The usage of marker traits in plants for evaluation of resistance of the winter wheat to pest insects

A new method of selection of the winter wheat varieties has been tested for resistance to the pest insects' complex by the traits of plants that are the markers of plant resistance. It makes it possible to use this method from year to year independently of the pests' density.     

Cholinergic regulation of fuel-induced hormone secretion and respiration of SUR1-/- mouse islets

Neural and endocrine factors (i.e., Ach and GLP-1) restore defective glucose-stimulated insulin release in pancreatic islets lacking sulfonylurea type 1 receptors (SUR1(-/-)) (Doliba NM, Qin W, Vatamaniuk MZ, Li C, Zelent D, Najafi H, Buettger CW, Collins HW, Carr RD, Magnuson MA, and Matschinsky FM. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 286: E834-E843, 2004). The goal of the present study was to assess fuel-induced respiration in SUR1(-/-) islets and to correlate it with changes in intracellular Ca(2+), insulin, and glucagon secretion. By use of a method based on O(2) quenching of phosphorescence, the O(2) consumption rate (OCR) of isolated islets was measured online in a perifusion system. Basal insulin release (IR) was 7-10 times higher in SUR1(-/-) compared with control (CON) islets, but the OCR was comparable. The effect of high glucose (16.7 mM) on IR and OCR was markedly reduced in SUR1(-/-) islets compared with CON. Ach (0.5 microM) in the presence of 16.7 mM glucose caused a large burst of IR in CON and SUR1(-/-) islets with minor changes in OCR in both groups of islets. In SUR1(-/-) islets, high glucose failed to inhibit glucagon secretion during stimulation with amino acids or Ach. We conclude that 1) reduced glucose responsiveness of SUR1(-/-) islets may be in part due to impaired energetics, as evidenced by significant decrease in glucose-stimulated OCR; 2) elevated intracellular Ca(2+) levels may contribute to altered insulin and glucagon secretion in SUR1(-/-) islets; and 3) The amplitudes of the changes in OCR during glucose and Ach stimulation do not correlate with IR in normal and SUR1(-/-) islets suggesting that the energy requirements for exocytosis are minor compared with other ATP-consuming reactions.     

Na+ effects on mitochondrial respiration and oxidative phosphorylation in diabetic hearts

Intracellular Na+ is approximately two times higher in diabetic cardiomyocytes than in control. We hypothesized that the increase in Na+i activates the mitochondrial membrane Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, which leads to loss of intramitochondrial Ca2+, with a subsequent alteration (generally depression) in bioenergetic function. To further evaluate this hypothesis, mitochondria were isolated from hearts of control and streptozotocin-induced (4 weeks) diabetic rats. Respiratory function and ATP synthesis were studied using routine polarography and 31P-NMR methods, respectively. While addition of Na+ (1-10 mM) decreased State 3 respiration and rate of oxidative phosphorylation in both diabetic and control mitochondria, the decreases were significantly greater for diabetic than for control. The Na+ effect was reversed by providing different levels of extramitochondrial Ca2+ (larger Ca2+ levels were needed to reverse the Na+ depressant effect in diabetes mellitus than in control) and by inhibiting the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger function with diltiazem (a specific blocker of Na+/Ca2+ exchange that prevents Ca2+ from leaving the mitochondrial matrix). On the other hand, the Na+ depressant effect was enhanced by Ruthenium Red (RR, a blocker of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, which decreases intramitochondrial Ca2+). The RR effect on Na+ depression of mitochondrial bioenergetic function was larger in diabetic than control. These findings suggest that intramitochondrial Ca2+ levels could be lower in diabetic than control and that the Na+ depressant effect has some relation to lowered intramitochondrial Ca2+. Conjoint experiments with 31P-NMR in isolated superfused mitochondria embedded in agarose beads showed that Na+ (3-30 mM) led to significantly decreased ATP levels in diabetic rats, but produced smaller changes in control. These data support our hypothesis that in diabetic cardiomyocytes, increased Na+ leads to abnormalities of oxidative processes and subsequent decrease in ATP levels, and that these changes are related to Na+ induced depletion of intramitochondrial Ca2+.     

Intravital imaging of fluorescent markers and FRET probes by DNA tattooing

Background  

Advances in fluorescence microscopy and mouse transgenesis have made it possible to image molecular events in living animals. However, the generation of transgenic mice is a lengthy process and intravital imaging requires specialized knowledge and equipment. Here, we report a rapid and undemanding intravital imaging method using generally available equipment.     

Cubic exact solutions for the estimation of pairwise haplotype frequencies: implications for linkage disequilibrium analyses and a web tool 'CubeX'

Background  

The frequency of a haplotype comprising one allele at each of two loci can be expressed as a cubic equation (the 'Hill equation'), the solution of which gives that frequency. Most haplotype and linkage disequilibrium analysis programs use iteration-based algorithms which substitute an estimate of haplotype frequency into the equation, producing a new estimate which is repeatedly fed back into the equation until the values converge to a maximum likelihood estimate (expectation-maximisation).     

Metabolic and ionic coupling factors in amino acid-stimulated insulin release in pancreatic beta-HC9 cells

Fuel stimulation of insulin secretion from pancreatic beta-cells is thought to be mediated by metabolic coupling factors that are generated by energized mitochondria, including protons, adenine nucleotides, and perhaps certain amino acids (AA), as for instance aspartate, glutamate, or glutamine (Q). The goal of the present study was to evaluate the role of such factors when insulin release (IR) is stimulated by glucose or AA, alone or combined, using (31)P, (23)Na and (1)H NMR technology, respirometry, and biochemical analysis to study the metabolic events that occur in continuously superfused mouse beta-HC9 cells contained in agarose beads and enhanced by the phosphodiesterase inhibitor IBMX. Exposing beta-HC9 cells to high glucose or 3.5 mM of a physiological mixture of 18 AA (AAM) plus 2 mM glutamine caused a marked stimulation of insulin secretion associated with increased oxygen consumption, cAMP release, and phosphorylation potential as evidenced by higher phosphocreatine and lower P(i) peak areas of (31)P NMR spectra. Diazoxide blocked stimulation of IR completely, suggesting involvement of ATP-dependent potassium (K(ATP)) channels in this process. However, levels of MgATP and MgADP concentrations, which regulate channel activity, changed only slowly and little, whereas the rate of insulin release increased fast and very markedly. The involvement of other candidate coupling factors was therefore considered. High glucose or AAM + Q increased pH(i). The availability of temporal pH profiles allowed the precise computation of the phosphate potential (ATP/P(i) x ADP) in fuel-stimulated IR. Intracellular Na+ levels were greatly elevated by AAM + Q. However, glutamine alone or together with 2-amino-2-norbornanecarboxylic acid (which activates glutamate dehydrogenase) decreased beta-cell Na levels. Stimulation of beta-cells by glucose in the presence of AAM + Q (0.5 mM) was associated with rising cellular concentrations of glutamate and glutamine and strikingly lower aspartate levels. Methionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase, blocked the glucose enhancement of AMM + Q-induced IR and associated changes in glutamine and aspartate but did not prevent the accumulation of glutamate. The results of this study demonstrate again that an increased phosphate potential and a functional K(ATP) channel are essential for metabolic coupling during fuel-stimulated insulin release but illustrate that determining the identity and relative importance of all participating coupling factors and second messengers remains a challenge largely unmet.     

Distribution of transfer RNA genes in thePisum sativum chloroplast DNA

Purified chloroplast tRNAs were isolated fromPisum sativum leaves and radioactively labeled at their 3′ end using tRNA nucleotidyl transferase and α³²P-labeled CTP. Pea ctDNA was fragmented using a number of restriction endonucleases and hybridized with thein vitro labeled chloroplast tRNAs by DNA transfer method. Genes for tRNAs have been found to be dispersed throughout the chloroplast genome. A closer analysis of the several hybrid regions using recombinant DNA plasmids have shown that tRNA genes are localized in the chloroplast genome in both single and multiple arrangements. Two dimensional gel electrophoresis of total ct tRNA have identified 36 spots. All of them have been found to hybridize withPisum sativum ctDNA. Using recombinant clones, 30 of the tRNA spots have been mapped inPisum sativum ctDNA.     

Revealing pancrustacean relationships: Phylogenetic analysis of ribosomal protein genes places Collembola (springtails) in a monophyletic Hexapoda and reinforces the discrepancy between mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers

Background  

In recent years, several new hypotheses on phylogenetic relations among arthropods have been proposed on the basis of DNA sequences. One of the challenged hypotheses is the monophyly of hexapods. This discussion originated from analyses based on mitochondrial DNA datasets that, due to an unusual positioning of Collembola, suggested that the hexapod body plan evolved at least twice. Here, we re-evaluate the position of Collembola using ribosomal protein gene sequences.     

Metabolic control of sodium transport in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat hearts

Diabetic and control cardiomyocytes encapsulated in agarose beads and superfused with modified medium 199 were studied with 23Na- and 31P-NMR. Baseline intracellular Na+ was higher in diabetic (0.076 +/- 0.01 micromoles/mg protein) than in control (0.04 +/- 0.01 micromoles/mg protein) (p < 0.05). Baseline betaATP and phosphocreatine (PCr) (peak area divided by the peak area of the standard, methylene diphosphonate) were lower in diabetic than in control, e.g., betaATP control, 0.70 +/- 0.07; betaATP diabetic, 0. 49 +/- 0.04 (p < 0.027); PCr control, 1.20 +/- 0.13; PCr diabetic, 0. 83 +/- 0.11 (p < 0.03). This suggests that diabetic cardiomyocytes have depressed bioenergetic function, which may contribute to abnormal Na,K-ATPase function, and thus, an increase in intracellular Na+. In the experiments presented herein, three interventions (2-deoxyglucose, dinitrophenol, or ouabain infusions) were used to determine whether, and the extent to which, energy deficits or abnormalities in Na,K-ATPase function contribute to the increase in intracellular Na+. In diabetic cardiomyocytes, 2-deoxyglucose and ouabain had minimal effect on intracellular Na+, suggesting baseline depression of, or resetting of both glycolytic and Na,K-ATPase function, whereas in control both agents caused significant increases in intracellular Na+after 63 min exposure: 2-deoxyglucose control, 32.9 +/- 8.1%; 2-deoxyglucose diabetic, -4.6 +/- 6% (p < 0.05); ouabain control, 50.5 +/- 8.8%; ouabain diabetic, 21.2 +/- 9.2% (p < 0.05). In both animal models, dinitrophenol was associated with large increases in intracellular Na+: control, 119.0 +/- 26.9%; diabetic, 138.2 +/- 12.6%. Except for the dinitrophenol intervention, where betaATP and PCr decreased to levels below 31P-NMR detection, the energetic metabolites were not lowered to levels that would compromise sarcolemmal function (Na,K-ATPase) in either control or diabetic cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, in diabetic cardiomyocytes, even though abnormal glycolytic and Na, K-ATPase function was associated with increases in intracellular Na+, these increases were not directly related to global energy deficit.