Functional characterization of the translationally controlled tumor protein (<Emphasis Type="Italic">TCTP</Emphasis>) gene associated with growth and defense response in cabbage

The translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is an important component of the target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathway, the major regulator of cell growth in animals and fungi. Despite its relevance, knowledge on plant TCTP homologs is still limited. In the present study, the full-length BoTCTP cDNA was isolated from a cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) cDNA library. The BoTCTP cDNA encodes a polypeptide of 168 amino acids and shared the highly conserved GTPase binding surface in all of the species analyzed. Northern blotting analysis showed that BoTCTP was specifically expressed in the root and stem. Furthermore, the expression of BoTCTP could be obviously enhanced by stress stimuli, including high temperature and salt stresses, while no significant changes in the BoTCTP expression were observed under ABA stress. Functional analysis of BoTCTP was performed by the silencing of BoTCTP using RNA interference (RNAi) and the BoTCTP RNAi plants exhibited reduced vegetative growth rate and decreased tolerance of the cold, high temperature, and salt stresses. The reported results clearly suggest that the BoTCTP gene is involved in the regulation of both growth and stress response in cabbage.     

Quantitative real-time PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization approaches for enumerating <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brevundimonas diminuta</Emphasis> in drinking water

Brevundimonas diminuta is a small Gram-negative bacterium used for validation of membranes and filters used in the pharmaceutical and drinking water treatment industries. Current assays are time consuming, nonselective, and may be subject to interference by competing indigenous microorganisms. The focus of this study is to develop rapid and specific enumeration methodologies for B. diminuta. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays were developed based on the gyrB (1,166 bp) and rpoD (829 bp) gene sequences of B. diminuta ATCC 19146. Species-specific primers and probes were designed, and a 100–200 bp segment of each gene was targeted in the qPCR studies. For both the qPCR and FISH assays, an internal 25 bp sequence was selected for use as a TaqMan probe (labeled with 6-FAM and a Black Hole Quencher). Probe specificity studies, conducted against Gram-negative and Gram-positive reference strains as well as environmental strains, revealed high specificity of the primer/probe pairs to B. diminuta. Sensitivities of the qPCR reactions using purified genomic DNA from B. diminuta were determined to be 0.89 pg for rpoD and 8.9 pg for gyrB. The feasibility of using whole-cell B. diminuta suspensions directly with the rpoD qPCR protocol was also evaluated. The greatest sensitivity observed for B. diminuta was 1 × 10³ colony forming units (CFU) per mL when tryptic soy broth was used as the growth medium. When compared with direct microscopic enumeration using a 5′ 6-FAM FISH probe, traditional plating methods showed significant underestimation of B. diminuta concentration (P = 0.01) when this organism was cultivated in saline lactose broth. The results of this investigation demonstrate that qPCR and FISH are effective methods for rapid (<4 h) enumeration of B. diminuta and may be viable alternatives to plating when validating drinking water filtration systems.     

Early Changes of β-Catenins and Menins in Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn after Peripheral Nerve Injury

Injury to the peripheral nervous system can lead to spontaneous pain, hyperalgesia and allodynia. Previous studies have shown sprouting of Aβ-fibres into lamina II of the spinal cord dorsal horn after nerve injury and the formation of new synapses by these sprouts. β-Catenin and menin as synaptogenic factors are critically involved in synapse formation. However, the roles of β-catenin and menin in neuropathic pain are still unclear. Using Western blot analysis we investigated the changes of β-catenin and menin in the spinal dorsal horn after unilateral spared nerve injury (SNI). We demonstrated an increase in both β-catenin and menin protein levels in the ipsilateral spinal dorsal horn at days 1 and 3 following spared nerve injury (P < 0.05). These increases were associated with changes in paw withdrawal threshold to mechanical stimuli and weight bearing deficit suggestive of pain behavior and spontaneous ongoing pain respectively. However, the injury-associated increases in β-catenins and menins levels returned to control levels at day 14. In conclusion, these results indicate that peripheral nerve injury induces upregulation of β-catenins and menins in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, which may contribute to the development of chronic neuropathic pain. Antagonists of these molecules may serve as new therapeutic agents.     

Differential activity of innate defense antimicrobial peptides against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nocardia</Emphasis> species

Background  

Members of the genus Nocardia are ubiquitous environmental saprophytes capable to cause human pulmonary, disseminated and cutaneous nocardiosis or bovine mastitis. Innate immunity appears to play an important role in early defense against Nocardia species. To elucidate the contribution of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in innate defense against Nocardia, the activity of human α-defensins human neutrophil peptides (HNPs) 1-3, human β-defensin (hBD)-3 and cathelicidin LL-37 as well as bovine β-defensins lingual and tracheal antimicrobial peptides (LAP, TAP) and bovine neutrophil-derived indolicidin against four important Nocardia species was investigated.     

Flow Cytometry,HPLC-RP,and metAFLP Analyses to Assess Genetic Variability in Somatic Embryo-Derived Plantlets of <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Gentiana pannonica</Emphasis> Scop

Cytometric and molecular techniques were used to verify genetic uniformity among somatic embryo-derived plantlets of Gentiana pannonica Scop. Cytometric analysis of regenerants revealed absence of chromosomal changes and alterations in ploidy. However, reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography detected higher levels of methylation in regenerated plants than those of control plants. These changes were further investigated using a quantitative molecular marker-based approach. This revealed that numerous tissue culture-induced variations, ∼3% (epi)mutations, were observed, including sequence variation and changes in methylation patterns. Moreover, complex patterns of variation, including combinations of genetic and epigenetic changes, were relatively high (ca. 9%). Overall, tissue culture-induced variation reached 16%; while, demethylation was lower than de novo methylation in heterozygotic material and similar in all regenerated plantlets.     

Photochemical studies on the binding of an organic fluoride to bovine serum albumin

The interaction of fipronil (FPN), a pesticide containing fluorine, to bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied by spectroscopy including fluorescence spectra, UV–Visible absorption, scattering spectra, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, synchronous and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra. The number of binding sites n and observed binding constant Kb was measured by fluorescence quenching method. The thermodynamic parameters ΔH, ΔG, ΔS at different temperatures were calculated and the results indicate that hydrophobic forces played major role in the reaction. The distance r between donor (BSA) and acceptor (FPN) was obtained according to the Förster theory of non-radiation energy transfer. The structural change of BSA molecules with addition of FPN was analyzed and the results may be helpful to biologists, chemists and therapeutists.     

Immunological detection of bean common mosaic virus in French bean (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phaseolus vulgaris</Emphasis> L.) leaves

Bean common mosaic potyvirus (BCMV) is an important seed borne pathogen of French bean. Differential inoculation with bean common mosaic virus at cotylodonary trifoliate leaf stage and pre-flowering stage of crop growth revealed that cotyledonary leaf infection favored maximum disease expression. Under immunosorbent electron microscopy (ISEM) the virus particles of filamentous structure having a diameter of 750 nm (l) and 15 nm (w) were observed. These particles gave positive precipitin tests with polyclonal antiserum of Potato virus Y.     

Protective Effects of Selenium and Vitamin E Combination on Experimental Colitis in Blood Plasma and Colon of Rats

Ulcerative colitis increases oxidative damage accompanied by production of free oxygen radicals. Selenium (Se) and vitamin E are two natural antioxidants. The present study was undertaken to investigate the possible protective role of Se and vitamin E combination in experimental colitis induced by acetic acid (AA) in rats. This study was carried out on three groups, namely the first (control), the second (experimental colitis group, 2 ml 5% acetic acid), and the third groups (2 ml 5% acetic acid, vitamin E (100 mg/kg body weight (bw)) plus Se (0.2 mg/kg bw)). The activities of catalase (CAT), prolidase (PRS), myeloperoxidase (MPO), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), total thiol (T-SH) were determined in plasma and colon samples. Macroscopic and microscopic damages in colon were increased by AA treatment (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively), whereas they were decreased by selenium and vitamin E treatment (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). The activities of CAT and PRS in the plasma and colon were significantly affected (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) by treatment of AA, Se, and vitamin E. MPO activity in colon was increased (p < 0.01) by AA treatment and decreased (p < 0.05) by Se and vitamin E administration. The values of TOS and OSI in plasma were increased (p < 0.5) by AA. The TAC and T-SH in colon were decreased (p < 0.05) by AA and increased (p < 0.05) by Se and vitamin E. Based upon these results, Se and vitamin E may play an important role in preventive indication of the oxidative damage associated by acetic acid caused inflammation.     

Microbial communities and chemical changes during fermentation of sugary Brazilian kefir

The microorganisms associated with sugary Brazilian kefir beverage were investigated using a combination of culture-dependent and -independent methods. A total of 289 bacteria and 129 yeasts were identified via phenotypic and genotypic methods. Lb. paracasei (23.8%) was the major bacterial isolate identified, followed by Acetobacter lovaniensis (16.31%), Lactobacillus parabuchneri (11.71%), Lactobacillus kefir (10.03%) and Lactococcus lactis (10.03%). Saccharomyces cerevisiae (54.26%) and Kluyveromyces lactis (20.15%) were the most common yeast species isolated. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the microbiota was dominated by lemon-shaped yeast cells growing in close association with Lactobacillus (long and curved). Some lactic acid bacteria detected by sequence analysis of DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) bands were not recovered at any time through fermentation by plating. Conversely, DGGE fingerprints did not reveal bands corresponding to some of the species isolated by culturing methods. The bacteria Acetobacter lovaniensis and the yeast Kazachstania aerobia are described for the first time in sugary kefir. During the 24 h of fermentation, the concentration of lactic acid ranged from 0.2 to 1.80 mg/ml, and that of acetic acid increased from 0.08 to 1.12 mg/ml. The production of ethanol was limited, reaching a final mean value of 1.24 mg/ml.