Epigenetic natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Cytosine methylation of repetitive sequences is widespread in plant genomes, occurring in both symmetric (CpG and CpNpG) as well as asymmetric sequence contexts. We used the methylation-dependent restriction enzyme McrBC to profile methylated DNA using tiling microarrays of Arabidopsis Chromosome 4 in two distinct ecotypes, Columbia and Landsberg erecta. We also used comparative genome hybridization to profile copy number polymorphisms. Repeated sequences and transposable elements (TEs), especially long terminal repeat retrotransposons, are densely methylated, but one third of genes also have low but detectable methylation in their transcribed regions. While TEs are almost always methylated, genic methylation is highly polymorphic, with half of all methylated genes being methylated in only one of the two ecotypes. A survey of loci in 96 Arabidopsis accessions revealed a similar degree of methylation polymorphism. Within-gene methylation is heritable, but is lost at a high frequency in segregating F₂ families. Promoter methylation is rare, and gene expression is not generally affected by differences in DNA methylation. Small interfering RNA are preferentially associated with methylated TEs, but not with methylated genes, indicating that most genic methylation is not guided by small interfering RNA. This may account for the instability of gene methylation, if occasional failure of maintenance methylation cannot be restored by other means.     

The Raf-like kinase Raf36 negatively regulates plant resistance against the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora parasitica by targeting MKK2

Oomycetes represent a unique group of plant pathogens that are phylogenetically distant from true fungi and cause significant crop losses and environmental damage. Understanding of the genetic basis of host plant susceptibility facilitates the development of novel disease resistance strategies. In this study, we report the identification of an Arabidopsis thaliana T-DNA mutant with enhanced resistance to Phytophthora parasitica with an insertion in the Raf-like mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase gene Raf36. We generated additional raf36 mutants by CRISPR/Cas9 technology as well as Raf36 complementation and overexpression transformants, with consistent results of infection assays showing that Raf36 mediates Arabidopsis susceptibility to P. parasitica. Using a virus-induced gene silencing assay, we silenced Raf36 homologous genes in Nicotiana benthamiana and demonstrated by infection assays the conserved immune function of Raf36. Mutagenesis analyses indicated that the kinase activity of Raf36 is important for its immune function and interaction with MKK2, a MAPK kinase. By generating and analysing mkk2 mutants and MKK2 complementation and overexpression transformants, we found that MKK2 is a positive immune regulator in the response to P. parasitica infection. Furthermore, infection assay on mkk2 raf36 double mutant plants indicated that MKK2 is required for the raf36-conferred resistance to P. parasitica. Taken together, we identified a Raf-like kinase Raf36 as a novel plant susceptibility factor that functions upstream of MKK2 and directly targets it to negatively regulate plant resistance to P. parasitica.     

单孢分离菌株的异核不对称特性揭示梯棱羊肚菌为假同宗结合真菌

本文以基因组数据显示只具有MAT1-1 idiomorph的单孢菌株YPL6-3和只具有MAT1-2 idiomorph的单孢菌株YPL6-1为材料,研究它们子代的子囊果、单孢菌株群体和同一子囊中8个单孢菌株的交配型分布情况。YPL6-3和YPL6-1菌株分别隔离栽培和互补混栽均能形成正常的子囊果,其子囊果菌柄交配型分布与亲本菌株有关。PCR扩增检测235株子代单孢菌株的交配基因出现有趣现象：一些菌株的MAT1-1-1基因电泳条带强,而MAT1-2-1基因的条带弱;另一些菌株则MAT1-1-1基因条带弱,而MAT1-2-1基因条带强。同时也有两基因条带都强或者一基因条带强,另一基因无条带的菌株。从3个子囊果中共挑取了10个子囊,并对每个子囊中的单孢进行独立分离,PCR扩增并电泳检测交配基因时也出现了上述相同的情况。若MAT1-1-1强,则MAT1-2-1弱或无,这样的菌株在同一子囊中不会超出4个,反之亦然。利用长片段PCR扩增YPL6-1和YPL6-3菌株的全长MAT idiomorph,利用Nanopore测序技术对扩增子进行单分子实时测序,2次重复实验的序列比对发现：菌株YPL6-1中存在99.63%和99.81%的MAT1-2 idiomorph分子及0.37%和0.19%的MAT1-1 idiomorph分子;菌株YPL6-3中存在99.45%和99.74%的MAT1-1 idiomorph 分子及0.55%和0.26%的MAT1-2 idiomorph分子。从而证实,这2个基因组测序和PCR扩增都只能检测到一种交配型的菌株,其实是异核菌株,只是2种交配型核的数量占比存在较大偏离。根据上述现象推断,梯棱羊肚菌的子囊孢子都是异核的,萌发后形成的单孢菌株具有异核不对称特点,从而推测梯棱羊肚菌是一种特殊的假同宗子囊菌,同时也揭示了梯棱羊肚菌单孢出菇的真相。     

羊肚菌种袋栽培研究

羊肚菌的大田栽培已在我国进行了十余年,生产规模已超过10万亩,在不断高产出现的同时,区域性连作障碍、病虫害、较高的成本已成为制约产业发展的重要因素.以六妹羊肚菌菌株YAASMJNLM1-25和YAASMJNLM 1-31为材料,研究了1种羊肚菌栽培的新方法——种袋栽培技术,以常见的营养袋栽培方法为对照,进行了直接种袋栽...     

Exosome-mediated miR-7-5p delivery enhances the anticancer effect of Everolimus via blocking MNK/eIF4E axis in non-small cell lung cancer

Everolimus is a kind of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors. Activated mitogen-activated protein kinase interacting kinases/eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (MNK/eIF4E) axis plays a crucial role in resistance to Everolimus in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The eIF4E phosphorylation increased by mTOR inhibitors is mainly mediated by MNKs. However, the mechanisms are poorly understood. Recently, extensive reprogramming of miRNA profiles has also been found after long-term mTOR inhibitor exposure. Our previous studies have confirmed that tumor suppressor miR-7-5p is decreased in A549 cells after treatment with Everolimus. Exactly, MNK1 is the target of miR-7-5p. In this study, we investigated the biological functions and potential molecular mechanisms of miR-7-5p in the NSCLC undergoing treatment with Everolimus. We confirmed that Everolimus targeted mTORC1 inducing NSCLC cells to secrete miR-7-5p-loaded exosomes in Rab27A and Rab27B-dependent manners. Loss of intracellular miR-7-5p induced phosphorylation of MNK/eIF4E axis, but a supplement of extra exosomal miR-7-5p could reverse it. Of note, both low expression of miR-7-5p and elevated MNK1 protein were associated with a poor prognosis of NSCLC. Both endogenous miR-7-5p and exo-miR-7-5p enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of Everolimus by inhibiting the proliferation, migration, and metastasis of NSCLC in vitro and in vivo. The combination of miR-7-5p with Everolimus induced apoptosis to exhibit a synergistic anticancer therapeutic efficacy through dual abrogation of MNK/eIF4E and mTOR in NSCLC. In conclusion, Everolimus decreases the intracellular miR-7-5p by releasing of miR-7-5p loaded exosomes from NSCLC cells in Rab27A and Rab27B dependent manners. Either endogenous miR-7-5p or exo-miR-7-5p combined with Everolimus can enhance the anticancer efficacy by targeting MNK/eIF4E axis and mTOR. Besides, both low levels of miR-7-5p and positive expression of MNK1 act as independent poor prognostic biomarkers for NSCLC. Therefore, restoring miR-7-5p carried by exosome may be a promising novel combined therapeutic strategy with Everolimus for NSCLC.Subject terms: Drug development, Growth factor signalling, Oncogenesis     

Molecular phenotype of airway side population cells

Lung epithelial-specific stem cells have been localized to discrete microenvironments throughout the adult conducting airway. Properties of these cells include pollutant resistance, multipotent differentiation, and infrequent proliferation. Goals of the present study were to use Hoechst 33342 efflux, a property of stem cells in other tissues, to purify and further characterize airway stem cells. Hoechst 33342 effluxing lung cells were identified as a verapamil-sensitive side population by flow cytometry. Lung side population cells were further subdivided on the basis of hematopoietic (CD45 positive) or nonhematopoietic (CD45 negative) origin. Nonhematopoietic side population cells were enriched for stem cell antigen-1 reactivity and expressed molecular markers specific to both airway and mesenchymal lineages. Analysis of the molecular phenotype of airway-derived side population cells indicates that they are similar to neuroepithelial body-associated variant Clara cells. Taken together, these data suggest that the nonhematopoietic side population isolated from lung is enriched for previously identified airway stem cells.