Early phase of plasticity-related gene regulation and SRF dependent transcription in the hippocampus

Hippocampal organotypic cultures are a highly reliable in vitro model for studying neuroplasticity: in this paper, we analyze the early phase of the transcriptional response induced by a 20 \ub5M gabazine treatment (GabT), a GABA-Ar antagonist, by using Affymetrix oligonucleotide microarray, RT-PCR based time-course and chromatin-immuno-precipitation. The transcriptome profiling revealed that the pool of genes up-regulated by GabT, besides being strongly related to the regulation of growth and synaptic transmission, is also endowed with neuro-protective and pro-survival properties. By using RT-PCR, we quantified a time-course of the transient expression for 33 of the highest up-regulated genes, with an average sampling rate of 10 minutes and covering the time interval [10 3690] minutes. The cluster analysis of the time-course disclosed the existence of three different dynamical patterns, one of which proved, in a statistical analysis based on results from previous works, to be significantly related with SRF-dependent regulation (p-value<0.05). The chromatin immunoprecipitation (chip) assay confirmed the rich presence of working CArG boxes in the genes belonging to the latter dynamical pattern and therefore validated the statistical analysis. Furthermore, an in silico analysis of the promoters revealed the presence of additional conserved CArG boxes upstream of the genes Nr4a1 and Rgs2. The chip assay confirmed a significant SRF signal in the Nr4a1 CArG box but not in the Rgs2 CArG box

From RFLP to DArT: molecular tools for wheat (Triticum spp.) diversity analysis

Wheat (Triticum spp.) is a universally lucrative agricultural crop. An increase in wheat production has been shown through selection by the farmers which can increase the grain profitability. The determination of genetic associations among domestic cultivars is facilitated by molecular markers. Data on genetic polymorphism is valuable for the germplasm association and regarding the developing management strategies. The information would be supportive for potential genome mapping programs and for the relevance of intellectual property rights of wheat breeders. Present review is an effort for providing support information to wheat breeders to develop varieties with varied genetic environment to attain continuity in large-scale wheat production. In this review, we have tried to provide a collective depiction of relevant information about the usage of some commonly used markers in wheat. It may help researchers to find out the frequentness and application of different markers and compare their results. The manuscript may serve as a platform helping the intellectuals for the selection and modification of their marker system in wheat diversity analysis. The heart of this review is the emphasis on the performance of various molecular genetic markers in diversity studies in relation to definite approaches that are in practice since several years allied with the multifaceted wheat molecular breeding and its polyploid nature