Rice Phospholipase A Superfamily: Organization, Phylogenetic and Expression Analysis during Abiotic Stresses and Development

Background: Phospholipase A (PLA) is an important group of enzymes responsible for phospholipid hydrolysis in lipid signaling. PLAs have been implicated in abiotic stress signaling and developmental events in various plants species. Genome-wide analysis of PLA superfamily has been carried out in dicot plant Arabidopsis. A comprehensive genome-wide analysis of PLAs has not been presented yet in crop plant rice. Methodology/Principal Findings: A comprehensive bioinformatics analysis identified a total of 31 PLA encoding genes in the rice genome, which are divided into three classes; phospholipase A 1 (PLA 1), patatin like phospholipases (pPLA) and low molecular weight secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) based on their sequences and phylogeny. A subset of 10 rice PLAs exhibited chromosomal duplication, emphasizing the role of duplication in the expansion of this gene family in rice. Microarray expression profiling revealed a number of PLA members expressing differentially and significantly under abiotic stresses and reproductive development. Comparative expression analysis with Arabidopsis PLAs revealed a high degree of functional conservation between the orthologs in two plant species, which also indicated the vital role of PLAs in stress signaling and plant development across different plant species. Moreover, sub-cellular localization of a few candidates suggests their differential localization and functional role in the lipid signaling. Conclusion/Significance: The comprehensive analysis and expression profiling would provide a critical platform for th

An invitation from Paul Laxalt, John Tower, and Steve Bartlett to a reception honoring Catalina Villalpando.

An invitation from Paul Laxalt, John Tower, and Steve Bartlett to a reception honoring Catalina Villalpando

Television Program Facts Forum (Show #9)

Television program Facts Forum hosted by Dan Smoot. Show #9 poses the question Should Congress amend the Taft-Hartley Act to make it more acceptable to organized labor?\u27\u27 Smoot reviews the affirmative and negative arguments

Decoding the interaction between Nitric Oxide and hydrogen sulfide in stomatal movement

Stomatal pore regulation is a key process for carbon and water homeostasis of terrestrial plants. The pore size is modulated through changes in the guard cell volume, driven by variations in the osmotic potential of the guard cells. This process is closely regulated by a complex signaling network that involves the participation of several second messengers including gasotransmitters. The importance of gaseous molecules in signaling has been highlighted in the last decade and, in plants, has been reported to modulate many adaptive responses todifferent biotic and abiotic stresses including the regulation of stomatal movement in response to drought stress. Nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) have been reported to close the stomata in different plant species, and itsthe production, mode of action, and interplay between them and with other molecules are under constant review. Recently, the interest in animal research has drifted to the functional role of nitroxyl (HNO/NO−), an alternative redox form of NO which is formed by biochemical reactions between H2S and NO in vivo. It has been reported that HNO has effects in different processes, and several works have studied the interaction between H2S and different NO donors demonstrating the formation of new chemical species.One of them is the formation of HNO from the mixture of NaHS, a H S donor, and SNP, a NO donor. In our lab, we have preliminary data showing that HNO blocks H2S dependent stomatal closure in Vicia faba.Interestingly, no stomatal closure induction was evidenced when SNP and NaHS were added together, supporting the interaction between these two gasotransmitters.In the current chapter, we summarize the current knowledge and updates on the role of NO and H2S in guard cell signaling.Fil: Scuffi, Denise. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Lamattina, Lorenzo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; ArgentinaFil: Garcia-Mata, Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas; Argentin