Characterization of methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) for amino acids in plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium Pseudomonas protegens CHA0 and enhancement of amino acid chemotaxis by MCP genes overexpression

ABSTRACT

Pseudomonas protegens CHA0, known as plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium, showed positive chemotactic responses toward proteinaceous L-amino acids. Genomic analysis revealed that P. protegens CHA0 possesses four putative chemoreceptors for amino acids (designated CtaA, CtaB, CtaC, and CtaD, respectively). Pseudomonas aeruginosa PCT2, a mutant defective in chemotaxis to amino acids, harboring a plasmid containing each of ctaA, ctaB, ctaC, and ctaD showed chemotactic responses to 20, 4, 4, and 11 types of amino acids, respectively. To enhance chemotaxis toward amino acids, we introduced the plasmids containing ctaA, ctaB, ctaC, or ctaD into P. protegens CHA0. By overexpression of the genes, we succeeded in enhancing chemotaxis toward more than half of the tested ligands. However, unexpectedly, the P. protegens CHA0 transformants showed unchanged or decreased responses to some amino acids when compared to wild-type CHA0. We speculate that alternation of expression of a chemoreceptor may affect the abundance of other chemoreceptors.     

A new tropiduchid planthopper genus and species from China with descriptions of in copula genitalic structures (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha)

Abstract The new planthopper taxon, Garumnella bella gen.n. , sp.n. , from Xizang, China, is described and illustrated, including external morphology of adult and eggs and structures of the male and female genitalia. The new genus is compared with Garumna Melichar and Paragarumna Muir, resulting in Paragarumna ( syn.n. ) being placed as a junior synonym of Garumna, with two new combinations, i.e. Garumna pseudolepida (Muir) comb.n. and Garumna melichari Baker comb.rev. New locality records for Garumna species are given. The morphology of the genitalia and egg of a copulating pair of the new genus is investigated. The female has a ventrally sclerotized posterior vagina forming a torsion groove, an unusual long membranous anterior vagina and an enlarged common oviduct. During copulation both the aedeagus and the torsion groove appear tightly interlocked, which may help to maintain the copulatory position. The aedeagus is observed in the bursa copulatrix.     

基于GC-MS代谢组学技术委陵菜与星毛委陵菜的初生代谢比较研究

为明确药用植物委陵菜与其同属植物星毛委陵菜在不同基原之间的代谢差异，更有效的利用药用植物资源。基于气相色谱与质谱联用技术对两药用植物间的小分子初生代谢物进行非靶向代谢组学分析，利用主成分分析和偏最小二乘法分析，寻找可区分两物种的差异代谢物以及在初生代谢途径上的差异。结果：利用GC-MS在两植物中共检测到134个色谱峰，通过与数据库比对，共鉴定出43种初生代谢产物。PCA分析结果显示代谢物在委陵菜和星毛委陵菜间的分布有较大的差异；采用OPLS-DA筛选获得导致2物种区分的差异代谢物共33种，两物种在半乳糖代谢、淀粉和蔗糖代谢、氨酰生物合成、氨基糖和核苷酸糖代谢和果糖和甘露糖代谢途径有显著的差异。委陵菜和星毛委陵菜的初生代谢方面存在较大差异，虽然两植物来源于同科同属植物，但是星毛委陵菜不适合代替委陵菜作为药材使用。     

Effect of GM-CSF on cytokine induction by soluble β-glucan SCG in vitro in β-glucan-treated mice

SCG is a 6-branched 1,3-β- d -glucan, which are major cell wall structural components in fungi. Leukocytes from DBA/1 and DBA/2 mice are highly sensitive to SCG, producing cytokines such as GM-CSF, IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-12p70, but not IL-6. GM-CSF plays a key biological role in this activity. In the present study, we examined the effect of giving i.p. SCG to DBA/2 mice on cytokine production in vitro . SCG was given i.p. to DBA/2 mice on day 0. Splenocytes were prepared on day 7 and cultured in the presence of SCG in vitro . The levels of cytokine production induced by SCG in vitro were lower in the cells from SCG-treated mice than in control mice. Expression of the β-glucan receptor, dectin-1, in SCG-treated mice was comparable with that shown in control mice. However, the consumption of exogenously added rmGM-CSF in vitro was observed in SCG-treated mice. The addition of a large amount of rmGM-CSF to the culture medium resulted in larger amounts of TNF-α and IL-6 in SCG-treated mice than in normal mice. These results suggested that GM-CSF was closely related with the reactivity of β-glucan. Giving SCG increased the number of macrophages and granulocytes in the spleen. These results suggested that in SCG-treated mice, a change of cell population would be related to modulation of the profile of cytokine production induced by SCG in vitro .     

Lysozymes in insects: what role do they play in nitrogen metabolism?

Abstract. Lysozymes are widely distributed in many organisms as one of the components of defence mechanisms. In herbivores, when nitrogen is not contained in sufficient amounts in the diet, bacteria lysed by stomach lysozymes are used as sources of nitrogen. In ruminants, lysozymes function as digestive enzymes in the true stomach. A convergence of amino acid sequence has been shown between the stomach lysozymes of different ruminants, and similar lysozymes have recently been reported in the gut or salivary gland of insects. In this mini review, the enzymatic and ecological functions of lysozymes in insects, particularly in termites, are introduced, together with future studies that are needed in this field.     

What is critical for plant thermogenesis? Differences in mitochondrial activity and protein expression between thermogenic and non-thermogenic skunk cabbages

Thermogenesis during the blooming of inflorescence is found in several but not all aroids. To understand what is critical for thermogenesis, we investigated the difference between thermogenic and non-thermogenic skunk cabbages (Symplocarpus renifolius and Lysichiton camtschatcensis), which are closely related in morphology and phylogeny. Critical parameters of mitochondrial biogenesis, including density, respiratory activity, and protein expression were compared between these two species. Mitochondrial density, respiratory activity, and the amount of alternative oxidase (AOX) in L. camtschatcensis spadix mitochondria were lower than in S. renifolius spadix mitochondria, while the level of uncoupling protein (UCP) was higher. AOX and UCP mRNAs in L. camtschatcensis were constitutively expressed in various tissues, such as the spadix, the spathe, the stalk, and the leaves. cDNA encoding two putative thermogenic proteins, AOX and UCP were isolated from L. camtschatcensis, and their primary structure was analyzed by multiple alignment and phylogenetic tree reconstruction. AOX and UCP protein of two the skunk cabbage species are closely related in structure, compared with other isoforms in thermogenic plants. Our results suggest that mitochondrial density, respiratory activity, and protein expression, rather than the primary structure of AOX or UCP proteins, may play critical roles in thermogenesis in plants.