The Induced Resistance Response of Carrot Root Slices to Heat-killed Conidia and Cell-free Germination Fluid of Botrytis cinerea Pers. ex Pers.: 2. Nuclear Migration, Nucleolar Volume and Uptake of Tritiated Uracil

Sixty-eight per cent of nuclei in the cells of the upper fourlayers of carrot slices treated with heat-killed conidia ofBotrytis cinerea for 6 h followed by inoculation with live sporesfor 18 h, migrated to the cell face nearest to the treated surface,compared with 46 per cent in cells of control slices showinga wound-healing response only. Nucleolar volumes in the surfacecell layers of control slices increased from a mean of 1.0 µm³to 3.8 µm³ over 24 h, and in ‘induced’ slicesto 7.28 µm³. Using a 40 min pulse of [5–³H]uracil,there was an increase within 15 h of slicing in the number oflabelled nuclei in cells from control slices undergoing healing.Within 8 h after treatment of slice surfaces with heat-killedconidia, there was an accelerated incorporation of label into‘nuclear’ RNA. Slices from roots cold-stored for12 months failed to show an induction response and nucleolarvolumes did not increase more than in control slices. Theseresults are discussed in relation to active defence mechanismsin plant tissue. Botrytis cinerea, carrot, induced resistance, nuclear migration, nucleolar volume, RNA incorporation     

Endogenous Elicitor Activity from Damaged Carrot Root Tissue and Induced Resistance to Botrytis cinerea

A peptide-containing fraction (mol. wt. c 5000 Da) extractedfrom carrot root tissues damaged by slicing or freeze-thawing,induced active defence mechanisms in carrot slices against Botrytiscinerea. Endogenous elicitor activity was present in homogenatesof fresh and freeze-thawed tissues and those treated with germinationfluid, but was absent in autoclaved tissue. The detection ofthe elicitor in homogenates within 2h of treatment, suggeststhat it is released or activated during the early stages ofcell damage. Botrytis cinerea, carrot, induced resistance, endogenous elicitor     

拟南芥AZI1基因对酿酒酵母细胞生长和蒜薹灰霉菌侵染的抑制作用

本工作采用酿酒酵母细胞表达载体pESC和植物细胞表达载体pPZP211分析了拟南芥AZI1基因对真菌的抗性功能。半乳糖诱导产生的AZI1蛋白可以使酵母细胞的生长能力明显降低。DAB和台酚蓝染色结果显示用蒜薹灰霉菌孢子处理Col-0野生型植株叶片后被侵染部位只能产生少量H2O2,病原体可以扩散,而AZI1基因过表达植株叶片在侵染部位有大量H2O2产生,着色较深,表明转化体能够以局部细胞的死亡来阻止病原体侵染周围的细胞。在Col-0野生型植株中,AZI1基因的表达受外源水杨酸诱导,24h后达到峰值。以上结果说明AZI1基因在拟南芥对生物胁迫因素的应答过程中具有重要作用。     

Pectolytic and Cellulolytic Activity of Botrytis cinerea Pers. Related to Infection of Non-ripening Tomato Mutants

Enzymes of Botrytis cinerea were detected in vitro using various carbon sources. Pectin-pectate as a sole carbon source induced both polygalacturonase (PG) and pectin lyase (PL) activity, whereas carboxymethylcellulose served as an inducer for cellulase (C_x) activity. PG activity appeared earlier than C_x activity when induced by their respective sources. Both PG and PL activities were detected earlier and their level was higher on cell walls of the normal tomato fruit, than of the nor mutant, and in each case activity was higher on cell walls of the mature fruits than of the mature-green ones. Whereas relatively high rates of PG and PL activity were recorded on autoclaved tomato homogenate (TH) of both the normal and the nor fruits, only trace levels of PG activity were recorded on unautoclaved media, except for those prepared from ripe normal fruits, and no PL activity was detected on either of the unsterilized media. Botrytis-infection resulted in PG activity in the enzyme-less rin and nor mutant fruits at both stages of maturity and in the normal and hybrid fruits at their mature-green stage. In the ripe normal and hybrid fruits, infection increased the level of PG activity recorded prior to inoculation. An association was drawn between the low PG activity recorded in the nor mutant and its hybrid at initial stages of invasion and their resistance to infection. Following infection an increase in the level of C_x activity over that recorded in healthy fruits was found in all the tomato genotypes, whereas no PL was recorded in either healthy or infected fruits.     

拟南芥HyPRP蛋白AZI1在转基因烟草中的亚细胞定位及其对灰葡萄孢的抗性

通过农杆菌转化法得到了整合有拟南芥AZII基因的烟草植株,进一步利用转基因烟草分析了AZI1蛋白的亚细胞定位及其对真菌病原体的抗性特征。在上下游引物5’端分别引入NcoI和SpeI酶切位点,采用高保真耐热DNA聚合酶彤Pfu从拟南芥Co1-0生态型基因组DNA扩增AZII基因的编码序列,用NcoI和Spel对扩增片段和pCAMBIA1302质粒载体进行双酶切,通过T4DNA连接酶构建产生AZII-GFP融合表达载体。用包含融合表达载体的农杆菌细胞转化烟草叶片,经潮霉素选择获得了完整的再生植株,并收取了T。代种子。激光共聚焦显微观察发现,AZI1蛋白主要定位于细胞表面。病原体侵染结果显示,AZI1基因能够明显提高烟草对灰葡萄孢的抗性。说明AZI1蛋白通过分泌途径被定位到细胞表面后,能够抑制真菌病原体对植物组织的侵染过程。     

Involvement of Yeast HSP90 Isoforms in Response to Stress and Cell Death Induced by Acetic Acid

Acetic acid-induced apoptosis in yeast is accompanied by an impairment of the general protein synthesis machinery, yet paradoxically also by the up-regulation of the two isoforms of the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) chaperone family, Hsc82p and Hsp82p. Herein, we show that impairment of cap-dependent translation initiation induced by acetic acid is caused by the phosphorylation and inactivation of eIF2α by Gcn2p kinase. A microarray analysis of polysome-associated mRNAs engaged in translation in acetic acid challenged cells further revealed that HSP90 mRNAs are over-represented in this polysome fraction suggesting preferential translation of HSP90 upon acetic acid treatment. The relevance of HSP90 isoform translation during programmed cell death (PCD) was unveiled using genetic and pharmacological abrogation of HSP90, which suggests opposing roles for HSP90 isoforms in cell survival and death. Hsc82p appears to promote survival and its deletion leads to necrotic cell death, while Hsp82p is a pro-death molecule involved in acetic acid-induced apoptosis. Therefore, HSP90 isoforms have distinct roles in the control of cell fate during PCD and their selective translation regulates cellular response to acetic acid stress.     

Ceramide in the Molecular Mechanisms of Neuronal Cell Death. The Role of Sphingosine-1-Phosphate

Ceramide and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), two important bioactive sphingolipids, have been suggested as being key players in the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease in inflammation and cancer. However, their role in the molecular mechanisms of neuronal death has not been fully elucidated. Our study indicated that ceramide significantly enhanced the level of free radicals and decreased the viability of the human neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) through inhibition of the prosurvival PI3-K/Akt pathway. Ceramide also decreased anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) and increased pro-apoptotic (Bax, Hrk) mRNA/protein levels. Concomitantly, our study indicated that ceramide induced poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) activation and accumulation of poly(ADP-ribose) PAR, a signalling molecule involved in mitochondria-nucleus cross-talk and mitochondria integrity. Ceramide treatment significantly decreased the level of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) in the mitochondria. The PARP-1 inhibitor (PJ-34) prevented AIF release from the mitochondria. In addition, our data showed that exogenously added S1P increased the viability of SH-SY5Y through the S1P (1,3) receptor-dependent mechanism. It was also revealed that the S1P and PARP-1 inhibitor (PJ-34) decreased oxidative stress, gene expression of the pro-apoptotic Hrk protein and up-regulated the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein. Our data demonstrate that neuronal cell death evoked by ceramide is regulated by PARP/PAR/AIF and by S1P receptor signalling. In summary, our results suggest that PARP-1 inhibitor(s) and modulators of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor(s) should be considered in potential therapeutic strategies directed at neurodegenerative diseases.     

Caspase-1在炎症及程序性细胞死亡过程中的作用

Caspase家族是一类半胱氨酸天冬氨酸特异性蛋白酶,其中caspase-1是最先在哺乳动物细胞中被鉴定出来的家族成员,介导了某些特定类型细胞的凋亡。在微生物感染或细胞内危险信号存在时,caspase-1可通过与炎性体结合而发生激活,从而加工pro-IL-1β和pro-IL-18等炎症因子使其成熟并释放,在炎症反应中起着核心调控作用。此外,caspase-1还能介导一种特殊的促炎症的程序性细胞死亡(Pyroptosis)。caspase-1参与的炎症及程序性细胞死亡能有效提高机体抵抗内源和外源各种刺激的能力,达到保护宿主的目的,而caspase-1的功能异常则与多种疾病密切相关。     

The Roles of HSP27 and Annexin II in Resistance to UVC-Induced Cell Death: Comparative Studies of the Human UVC-Sensitive and -Resistant Cell Lines RSa and APr-1

We have reported that heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) and annexin II are involved in the protection of human cells against UVC-induced cell death. In this study we tried to confirm the combined roles of HSP27 and annexin II in cell death after UVC irradiation. In RSa cells with sensitivity to UVC, expression of annexin II decreased after UVC irradiation, but not in AP^r-1 cells with increased resistance to UVC. HSP27 siRNA-transfected AP^r-1 cells were sensitized to UVC lethality and showed decreased annexin II expression after UVC irradiation. In contrast, transfection of RSa cells with HSP27 cDNA increased their resistance to UVC lethality and caused increased annexin II expression. Furthermore, over-production of annexin II in RSa cells resulted in increased resistance to UVC lethality. This study indicates the involvement of cellular HSP27 expression in the UVC susceptibility of human cells, which occurs in association with regulation of annexin II expression.     

Characterization of a Novel Cotton Subtilase Gene GbSBT1 in Response to Extracellular Stimulations and Its Role in Verticillium Resistance

Verticillium wilt is a disastrous vascular disease in plants caused by Verticillium dahliae. Verticillium pathogens secrete various disease-causing effectors in cotton. This study identified a subtilase gene GbSBT1 from Gossypium babardense and investigated the roles against V. dahliae infection. GbSBT1 gene expression is responsive to V. dahliae defense signals, jasmonic acid, and ethylene treatments. Moreover, the GbSBT1 protein is mainly localized in the cell membrane and moves into the cytoplasm following jasmonic acid and ethylene treatments. Silencing GbSBT1 gene expression through virus-induced GbSBT1 gene silencing reduced the tolerance of Pima-90 (resistant genotype), but not facilitated the infection process of V. dahliae in Coker-312 (sensitive genotype). Moreover, the ectopically expressed GbSBT1 gene enhanced the resistance of Arabidopsis to Fusarium oxysporum and V. dahliae infection and activated the expression levels of defense-related genes. Furthermore, pull-down, yeast two-hybrid assay, and BiFC analysis revealed that GbSBT1 interacts with a prohibitin (PHB)-like protein expressed in V. dahliae pathogens during infection. In summary, GbSBT1 recognizes the effector PHB protein secreted from V. dahliae and is involved in Verticillium-induced resistance in cotton.     

The Root Hair Assay Facilitates the Use of Genetic and Pharmacological Tools in Order to Dissect Multiple Signalling Pathways That Lead to Programmed Cell Death

The activation of programmed cell death (PCD) is often a result of complex signalling pathways whose relationship and intersection are not well understood. We recently described a PCD root hair assay and proposed that it could be used to rapidly screen genetic or pharmacological modulators of PCD. To further assess the applicability of the root hair assay for studying multiple signalling pathways leading to PCD activation we have investigated the crosstalk between salicylic acid, autophagy and apoptosis-like PCD (AL-PCD) in Arabidopsis thaliana. The root hair assay was used to determine rates of AL-PCD induced by a panel of cell death inducing treatments in wild type plants treated with chemical modulators of salicylic acid synthesis or autophagy, and in genetic lines defective in autophagy or salicylic acid signalling. The assay demonstrated that PCD induced by exogenous salicylic acid or fumonisin B1 displayed a requirement for salicylic acid signalling and was partially dependent on the salicylic acid signal transducer NPR1. Autophagy deficiency resulted in an increase in the rates of AL-PCD induced by salicylic acid and fumonisin B1, but not by gibberellic acid or abiotic stress. The phenylalanine ammonia lyase-dependent salicylic acid synthesis pathway contributed only to death induced by salicylic acid and fumonisin B1. 3-Methyladenine, which is commonly used as an inhibitor of autophagy, appeared to influence PCD induction in all treatments suggesting a possible secondary, non-autophagic, effect on a core component of the plant PCD pathway. The results suggest that salicylic acid signalling is negatively regulated by autophagy during salicylic acid and mycotoxin-induced AL-PCD. However, this crosstalk does not appear to be directly involved in PCD induced by gibberellic acid or abiotic stress. This study demonstrates that the root hair assay is an effective tool for relatively rapid investigation of complex signalling pathways leading to the activation of PCD.     

The Development of Lateral Root Primordia in Vicia faba L. and Their Response to Colchicine

Lateral root primordia in i are first initiated 2–3 daysfollowing the onset of germination, after which they take 5.17–6.35days to complete their development and emerge as lateral roots.Variation in the amount of time elapsing between primordiuminitiation and emergence as a lateral is probably a reflectionof the cell number attained by any one primordium at the timeof emergence. The number of primordia produced per cm of primaryroot growth (5.35–6.65) was not affected by variationin the rate of root elongation, although the number of primordiaproduced each day increased with increase in the rate of rootgrowth. In colchicine-treated roots, the amount of time between primordiuminitiation in the C-tumour and the subsequent emergence of alateral (5.43–6.43 days) was similar to the value obtainedin control roots. Primordia which were present at the time ofcolchicine treatment responded to treatment in a number of differentways, depending on the stage of development reached. Primordiain the first 2.66 days of their development die following treatment;those between 2.66 and 3.69 days old have their developmentinhibited but stay alive; primordia which have been developingfor 3.69–4.91 days following initiation grow out as straightlaterals, while those between 4.91 and 5.77 days old form C-tumoursand emerge as inhibited laterals.     

The Role of Galectin-1 and Galectin-3 in the Mucosal Immune Response to Citrobacter rodentium Infection

Despite their abundance at gastrointestinal sites, little is known about the role of galectins in gut immune responses. We have therefore investigated the Citrobacter rodentium model of colonic infection and inflammation in Galectin-1 or Galectin-3 null mice. Gal-3 null mice showed a slight delay in colonisation after inoculation with C. rodentium and a slight delay in resolution of infection, associated with delayed T cell, macrophage and dendritic cell infiltration into the gut mucosa. However, Gal-1 null mice also demonstrated reduced T cell and macrophage responses to infection. Despite the reduced T cell and macrophage response in Gal-1 null mice, there was no effect on C. rodentium infection kinetics and pathology. Overall, Gal-1 and Gal-3 play only a minor role in immunity to a gut bacterial pathogen.     

水分胁迫下ABA由蚕豆根向地上部的运输及其在叶片组织中的分布

蚕豆根装载的３Ｈ－ＡＢＡ可经５．６ｃｍ／ｍｉｎ以上的速率向冠部运输。短时间内（５ｍｉｎ）根运来的ＡＢＡ主要分布在有大量气孔密布的下表皮,但长时间内（３ｈ）则主要分布在对内组织中。抑制蒸腾可降低ＡＢＡ向叶片中的运输积累。光镜放射自显影术显示,根运来的ＡＢＡ可有效地在表皮细胞及保卫细胞的质外体积累。３Ｈ－ＡＢＡ由根向地上部快速运输及其在作用部位的有效积累,说明水分胁迫下蚕豆根部可以通过ＡＢＡ信号的传递控制气孔的行为。