The alternative pathway in cucumber seedlings under low temperature stress was enhanced by salicylic acid

The alternative pathway is a cyanide-resistant and non-phosphorylatory electron transport pathway in mitochondria of higher plants. Alternative oxidase (AOX) is the terminal oxidase of this pathway. Our present study investigated the effect of exogenous salicylic acid (SA) on alternative pathway in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings under low temperature stress. Results showed that during the process of low temperature stress, the alternative pathway capacity was enhanced as AOX expression increased in SA pretreated seedlings. Compared with seedlings without SA pretreatment, slower decrease of relative water content and lower levels of electrolyte leakage, H₂O₂ and malonyldialdehyde content were detected in SA pretreated seedlings. These results indicated that SA could alleviate the injury caused by low temperature on cucumber seedlings. Since the special protective functions of alternative pathway and AOX in plants, we suggested that the alternative pathway was related to SA-mediated plant resistance to environmental stresses such as low temperature.     

Two-component sensor RhpS promotes induction of Pseudomonas syringae type III secretion system by repressing negative regulator RhpR

The Pseudomonas syringae type III secretion system (T3SS) is induced during interaction with the plant or culture in minimal medium (MM). How the bacterium senses these environments to activate the T3SS is poorly understood. Here, we report the identification of a novel two-component system (TCS), RhpRS, that regulates the induction of P. syringae T3SS genes. The rhpR and rhpS genes are organized in an operon with rhpR encoding a putative TCS response regulator and rhpS encoding a putative biphasic sensor kinase. Transposon insertion in rhpS severely reduced the induction of P. syringae T3SS genes in the plant as well as in MM and significantly compromised the pathogenicity on host plants and hypersensitive response-inducing activity on nonhost plants. However, deletion of the rhpRS locus allowed the induction of T3SS genes to the same level as in the wild-type strain and the recovery of pathogenicity upon infiltration into plants. Overexpression of RhpR in the deltarhpRS deletion strain abolished the induction of T3SS genes. However, overexpression of RhpR in the wild-type strain or overexpression of RhpR(D70A), a mutant of the predicted phosphorylation site of RhpR, in the deltarhpRS deletion strain only slightly reduced the induction of T3SS genes. Based on these results, we propose that the phosphorylated RhpR represses the induction of T3SS genes and that RhpS reverses phosphorylation of RhpR under the T3SS-inducing conditions. Epistasis analysis indicated that rhpS and rhpR act upstream of hrpR to regulate T3SS genes.     

中国红■属研究及新种记述(蜻蜓目,■科)

系统记述了红■属Pyrrhosoma Charpentier的研究历史,明确了本属的属征,描述了中国的种类,并确定一个采自中国云南省的新种Pyrrhosoma latiloba sp.nov.,模式标本保存于南开大学生命科学学院昆虫学研究所昆虫标本室。     

Involvement of insulin in early development of mouse one-cell stage embryos

Recent studies have suggested that growth factors and hormones play important roles in cell prolif-eration and differentiation during early embryonic development. In the present study, we examined the expression and localization of insulin in the mouse oocytes and one-cell stage embryos by quantitative ELISA, RT-PCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence. In the mouse oocytes and one-cell stage em-bryos, expression of insulin was uniformly distributed in the cytoplasm. We also examined the expres-sion, activity and localization of mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) and p70S6K. The expression of mTOR and p70S6K was not significantly different at the cell cycle of mouse one-cell stage embryos. mTOR and S6K were distributed evenly in the cytoplasm at G1, G2 and M phase phase, but at S phase, the distribution of mTOR and S6K was around the pronucleus. At different phases, the activity of mTOR fluctuated. We also used the PI3K specific inhibitor-Wortmannin to investigate the cleavage rate of eggs. The result showed that the rate obviously decreased. When the mTOR specific inhibitor Rapa-mycin was used, the first mitotic division of the mouse one-cell stage embryo was delayed. These re-sults suggested that insulin was expressed both in mouse oocytes and one-cell stage embryos, and may play functional roles in regulation of mouse early embryogenesis by activating the signal pathway of PI3K/PKB/mTOR/S6K.     

锌转运体ZNT7在Alzheimer病动物模型APP/PS1转基因鼠脑内的表达

目的研究阿尔茨海默病（Alzheimer disease,AD）模型小鼠APP/PS1转基因小鼠脑内锌转运体ZNT7的分布和表达,探讨ZNT7参与Aβ老年斑形成的机理。方法应用免疫组织化学染色观察ZNT7在脑内分布情况,应用Western Blot方法分析ZNT7在APP/PS1转基因小鼠大脑内的表达。结果ZNT7免疫阳性反应产物主要分布在APP/PS1转基因小鼠大脑皮层、纹状体和海马的老年斑内,强阳性的ZNT7免疫产物定位于老年斑的核心。Western Blot分析结果表明ZNT7在APP/PS1转基因小鼠大脑内的表达明显高于野生型小鼠。结论ZNT7在APP/PS1转基因小鼠大脑内的高表达以及在Aβ老年斑的定位,提示ZNT7可能参与了锌离子在老年斑内的聚集,进而参与了APP/PS1转基因小鼠大脑内老年斑的形成。     

二苯乙烯苷通过抑制NF-κB的激活减轻MPP＋诱导的PC12细胞凋亡

目的：探讨2,3,5,4＇-四羟基二苯乙烯-2-o-β-D-葡萄糖苷（2,3,5,4＇-tetrahydroxystibene-2-o-β-D-glucoside,TSG）对1-甲基-4-苯基吡啶离子（1-methy-4-phenylpyridinium,MPP＋）诱导PC12细胞凋亡的影响及其可能机制。方法：四甲基偶氮唑蓝（MTT）比色试验检测PC12细胞活性;Hoechst33258染色法测定细胞凋亡;Westernblotting检测NF-κB（P65）和IκBα蛋白的表达。结果：MPP＋（300μmol/L）作用于PC12细胞24h后,与正常对照组比较,细胞存活率降低（53.3±3.4%）（P〈0.01）;细胞染色质固缩,细胞核呈致密浓染。TSG（1,5,10μmol/L）预处理24h后,细胞存活率增加（60.8±1.9%）,（70.1±1.8%）（P〈0.01）,（81.2±1.9%）（P〈0.01）;细胞核凝聚明显减少,且具有量一效关系。另外,MPP＋可使PC12细胞核中NF-κB（P65）蛋白表达升高,细胞浆中IκBα蛋白表达降低;与MPP＋处理组细胞相比,TSG预处理后,PC12细胞核中高表达的NF-κB（P65）蛋白水平明显降低,细胞浆中低表达的IκBα蛋白水平升高。结论：TSG对MPP＋诱导的PC12细胞凋亡具有浓度依赖性的抑制作用,其作用机制可能与抑制NF-κB的激活有关。     

A Hematogenous Route for Medulloblastoma Leptomeningeal Metastases

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