Role of Tomato Lipoxygenase D in Wound-Induced Jasmonate Biosynthesis and Plant Immunity to Insect Herbivores

In response to insect attack and mechanical wounding, plants activate the expression of genes involved in various defense-related processes. A fascinating feature of these inducible defenses is their occurrence both locally at the wounding site and systemically in undamaged leaves throughout the plant. Wound-inducible proteinase inhibitors (PIs) in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) provide an attractive model to understand the signal transduction events leading from localized injury to the systemic expression of defense-related genes. Among the identified intercellular molecules in regulating systemic wound response of tomato are the peptide signal systemin and the oxylipin signal jasmonic acid (JA). The systemin/JA signaling pathway provides a unique opportunity to investigate, in a single experimental system, the mechanism by which peptide and oxylipin signals interact to coordinate plant systemic immunity. Here we describe the characterization of the tomato suppressor of prosystemin-mediated responses8 (spr8) mutant, which was isolated as a suppressor of (pro)systemin-mediated signaling. spr8 plants exhibit a series of JA-dependent immune deficiencies, including the inability to express wound-responsive genes, abnormal development of glandular trichomes, and severely compromised resistance to cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) and Botrytis cinerea. Map-based cloning studies demonstrate that the spr8 mutant phenotype results from a point mutation in the catalytic domain of TomLoxD, a chloroplast-localized lipoxygenase involved in JA biosynthesis. We present evidence that overexpression of TomLoxD leads to elevated wound-induced JA biosynthesis, increased expression of wound-responsive genes and, therefore, enhanced resistance to insect herbivory attack and necrotrophic pathogen infection. These results indicate that TomLoxD is involved in wound-induced JA biosynthesis and highlight the application potential of this gene for crop protection against insects and pathogens.     

The Wilms Tumor Gene,Wt1, Is Critical for Mouse Spermatogenesis via Regulation of Sertoli Cell Polarity and Is Associated with Non-Obstructive Azoospermia in Humans

Azoospermia is one of the major reproductive disorders which cause male infertility in humans; however, the etiology of this disease is largely unknown. In the present study, six missense mutations of WT1 gene were detected in 529 human patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), indicating a strong association between WT1 mutation and NOA. The Wilms tumor gene, Wt1, is specifically expressed in Sertoli cells (SCs) which support spermatogenesis. To examine the functions of this gene in spermatogenesis, Wt1 was deleted in adult testis using Wt1^flox and Cre-ER^TM mice strains. We found that inactivation of Wt1 resulted in massive germ cell death and only SCs were present in most of the seminiferous tubules which was very similar to NOA in humans. In investigating the potential mechanism for this, histological studies revealed that the blood–testis barrier (BTB) was disrupted in Wt1 deficient testes. In vitro studies demonstrated that Wt1 was essential for cell polarity maintenance in SCs. Further studies found that the expression of cell polarity associated genes (Par6b and E-cadherin) and Wnt signaling genes (Wnt4, Wnt11) were downregulated in Wt1 deficient SCs, and that the expression of Par6b and E-cadherin was regulated by Wnt4. Our findings suggest that Wt1 is important in spermatogenesis by regulating the polarity of SCs via Wnt signaling pathway and that WT1 mutation is one of the genetic causes of NOA in humans.     

miR-133a Regulates Adipocyte Browning In Vivo

Prdm16 determines the bidirectional fate switch of skeletal muscle/brown adipose tissue (BAT) and regulates the thermogenic gene program of subcutaneous white adipose tissue (SAT) in mice. Here we show that miR-133a, a microRNA that is expressed in both BAT and SATs, directly targets the 3′ UTR of Prdm16. The expression of miR-133a dramatically decreases along the commitment and differentiation of brown preadipocytes, accompanied by the upregulation of Prdm16. Overexpression of miR-133a in BAT and SAT cells significantly inhibits, and conversely inhibition of miR-133a upregulates, Prdm16 and brown adipogenesis. More importantly, double knockout of miR-133a1 and miR-133a2 in mice leads to elevations of the brown and thermogenic gene programs in SAT. Even 75% deletion of miR-133a (a1^−/−a2^+/−) genes results in browning of SAT, manifested by the appearance of numerous multilocular UCP1-expressing adipocytes within SAT. Additionally, compared to wildtype mice, miR-133a1^−/−a2^+/− mice exhibit increased insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, and activate the thermogenic gene program more robustly upon cold exposure. These results together elucidate a crucial role of miR-133a in the regulation of adipocyte browning in vivo.     

Lipidomic changes during different growth stages of Nitzschia closterium f. minutissima

Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray ionization-Quadrupole-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF–MS) is a powerful lipidomic tool. In this study, we developed a UPLC/Q-TOF–MS based method to investigate the lipid metabolomic changes in different growth phases of Nitzschia closterium f. minutissima. The data classification and biomarker selection were carried out by using multivariate statistical analysis, including principal components analysis (PCA), projection to latent structures with discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and orthogonal projection to latent structures with discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). We discovered that the intercellular lipid metabolites were significantly different among exponential, early stationary and late stationary phases. Thirty-one lipid molecules were selected and identified as putative biomarkers, including free fatty acid, Harderoporphyrin, phosphatidylglycerol, 1,2-diacyglycerl-3-O-4′-(N,N-trimethy)-homoserine, triacylglycerol, cholesterol, sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol, lyso-sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol, monogalactosyldiacylglycerol, digalactosyldiacylglycerol and lyso-digalactosyldiacylglycerol. These lipids have been shown previously to function in energy storage, membrane stability and photosynthesis efficiency during the growth of diatoms. Further analysis on the putative biomarkers demonstrated that nitrate starvation played critical role in the transition from exponential phase to stationary phase in N. closterium. This study is the first one to explore the lipidomic changes of microalgae in different growth phases, which promotes better understanding of their physiology and ecology.     

白念珠菌MAPK信号通路研究进展

白念珠菌是人类最常见的条件致病菌。促分裂素原活化蛋白激酶（MAPK链）是真核生物信号传递网络中的重要途径之一,在基因表达调控和细胞质功能活动中发挥关键作用。在白念珠菌中主要有4条MAPK途径：Mkcl途径、Cekl途径、Cek2途径和HOG途径。其中HOG途径在白念珠菌MAPK信号通路起着重要的作用。对于白念珠菌MAPK信号通路的作用及相关调控机制的了解,可以为寻找新的药物作用靶点,治疗念珠菌病提供帮助。     

APNP对白念珠菌杀菌效果研究

目的 研究常压低温等离子体(APNP)喷流对白念珠菌的杀灭作用,并初步探讨其杀菌机制.方法 观察白念珠菌标准株经不同放电气体流量、作用时间及作用距离的APNP喷流处理后的菌落生长情况,并利用扫描电镜与透射电镜观察处理后念珠菌细胞内外超微结构的变化.结果 经APNP处理后的菌株生长明显被抑制,通入的放电气体He/O2以2/0.06 L/min的抑制作用比2/0.02 L/min明显,处理时间10 min明显优于2 min,作用距离1 cm优于2 cm.扫描电镜观察APNP处理后的菌体细胞壁有不同程度的破裂,菌体干瘪,透射电镜下可见菌体细胞壁、细胞膜破裂,胞内物质外漏,细胞内物质稀疏.结论 APNP喷流对白念珠菌有明显的杀灭效果,且放电气体中氧气含量相对越大,处理时间越长,作用距离越短,杀菌效果也越明显.其主要杀菌机制可能与APNP中活性粒子导致微生物细胞壁、细胞膜的破裂有关.     

伊曲康唑和羟基伊曲康唑体外抗菌活性比较

目的了解伊曲康唑和羟基伊曲康唑对临床常见深部感染真菌的体外敏感性,并对两者抗菌活性进行比较分析。方法酵母菌分离自血液和无菌体液标本,曲霉菌分离自气管插管吸取物、支气管肺泡灌洗液和保护性毛刷;酵母菌采用显色培养基和API 20C鉴定到种,曲霉菌用乳酸酚棉兰压片镜检鉴定到种;微量肉汤稀释法进行药敏试验。结果全国10家医院共收集到338株真菌,包括念珠菌281株,曲霉菌37株,新生隐球菌18株和其他酵母菌2株。伊曲康唑(ITZ)对白念珠菌、热带念珠菌、近平滑念珠菌、克柔念珠菌的敏感率分别为83.8%,70.8%,78.6%,38.5%;50%以上克柔念珠菌为剂量依赖性敏感;伊曲康唑对光滑念珠菌敏感性较差;而对于新生隐球菌、黄曲霉和烟曲霉的MIC50/MIC90分别为0.5/0.5、1/1、1/1μg/mL;羟基伊曲康唑与伊曲康唑有相似的抗菌活性。结论伊曲康唑对大部分深部感染真菌的敏感性较好,光滑念珠菌对伊曲康唑耐药株增多;伊曲康唑主要代谢产物有体外抗菌活性。