Plant defense in response to chewing insects: proteome analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana damaged by Plutella xylostella

The interactions between Arabidopsis thaliana and Plutella xylostella have been considered as a model system to unravel the responses of plants to herbivorous insects. Here, we use a 2-DE proteome approach to detect protein expression changes in the leaves of Arabidopsis plants exposed to P. xylostella larval infestation at 27°C within 8?h. Approximately 450 protein spots were reproducibly detected on gels. Of these, comparing healthy and infested leaves, we identified 18 differentially expressed protein spots. Thirteen proteins were successfully identified by MALDI-TOF/MS and LC-ESI-MS/MS. Functional classification analysis indicated that the differentially identified proteins were associated with amino acid, carbohydrate, energy, lipid metabolism, and photosynthesis. In addition, their relative abundances were assessed according to larval pest feeding on Arabidopsis leaves. These data provide valuable new insights for further works in plant-biotic and environmental stress interaction.     

Direct whole plant regeneration of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] from cotyledonary node thin cell layer explants

A simple protocol was established for high frequency direct shoot regeneration of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) cv. EPACE-1]. Bud proliferation occurred at the cotyledonary nodes of cowpea seedlings three weeks after culture on a medium containing Murashige and Skoog salts (1962) and B5 vitamins (Gamborg et al. 1968) supplemented with TDZ. A 10 μmol/L TDZ pre-treatment, shoot tip removal and excision of longitudinal thin cell layers (TCL) at the level of the cotyledonary nodes with subsequent culture on a MSB5 medium supplemented with 1 μmol/L IBA and 1 μmol/L TDZ were the optimal conditions for maximum bud proliferation. Up to 32.5 regenerated shoot buds were produced per TCL. The regenerated plants (R₀) were true-to-type and successfully transferred to soil.     

Hepatoprotective Activity of Betulin and Dipterocarpol Derivatives

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - The regioselective synthesis of betulin 3,28-bis- and 28-monoacylates (nicotinate and isonicotinates) as well as of 3β-hemisuccinyl dipterocarpol was...     

Evaluation of a novel monoclonal-based antigen-in-stool enzyme immunoassay (Premier Platinum HpSA PLUS) for diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in Vietnamese children

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection is difficult to diagnose in children, especially in developing countries where noninvasive methods such as urea breath test are often not available. We evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of a new monoclonal antibody-based antigen-in-stool enzyme immunoassay (Premier Platinum HpSA PLUS) for diagnosis of H. pylori infection in Vietnamese children.
Materials and Methods: Sensitivity of the antigen-in-stool test was evaluated in 232 children, 3–15 years of age, who were positive for H. pylori infection by culture from biopsies. For evaluation of the specificity 98 children of similar age with nongastrointestinal conditions and who were negative for H. pylori infection by serologic assays were included with blood and stool samples.
Results: Of the 232 culture-positive children, 224 were also positive by Premier Platinum HpSA PLUS. Of the 98 control children, 93 were H. pylori negative also in the stool test. The sensitivity of Premier Platinum HpSA PLUS was thus 96.6% (95% CI 93.3–98.5) and the specificity was 94.9% (95% CI 88.5–98.3).
Conclusions: The findings have demonstrated Premium Platinum HpSA PLUS to be a reliable method for detection of H. pylori infection also in children in our area.     

Pyrrole and furan oligoglycosides from the starfish Asterina batheri and their inhibitory effect on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells

Three new pyrrole oligoglycosides, astebatheriosides A–C (1–3), and a new furan oligoglycoside, astebatherioside D (4), were isolated from the starfish Asterina batheri by various chromatographic methods. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic and chemical methods. Compounds 2, 3, and 4 moderately inhibited IL-12 p40 production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) with IC₅₀ values of 36.4, 31.6, and 22.8 μM, respectively.     

Genome mining revealed polyhydroxybutyrate biosynthesis by Ramlibacter agri sp. nov., isolated from agriculture soil in Korea

A white-colony-forming, facultative anaerobic, motile and Gram-stain-negative bacterium, designated G-1-2-2 ^T was isolated from soil of agriculture field near Kyonggi University, Republic of Korea. Strain G-1-2-2 ^T synthesized the polyhydroxybutyrate and could grow at 10–35 °C. The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that, strain G-1-2-2 ^T formed a lineage within the family Comamonadaceae and clustered as a member of the genus Ramlibacter. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain G-1-2-2 ^T showed high sequence similarities with Ramlibacter ginsenosidimutans BXN5-27 ^T (97.9%), Ramlibacter monticola G-3-2 ^T (97.9%) and Ramlibacter alkalitolerans CJ661^T (97.5%). The sole respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8 (Q-8). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, and an unidentified phospholipid. The principal cellular fatty acids were C_16:0, cyclo-C_17:0, summed feature 3 (C_16:1ω7c and/or C_16:1ω6c) and summed feature 8 (C_18:1ω7c and/or C_18:1ω6c). The genome of strain G-1-2-2 ^T was 7,200,642 bp long with 13 contigs, 6,647 protein-coding genes, and DNA G?+?C content of 68.9%. The average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain G-1-2-2 ^T and close members were?≤?81.2 and 24.1%, respectively. The genome of strain G-1-2-2 ^T showed eight putative biosynthetic gene clusters responsible for various secondary metabolites. Genome mining revealed the presence of atoB, atoB2, phaS, phbB, phbC, and bhbD genes in the genome which are responsible for polyhydroxybutyrate biosynthesis. Based on these data, strain G-1-2-2 ^T represents a novel species in the genus Ramlibacter, for which the name Ramlibacter agri sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is G-1-2-2 ^T (=?KACC 21616 ^T?=?NBRC 114389 ^T).

     

Urinary Biomarkers at Early ADPKD Disease Stage

Background

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by a decline in renal function at late disease stage when the majority of functional renal parenchyma is replaced by cystic tissue. Thus, kidney function, assessed by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) does not well represent disease burden in early disease. Here, we investigated various urinary markers for tubular injury and their association with disease burden in ADPKD patients at early disease course.

Methods

ADPKD patients between 18 and 40 years with an eGFR greater or equal to 70 ml per min per 1.73m² were eligible for this cross-sectional study. Urinary Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL), Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1), and Uromodulin (UMOD) were investigated by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. Clara Cell Protein 16 (CC16) was investigated by Latex Immuno Assay. Cryoscopy was performed to assess urine osmolality and Urinary Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio (UACR) was calculated. The association and the predictive properties of the markers on eGFR and height adjusted total kidney volume (htTKV) was evaluated using multiple regression analysis, incorporating different control variables for adjustment. Internal bootstrapping validated the obtained results.

Results

In 139 ADPKD patients (age 31 ±7 years, mean eGFR of 93 ± 19 ml per min per 1.73 m²) the total kidney volume was negatively correlated with eGFR and UMOD and positive associated with age, UACR, KIM-1 and urine osmolality after adjustment for possible confounders. Urine osmolality and htTKV were also associated with eGFR, whereas no association of CC16, NGAL and UMOD with eGFR or htTKV was found.

Conclusion

UACR and urinary KIM-1 are independently associated with kidney size but not with renal function in our study population. Urine osmolality was associated with eGFR and kidney volume following adjustment for multiple confounders. Despite statistical significance, the clinical value of our results is not yet conceivable. Further studies are needed to evaluate the property of the aforementioned biomarkers to assess disease state at early ADPKD stage.