The secondary metabolism glycosyltransferases UGT73B3 and UGT73B5 are components of redox status in resistance of Arabidopsis to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato

Secondary metabolism plant glycosyltransferases (UGTs) ensure conjugation of sugar moieties to secondary metabolites (SMs) and glycosylation contributes to the great diversity, reactivity and regulation of SMs. UGT73B3 and UGT73B5, two UGTs of Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis), are involved in the hypersensitive response (HR) to the avirulent bacteria Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst‐AvrRpm1), but their function in planta is unknown. Here, we report that ugt73b3, ugt73b5 and ugt73b3 ugt73b5 T‐DNA insertion mutants exhibited an accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), an enhanced cell death during the HR to Pst‐AvrRpm1, whereas glutathione levels increased in the single mutants. In silico analyses indicate that UGT73B3 and UGT73B5 belong to the early salicylic acid (SA)‐induced genes whose pathogen‐induced expression is co‐regulated with genes related to cellular redox homeostasis and general detoxification. Analyses of metabolic alterations in ugt mutants reveal modification of SA and scopoletin contents which correlate with redox perturbation, and indicate quantitative modifications in the pattern of tryptophan‐derived SM accumulation after Pst‐AvrRpm1 inoculation. Our data suggest that UGT73B3 and UGT73B5 participate in regulation of redox status and general detoxification of ROS‐reactive SMs during the HR to Pst‐AvrRpm1, and that decreased resistance to Pst‐AvrRpm1 in ugt mutants is tightly linked to redox perturbation.     

Direct Organogenesis and Plant Regeneration in Preconditioned Tissue Cultures of Lathyrus cicera L., L. ochrus (L.)DC. and L. sativus L.

This study demonstrates the importance of preconditioning ofsource tissue in regeneration of multiple shoot buds from severalspecies of Lathyrus. Preconditioned multiple shoots of Lathyruscicera L., L. ochrus (L.) DC. and L. sativus L. were obtainedby germinating seeds on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing50 µM N⁵-benzylaminopurine (BAP) for 2 to 3 weeks. Multipleshoot bud formation occurred when epicotyl explants of preconditionedshoots were cultured on MS medium containing 5–50 µMBAP. No shoot regeneration was observed from epicotyl explantswhich were obtained from non-preconditioned shoots. Shoot budswere formed directly on explants without an intervening callusphase after 2 to 3 weeks of culture. Regenerated shoot budsformed healthy shoots which developed prolific and strong rootswhen transferred to MS medium supplemented with 2.5 µMnaphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Lathyrus cicera L., L. ochrus (L.) DC., Ochrus Vetch, L. sativus L., Lathyrus pea, de novo differentiation, epicotyl, preconditioning with BAP     

Muscari turcicum (Liliaceae/Hyacinthaceae), a new species from south Anatolia, Turkey

Muscari turcicum Uysal, Ertugrul & Dural (Liliaceae/Hyacinthaceae) is described and illustrated from south Anatolia, Turkey. This species grows on alpine steppe in the Middle Taurus (C4 Konya Province). Muscari turcicum , an endemic confined to the Middle Taurus, is closely related to M. discolor Boiss. & Hausskn. and M. anatolicum Cowley & Özhatay. Diagnostic morphological characters are discussed and compared with those of closely related taxa.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 154 , 233–236.     

Translation of a standardized manufacturing protocol for mesenchymal stromal cells: A systematic comparison of validation and manufacturing data

BackgroundMany data are available on expansion protocols for mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for both experimental settings and manufacturing for clinical trials. However, there is a lack of information on translation of established protocols for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) from validation to manufacturing for clinical application. We present the validation and translation of a standardized pre-clinical protocol for isolation and expansion of MSCs for a clinical trial for reconstitution of alveolar bone.MethodsKey parameters of 22 large-scale expansions of MSCs from bone marrow (BM) for validation were compared with 11 expansions manufactured for the clinical trial “Jaw bone reconstruction using a combination of autologous mesenchymal stromal cells and biomaterial prior to dental implant placement (MAXILLO1)” aimed at reconstruction of alveolar bone.ResultsDespite variations of the starting material, the robust protocol led to stable performance characteristics of expanded MSCs. Manufacturing of the autologous advanced therapy medicinal product MAXILLO-1-MSC was possible, requiring 21 days for each product. Transport of BM aspirates and MSCs within 24 h was guaranteed. MSCs fulfilled quality criteria requested by the national competent authority. In one case, the delivered MSCs developed a mosaic in chromosomal finding, showing no abnormality in differentiation capacity, growth behavior or surface marker expression during long-term culture. The proportion of cells with the mosaic decreased in long-term culture and cells stopped growth after 38.4 population doublings.ConclusionsClinical use of freshly prepared MSCs, manufactured according to a standardized and validated protocol, is feasible for bone regeneration, even if there was a long local distance between manufacturing center and clinical site. Several parameters, such as colony forming units fibroblasts (CFU-F), percentage of CD34+ cells, cell count of mononuclear cells (MNCs) and white blood cells (WBCs), of the BM may serve as a predictive tool for the yield of MSCs and may help to avoid unnecessary costs for MSC manufacturing due to insufficient cell expansion rates.     

Length-weight relationship and condition factor of common minnow, Esomus danricus (Ham.) from different freshwater environments.

Investigations were made on the length-weight relationship and condition factor of Esomu danricus (Ham) from ponds and flowing water channels. These relationships could be represented by the regression equations, log W = -2.6252 + 3.2451 log L (for channel fishes) and log W = -1.5390 + 2.6318 log L (for pond fishes). The correlations were significantly high (P < 0.001). The mean values of condition factors were 0.529 and 0.713 for pond and channel fishes, respectively. The additive action of various factors in stagnant ponds, such as oxygen deficiency, stratification of indispensahle nutrients at the bottom, accumulation of body wastes of fishes, and unoxidized chemical compounds, competition for many necessities of life as space, food, shelter, seemed to adversely affect the growth rate and condition factor of pond dwelling fishes. Contrary to this the circulation of water induced by currents in the channels appeared to cause mixing of water at all depths to even out differences in dissolved oxygen concentration, temperature, nutrients, besides minimizing the effect of repressive factor. Such conditions invariably offered more opportunities to fishes to conserve almost all the available space and other resources in the habitat. This ensured rapid growth as evidenced by higher condition factor of the flowing-water fishes as compared to their counterparts occurring in ponds.     

Selective feeding behaviour of the common carp Esomus danricus (Ham.) in its natural habitat

Food selectivity by the common freshwater carp, Esomus danricus (Ham.) was studied through Ivlev's equation of electivity. The selective feeding seemed to be influenced by many factors, including the accessibility, abundance and taste, of the food items, the mechanical and physiological adaptations on the part of the fish to capture and digest those food organisms, as also the inherent and instinctive property of the fish to prefer certain types of food over the others. The absence of strong specific selectivity by the fish for a variety of planktonic food organisms was found to be a phenomenon compensatory to stenophagism, in order to make use of whichever food items remained in the habitat at the time when the preferred genera of plankton were not available, due to the process of succession.     

Observations on the effect of photoperiod on the control of polymorphism in Psylla pyricola

ABSTRACT. Psylla pyricola Forster (Homoptera) occurs as two adult morphs, a summer form (f. typica) and a winter form (f. simulans). The latter is larger, darker and overwinters in ovarian diapause. Eggs laid by either morph under LD 12:12 (short days) or under LD 18:6 or 16:8 (long days) gave f. typica when reared under long days. When reared under short days, almost all were f. simulans. No interforms were recorded. When the photoperiod was switched during the nymphal stage (whether from long to short days, diapause induction; or from short to long days, diapause termination), nymphs were progressively less sensitive with increasing age, with no morph changes when the switch occurred in the fifth instar. Nymphs derived from f. simulans reared under long days tended to be more sensitive to a change to short days in the early instars than when the nymphs were first reared under short days and then switched to long days. Interforms were frequent when the switch occurred during the nymphal stage, particularly in the third instar. Wing lengths varied within morphs depending on the timing of the switch. The largest f. simulans were derived from f. typica when maintained under short days, and the smallest f. typica from either morph when maintained under long days, as would be expected under field conditions. No f. simulans were found under field conditions in the first f. typica generation, but a small percentage were present in the second generation. It is concluded that, even within a given generation, not all P. pyricola are equally sensitive to photoperiod, but that photoperiod is one of the major factors controlling the change to f. simulans in the autumn. Whilst under laboratory conditions photoperiod can also affect the switch to f. typica in the spring, in the field it may be less important than low temperatures.