The psbE-F-L-J operon from chloroplast genome of Populus deltoides: Cloning, nucleotide sequence and transcript analysis

A 5-5-kbp HindIII fragment carrying psbE-F-L-J operon from the chloroplast DNA of Populus deltoides was cloned and nucleotide sequence was determined for a 1672-bp region. The coding regions showed more than 90% homology at nucleotide sequence level with plastid-encoded psbE, psbF, psbL and psbJ genes of higher plants. Pairwise alignments of psbE, psbF, psbL and psbJ coding regions of poplar with published sequences from other plants were carried out to analyse the nature of nucleotide substitutions. The 5' and 3' untranslated regions of the genes revealed high variability among different organisms both in terms of homology and the number of nucleotides. Northern hybridization data indicated that all four genes of psbE-F-L-J operon were transcribed as a single tetracistronic message which was not subjected to further processing into smaller transcripts. The transcript showed quantitative increase in mature leaves

FragariaCyc: A Metabolic Pathway Database for Woodland Strawberry Fragaria vesca

FragariaCyc is a strawberry-specific cellular metabolic network based on the annotated genome sequence of Fragaria vesca L. ssp. vesca, accession Hawaii 4. It was built on the Pathway-Tools platform using MetaCyc as the reference. The experimental evidences from published literature were used for supporting/editing existing entities and for the addition of new pathways, enzymes, reactions, compounds, and small molecules in the database. To date, FragariaCyc comprises 66 super-pathways, 488 unique pathways, 2348 metabolic reactions, 3507 enzymes, and 2134 compounds. In addition to searching and browsing FragariaCyc, researchers can compare pathways across various plant metabolic networks and analyze their data using Omics Viewer tool. We view FragariaCyc as a resource for the community of researchers working with strawberry and related fruit crops. It can help understanding the regulation of overall metabolism of strawberry plant during development and in response to diseases and abiotic stresses. FragariaCyc is available online at http://pathways.cgrb.oregonstate.edu.KEYWORDS: plant pathway database, gene-expression analysis, strawberry, FragariaCyc, metabolic network, Fragaria vescaThis is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the author(s) and published by Frontiers Media. The published article can be found at: http://journal.frontiersin.org/journal/plant-scienc

VitisCyc: a metabolic pathway knowledgebase for grapevine (Vitis vinifera)

We have developed VitisCyc, a grapevine-specific metabolic pathway database that allows researchers to (i) search and browse the database for its various components such as metabolic pathways, reactions, compounds, genes and proteins, (ii) compare grapevine metabolic networks with other publicly available plant metabolic networks, and (iii) upload, visualize and analyze high-throughput data such as transcriptomes, proteomes, metabolomes etc. using OMICs-Viewer tool. VitisCyc is based on the genome sequence of the nearly homozygous genotype PN40024 of Vitis vinifera “Pinot Noir” cultivar with 12X v1 annotations and was built on BioCyc platform using Pathway Tools software and MetaCyc reference database. Furthermore, VitisCyc was enriched for plant-specific pathways and grape-specific metabolites, reactions and pathways. Currently VitisCyc harbors 68 super pathways, 362 biosynthesis pathways, 118 catabolic pathways, 5 detoxification pathways, 36 energy related pathways and 6 transport pathways, 10,908 enzymes, 2912 enzymatic reactions, 31 transport reactions and 2024 compounds. VitisCyc, as a community resource, can aid in the discovery of candidate genes and pathways that are regulated during plant growth and development, and in response to biotic and abiotic stress signals generated from a plant’s immediate environment. VitisCyc version 3.18 is available online at http://pathways.cgrb.oregonstate.edu.This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the author(s) and published by the Frontiers Research Foundation. The published article can be found at: http://www.frontiersin.org/Plant_Science.Keywords: Microarray, VitisCyc, Vitis vinifera, Grape, Grapevine pathway databas

Maize Metabolic Network Construction and Transcriptome Analysis

A framework for understanding the synthesis and catalysis of metabolites and other biochemicals by proteins is crucial for unraveling the physiology of cells. To create such a framework for Zea mays L. subsp. mays (maize), we developed MaizeCyc, a metabolic network of enzyme catalysts, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, secondary plant products, and other metabolites by annotating the genes identified in the maize reference genome sequenced from the B73 variety. MaizeCyc version 2.0.2 is a collection of 391 maize pathways involving 8889 enzyme mapped to 2110 reactions and 1468 metabolites. We used MaizeCyc to describe the development and function of maize organs including leaf, root, anther, embryo, and endosperm by exploring the recently published microarray-based maize gene expression atlas. We found that 1062 differentially expressed metabolic genes mapped to 524 unique enzymatic reactions associated with 310 pathways. The MaizeCyc pathway database was created by running a library of evidences collected from the maize genome annotation, gene-based phylogeny trees, and comparison to known genes and pathways from rice (Oryza sativa L.) and Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. against the PathoLogic module of Pathway Tools. The network and the database that were also developed as a community resource are freely accessible online at http://maizecyc.maizegdb.org to facilitate analysis and promote studies on metabolic genes in maize.Keywords: Arabidopsis, Bundle sheath, Leaves, C-4 photosynthesis, Evolution, Systems biology, Plant, Genome, Biochemical pathway database, Mode

The genome of Eucalyptus grandis

Eucalypts are the world’s most widely planted hardwood trees. Their outstanding diversity, adaptability and growth have made them a global renewable resource of fibre and energy. We sequenced and assembled >94% of the 640-megabase genome of Eucalyptus grandis. Of 36,376 predicted protein-coding genes, 34% occur in tandem duplications, the largest proportion thus far in plant genomes. Eucalyptus also shows the highest diversity of genes for specialized metabolites such as terpenes that act as chemical defence and provide unique pharmaceutical oils. Genome sequencing of the E. grandis sister species E. globulus and a set of inbred E. grandis tree genomes reveals dynamic genome evolution and hotspots of inbreeding depression. The E. grandis genome is the first reference for the eudicot order Myrtales and is placed here sister to the eurosids. This resource expands our understanding of the unique biology of large woody perennials and provides a powerful tool to accelerate comparative biology, breeding and biotechnology