Heterologous production of a new lasso peptide brevunsin in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sphingomonas subterranea</Emphasis>

A shuttle vector pHSG396Sp was constructed to perform gene expression using Sphingomonas subterranea as a host. A new lasso peptide biosynthetic gene cluster, derived from Brevundimonas diminuta, was amplified by PCR and integrated to afford a expression vector pHSG396Sp-12697L. The new lasso peptide brevunsin was successfully produced by S. subterranea, harboring the expression vector, with a high production yield (10.2 mg from 1 L culture). The chemical structure of brevunsin was established by NMR and MS/MS experiments. Based on the information obtained from the NOE experiment, the three-dimensional structure of brevunsin was determined, which indicated that brevunsin possessed a typical lasso structure. This expression vector system provides a new heterologous production method for unexplored lasso peptides that are encoded by bacterial genomes.     

Engineered Tissue Folding by Mechanical Compaction of the Mesenchyme

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Muscle architectural properties in the common marmoset (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Callithrix jacchus</Emphasis>)

The common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus, is a small New World monkey that has recently gained attention as an important experimental animal model in the field of neuroscience as well in rehabilitative and regenerative medicine. This attention reflects the closer phylogenetic relationship between humans and common marmosets compared to that between humans and other experimental animals. When studying the neuronal mechanism behind various types of neurological motor disorders using the common marmoset, possible differences in muscle parameters (e.g., the force-generating capacity of each of the muscles) between the common marmoset and other animals must be taken into account to permit accurate interpretation of observed motor behavior. Differences in the muscle architectural properties are expected to affect biomechanics, and hence to affect neuronal control of body movements. Therefore, we dissected the forelimbs and hind limbs of two common marmosets, including systematic analysis of the muscle mass, fascicle length, and physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA). Comparisons of the mass fractions and PCSA fractions of the forelimb and hind limb musculature among the common marmoset, human, Japanese macaque, and domestic cat demonstrated that the overall muscle architectural properties of the forelimbs and hind limbs in the common marmoset are very similar to those of the Japanese macaque, a typical quadrupedal primate. However, muscle architectural properties of the common marmoset differ from those of the domestic cat, which has relatively larger hamstrings and pedal digital flexor muscles. Compared to humans, the common marmoset exhibits relatively smaller shoulder protractor, retractor, and abductor muscles and larger elbow extensor and rotator-cuff muscles in the forelimb, and smaller plantarflexor muscles in the hind limb. These differences in the muscle architectural properties must be taken into account when interpreting motor behaviors such as locomotion and arm-reaching movements in the common marmoset.     

The aux1 gene of the Ri plasmid is sufficient to confer auxin autotrophy in tobacco BY-2 cells

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) Bright Yellow-2 (BY-2) cells are rapidly proliferating meristematic cells that require auxin for culture in vitro. We have established several transgenic BY-2 cell lines that carry the T-DNA of Agrobacterium rhizogenes 15834, which harbors an agropine-type root-inducing (Ri) plasmid. Two of these lines, BYHR-3 and BYHR-7, were used to test the role of auxin in the proliferation of plant cells. The lines grew rapidly in Linsmaier-Skoog (LS) medium lacking auxin and other phytohormones. The TR-DNA, containing the aux1 (tryptophan monooxygenase) and aux2 (indoleacetamide hydrolase) genes, was present in the genomes of both transgenic lines, whereas the TL-DNA, containing the rolA, B, C and D genes, was present in the genome of BYHR-7 but not BYHR-3. Since the introduction of the rolABCD genes alone did not affect the auxin requirement of BY-2 cells, the aux1 and aux2 genes, but not the rolABCD genes, appear to be relevant to the auxin autotrophy of these transgenic lines. Furthermore, the overexpression of aux1 allowed BY-2 cells to grow rapidly in the absence of auxin, suggesting the existence in plant cells of an unidentified gene whose product is functionally equivalent or similar to that of aux2 of the Ri plasmid.     

Ethylene and salicylic acid control glutathione biosynthesis in ozone‐exposed Arabidopsis thaliana

Ozone produces reactive oxygen species and induces the synthesis of phytohormones, including ethylene and salicylic acid. These phytohormones act as signal molecules that enhance cell death in response to ozone exposure. However, some studies have shown that ethylene and salicylic acid can instead decrease the magnitude of ozone‐induced cell death. Therefore, we studied the defensive roles of ethylene and salicylic acid against ozone. Unlike the wild‐type, Col‐0, Arabidopsis mutants deficient in ethylene signaling (ein2) or salicylic acid biosynthesis (sid2) generated high levels of superoxide and exhibited visible leaf injury, indicating that ethylene and salicylic acid can reduce ozone damage. Macroarray analysis suggested that the ethylene and salicylic acid defects influenced glutathione (GSH) metabolism. Increases in the reduced form of GSH occurred in Col‐0 6 h after ozone exposure, but little GSH was detected in ein2 and sid2 mutants, suggesting that GSH levels were affected by ethylene or salicylic acid signaling. We performed gene expression analysis by real‐time polymerase chain reaction using genes involved in GSH metabolism. Induction of γ‐glutamylcysteine synthetase (GSH1), glutathione synthetase (GSH2), and glutathione reductase 1 (GR1) expression occurred normally in Col‐0, but at much lower levels in ein2 and sid2. Enzymatic activities of GSH1 and GSH2 in ein2 and sid2 were significantly lower than in Col‐0. Moreover, ozone‐induced leaf damage observed in ein2 and sid2 was mitigated by artificial elevation of GSH content. Our results suggest that ethylene and salicylic acid protect against ozone‐induced leaf injury by increasing de novo biosynthesis of GSH.     

CTD phosphatases in the attenuation of wound-induced transcription of jasmonic acid biosynthetic genes in Arabidopsis

Trienoic fatty acids (TAs), the major constituents in plant membrane lipids, play essential roles in stress signalling as precursors of the phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA). Arabidopsis FAD7 encodes a plastidial ω-3 fatty acid desaturase, which catalyses the production of TAs. In coordination with other JA-biosynthetic genes, expression of FAD7 is induced locally by wounding. This provides a feedforward mechanism for the rapid and sustainable accumulation of JA. To identify molecular components involved in this mechanism, a transgenic Arabidopsis line carrying the FAD7 promoter ( pFAD7 ) fused to the firefly luciferase gene ( LUC ) was constructed. Reciprocal crossing experiments revealed that the induction of FAD7 expression depends largely on JA biosynthesis and the SCF^COI1-mediated signalling mechanism, whereas JA alone is insufficient for its maximal induction. Full induction required synergistic interactions between JA-dependent and -independent wound signalling mechanisms. A genetic screen for aberrant pFAD7::LUC expression yielded a recessive mutant showing enhanced wound-induced LUC bioluminescence. The mutation was associated with the cpl1 locus encoding an RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain (CTD) phosphatase, and conferred wound hyper-responsiveness on the promoters of several JA-biosynthetic genes. The picture of signalling mechanisms underlying the wound-regulated FAD7 expression, and potential roles of CPL proteins as attenuators of wound-induced JA biosynthesis, are discussed.     

Multilayer biological structure and mixing in the upper water column of Lake Biwa during summer 2008

We carried out a 24-h station experiment at Lake Biwa (Japan) to measure mixing events and concurrent biological signals using a free-fall microstructure profiler (TurboMAP-L), conventional hydrographic measurement device (F-probe), and the Tracker acoustic profiling system (TAPS). A clearly defined three-layer physical system was observed. Two layers were actively mixed: the surface-mixed layer and the subsurface-mixed layer. Both winds and night-time convection create the surface-mixed layer, and vertical shear due to a counterclockwise gyre maintains turbulence in the subsurface mixing layer. A strongly stratified layer between these two mixing layers is almost turbulence free, so no material flux is expected. A local oxygen maximum layer, a local oxygen minimum layer, and layers of increased chlorophyll and zooplankton abundance are all located in this strongly stratified layer. The data show the intricate influence of physical processes on the structure of biological systems and their combined influence on biogeochemical and trophic transfers in aquatic systems.     

Characterization of UDP-glucose dehydrogenase isoforms in the medicinal legume Glycyrrhiza uralensis

Uridine 5′-diphosphate (UDP)-glucose dehydrogenase (UGD) produces UDP-glucuronic acid from UDP-glucose as a precursor of plant cell wall polysaccharides. UDP-glucuronic acid is also a sugar donor for the glycosylation of various plant specialized metabolites. Nevertheless, the roles of UGDs in plant specialized metabolism remain poorly understood. Glycyrrhiza species (licorice), which are medicinal legumes, biosynthesize triterpenoid saponins, soyasaponins and glycyrrhizin, commonly glucuronosylated at the C-3 position of the triterpenoid scaffold. Often, several different UGD isoforms are present in plants. To gain insight into potential functional differences among UGD isoforms in triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis in relation to cell wall component biosynthesis, we identified and characterized Glycyrrhiza uralensis UGDs (GuUGDs), which were discovered to comprise five isoforms, four of which (GuUGD1–4) showed UGD activity in vitro. GuUGD1–4 had different biochemical properties, including their affinity for UDP-glucose, catalytic constant, and sensitivity to feedback inhibitors. GuUGD2 had the highest catalytic constant and highest gene expression level among the GuUGDs, suggesting that it is the major isoform contributing to the transition from UDP-glucose to UDP-glucuronic acid in planta. To evaluate the contribution of GuUGD isoforms to saponin biosynthesis, we compared the expression patterns of GuUGDs with those of saponin biosynthetic genes in methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-treated cultured stolons. GuUGD1–4 showed delayed responses to MeJA compared to those of saponin biosynthetic genes, suggesting that MeJA-responsive expression of GuUGDs compensates for the decreased UDP-glucuronic acid pool due to consumption during saponin biosynthesis.