Dynamin-like proteins are potentially involved in membrane dynamics within chloroplasts and cyanobacteria

Dynamin-like proteins are a family of membrane-active proteins with low sequence identity. The proteins operate in different organelles in eukaryotic cells, where they trigger vesicle formation, membrane fusion or organelle division. As discussed here, representatives of this protein family have also been identified in chloroplasts and DLPs are very common in cyanobacteria. Since cyanobacteria and chloroplasts, an organelle of bacterial origin, have similar internal membrane systems, we suggest that dynamin-like proteins are involved in membrane dynamics in cyanobacteria and chloroplasts. Here, we discuss the features and activities of dynamin-like proteins with a focus on their potential presence and activity in chloroplasts and cyanobacteria

Wasting away

The writers are researchers at BRAC Institute of Governance and Development, BRAC University

Utilization of Integrative Technique for Partial Recovery of Proteases from Soil Microbes

Aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) is an efficient, cost effective, fast, simple and ecofriendly method for the recovery of biomolecules. In the present study, an ATPS composed of polyethylene glycol and ammonium sulphate (NH4)2SO4 was used for the partial purification of proteases from microbial source. The effects of different parameters such as molecular weight of PEG (4000, 6000 and 10000), concentration of PEG (15, 17.5 and 20 %) and concentration of (NH4)2SO4 (7.5, 8.3, 9.1 and 9.9 %) on the partitioning behavior of proteases at room temperature were investigated. Generally, increasing the concentration of PEG and (NH4)2SO4 moved the protease to the top i.e., polymer-rich phase. Increasing the molecular weight of PEG from 4000 to 10000 the partition coefficient decreased subsequently. The highest partition coefficient i.e., 3.32 and maximum activity i.e., 16.06 soxhlet unit was found in an optimum system composed of 20 % PEG 4000 and 9.9 % (NH4)2SO4

Heterologous Expression of Genes in Plants for Abiotic Stresses

Abiotic stresses are considered to be the major factors causing a decrease in crop yield globally, these stresses include high and low temperature, salinity, drought, and light stress etc. To overcome the consistent food demand for the ever-growing population, various genes from micro-organisms and non-plant sources have been expressed in transgenic plants to improve their tolerance against abiotic stresses. Gene expression in transgenic plants through conventional methods are time-consuming and laborious that’s why advanced genetic engineering methods for example Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and biolistic methods are more accurate, useful, and less time-consuming. This review provides an insight into various bacterial genes for example mtID, codA, betA, ADH, IPT, DRNF1 and ggpPS, etc. that have been successfully expressed in transgenic plants against various abiotic stress for stress tolerance enhancement and crop yield improvement which exhibited good encouraging results. Genes from yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) have been introduced in transgenic plants against drought and salinity stress. All these genes expressed from non-plant sources in plants can be very helpful to enhance crops for better yield productivity in the future to meet the demands of the consistently rising population of the world

Coping strategies and health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes

The aim of this study was to identify relationships between coping strategies and different aspects of health-related quality of life in children with type 1 diabetes measured with the Croatian translation of the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales and PedsQL Diabetes Module. The sample consisted of 199 schoolchildren: 47 patients with type 1 diabetes and 152 healthy children. Children health problems were rated with PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scale and with PedsQL Diabetes Module. Coping strategies were measured with The Coping Strategies Inventory for Children and Adolescents. The results showed that all subscales of the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales and the PedsQL Diabetes Module have satisfactory reliability with the majority of scales exceeding a Cronbach α of 0,70. Significant correlations were found between coping strategies and different aspects of health-related quality of life and those correlations were higher in girls than in boys. The findings of the present study suggest that child psychologists and clinicians treating children and adolescents suffering diabetes should address coping strategies related to specific health-related problems and assist them in developing more effective ways of coping

Dynamin-Like Proteins Are Potentially Involved in Membrane Dynamics within Chloroplasts and Cyanobacteria

Dynamin-like proteins (DLPs) are a family of membrane-active proteins with low sequence identity. The proteins operate in different organelles in eukaryotic cells, where they trigger vesicle formation, membrane fusion, or organelle division. As discussed here, representatives of this protein family have also been identified in chloroplasts and DLPs are very common in cyanobacteria. Since cyanobacteria and chloroplasts, an organelle of bacterial origin, have similar internal membrane systems, we suggest that DLPs are involved in membrane dynamics in cyanobacteria and chloroplasts. Here, we discuss the features and activities of DLPs with a focus on their potential presence and activity in chloroplasts and cyanobacteria

New Putative Chloroplast Vesicle Transport Components and Cargo Proteins Revealed Using a Bioinformatics Approach: An <i>Arabidopsis</i> Model

<div><p>Proteins and lipids are known to be transported to targeted cytosolic compartments in vesicles. A similar system in chloroplasts is suggested to transfer lipids from the inner envelope to the thylakoids. However, little is known about both possible cargo proteins and the proteins required to build a functional vesicle transport system in chloroplasts. A few components have been suggested, but only one (CPSAR1) has a verified location in chloroplast vesicles. This protein is localized in the donor membrane (envelope) and vesicles, but not in the target membrane (thylakoids) suggesting it plays a similar role to a cytosolic homologue, Sar1, in the secretory pathway. Thus, we hypothesized that there may be more similarities, in addition to lipid transport, between the vesicle transport systems in the cytosol and chloroplast, i.e. similar vesicle transport components, possible cargo proteins and receptors. Therefore, using a bioinformatics approach we searched for putative chloroplast components in the model plant <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>, corresponding mainly to components of the cytosolic vesicle transport system that may act in coordination with previously proposed COPII chloroplast homologues. We found several additional possible components, supporting the notion of a fully functional vesicle transport system in chloroplasts. Moreover, we found motifs in thylakoid-located proteins similar to those of COPII vesicle cargo proteins, supporting the hypothesis that chloroplast vesicles may transport thylakoid proteins from the envelope to the thylakoid membrane. Several putative cargo proteins are involved in photosynthesis, thus we propose the existence of a novel thylakoid protein pathway that is important for construction and maintenance of the photosynthetic machinery.</p> </div

Putative chloroplast-localized SNARES and SNARE-associated proteins.

<p>SigConsens, consensus prediction of subcellular localization; Chl., chloroplast, Mt., mitochondrion; Sec. path., secretory pathway; Chl. loc., chloroplast localization; MS, mass spectrometry; ER, endoplasmatic reticulum; PM, plasma membrane; Chloroplast 2010, predicted chloroplast localized protein (<a href="http://www.plastid.msu.edu/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.plastid.msu.edu/index.html</a>).</p

Model for vesicle fusion and cargo protein delivery to the thylakoid membrane in Arabidopsis.

<p>The lipids of the vesicle fuse with the thylakoid membrane lipids and the transmembrane cargo proteins are transferred to the thylakoid membrane, whereas the soluble cargo proteins are released from the cargo receptors and delivered to the lumen.</p