Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Biological nitrogen fixation in root nodules is the primary nitrogen source for plants. In leguminous plants, nodulation is initiated by the recognition of the nodulation (Nod) factor, the signaling molecule secreted by rhizobia. Our previous study showed that 47-kDa and 44-kDa MAPKs were activated in soybean treated with a genistein-induced culture filtrate (GCF) of Bradyrhizobium japonicum. We investigated the activity and regulation of the 47-kDa MAPK, GMK1; however, the 44-kDa MAPK was not extensively studied. Herein, we identified the 44-kDa MAPK as Glycine max MAP kinase 2 (GMK2) and showed that its transcription was activated by GCF. GMK1 and 44-kDa MAPK were activated by phosphatidic acid (PA) and GCF-mediated induction of GMK1 and GMK2 activities were reduced by treatment with PA generation inhibitors. The activity of GCF-activated GMK2, but not GMK1, was decreased by calcium signaling inhibitors. Our data indicate that GMK2 expression is regulated at the transcriptional level and that GMK2 activity is regulated by phosphatidic acid and calcium during soybean-Bradyrhizobium interactions.

Currently, Tigers (the top predator of an ecosystem) are on the list of endangered species. Thus the need is to understand the tiger's population genomics to design their conservation strategies. We analyzed the molecular evolution of tiger diversity using NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4), a significant electron transport chain component. We have analyzed nucleotide composition and distribution pattern of ND genes, molecular evolution, evolutionary conservation pattern and conserved blocks of NADH, phylogenomics of ND4, and estimating species divergence, etc., using different bioinformatics tools and software, and MATLAB programming and computing environment. The nucleotide composition and distribution pattern of ND genes in the tiger genome demonstrated an increase in the number of adenine (A) and a lower trend of A+T content in some place of the distribution analysis. However, the observed distributions were not significant (P > 0.05). Evolutionary conservation analysis showed three highly align blocks (186 to 198, 406 to 416, and 527 to 545). On mapping the molecular evolution of ND4 among model species (n = 30), we observed its presence in a broader range of species. ND4 based molecular evolution of tiger diversity and time divergence for a tiger (20 different other species) shows that genus Panthera originated more or less at a similar time. The nucleotide composition and nucleotide distribution pattern of tiger ND genes showed the evolutionary pattern and origin of tiger and Panthera lineage concerning the molecular clock, which will help to understand their adaptive evolution.

The growth of axillary buds determines the shoot branching and morphology of plants, and its initiation and development are regulated by a series of hormonal signals, such as cytokinin. Arabidopsis response regulators (ARRs) can regulate the growth and development, disease resistance and stress resistance of plants by participating in cytokinin signaling. To explore the distribution and expression pattern of ARR members in tobacco. The identification, isoelectric points, molecular weights, protein subcellular localization prediction, multiple sequence alignment, phylogenetic analysis, protein motifs and structures, chromosome distributions of deduced ARR proteins were conducted. The gene expression profiling of various tissues in response to topping, low temperature and drought were analyzed by RNA-seq and qRT-PCR. 59 ARR genes from cultivated tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) were identified, namely NtARRs, including 21 type A NtARRs and 38 type B NtARRs. The 59 NtARRs were expressed mainly in all organs except the fruits. Some representative NtARRs may participate in axillary bud initiation and development, as well as in stress resistance through cytokinin signal transduction. Understanding the roles of NtARRs in the molecular mechanisms responsible for axillary bud growth and stress tolerance could aid in targeted breeding in crops.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1C (CMT1C) is a rare subtype associated with LITAF gene mutations. Until now, only a few studies have reported the clinical features of CMT1C. This study was performed to find CMT1C patients with mutation of LITAF in a Korean CMT cohort and to characterize their clinical features. In total, 1,143 unrelated Korean families with CMT were enrolled in a cohort. We performed whole exome sequencing to identify LITAF mutations, and examined clinical phenotypes including electrophysiological and MRI features for the identified CMT1C patients. We identified 10 CMT1C patients from three unrelated families with p.G112S mutation in LITAF. The frequency of CMT1C among CMT1 patients was 0.59%, which is similar to reports from Western populations. CMT1C patients showed milder symptoms than CMT1A patients. The mean CMT neuropathy score version 2 was 7.7, and the mean functional disability scale was 1.0. Electrophysiological findings showed a conduction block in 22% of affected individuals. Lower extremity MRIs showed that the superficial posterior and anterolateral compartments of the calf were predominantly affected. We found a conduction block in Korean CMT1C patients with p.G112S mutation and first described the characteristic MRI findings of the lower extremities in patients with LITAF mutation. These findings will be helpful for genotype–phenotype correlation and will widen understanding about the clinical spectrum of CMT1C.

The analysis of the complete genome sequence of the filamentous brown alga Ectocarpus provided many new insights into brown algal biology and has improved our understanding of how this organism has adapted to its seashore environment. Since the publication of the genome sequence in 2010, numerous studies have continued the analysis of the constituent genes or have combined genome data with experimental work, allowing progress in several key areas, including metabolism and reproductive biology. Ectocarpus will continue to be exploited as a model organism in future years, but genomic approaches should also be extended to additional brown algal species in order to fully exploit the diversity of this phylogenetic group and to facilitate the application of new knowledge to economically important seaweeds such as kelps.

Salicylic acid (SA) is an important regulator of genes involved in plant defense and pathogen-triggered systemic acquired resistance (SAR). Coconut is an important crop affected by several pathogens. Reported evidence suggests SA involvement in defense responses, including SAR in coconut. To identified differentially expressed genes in leaf and root tissues of coconut plantlets, as a result of SA, that might be involved in coconut defense responses. Comparative transcriptomic analysis by RNA-Seq of leaf and root tissues from in vitro coconut plantlets unexposed and exposed to SA 2.5 mM for 48 h. And in silico validation of gene expression by qRT-PCR. We identified 4615 and 3940 differentially expressed unigenes (DEUs) in leaf and root tissues respectively. Our GO analysis showed functional categories related to the induction of defense responses, such as “systemic acquired resistance” and highly enriched hormone categories, such as abscisic acid. The most abundant KEGG pathway in our results was “Biosynthesis of antibiotics”. Our findings support that exogenous application of SA to plantlets induced the activation of PRs, RGAs, ICS2, NLTP2, PER4, TRXM and some WRKYs mediated by NPR1-dependent pathways. Also, we found DEUs, such as BZR1, HSL1, and WHY2 that support that SA could regulate defense-related genes through NPR1-independent pathways. The present study of massive data analysis carried out on coconut plantlets exposed to SA, generates valuable information that increases our understanding of defense molecular mechanisms in coconut and open new venues for research for the improvement of management of coconut diseases.

The human HLA class II histocompatibility antigen, DR alpha chain (HLA-DRA) is a member of the MHC class II gene family that activates T cells allowing secretion in various cytokines to immune responses. Thus, we explored whether the genetic variations in HLA-DRA gene can influence susceptibility for aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD). To carry out the investigation, 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in HLA-DRA were genotyped in 592 Korean asthma patients. Logistic and regression analyseis wereas used to evaluate the P-values for associations of HLA-DRA polymorphisms with AERD and a relevant phenotype, the fall rate of forced expiratory volume in the 1st second (FEV1). Logistic analyses revealed that two variants, rs6911777 and HLA_DRA_BL1_ht3 were initially associated with AERD via dominant and recessive models (P = 0.05 and 0.01, respectively), however, the signals did not reach the threshold of significance after multiple corrections. Furthermore, we observed that fall rate of FEV1 by aspirin provocation was marginally different between AERD cases and aspirin-tolerant asthma (ATA) controls (mean = 24.63 vs 3.54, respectively). This study provides result of first association analysis between the variants of HLA-DRA and the risk of AERD, and conclusions derived from the study do not support significant roles of polymorphisms in HLA-DRA with AERD.

Plant height and tiller number are indispensible for the establishment of grain production in rice (Oryza sativa L.). A new rice mutant high-tillering dwarf 3 (htd3) exhibiting more tiller number and shorter culm length than the wild-type Guichao 2 (GC2, an indica cultivar) was used to investigate the global gene expression patterns at days after germination 25 (DAG25) and DAG60. In this study, we identified 305 and 987 genes with at least twofold change in gene expression level at DAG25 and DAG60 respectively using the rice microarray chip. Gene ontology enrichment analysis of these twofold change regulated genes revealed that large numbers of genes were involved in binding activity, catalytic activity and metabolic process. The chip results also showed that some of the regulated genes involved in diverse molecular pathways, including gibberellin pathway, brassinosteroid pathway and auxin signal, had significant differences in gene expression abundance at DAG60. This genome-wide gene expression analysis could provide a new opportunity to uncover the regulation mechanisms of the development of culm and tiller, two important components of yields in rice.

The mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosome (MSCs-exo) carrying microRNAs have been proved to regulate tumor biological activities. Clarifying molecular mechanism and identifying predictive microRNAs will be of great value in anti-tumor therapy improvement. We aimed to investigate the regulatory role of microRNA-342-3p (miR-342-3p) in MSCs-exo on breast cancer. Breast cancer tissues and cell lines were used to evaluate miR-342-3p expression in patients with or without lymph node/distal organ metastasis. The impact of MSCs-exo expression on tumor cell chemo-resistance and invasion/migration was measured. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was applied to identify binding site. Inhibitor of differentiation 4 (ID4) siRNA and miR-342-3p inhibitor transfection was conducted to further explore the miR-342-3p/ID4 axis on chemo-resistance and metastasis of breast cancer cells. Breast cancer cells revealed significantly lower level of miR-342-3p in patients with metastatic diseases. miR-342-3p suppressed invasive and chemo-resistant behavior of breast cancer tumor cells. Binding site between miR-342-3p and ID4 was proved. ID4 could reverse the influence of miR-342-3p on chemo-resistance. The tumor inhibition effect of IDA siRNA in vivo was also identified. This study demonstrated that miR-342-3p acted as potential tumor suppressor by inhibiting metastasis and chemo-resistance of breast cancer cells through targeting ID4. This study might provide potential therapy targets for the treatment of breast cancer.

The protective effects of Neorhodomela aculeata methanolic extract (N. aculeata) on IL-1β and IFN-γ induced β-cell cytotoxicity were examined in a rat insulinoma (RIN) cell line and islets. In the cytokine-treated RIN cells, nitric oxide (NO) production was reduced about 94% at 50 μg/ml of N. aculeata and its suppressive effect was ten times greater as compared to other effective oriental herbs, such as C. cinnamoni and A. capillaries. The inhibitory effects of NO production occurred through the suppression of iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) gene expression which has been confirmed with the changes of iNOS mRNA and protein levels. N. aculeata attenuated the cytokine-induced increase in nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) binding activity, p50 and p65 subunit levels in their nuclei, and at inhibitory kappa B alpha degradation in the cytosol. N. aculeata also attenuated the levels of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-1 and -3 in whole RIN cells as well as the nuclear translocation of the STAT proteins. Therefore, the cytoprotective effects of N. aculeata were possibly mediated through the suppression of NF-κB and STAT pathways. These findings suggest the beneficial effects of N. aculeata when used for the prevention or attenuation of inflammatory and Type 1 diabetogenic processes.