Acidophilic granulocytes of the marine fish gilthead seabream (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sparus aurata</Emphasis> L.) produce interleukin-1β following infection with<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Vibrio anguillarum</Emphasis>

The fish immune response to Gram-negative bacteria is poorly understood. In this study, we use a monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific to acidophilic granulocytes from the marine fish gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.), together with an antiserum specific to interleukin-1cv15j862xf7at6/xxlarge946.gif" alt="beta" align="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"> (IL-1cv15j862xf7at6/xxlarge946.gif" alt="beta" align="MIDDLE" BORDER="0">) from this species, in order to investigate whether these cells are involved in the immune response against the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio anguillarum and, in particular, in the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1cv15j862xf7at6/xxlarge946.gif" alt="beta" align="MIDDLE" BORDER="0">. We found that gilthead seabream head-kidney, peritoneal exudate and peripheral blood leukocytes accumulated proIL-1cv15j862xf7at6/xxlarge946.gif" alt="beta" align="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"> intracellularly when challenged in vitro with V. anguillarum, whereas only peritoneal exudate and blood leukocytes were able to accumulate proIL-1cv15j862xf7at6/xxlarge946.gif" alt="beta" align="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"> following infection. Importantly, the blood leukocytes from infected animals that accumulated proIL-1cv15j862xf7at6/xxlarge946.gif" alt="beta" align="MIDDLE" BORDER="0"> were shown to be the acidophilic granulocytes. A rapid mobilization of such cells from the head-kidney to the site of inflammation following infection with V. anguillarum was also observed. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (grants BIO2001-2324-C02-02 and AGL2002-03529, and fellowship to J. García-Castillo), Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (fellowship to E. Chaves-Pozo) and Fundación Séneca, Coordination Centre for Research (grant PI-51/00782/FS/01 and fellowship to P. Pelegrín).E. Chaves-Pozo and P. Pelegrín contributed equally to this work.     

Expression of a novel yeast gene that detoxifies the proline analog azetidine-2-carboxylate confers resistance during tobacco seed germination,callus and shoot formation

A novel acetyltransferase (Mpr1) found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (strain 1278b) has been shown to specifically detoxify a proline analog, l-azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (A2C) in yeast cells [M. Shichiri et al. (2001) J Biol Chem 276: 41998–42002]. We investigated whether the yeast MPR1 gene would function similarly in a plant system and if its expression could confer resistance to proline analogs. The MPR1 gene coding sequence driven by two different constitutive promoters, with or without the 5- and 3-noncoding sequence from the MPR1 gene adjacent to the conventional NOS terminator, was transformed into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Xanthi) plants via Agrobacterium tumefaciens infection. The presence of the yeast 5- and 3-noncoding sequences appeared to increase the likelihood of MPR1 gene expression in the transgenic plants. The kanamycin-selected transgenic plants with a high level of Mpr1 activity grew normally, and their progeny expressed acetyltransferase activity that could utilize A2C, azetidine-3-carboxylic acid and 4-hydroxy-l-proline as substrates. Resistance to A2C, but not to the other two analogs, was exhibited during leaf tissue culture and seed germination. The A2C toxicity to the wild-type plants was reversed by the addition of proline, suggesting that A2C acts as a proline analog. Our studies confirm that MPR1 can function in a similar fashion in tobacco as in yeast to detoxify the toxic proline analog A2C, so it could potentially be used as a new selectable marker for plant transformation. However, our attempts to utilize MPR1 as an efficient selectable marker gene for the A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation of tobacco were unsuccessful.Abbreviations A2C: l-Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid - A3C: Azetidine-3-carboxylic acid - Hyp: 4-Hydroxy-l-proline - hpt: Hygromycin phosphotransferase II - NPTII: Neomycin phosphotransferase II Communicated by H. Wang     

Signatures of cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase deficiency in poplar lignins

A series of transgenic poplars down-regulated for cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) was analyzed by thioacidolysis. Among the lignin-derived monomers, the indene compounds that were recently shown to originate from sinapaldehyde incorporated into lignins through 8-O-4-cross-coupling, were found to increase as a function of CAD deficiency level. While these syringyl markers were recovered in substantial amounts in the most severely depressed lines, the markers for coniferaldehyde incorporation were recovered in only low amounts. In conjunction with these additional sinapaldehyde units and relative to the control samples, lignins in CAD-deficient poplar lines had less conventional syringyl-units and beta-O-4-bonds and more free phenolic groups. We found that almost half of the polymers in the most deficient lines could be solubilized in alkali and at room temperature. This unusual behavior suggests that lignins in CAD-deficient poplars occur as small, alkali-leachable lignin domains. That mainly sinapaldehyde incorporates into the lignins of CAD-deficient poplars suggests that the recently identified sinapyl alcohol dehydrogenase (SAD), which is structurally distinct from the CAD enzyme targeted herein, does not play any substantial role in constitutive lignification in poplar.     

Changes in glycosidase activities during galactoglucomannan oligosaccharide inhibition of auxin induced growth

The inhibition of 2,4-D-induced elongation growth by galactoglucomannan oligosaccharides (GGMOs) in pea stem segments (Pisum sativum L. cv. Tyrkys) after 18 h of incubation results in changes of extracellular, intracellular and cell wall glycosidase activities (beta-D-glucosidase, beta-D-mannosidase, beta-D-galactosidase, beta-D-xylosidase, alpha-D-galactosidase, and alpha-L-arabinosidase). GGMOs lowered the glycosidase activities in the extracellular fraction, while in the cell wall fractions their activities were markedly increased. The intracellular enzyme alpha-d-galactosidase increased while the beta-d-galactosidase decreased in activity in response to the GGMO treatment. Extracellular enzymes showed low values of activities in comparison with intracellular and cell wall glycosidases. It is evident that GGMOs can alter auxin induced elongation and glycosidase activities in different compartments of the cell, however, the mode and site of their action remains unclear.     

萝卜提取物在小鼠体内抗病毒和抗肿瘤作用的研究

实验研究发现,萝卜提取物在小鼠体内有抗病毒和抗肿瘤作用。卫萝卜提取物对受流行性乙型脑炎病毒感染的小鼠有很强的保护作用;萝卜提取物在小鼠体内可抑制网状细胞肉瘤实体瘤的生长,并且可增强自然杀伤细胞的活性。     

Leaf developmental stage and tissue location affect the detection of β-glucuronidase in transgenic tobacco plants

Expression in Nicotiana tabaccum L. plants containing the -glucuronidase (GUS) gene under the control of the 35S (CaMV promoter) was affected by tissue type and ontogenic development of the leaves. GUS activity in ontogenetically younger leaves was 1003–1022 nmol 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin (MU) formed mg^–1 (protein) min^–1 and in ontogenetically older leaves was only 140–198 nmol (MU) mg^–1 (protein) min^–1.     

Tobacco mutants with reduced microtubule dynamics are less susceptible to TMV

A panel of seven SR1 tobacco mutants (ATER1 to ATER7) derived via T‐DNA activation tagging and screening for resistance to a microtubule assembly inhibitor, ethyl phenyl carbamate, were used to study the role of microtubules during infection and spread of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). In one of these lines, ATER2, α‐tubulin is shifted from the tyrosinylated into the detyrosinated form, and the microtubule plus‐end marker GFP–EB1 moves significantly slower when expressed in the background of the ATER2 mutant as compared with the SR1 wild type. The efficiency of cell‐to‐cell movement of TMV encoding GFP‐tagged movement protein (MP‐GFP) is reduced in ATER2 accompanied by a reduced association of MP‐GFP with plasmodesmata. This mutant is also more tolerant to viral infection as compared with the SR1 wild type, implying that reduced microtubule dynamics confer a comparative advantage in face of TMV infection.     

Plantlet production from the male inflorescence tips of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Musa acuminata</Emphasis> cultivars from South India

Inflorescence apices are suitable explants for the rapid in vitro propagation of Musa spp. However, the diploid and triploid banana cultivars showed different in vitro responses with respect to the hormone combinations in Murashige and Skoog medium. The diploid cultivar (Sannachenkadali, AA) induced a maximum number of multiple shoots in 8.9 μM 6-benzyl adenine (BA) whereas the triploid cultivar (Red banana, AAA) exhibited maximum multiplication in 22.2 μM 6-benzyl adenine. MS medium supplemented with 11.4 μM indole acetic acid and 17.8 μM BA was also suitable for shoot proliferation in triploid cultivar but not in the diploid cultivar. The regenerated shoots were rooted in Murashige and Skoog basal medium within 10–15 days. The rooted plantlets were transferred to vermiculite and maintained at a temperature of 25 ± 2°C for 10 days and then at room temperature (30–32°C) for 2 weeks before transferring to potted soil compost mixture. The plantlets showed 100% survival.     

7-Polyacylated delphinidin 3,7-diglucosides from the blue flowers of Leschenaultia cv. Violet Lena

The triacyl anthocyanins, Leschenaultia blue anthocyanins 1 and 2 (LBAs 1 and 2) were isolated from the blue flowers of Leschenaultia R. Br. cv. Violet Lena (Goodeniaceae), in which LBA 1 was present as a dominant pigment. The structure of LBA 1 was elucidated to be delphinidin 3-O-[6-O-(malonyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside]-7-O-[6-O-(4-O-(6-O-(4-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-trans-caffeoyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-trans-caffeoyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside] by application of chemical and spectroscopic methods. Since LAB 2 was isolated in small amount, its structure was tentatively assigned as either delphinidin 3-(malonylglucoside)-7-[(glucosyl-p-coumaroyl)-(glucosylcaffeoyl)-glucoside] or delphinidin 3-(malonyl-glucoside)-7-[(glucosyl-caffeoyl)(glucosyl-p-coumaroyl)-glucoside]. This is the first report of the occurrence of 7-polyacylated anthocyanins in the family of Goodeniaceae, although others have been found in the families of the Ranunculaceae, Campanulaceae, and Compositae. Moreover, delphinidin 3-glycoside-7-di-(glucosylcaffeoyl)-glucoside has been reported only in the flowers of Platycodon grandiflorum (Campanulaceae). From a chemotaxonomical viewpoint, the Goodeniaceae may be closely related to the Campanulaceae.