The calcium-dependent protein kinase CPK28 negatively regulates the BIK1-mediated PAMP-induced calcium burst

Plants are protected from microbial infection by a robust immune system. Two of the earliest responses mediated by surface-localized immune receptors include an increase in cytosolic calcium (Ca(2+)) and a burst of apoplastic reactive oxygen species (ROS). The Arabidopsis plasma membrane-associated cytoplasmic kinase BIK1 is an immediate convergent substrate of multiple surface-localized immune receptors that is genetically required for the PAMP-induced Ca(2+) burst and directly regulates ROS production catalyzed by the NADPH oxidase RBOHD. We recently demonstrated that Arabidopsis plants maintain an optimal level of BIK1 through a process of continuous degradation regulated by the Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase CPK28. cpk28 mutants accumulate more BIK1 protein and display enhanced immune signaling, while plants over-expressing CPK28 accumulate less BIK1 protein and display impaired immune signaling. Here, we show that CPK28 additionally contributes to the PAMP-induced Ca(2+) burst, supporting its role as a negative regulator of BIK1

Quantifying the impact of external and internal factors and their interactions on thermal load behaviour of a building

For the energy-efficient design of district heating networks, knowledge about the neighborhood heat load behavior, through heating load profiles in high temporal and spatial resolution, is crucial. Due to the high effort required for transient calculations, a less complex method is needed at the neighborhood level. For this reason, a method is developed, which identifies the relevant parameters influencing the building heating load behavior. Taking these parameters into account, a simple method for heating load profiling is developed using a machine learning algorithm. For this purpose, a parameter study is conducted using dynamic thermal building simulation software. Different parameters influencing the building heating load behavior are varied. To determine the strength of the influence of the individual parameters on the building heating load, to check whether the influence of the parameters is constant or varies over the year and whether parameters are missing here, the results of the parameter study are evaluated statistically. First results show promising results in the detection of the significant parameters, for the creation of a model based on a machine learning algorithm, and the possibility of quantifying their impact on building heating load behaviour

Genome-Wide Association Study for Maize Leaf Cuticular Conductance Identifies Candidate Genes Involved in the Regulation of Cuticle Development.

The cuticle, a hydrophobic layer of cutin and waxes synthesized by plant epidermal cells, is the major barrier to water loss when stomata are closed at night and under water-limited conditions. Elucidating the genetic architecture of natural variation for leaf cuticular conductance (g c) is important for identifying genes relevant to improving crop productivity in drought-prone environments. To this end, we conducted a genome-wide association study of g c of adult leaves in a maize inbred association panel that was evaluated in four environments (Maricopa, AZ, and San Diego, CA, in 2016 and 2017). Five genomic regions significantly associated with g c were resolved to seven plausible candidate genes (ISTL1, two SEC14 homologs, cyclase-associated protein, a CER7 homolog, GDSL lipase, and β-D-XYLOSIDASE 4). These candidates are potentially involved in cuticle biosynthesis, trafficking and deposition of cuticle lipids, cutin polymerization, and cell wall modification. Laser microdissection RNA sequencing revealed that all these candidate genes, with the exception of the CER7 homolog, were expressed in the zone of the expanding adult maize leaf where cuticle maturation occurs. With direct application to genetic improvement, moderately high average predictive abilities were observed for whole-genome prediction of g c in locations (0.46 and 0.45) and across all environments (0.52). The findings of this study provide novel insights into the genetic control of g c and have the potential to help breeders more effectively develop drought-tolerant maize for target environments

Objects as culture-specific referents of color terms in Russian

The present study is an extension of our analysis of Russian basic color terms (BCTs) elicited in a web-based psycholinguistic experiment. Color samples (N = 600) were approximately uniformly distributed in the Munsell color solid. An unconstrained color-naming method was employed. Native Russian speakers (N = 713; 333 males) participated in the study. Among 1422 elicited unique color words, 698 terms (49%) were derived from object names. Here we explore object-derived non-BCTs, focusing on broad classes of names referred to objects, categories within these, and the inventory of color terms, as well as their frequency, patterns of derivation, and derivational productivity. Six classes of object referents were identified: flora, fauna, inanimate nature, food and beverages, man-made objects, body and bodily products. In detail, 20 most frequent object-derived terms are reported. These are accompanied by analysis of gender differences and representation of the terms' denotata on the Munsell Mercator projection. In addition, Russian object-derived color terms are related to those in English; discussed are differences between the 2 languages in the color term classes, inventories and incidences. We conclude that Russian object-derived color terms follow the generic metonymy pattern, that is, signifying color of objects in the speakers' natural environment. The inventory is also language-specific, reflecting social practices, preferences and views entrenched in the traditional Russian culture. Furthermore, recent extensive development of the inventory signals 2 novel phenomena: marked globalization influence, surfacing as abundant transliteration of English referent loanwords, and noticeable sociolectal diversification that manifests itself by novel evocative color terms, particularly in marketing and advertisement

Autophosphorylation-based calcium (Ca2+) sensitivity priming and Ca2+/Calmodulin inhibition of Arabidopsis thaliana Ca2+-dependent protein kinase 28 (CPK28)

Plant calcium (Ca2+) dependent protein kinases (CPKs) are composed of a dual specificity (Ser/Thr and Tyr) kinase domain tethered to a Calmodulin-like domain (CLD) via an autoinhibitory junction (J) and represent the primary Ca2+-dependent protein kinase activities in plant systems. While regulation of CPKs by Ca2+ has been extensively studied, the contribution of autophosphorylation in the control of CPK activity is less well understood. Furthermore, whether Calmodulin (CaM) contributes to CPK regulation, as is the case for Ca2+/CaM-dependent protein kinases (CaMKs) outside the plant lineage, remains an open question. We screened a subset of plant CPKs for CaM-binding and found that CPK28 is a high-affinity Ca2+/CaM-binding protein. Using synthetic peptides and native gel electrophoresis, we coarsely mapped the CaM-binding domain to a site within the CPK28 J domain that overlaps with the known site of intramolecular interaction between the J domain and CLD. Peptide kinase activity of fully dephosphorylated CPK28 was Ca2+-responsive and inhibited by Ca2+/CaM. Using in situ autophosphorylated protein, we expand on the known set of CPK28 autophosphorylation sites, and demonstrate that, unexpectedly, autophosphorylated CPK28 had enhanced activity at physiological concentrations of Ca2+ compared to dephosphorylated protein, suggesting that autophosphorylation functions to prime CPK28 for Ca2+-activation. Furthermore, CPK28 autophosphorylation substantially reduced sensitivity of the kinase to Ca2+/CaM inhibition. Overall, our analyses uncover new complexities in the control of CPK28 and provide mechanistic support for Ca2+ signaling specificity through Ca2+ sensor priming

Proteomics Coupled with Metabolite and Cell Wall Profiling Reveal Metabolic Processes of a Developing Rice Stem Internode

Internodes of grass stems function in mechanical support, transport, and, in some species, are a major sink organ for carbon in the form of cell wall polymers. This study reports cell wall composition, proteomic, and metabolite analyses of the rice elongating internode. Cellulose, lignin, and xylose increase as a percentage of cell wall material along eight segments of the second rice internode (internode II) at booting stage, from the younger to the older internode segments, indicating active cell wall synthesis. Liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of trypsin-digested proteins from this internode at booting reveals 2,547 proteins with at least two unique peptides in two biological replicates. The dataset includes many glycosyltransferases, acyltransferases, glycosyl hydrolases, cell wall-localized proteins, and protein kinases that have or may have functions in cell wall biosynthesis or remodeling. Phospho-enrichment of internode II peptides identified 21 unique phosphopeptides belonging to 20 phosphoproteins including a leucine rich repeat-III family receptor like kinase. GO over-representation and KEGG pathway analyses highlight the abundances of proteins involved in biosynthetic processes, especially the synthesis of secondary metabolites such as phenylpropanoids and flavonoids. LC-MS/MS of hot methanol-extracted secondary metabolites from internode II at four stages (booting/elongation, early mature, mature, and post mature) indicates that internode secondary metabolites are distinct from those of roots and leaves, and differ across stem maturation. This work fills a void of in-depth proteomics and metabolomics data for grass stems, specifically for rice, and provides baseline knowledge for more detailed studies of cell wall synthesis and other biological processes characteristic of internode development, toward improving grass agronomic properties.This work was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (grant numbers EPS-0814361, 0923247, and CHE-1626372), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science (DE-SC0006904), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, (2010-38502-21836). A portion of this research was performed in the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory is a DOE Office of Biological and Environmental Research scientific user facility on the PNNL campus. PNNL is a multiprogram national laboratory operated by Battelle for the DOE under contract DE-AC05-76RL01830. Collaboration with EMSL was supported through Projects 49477 and 49510. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the funding agencies. Open access fees fees for this article provided whole or in part by OU Libraries Open Access Fund.Ye

Globalization as a Coral: Complex Interrelations and Global Movement Patterns

Die neueste Monographie des Romanisten Ottmar Ette untersucht die wechselseitigen Verflechtungen der Literatur- und Globalisierungsgeschichte von der Frühen Neuzeit bis in die Gegenwart aus einer bewegungsorientierten Perspektive. Dabei geht er der Frage nach, welche Kontinuitäten und Diskontinuitäten die – realen und imaginierten – weltweiten Bewegungsmuster in den "vier Phasen beschleunigter Globalisierung" (S. 7) geprägt haben; zudem wird analysiert, wie einige dieser Choreographien bis heute fortwirken. Ausgehend von der Prämisse, dass die Einzigartigkeit von Literatur schon immer in einer kulturelle und geographische Grenzen überschreitenden Genese und einem entsprechenden Wirkungsradius lag, untersucht dieser Band dynamische globale Bewegungsräume und die Inszenierung von deren multiplen Logiken in verschiedenen literarischen und medialen Gattungen. TransArea entfaltet so ein vielschichtiges Panorama globaler Bewegungsgeschichte(n), deren "Polylogik" (S. 5) mittels einer differenzierten Poetik der Bewegung präzise beschrieben und vielfältig aufeinander bezogen werden.The latest monograph by German Romance scholar Ottmar Ette examines the mutual intertwining of literary history and the different phases of globalization from the Early Modern Age to the present from a motion-oriented perspective. It pursues the question of which continuities and discontinuities have shaped the – real and imagined – global movement patterns in "vier Phasen beschleunigter Globalisierung" (p. 7). Moreover, it analyses the persistence of some of these choreographies in contemporary global phenomena. Based on the fundamental hypothesis that the unique characteristics of literature have always been its both transareal and transcultural genesis and scope of effect, this volume investigates dynamic global spaces of motion and the enactment of their multiple logics in various literary and media genres. Thus, TransArea unfolds a complex panorama of global histories of motion, the "polylogic" (S. 5) of which is described accurately and correlated in multiple ways

Extended relationship management systems and their meaning for agencies

nicht vorhande

Characterisation of the calcium-dependent protein kinase CPK28 from Arabidopsis thaliana as a regulator of stem elongation and vascular development

Nach einer vegetativen Wachstumsphase vollziehen Pflanzen den reproduktiven Phasenwechsel, durch den bei Rosettenpflanzen wie Arabidopsis thaliana neben dem Blühen auch Elongation der Internodien und damit des Sprosses induziert wird. Diese Arbeit charakterisiert die calcium-anhängige Proteinkinase AtCPK28 als regulatorische Komponente, die die Sprosselongation und vaskuläre Entwicklung kontrolliert und damit spezifisch zur Pflanzenentwicklung nach dem Umschalten in die reproduktive Phase beiträgt. In zwei unabhängigen Mutanten- Allelen der cpk28 konnte, spezifisch nach dem Übergang in die reproduktive Phase, drastische Reduktion der Sprosselongation beobachtet werden, begleitet von der Verkürzung der Petiolen und Anthocyanakkumulation. Anatomische Analyse der basalen Sprossinternodien legte ein verändertes Muster der Sprossanatomie in cpk28 offen, charakterisiert durch Reduktion trachealer Xylemelemente und gleichzeitig verstärktem sekundärem Dickenwachstum mit ektopischer Lignifizierung. Übereinstimmend wurde in cpk28 erhöhte Expression von zellspezifischen Aktivatoren des sekundären Dickenwachstums im Spross beobachtet. Zusätzlich konnte ein Einfluss der CPK28-Funktion auf den Phytohormonstatus der Pflanze gezeigt werden. Der cpk28-Phänotyp konnte durch exogene Applikation von Gibberellinsäure (GA) partiell revertiert werden. Störungen im GA-Metabolismus wurden durch spezifisch in der reproduktiven Entwicklungsphase reduzierte Expression von Schlüsselenzymen der GA- Biosynthese in cpk28 bestätigt. Erste Analysen zum Zusammenhang zwischen CPK28 und dem Jasmonsäure-(JA)-Status der Pflanze lassen verstärkte JA- Signaltransduktion in cpk28 vermuten. Zum einen konnte erhöhte Expression von JA-Markergenen in cpk28 festgestellt werden, zum anderen wurde der cpk28-Sprosselongationsphänotyp in Doppelmutanten durch Aufhebung der JA- Biosynthese bzw. der JA-Signaltransduktion vollständig revertiert. Calcium- abhängige Kinaseaktivität der CPK28 konnte in vitro bestätigt werden. Außerdem führte Expression der aktiven Kinase im cpk28-Hintergrund zur vollständigen Reversion des Entwicklungsphänotyps, während Expression der inaktiven Kinase CPK28-D188A keine Veränderung bewirkte. Dies belegt die essentielle Rolle der CPK28 für die normale Pflanzenentwicklung. CPK28-Expression unter den gewebespezifischen Promotoren pSUC2 und pKNAT1, die Proteinexpression in anderen Geweben vermitteln als in dieser Arbeit für den CPK28-Promoter gezeigt, war ebenfalls ausreichend für die vollständige Komplementation des cpk28-Phänotyps. Dies lässt vermuten, dass mit Hilfe der CPK28-Aktivität möglicherweise ein mobiles Signal zur Sprosselongation generiert oder weitervermittelt wird. Weiterhin konnte in vivo-Autophosphorylierung der CPK28 an drei Phosphorylierungs-stellen gezeigt werden. Austausch der jeweiligen Aminosäuren führte für zwei der drei untersuchten Stellen zu reduzierter, weiterhin calcium-abhängiger Kinaseaktivität in vitro. Allerdings konnte unabhängig von der in vitro-Aktivität für jede der untersuchten Phosphorylierungsvarianten Komplementation der morphologischen Defekte von cpk28 in vivo beobachtet werden. AtCPK28 als Regulator der koordinierten Sprosselongation und des sekundären Dickenwachstums stellt damit eines der wenigen Beispiele dar, das Calcium-Signaltransduktion mittels CDPKs direkt mit einem wichtigen, stadienspezifischen Entwicklungsprozess in Verbindung bringt.After a period of vegetative growth plants undergo a developmental switch to the reproductive phase, inducing flowering and, in plants with a rosette habit like Arabidopsis thaliana, the transition to bolting and elongation of the inflorescence stem. This work identified the calcium-dependent protein kinase AtCPK28 as a regulatory component controlling stem elongation and vascular development, specifically contributing to plant development after this switch to the generative phase. In two independent mutant alleles of cpk28, a severe reduction of stem elongation, accompanied by shorter leaf petioles and enhanced anthocyanin levels, was observed upon the transition to the reproductive phase. Anatomical analysis of the basal internode of the stem revealed an altered vascular pattern in cpk28, characterised by fewer xylem tracheary elements and increased secondary growth and ectopic lignification. Coincident, cpk28 mutants showed enhanced expression of cell type-specific key activators of secondary growth in the stem. Additionally, an impact of CPK28 function on the phytohormone status of the plant was demonstrated. The cpk28 phenotype was partially reverted by exogenous application of gibberellic acid (GA). Disturbances in GA metabolism were confirmed by transcriptional repression of key regulators of GA homeostasis in cpk28, specifically at later stages of plant development. First analyses of the influence of CPK28 on the jasmonic acid (JA) status indicate increased JA signalling in cpk28, since expression of JA marker genes was enhanced in cpk28 and its shoot elongation phenotype could be fully reverted in double mutants blocking JA synthesis or JA signalling. In vitro protein kinase activity of CPK28 was demonstrated to be strictly calcium-dependent. Expression of active kinase in the cpk28 background led to a complete restoration of the phenotype while inactive protein CPK28-D188A did not, proving the essential role of CPK28 for plant development. CPK28 expression under the tissue specific promoters pSUC2 and pKNAT1, driving protein expression in defined tissues different from the expression pattern conferred by the CPK28 promoter, was also sufficient for complementation of the phenotype. This might be due to a mobile signal generated or propagated with the help of CPK28 activity. Furthermore, CPK28 was phosphorylated in vivo at several sites. Site-specific amino acid substitutions at two of the three phosphorylation sites resulted in reduced in vitro activity. However, when introduced into a cpk28 mutant background, all phosphorylation site variants complemented the morphological and developmental defects. AtCPK28 as a regulator for coordinated stem elongation and secondary growth represents one of the few examples directly linking calcium signalling via CDPKs to an important stage-specific developmental process