Micropropagation and production of arbutin in oriental strawberry tree (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Arbutus andrachne</Emphasis> L.)

A protocol for micropropagation of Arbutus andrachne from seeds was developed. Results indicated that none of the seeds cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, with or without plant growth regulators (PGRs), germinated. Seeds soaked in 250 mg l⁻¹ gibberellic acid (GA₃) at 4°C for 3 days, then cultured on water-agar medium containing 2.0 mg l⁻¹ GA₃ exhibited 80–100% germination and developed into usable seedlings. Shoot proliferation was tested on MS or B5 medium containing different concentrations of cytokinin. No shoot proliferation was observed on PGR-free medium. Proliferation was more successful on MS than on B5 medium. On both media, the most successful proliferation was obtained using zeatin as a cytokinin type. Rooting was tested on MS medium containing different concentrations of auxin. Rooting failed on PGR-free medium and on medium containing indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 0.25 or 0.5 mg l⁻¹ indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), or 0.25, 0.5 or 2.0 mg l⁻¹ α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Rooting (40%) was most successful with 1.0 mg l⁻¹ NAA. Rooted plantlets exhibited 80% survival in all mixtures of peatmoss and perlite, and acclimatized plants were successfully grown in the greenhouse. Quantitative analysis of arbutin performed on in vivo and in vitro leaves using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed that in vivo leaves contained higher arbutin content (0.3–0.81% w/w) than in vitro leaves (0.09% w/w). The highest yield of arbutin in vivo was detected in leaves collected in August, and the lowest yield in leaves collected in December.     

In vitro antituberculosis activities of the constituents isolated from Haloxylon salicornicum

In vitro antituberculosis activities of fractions and pure compounds (1–20) including seven triterpenes, two alkaloids, two cycloheximide derivatives, two coumarins six sterol derivatives and a long chain alcohol, respectively, isolated from Haloxylon salicornicum were determined against Mycobecterium tuberculosis H37Rv. Actively growing cultures were tested by rapid colorimetric method while the stationary phase cultures were tested by drug exposure methods for bactericidal activity. The MIC values were found to be 50 μg/ml for compounds 15, 19 and 20 where as rest of the compounds invariably showed MIC value of 100 μg/ml against the logarithmic phase culture. These were compare to Isoniazid as a control drug. The compounds exhibited no activity against the stationary phase culture of M. tuberculosis H37Rv up to 200 μg/ml. Further studies are required to investigate the in vivo efficacies and activities of the compounds in combination with antimicrobials that are already being used for TB therapy.     

Comparative Gene Expression Analysis of Susceptible and Resistant Near-Isogenic Lines in Common Wheat Infected by Puccinia triticina

Gene expression after leaf rust infection was compared in near-isogenic wheat lines differing in the Lr10 leaf rust resistance gene. RNA from susceptible and resistant plants was used for cDNA library construction. In total, 55 008 ESTs were sequenced from the two libraries, then combined and assembled into 14 268 unigenes for further analysis. Of these ESTs, 89% encoded proteins similar to (E value of ≤10⁻⁵) characterized or annotated proteins from the NCBI non-redundant database representing diverse molecular functions, cellular localization and biological processes based on gene ontology classification. Further, the unigenes were classified into susceptible and resistant classes based on the EST members assembled from the respective libraries. Several genes from the resistant sample (14-3-3 protein, wali5 protein, actin-depolymerization factor and ADP-ribosylation factor) and the susceptible sample (brown plant hopper resistance protein, caffeic acid O-methyltransferase, pathogenesis-related protein and senescence-associated protein) were selected and their differential expression in the resistant and susceptible samples collected at different time points after leaf rust infection was confirmed by RT–PCR analysis. The molecular pathogenicity of leaf rust in wheat was studied and the EST data generated made a foundation for future studies.     

Adiponectin Multimers and ADIPOQ T45G in Coronary Artery Disease in Caribbean Type 2 Diabetic Subjects of African Descent

Ethnic differences may affect the association of adiponectin (Ad) multimers with coronary artery disease (CAD). We analyzed the associations of total Ad, Ad multimers, and T45G polymorphism of ADIPOQ gene with pre‐existing CAD. We carried out a cross‐sectional study of 216 Afro‐Caribbean type 2 diabetic (T2D) subjects. Levels of total Ad, high molecular weight (HMW), middle molecular weight (MMW), and low molecular weight (LMW) isoforms were measured. Subjects were genotyped. Of the subjects studied, 57 had pre‐existing CAD, 77% of whom have had myocardial infarction. Subjects with CAD had lower Ad levels (total and multimers) and a higher frequency carried the minor allele 45G, GG/TG, (18% vs. 8%, P = 0.03) than subjects without CAD. In logistic regression analysis, the models used evaluate Ad in the context of adjustment for metabolic syndrome characteristics. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of CAD was increased significantly (by factors of 1.05–3.27) for males, older subjects, low high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), high triglycerides (TGs), and carriers of the 45 G allele. For Ad, in model 1 (including only total Ad) the adjusted OR was 2.30; P = 0.03 and, in model 2 (including the three multimers, but not total Ad), the adjusted ORs were 0.73; P = 0.52 (HMW), 2.90; P = 0.01 (MMW), and 2.08; P = 0.09 (LMW). The T45G polymorphism in the ADIPOQ gene and hypoadiponectinemia were associated with CAD in our T2D subjects of predominantly African background. This effect of Ad level was mainly related to the MMW Ad form.     

Proteomics in clinical trials and practice: present uses and future promise

The study of clinical proteomics is a promising new field that has the potential to have many applications, including the identification of biomarkers and monitoring of disease, especially in the field of oncology. Expression proteomics evaluates the cellular production of proteins encoded by a particular gene and exploits the differential expression and post-translational modifications of proteins between healthy and diseased states. These biomarkers may be applied towards early diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of response to therapy. Functional proteomics seeks to decipher protein-protein interactions and biochemical pathways involved in disease biology and targeted by newer molecular therapeutics. Advanced spectrometry technologies and new protein array formats have improved these analyses and are now being applied prospectively in clinical trials. Further advancement of proteomics technology could usher in an era of personalized molecular medicine, where diseases are diagnosed at earlier stages and where therapies are more effective because they are tailored to the protein expression of a patient's malignancy.     

Resonance Raman analysis of the mechanism of energy storage and chromophore distortion in the primary visual photoproduct

The vibrational structure of the chromophore in the primary photoproduct of vision, bathorhodopsin, is examined to determine the cause of the anomalously decoupled and intense C(11)=C(12) hydrogen-out-of-plane (HOOP) wagging modes and their relation to energy storage in the primary photoproduct. Low-temperature (77 K) resonance Raman spectra of Glu181 and Ser186 mutants of bovine rhodopsin reveal only mild mutagenic perturbations of the photoproduct spectrum suggesting that dipolar, electrostatic, or steric interactions with these residues do not cause the HOOP mode frequencies and intensities. Density functional theory calculations are performed to investigate the effect of geometric distortion on the HOOP coupling. The decoupled HOOP modes can be simulated by imposing approximately 40 degrees twists in the same direction about the C(11)=C(12) and C(12)-C(13) bonds. Sequence comparison and examination of the binding site suggests that these distortions are caused by three constraints consisting of an electrostatic anchor between the protonated Schiff base and the Glu113 counterion, as well as steric interactions of the 9- and 13-methyl groups with surrounding residues. This distortion stores light energy that is used to drive the subsequent protein conformational changes that activate rhodopsin.     

Structure of protein phosphatase methyltransferase 1 (PPM1), a leucine carboxyl methyltransferase involved in the regulation of protein phosphatase 2A activity

The important role of the serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in various cellular processes requires a precise and dynamic regulation of PP2A activity, localization, and substrate specificity. The regulation of the function of PP2A involves the reversible methylation of the COOH group of the C-terminal leucine of the catalytic subunit, which, in turn, controls the enzyme's heteromultimeric composition and confers different protein recognition and substrate specificity. We have determined the structure of PPM1, the yeast methyltransferase responsible for methylation of PP2A. The structure of PPM1 reveals a common S-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent methyltransferase fold, with several insertions conferring the specific function and substrate recognition. The complexes with the S-adenosyl-l-methionine methyl donor and the S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine product and inhibitor unambiguously revealed the co-substrate binding site and provided a convincing hypothesis for the PP2A C-terminal peptide binding site. The structure of PPM1 in a second crystal form provides clues to the dynamic nature of the PPM1/PP2A interaction.     

Function of extracellular loop 2 in rhodopsin: glutamic acid 181 modulates stability and absorption wavelength of metarhodopsin II

The second extracellular loop of rhodopsin folds back into the membrane-embedded domain of the receptor to form part of the binding pocket for the 11-cis-retinylidene chromophore. A carboxylic acid side chain from this loop, Glu181, points toward the center of the retinal polyene chain. We studied the role of Glu181 in bovine rhodopsin by characterizing a set of site-directed mutants. Sixteen of the 19 single-site mutants expressed and bound 11-cis-retinal to form pigments. The lambda(max) value of mutant pigment E181Q showed a significant spectral red shift to 508 nm only in the absence of NaCl. Other substitutions did not significantly affect the spectral features of the mutant pigments in the dark. Thus, Glu181 does not contribute significantly to spectral tuning of the ground state of rhodopsin. The most likely interpretation of these data is that Glu181 is protonated and uncharged in the dark state of rhodopsin. The Glu181 mutants displayed significantly increased reactivity toward hydroxylamine in the dark. The mutants formed metarhodopsin II-like photoproducts upon illumination but many of the photoproducts displayed shifted lambda(max) values. In addition, the metarhodopsin II-like photoproducts of the mutant pigments had significant alterations in their decay rates. The increased reactivity of the mutants to hydroxylamine supports the notion that the second extracellular loop prevents solvent access to the chromophore-binding pocket. In addition, Glu181 strongly affects the environment of the retinylidene Schiff base in the active metarhodopsin II photoproduct.     

Kinetics of reduction of ferrioxamine B by chromium(II), vanadium(II), and dithionite

Kinetic studies of the reduction of ferrioxamine B (Fe(Hdesf)⁺) by Cr(H₂O)₆²⁺, V(H₂O)₆²⁺, and dithionite have been performed. For Cr(H₂O)₆²⁺ and V(H₂O)₆²⁺, the rate is ?d[Fe(Hdesf)⁺]/dt = k[Fe(Hdesf)⁺][M²⁺]. For Cr(H₂O)₆²⁺, k = 1.19 × 10⁴ M^?1 sec^?1 at 25°C and μ = 0.4 M, and k is independent of pH from 2.6 to 3.5. For V(H₂O)₆²⁺, k = 6.30 × 10² M^?1 sec^?1 at 25°C, μ = 1.0 M, and pH = 2.2. The rate is nearly independent of pH from 2.2 to 4.0. For Cr(H₂O)₆²⁺ and V(H₂O)₆²⁺, the activation parameters are ΔH^≠ = 8.2 kcal mol^?1, ΔS^≠ ?12 eu and ΔH^≠ = 1.7 kcal mol^?1, ΔS^≠ = ?40 eu (at pH 2.2) respectively. Reduction by Cr(H₂O)₆²⁺ is inner-sphere, while reduction by V(H₂O)₆²⁺ is outer-sphere. Reduction by dithionite follows the rate law ?d[Fe(Hdesf)⁺]/dt =kK^{$\text{1}\text{2}$}[Fe(Hdesf)⁺][S₂O₄^2?]^{$\text{1}\text{2}$} where K is the equilibrium constant for dissociation of S₂O₄^2? into SO₂^? radicals. The value of k at 25°C and μ = 0.5 is 2.7 × 10³ M^?1 sec^?1 at pH 5.8, 3.5 × 10³ M^?1 sec^?1 at pH 6.8, and 4.6 × 10³ M^?1 sec^?1 at pH 7.8, and ΔH^≠ = 6.8 kcal mol^?1 and ΔS^≠ = ?19 eu at pH 7.8.