Herbaspirillum seropedicae rfbB and rfbC genes are required for maize colonization

In this study we disrupted two Herbaspirillum seropedicae genes, rfbB and rfbC, responsible for rhamnose biosynthesis and its incoporation into LPS. GC-MS analysis of the H. seropedicae wild-type strain LPS oligosaccharide chain showed that rhamnose, glucose and N-acetyl glucosamine are the predominant monosaccharides, whereas rhamnose and N-acetyl glucosamine were not found in the rfbB and rfbC strains. The electrophoretic pattern of the mutants LPS was drastically altered when compared with the wild type. Knockout of rfbB or rfbC increased the sensitivity towards SDS, polymyxin B sulfate and salicylic acid. The mutants attachment capacity to maize root surface plantlets was 100-fold lower than the wild type. Interestingly, the wild-type capacity to attach to maize roots was reduced to a level similar to that of the mutants when the assay was performed in the presence of isolated wild-type LPS, glucosamine or N-acetyl glucosamine. The mutant strains were also significantly less efficient in endophytic colonization of maize. Expression analysis indicated that the rfbB gene is upregulated by naringenin, apigenin and CaCl(2). Together, the results suggest that intact LPS is required for H. seropedicae attachment to maize root and internal colonization of plant tissues.     

Endogenous neurokinins facilitate synaptic transmission in guinea pig airway parasympathetic ganglia

Neurokinin-containing nerve fibers were localized to guinea pig airway parasympathetic ganglia in control tissues but not in tissues pretreated with capsaicin. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether neurokinins, released during axonal reflexes or after antidromic afferent nerve stimulation, modulate ganglionic synaptic neurotransmission. The neurokinin type 3 (NK(3)) receptor antagonists SB-223412 and SR-142801 inhibited vagally mediated cholinergic contractions of bronchi in vitro at stimulation voltages threshold for preganglionic nerve activation but had no effect on vagally mediated contractions evoked at optimal voltage or field stimulation-induced contractions. Intracellular recordings from the ganglia neurons revealed that capsaicin-sensitive nerve stimulation potentiated subsequent preganglionic nerve-evoked fast excitatory postsynaptic potentials. This effect was mimicked by the NK(3) receptor agonist senktide analog and blocked by SB-223412. In situ, senktide analog markedly increased baseline tracheal cholinergic tone, an effect that was reversed by atropine and prevented by vagotomy or SB-223412. Comparable effects of intravenous senktide analog on pulmonary insufflation pressure were observed. These data highlight the important integrative role played by parasympathetic ganglia and indicate that activation of NK(3) receptors in airway ganglia by endogenous neurokinins facilitates synaptic neurotransmission.     

Both vegetative and reproductive actin isovariants complement the stunted root hair phenotype of the Arabidopsis act2-1 mutation

The ACT2 gene, encoding one of eight actin isovariants in Arabidopsis, is the most strongly expressed actin gene in vegetative tissues. A search was conducted for physical defects in act2-1 mutant plants to account for their reduced fitness compared with wild type in population studies. The act2-1 insertion fully disrupted expression of ACT2 RNA and significantly lowered the level of total actin protein in vegetative organs. The root hairs of the act2-1 mutants were 10% to 70% the length of wild-type root hairs, and they bulged severely at the base. The length of the mutant root hairs and degree of bulging at the base were affected by adjusting the osmolarity and gelling agent of the growth medium. The act2-1 mutant phenotypes were fully rescued by an ACT2 genomic transgene. When the act2-1 mutation was combined with another vegetative actin mutation, act7-1, the resulting double mutant exhibited extensive synergistic phenotypes ranging from developmental lethality to severe dwarfism. Transgenic overexpression of the ACT7 vegetative isovariant and ectopic expression of the ACT1 reproductive actin isovariant also rescued the root hair elongation defects of the act2-1 mutant. These results suggest normal ACT2 gene regulation is essential to proper root hair elongation and that even minor differences may cause root defects. However, differences in the actin protein isovariant are not significant to root hair elongation, in sharp contrast to recent reports on the functional nonequivalency of plant actin isovariants. Impairment of root hair functions such as nutrient mining, water uptake, and physical anchoring are the likely cause of the reduced fitness seen for act2-1 mutants in multigenerational studies.     

Nitrogenase activity of Herbaspirillum seropedicae grown under low iron levels requires the products of nifXorf1 genes

Herbaspirillum seropedicae strains mutated in the nifX or orf1 genes showed 90% or 50% reduction in nitrogenase activity under low levels of iron or molybdenum respectively. Mutations in nifX or orf1 genes did not affect nif gene expression since a nifH::lacZ fusion was fully active in both mutants. nifX and the contiguous gene orf1 are essential for maximum nitrogen fixation under iron limitation and are probably involved in synthesis of nitrogenase iron or iron-molybdenum clusters.     

In vitro Anti-viral Activity of the Total Alkaloids from Tripterygium hypoglaucum against Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a commonly occurring human pathogen worldwide. There is an urgent need to discover and develop new alternative agents for the management of HSV-1 infection. Tripterygium hypoglaucum (level) Hutch (Celastraceae) is a traditional Chinese medicine plant with many pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammation, anti-tumor and antifertility. The usual medicinal part is the roots which contain about a 1% yield of alkaloids. A crude total alkaloids extract was prepared ...     

一个母系遗传非综合征耳聋大家系mtDNA序列分析

通过分析本家系mtDNA序列,探讨淮阴一非综合征耳聋大家系患病的分子遗传学机制.采用聚合酶链反应(PCR)扩增mtDNA与非综合征耳聋相关位点nt1555、nt7445的区域和人类种群研究的D-loop区、PCR-异源双链分析、PCR-RFLP、PCR产物克隆序列测定等技术对该家系进行了系统的研究.发现该家系中全部母系亲属有mtDNAA1555G突变,而家系中非母系个体、对照组(100例正常个体)的mtDNA1555位点均为A.该家系mtDNA7445位点无突变;该家系属于II型线粒体;发现家系D-loop区存在未见报道的碱基插入.提示mtDNAA1555G位点突变可能是导致该家系患者致聋的主要因素之一.遗传背景可能对家系疾病的表型存在一定程度的影响。 Abstract:We find an extensive nonsyndromic sensorineural deafness family in Huaiyin,and investigate the possible molecular genetic mechanism of matrilineal nonsyndromic sensorineural deafness.We use PCR,combined with PCR-heteroduplex analysis,PCR-RFLP and sequencing techniques to examine part of 12S rRNA,tRNAser(UCN),and D-loop region of this pedigree.1)We found an A to G transition at position 1555(A1555G) of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA from all the patients and four matrilineal.2)An new nucleotide insertion was indentified in D-Loop region.3)According to the polymorphism of D-loop,this pedigree belong to mitochondrial type II.The study showed that the A1555G mutation may be one of major factors in progressive inherited deafness of this family and genetic background should be investigated in the future.     

食管癌病人运铁蛋白(Tf)和组特异性成份(Gc)亚型分布的研究

应用超薄层聚丙烯酰胺凝胶等电聚焦电泳法, 分析了潮汕地区216例无血缘关系、临床上诊断为食管癌的病人和216例健康人的运铁蛋白(Tf)亚型分布情况, 结果发现:食管癌病人组TfC1C1纯合子频率为0.2639,Tf*Cl基因频率为0.4745,显著低于正常人组(分别为0.4352和0.6227,均为P<0.0 01);同时,食管癌病人组TfC2C2纯合子频率为0.2278,Tf*C2基因频率为0. 4977,显著高于正常对照组(分别为0.1852,P<0.05,和0.3634,P<0.001)。应用超薄层聚丙烯酰胺凝胶等电聚焦结合免疫固定法,分析了潮汕地区21 7例无血缘关系的临床上诊断为食管癌病人和 217例健康人的组特异性成份(Gc)亚型的分布,发现两组间无显著性差异。