Methylation protects miRNAs and siRNAs from a 3'-end uridylation activity in Arabidopsis

Small RNAs of 21-25 nucleotides (nt), including small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), act as guide RNAs to silence target-gene expression in a sequence-specific manner. In addition to a Dicer homolog, DCL1, the biogenesis of miRNAs in Arabidopsis requires another protein, HEN1. miRNAs are reduced in abundance and increased in size in hen1 mutants. We found that HEN1 is a miRNA methyltransferase that adds a methyl group to the 3'-most nucleotide of miRNAs, but the role of miRNA methylation was unknown. Here, we show that siRNAs from sense transgenes, hairpin transgenes, and transposons or repeat sequences, as well as a new class of siRNAs known as trans-acting siRNAs, are also methylated in vivo by HEN1. In addition, we show that the size increase of small RNAs in the hen1-1 mutant is due to the addition of one to five U residues to the 3' ends of the small RNAs. Therefore, a novel uridylation activity targets the 3' ends of unmethylated miRNAs and siRNAs in hen1 mutants. We conclude that 3'-end methylation is a common step in miRNA and siRNA metabolism and likely protects the 3' ends of the small RNAs from the uridylation activity.     

PLZF-RARα融合基因的生物学功能研究

构建了8个PLZF-RARα融合基因突变体.用“滞后”胶实验证实PLZF-RARα与PML-RARα一样,亦能以同二聚体的形式结合到维甲酸反应元件(RARE)上,且PLZF的POZ结构域介导PLZF-RARα同二聚体的形成和稳定.但两者与RARE的结合类型存在差异,在DR5G,PML-RARα的结合强度大于PLZF-RARα;而在DR5T,则是PLZF-RARα强于PML-RARα.进一步工作证实PLZF-RARα能与RXR形成异二聚体,并产生4种复合物.用免疫沉淀法发现PLZF-RARα亦能与PLZF形成异二聚体,而且也是通过POZ结构域介导PLZF-RARα和PLZF异二聚体的形成.同PML-RARα一样,PLZF-RARα对RARE的结合反应亦受维甲酸调控.     

Using 137Cs technique to quantify soil conservation capacities of different ecosystems in Wolong Natural Reserve, southwestern China

Reliable information about soil conservation capacities of different natural ecosystems is an important reference for the design of targeted erosion and sediment control strategies. The objective of this paper is to quantify the soil conservation capacities of different natural ecosystems that can represent different climatic zones. The 137Cs technique has been used to estimate soil redistribution rates in different natural ecosystems over the past 40 years in Wolong Nature Reserve. The reserve, transiting from the Chengdu plain to the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, maintains rich ecosystems from subtropical to frigid.The net soil erosion rates of 5 selected ecosystems that represent a warm coniferous-broadleaf-mixed forest, a cold-resistant deciduous taiga forest, a cold-resistant shrub, an evergreen cold-resistant taiga servation capacities are reversed in order. The reference inventories for 137Cs in different ecosystems velop effective erosion and sediment strategies in areas with similar climates should consider natural ecosystem types.     

Solid cultures of thrips-pathogenic fungi Isaria javanica strains for enhanced conidial productivity and thermotolerance

Entomopathogenic fungi have great potential to control agricultural and horticultural insect pests, however optimizing conidial production systems to demonstrate high productivity and stability still needs additional efforts for successful field application and industrialization. Although many virulent entomopathogenic fungal isolates have been viewed as potential candidates in a laboratory environment, very few of the isolates are being used in practice for application in agricultural fields as commercial products. I. javanicus is an entomopathogenic fungus that is parasitic to various diverse coleopteran and lepidopteran insects and thought good candidate as biopesticdes. In this work, the basic characteristics of two entomopathogenic fungi, I. javanica FG340 and Pf04, were investigated in morphological examinations, genetic identification, and virulence against Thrips palmi, and then the feasibility of various grains substrates for conidial production was assessed, particularly focusing on conidial productivity and thermotolerance. Isaria javanica FG340 and Pf04 conidia were solid-cultured on 12 grains for 14?days in a Petri dish. Of the tested Italian millet, perilla seed, millet and barley-based cultures showed high conidial production. The four-grain media yielded >1?×?10⁹ conidia/g of I. javanica FG340 and Pf04. Pf04 strain had enhanced thermotolerance up to 45?°C when cultured on Italian millet. In application, it was easy to make a conidial suspension using the cultured grains, and several surfactants were tested to release the conidia. This work suggests several possible inexpensive grain substrates by which to promote conidial production combined with enhanced stability against exposure to high temperature.     

Role of the Nuclease Activities Encoded by Herpes Simplex Virus 1 UL12 in Viral Replication and Neurovirulence

Enzyme-dead mutations in the herpes simplex virus 1 UL12 gene that abolished its endo- and exonuclease activities only slightly reduced viral replication in cell cultures. However, the UL12 null mutation significantly reduced viral replication, suggesting that a UL12 function(s) unrelated to its nuclease activities played a major role in viral replication. In contrast, the enzyme-dead mutations significantly reduced viral neurovirulence in mice, suggesting that UL12 nuclease activities were critical for viral pathogenesis in vivo.     

Aromatic amino acid transaminase in rat intestine

The transamination of aromatic l-amino acids (5-hydroxytryptophan, tryptophan, tyrosine, phenylalanine and kynurenine) was shown to be catalysed by enzyme preparations from rat small intestine. On the basis of the partial purification and characterization of these aromatic amino acid transaminases, it is suggested that rat small intestine contains several kinds of aromatic amino acid transaminases.     

Selenite and ebselen supplementation attenuates <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">d</Emphasis>-galactose-induced oxidative stress and increases expression of SELR and SEP15 in rat lens

Selenite and ebselen supplementation has been shown to possess anti-cataract potential in some experimental animal models of cataract, however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The present study was designed to evaluate the anti-cataract effects and the underlying mechanisms of selenite and ebselen supplementation on galactose induced cataract in rats, a common animal model of sugar cataract. Transmission electron microscopy images of lens fiber cells (LFC) and lens epithelial cells (LEC) were observed in d-galactose-induced experimental cataractous rats treated with or without selenite and ebselen, also redox homeostasis and expression of proteins such as selenoprotein R (SELR), 15kD selenoprotein (SEP15), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), catalase (CAT), β-crystallin protein, aldose reductase (AR) and glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) were estimated in the lenses. The results showed that d-galactose injection injured rat lens and resulted in cataract formation; however, selenite and ebselen supplementation markedly alleviated ultrastructural injury of LFC and LEC. Moreover, selenite and ebselen supplementation could mitigate the oxidative damage in rat lens and increase the protein expressions of SELR, SEP15, SOD1, CAT and β-crystallin, as well as decrease the protein expressions of AR and GRP78. Taken together, these findings for the first time reveal the anti-cataract potential of selenite and ebselen in galactosemic cataract, and provide important new insights into the anti-cataract mechanisms of selenite and ebselen in sugar cataract.     

THE UTILITY OF PROTEOMICS IN ALGAL TAXONOMY: BOSTRYCHIA RADICANS/B. MORITZIANA (RHODOMELACEAE,RHODOPHYTA) AS A MODEL STUDY1

A comparison of the proteome of eight genetically well‐characterized isolates of the Bostrychia radicans (Mont.) Mont./B. moritziana (Sond. ex Kütz.) J. Agardh species complex was undertaken to establish if genetic relationships among them can be determined using proteome data. Genetic distances were calculated on the basis of common and distinct spots in two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis (2‐DE). Proteomes of the male and female plants of each population were compared to analyze the range of genetic difference within an isolate. Haploid male and female plants of the same species had 3.7%–7.1% sex‐specific proteins. The degree of similarity of the proteome was consistent with previous DNA sequence data and sexual compatibility studies between the isolates. Two sexually compatible isolates from Venezuela showed a pair‐wise distance ranging from 0.14 to 0.21. The isolates from Mexico and Venezuela, which were partially compatible, showed a maximum pair‐wise distance of 0.26. A high level of genetic difference was found among isolates that were sexually incompatible. The isolate from Brazil was reproductively isolated from the Mexico and Venezuela isolates and showed a maximum pair‐wise distance of 0.65 and 0.58, respectively. Comparative proteomics may be helpful for studying genetic distances among algal samples, if intraisolate variation (gene expression) can be minimized or tested.     

Preliminary results on nematicidal activity from culture filtrates of Basidiomycetes against the pine wood nematode,Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Aphelenchoididae)

One hundred and eighty one fungal species that were isolated from the fresh fruiting bodies collected in the Mountains of Pu Er County of Yunnan Province, China were tested on the pine wood nematode,Bursaphelenchus xylophilus in vitro. Each fungal species was grown in Czapek broth and potato dextrose broth (PDB). Fifteen filtrates fromAmauroderma austrosinense, Amauroderma macer, Filoboletus sp.,Laccaria tortilis, Lactarius gerardii, Lentinula edodes, Oudemansiella longipes, Oudemansiella mucida, Peziza sp.,Pleurotus sp.,Sinotermitomyces carnosus (two strains),Strobilomyces floccopus, Termitomyces albuminosus, Tylopilus striatulus grown on PDB were found to be pathogenic to the tested nematodes. Eleven filtrates fromAmanita junguillea, Amanita sp.,Daedalea sepiaria, Fistulina hepatica, Omphalotus olearius, Oudemansiella mucida, Peziza sp.,Pleurotus pulmatus, Ramaria sp.,Tricholoma conglobatum, Tylopilus striatulus grown on Czapek broth were also pathogenic to the nematodes. When screening for nematicidal potential of fungi, it is important to study the growth medium conditions necessary to obtain the optimal nematicidal effect as fungal filtrates growing on different liquid media showed a very inconsistent toxicity towards nematodes.