Isolation and molecular analysis of genes Stpk-V2 and Stpk-V3 homologous to powdery mildew resistance gene Stpk-V in a Dasypyrum villosum accession and its derivatives

Wheat-Dasypyrum villosum translocated chromosomes T6V#2S?6AL and T6V#4S?6DL are known to confer excellent resistance to wheat powdery mildew (PM). However, it is difficult to distinguish the two sources of PM resistance genes through multi-pathotype testing because to date no virulence for them has been found. To reveal the relationship between the PM resistance genes from the two translocations, the sequence of the Stpk-V gene, a key member of powdery mildew resistance locus Pm21, was used as a reference to isolate homologous genes from a D. villosum accession No.1026 and its derivatives 6V#4(6D) disomic substitution (DS) line RW15 and T6V#4S?6DL translocation line Pm97033. Two genes Stpk-V2 and Stpk-V3 were cloned from No.1026. Sequence alignment showed that Stpk-V2 and Stpk-V3 shared 98.2 % and 96.2 % of their DNA and 99.3 % and 100 % of their amino acids in identity with Stpk-V. Compared with Stpk-V, a 22-bp direct sequence repeat and a miniature inverted-repeat transposable element (MITE) were found in the intron 4 of Stpk-V2 and Stpk-V3, respectively. However, Stpk-V2 was not present in DS line RW15 and translocation line Pm97033 based on the PCR result, indicating that Stpk-V2 did not contribute to the PM resistance of RW15 and Pm97033. In the promoter region, a 78-bp insertion was found not only in Stpk-V2 and Stpk-V3, but also in its orthologous gene Stpk-A of wheat. In addition, there was a 17 bp/8 bp deletion/insertion in the putative promoter of Stpk-V3 in comparison with that of Stpk-V/Stpk-V2. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated that the expression levels of Stpk-V and Stpk-V3 genes in the translocation lines were induced by the pathogen, but Stpk-V had a higher expression level than Stpk-V3 at 12 h after inoculation with Bgt. The diversity of Stpk-V gene will help to explore new resistance genes to PM in D. villosum for wheat breeding.     

Molluscan fauna of Gueishan Island,Taiwan

This dataset records the occurrence and inventory of molluscan fauna on Gueishan Island, the only active volcanic island in Taiwan, based on the literature survey and field investigation conducted between 2011 and 2012. The literature review involved seven studies published from 1934 to 2003, which collectively reported 112 species from 61 genera and 37 families of Mollusca on Gueishan Island. Through our field investigation, we identified 34 species from 28 genera and 23 families. Fourteen of these species were new records on Gueishan Island: Liolophura japonica, Lottia luchuana, Nerita costata, Nerita rumphii, Diplommatina suganikeiensis, Littoraria undulata, Solenomphala taiwanensis, Assiminea sp., Siphonaria laciniosa, Laevapex nipponica, Carychium hachijoensis, Succinea erythrophana, Zaptyx crassilamellata, and Allopeas pyrgula. In Total, there are 126 species from 71 genera and 45 families of Mollusca on Gueishan Island. These data have been published through GBIF [http://taibif.org.tw/ipt/resource.do?r=gueishan_island] and integrated into the Taiwan Malacofauna Database (http://shell.sinica.edu.tw/).     

Incorporating trnH-psbA to the core DNA barcodes improves significantly species discrimination within?southern African Combretaceae

Recent studies indicate that the discriminatory power of the core DNA barcodes (rbcLa + matK) for land plants may have been overestimated since their performance have been tested only on few closely related species. In this study we focused mainly on how the addition of complementary barcodes (nrITS and trnH-psbA) to the core barcodes will affect the performance of the core barcodes in discriminating closely related species from family to section levels. In general, we found that the core barcodes performed poorly compared to the various combinations tested. Using multiple criteria, we finally advocated for the use of the core + trnH-psbA as potential DNA barcode for the family Combretaceae at least in southern Africa. Our results also indicate that the success of DNA barcoding in discriminating closely related species may be related to evolutionary and possibly the biogeographic histories of the taxonomic group tested.     

A new species of Austrodecus Hodgson, 1907 (Arthropoda,Pycnogonida, Austrodecidae) from?the?Southwest Indian Ridge

A new species of pycnogonid collected by the Chinese research vessel R/V Dayangyihao during cruises to the Southwest Indian Ridge in 2008 and 2009 is recorded. The new species, Austrodecus bamberi, is placed into the tristanense-section by the characters of 4-articled ovigers and present auxiliary claws and is distinguished from other species in this section by the number and length of tubercles on the first coxae.     

Variability of albumin adducts of 1,4-benzoquinone,a toxic metabolite of benzene,in human volunteers

Abstract

A putative haematotoxic and leukaemogenic metabolite of benzene, 1,4-benzoquinone (1,4-BQ), reacts rapidly with macromolecules. The authors previously characterized levels of the albumin (Alb) adduct (1,4-BQ-Alb) of this reactive species in populations of workers exposed to benzene. Since high levels of 1,4-BQ-Alb were also measured in unexposed workers from those investigations, the current study was initiated to determine potential sources of 1,4-BQ in the general population. A single blood sample was collected from 191 healthy subjects from the Research Triangle area, NC, USA, to determine the baseline 1,4-BQ-Alb levels and contributing sources. The median 1,4-BQ-Alb at baseline was 550?pmol?g^?1 Alb (interquartile range 435–814?pmol?g^?1). A second blood sample was collected approximately 3 months later from a subgroup of 33 subjects to estimate the within- and between-person variation in 1,4-BQ-Alb. Standardized questionnaires were administered to collect information about demographic, dietary and lifestyle factors. Multiple linear regression models identified several significant contributors to 1,4-BQ-Alb levels, including gender, body mass index (BMI), the gender–BMI interaction, automobile refuelling, smoking status, and consumption of fruit and the artificial sweetener, aspartame. The authors predicted that these background levels of 1,4-BQ-Alb were equivalent to occupational exposures between 1 and 3 parts per million of benzene. Mixed effects linear models indicated that the random variation in adduct levels was about equally divided between and within subjects. The observations indicate that levels of 1,4-BQ-Alb cover a wide range in the general population, and they support the hypotheses that demographic, diet and lifestyle factors are contributing sources.     

RNA localization in Xenopus oocytes uses a core group of trans-acting factors irrespective of destination

The 3′ untranslated region of mRNA encoding PHAX, a phosphoprotein required for nuclear export of U-type snRNAs, contains cis-acting sequence motifs E2 and VM1 that are required for localization of RNAs to the vegetal hemisphere of Xenopus oocytes. However, we have found that PHAX mRNA is transported to the opposite, animal, hemisphere. A set of proteins that cross-link to the localization elements of vegetally localized RNAs are also cross-linked to PHAX and An1 mRNAs, demonstrating that the composition of RNP complexes that form on these localization elements is highly conserved irrespective of the final destination of the RNA. The ability of RNAs to bind this core group of proteins is correlated with localization activity. Staufen1, which binds to Vg1 and VegT mRNAs, is not associated with RNAs localized to the animal hemisphere and may determine, at least in part, the direction of RNA movement in Xenopus oocytes.     

MiRNA-181b suppresses IGF-1R and functions as a tumor suppressor gene in gliomas

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded, 18- to 23-nt RNA molecules that function as regulators of gene expression. Previous studies have shown that microRNAs play important roles in human cancers, including gliomas. Here, we found that expression levels of miR-181b were decreased in gliomas, and we identified IGF-1R as a novel direct target of miR-181b. MiR-181b overexpression inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumorigenesis by targeting IGF-1R and its downstream signaling pathways, PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK1/2. Overexpression of IGF-1R rescued the inhibitory effects of miR-181b. In clinical specimens, IGF-1R was overexpressed, and its protein levels were inversely correlated with miR-181b expression. Taken together, our results indicate that miR-181b functions in gliomas to suppress growth by targeting the IGF-1R oncogene and that miR-181b may serve as a novel therapeutic target for gliomas.     

hPNAS-4 inhibits proliferation through S phase arrest and apoptosis: underlying action mechanism in ovarian cancer cells

PNAS-4, a novel pro-apoptotic gene, was activated during the early response to DNA damage. Previous studies have shown that hPNAS-4 can inhibit tumor growth when over-expressed in ovarian cancer cells. However, the underlying action mechanism remains elusive. In this work, we found that hPNAS-4 expression was significantly increased in SKOV3 cells when exposed to cisplatin, methyl methanesulfonate or mitomycin C, and that its overexpression could induce proliferation inhibition, S phase arrest and apoptosis in A2780s and SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells. The S phase arrest caused by hPNAS-4 was associated with up-regulation of p21. p21 is p53-dispensable and correlates with activation of ERK, and activation of the Cdc25A-Cdk2-Cyclin E/Cyclin A pathway, while the pro-apoptotic effects of hPNAS-4 were mediated by activation of caspase-9 and -3 other than caspase-8, and accompanied by release of AIF, Smac and cytochrome c into the cytosol. Taken together, these data suggest a new mechanism by which hPNAS-4 inhibits proliferation of ovarian cancer cells by inducing S phase arrest and apoptosis via activation of Cdc25A-Cdk2-Cyclin E/Cyclin A axis and mitochondrial dysfunction-mediated caspase-dependent and -independent apoptotic pathways. To our knowledge, we provide the first molecular evidence for the potential application of hPNAS-4 as a novel target in ovarian cancer gene therapy.     

Cloning,purification and biochemical characterisation of an organic solvent-, detergent-, and thermo-stable amylopullulanase from Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1

Thermostable amylopullulanases can catalyse the hydrolysis of both α-1,4 and α-1,6 glucosidic bonds and are of considerable interest in the starch saccharification industry. In this study, the gene Apu-Tk encoding an extracellular amylopullulanase was cloned from an extremely thermophilic anaerobic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis KOD1. Apu-Tk encodes an 1100-amino acid protein with a 27-residue signal peptide, which has a predicted mass of 125 kDa after signal peptide cleavage. Sequence alignments showed that Apu-Tk contains the five regions conserved in all GH57 family proteins. Full-length Apu-Tk was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. The purified enzyme displayed both pullulanase and amylase activity. The optimal temperature for Apu-Tk to hydrolyse pullulan and soluble starch was >100 °C. Apu-Tk was also active at a broad range of pH (4–7), with an optimum pH of ~5.0–5.5. Apu-Tk also retained >30% of its original activity and partially folded globular structure in the presence of 8% SDS or 10% β-mercaptoethanol. The high yield, broad pH range, and stability of Apu-Tk implicate it as a potential enzyme for industrial applications.     

Development of InDel markers linked to Fusarium wilt resistance in cabbage

Cabbage Fusarium wilt (CFW) is a destructive disease causing great losses to cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata L.) production worldwide. At present, there are few reports concerning molecular marker research on cabbage resistance to CFW. In this study, 160 double haploid (DH) lines were obtained from the F1 population of a 99–77 (highly resistant to CFW) × 99–91 (highly susceptible to CFW) cross. Insertion–deletion (InDel) markers were designed according to the reference genome sequence of cabbage and the whole-genome re-sequencing data of the two parents. A genetic map of chromosome C06 including seven InDel markers was constructed based on the DH population. Thus, FOC (resistance gene to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans) was located on chromosome C06 and two InDel markers out of the seven, M10 and A1, flanked the gene at 1.2 and 0.6 cM, respectively. Marker A1 revealed a significant consistency with the phenotype assay in the F2 population as well as in 40 inbred lines (96 and 82 %, respectively). This study lays the foundation for fine mapping and cloning of the FOC gene and for marker-assisted selection in cabbage resistance breeding.