Roles of Nitric Oxide in Conferring Multiple Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants and Crosstalk with Other Plant Growth Regulators

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Nitric oxide (NO) is a free-radical gasotransmitter signaling molecule associated with a varied spectrum of signal transduction pathways linked to inducing...     

Efficiency of ISSR and RAPD markers in genetic divergence analysis and conservation management of Justicia adhatoda L., a medicinal plant

Genetic variation within and among population is the basis for survival of the population both in short and long term. Thus, studying the plant genetic diversity is essential for any conservation program. Indigenous medicinal plants like Justicia adhatoda L. which are facing high rate of depletion from the wild population need immediate attention. DNA-based dominant molecular marker techniques, random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) were used to unravel the genetic variability and relationships across thirty-two wild accessions of J. adhatoda L., a valuable medicinal shrub widespread throughout the tropical regions of Southeast Asia. Amplification of genomic DNA using 38 primers (18 RAPD and 20 ISSR) yielded 434 products, of which 404 products were polymorphic revealing 93.11 % polymorphism. The average polymorphic information content value obtained with RAPD and ISSR markers was 0.25 and 0.24, respectively. Marker index (RAPD = 3.94; ISSR = 3.53) and resolving power (RAPD = 4.24; ISSR = 3.94) indicate that the RAPD markers were relatively more efficient than the ISSR assay revealing the genetic diversity of J. adhatoda. The Shannon diversity index obtained with RAPD and ISSR markers was 0.40 and 0.38, respectively. The similarity coefficient ranged from 0.26 to 0.89, 0.33 to 0.93 and 0.31 to 0.90 with RAPD, ISSR and combined UPGMA dendrogram, respectively. PCA derived on the basis of pooled data of both the markers illustrated that the first three principal coordinate components accounted 79.27 % of the genetic similarity variance. The mantel test between two Jaccard’s similarity matrices gave r = 0.901, showing the fit correlation between ISSR- and RAPD-based similarities. Based on the results, ex-situ methods may be the most suitable and efficient measure for long-term conservation.     

A novel combined 15q11.2 duplication and a bisatellited supernumerary marker derived from chromosome 22: Molecular characterization of the marker

Supernumerary marker chromosomes (SMC) are heterogeneous group of chromosomes which are reported in variable phenotypes. Approximately 70% originate from acrocentric chromosomes. Here we report a couple with recurrent miscarriages and a SMC originating from an acrocentric chromosome. The cytogenetic analysis of the husband revealed a karyotype of 47,XY+marker whereas the wife had a normal karyotype. Analysis of SMC with C-banding showed the presence of a big centromere in the center and silver staining showed prominent satellites on both sides of the marker. Apparently, microarray analysis revealed a 2.1 Mb duplication of 15q11.2 region but molecular cytogenetic analysis by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with whole chromosome paint (WCP) 15 showed that the SMC is not of chromosome 15 origin. Subsequently, FISH with centromere 22 identified the SMC to originate from chromosome 22 which was also confirmed by WCP 22. Additional dual FISH with centromere 22 and Acro-p-arm probes confirmed the centromere 22 and satellites on the SMC. Further fine mapping of the marker with Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) clones; two on chromosome 22 and four on chromosome 15 determined the marker to possess only centromere 22 sequences and that the duplication 15 exists directly on chromosome 15. In our study, we had identified and characterized a SMC showing inversion duplication 22(p11.1) combined with a direct tandem duplication of 15q11.2. The possible genotype–phenotype in relation with the two rearrangements is discussed.     

Enhanced flux of substrates into polyamine biosynthesis but not ethylene in tomato fruit engineered with yeast S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase gene

S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), a major substrate in 1-C metabolism is a common precursor in the biosynthetic pathways of polyamines and ethylene, two important plant growth regulators, which exhibit opposing developmental effects, especially during fruit ripening. However, the flux of various substrates including SAM into the two competing pathways in plants has not yet been characterized. We used radiolabeled ¹⁴C-Arg, ¹⁴C-Orn, L-[U-¹⁴C]Met, ¹⁴C-SAM and ¹⁴C-Put to quantify flux through these pathways in tomato fruit and evaluate the effects of perturbing these pathways via transgenic expression of a yeast SAM decarboxylase (ySAMDC) gene using the fruit ripening-specific promoter E8. We show that polyamines in tomato fruit are synthesized both from Arg and Orn; however, the relative contribution of Orn pathway declines in the later stages of ripening. Expression of ySAMDC reversed the ripening associated decline in spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm) levels observed in the azygous control fruit. About 2- to 3-fold higher levels of labeled-Spd in transgenic fruit (556HO and 579HO lines) expressing ySAMDC confirmed the enzymatic function of the introduced gene. The incorporation of L-[U-¹⁴C]Met into Spd, Spm, ethylene and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) was used to determine Met-flux into these metabolites. The incorporation of ¹⁴C-Met into Spd/Spm declined during ripening of the control azygous fruit but this was reversed in fruits expressing ySAMDC. However, incorporation of ¹⁴C-Met into ethylene or ACC during ripening was not altered by the expression of ySAMDC in the fruit. Taken together these results show that: (1) There is an inverse relationship between the production of higher polyamines and ethylene during fruit ripening, (2) the inverse relationship between higher polyamines and ethylene is modulated by ySAMDC expression in that the decline in Spd/Spm during fruit ripening can be reversed without significantly altering ethylene biosynthesis, and (3) cellular flux of SAM in plants is homeostatically regulated based on its demand for competing pathways.     

Structural studies of UBXN2A and mortalin interaction and the putative role of silenced UBXN2A in preventing response to chemotherapy

Overexpression of the oncoprotein mortalin in cancer cells and its protein partners enables mortalin to promote multiple oncogenic signaling pathways and effectively antagonize chemotherapy-induced cell death. A UBX-domain-containing protein, UBXN2A, acts as a potential mortalin inhibitor. This current study determines whether UBXN2A effectively binds to and occupies mortalin’s binding pocket, resulting in a direct improvement in the tumor’s sensitivity to chemotherapy. Molecular modeling of human mortalin’s binding pocket and its binding to the SEP domain of UBXN2A followed by yeast two-hybrid and His-tag pull-down assays revealed that three amino acids (PRO442, ILE558, and LYS555) within the substrate-binding domain of mortalin are crucial for UBXN2A binding to mortalin. As revealed by chase experiments in the presence of cycloheximide, overexpression of UBXN2A seems to interfere with the mortalin-CHIP E3 ubiquitin ligase and consequently suppresses the C‐terminus of the HSC70‐interacting protein (CHIP)-mediated destabilization of p53, resulting in its stabilization in the cytoplasm and upregulation in the nucleus. Overexpression of UBXN2A causes a significant inhibition of cell proliferation and the migration of colon cancer cells. We silenced UBXN2A in the human osteosarcoma U2OS cell line, an enriched mortalin cancer cell, followed by a clinical dosage of the chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The UBXN2A knockout U2OS cells revealed that UBXNA is essential for the cytotoxic effect achieved by 5-FU. UBXN2A overexpression markedly increased the apoptotic response of U2OS cells to the 5-FU. In addition, silencing of UBXN2A protein suppresses apoptosis enhanced by UBXN2A overexpression in U2OS. The knowledge gained from this study provides insights into the mechanistic role of UBXN2A as a potent mortalin inhibitor and as a potential chemotherapy sensitizer for clinical application.     

Antimicrobial peptide (Cn‐AMP2) from liquid endosperm of Cocos nucifera forms amyloid‐like fibrillar structure

Cn‐AMP2 is an antimicrobial peptide derived from liquid endosperm of coconut (Cocos nucifera). It consists of 11 amino acid residues and predicted to have high propensity for β‐sheet formation that disposes this peptide to be amyloidogenic. In the present study, we have examined the amyloidogenic propensities of Cn‐AMP2 in silico and then tested the predictions under in vitro conditions. The in silico study revealed that the peptide possesses high amyloidogenic propensity comparable with Aβ. Upon solubilisation and agitation in aqueous buffer, Cn‐AMP2 forms visible aggregates that display bathochromic shift in the Congo red absorbance spectra, strong increase in thioflavin T fluorescence and fibrillar morphology under transmission electron microscopy. All these properties are typical of an amyloid fibril derived from various proteins/peptides including Aβ. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Peptide inhibitors of Dengue virus NS3 protease. Part 1: Warhead

Substrate-based tetrapeptide inhibitors with various warheads were designed, synthesized, and evaluated against the Dengue virus NS3 protease. Effective inhibition was achieved by peptide inhibitors with electrophilic warheads such as aldehyde, trifluoromethyl ketone, and boronic acid. A boronic acid has the highest affinity, exhibiting a K(i) of 43 nM.     

Application of electrochemically prepared polypyrrole-polyvinyl sulphonate films to DNA biosensor

Double stranded calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was physisorbed onto polypyrrole-polyvinyl sulphonate (PPY-PVS) films electrochemically deposited onto indium-tin-oxide (ITO) coated glass plates. These DNA immobilized PPY-PVS films optimized for various conditions, such as polymerization potential, pH of buffer, DNA concentration and scan rate were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques, respectively. The amperometric response studies of these DNA/PPY-PVS electrodes were carried out as a function of 2-aminoantharcene (2-AA, 0.01-20 ppm) and o-chlorophenol (OCP, 0.1-30 ppm) concentration, respectively at 25 degrees C. The observed amperometric current arising due to oxidation of guanine in the DNA/PPY-PVS films decreased linearly with the increase in the concentration of 2-AA and OCP. It has been revealed that 10 ppm of 2-AA is sufficient to reduce the observed guanine oxidation peak current by approximately -95+/-10% as compared to the reported values. A 25 ppm of OCP was capable enough to reduce the guanine oxidation current to zero. These DNA/PPY-PVS electrodes were found to have a shelf life of about 4 months when stored at 25 degrees C.     

基于基因型选择提高QTL作图的精度——以一个RIL群体为例

以PCR为基础的分子标记以及其他检测技术的发展,使得大规模的标记分析成为现实。这也为通过大群体标记分析,然后基于基因型选择挑选合适的小群体,从而提高QTL定位准确性和精度提供了可能。以一个包含294个家系的重组自交系（RIL）群体为例,通过基因型选择和随机选择的办法产生了一系列大小不等的亚群体,比较了两类群体QTL定位的结果。分析表明：相同大小的基因型选择群体与随机群体相比性状的表型分布都符合正态分布;标记的偏分离情况也没有明显的差别,都随着群体大小的增大,偏分离的比例也逐渐增大。但同等大小的基因型选择群体比随机群体的交换富集率（CE）要大,且随着选择强度的增大不断增大,如群体大小为270时,CE=1．04,群体大小为30时,CE=1．45。总体上,随着群体大小的增加,不管是随机群体还是选择群体,其QTL检测能力、灵敏性和特异性也随之增加,但选择群体的检测能力、灵敏性和特异性总体上要好于随机群体。当群体大于或等于240时,其QTL检测能力基本没有差别;群体大小大于或等于210时,其QTL检测的灵敏性和特异性也没有什么差别。这也说明：选择强度越大,效果越明显。以QTLI—LOD区间作为衡量QTL精度的一个指标,结果显示所有基因型选择群体都比相同大小随机群体的QTL定位精度高。目前QTL定位研究中,基因型数据较表型数据而言更容易准确获得,因此通过基因型选择可以更好的优化群体结构,减少田间实验的工作量,提高全基因组水平QTL作图的精度,为随后的QTL辅助选择和精细定位以及克隆提供帮助。     

Fluorinated 2′-hydroxychalcones as garcinol analogs with enhanced antioxidant and anticancer activities

Chalcones are involved in the synthesis of flavonoids and are themselves known to exhibit multiple pharmacological properties. However, compared to other structurally similar phytochemicals like garcinol and curcumin, the therapeutic use of chalcones is limited because of their lower bioavailability and rapid metabolic clearance from biological system. In the present work, we have attempted to overcome these limitations in case of 2′-hydroxychalcones through bioisosteric substitution of fluoro groups in place of phenolic hydroxyls. The fluorinated chalcones were found to be more potent antioxidant and anti-proliferative compounds than their hydroxyl counterparts indicating the influence of metabolically stable C–F bonds towards bioavailability. The difluoro derivatives were found to be most effective against human pancreatic BxPC-3 cancer cells which possess up-regulated COX-2 expression and also showed activity against human breast cancer BT-20 cells with triple negative phenotype, suggesting that these compounds will have broader application in the future.