The Kinetic Basis of Morphogenesis

It has been shown recently (Shalygo, 2014) that stationary and dynamic patterns can arise in the proposed one-component model of the analog (continuous state) kinetic automaton, or kinon for short, defined as a reflexive dynamical system with active transport. This paper presents extensions of the model, which increase further its complexity and tunability, and shows that the extended kinon model can produce spatio-temporal patterns pertaining not only to pattern formation but also to morphogenesis in real physical and biological systems. The possible applicability of the model to morphogenetic engineering and swarm robotics is also discussed.Comment: 8 pages. Submitted to the 13th European Conference on Artificial Life (ECAL-2015) on March 10, 2015. Accepted on April 28, 201

The Kinetic Basis of Self-Organized Pattern Formation

In his seminal paper on morphogenesis (1952), Alan Turing demonstrated that different spatio-temporal patterns can arise due to instability of the homogeneous state in reaction-diffusion systems, but at least two species are necessary to produce even the simplest stationary patterns. This paper is aimed to propose a novel model of the analog (continuous state) kinetic automaton and to show that stationary and dynamic patterns can arise in one-component networks of kinetic automata. Possible applicability of kinetic networks to modeling of real-world phenomena is also discussed.Comment: 8 pages, submitted to the 14th International Conference on the Synthesis and Simulation of Living Systems (Alife 14) on 23.03.2014, accepted 09.05.201

ПОТЕНЦИРОВАНИЕ АНТИОКСИДАНТНОЙ СИСТЕМЫ В ТРАНСГЕННЫХ РАСТЕНИЯХ ТАБАКА С ПОВЫШЕННОЙ ЭКСПРЕССИЕЙ СУПЕРОКСИДДИСМУТАЗЫ

The genetic transformation of Nicotiana tabacum L. plants with Mn-SOD and Fe-SOD Arabidopsis thaliana L. genes leads to the potentiation of the antioxidant system in cellular compartments, which is manifested not only in a SOD activity increase by its additional amount, but also in an increase of protective components activity involved in hydrogen peroxide detoxification.Трансформация растений табака (Nicotiana tabacum L.) генами Mn-SOD и Fe-SOD арабидопсиса (Arabidopsis thaliana L.) приводит к потенцированию антиоксидантной системы в клеточных компартментах, что выражается в возрастании не только активности СОД за счет ее дополнительного количества, но и в увеличении активности компонентов защитной системы, участвующих в детоксикации пероксида водорода

ВЛИЯНИЕ СПЕКТРАЛЬНОГО СОСТАВА СВЕТОДИОДНОГО ИЗЛУЧЕНИЯ НА АКТИВНОСТЬ АНТИОКСИДАНТНЫХ ФЕРМЕНТОВ И НАКОПЛЕНИЕ ЗАЩИТНЫХ БЕЛКОВ В РАСТЕНИЯХ ОГУРЦА (CUCUMIS SATIVUS L.)

Red narrow-band lighting activates superoxide dismutase and phenolic peroxidases in the leaves of cucumber plants. In contrast, blue narrow-band lighting inhibits the activity of these enzymes. Under the combined action of red and blue light the negative effect of blue light on the activity of superoxide dismutase and phenolic peroxidases is partially eliminated while the use of red, blue, light-blue, and yellow light at the same time normalizes its functioning almost completely. It is found that blue and red narrow-band lighting increases the stress protein HSP70 content to almost the same extent and decreases (especially blue light) the expression level of antimicrobial protein PR-1. The results obtained should be considered during development and practical usage of LED illuminators for the plant growing.Узкополосное излучение в красной области активирует супероксиддисмутазу (СОД) и фенольные пероксидазы (ФПО) в листьях огурца. Узкополосное излучение в синей области, напротив, ингибирует активность этих ферментов. При совместном действии красного и синего излучения негативный эффект синего света на активность СОД и ФПО частично снимается, а использование красного, синего, голубого и желтого излучения практически полностью нормализует их функционирование. Установлено, что синий и красный узкополосный свет практически в равной степени повышают содержание стрессового белка БТШ70 и понижают, в особенности излучение в синей области, уровень экспрессии антимикробного белка PR-1. Полученные результаты следует учитывать при разработке и практическом использовании светодиодных осветителей для выращивания растений

ТАУМАТИН-ПОДОБНЫЙ БЕЛОК И ОКСАЛАТОКСИДАЗА КАК МАРКЕРЫ УСТОЙЧИВОСТИ ОЗИМОЙ ПШЕНИЦЫ (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) К МУЧНИСТОЙ РОСЕ (ERYSIPHE GRAMINIS)

In the present article, we studied a correlation between an increased resistance of winter wheat seedlings of different varieties to powdery mildew and high levels of constitutive expression of genes encoding one of two pathogenesisrelated proteins: thaumatin-like protein (Tlp) or oxalate oxidase (OxOxid). Highly resistant varieties have shown either high Tlp expression and low OxOxid expression or high OxOxid expression and low Tlp expression. We propose to use a combination of both Tlp and OxOxid gene expression levels as a marker for resistance of winter wheat breeding material to powdery mildew. Изучен конститутивный уровень экспрессии генов, кодирующих PR-белки: тауматин-подобный белок (Tlp) и оксалатоксидазу (OxOxid) в проростках 20 коллекционных сортов озимой пшеницы с разной устойчивостью к мучнистой росе. Показано, что растения с повышенной устойчивостью к мучнистой росе имеют высокий уровень экспрессии гена Tlp и низкий уровень экспрессии гена OxOxid, либо высокий уровень экспрессии гена OxOxid и низкий уровень экспрессии гена Tlp соответственно. Предлагается использовать показатель «уровень экспрессии генов Tlp и OxOxid» для скрининга селекционного материала озимой пшеницы с целью выявления генотипов с повышенной устойчивостью к мучнистой росе.

Feedback inhibition of the general phenylpropanoid and flavonol biosynthetic pathways upon a compromised flavonol-3-O-glycosylation

Flavonols, phenylalanine-derived secondary metabolites, have protective and regulatory functions in plants. In Arabidopsis thaliana, they are consecutively glycosylated at their 3-OH and 7-OH groups. UGT78D1 and UGT78D2 are the major flavonol 3-O-glycosyltransferases in Arabidopsis leaves. The ugt78d1 ugt78d2 double mutant, which was strongly compromised in the initial 3-O-glycosylation, showed a severe and specific repression of flavonol biosynthesis, retaining only one-third of the wild-type level. This metabolic phenotype was associated with a repressed transcription of several flavonol biosynthetic genes including the committed step chalcone synthase [(CHS) or TRANSPARENT TESTA 4 (TT4)]. Furthermore, the committed step of the upstream, general phenylpropanoid pathway, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), was down-regulated in its enzyme activity and in the transcription of the flavonol-related PAL1 and PAL2. However, a complete blocking of flavonoid biosynthesis at CHS released PAL inhibition in a tt4 ugt78d1 ugt78d2 line. PAL activity was even enhanced in the flavonol synthase 1 mutant, which compromises the final formation of flavonol aglycones. The dependence of the PAL feedback inhibition on flavonols was confirmed by chemical complementation of tt4 ugt78d1 ugt78d2 using naringenin, a downstream flavonoid intermediate, which restored the PAL repression. Although aglycones were not analytically detectable, this study provides genetic evidence for a novel, flavonol-dependent feedback inhibition of the flavonol biosynthetic pathway and PAL. It was conditioned by the compromised flavonol-3-O-conjugation and a decrease in flavonol content, yet dependent on a residual, flavonol synthase 1 (FLS1)-related capacity to form flavonol aglycones. Thus, this regulation would not react to a reduced metabolic flux into flavonol biosynthesis, but it might prevent the accumulation of non-glycosylated, toxic flavonols

PHENOLS CONTENT AND PHENOLIC PEROXIDASE ACTIVITY IN CUCUMBER PLANTS UNDER LED LIGHTING

Cucumber plants (variety “Kurazh”) had been growing under Philips TL-D 36W/765 fluorescent lamps at 4000 lx with 14 h photoperiod until the beginning of first leaf formation. Then until the appearance of the second leaf (usually 10 d) the plants had been growing under blue (459 nm) or red (635 nm) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or under blue and red LEDs with red to blue ratio 2:1. Plants grown under white fluorescent lamps were used as a control. All lamps had the same light intensity. Water-soluble phenols content was determined spectrophotometrically and α- and γ-tocopherols contents were determined with HPLC with fluorescent detector. Phenolic peroxidase activity was assayed by guaiacol consumption kinetics at 436 nm.We found that water-soluble phenols and tocopherols levels increase by 80% and 30% under blue LEDs while under red LEDs these levels, conversely, decrease by 30% and 13% compared to control plants. During combined action of red and blue light water-soluble phenols content increased by 55% compared to control. On the other hand tocopherols contents under such lighting were at the level of control. Under red LEDs α- to γ-tocopherol ratio was lower than that under blue light. Previously we showed that monochromatic narrow-band light sources, especially with red light, are considered by plant organism as a stress factor. Low α-tocopherol level detected under red light may be caused by its intensive consumption as an effective quencher of reactive oxygen species and free radicals interceptor. It is not impossible that narrow-band lighting has the inhibiting effect on γ-tocopherol methyltransferase – an enzyme that catalyses γ- to α-tocopherol conversion.Phenolic peroxidase activity changed adversely compared to phenols content – it had the highest value under red LEDs and the lower value under blue LEDs. This is consistent with the fact that it uses phenols as the substrate.</p