Genetic basis for opine secretion from crown gall tumour cells

Summary Plant cells neoplastically transformed by insertion of T-DNA from Ti plasmids of agrobacteria produce and secrete opines. Secretion of two of these opines (octopine and nopaline) is shown to require the expression of a single gene, which we designate ons.Dedicated to Professor Georg Melchers to celebrate his 50-year association with the journal     

Chloroplast DNA restriction analysis and the infrageneric grouping ofAllium (Alliaceae)

The utility of chloroplast DNA variation for checking a recently proposed infrageneric classification of the genusAllium was tested. cpDNA restriction patterns of 49 species representing the main subgenera, sections, and subsections of the existing classification were compared. 363 different fragments generated by 4 restriction enzymes were identified and analysed by UPGMA clustering. The resulting phenogram largely confirms the subgeneric classification based on an integration of morphological and other methods.     

Low temperature cultivation — A step towards process optimisation

Adherent recombinant BHK cells were cultivated at temperatures between 30 and 37°C. Batch and repeated-batch-cultivations in a 2-litre bioreactor showed a significant influence on metabolism and cell growth. The low-temperature-cultivations showed a lower growth rate and a lower glucose consumption rate and, therefore, less lactate production. On the other hand, the maximum cell density and productivity seemed not to be affected by the temperature reduction.     

Identification of a UDP-glucosyltransferase conferring deoxynivalenol resistance in Aegilops tauschii and wheat

Aegilops tauschii is the diploid progenitor of the wheat D subgenome and a valuable resource for wheat breeding, yet, genetic analysis of resistance against Fusarium head blight (FHB) and the major Fusarium mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) is lacking. We treated a panel of 147 Ae. tauschii accessions with either Fusarium graminearum spores or DON solution and recorded the associated disease spread or toxin-induced bleaching. A k-mer-based association mapping pipeline dissected the genetic basis of resistance and identified candidate genes. After DON infiltration nine accessions revealed severe bleaching symptoms concomitant with lower conversion rates of DON into the non-toxic DON-3-O-glucoside. We identified the gene AET5Gv20385300 on chromosome 5D encoding a uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucosyltransferase (UGT) as the causal variant and the mutant allele resulting in a truncated protein was only found in the nine susceptible accessions. This UGT is also polymorphic in hexaploid wheat and when expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae only the full-length gene conferred resistance against DON. Analysing the D subgenome helped to elucidate the genetic control of FHB resistance and identified a UGT involved in DON detoxification in Ae. tauschii and hexaploid wheat. This resistance mechanism is highly conserved since the UGT is orthologous to the barley UGT HvUGT13248 indicating descent from a common ancestor of wheat and barley.     

小鼠着丝粒DNA探针对流式仪分选微核的染色体组成的初步研究

本文报道用作者建立的流式细胞仪红细胞微核自动检测技术,将染色体断裂剂丝裂霉素C(MMC)和非整倍体毒剂秋水仙碱(COM)诱导的大量微核分选在载玻片上,然后使用小鼠着丝粒γ-卫星DNA探针(约为234bp),对分选微核进行荧光原位杂交(FISH),以显示微核(MN)内着丝粒的情况,进而判定M N是由整条染色体还是由染色体断片组成。结果MN内着丝粒荧光阳性比例为COM50.1%,MMC 22.3%。两者相差显著,藉此方法可以准确有效地将两类毒剂区分开。 Abstract:Basis on auther’s new automatic flow cytometric technique for micronuclei,a lot micronuclei induced by clastogen Mitomycin C and aneugen colcemid were collected on slides using sorting function of flow cytometry,them the centromere Gamma satellite DNA probes of mouse (about 234bp) was used to do in situ hybridization for micronuclei,furthermore,the kinetochores of micronuclei can be showed,and the micronuclei which consist of the whole chromosomes or the chromosome fragments,can also be indicated.The results showed that 50.1% MN induced by COM and 22.3% MN induced by MMC had the positive fluorescent singles.There are significant difference between them,this means it is possible to distinglish clastogens and aneugens exactly and effectively with this method.     

Liver transplantation for hereditary tyrosinemia: the Quebec experience.

Sixteen tyrosinemic patients were evaluated in our institution for a possible liver transplantation. All patients showed biochemical and/or radiological evidence of liver dysfunction. Renal involvement was found to be more abnormal than expected. Seven patients have been transplanted, with two patients receiving a combined liver-kidney transplant. Hepatocarcinoma was detected in two of eight patients in whom the whole liver was examined. Six (37.5%) of the initial 16 patients have died since evaluation, one of the six dying after combined liver-kidney transplantation. Posttransplantation survival was 86%, with normal liver function, normal growth, and no recurrence of neurological crises on a normal diet.     

„Plasmaamöben“ in geschleuderter Spirogyra

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Soil fauna diversity increases CO2 but suppresses N2O emissions from soil

Soil faunal activity can be a major control of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soil. Effects of single faunal species, genera or families have been investigated, but it is unknown how soil fauna diversity may influence emissions of both carbon dioxide (CO₂, end product of decomposition of organic matter) and nitrous oxide (N₂O, an intermediate product of N transformation processes, in particular denitrification). Here, we studied how CO₂ and N₂O emissions are affected by species and species mixtures of up to eight species of detritivorous/fungivorous soil fauna from four different taxonomic groups (earthworms, potworms, mites, springtails) using a microcosm set‐up. We found that higher species richness and increased functional dissimilarity of species mixtures led to increased faunal‐induced CO₂ emission (up to 10%), but decreased N₂O emission (up to 62%). Large ecosystem engineers such as earthworms were key drivers of both CO₂ and N₂O emissions. Interestingly, increased biodiversity of other soil fauna in the presence of earthworms decreased faunal‐induced N₂O emission despite enhanced C cycling. We conclude that higher soil fauna functional diversity enhanced the intensity of belowground processes, leading to more complete litter decomposition and increased CO₂ emission, but concurrently also resulting in more complete denitrification and reduced N₂O emission. Our results suggest that increased soil fauna species diversity has the potential to mitigate emissions of N₂O from soil ecosystems. Given the loss of soil biodiversity in managed soils, our findings call for adoption of management practices that enhance soil biodiversity and stimulate a functionally diverse faunal community to reduce N₂O emissions from managed soils.