Sequence Variation and Expression Analysis of Seed Dormancy- and Germination-Associated ABA- and GA-Related Genes in Rice Cultivars

Abscisic acid (ABA) and Gibberellic acid (GA) play key roles in regulating seed dormancy and germination. First, when examining germination of different rice cultivars, we found that their germination timing and dormancy status are rather distinct, coupled with different GA/ABA ratio. Second, we studied genomic sequences of ABA and GA dormancy- and germination-associated genes in rice and discovered single nucleotide polymorphisms and insertions/deletions (Indels) in both coding and regulatory sequences. We aligned all these variations to the genome assemblies of 9311 and PA64s and demonstrated their relevance to seed dormancy both quantitatively and qualitatively based on gene expression data. Third, we surveyed and compared differentially expressed genes in dry seeds between 9311 and PA64s to show that these differentially expressed genes may play roles in seed dormancy and germination

Gene expression responses of threespine stickleback to salinity: implications for salt-sensitive hypertension

Despite some recent success with genome-wide association studies (GWAS), identifying hypertension (HTN)-susceptibility loci in the general population remains difficult. Here, we present a novel strategy to address the challenge by studying salinity adaptation in the threespine stickleback, a fish species with diverse salt-handling ecotypes. We acclimated native freshwater (FW) and anadromous, saltwater (SW) threespine sticklebacks to fresh, brackish, and sea water for 30 days, and applied RNA sequencing to determine the gene expression in fish kidneys. We identified 1,844 salt-responsive genes that were differentially expressed between FW sticklebacks acclimated to different salinities and/or between SW and FW sticklebacks acclimated to full-strength sea water. Significant overlap between stickleback salt-responsive genes and human genes implicated in HTN was detected (P < 10-7, hypergeometric test), suggesting a striking similarity in genetic mechanisms of salt handling between threespine sticklebacks and humans. The overlapping genes included a newly discovered HTN gene—MAP3K15, whose expression in FW stickleback kidneys decreases with salinity. These also included genes located in the GWAS loci such as AGTRAP-PLOD1 and CYP1A1-ULK3, which contain multiple potentially causative genes contributing to HTN susceptibility that need to be prioritized for study. We show evidence that stickleback salt-responsive genes provide valuable information facilitating the identification of human HTN genes. We conclude that threespine sticklebacks may be used as a model, complementary to existing animal models, in human HTN research

A comprehensive survey of the grapevine VQ gene family and its transcriptional correlation with WRKY proteins

WRKY proteins are a class of transcription factors (TFs) involved in the regulation of various physiological processes, including the plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Recent studies in Arabidopsis have revealed that some WRKY TFs interact with a class of proteins designed as VQ proteins because of their typical conserved motif (FxxxVQxLTG). So far, no information is available about the genomic organization and the function of VQ motif-containing protein in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L). In the current study, we analysed the 12X V1 prediction of the nearly homozygous V. vinifera PN40024 genotype identifying up to 18 predicted VQ genes (VvVQ). VvVQs phylogenetic and bioinformatic analyses indicated that the intron-exon structures and motif distribution are highly divergent between different members of the grapevine VQ family. Moreover the analysis of the V. vinifera cv. Corvina expression atlas revealed a tissue- and stage- specific expression of several members of the family which also showed a significant correlation with WRKY TFs. Grapevine VQ genes also exhibited altered expression in response to drought, powdery mildew infection, salicylic acid (SA) and ethylene (ET) treatments. The present study represent the first characterization of VQ genes in a grapevine genotype and it is a pivotal foundation for further studies aimed at functionally characterizing this mostly unknown grapevine multigenic family

Histone acetylation modifiers in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease

It is becoming more evident that histone acetylation, as one of the epigenetic modifications or markers, plays a key role in the etiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Histone acetylases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) are the well-known covalent enzymes that modify the reversible acetylation of lysine residues in histone amino-terminal domains. In AD, however, the roles of these enzymes are controversial. Some recent studies indicate that HDAChistone deacetylases inhibitors are neuroprotective by regulating memory and synaptic dysfunctions deficit in cellular and animal models of AD, while on the other hand, increases in histone acetylation have been implicated in AD pathology. In this review, we focus on the recent advances on the roles of histone acetylation covalent enzymes in AD and discuss how targeting these enzymes can ultimately lead to therapeutic approaches for treating AD

The Prevalence of Escherichia Coli Strains with Extended-spectrum-lactamases Isolated in China

The extended-spectrum-lactamases-producing Escherichia coli has rapidly spread worldwide. Escherichia coli has been becoming much more resistant to β-lactam antibiotics and other commonly available antimicrobials. We investigated the prevalence, resistance, and probable gene type of ESBLs using MICs testing and polymerase chain reaction. We have collected 289 single-patient E. coli Isolates based on samples of China from July 2013 to August 2014. This article explored that the prevalence of ESBL-producing Isolates showed multi-resistant to antimicrobials such as fluoroquinolones, trimethoprim, tetracycline and aminoglycosides, and so on. The frequencies of resistance in Isolates were as follows: Ciprofloxacin, 74%, gentamicin, 69.5%, levofloxacin, 63%, tobramycin, 39%, and minocyline, 7.9%. According to our results, 197(68.2%) of the total 289 Isolates were ESBL-producing strains; further, 172 (87.3%) producers contained genes encoding CTX-M enzymes and 142(72.1%) producers contained genes encoding TEM enzymes. Most ESBL-producing Escherichia coli has produced more than one type of beta-lactamase. Nucleotide sequence analysis has revealed the diversity of ESBLs types: CTX-M -15 is in the majority and TEM-135, CTX-M-3, CTX-M-98, CTX-M-14, CTX-M-142, CTX-M-65, CTX-M-55, CTX-M-27 and CTX-M-123 have been recovered. The results confirm that ESBL producers which are common in hospital strains of Escherichia coli are resistant to cephalosporins and other antibiotics in China. It is important to monitor such strains closely and provide scientific evidence of rational application of antibiotics to prevent their spread

Transcriptional profiles of drought-related genes in modulating metabolic processes and antioxidant defenses in Lolium multiflorum

Drought is a major environmental stress that limits growth and development of cool-season annual grasses. Drought transcriptional profiles of resistant and susceptible lines were studied to understand the molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance in annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.). A total of 4,718 genes exhibited significantly differential expression in two L. multiflorum lines. Additionally, up-regulated genes associated with drought response in the resistant lines were compared with susceptible lines. Gene ontology enrichment and pathway analyses revealed that genes partially encoding drought-responsive proteins as key regulators were significantly involved in carbon metabolism, lipid metabolism, and signal transduction. Comparable gene expression was used to identify the genes that contribute to the high drought tolerance in resistant lines of annual ryegrass. Moreover, we proposed the hypothesis that short-term drought have a beneficial effect on oxidation stress, which may be ascribed to a direct effect on the drought tolerance of annual ryegrass. Evidence suggests that some of the genes encoding antioxidants (HPTs, GGT, AP, 6-PGD, and G6PDH) function as antioxidant in lipid metabolism and signal transduction pathways, which have non-independent and promoting roles in drought resistance. This study provides the first transcriptome data on the induction of drought-related gene expression in annual ryegrass, especially via modulation of metabolic homeostasis, signal transduction, and antioxidant defenses to improve drought tolerance response to short-term drought stress

Linking stomatal traits and expression of slow anion channel genes HvSLAH1 and HvSLAC1 with grain yield for increasing salinity tolerance in barley

Soil salinity is an environmental and agricultural problem in many parts of the world. One of the keys to breeding barley for adaptation to salinity lies in a better understanding of the genetic control of stomatal regulation. We have employed a range of physiological (stomata assay, gas exchange, phylogenetic analysis, QTL analysis), and molecular techniques (RT-PCR and qPCR) to investigate stomatal behavior and genotypic variation in barley cultivars and a genetic population in four experimental trials. A set of relatively efficient and reliable methods were developed for the characterization of stomatal behavior of a large number of varieties and genetic lines. Furthermore, we found a large genetic variation of gas exchange and stomatal traits in barley in response to salinity stress. Salt-tolerant cultivar CM72 showed significantly larger stomatal aperture under 200 mM NaCl treatment than that of salt-sensitive cultivar Gairdner. Stomatal traits such as aperture width/length were found to significantly correlate with grain yield under salt treatment. Phenotypic characterization and QTL analysis of a segregating double haploid population of the CM72/Gairdner resulted in the identification of significant stomatal traits-related QTLs for salt tolerance. Moreover, expression analysis of the slow anion channel genes HvSLAH1 and HvSLAC1 demonstrated that their up-regulation is linked to higher barley grain yield in the field

Elevated neuronal excitability due to modulation of the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.6 by Aβ1-42

Aberrant increases in neuronal network excitability may contribute to the cognitive deficits in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the mechanisms underlying hyperexcitability are not fully understood. Such overexcitation of neuronal networks has been detected in the brains of APP/PS1 mice. In the present study, using current-clamp recording techniques, we observed that 12 days in vitro (DIV) primary cultured pyramidal neurons from P0 APP/PS1 mice exhibited a more prominent action potential burst and a lower threshold than WT littermates. Moreover, after treatment with Aβ1-42 peptide, 12 DIV primary cultured neurons showed similar changes, to a greater degree than in controls. Voltage-clamp recordings revealed that the voltage-dependent sodium current density of neurons incubated with Aβ1-42 was significantly increased, without change in the voltage-dependent sodium channel kinetic characteristics. Immunohistochemistry and western blot results showed that, after treatment with Aβ1-42, expressions of Nav and Nav1.6 subtype increased in cultured neurons or APP/PS1 brains compared to control groups. The intrinsic neuronal hyperexcitability of APP/PS1 mice might thus be due to an increased expression of voltage-dependent sodium channels induced by Aβ1-42. These results may illuminate the mechanism of aberrant neuronal networks in AD

Diagnostic value of microRNA for Alzheimer&#39;s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Sound evidence indicates that micro-RNA s (miRNAs) are aberrantly expressed in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the role of miRNA in AD pathogenesis and their clinical diagnostic value, a systematic review of literature and meta-analysis of clinical trials were performed. In the systematic review, 236 papers were included and we reviewed the dysregulated miRNA expression in different parts of AD patients in order to identify the relationship between aberrantly expressed miRNAs and AD pathology. In the subsequent meta-analysis, seven studies were statistically analyzed with the following results: pooled sensitivity 0.86 (95%CI 0.79-0.90), pooled specificity 0.87 (95%CI 0.72-0.95), diagnostic odds ratio 28.29 and the area under the curve 0.87. In conclusion, our review indicated that aberrant expression of various miRNAs play an important role in the pathological process of AD, and statistical analysis of quantitative studies reveal the potential value of specific miRNAs in the diagnosis of AD

Space distribution of EEG responses to hanoi-moving visual and auditory stimulation with Fourier Independent Component Analysis

Background and objective: The relationship between EEG source signals and action-related visual and auditory stimulation is still not well understood. The objective of this study was to identify EEG source signals and their associated action-related visual and auditory responses, especially independent components of EEG.Methods: A hand-moving-Hanoi video paradigm was used to study neural correlates of the action-related visual and auditory information processing determined by mu rhythm (8-12 Hz) in 16 healthy young subjects. Independent component analysis (ICA) was applied to identify separate EEG sources, and further computed in the frequency domain by applying-Fourier transform ICA (F-ICA).Results: F-ICA found more sensory stimuli-related independent components located within the sensorimotor region than ICA did. The total number of independent components of interest from F-ICA was 768, twice that of 384 from traditional time-domain ICA (p0.05).Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis that mu rhythm was sensitive to detection of the cognitive expression, which could be reflected by the function in the parietal lobe sensory-motor region. The results of this study could potentially be applied into early diagnosis for those with visual and hearing impairments in the future