaffold formation of Bergmann radial fibers and migration of granule neurons in the cerebellum

Although fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) is widely expressed in the central nervous system (CNS), the function of FGF9 in neural development remains undefined. To address this question, we deleted the Fgf9 gene specifically in the neural tube and demonstrated that FGF9 plays a key role in the postnatal migration of cerebellar granule neurons. Fgf9-null mice showed severe ataxia associated with disrupted Bergmann fiber scaffold formation, impaired granule neuron migration, and upset Purkinje cell maturation. Ex vivo cultured wildtype or Fgf9-null glia displayed a stellate morphology. Coculture with wildtype neurons, but not Fgf9-deficient neurons, or treating with FGF1 or FGF9 induced the cells to adopt a radial glial morphology. In situ hybridization showed that Fgf9 was expressed in neurons and immunostaining revealed that FGF9 was broadly distributed in both neurons and Bergmann glial radial fibers. Genetic analyses revealed that the FGF9 activities in cerebellar development are primarily transduced by FGF receptors 1 and 2. Furthermore, inhibition of the MAP kinase pathway, but not the PI3K/AKT pathway, abrogated the FGF activity to induce glial morphological changes, suggesting that the activity is mediated by the MAP kinase pathway. This work demonstrates that granule neurons secrete FGF9 to control formation of the Bergmann fiber scaffold, which in turn, guides their own inward migration and maturation of Purkinje cells.     

Effect of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol on the interaction between photosystem II core complex and its antenna complexes in liposomes of thylakoid lipids

The non-bilayer lipid monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) is the most abundant type of lipid in the thylakoid membrane and plays an important role in regulating the structure and function of photosynthetic membrane proteins. In this study, we have reconstituted the isolated major light-harvesting complexes of photosystem II (PSII) (LHCIIb) and a preparation consisting of PSII core complexes and minor LHCII of PSII (PSIICC) into liposomes that consisted of digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG), with or without MGDG. Transmission electron microscopy and freeze-fracture studies showed unilamellar proteoliposomes, and demonstrated that most of the MGDG is incorporated into bilayer structures. The impact of MGDG on the functional interaction between LHCIIb and PSIICC was investigated by low temperature (77 K) fluorescence emission spectra and the photochemical activity of PSII. The additional incorporation of LHCIIb into liposomes containing PSIICC markedly increased oxygen evolution of PSIICC. Excitation at 480 nm of chlorophyll (Chl) b in LHCIIb stimulated a characteristic fluorescence emission of the Chl a in PSII (684.2 nm), rather than that of the Chl a in LHCIIb (680 nm) in the LHCIIb–PSIICC proteoliposomes, which indicated that the energy was transferred from LHCIIb to PSIICC in liposome membranes. Increasing the percentage of MGDG in the PSIICC–LHCIIb proteoliposomes enhanced the photochemical activity of PSII, due to a more efficient energy transfer from LHCIIb to PSIICC and, thus, an enlarged antenna cross section of PSII.     

Compelling P1 substituent affect on metalloprotease binding profile enables the design of a novel cyclohexyl core scaffold with excellent MMP selectivity and HER-2 sheddase inhibition

A serendipitous discovery that the metalloprotease binding profile of a novel class of 2-carboxamide-3-hydroxamic acid piperidines could be significantly attenuated by the modification of the unexplored P1 substituent enabled the design and synthesis of a novel 2-carboxamide-1-hydroxamic acid cyclohexyl scaffold core that exhibited excellent HER-2 potency and unprecedented MMP-selectivity that we believe would not have been possible via conventional P1′ perturbations.     

甲状腺激素对胸腺上皮细胞CK19蛋白表达的影响

目的探讨甲状腺激素对胸腺的发育的影响及可能的机制。方法将12只怀孕4d的大鼠随机分成A组和B组,A组正常饮水,B组孕鼠供以含有0．02％甲巯咪唑的饮水制备仔鼠甲状腺功能低下动物模型,将A组的仔鼠随机分成对照组和甲状腺素钠组,将B组的仔鼠随机分成甲低组和甲低＋甲状腺素钠组。甲状腺素钠组和甲低＋甲状腺素钠组于出生后15d给予腹腔注射甲状腺素钠（0．5mg／kg体重,1次／d）,连续给药25d。所有动物于出生后40d麻醉处死,测定仔鼠的胸腺重量及脏器指数;采用放射免疫技术测定仔鼠血清中三碘甲状腺原氨酸（triiodothyronine,T3）、四碘甲状腺原氨酸（tetraiodothyronine,T4）、促甲状腺激素（thyroid—stimulating hormone,TSH）水平,免疫组织化学技术检测胸腺上皮细胞细胞角蛋白19（cytokeratin 19,CK19）蛋白的表达量。结果与对照组比较,甲状腺素钠组仔鼠血清中T3、T4显著升高,TSH减少,胸腺重量增大;甲低组仔鼠血清中T3、T4明显降低,TSH显著增高,胸腺重量降低,胸腺上皮细胞CK19蛋白表达减少。与甲低组比较,甲低＋甲状腺素钠组仔鼠血清中T3、T4升高,TSH降低,胸腺指数增大,胸腺上皮细胞CK19蛋白的表达明显增多。结论甲状腺激素可以通过影响胸腺上皮细胞CK19的表达量,使胸腺发育或退化。     

Improved model simulation of soil carbon cycling by representing the microbially derived organic carbon pool

During the decomposition process of soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial products such as microbial necromass and microbial metabolites may form an important stable carbon (C) pool, called microbially derived C, which has different decomposition patterns from plant-derived C. However, current Earth System Models do not simulate this microbially derived C pool separately. Here, we incorporated the microbial necromass pool to the first-order kinetic model and the Michaelis–Menten model, respectively, and validated model behaviors against previous observation data from the decomposition experiments of ¹³C-labeled necromass. Our models showed better performance than existing models and the Michaelis–Menten model was better than the first-order kinetic model. Microbial necromass C was estimated to be 10–27% of total SOC in the study soils by our models and therefore should not be ignored. This study provides a novel modification to process-based models for better simulation of soil organic C under the context of global changes.Subject terms: Biogeochemistry, Theoretical ecology, Microbial ecology, Stable isotope analysis     

SEF14菌毛基因操纵子在肠炎沙门氏菌和D-群沙门氏菌的变异分析

【目的】本文旨在探索SEF14菌毛特异性表达于D-群沙门氏菌,特别是肠炎沙门氏菌以及都柏林沙门氏菌的原因。【方法】应用PCR扩增以及序列测定检测了18株鸡白痢沙门氏菌,11株肠炎沙门氏菌以及1株都柏林沙门氏菌标准株中sefA,sefD和sefR基因序列,并分析比对其序列变异。【结果】以11株肠炎沙门氏菌以及1株都柏林沙门氏菌染色体DNA为模板能成功扩增sefA,sefD以及sefR基因;从18株鸡白痢沙门氏菌中均能成功扩增sefA基因,但只有分离于1980年之前的7株分离菌能成功扩增sefD和sefR基因,而另11株1980年后分离菌PCR扩增sefD和sefR基因却无任何产物。比对PCR扩增产物测序结果发现,11株肠炎沙门氏菌以及1株都柏林沙门氏菌株中sefA,sefD以及sefR基因序列和已发表的序列(GenBank登录号为L11008,U07129和AF233854)100%同源;7株鸡白痢沙门氏菌sefD基因测序结果表明,在196位点处发生碱基缺失,造成移码突变,提前于氨基酸残基71位点处产生终止密码子。优化菌毛表达条件,体外抽提和纯化菌毛并进一步试验证明:肠炎沙门氏菌以及都柏林沙门氏菌体外能很好表达SEF14菌毛,但鸡白痢沙门氏菌在相同培养条件下却无任何表达迹象。【结论】SEF14菌毛操纵子亚单位基因sefA,sefD以及调节基因sefR在不同沙门氏菌中的变异情况可能是SEF14菌毛局限性表达的原因之一。