Effect of antifungal genes expressed in transgenic pea (Pisum sativum L.) on root colonization with Glomus intraradices

Pathogenic fungi have always been a major problem in agriculture. One of the effective methods for controlling pathogen fungi to date is the introduction of resistance genes into the genome of crops. It is interesting to find out whether the induced resistance in crops will have a negative effect on non-target organisms such as root colonization with the AM fungi. The objective of the present research was to study the influence of producing antifungal molecules by four transgenic pea (Pisum sativum L.) lines expressing PGIP gene from raspberry, VST-stilbene synthase from vine, a hybrid of PGIP/VST and bacterial Chitinase gene (Chit30) from Streptomyces olivaceoviridis respectively on the colonization potential of Glomus intraradices. Four different experiments were done in greenhouse and climate chamber, colonization was observed in all replications. The following parameters were used for evaluation: frequency of mycorrhization, the intensity of mycorrhization, the average presence of arbuscules within the colonized areas and the presence of arbuscules in the whole root system which showed insignificant difference between transgenic and non-transgenic plants. The root/shoot ratio exhibited different values according to the experiment condition. Compared with negative non-transgenic control all transgenic lines showed the ability to establish symbiosis and the different growth parameters had insignificant effect due to mycorrhization. The results of the present study proved that the introduced pathogen resistance genes did not affect the mycorrhization allocations in pea.     

Improved anticancer potency by head‐to‐tail cyclization of short cationic anticancer peptides containing a lipophilic β2,2‐amino acid

We have recently reported a series of synthetic anticancer heptapeptides (H‐KKWβ^2,2WKK‐NH₂) containing a central achiral and lipophilic β^2,2‐amino acid that display low toxicity against non‐malignant cells and high proteolytic stability. In the present study, we have further investigated the effects of increasing the rigidity and amphipathicity of two of our lead heptapeptides by preparing a series of seven to five residue cyclic peptides containing the two most promising β^2,2‐amino acid derivatives as part of the central lipophilic core. The peptides were tested for anticancer activity against human Burkitt's lymphoma (Ramos cells), haemolytic activity against human red blood cells (RBC) and cytotoxicity against healthy human lung fibroblast cells (MRC‐5). The results demonstrated a considerable increase in anticancer potency following head‐to‐tail peptide cyclization, especially for the shortest derivatives lacking a tryptophan residue. High‐resolution NMR studies and molecular dynamics simulations together with an annexin‐V‐FITC and propidium iodide fluorescent assay showed that the peptides had a membrane disruptive mode of action and that the more potent peptides penetrated deeper into the lipid bilayer. The need for new anticancer drugs with novel modes of action is demanding, and development of short cyclic anticancer peptides with an overall rigidified and amphipathic structure is a promising approach to new anticancer agents. Copyright © 2012 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Significance of calcium binding, tyrosine phosphorylation, and lysine trimethylation for the essential function of calmodulin in vertebrate cells analyzed in a novel gene replacement system

Calmodulin (CaM) was shown to be essential for survival of lower eukaryotes by gene deletion experiments. So far, no CaM gene deletion was reported in higher eukaryotes. In vertebrates, CaM is expressed from several genes, which encode an identical protein, making it difficult to generate a model system to study the effect of CaM gene deletion. Here, we present a novel genetic system based on the chicken DT40 cell line, in which the two functional CaM genes were deleted and one allele replaced with a CaM transgene that can be artificially regulated. We show that CaM is essential for survival of vertebrate cells as they die in the absence of CaM expression. Reversal of CaM repression or ectopic expression of HA-tagged CaM rescued the cells. Cells exclusively expressing HA-CaM with impaired individual calcium binding domains as well as HA-CaM lacking the ability to be phosphorylated at residues Tyr(99)/Tyr(138) or trimethylated at Lys(115) survived and grew well. CaM mutated at both Ca(2+) binding sites 3 and 4 as well as at both sites 1 and 2, but to a lesser degree, showed decreased ability to support cell growth. Cells expressing CaM with all calcium binding sites impaired died with kinetics similar to that of cells expressing no CaM. This system offers a unique opportunity to analyze CaM structure-function relationships in vivo without the use of pharmacological inhibitors and to analyze the function of wild type and mutated CaM in modulating the activity of different target systems without interference of endogenous CaM.     

Allocation tradeoffs among chaparral shrub seedlings with different life history types (Rhamnaceae)

? Premise of the Study: California chaparral shrub species have different life history types: Nonsprouters (NS) are killed by fire and persist through a fire-stimulated seed bank; facultative sprouters (FS) reestablish by a combination of vegetative sprouting and seeding; and obligate sprouters (OS) reestablish exclusively by sprouting. Nonsprouters and FS establish seedlings in open-canopy postfire environments, whereas OS establish seedlings between fires in the shady understory. We hypothesized that allocation differences among seedlings of postfire sprouters and nonsprouters and regeneration niche differences would lead to contrasting patterns in biomass accumulation (NS > FS > OS, in sun; OS > FS > NS, in shade). ? Methods: Seedlings of three species from each life history type were grown in sun and 75% shade. We measured net carbon assimilation and biomass accumulation after one year. ? Key Results: Biomass accumulation was similar in the sun except FS>OS. In the shade, NS had lower biomass than FS and OS. Assimilation rates, nitrogen relations, and allocation differences could not fully explain biomass accumulation differences. Instead, biomass accumulation was inversely related to water-stress tolerance and shade tolerance. Additionally, OS and FS differed in root/shoot allocation even though both are sprouters. ? Conclusions: Seedling growth and carbon assimilation rates were divergent among three life history types and were consistent with differences in tolerance to water stress and shade or sun regeneration niches, but not tradeoffs in sprouting-related allocation differences per se.     

Molecular Characterization of Pneumococcal Isolates from Pets and Laboratory Animals

Background

Between 1986 and 2008 Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated from 41 pets/zoo animals (guinea pigs (n = 17), cats (n = 12), horses (n = 4), dogs (n = 3), dolphins (n = 2), rat (n = 2), gorilla (n = 1)) treated in medical veterinary laboratories and zoos, and 44 laboratory animals (mastomys (multimammate mice; n = 32), mice (n = 6), rats (n = 4), guinea pigs (n = 2)) during routine health monitoring in an animal facility. S. pneumoniae was isolated from nose, lung and respiratory tract, eye, ear and other sites.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Carriage of the same isolate of S. pneumoniae over a period of up to 22 weeks was shown for four mastomys. Forty-one animals showed disease symptoms. Pneumococcal isolates were characterized by optochin sensitivity, bile solubility, DNA hybridization, pneumolysin PCR, serotyping and multilocus sequence typing. Eighteen of the 32 mastomys isolates (56%) were optochin resistant, all other isolates were optochin susceptible. All mastomys isolates were serotype 14, all guinea pig isolates serotype 19F, all horse isolates serotype 3. Rats had serotypes 14 or 19A, mice 33A or 33F. Dolphins had serotype 23F, the gorilla serotype 14. Cats and dogs had many different serotypes. Four isolates were resistant to macrolides, three isolates also to clindamycin and tetracyclin. Mastomys isolates were sequence type (ST) 15 (serotype 14), an ST/serotype combination commonly found in human isolates. Cats, dogs, pet rats, gorilla and dolphins showed various human ST/serotype combinations. Lab rats and lab mice showed single locus variants (SLV) of human STs, in human ST/serotype combinations. All guinea pig isolates showed the same completely new combination of known alleles. The horse isolates showed an unknown allele combination and three new alleles.

Conclusions/Significance

The isolates found in mastomys, mice, rats, cats, dogs, gorilla and dolphins are most likely identical to human pneumococcal isolates. Isolates from guinea pigs and horses appear to be specialized clones for these animals. Our data redraw attention to the fact that pneumococci are not strictly human pathogens. Pet animals that live in close contact to humans, especially children, can be infected by human isolates and also carriage of even resistant isolates is a realistic possibility.     

Can the QTL for late blight resistance on potato chromosome 5 be attributed to foliage maturity type?

We investigated the association between late blight resistance and foliage maturity type in potato by means of molecular markers. Two QTLs were detected for foliage resistance against Phytophthora infestans (on chromosomes 3 and 5) and one for foliage maturity type (on chromosome 5). The QTL for resistance to late blight and the QTL for foliage maturity type on chromosome 5 appeared to be mapped on indistinguishable positions. We were interested whether this genetic linkage was due to closely linked but different genes, or due to one (or more) gene(s) with pleiotropic effects. We therefore developed an approach to detect QTLs, in which resistance to late blight was adjusted for foliage maturity type. This analysis revealed the same two QTLs for resistance against P. infestans, but the effect of the locus on chromosome 5 was reduced to only half the original effect. This is a strong indication that the two indistinguishable QTLs for foliage maturity type and for late blight resistance on chromosome 5 may actually be one gene with a pleiotropic effect on both traits. However, there was still a significant effect on resistance against P. infestans on the locus on chromosome 5 after adjusting for foliage maturity type. Therefore we cannot rule out the presence of two closely linked QTLs on chromosome 5: one with a pleiotropic effect on both late blight resistance and foliage maturity type, and another with merely an effect on resistance. In addition, the two QTLs for resistance to late blight showed an important epistatic interaction, suggesting that QTLs for resistance affect each other's expression.     

NMR solution structure of the glucagon antagonist [desHis1, desPhe6, Glu9]glucagon amide in the presence of perdeuterated dodecylphosphocholine micelles

Glucagon, a 29-residue peptide hormone, plays an important role in glucose homeostasis and in diabetes mellitus. Several glucagon antagonists and agonists have been developed, but limited structural information is available to clarify the basis of their biological activity. The solution structure of the potent glucagon antagonist, [desHis1, desPhe6, Glu9]glucagon amide, was determined by homonuclear 2D NMR spectroscopy at pH 6.0 and 37 degrees C in perdeuterated dodecylphosphocholine micelles. The overall backbone root-mean-square deviation (rmsd) for the structured portion (residues 7-29, glucagon numbering) of the micelle-bound 27-residue peptide is 1.36 A for the 15 lowest-energy structures, after restrained molecular dynamics simulation. The structure consists of four regions (segment backbone rmsd in A): an unstructured N-terminal segment between residues 2 and 5 (1.68), an irregular helix between residues 7 and 14 (0.79), a hinge region between residues 15 and 18 (0.54), and a well-defined alpha-helix between residues 19 and 29 (0.33). The two helices form an L-shaped structure with an angle of about 90 degrees between the helix axes. There is an extended hydrophobic cluster, which runs along the inner surface of the L-structure and incorporates the side chains of the hydrophobic residues of each of the amphipathic helices. The outer surface contains the hydrophilic side chains, with two salt bridges (D15-R18 and R17-D21) implied from close approach of the charged groups. This result is the first clear indication of an overall tertiary fold for a glucagon analogue in the micelle-bound state. The relationship of the two helical structural elements may have important implications for the biological activity of the glucagon antagonist.     

Characterization and three-dimensional structure determination of psi-conotoxin Piiif,a novel noncompetitive antagonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

A novel inhibitor of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), psi-conotoxin Piiif, was isolated from the venom of Conus purpurascens and found to have the sequence GOOCCLYGSCROFOGCYNALCCRK-NH2. The sequence is highly homologous to that of psi-conotoxin Piiie, a previously identified noncompetitive inhibitor of Torpedo electroplax nAChR, also isolated from C. purpurascens. Both psi-conotoxins block Torpedo and mouse nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), but psi-Piiif is less potent by a factor of 10(1)-10(2). A high-resolution structure of psi-Piiif was determined by NMR and molecular modeling calculations. Psi-Piiif analogues containing [(13)C]-labeled cysteine at selected positions were synthesized to resolve spectral overlap of Cys side chain proton signals. The structures are well-converged, with backbone atom position RMSDs of 0.21 A for the main body of the peptide between residues 4 and 22 and 0.47 A for all residues. The overall backbone conformation is closely similar to psi-Piiie, the main difference being in the degree of conformational disorder at the two termini. Psi-Piiie and psi-Piiif have similar locations of positive charge density, although psi-Piiif has a lower overall charge. One disulfide bridge of psi-Piiif appears to undergo dynamic conformational fluctuations based on both the model and on experimental observation. Chimeras in which the three intercysteine loops were swapped between psi-Piiie and psi-Piiif were tested for inhibitory activity against Torpedo nAChRs. The third loop, which contains no charged residues in either peptide, is the prime determinant of potency in these psi-conotoxins.     

Solution structure and functional ligand screening of HI0719, a highly conserved protein from bacteria to humans in the YjgF/YER057c/UK114 family

HI0719 belongs to a large family of highly conserved proteins with no definitive molecular function and is found in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. We describe the NMR structure of HI0719, the first solution structure for a member of this family. The overall fold is similar to the crystal structures of two homologues, YabJ from Bacillus subtilis and YjgF from Escherichia coli, and all three structures are similar to that of chorismate mutase, although there is little sequence homology and no apparent functional connection. HI0719 is a homotrimer with a distinct cavity located at the subunit interface. Six of the seven invariant residues in the high identity group of proteins are located in this cavity, suggesting that this may be a binding site for small molecules. Using previously published observations about the biological role of HI0719 family members as a guide, over 100 naturally occurring small molecules or structural analogues were screened for ligand binding using NMR spectroscopy. The targeted screening approach identified six compounds that bind to HI0719 at the putative active site. Five of these compounds are either alpha-keto acids or alpha,beta-unsaturated acids, while the sixth compound is structurally similar. Previous studies have proposed that some HI0719 homologues may act on small molecules in the isoleucine biosynthetic path and, if this is correct, the ligand screening results presented here suggest that the interaction most likely occurs with 2-ketobutyrate and/or its unstable enamine precursor.     

Transformation of apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) with the stilbene synthase gene from grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) and a PGIP gene from kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa)

The objective of the present research was to introduce genes with antifungal potential into the commercially important apple cvs. Elstar and Holsteiner Cox in order to establish resistance against fungal diseases. The gene encoding the stilbene synthase (Vst1) from Vitis vinifera L., responsible for the synthesis of the phytoalexin resveratrol in grapevine, and the gene for a polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein (PGIP) from kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa) were transferred into Holsteiner Cox and Elstar via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. A total of nine transgenic Holsteiner Cox clones and one transgenic E clone carrying the stilbene-synthase gene as well as three transgenic Holsteiner Cox lines harbouring the polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein from Kiwi were identified via polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot analysis. High performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed the accumulation of a resveratrol-derivate, a glycoside, in transgenic Vst1 plants.Abbreviations BAP 6-Benzylaminopurine - E Elstar - H Holsteiner Cox - HPLC High performance liquid chromatography - IBA Indole-3-butyric acid - NAA -Naphthaleneacetic acid - TDZ Thidiazuron - YEP Yeast extract broth Communicated by H. Lörz