Establishment of an Efficient Screening System in Gene Transformation of High Oleic Acid Peanut Using AhFAD2B as a Reporter Gene

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology - During gene transformation, selection makers are important for efficient screening of the transgenic lines. The commonly used selection marker genes in plants...     

The Component and Functional Pathways of Gut Microbiota are Altered in Populations with Poor Sleep Quality – A Preliminary Report

With the development of genome sequencing, many researchers have investigated the mechanism by which the intestinal microbiota influences sleep across the brain-gut axis. However, the relationship between gut microbiota and sleep disorder remains unclear. Thus, we studied the difference in gut microbiota composition between poor sleep quality- and normal populations, which helps set the ground for future research. The recruited college students provided baseline information and stool samples and completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). We compared the two groups’ gut microbiota composition and functional differentiation by using the 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. The main bacterial difference and the most critical effect were mainly concentrated within Tenericutes and Elusimicrobia. Compared with the healthy control group, some functions of the gut microbiota were impaired in the poor sleep quality group, such as butanoate metabolism and propanoate metabolism. Bacterial taxa with significant differences raised the possibility for future diagnosis and treatment of sleep problems.     

Virus isolation and molecular epidemiology of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N8) from an outbreak in free-ranging wild birds,India 2016

We report the molecular epidemiology of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus involved in an outbreak causing death in free-ranging wild birds at Mysore, Karnataka state of India. The virus was typed as HPAI A(H5N8) by conventional and TaqMan probe based real-time PCR assays. Six isolates of HPAI virus were recovered in 9-day-old embryonated chicken eggs. Haemagglutinin gene-based phylogeny of virus isolates showed >?99.9% nucleotide sequence identity with HPAI A(H5N8) isolates from migratory birds and domestic poultry from China and Korea indicating either these wild birds have routed their migration through Korea and/or eastern China or these dead birds must have directly or indirectly contacted with wild birds migrating from Eastern China and/or Korean regions. The study emphasises the role of migratory wild birds in spread of HPAI across the globe.     

Phylogeographic patterns of steppe species in Eastern Central Europe: a review and the implications for conservation

The phylogeography of species associated with European steppes and extrazonal xeric grasslands is poorly understood. This paper summarizes the results of recent studies on the phylogeography and conservation genetics of animals (20 taxa of beetles, butterflies, reptiles and rodents) and flowering plants (18 taxa) of such, "steppic" habitats in Eastern Central Europe. Most species show a similar phylogeographic pattern: relatively high genetic similarity within regional groups of populations and moderate-to-high genetic distinctiveness of populations from currently isolated regions located in the studied area. This distinctiveness of populations suggests a survival here during glacial maxima, including areas north of the Bohemian Massif-Carpathians arc. Steppic species generally do not follow the paradigmatic patterns known for temperate biota (south-north “contraction–expansion”), but to some extent are similar to those of arctic-alpine taxa. There are three main groups of taxa within Eastern Central Europe that differ in their contemporary distribution pattern, which may reflect historical origin and expansion routes. Present diversity patterns of the studied steppic species suggest that they share a unique genetic signature and distinct assemblages exist in each of the now isolated areas rich in steppic habitats. At least some of these areas probably act as present “interglacial refugia” for steppic species. This study strongly supports the need to protect steppic species throughout their entire ranges in the region, as the continuous destruction of steppic habitats in some areas may lead not only to the disappearance of local populations, but also to the extinction of unique evolutionary units.     

Identification and Expression of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Burkholderia pseudomallei</Emphasis> Collagenase in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>

Extracellular protein profiles were compared for broth-grown cultures of Burkholderia pseudomallei and its avirulent close relative Burkholderia thailandensis. A number of protein bands were present in the B. pseudomallei profile but absent or less abundant in the B. thailandensis profile. Four such prominent secreted proteins were identified by using N-terminal sequencing coupled to searches of the B. pseudomallei genome sequence database. The genes for two proteins with similarity to carbohydrate-binding proteins, and a further protein homologous to known bacterial collagenases, were present in both B. pseudomallei and B. thailandensis. The putative collagenase gene was cloned and expressed as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli. Cell lysates from Escherichia coli containing the recombinant protein exhibited detectable gelatinase and collagenase activities.     

Regenerative ability of somatic single and multiple embryos from cotyledons of Korean ginseng on hormone-free medium

Cotyledon explants of Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) produced somatic embryos directly on growth regulator-free medium. Somatic embryos developed as either multiple or single-state forms, depending on the degree of maturity of the cotyledons. Cotyledon explants from midmature zygotic embryos formed multiple embryos, while cotyledons from fully mature zygotic embryos formed single embryos. Somatic single embryos regenerated into normal plantlets with both roots and shoots, while multiple embryos did not produce roots but regenerated only into multiple shoots. In full-strength MS basal medium, the root growth of plantlets derived from single embryos was weak compared to that of shoots. Deletion of ammonium nitrate from the MS medium promoted the root growth of the plantlets. The ginseng plants with well-developed shoots and roots regenerated from single embryos were successfully acclimatized in a greenhouse when they were planted in soil. Received: 19 July 1997 / Revision received: 6 October 1997 / Accepted: 3 October 1997     

Patterns of Protozoan Infections: Spatiotemporal Associations with Cattle Density

Waste from cattle production contains protozoa, such as Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia, which can be transmitted to humans. People residing in areas of high cattle density may be at increased risk for protozoan infections. The objective of this study was to assess spatial and temporal associations between cattle density and hospitalizations for protozoan infections in the U.S. elderly. Data on protozoan infections were abstracted from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services datasets for a 14-year period (1991–2004). Cattle inventory data were abstracted from the 2002 U.S. Census of Agriculture. Counties were classified into one of five exposure categories based on both cattle density and human density. Our analyses considered differences in rates, trends, and variations in seasonal patterns based on exposure categories. Cryptosporidiosis demonstrated a trend of increasing annual rates related to increased potential exposure to cattle. Both cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis demonstrated significant seasonal patterns peaking during the fourth week of October in areas of high cattle/low population density and the second week of September in counties with low cattle/low human density, respectively. Counties with low human population density (regardless of cattle density) had the highest rate of all protozoan infections, peaking in the summer. These results demonstrate the elderly population is at increased risk of protozoan infections in areas of high cattle density, particularly cryptosporidiosis. The seasonal patterns and higher annual rates seen in rural areas suggest time-variant environmental exposures, which may be affected with geographical and temporal targeting of agricultural policies and interventions to improve public health.     

Activation of big MAP kinase 1 (BMK1/ERK5) inhibits cardiac injury after myocardial ischemia and reperfusion

Big MAP kinase 1 (BMK1/ERK5) plays a critical role in pre-natal development of the cardiovascular system and post-natal eccentric hypertrophy of the heart. Of the two isoforms upstream of MAPK-kinase 5 (MEK5) known to exist, only the longer MEK5alpha isoform potently activates BMK1. We generated cardiac-specific constitutively active form of the MEK5alpha (CA-MEK5alpha transgenic (Tg) mice), and observed a 3 to 4-fold increase in endogenous BMK1 activation and hyperphosphorylation of connexin 43 in the ventricles of the Tg compared to wild-type mice. The CA-MEK5alpha-Tg-mice demonstrated a profoundly accelerated recovery of left ventricular developed pressure after ischemia/reperfusion. We propose a novel role for BMK1 in protecting the heart from ischemia/reperfusion-induced cardiac injury.     

Design Method of a Broadband Wide-Angle Plasmonic Absorber in the Visible Range

A new design method of a broadband wide-angle metal-dielectric-metal plasmonic absorber is presented based on the cavity mode theory. The broadband absorption is implemented by filling a unit cell with multi-size square metal patches resonant at adjacent wavelengths, with the widths of the patches and thickness of the dielectric layer optimized with the presented method. A broadband plasmonic absorber working in the visible range is designed, the absorption of which is insensitive to the azimuth angle of incident field and keeps over 0.7 at incident angle up to 60° for p polarization and above 0.6 at up to 40° for s polarization.