Bioactivity of the compounds in genus Dysoxylum

The diets of the wolf Canis lupus, red fox Vulpes vulpes and raccoon dog Nyctereutes ussurienusis Matschie were studied in the grassland of eastern Inner Mongolia from August to October in 2007 and from March to July in 2008. Feces were collected from dens and latrines. The frequency of occurrence and the dry weight of the remains of each food item in the feces were calculated. Livestock (50.65% frequency of occurrence) constituted the bulk of the wolf diet, while small rodents (76.31% frequency of occurrence) were most frequently eaten by the foxes. Small rodents (22.69% frequency of occurrence) were important to the raccoon dogs but they also frequently consumed birds (39.81% frequency of occurrence) and insects (26.39% frequency of occurrence). The wolf was the most omnivorous and the red fox was the least omnivorous of these three kinds of canidae according to the diversity index. The food niches of the wolf and the red fox overlapped more than that of the raccoon dog and other species. These three kinds of canidae shared many resources and consequently competition occurred to them. However, their diets also differed to some extent which helped them to avoid competition. Furthermore, raccoon dogs were dormant in winter when food was scarce, which may be the reason why all these species could coexist in a rather unproductive grassland.     

Enterocyte viability and mitochondrial function after graded intestinal ischemia and reperfusion in rats

Ischemia/reperfusion of the small intestine can lead to metabolic and structural alterations in the mucosa. Cellular dysfunction occurs when mitochondrial metabolism is compromised, which may ultimately lead to impaired organ function. The aims of this study were to assess the suppression of cellular and mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and involvement of mitochondria in the ischemia/reperfusion injury. The mitochondria were prepared from isolated enterocytes obtained from the small intestine of anesthetized adult rats following different time periods of ischemia and ischemia followed by 5 min reperfusion. Cellular and mitochondrial function were assessed using MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) reduction assay. Ischemia of increasing time periods caused a progressive decrease in cellular and mitochondrial MTT reduction in enterocytes and reperfusion showed further decrease of MTT formazan formation. Inclusion of 1 mM succinate, as respiratory subs trate, showed reversal of suppression of mitochondrial function in 30-60 min ischemia whereas 90 min ischemia or short time period ischemia followed by 5 min reperfusion indicated an irreversible damage to mitochondria. This study indicated that mitochondria are a sensitive target of damage due to oxygen deficiency and possibly due to sudden burst of oxygen free radicals. Mitochondria can withstand short periods of ischemia whereas long duration ischemia or reperfusion results in irreversible damage to mitochondrial function. (Mol Cell Biochem 167: 81-87, 1997)     

Probing key targets in insulin signaling and adipogenesis using a methanolic extract of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Costus pictus</Emphasis> and its bioactive molecule,methyl tetracosanoate

A methanolic extract of Costus pictus (CPME) showed optimum anti-diabetic activity at 100 ng/ml. Bioactivity-guided purification of CPME led to the isolation of methyl tetracosanoate (MT) which showed an optimum glucose uptake at 1 ng/ml. CPME at 10 μg/ml inhibited adipogenesis whereas fully differentiated adipocytes exhibited a 3-fold increase in lipid accumulation compared to pre-adipocytes. Gene and protein expression of key targets in insulin signaling and adipogenesis pathway revealed that CPME exhibited anti-diabetic activity along with anti-adipogenic activity whereas MT demonstrated only anti-diabetic activity.     

Amplification of phytochrome induced morphogenesis in plants by the cryptic red light signal (CRS)

The regulation of endogenous levels of ascorbic acid in soybean by far-red absorbing form of phytochrome (Pfr) and by cryptic red light signal (CRS) was studied. Cryptic red light signal is produced by red light pre-irradiation of a photoreceptor other than far-red absorbing form of phytochrome (Pfr) and CRS amplifies the action of phytochrome. The endogenous level of ascorbic acid levels enhanced by phytochrome was amplified by CRS. The lifetime of CRS was from 0 to 2 h and the peak of enhancement of ascorbic acid due to CRS was between 16 to 24 h of dark incubation after the end of the treatment. CRS was found to be ineffective on UV-B enhanced endogenous levels of ascorbic acid.Key words: ascorbic acid, cryptic red light signal, glycine max, phytochrome, ultraviolet-BThe phytochrome mediated morphogenesis involves the conversion of Pr [red absorbing form] to Pfr [far-red absorbing form] and the magnitude of the response is dependent on Pfr/P tot ratio established at the end of the irradiation.¹ In broom Sorghum anthocyanin synthesis induced by red light [R₁] is reversible with far-red light. But a second red pulse [R₂] given after the reversal resulted in increased anthocyanin production compared to the first pulse [R₁]. When the red pulse was repeatedly given after every reversal with far-red, the anthocyanin production increased proportionately to the number of previously given pulses.² Thus red pre-treatment induced a change in the cellular physiological state or change in content of a relevant substance[s] which is designated as Cryptic Red Light Signal [CRS] associated with red signal transduction.² CRS was first characterized in detail in Broom Sorghum as Pfr amplifying signal produced by red pre-irradiation. CRS is inactive in the absence of Pfr but enhances the action of Pfr. CRS escapes reversal when the plants are exposed to far-red and is probably produced by a different species of phytochrome, distinct from the conventional reversible phytochrome.³We have investigated whether CRS influences other phytochrome regulated processes in plants in addition to anthocyanin synthesis. We chose another process, the synthesis of endogenous ascorbic acid, which is also regulated by conventional phytochrome.⁴ In soybean, the endogenous level of ascorbic acid is enhanced by conventional far-red reversible form of phytochrome. In addition, an independent UV-B photoreceptor [non reversible with far-red light] also enhances the endogenous synthesis of ascorbic acid in soybean. By using repeated pulses of red light, we have demonstrated that the Cryptic Red Signal is operative in soybean also and it amplifies the red light induced enhancement in the level of ascorbic acid. That CRS is active only in the presence of Pfr is demonstrated by the fact that pre-irradiation with red light is ineffective in amplifying UV-B induced enhancement of ascorbic acid levels. A similar observation on UV-B induced anthocyanin synthesis has been made in Broom Sorghum.² A separate UV-B photoreceptor independent of phytochrome operates in the plants.⁵ Although CRS is presumably produced by pre-irradiation with red light, it does not enhance UV-B induced anthocyanin synthesis or ascorbic acid synthesis in the absence of formation of Pfr by the second red pulse.The life-time of CRS was determined as 6 h in 20°C and 3 h in 24°C grown seedlings of Broom Sorghum with reference to anthocyanin synthesis.² The life-time of CRS determined in soybean seedlings grown at 25°C was upto 1 h.⁶ Since growing seedlings at a low temperature enhanced the effectiveness of CRS in Broom Sorghum, it was concluded that low temperature may either extend the lifetime of CRS or generate higher amount of CRS.² Although the exact nature of CRS is yet to be analyzed, work in our laboratory has established the universal nature of this signal and evidences have been obtained for CRS effect in promoting red light induced hypocotyls inhibition in Cucumber seedlings and also red light induced synthesis of betacyanins in Amaranthus seedlings (submitted for publication).     

KNAT1 and ERECTA regulate inflorescence architecture in Arabidopsis

Plant architecture is dictated by morphogenetic factors that specify the number and symmetry of lateral organs as well as their positions relative to the primary axis. Mutants defective in the patterning of leaves and floral organs have provided new insights on the signaling pathways involved, but there is comparatively little information regarding aspects of the patterning of stems, which play a dominant role in architecture. To this end, we have characterized five alleles of the brevipedicellus mutant of Arabidopsis, which exhibits reduced internode and pedicel lengths, bends at nodes, and downward-oriented flowers and siliques. Bends in stems correlate with a loss of chlorenchyma tissue at the node adjacent to lateral organs and in the abaxial regions of pedicels. A stripe of achlorophyllous tissue extends basipetally from each node and is positioned over the vasculature that services the corresponding lateral organ. Map-based cloning and complementation studies revealed that a null mutation in the KNAT1 homeobox gene is responsible for these pleiotropic phenotypes. Our observation that wild-type Arabidopsis plants also downregulate chlorenchyma development adjacent to lateral organs leads us to propose that KNAT1 and ERECTA are required to restrict the action of an asymmetrically localized, vasculature-associated chlorenchyma repressor at the nodes. Our data indicate that it is feasible to alter the architecture of ornamental and crop plants by manipulating these genetically defined pathways.     

Molecular organization of great millet (Sorghum vulgare) DNA

Approximately 52% of the nuclear genome of great millet(Sorghum vulgare) consists of repetitive DNA which can be grouped into very fast, fast and slow components. The reiteration frequencies of the fast and slow reassociating components are {dy7000} and 92 respectively. Approximately 90% of the genome consists of repeated sequences interspersed amongst themselves and with single copy sequences. The interspersed repeat sequences are of three sizesviz. > 1·5 kilobase pairs, 0·5–1·0 kilobase pairs and 0·15–0·30 kilobase pairs while the size of the single copy sequences is 3·0 kilobase pairs. Hence the genome organization of great millet is essentially of a mixed type NCL communication No. 3527.