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Sample records for response genes involved

  1. Growth rate regulated genes and their wide involvement in the Lactococcus lactis stress responses

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    Redon Emma

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The development of transcriptomic tools has allowed exhaustive description of stress responses. These responses always superimpose a general response associated to growth rate decrease and a specific one corresponding to the stress. The exclusive growth rate response can be achieved through chemostat cultivation, enabling all parameters to remain constant except the growth rate. Results We analysed metabolic and transcriptomic responses of Lactococcus lactis in continuous cultures at different growth rates ranging from 0.09 to 0.47 h-1. Growth rate was conditioned by isoleucine supply. Although carbon metabolism was constant and homolactic, a widespread transcriptomic response involving 30% of the genome was observed. The expression of genes encoding physiological functions associated with biogenesis increased with growth rate (transcription, translation, fatty acid and phospholipids metabolism. Many phages, prophages and transposon related genes were down regulated as growth rate increased. The growth rate response was compared to carbon and amino-acid starvation transcriptomic responses, revealing constant and significant involvement of growth rate regulations in these two stressful conditions (overlap 27%. Two regulators potentially involved in the growth rate regulations, llrE and yabB, have been identified. Moreover it was established that genes positively regulated by growth rate are preferentially located in the vicinity of replication origin while those negatively regulated are mainly encountered at the opposite, thus indicating the relationship between genes expression and their location on chromosome. Although stringent response mechanism is considered as the one governing growth deceleration in bacteria, the rigorous comparison of the two transcriptomic responses clearly indicated the mechanisms are distinct. Conclusion This work of integrative biology was performed at the global level using transcriptomic analysis

  2. Study of the Genes and Mechanism Involved in the Radioadaptive Response

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    Dasgupta, Pushan R.

    2009-01-01

    The radioadaptive response is a phenomenon where exposure to a prior low dose of radiation reduces the level of damage induced by a subsequent high radiation dose. The molecular mechanism behind this is still not well understood. Learning more about the radioadaptive response is critical for long duration spaceflight since astronauts are exposed to low levels of cosmic radiation. The micronucleus assay was used to measure the level of damage caused by radiation. Although cells which were not washed with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) after a low priming dose of 5cGy did not show adaptation to the challenge dose, washing the cells with PBS and giving the cells fresh media after the low dose did allow radioadaptation to occur. This is consistent with the results of a previous publication by another research group. In the present study, genes involved in DNA damage signaling and the oxidative stress response were studied using RT PCR techniques in order to look at changes in expression level after the low dose with or without washing. Our preliminary results indicate that upregulation of oxidative stress response genes ANGPTL7, NCF2, TTN, and SRXN1 may be involved in the radioadaptive response. The low dose of radiation alone was found to activate the oxidative stress response genes GPR156 and MTL5, whereas, washing the cells alone caused relatively robust upregulation of the oxidative stress response genes DUSP1 and PTGS2. Washing after the priming dose showed some changes in the expression level of several DNA damage signaling genes. In addition, we studied whether washing the cells after the priming dose has an effect on the level of nitric oxide in both the media and cells, since nitric oxide levels are known to increase in the media of the cells after a high dose of radiation only if the cells were already exposed to a low priming dose. Based on this preliminary study, we propose that washing the cells after priming exposure actually eliminates some factor

  3. Occupational Styrene Exposure Induces Stress-Responsive Genes Involved in Cytoprotective and Cytotoxic Activities

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    Strafella, Elisabetta; Bracci, Massimo; Staffolani, Sara; Manzella, Nicola; Giantomasi, Daniele; Valentino, Matteo; Amati, Monica; Tomasetti, Marco; Santarelli, Lory

    2013-01-01

    Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of a panel of genes involved in toxicology in response to styrene exposure at levels below the occupational standard setting. Methods Workers in a fiber glass boat industry were evaluated for a panel of stress- and toxicity-related genes and associated with biochemical parameters related to hepatic injury. Urinary styrene metabolites (MA+PGA) of subjects and environmental sampling data collected for air at workplace were used to estimate styrene exposure. Results Expression array analysis revealed massive upregulation of genes encoding stress-responsive proteins (HSPA1L, EGR1, IL-6, IL-1β, TNSF10 and TNFα) in the styrene-exposed group; the levels of cytokines released were further confirmed in serum. The exposed workers were then stratified by styrene exposure levels. EGR1 gene upregulation paralleled the expression and transcriptional protein levels of IL-6, TNSF10 and TNFα in styrene exposed workers, even at low level. The activation of the EGR1 pathway observed at low-styrene exposure was associated with a slight increase of hepatic markers found in highly exposed subjects, even though they were within normal range. The ALT and AST levels were not affected by alcohol consumption, and positively correlated with urinary styrene metabolites as evaluated by multiple regression analysis. Conclusion The pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNFα are the primary mediators of processes involved in the hepatic injury response and regeneration. Here, we show that styrene induced stress responsive genes involved in cytoprotection and cytotoxicity at low-exposure, that proceed to a mild subclinical hepatic toxicity at high-styrene exposure. PMID:24086524

  4. Transcriptome analysis identifies genes involved in ethanol response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Agave tequilana juice.

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    Ramirez-Córdova, Jesús; Drnevich, Jenny; Madrigal-Pulido, Jaime Alberto; Arrizon, Javier; Allen, Kirk; Martínez-Velázquez, Moisés; Alvarez-Maya, Ikuri

    2012-08-01

    During ethanol fermentation, yeast cells are exposed to stress due to the accumulation of ethanol, cell growth is altered and the output of the target product is reduced. For Agave beverages, like tequila, no reports have been published on the global gene expression under ethanol stress. In this work, we used microarray analysis to identify Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes involved in the ethanol response. Gene expression of a tequila yeast strain of S. cerevisiae (AR5) was explored by comparing global gene expression with that of laboratory strain S288C, both after ethanol exposure. Additionally, we used two different culture conditions, cells grown in Agave tequilana juice as a natural fermentation media or grown in yeast-extract peptone dextrose as artificial media. Of the 6368 S. cerevisiae genes in the microarray, 657 genes were identified that had different expression responses to ethanol stress due to strain and/or media. A cluster of 28 genes was found over-expressed specifically in the AR5 tequila strain that could be involved in the adaptation to tequila yeast fermentation, 14 of which are unknown such as yor343c, ylr162w, ygr182c, ymr265c, yer053c-a or ydr415c. These could be the most suitable genes for transforming tequila yeast to increase ethanol tolerance in the tequila fermentation process. Other genes involved in response to stress (RFC4, TSA1, MLH1, PAU3, RAD53) or transport (CYB2, TIP20, QCR9) were expressed in the same cluster. Unknown genes could be good candidates for the development of recombinant yeasts with ethanol tolerance for use in industrial tequila fermentation.

  5. The landscape of human genes involved in the immune response to parasitic worms

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    Fumagalli Matteo

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background More than 2 billion individuals worldwide suffer from helminth infections. The highest parasite burdens occur in children and helminth infection during pregnancy is a risk factor for preterm delivery and reduced birth weight. Therefore, helminth infections can be regarded as a strong selective pressure. Results Here we propose that candidate susceptibility genes for parasitic worm infections can be identified by searching for SNPs that display a strong correlation with the diversity of helminth species/genera transmitted in different geographic areas. By a genome-wide search we identified 3478 variants that correlate with helminth diversity. These SNPs map to 810 distinct human genes including loci involved in regulatory T cell function and in macrophage activation, as well as leukocyte integrins and co-inhibitory molecules. Analysis of functional relationships among these genes identified complex interaction networks centred around Th2 cytokines. Finally, several genes carrying candidate targets for helminth-driven selective pressure also harbour susceptibility alleles for asthma/allergy or are involved in airway hyper-responsiveness, therefore expanding the known parallelism between these conditions and parasitic infections. Conclusions Our data provide a landscape of human genes that modulate susceptibility to helminths and indicate parasitic worms as one of the major selective forces in humans.

  6. Genome-wide annotation of the soybean WRKY family and functional characterization of genes involved in response to Phakopsora pachyrhizi infection.

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    Bencke-Malato, Marta; Cabreira, Caroline; Wiebke-Strohm, Beatriz; Bücker-Neto, Lauro; Mancini, Estefania; Osorio, Marina B; Homrich, Milena S; Turchetto-Zolet, Andreia Carina; De Carvalho, Mayra C C G; Stolf, Renata; Weber, Ricardo L M; Westergaard, Gastón; Castagnaro, Atílio P; Abdelnoor, Ricardo V; Marcelino-Guimarães, Francismar C; Margis-Pinheiro, Márcia; Bodanese-Zanettini, Maria Helena

    2014-09-10

    Many previous studies have shown that soybean WRKY transcription factors are involved in the plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Phakopsora pachyrhizi is the causal agent of Asian Soybean Rust, one of the most important soybean diseases. There are evidences that WRKYs are involved in the resistance of some soybean genotypes against that fungus. The number of WRKY genes already annotated in soybean genome was underrepresented. In the present study, a genome-wide annotation of the soybean WRKY family was carried out and members involved in the response to P. pachyrhizi were identified. As a result of a soybean genomic databases search, 182 WRKY-encoding genes were annotated and 33 putative pseudogenes identified. Genes involved in the response to P. pachyrhizi infection were identified using superSAGE, RNA-Seq of microdissected lesions and microarray experiments. Seventy-five genes were differentially expressed during fungal infection. The expression of eight WRKY genes was validated by RT-qPCR. The expression of these genes in a resistant genotype was earlier and/or stronger compared with a susceptible genotype in response to P. pachyrhizi infection. Soybean somatic embryos were transformed in order to overexpress or silence WRKY genes. Embryos overexpressing a WRKY gene were obtained, but they were unable to convert into plants. When infected with P. pachyrhizi, the leaves of the silenced transgenic line showed a higher number of lesions than the wild-type plants. The present study reports a genome-wide annotation of soybean WRKY family. The participation of some members in response to P. pachyrhizi infection was demonstrated. The results contribute to the elucidation of gene function and suggest the manipulation of WRKYs as a strategy to increase fungal resistance in soybean plants.

  7. The NAC transcription factor family in maritime pine (Pinus Pinaster): molecular regulation of two genes involved in stress responses.

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    Pascual, Ma Belén; Cánovas, Francisco M; Ávila, Concepción

    2015-10-24

    NAC transcription factors comprise a large plant-specific gene family involved in the regulation of diverse biological processes. Despite the growing number of studies on NAC transcription factors in various species, little information is available about this family in conifers. The goal of this study was to identify the NAC transcription family in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster), to characterize ATAF-like genes in response to various stresses and to study their molecular regulation. We have isolated two maritime pine NAC genes and using a transient expression assay in N. benthamiana leaves estudied the promoter jasmonate response. In this study, we identified 37 NAC genes from maritime pine and classified them into six main subfamilies. The largest group includes 12 sequences corresponding to stress-related genes. Two of these NAC genes, PpNAC2 and PpNAC3, were isolated and their expression profiles were examined at various developmental stages and in response to various types of stress. The expression of both genes was strongly induced by methyl jasmonate (MeJA), mechanical wounding, and high salinity. The promoter regions of these genes were shown to contain cis-elements involved in the stress response and plant hormonal regulation, including E-boxes, which are commonly found in the promoters of genes that respond to jasmonate, and binding sites for bHLH proteins. Using a transient expression assay in N. benthamiana leaves, we found that the promoter of PpNAC3 was rapidly induced upon MeJA treatment, while this response disappeared in plants in which the transcription factor NbbHLH2 was silenced. Our results suggest that PpNAC2 and PpNAC3 encode stress-responsive NAC transcription factors involved in the jasmonate response in pine. Furthermore, these data also suggest that the jasmonate signaling pathway is conserved between angiosperms and gymnosperms. These findings may be useful for engineering stress tolerance in pine via biotechnological approaches.

  8. GST(phi) gene from Macrophyte Lemna minor is involved in cadmium exposure responses

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    CHEN Shihua; CHEN Xin; DOU Weihong; WANG Liang; YIN Haibo; GUO Shanli

    2016-01-01

    Reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers,including ascorbate peroxidase,superoxide dismutase,catalase and peroxidase,are the most commonly used biomarkers in assessing an organisms' response to many biotic and abiotic stresses.In this study,we cloned an 866 bp GST(phi) gene in Lemna minor and investigated its characteristics,expression and enzymatic activities under 75 μmol/L cadmium concentrations in comparison with other ROS scavengers.GST(phi) gene expression patterns were similar to those of other scavengers of ROS.This suggests that GST(phi) might be involved in responding to heavy metal (cadmium) stress and that its expression level could be used as a bio-indicator in monitoring cadmium pollution.

  9. GST ( phi) gene from Macrophyte Lemna minor is involved in cadmium exposure responses

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    Chen, Shihua; Chen, Xin; Dou, Weihong; Wang, Liang; Yin, Haibo; Guo, Shanli

    2016-03-01

    Reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers, including ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase, are the most commonly used biomarkers in assessing an organisms' response to many biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, we cloned an 866 bp GST ( phi) gene in Lemna minor and investigated its characteristics, expression and enzymatic activities under 75 μmol/L cadmium concentrations in comparison with other ROS scavengers. GST ( phi) gene expression patterns were similar to those of other scavengers of ROS. This suggests that GST ( phi) might be involved in responding to heavy metal (cadmium) stress and that its expression level could be used as a bio-indicator in monitoring cadmium pollution.

  10. A L-type lectin gene is involved in the response to hormonal treatment and water deficit in Volkamer lemon.

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    Vieira, Dayse Drielly Sousa Santana; Emiliani, Giovanni; Bartolini, Paola; Podda, Alessandra; Centritto, Mauro; Luro, François; Carratore, Renata Del; Morillon, Raphaël; Gesteira, Abelmon; Maserti, Biancaelena

    2017-11-01

    Combination of biotic and abiotic stress is a major challenge for crop and fruit production. Thus, identification of genes involved in cross-response to abiotic and biotic stress is of great importance for breeding superior genotypes. Lectins are glycan-binding proteins with a functions in the developmental processes as well as in the response to biotic and abiotic stress. In this work, a lectin like gene, namely ClLectin1, was characterized in Volkamer lemon and its expression was studied in plants exposed to either water stress, hormonal elicitors (JA, SA, ABA) or wounding to understand whether this gene may have a function in the response to multiple stress combination. Results showed that ClLectin1 has 100% homology with a L-type lectin gene from C. sinensis and the in silico study of the 5'UTR region showed the presence of cis-responsive elements to SA, DRE2 and ABA. ClLectin1 was rapidly induced by hormonal treatments and wounding, at local and systemic levels, suggesting an involvement in defence signalling pathways and a possible role as fast detection biomarker of biotic stress. On the other hand, the induction of ClLectin1 by water stress pointed out a role of the gene in the response to drought. The simultaneous response of ClLectin1 expression to water stress and SA treatment could be further investigated to assess whether a moderate drought stress may be useful to improve citrus performance by stimulating the SA-dependent response to biotic stress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  11. Pre-silencing of genes involved in the electron transport chain (ETC) pathway is associated with responsiveness to abatacept in rheumatoid arthritis.

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    Derambure, C; Dzangue-Tchoupou, G; Berard, C; Vergne, N; Hiron, M; D'Agostino, M A; Musette, P; Vittecoq, O; Lequerré, T

    2017-05-25

    In the current context of personalized medicine, one of the major challenges in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is to identify biomarkers that predict drug responsiveness. From the European APPRAISE trial, our main objective was to identify a gene expression profile associated with responsiveness to abatacept (ABA) + methotrexate (MTX) and to understand the involvement of this signature in the pathophysiology of RA. Whole human genome microarrays (4 × 44 K) were performed from a first subset of 36 patients with RA. Data validation by quantitative reverse-transcription (qRT)-PCR was performed from a second independent subset of 32 patients with RA. Gene Ontology and WikiPathways database allowed us to highlight the specific biological mechanisms involved in predicting response to ABA/MTX. From the first subset of 36 patients with RA, a combination including 87 transcripts allowed almost perfect separation between responders and non-responders to ABA/MTX. Next, the second subset of patients 32 with RA allowed validation by qRT-PCR of a minimal signature with only four genes. This latter signature categorized 81% of patients with RA with 75% sensitivity, 85% specificity and 85% negative predictive value. This combination showed a significant enrichment of genes involved in electron transport chain (ETC) pathways. Seven transcripts from ETC pathways (NDUFA6, NDUFA4, UQCRQ, ATP5J, COX7A2, COX7B, COX6A1) were significantly downregulated in responders versus non-responders to ABA/MTX. Moreover, dysregulation of these genes was independent of inflammation and was specific to ABA response. Pre-silencing of ETC genes is associated with future response to ABA/MTX and might be a crucial key to susceptibility to ABA response.

  12. Dipeptidyl peptidase IV is involved in the cellulose-responsive induction of cellulose biomass-degrading enzyme genes in Aspergillus aculeatus.

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    Tani, Shuji; Yuki, Shota; Kunitake, Emi; Sumitani, Jun-Ichi; Kawaguchi, Takashi

    2017-06-01

    We screened for factors involved in the cellulose-responsive induction of cellulose biomass-degrading enzyme genes from approximately 12,000 Aspergillus aculeatus T-DNA insertion mutants harboring a transcriptional fusion between the FIII-avicelase gene (cbhI) promoter and the orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase gene. Analysis of 5-fluoroorodic acid (5-FOA) sensitivity, cellulose utilization, and cbhI expression of the mutants revealed that a mutant harboring T-DNA at the dipeptidyl peptidase IV (dppIV) locus had acquired 5-FOA resistance and was deficient in cellulose utilization and cbhI expression. The deletion of dppIV resulted in a significant reduction in the cellulose-responsive expression of both cbhI as well as genes controlled by XlnR-independent and XlnR-dependent signaling pathways at an early phase in A. aculeatus. In contrast, the dppIV deletion did not affect the xylose-responsive expression of genes under the control of XlnR. These results demonstrate that DppIV participates in cellulose-responsive induction in A. aculeatus.

  13. Early Involvement of Immune/Inflammatory Response Genes in Retinal Degeneration in DBA/2J Mice

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    W. Fan

    2010-01-01

    , representative of different functions/pathways, were validated with RT-PCR, and changes in glial responses were visualized in the retina with immunocytochemistry. Conclusions The results showed that the expression of genes related to the immune response and acute stress were altered independently of the development of elevated IOP, and indicated early involvement of the immune system in the onset of the disease. The later development of elevated IOP, observed in this animal model, was coincident with continued changes in expression of genes observed at earlier time points. Further studies are warranted to identify the roles of specific genes identified here with respect to the death of the RGCs.

  14. Early Involvement of Immune/Inflammatory Response Genes in Retinal Degeneration in DBA/2J Mice

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    W. Fan

    2010-03-01

    , representative of different functions/pathways, were validated with RT-PCR, and changes in glial responses were visualized in the retina with immunocytochemistry. Conclusions: The results showed that the expression of genes related to the immune response and acute stress were altered independently of the development of elevated IOP, and indicated early involvement of the immune system in the onset of the disease. The later development of elevated IOP, observed in this animal model, was coincident with continued changes in expression of genes observed at earlier time points. Further studies are warranted to identify the roles of specific genes identified here with respect to the death of the RGCs.

  15. Oligogalacturonide-mediated induction of a gene involved in jasmonic acid synthesis in response to the cell-wall-degrading enzymes of the plant pathogen Erwinia carotovora.

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    Norman, C; Vidal, S; Palva, E T

    1999-07-01

    Identification of Arabidopsis thaliana genes responsive to plant cell-wall-degrading enzymes of Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora led to the isolation of a cDNA clone with high sequence homology to the gene for allene oxide synthase, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of jasmonates. Expression of the corresponding gene was induced by the extracellular enzymes from this pathogen as well as by treatment with methyl jasmonate and short oligogalacturonides (OGAs). This suggests that OGAs are involved in the induction of the jasmonate pathway during plant defense response to E. carotovora subsp. carotovora attack.

  16. Comparative Analysis of WRKY Genes Potentially Involved in Salt Stress Responses in Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum.

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    Yousfi, Fatma-Ezzahra; Makhloufi, Emna; Marande, William; Ghorbel, Abdel W; Bouzayen, Mondher; Bergès, Hélène

    2016-01-01

    WRKY transcription factors are involved in multiple aspects of plant growth, development and responses to biotic stresses. Although they have been found to play roles in regulating plant responses to environmental stresses, these roles still need to be explored, especially those pertaining to crops. Durum wheat is the second most widely produced cereal in the world. Complex, large and unsequenced genomes, in addition to a lack of genomic resources, hinder the molecular characterization of tolerance mechanisms. This paper describes the isolation and characterization of five TdWRKY genes from durum wheat ( Triticum turgidum L . ssp. durum ). A PCR-based screening of a T. turgidum BAC genomic library using primers within the conserved region of WRKY genes resulted in the isolation of five BAC clones. Following sequencing fully the five BACs, fine annotation through Triannot pipeline revealed 74.6% of the entire sequences as transposable elements and a 3.2% gene content with genes organized as islands within oceans of TEs. Each BAC clone harbored a TdWRKY gene. The study showed a very extensive conservation of genomic structure between TdWRKYs and their orthologs from Brachypodium, barley, and T. aestivum . The structural features of TdWRKY proteins suggested that they are novel members of the WRKY family in durum wheat. TdWRKY1/2/4, TdWRKY3, and TdWRKY5 belong to the group Ia, IIa, and IIc, respectively. Enrichment of cis -regulatory elements related to stress responses in the promoters of some TdWRKY genes indicated their potential roles in mediating plant responses to a wide variety of environmental stresses. TdWRKY genes displayed different expression patterns in response to salt stress that distinguishes two durum wheat genotypes with contrasting salt stress tolerance phenotypes. TdWRKY genes tended to react earlier with a down-regulation in sensitive genotype leaves and with an up-regulation in tolerant genotype leaves. The TdWRKY transcripts levels in roots

  17. Banana ethylene response factors are involved in fruit ripening through their interactions with ethylene biosynthesis genes.

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    Xiao, Yun-yi; Chen, Jian-ye; Kuang, Jiang-fei; Shan, Wei; Xie, Hui; Jiang, Yue-ming; Lu, Wang-jin

    2013-05-01

    The involvement of ethylene response factor (ERF) transcription factor (TF) in the transcriptional regulation of ethylene biosynthesis genes during fruit ripening remains largely unclear. In this study, 15 ERF genes, designated as MaERF1-MaERF15, were isolated and characterized from banana fruit. These MaERFs were classified into seven of the 12 known ERF families. Subcellular localization showed that MaERF proteins of five different subfamilies preferentially localized to the nucleus. The 15 MaERF genes displayed differential expression patterns and levels in peel and pulp of banana fruit, in association with four different ripening treatments caused by natural, ethylene-induced, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP)-delayed, and combined 1-MCP and ethylene treatments. MaERF9 was upregulated while MaERF11 was downregulated in peel and pulp of banana fruit during ripening or after treatment with ethylene. Furthermore, yeast-one hybrid (Y1H) and transient expression assays showed that the potential repressor MaERF11 bound to MaACS1 and MaACO1 promoters to suppress their activities and that MaERF9 activated MaACO1 promoter activity. Interestingly, protein-protein interaction analysis revealed that MaERF9 and -11 physically interacted with MaACO1. Taken together, these results suggest that MaERFs are involved in banana fruit ripening via transcriptional regulation of or interaction with ethylene biosynthesis genes.

  18. Transcriptome analyses reveal the involvement of both C and N termini of cryptochrome 1 in its regulation of phytohormone-responsive gene expression in Arabidopsis

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    Wenxiu eWang

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Cryptochromes (CRY are blue-light photoreceptors that mediate various light responses in plants and animals. It has long been demonstrated that Arabidopsis CRY (CRY1 and CRY2 C termini (CCT1 and CCT2 mediate light signaling through direct interaction with COP1. Most recently, CRY1 N terminus (CNT1 has been found to be involved in CRY1 signaling independent of CCT1, and implicated in the inhibition of gibberellin acids (GA/brassinosteroids (BR/auxin-responsive gene expression. Here, we performed RNA-Seq assay using transgenic plants expressing CCT1 fused to β-glucuronidase (GUS-CCT1, abbreviated as CCT1, which exhibit a constitutively photomorphogenic phenotype, and compared the results with those obtained previously from cry1cry2 mutant and the transgenic plants expressing CNT1 fused to nuclear localization signal sequence (NLS-tagged YFP (CNT1-NLS-YFP, abbreviated as CNT1, which display enhanced responsiveness to blue light. We found that 2,903 (67.85% of the CRY-regulated genes are regulated by CCT1 and that 1,095 of these CCT1-regulated genes are also regulated by CNT1. After annotating the gene functions, we found that CCT1 is involved in mediating CRY1 regulation of phytohormone-responsive genes, like CNT1, and that about half of the up-regulated genes by GA/BR/auxin are down-regulated by CCT1 and CNT1, consistent with the antagonistic role for CRY1 and these phytohormones in regulating hypocotyl elongation. Physiological studies showed that both CCT1 and CNT1 are likely involved in mediating CRY1 reduction of seedlings sensitivity to GA under blue light. Furthermore, protein expression studies demonstrate that the inhibition of GA promotion of HY5 degradation by CRY1 is likely mediated by CCT1, but not by CNT1. These results give genome-wide transcriptome information concerning the signaling mechanism of CRY1, unraveling possible involvement of its C and N termini in its regulation of response of GA and likely other phytohormones.

  19. An ethylene-responsive enhancer element is involved in the senescence-related expression of the carnation glutathione-S-transferase (GST1) gene.

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    Itzhaki, H; Maxson, J M; Woodson, W R

    1994-01-01

    The increased production of ethylene during carnation petal senescence regulates the transcription of the GST1 gene encoding a subunit of glutathione-S-transferase. We have investigated the molecular basis for this ethylene-responsive transcription by examining the cis elements and trans-acting factors involved in the expression of the GST1 gene. Transient expression assays following delivery of GST1 5' flanking DNA fused to a beta-glucuronidase receptor gene were used to functionally define ...

  20. Involvement of the ornithine decarboxylase gene in acid stress response in probiotic Lactobacillus delbrueckii UFV H2b20.

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    Ferreira, A B; Oliveira, M N V de; Freitas, F S; Paiva, A D; Alfenas-Zerbini, P; Silva, D F da; Queiroz, M V de; Borges, A C; Moraes, C A de

    2015-01-01

    Amino acid decarboxylation is important for the maintenance of intracellular pH under acid stress. This study aims to carry out phylogenetic and expression analysis by real-time PCR of two genes that encode proteins involved in ornithine decarboxylation in Lactobacillus delbrueckii UFV H2b20 exposed to acid stress. Sequencing and phylogeny analysis of genes encoding ornithine decarboxylase and amino acid permease in L. delbrueckii UFV H2b20 showed their high sequence identity (99%) and grouping with those of L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus ATCC 11842. Exposure of L. delbrueckii UFV H2b20 cells in MRS pH 3.5 for 30 and 60 min caused a significant increase in expression of the gene encoding ornithine decarboxylase (up to 8.1 times higher when compared to the control treatment). Increased expression of the ornithine decarboxylase gene demonstrates its involvement in acid stress response in L. delbrueckii UFV H2b20, evidencing that the protein encoded by that gene could be involved in intracellular pH regulation. The results obtained show ornithine decarboxylation as a possible mechanism of adaptation to an acidic environmental condition, a desirable and necessary characteristic for probiotic cultures and certainly important to the survival and persistence of the L. delbrueckii UFV H2b20 in the human gastrointestinal tract.

  1. Differential Gene Expression by Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 in Response to Phenolic Compounds Reveals New Genes Involved in Tannin Degradation.

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    Reverón, Inés; Jiménez, Natalia; Curiel, José Antonio; Peñas, Elena; López de Felipe, Félix; de Las Rivas, Blanca; Muñoz, Rosario

    2017-04-01

    Lactobacillus plantarum is a lactic acid bacterium that can degrade food tannins by the successive action of tannase and gallate decarboxylase enzymes. In the L. plantarum genome, the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of gallate decarboxylase ( lpdC , or lp_2945 ) is only 6.5 kb distant from the gene encoding inducible tannase ( L. plantarum tanB [ tanB Lp ], or lp_2956 ). This genomic context suggests concomitant activity and regulation of both enzymatic activities. Reverse transcription analysis revealed that subunits B ( lpdB , or lp_0271 ) and D ( lpdD , or lp_0272 ) of the gallate decarboxylase are cotranscribed, whereas subunit C ( lpdC , or lp_2945 ) is cotranscribed with a gene encoding a transport protein ( gacP , or lp_2943 ). In contrast, the tannase gene is transcribed as a monocistronic mRNA. Investigation of knockout mutations of genes located in this chromosomal region indicated that only mutants of the gallate decarboxylase (subunits B and C), tannase, GacP transport protein, and TanR transcriptional regulator ( lp_2942 ) genes exhibited altered tannin metabolism. The expression profile of genes involved in tannin metabolism was also analyzed in these mutants in the presence of methyl gallate and gallic acid. It is noteworthy that inactivation of tanR suppresses the induction of all genes overexpressed in the presence of methyl gallate and gallic acid. This transcriptional regulator was also induced in the presence of other phenolic compounds, such as kaempferol and myricetin. This study complements the catalog of L. plantarum expression profiles responsive to phenolic compounds, which enable this bacterium to adapt to a plant food environment. IMPORTANCE Lactobacillus plantarum is a bacterial species frequently found in the fermentation of vegetables when tannins are present. L. plantarum strains degrade tannins to the less-toxic pyrogallol by the successive action of tannase and gallate decarboxylase enzymes. The genes encoding these enzymes are

  2. Polymorphisms in Genes Involved in Fatty Acid β-Oxidation Interact with Dietary Fat Intakes to Modulate the Plasma TG Response to a Fish Oil Supplementation

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    Bouchard-Mercier, Annie; Rudkowska, Iwona; Lemieux, Simone; Couture, Patrick; Vohl, Marie-Claude

    2014-01-01

    A large inter-individual variability in the plasma triglyceride (TG) response to an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation has been observed. The objective was to examine gene-diet interaction effects on the plasma TG response after a fish oil supplementation, between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation and dietary fat intakes. Two hundred and eight (208) participants were recruited in the greater Quebec City area. The participants completed a six-week fish oil supplementation (5 g fish oil/day: 1.9–2.2 g EPA and 1.1 g DHA). Dietary fat intakes were measured using three-day food records. SNPs within RXRA, CPT1A, ACADVL, ACAA2, ABCD2, ACOX1 and ACAA1 genes were genotyped using TAQMAN methodology. Gene-diet interaction effects on the plasma TG response were observed for SNPs within RXRA (rs11185660, rs10881576 and rs12339187) and ACOX1 (rs17583163) genes. For rs11185660, fold changes in RXRA gene expression levels were different depending on SFA intakes for homozygotes T/T. Gene-diet interaction effects of SNPs within genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation and dietary fat intakes may be important in understanding the inter-individual variability in plasma TG levels and in the plasma TG response to a fish oil supplementation. PMID:24647074

  3. Polymorphisms in Genes Involved in Fatty Acid β-Oxidation Interact with Dietary Fat Intakes to Modulate the Plasma TG Response to a Fish Oil Supplementation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annie Bouchard-Mercier

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available A large inter-individual variability in the plasma triglyceride (TG response to an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA supplementation has been observed. The objective was to examine gene-diet interaction effects on the plasma TG response after a fish oil supplementation, between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs within genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation and dietary fat intakes. Two hundred and eight (208 participants were recruited in the greater Quebec City area. The participants completed a six-week fish oil supplementation (5 g fish oil/day: 1.9–2.2 g EPA and 1.1 g DHA. Dietary fat intakes were measured using three-day food records. SNPs within RXRA, CPT1A, ACADVL, ACAA2, ABCD2, ACOX1 and ACAA1 genes were genotyped using TAQMAN methodology. Gene-diet interaction effects on the plasma TG response were observed for SNPs within RXRA (rs11185660, rs10881576 and rs12339187 and ACOX1 (rs17583163 genes. For rs11185660, fold changes in RXRA gene expression levels were different depending on SFA intakes for homozygotes T/T. Gene-diet interaction effects of SNPs within genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation and dietary fat intakes may be important in understanding the inter-individual variability in plasma TG levels and in the plasma TG response to a fish oil supplementation.

  4. Identification and characterization of nuclear genes involved in photosynthesis in Populus

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background The gap between the real and potential photosynthetic rate under field conditions suggests that photosynthesis could potentially be improved. Nuclear genes provide possible targets for improving photosynthetic efficiency. Hence, genome-wide identification and characterization of the nuclear genes affecting photosynthetic traits in woody plants would provide key insights on genetic regulation of photosynthesis and identify candidate processes for improvement of photosynthesis. Results Using microarray and bulked segregant analysis strategies, we identified differentially expressed nuclear genes for photosynthesis traits in a segregating population of poplar. We identified 515 differentially expressed genes in this population (FC ≥ 2 or FC ≤ 0.5, P photosynthesis by the nuclear genome mainly involves transport, metabolism and response to stimulus functions. Conclusions This study provides new genome-scale strategies for the discovery of potential candidate genes affecting photosynthesis in Populus, and for identification of the functions of genes involved in regulation of photosynthesis. This work also suggests that improving photosynthetic efficiency under field conditions will require the consideration of multiple factors, such as stress responses. PMID:24673936

  5. Identification of human genes involved in cellular responses to ionizing radiation: molecular and cellular studies of gene encoding the p68 helicase in mammalian cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Menaa, F.

    2003-12-01

    Cells submitted to genotoxic factors -like IR- activate several and important mechanisms such as repair, cell cycle arrest or 'apoptosis' to maintain genetic integrity. So, the damaged cells will induce many and different genes. The human transcriptome analysis by 'SSH' method in a human breast carcinoma cell line MCF7 γ-irradiated versus not irradiated, allowed to identify about one hundred genes. Among of these genes, we have focused our study on a radio-induced gene encoding the p68 helicase. In the conditions of irradiation used, our results show that the kinetic and the regulation of this gene expression differs between the nature of radiations used. Indeed, in γ-irradiated mammalian cells, ATM, a protein kinase activated by DSB and IR, is required to induce quickly P68 gene via the important transcription factor p53 stabilized by IR. In the case of UVC-irradiated cells, the P68 gene induction is late and the intracellular signalling pathway that lead to this induction is independent from the p53 protein. Finally, we show that the p68 protein under-expression is responsible for an increased radiosensitivity of MCF7 cells. Consequently, we can postulate that the p68 protein is involved in cellular responses to radiations to reduce the increased radiosensitivity of cells exposed to γ-rays. (author)

  6. Transcriptome analysis of WRKY gene family in Oryza officinalis Wall ex Watt and WRKY genes involved in responses to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Chunmiao; Shen, Qingxi J; Wang, Bo; He, Bin; Xiao, Suqin; Chen, Ling; Yu, Tengqiong; Ke, Xue; Zhong, Qiaofang; Fu, Jian; Chen, Yue; Wang, Lingxian; Yin, Fuyou; Zhang, Dunyu; Ghidan, Walid; Huang, Xingqi; Cheng, Zaiquan

    2017-01-01

    Oryza officinalis Wall ex Watt, a very important and special wild rice species, shows abundant genetic diversity and disease resistance features, especially high resistance to bacterial blight. The molecular mechanisms of bacterial blight resistance in O. officinalis have not yet been elucidated. The WRKY transcription factor family is one of the largest gene families involved in plant growth, development and stress response. However, little is known about the numbers, structure, molecular phylogenetics, and expression of the WRKY genes under Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) stress in O. officinalis due to lacking of O. officinalis genome. Therefore, based on the RNA-sequencing data of O. officinalis, we performed a comprehensive study of WRKY genes in O. officinalis and identified 89 OoWRKY genes. Then 89 OoWRKY genes were classified into three groups based on the WRKY domains and zinc finger motifs. Phylogenetic analysis strongly supported that the evolution of OoWRKY genes were consistent with previous studies of WRKYs, and subgroup IIc OoWRKY genes were the original ancestors of some group II and group III OoWRKYs. Among the 89 OoWRKY genes, eight OoWRKYs displayed significantly different expression (>2-fold, pWRKY family of transcription factors in O.officinalis. Insight was gained into the classification, evolution, and function of the OoWRKY genes, revealing the putative roles of eight significantly different expression OoWRKYs in Xoo strains PXO99 and C5 stress responses in O.officinalis. This study provided a better understanding of the evolution and functions of O. officinalis WRKY genes, and suggested that manipulating eight significantly different expression OoWRKYs would enhance resistance to bacterial blight.

  7. The BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) target genes are involved in the oxidative stress response and in control of the cell cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warnatz, Hans-Jörg; Schmidt, Dominic; Manke, Thomas; Piccini, Ilaria; Sultan, Marc; Borodina, Tatiana; Balzereit, Daniela; Wruck, Wasco; Soldatov, Alexey; Vingron, Martin; Lehrach, Hans; Yaspo, Marie-Laure

    2011-07-01

    The regulation of gene expression in response to environmental signals and metabolic imbalances is a key step in maintaining cellular homeostasis. BTB and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) is a heme-binding transcription factor repressing the transcription from a subset of MAF recognition elements at low intracellular heme levels. Upon heme binding, BACH1 is released from the MAF recognition elements, resulting in increased expression of antioxidant response genes. To systematically address the gene regulatory networks involving BACH1, we combined chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing analysis of BACH1 target genes in HEK 293 cells with knockdown of BACH1 using three independent types of small interfering RNAs followed by transcriptome profiling using microarrays. The 59 BACH1 target genes identified by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing were found highly enriched in genes showing expression changes after BACH1 knockdown, demonstrating the impact of BACH1 repression on transcription. In addition to known and new BACH1 targets involved in heme degradation (HMOX1, FTL, FTH1, ME1, and SLC48A1) and redox regulation (GCLC, GCLM, and SLC7A11), we also discovered BACH1 target genes affecting cell cycle and apoptosis pathways (ITPR2, CALM1, SQSTM1, TFE3, EWSR1, CDK6, BCL2L11, and MAFG) as well as subcellular transport processes (CLSTN1, PSAP, MAPT, and vault RNA). The newly identified impact of BACH1 on genes involved in neurodegenerative processes and proliferation provides an interesting basis for future dissection of BACH1-mediated gene repression in neurodegeneration and virus-induced cancerogenesis.

  8. Leptospira interrogans serovar copenhageni harbors two lexA genes involved in SOS response.

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    Luciane S Fonseca

    Full Text Available Bacteria activate a regulatory network in response to the challenges imposed by DNA damage to genetic material, known as the SOS response. This system is regulated by the RecA recombinase and by the transcriptional repressor lexA. Leptospira interrogans is a pathogen capable of surviving in the environment for weeks, being exposed to a great variety of stress agents and yet retaining its ability to infect the host. This study aims to investigate the behavior of L. interrogans serovar Copenhageni after the stress induced by DNA damage. We show that L. interrogans serovar Copenhageni genome contains two genes encoding putative LexA proteins (lexA1 and lexA2 one of them being potentially acquired by lateral gene transfer. Both genes are induced after DNA damage, but the steady state levels of both LexA proteins drop, probably due to auto-proteolytic activity triggered in this condition. In addition, seven other genes were up-regulated following UV-C irradiation, recA, recN, dinP, and four genes encoding hypothetical proteins. This set of genes is potentially regulated by LexA1, as it showed binding to their promoter regions. All these regions contain degenerated sequences in relation to the previously described SOS box, TTTGN 5CAAA. On the other hand, LexA2 was able to bind to the palindrome TTGTAN10TACAA, found in its own promoter region, but not in the others. Therefore, the L. interrogans serovar Copenhageni SOS regulon may be even more complex, as a result of LexA1 and LexA2 binding to divergent motifs. New possibilities for DNA damage response in Leptospira are expected, with potential influence in other biological responses such as virulence.

  9. Hypoxia-responsive ERFs involved in postdeastringency softening of persimmon fruit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Miao-Miao; Zhu, Qing-Gang; Deng, Chu-Li; Luo, Zheng-Rong; Sun, Ning-Jing; Grierson, Donald; Yin, Xue-Ren; Chen, Kun-Song

    2017-11-01

    Removal of astringency by endogenously formed acetaldehyde, achieved by postharvest anaerobic treatment, is of critical importance for many types of persimmon fruit. Although an anaerobic environment accelerates de-astringency, it also has the deleterious effect of promoting excessive softening, reducing shelf life and marketability. Some hypoxia-responsive ethylene response factors (ERFs) participate in anaerobic de-astringency, but their role in accelerated softening was unclear. Undesirable rapid softening induced by high CO 2 (95%) was ameliorated by adding the ethylene inhibitor 1-MCP (1 μL/L), resulting in reduced astringency while maintaining firmness, suggesting that CO 2 -induced softening involves ethylene signalling. Among the hypoxia-responsive genes, expression of eight involved in fruit cell wall metabolism (Dkβ-gal1/4, DkEGase1, DkPE1/2, DkPG1, DkXTH9/10) and three ethylene response factor genes (DkERF8/16/19) showed significant correlations with postdeastringency fruit softening. Dual-luciferase assay indicated that DkERF8/16/19 could trans-activate the DkXTH9 promoter and this interaction was abolished by a mutation introduced into the C-repeat/dehydration-responsive element of the DkXTH9 promoter, supporting the conclusion that these DkERFs bind directly to the DkXTH9 promoter and regulate this gene, which encodes an important cell wall metabolism enzyme. Some hypoxia-responsive ERF genes are involved in deastringency and softening, and this linkage was uncoupled by 1-MCP. Fruit of the Japanese cultivar 'Tonewase' provide a model for altered anaerobic response, as they lost astringency yet maintained firmness after CO 2 treatment without 1-MCP and changes in cell wall enzymes and ERFs did not occur. © 2017 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Association between Age at Diagnosis of Graves' Disease and Variants in Genes Involved in Immune Response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jurecka-Lubieniecka, Beata; Ploski, Rafal; Kula, Dorota; Krol, Aleksandra; Bednarczuk, Tomasz; Kolosza, Zofia; Tukiendorf, Andrzej; Szpak-Ulczok, Sylwia; Stanjek-Cichoracka, Anita; Polanska, Joanna; Jarzab, Barbara

    2013-01-01

    Background Graves' disease (GD) is a complex disease in which genetic predisposition is modified by environmental factors. The aim of the study was to examine the association between genetic variants in genes encoding proteins involved in immune response and the age at diagnosis of GD. Methods 735 GD patients and 1216 healthy controls from Poland were included into the study. Eight genetic variants in the HLA-DRB1, TNF, CTLA4, CD40, NFKb, PTPN22, IL4 and IL10 genes were genotyped. Patients were stratified by the age at diagnosis of GD and the association with genotype was analysed. Results Polymorphism in the HLA-DRB1, TNF and CTLA4 genes were associated with GD. The carriers of the HLA DRB1*03 allele were more frequent in patients with age at GD diagnosis ≤30 years than in patients with older age at GD diagnosis. Conclusions HLADRB1*03 allele is associated with young age at diagnosis of Graves' disease in polish population. PMID:23544060

  11. Identification and expression analyses of WRKY genes reveal their involvement in growth and abiotic stress response in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xiaozhen; Li, Hao; Yang, Yongchao; Wang, Yongqi; Mo, Yanling; Zhang, Ruimin; Zhang, Yong; Ma, Jianxiang; Wei, Chunhua; Zhang, Xian

    2018-01-01

    Despite identification of WRKY family genes in numerous plant species, a little is known about WRKY genes in watermelon, one of the most economically important fruit crops around the world. Here, we identified a total of 63 putative WRKY genes in watermelon and classified them into three major groups (I-III) and five subgroups (IIa-IIe) in group II. The structure analysis indicated that ClWRKYs with different WRKY domains or motifs may play different roles by regulating respective target genes. The expressions of ClWRKYs in different tissues indicate that they are involved in various tissue growth and development. Furthermore, the diverse responses of ClWRKYs to drought, salt, or cold stress suggest that they positively or negatively affect plant tolerance to various abiotic stresses. In addition, the altered expression patterns of ClWRKYs in response to phytohormones such as, ABA, SA, MeJA, and ETH, imply the occurrence of complex cross-talks between ClWRKYs and plant hormone signals in regulating plant physiological and biological processes. Taken together, our findings provide valuable clues to further explore the function and regulatory mechanisms of ClWRKY genes in watermelon growth, development, and adaption to environmental stresses.

  12. Identification and expression analyses of WRKY genes reveal their involvement in growth and abiotic stress response in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaozhen Yang

    Full Text Available Despite identification of WRKY family genes in numerous plant species, a little is known about WRKY genes in watermelon, one of the most economically important fruit crops around the world. Here, we identified a total of 63 putative WRKY genes in watermelon and classified them into three major groups (I-III and five subgroups (IIa-IIe in group II. The structure analysis indicated that ClWRKYs with different WRKY domains or motifs may play different roles by regulating respective target genes. The expressions of ClWRKYs in different tissues indicate that they are involved in various tissue growth and development. Furthermore, the diverse responses of ClWRKYs to drought, salt, or cold stress suggest that they positively or negatively affect plant tolerance to various abiotic stresses. In addition, the altered expression patterns of ClWRKYs in response to phytohormones such as, ABA, SA, MeJA, and ETH, imply the occurrence of complex cross-talks between ClWRKYs and plant hormone signals in regulating plant physiological and biological processes. Taken together, our findings provide valuable clues to further explore the function and regulatory mechanisms of ClWRKY genes in watermelon growth, development, and adaption to environmental stresses.

  13. Transcriptomic identification of candidate genes involved in sunflower responses to chilling and salt stresses based on cDNA microarray analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paniego Norma

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Considering that sunflower production is expanding to arid regions, tolerance to abiotic stresses as drought, low temperatures and salinity arises as one of the main constrains nowadays. Differential organ-specific sunflower ESTs (expressed sequence tags were previously generated by a subtractive hybridization method that included a considerable number of putative abiotic stress associated sequences. The objective of this work is to analyze concerted gene expression profiles of organ-specific ESTs by fluorescence microarray assay, in response to high sodium chloride concentration and chilling treatments with the aim to identify and follow up candidate genes for early responses to abiotic stress in sunflower. Results Abiotic-related expressed genes were the target of this characterization through a gene expression analysis using an organ-specific cDNA fluorescence microarray approach in response to high salinity and low temperatures. The experiment included three independent replicates from leaf samples. We analyzed 317 unigenes previously isolated from differential organ-specific cDNA libraries from leaf, stem and flower at R1 and R4 developmental stage. A statistical analysis based on mean comparison by ANOVA and ordination by Principal Component Analysis allowed the detection of 80 candidate genes for either salinity and/or chilling stresses. Out of them, 50 genes were up or down regulated under both stresses, supporting common regulatory mechanisms and general responses to chilling and salinity. Interestingly 15 and 12 sequences were up regulated or down regulated specifically in one stress but not in the other, respectively. These genes are potentially involved in different regulatory mechanisms including transcription/translation/protein degradation/protein folding/ROS production or ROS-scavenging. Differential gene expression patterns were confirmed by qRT-PCR for 12.5% of the microarray candidate sequences. Conclusion

  14. T-cell activation and early gene response in dogs.

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    Sally-Anne Mortlock

    Full Text Available T-cells play a crucial role in canine immunoregulation and defence against invading pathogens. Proliferation is fundamental to T-cell differentiation, homeostasis and immune response. Initiation of proliferation following receptor mediated stimuli requires a temporally programmed gene response that can be identified as immediate-early, mid- and late phases. The immediate-early response genes in T-cell activation engage the cell cycle machinery and promote subsequent gene activation events. Genes involved in this immediate-early response in dogs are yet to be identified. The present study was undertaken to characterise the early T-cell gene response in dogs to improve understanding of the genetic mechanisms regulating immune function. Gene expression profiles were characterised using canine gene expression microarrays and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR, and paired samples from eleven dogs. Significant functional annotation clusters were identified following stimulation with phytohemagluttinin (PHA (5μg/ml, including the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway and phosphorylation pathways. Using strict statistical criteria, 13 individual genes were found to be differentially expressed, nine of which have ontologies that relate to proliferation and cell cycle control. These included, prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2/COX2, early growth response 1 (EGR1, growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible gene (GADD45B, phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-induced protein 1 (PMAIP1, V-FOS FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog (FOS, early growth response 2 (EGR2, hemogen (HEMGN, polo-like kinase 2 (PLK2 and polo-like kinase 3 (PLK3. Differential gene expression was re-examined using qRT-PCR, which confirmed that EGR1, EGR2, PMAIP1, PTGS2, FOS and GADD45B were significantly upregulated in stimulated cells and ALAS2 downregulated. PTGS2 and EGR1 showed the highest levels of response in these dogs. Both of these genes are involved in

  15. An ethylene-responsive enhancer element is involved in the senescence-related expression of the carnation glutathione-S-transferase (GST1) gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Itzhaki, H; Maxson, J M; Woodson, W R

    1994-09-13

    The increased production of ethylene during carnation petal senescence regulates the transcription of the GST1 gene encoding a subunit of glutathione-S-transferase. We have investigated the molecular basis for this ethylene-responsive transcription by examining the cis elements and trans-acting factors involved in the expression of the GST1 gene. Transient expression assays following delivery of GST1 5' flanking DNA fused to a beta-glucuronidase receptor gene were used to functionally define sequences responsible for ethylene-responsive expression. Deletion analysis of the 5' flanking sequences of GST1 identified a single positive regulatory element of 197 bp between -667 and -470 necessary for ethylene-responsive expression. The sequences within this ethylene-responsive region were further localized to 126 bp between -596 and -470. The ethylene-responsive element (ERE) within this region conferred ethylene-regulated expression upon a minimal cauliflower mosaic virus-35S TATA-box promoter in an orientation-independent manner. Gel electrophoresis mobility-shift assays and DNase I footprinting were used to identify proteins that bind to sequences within the ERE. Nuclear proteins from carnation petals were shown to specifically interact with the 126-bp ERE and the presence and binding of these proteins were independent of ethylene or petal senescence. DNase I footprinting defined DNA sequences between -510 and -488 within the ERE specifically protected by bound protein. An 8-bp sequence (ATTTCAAA) within the protected region shares significant homology with promoter sequences required for ethylene responsiveness from the tomato fruit-ripening E4 gene.

  16. The cis-regulatory element CCACGTGG is involved in ABA and water-stress responses of the maize gene rab28.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pla, M; Vilardell, J; Guiltinan, M J; Marcotte, W R; Niogret, M F; Quatrano, R S; Pagès, M

    1993-01-01

    The maize gene rab28 has been identified as ABA-inducible in embryos and vegetative tissues. It is also induced by water stress in young leaves. The proximal promoter region contains the conserved cis-acting element CCACGTGG (ABRE) reported for ABA induction in other plant genes. Transient expression assays in rice protoplasts indicate that a 134 bp fragment (-194 to -60 containing the ABRE) fused to a truncated cauliflower mosaic virus promoter (35S) is sufficient to confer ABA-responsiveness upon the GUS reporter gene. Gel retardation experiments indicate that nuclear proteins from tissues in which the rab28 gene is expressed can interact specifically with this 134 bp DNA fragment. Nuclear protein extracts from embryo and water-stressed leaves generate specific complexes of different electrophoretic mobility which are stable in the presence of detergent and high salt. However, by DMS footprinting the same guanine-specific contacts with the ABRE in both the embryo and leaf binding activities were detected. These results indicate that the rab28 promoter sequence CCACGTGG is a functional ABA-responsive element, and suggest that distinct regulatory factors with apparent similar affinity for the ABRE sequence may be involved in the hormone action during embryo development and in vegetative tissues subjected to osmotic stress.

  17. Development of a qPCR strategy to select bean genes involved in plant defence response and regulated by the Trichoderma velutinum - Rhizoctonia solani interaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Mayo

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Bean production is affected by a wide diversity of fungal pathogens, among them Rhizoctonia solani is one of the most important. A strategy to control bean infectious diseases, mainly those caused by fungi, is based on the use of biocontrol agents that can reduce the negative effects of plant pathogens and also can promote positive responses in the plant. Trichoderma is a fungal genus that is able to induce the expression of genes involved in plant defence response and also to promote plant growth, root development and nutrient uptake. In this article, a strategy that combines in silico analysis and real time PCR to detect additional bean defence-related genes, regulated by the presence of Trichoderma velutinum and/or R. solani has been applied. Based in this strategy, from From the 48 bean genes initially analysed, 14 were selected, and only WRKY33, CH5b and hGS showed an up-regulatory response in the presence of T. velutinum. The other genes were or not affected (OSM34 or down-regulated by the presence of this fungus. R. solani infection resulted in a down-regulation of most of the genes analyzed, except PR1, OSM34 and CNGC2 that were not affected, and the presence of both, T. velutinum and R. solani, up-regulates hGS and down-regulates all the other genes analyzed, except CH5b which was not significantly affected.As conclusion, the strategy described in the present work has been shown to be effective to detect genes involved in plant defence, which respond to the presence of a biocontrol agent or to a pathogen and also to the presence of both. The selected genes show significant homology with previously described plant defence genes and they are expressed in bean leaves of plants treated with T. velutinum and/or infected with R. solani.

  18. Examination of Signatures of Recent Positive Selection on Genes Involved in Human Sialic Acid Biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moon, Jiyun M; Aronoff, David M; Capra, John A; Abbot, Patrick; Rokas, Antonis

    2018-03-28

    Sialic acids are nine carbon sugars ubiquitously found on the surfaces of vertebrate cells and are involved in various immune response-related processes. In humans, at least 58 genes spanning diverse functions, from biosynthesis and activation to recycling and degradation, are involved in sialic acid biology. Because of their role in immunity, sialic acid biology genes have been hypothesized to exhibit elevated rates of evolutionary change. Consistent with this hypothesis, several genes involved in sialic acid biology have experienced higher rates of non-synonymous substitutions in the human lineage than their counterparts in other great apes, perhaps in response to ancient pathogens that infected hominins millions of years ago (paleopathogens). To test whether sialic acid biology genes have also experienced more recent positive selection during the evolution of the modern human lineage, reflecting adaptation to contemporary cosmopolitan or geographically-restricted pathogens, we examined whether their protein-coding regions showed evidence of recent hard and soft selective sweeps. This examination involved the calculation of four measures that quantify changes in allele frequency spectra, extent of population differentiation, and haplotype homozygosity caused by recent hard and soft selective sweeps for 55 sialic acid biology genes using publicly available whole genome sequencing data from 1,668 humans from three ethnic groups. To disentangle evidence for selection from confounding demographic effects, we compared the observed patterns in sialic acid biology genes to simulated sequences of the same length under a model of neutral evolution that takes into account human demographic history. We found that the patterns of genetic variation of most sialic acid biology genes did not significantly deviate from neutral expectations and were not significantly different among genes belonging to different functional categories. Those few sialic acid biology genes that

  19. A PR-4 gene identified from Malus domestica is involved in the defense responses against Botryosphaeria dothidea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Suhua; Dong, Chaohua; Li, Baohua; Dai, Hongyi

    2013-01-01

    Pathogenesis-related protein-4 (PR-4) family is a group of proteins with a Barwin domain in C-terminus and generally thought to be involved in plant defense responses. However, their detailed roles are poorly understood in defense of apple plant against pathogenic infection. In the present study, a new PR-4 gene (designated as MdPR-4) was identified from Malus domestica, and its roles in defense responses of apple were investigated. The open reading frame of MdPR-4 gene is of 447 bp encoding a protein of 148 amino acids with a Barwin domain in C-terminus and a signal peptide of 26 amino acids in N-terminus. Sequence and structural analysis indicated that MdPR-4 protein belongs to class II of PR-4 family. The high-level expression of MdPR-4 was observed in flowers and leaves as revealed by quantitative real time PCR. The temporal expression analysis demonstrated that MdPR-4 expression could be up-regulated by Botryosphaeria dothidea infection and salicylic acid (SA) or methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment, but suppressed by diethyldithiocarbamic acid (DIECA). In vitro assays, recombinant MdPR-4 protein exhibited ribonuclease activity specific for single strand RNA and significant inhibition to hyphal growth of three apple pathogenic fungi B. dothidea, Valsa ceratosperma and Glomerella cingulata. Moreover, the inhibition was reduced by the presence of 5'-ADP. Taken all together, the results indicate that MdPR-4 protein is involved in the defense responses of apple against pathogenic attack by directly inhibiting hyphal growth, and the inhibition is correlated with its ribonuclease activity, where as MdPR-4 expression is regulated by both SA and JA signaling pathway. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  20. HRGFish: A database of hypoxia responsive genes in fishes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rashid, Iliyas; Nagpure, Naresh Sahebrao; Srivastava, Prachi; Kumar, Ravindra; Pathak, Ajey Kumar; Singh, Mahender; Kushwaha, Basdeo

    2017-02-01

    Several studies have highlighted the changes in the gene expression due to the hypoxia response in fishes, but the systematic organization of the information and the analytical platform for such genes are lacking. In the present study, an attempt was made to develop a database of hypoxia responsive genes in fishes (HRGFish), integrated with analytical tools, using LAMPP technology. Genes reported in hypoxia response for fishes were compiled through literature survey and the database presently covers 818 gene sequences and 35 gene types from 38 fishes. The upstream fragments (3,000 bp), covered in this database, enables to compute CG dinucleotides frequencies, motif finding of the hypoxia response element, identification of CpG island and mapping with the reference promoter of zebrafish. The database also includes functional annotation of genes and provides tools for analyzing sequences and designing primers for selected gene fragments. This may be the first database on the hypoxia response genes in fishes that provides a workbench to the scientific community involved in studying the evolution and ecological adaptation of the fish species in relation to hypoxia.

  1. Comprehensive transcriptome analysis reveals novel genes involved in cardiac glycoside biosynthesis and mlncRNAs associated with secondary metabolism and stress response in Digitalis purpurea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wu Bin

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Digitalis purpurea is an important ornamental and medicinal plant. There is considerable interest in exploring its transcriptome. Results Through high-throughput 454 sequencing and subsequent assembly, we obtained 23532 genes, of which 15626 encode conserved proteins. We determined 140 unigenes to be candidates involved in cardiac glycoside biosynthesis. It could be grouped into 30 families, of which 29 were identified for the first time in D. purpurea. We identified 2660 mRNA-like npcRNA (mlncRNA candidates, an emerging class of regulators, using a computational mlncRNA identification pipeline and 13 microRNA-producing unigenes based on sequence conservation and hairpin structure-forming capability. Twenty five protein-coding unigenes were predicted to be targets of these microRNAs. Among the mlncRNA candidates, only 320 could be grouped into 140 families with at least two members in a family. The majority of D. purpurea mlncRNAs were species-specific and many of them showed tissue-specific expression and responded to cold and dehydration stresses. We identified 417 protein-coding genes with regions significantly homologous or complementary to 375 mlncRNAs. It includes five genes involved in secondary metabolism. A positive correlation was found in gene expression between protein-coding genes and the homologous mlncRNAs in response to cold and dehydration stresses, while the correlation was negative when protein-coding genes and mlncRNAs were complementary to each other. Conclusions Through comprehensive transcriptome analysis, we not only identified 29 novel gene families potentially involved in the biosynthesis of cardiac glycosides but also characterized a large number of mlncRNAs. Our results suggest the importance of mlncRNAs in secondary metabolism and stress response in D. purpurea.

  2. Thioridazine affects transcription of genes involved in cell wall biosynthesis in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bonde, Mette; Højland, Dorte Heidi; Kolmos, Hans Jørn

    2011-01-01

    have previously shown that the expression of some resistance genes is abolished after treatment with thioridazine and oxacillin. To further understand the mechanism underlying the reversal of resistance, we tested the expression of genes involved in antibiotic resistance and cell wall biosynthesis...... in response to thioridazine in combination with oxacillin. We observed that the oxacillin-induced expression of genes belonging to the VraSR regulon is reduced by the addition of thioridazine. The exclusion of such key factors involved in cell wall biosynthesis will most likely lead to a weakened cell wall...... reversal of resistance by thioridazine relies on decreased expression of specific genes involved in cell wall biosynthesis....

  3. Salinity stress induces the production of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones and regulates novel classes of responsive genes involved in signal transduction in Aquilaria sinensis calli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaohui; Gao, Bowen; Liu, Xiao; Dong, Xianjuan; Zhang, Zhongxiu; Fan, Huiyan; Zhang, Le; Wang, Juan; Shi, Shepo; Tu, Pengfei

    2016-05-26

    Agarwood, is a resinous portion derived from Aquilaria sinensis, has been widely used in traditional medicine and incense. 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones are principal components responsible for the quality of agarwood. However, the molecular basis of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones biosynthesis and regulation remains almost unknown. Our research indicated that salt stress induced production of several of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones in A. sinensis calli. Transcriptome analysis of A. sinensis calli treated with NaCl is required to further facilitate the multiple signal pathways in response to salt stress and to understand the mechanism of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones biosynthesis. Forty one 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones were identified from NaCl-treated A. sinensis calli. 93 041 unigenes with an average length of 1562 nt were generated from the control and salt-treated calli by Illmunina sequencing after assembly, and the unigenes were annotated by comparing with the public databases including NR, Swiss-Prot, KEGG, COG, and GO database. In total, 18 069 differentially expressed transcripts were identified by the transcriptome comparisons on the control calli and calli induced by 24 h or 120 h salinity stress. Numerous genes involved in signal transduction pathways including the genes responsible for hormone signal transduction, receptor-like kinases, MAPK cascades, Ca(2+) signal transduction, and transcription factors showed clear differences between the control calli and NaCl-treated calli. Furthermore, our data suggested that the genes annotated as chalcone synthases and O-methyltransferases may contribute to the biosynthesis of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones. Salinity stress could induce the production of 41 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones in A. sinensis calli. We conducted the first deep-sequencing transcriptome profiling of A. sinensis under salt stress and observed a large number of differentially expressed genes in response to salinity stress. Moreover, salt stress induced

  4. Identifying genes and gene networks involved in chromium metabolism and detoxification in Crambe abyssinica

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zulfiqar, Asma; Paulose, Bibin; Chhikara, Sudesh; Dhankher, Om Parkash

    2011-01-01

    Chromium pollution is a serious environmental problem with few cost-effective remediation strategies available. Crambe abyssinica (a member of Brassicaseae), a non-food, fast growing high biomass crop, is an ideal candidate for phytoremediation of heavy metals contaminated soils. The present study used a PCR-Select Suppression Subtraction Hybridization approach in C. abyssinica to isolate differentially expressed genes in response to Cr exposure. A total of 72 differentially expressed subtracted cDNAs were sequenced and found to represent 43 genes. The subtracted cDNAs suggest that Cr stress significantly affects pathways related to stress/defense, ion transporters, sulfur assimilation, cell signaling, protein degradation, photosynthesis and cell metabolism. The regulation of these genes in response to Cr exposure was further confirmed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Characterization of these differentially expressed genes may enable the engineering of non-food, high-biomass plants, including C. abyssinica, for phytoremediation of Cr-contaminated soils and sediments. - Highlights: → Molecular mechanism of Cr uptake and detoxification in plants is not well known. → We identified differentially regulated genes upon Cr exposure in Crambe abyssinica. → 72 Cr-induced subtracted cDNAs were sequenced and found to represent 43 genes. → Pathways linked to stress, ion transport, and sulfur assimilation were affected. → This is the first Cr transcriptome study in a crop with phytoremediation potential. - This study describes the identification and isolation of differentially expressed genes involved in chromium metabolism and detoxification in a non-food industrial oil crop Crambe abyssinica.

  5. Identifying genes and gene networks involved in chromium metabolism and detoxification in Crambe abyssinica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zulfiqar, Asma, E-mail: asmazulfiqar08@yahoo.com [Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences, 270 Stockbridge Road, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Paulose, Bibin, E-mail: bpaulose@psis.umass.edu [Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences, 270 Stockbridge Road, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Chhikara, Sudesh, E-mail: sudesh@psis.umass.edu [Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences, 270 Stockbridge Road, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Dhankher, Om Parkash, E-mail: parkash@psis.umass.edu [Department of Plant, Soil, and Insect Sciences, 270 Stockbridge Road, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003 (United States)

    2011-10-15

    Chromium pollution is a serious environmental problem with few cost-effective remediation strategies available. Crambe abyssinica (a member of Brassicaseae), a non-food, fast growing high biomass crop, is an ideal candidate for phytoremediation of heavy metals contaminated soils. The present study used a PCR-Select Suppression Subtraction Hybridization approach in C. abyssinica to isolate differentially expressed genes in response to Cr exposure. A total of 72 differentially expressed subtracted cDNAs were sequenced and found to represent 43 genes. The subtracted cDNAs suggest that Cr stress significantly affects pathways related to stress/defense, ion transporters, sulfur assimilation, cell signaling, protein degradation, photosynthesis and cell metabolism. The regulation of these genes in response to Cr exposure was further confirmed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Characterization of these differentially expressed genes may enable the engineering of non-food, high-biomass plants, including C. abyssinica, for phytoremediation of Cr-contaminated soils and sediments. - Highlights: > Molecular mechanism of Cr uptake and detoxification in plants is not well known. > We identified differentially regulated genes upon Cr exposure in Crambe abyssinica. > 72 Cr-induced subtracted cDNAs were sequenced and found to represent 43 genes. > Pathways linked to stress, ion transport, and sulfur assimilation were affected. > This is the first Cr transcriptome study in a crop with phytoremediation potential. - This study describes the identification and isolation of differentially expressed genes involved in chromium metabolism and detoxification in a non-food industrial oil crop Crambe abyssinica.

  6. Global Gene-Expression Analysis to Identify Differentially Expressed Genes Critical for the Heat Stress Response in Brassica rapa.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiangshu Dong

    Full Text Available Genome-wide dissection of the heat stress response (HSR is necessary to overcome problems in crop production caused by global warming. To identify HSR genes, we profiled gene expression in two Chinese cabbage inbred lines with different thermotolerances, Chiifu and Kenshin. Many genes exhibited >2-fold changes in expression upon exposure to 0.5- 4 h at 45°C (high temperature, HT: 5.2% (2,142 genes in Chiifu and 3.7% (1,535 genes in Kenshin. The most enriched GO (Gene Ontology items included 'response to heat', 'response to reactive oxygen species (ROS', 'response to temperature stimulus', 'response to abiotic stimulus', and 'MAPKKK cascade'. In both lines, the genes most highly induced by HT encoded small heat shock proteins (Hsps and heat shock factor (Hsf-like proteins such as HsfB2A (Bra029292, whereas high-molecular weight Hsps were constitutively expressed. Other upstream HSR components were also up-regulated: ROS-scavenging genes like glutathione peroxidase 2 (BrGPX2, Bra022853, protein kinases, and phosphatases. Among heat stress (HS marker genes in Arabidopsis, only exportin 1A (XPO1A (Bra008580, Bra006382 can be applied to B. rapa for basal thermotolerance (BT and short-term acquired thermotolerance (SAT gene. CYP707A3 (Bra025083, Bra021965, which is involved in the dehydration response in Arabidopsis, was associated with membrane leakage in both lines following HS. Although many transcription factors (TF genes, including DREB2A (Bra005852, were involved in HS tolerance in both lines, Bra024224 (MYB41 and Bra021735 (a bZIP/AIR1 [Anthocyanin-Impaired-Response-1] were specific to Kenshin. Several candidate TFs involved in thermotolerance were confirmed as HSR genes by real-time PCR, and these assignments were further supported by promoter analysis. Although some of our findings are similar to those obtained using other plant species, clear differences in Brassica rapa reveal a distinct HSR in this species. Our data could also provide a

  7. WRKY transcription factors involved in PR-1 gene expression in Arabidopsis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hussain, Rana Muhammad Fraz

    2012-01-01

    Salicylic acid (SA) is involved in mediating defense against biotrophic pathogens. The current knowledge of the SA-mediated signaling pathway and its effect on the transcriptional regulation of defense responses are reviewed in this thesis. PR-1 is a marker gene for systemic acquired resistance

  8. Global SUMO proteome responses guide gene regulation, mRNA biogenesis, and plant stress responses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magdalena eMazur

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Small-ubiquitin-like MOdifier (SUMO is a key regulator of abiotic stress, disease resistance and development in plants. The identification of >350 plant SUMO targets has revealed many processes modulated by SUMO and potential consequences of SUMO on its targets. Importantly, highly related proteins are SUMO-modified in plants, yeast, and metazoans. Overlapping SUMO targets include heat-shock proteins, transcription regulators, histones, histone-modifying enzymes, proteins involved in DNA damage repair, but also proteins involved in mRNA biogenesis and nucleo-cytoplasmic transport. Proteomics studies indicate key roles for SUMO in gene repression by controlling histone (deacetylation activity at genomic loci. The responsible heavily sumoylated transcriptional repressor complexes are recruited by EAR (Ethylene-responsive element binding factor [ERF]-associated Amphiphilic Repression-motif containing transcription factors in plants. These transcription factors are not necessarily themselves a SUMO target. Conversely, SUMO acetylation prevents binding of downstream partners by preventing binding of SIMs (SUMO-interaction peptide motifs presents in these partners, while SUMO acetylation has emerged as mechanism to recruit specifically bromodomains; bromodomain are generally linked with gene activation. These findings strengthen the idea of a bidirectional sumo-/acetylation switch in gene regulation. Quantitative proteomics has highlighted that global sumoylation provides a dynamic response to protein damage involving SUMO chain-mediated protein degradation, but also SUMO E3 ligase-dependent transcription of HSP (Heat-shock protein genes. With these insights in SUMO function and novel technical advancements, we can now study SUMO dynamics in responses to (abiotic stress in plants.

  9. A chromatin modifying enzyme, SDG8, is involved in morphological, gene expression, and epigenetic responses to mechanical stimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cazzonelli, Christopher I; Nisar, Nazia; Roberts, Andrea C; Murray, Kevin D; Borevitz, Justin O; Pogson, Barry J

    2014-01-01

    Thigmomorphogenesis is viewed as being a response process of acclimation to short repetitive bursts of mechanical stimulation or touch. The underlying molecular mechanisms that coordinate changes in how touch signals lead to long-term morphological changes are enigmatic. Touch responsive gene expression is rapid and transient, and no transcription factor or DNA regulatory motif has been reported that could confer a genome wide mechanical stimulus. We report here on a chromatin modifying enzyme, SDG8/ASHH2, which can regulate the expression of many touch responsive genes identified in Arabidopsis. SDG8 is required for the permissive expression of touch induced genes; and the loss of function of sdg8 perturbs the maximum levels of induction on selected touch gene targets. SDG8 is required to maintain permissive H3K4 trimethylation marks surrounding the Arabidopsis touch-inducible gene TOUCH 3 (TCH3), which encodes a calmodulin-like protein (CML12). The gene neighboring was also slightly down regulated, revealing a new target for SDG8 mediated chromatin modification. Finally, sdg8 mutants show perturbed morphological response to wind-agitated mechanical stimuli, implicating an epigenetic memory-forming process in the acclimation response of thigmomorphogenesis.

  10. Copy number variations of genes involved in stress responses reflect the redox state and DNA damage in brewing yeasts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adamczyk, Jagoda; Deregowska, Anna; Skoneczny, Marek; Skoneczna, Adrianna; Natkanska, Urszula; Kwiatkowska, Aleksandra; Rawska, Ewa; Potocki, Leszek; Kuna, Ewelina; Panek, Anita; Lewinska, Anna; Wnuk, Maciej

    2016-09-01

    The yeast strains of the Saccharomyces sensu stricto complex involved in beer production are a heterogeneous group whose genetic and genomic features are not adequately determined. Thus, the aim of the present study was to provide a genetic characterization of selected group of commercially available brewing yeasts both ale top-fermenting and lager bottom-fermenting strains. Molecular karyotyping revealed that the diversity of chromosome patterns and four strains with the most accented genetic variabilities were selected and subjected to genome-wide array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) analysis. The differences in the gene copy number were found in five functional gene categories: (1) maltose metabolism and transport, (2) response to toxin, (3) siderophore transport, (4) cellular aldehyde metabolic process, and (5) L-iditol 2-dehydrogenase activity (p < 0.05). In the Saflager W-34/70 strain (Fermentis) with the most affected array-CGH profile, loss of aryl-alcohol dehydrogenase (AAD) gene dosage correlated with an imbalanced redox state, oxidative DNA damage and breaks, lower levels of nucleolar proteins Nop1 and Fob1, and diminished tolerance to fermentation-associated stress stimuli compared to other strains. We suggest that compromised stress response may not only promote oxidant-based changes in the nucleolus state that may affect fermentation performance but also provide novel directions for future strain improvement.

  11. Alcohol-induced histone acetylation reveals a gene network involved in alcohol tolerance.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alfredo Ghezzi

    Full Text Available Sustained or repeated exposure to sedating drugs, such as alcohol, triggers homeostatic adaptations in the brain that lead to the development of drug tolerance and dependence. These adaptations involve long-term changes in the transcription of drug-responsive genes as well as an epigenetic restructuring of chromosomal regions that is thought to signal and maintain the altered transcriptional state. Alcohol-induced epigenetic changes have been shown to be important in the long-term adaptation that leads to alcohol tolerance and dependence endophenotypes. A major constraint impeding progress is that alcohol produces a surfeit of changes in gene expression, most of which may not make any meaningful contribution to the ethanol response under study. Here we used a novel genomic epigenetic approach to find genes relevant for functional alcohol tolerance by exploiting the commonalities of two chemically distinct alcohols. In Drosophila melanogaster, ethanol and benzyl alcohol induce mutual cross-tolerance, indicating that they share a common mechanism for producing tolerance. We surveyed the genome-wide changes in histone acetylation that occur in response to these drugs. Each drug induces modifications in a large number of genes. The genes that respond similarly to either treatment, however, represent a subgroup enriched for genes important for the common tolerance response. Genes were functionally tested for behavioral tolerance to the sedative effects of ethanol and benzyl alcohol using mutant and inducible RNAi stocks. We identified a network of genes that are essential for the development of tolerance to sedation by alcohol.

  12. Apolipoprotein gene involved in lipid metabolism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubin, Edward; Pennacchio, Len A.

    2007-07-03

    Methods and materials for studying the effects of a newly identified human gene, APOAV, and the corresponding mouse gene apoAV. The sequences of the genes are given, and transgenic animals which either contain the gene or have the endogenous gene knocked out are described. In addition, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene are described and characterized. It is demonstrated that certain SNPs are associated with diseases involving lipids and triglycerides and other metabolic diseases. These SNPs may be used alone or with SNPs from other genes to study individual risk factors. Methods for intervention in lipid diseases, including the screening of drugs to treat lipid-related or diabetic diseases are also disclosed.

  13. Haloperidol induces pharmacoepigenetic response by modulating miRNA expression, global DNA methylation and expression profiles of methylation maintenance genes and genes involved in neurotransmission in neuronal cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swathy, Babu; Banerjee, Moinak

    2017-01-01

    Haloperidol has been extensively used in various psychiatric conditions. It has also been reported to induce severe side effects. We aimed to evaluate whether haloperidol can influence host methylome, and if so what are the possible mechanisms for it in neuronal cells. Impact on host methylome and miRNAs can have wide spread alterations in gene expression, which might possibly help in understanding how haloperidol may impact treatment response or induce side effects. SK-N-SH, a neuroblasoma cell line was treated with haloperidol at 10μm concentration for 24 hours and global DNA methylation was evaluated. Methylation at global level is maintained by methylation maintenance machinery and certain miRNAs. Therefore, the expression of methylation maintenance genes and their putative miRNA expression profiles were assessed. These global methylation alterations could result in gene expression changes. Therefore genes expressions for neurotransmitter receptors, regulators, ion channels and transporters were determined. Subsequently, we were also keen to identify a strong candidate miRNA based on biological and in-silico approach which can reflect on the pharmacoepigenetic trait of haloperidol and can also target the altered neuroscience panel of genes used in the study. Haloperidol induced increase in global DNA methylation which was found to be associated with corresponding increase in expression of various epigenetic modifiers that include DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B and MBD2. The expression of miR-29b that is known to putatively regulate the global methylation by modulating the expression of epigenetic modifiers was observed to be down regulated by haloperidol. In addition to miR-29b, miR-22 was also found to be downregulated by haloperidol treatment. Both these miRNA are known to putatively target several genes associated with various epigenetic modifiers, pharmacogenes and neurotransmission. Interestingly some of these putative target genes involved in neurotransmission

  14. Haloperidol induces pharmacoepigenetic response by modulating miRNA expression, global DNA methylation and expression profiles of methylation maintenance genes and genes involved in neurotransmission in neuronal cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Babu Swathy

    Full Text Available Haloperidol has been extensively used in various psychiatric conditions. It has also been reported to induce severe side effects. We aimed to evaluate whether haloperidol can influence host methylome, and if so what are the possible mechanisms for it in neuronal cells. Impact on host methylome and miRNAs can have wide spread alterations in gene expression, which might possibly help in understanding how haloperidol may impact treatment response or induce side effects.SK-N-SH, a neuroblasoma cell line was treated with haloperidol at 10μm concentration for 24 hours and global DNA methylation was evaluated. Methylation at global level is maintained by methylation maintenance machinery and certain miRNAs. Therefore, the expression of methylation maintenance genes and their putative miRNA expression profiles were assessed. These global methylation alterations could result in gene expression changes. Therefore genes expressions for neurotransmitter receptors, regulators, ion channels and transporters were determined. Subsequently, we were also keen to identify a strong candidate miRNA based on biological and in-silico approach which can reflect on the pharmacoepigenetic trait of haloperidol and can also target the altered neuroscience panel of genes used in the study.Haloperidol induced increase in global DNA methylation which was found to be associated with corresponding increase in expression of various epigenetic modifiers that include DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B and MBD2. The expression of miR-29b that is known to putatively regulate the global methylation by modulating the expression of epigenetic modifiers was observed to be down regulated by haloperidol. In addition to miR-29b, miR-22 was also found to be downregulated by haloperidol treatment. Both these miRNA are known to putatively target several genes associated with various epigenetic modifiers, pharmacogenes and neurotransmission. Interestingly some of these putative target genes involved in

  15. Responses of genes involved in cell cycle control to diverse DNA damaging chemicals in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gooderham Nigel J

    2005-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Many anticancer agents and carcinogens are DNA damaging chemicals and exposure to such chemicals results in the deregulation of cell cycle progression. The molecular mechanisms of DNA damage-induced cell cycle alteration are not well understood. We have studied the effects of etoposide (an anticancer agent, cryptolepine (CLP, a cytotoxic alkaloid, benzo [a]pyrene (BaP, a carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo [4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP, a cooked-meat derived carcinogen on the expression of cell cycle regulatory genes to understand the molecular mechanisms of the cell cycle disturbance. Results A549 cells were treated with DMSO or chemicals for up to 72 h and periodically sampled for cell cycle analysis, mRNA and protein expression. DMSO treated cells showed a dominant G1 peak in cell cycle at all times examined. Etoposide and CLP both induced G2/M phase arrest yet the former altered the expression of genes functioning at multiple phases, whilst the latter was more effective in inhibiting the expression of genes in G2-M transition. Both etoposide and CLP induced an accumulation of p53 protein and upregulation of p53 transcriptional target genes. Neither BaP nor PhIP had substantial phase-specific cell cycle effect, however, they induced distinctive changes in gene expression. BaP upregulated the expression of CYP1B1 at 6–24 h and downregulated many cell cycle regulatory genes at 48–72 h. By contrast, PhIP increased the expression of many cell cycle regulatory genes. Changes in the expression of key mRNAs were confirmed at protein level. Conclusion Our experiments show that DNA damaging agents with different mechanisms of action induced distinctive changes in the expression pattern of a panel of cell cycle regulatory genes. We suggest that examining the genomic response to chemical exposure provides an exceptional opportunity to understand the molecular mechanism involved in cellular

  16. Genome-wide analysis of WRKY gene family in the sesame genome and identification of the WRKY genes involved in responses to abiotic stresses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Donghua; Liu, Pan; Yu, Jingyin; Wang, Linhai; Dossa, Komivi; Zhang, Yanxin; Zhou, Rong; Wei, Xin; Zhang, Xiurong

    2017-09-11

    Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the world's most important oil crops. However, it is susceptible to abiotic stresses in general, and to waterlogging and drought stresses in particular. The molecular mechanisms of abiotic stress tolerance in sesame have not yet been elucidated. The WRKY domain transcription factors play significant roles in plant growth, development, and responses to stresses. However, little is known about the number, location, structure, molecular phylogenetics, and expression of the WRKY genes in sesame. We performed a comprehensive study of the WRKY gene family in sesame and identified 71 SiWRKYs. In total, 65 of these genes were mapped to 15 linkage groups within the sesame genome. A phylogenetic analysis was performed using a related species (Arabidopsis thaliana) to investigate the evolution of the sesame WRKY genes. Tissue expression profiles of the WRKY genes demonstrated that six SiWRKY genes were highly expressed in all organs, suggesting that these genes may be important for plant growth and organ development in sesame. Analysis of the SiWRKY gene expression patterns revealed that 33 and 26 SiWRKYs respond strongly to waterlogging and drought stresses, respectively. Changes in the expression of 12 SiWRKY genes were observed at different times after the waterlogging and drought treatments had begun, demonstrating that sesame gene expression patterns vary in response to abiotic stresses. In this study, we analyzed the WRKY family of transcription factors encoded by the sesame genome. Insight was gained into the classification, evolution, and function of the SiWRKY genes, revealing their putative roles in a variety of tissues. Responses to abiotic stresses in different sesame cultivars were also investigated. The results of our study provide a better understanding of the structures and functions of sesame WRKY genes and suggest that manipulating these WRKYs could enhance resistance to waterlogging and drought.

  17. Evidence of cardiac involvement in the fetal inflammatory response syndrome: disruption of gene networks programming cardiac development in nonhuman primates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, Timothy; MacDonald, James W; Srinouanpranchanh, Sengkeo; Bammler, Theodor K; Merillat, Sean; Boldenow, Erica; Coleman, Michelle; Agnew, Kathy; Baldessari, Audrey; Stencel-Baerenwald, Jennifer E; Tisoncik-Go, Jennifer; Green, Richard R; Gale, Michael J; Rajagopal, Lakshmi; Adams Waldorf, Kristina M

    2018-04-01

    Most early preterm births are associated with intraamniotic infection and inflammation, which can lead to systemic inflammation in the fetus. The fetal inflammatory response syndrome describes elevations in the fetal interleukin-6 level, which is a marker for inflammation and fetal organ injury. An understanding of the effects of inflammation on fetal cardiac development may lead to insight into the fetal origins of adult cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the fetal inflammatory response syndrome is associated with disruptions in gene networks that program fetal cardiac development. We obtained fetal cardiac tissue after necropsy from a well-described pregnant nonhuman primate model (pigtail macaque, Macaca nemestrina) of intrauterine infection (n=5) and controls (n=5). Cases with the fetal inflammatory response syndrome (fetal plasma interleukin-6 >11 pg/mL) were induced by either choriodecidual inoculation of a hypervirulent group B streptococcus strain (n=4) or intraamniotic inoculation of Escherichia coli (n=1). RNA and protein were extracted from fetal hearts and profiled by microarray and Luminex (Millipore, Billerica, MA) for cytokine analysis, respectively. Results were validated by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Statistical and bioinformatics analyses included single gene analysis, gene set analysis, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (Qiagen, Valencia, CA), and Wilcoxon rank sum. Severe fetal inflammation developed in the context of intraamniotic infection and a disseminated bacterial infection in the fetus. Interleukin-6 and -8 in fetal cardiac tissues were elevated significantly in fetal inflammatory response syndrome cases vs controls (P1.5-fold change, P<.05) in the fetal heart (analysis of variance). Altered expression of select genes was validated by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction that included several with known functions in cardiac injury, morphogenesis

  18. Induction of senescence and identification of differentially expressed genes in tomato in response to monoterpene.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sumit Ghosh

    Full Text Available Monoterpenes, which are among the major components of plant essential oils, are known for their ecological roles as well for pharmaceutical properties. Geraniol, an acyclic monoterpene induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis/senescence in various cancer cells and plants; however, the genes involved in the process and the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we demonstrate that treatment of tomato plants with geraniol results in induction of senescence due to a substantial alteration in transcriptome. We have identified several geraniol-responsive protein encoding genes in tomato using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH approach. These genes comprise of various components of signal transduction, cellular metabolism, reactive oxygen species (ROS, ethylene signalling, apoptosis and DNA damage response. Upregulation of NADPH oxidase and antioxidant genes, and increase in ROS level after geraniol treatment point towards the involvement of ROS in geraniol-mediated senescence. The delayed onset of seedling death and induced expression of geraniol-responsive genes in geraniol-treated ethylene receptor mutant (Nr suggest that geraniol-mediated senescence involves both ethylene dependent and independent pathways. Moreover, expression analysis during tomato ripening revealed that geraniol-responsive genes are also associated with the natural organ senescence process.

  19. Induction of Senescence and Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes in Tomato in Response to Monoterpene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Vinay; Kumar, Anil; Irfan, Mohammad; Chakraborty, Niranjan; Chakraborty, Subhra; Datta, Asis

    2013-01-01

    Monoterpenes, which are among the major components of plant essential oils, are known for their ecological roles as well for pharmaceutical properties. Geraniol, an acyclic monoterpene induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis/senescence in various cancer cells and plants; however, the genes involved in the process and the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we demonstrate that treatment of tomato plants with geraniol results in induction of senescence due to a substantial alteration in transcriptome. We have identified several geraniol-responsive protein encoding genes in tomato using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) approach. These genes comprise of various components of signal transduction, cellular metabolism, reactive oxygen species (ROS), ethylene signalling, apoptosis and DNA damage response. Upregulation of NADPH oxidase and antioxidant genes, and increase in ROS level after geraniol treatment point towards the involvement of ROS in geraniol-mediated senescence. The delayed onset of seedling death and induced expression of geraniol-responsive genes in geraniol-treated ethylene receptor mutant (Nr) suggest that geraniol-mediated senescence involves both ethylene dependent and independent pathways. Moreover, expression analysis during tomato ripening revealed that geraniol-responsive genes are also associated with the natural organ senescence process. PMID:24098759

  20. Evolution and Stress Responses of Gossypium hirsutum SWEET Genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wei; Ren, Zhongying; Wang, Zhenyu; Sun, Kuan; Pei, Xiaoyu; Liu, Yangai; He, Kunlun; Zhang, Fei; Song, Chengxiang; Zhou, Xiaojian; Zhang, Wensheng; Ma, Xiongfeng; Yang, Daigang

    2018-03-08

    The SWEET (sugars will eventually be exported transporters) proteins are sugar efflux transporters containing the MtN3_saliva domain, which affects plant development as well as responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. These proteins have not been functionally characterized in the tetraploid cotton, Gossypium hirsutum , which is a widely cultivated cotton species. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the cotton SWEET gene family. A total of 55 putative G. hirsutum SWEET genes were identified. The GhSWEET genes were classified into four clades based on a phylogenetic analysis and on the examination of gene structural features. Moreover, chromosomal localization and an analysis of homologous genes in Gossypium arboreum , Gossypium raimondii , and G. hirsutum suggested that a whole-genome duplication, several tandem duplications, and a polyploidy event contributed to the expansion of the cotton SWEET gene family, especially in Clade III and IV. Analyses of cis -acting regulatory elements in the promoter regions, expression profiles, and artificial selection revealed that the GhSWEET genes were likely involved in cotton developmental processes and responses to diverse stresses. These findings may clarify the evolution of G. hirsutum SWEET gene family and may provide a foundation for future functional studies of SWEET proteins regarding cotton development and responses to abiotic stresses.

  1. Identification of genes potentially involved in solute stress response in Sphingomonas wittichii RW1 by transposon mutant recovery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edith eCoronado

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The term water stress refers to the effects of low water availability on microbial growth and physiology. Water availability has been proposed as a major constraint for the use of microorganisms in contaminated sites with the purpose of bioremediation. Sphingomonas wittichii RW1 is a bacterium capable of degrading the xenobiotic compounds dibenzofuran and dibenzo-p-dioxin, and has potential to be used for targeted bioremediation. The aim of the current work was to identify genes implicated in water stress in RW1 by means of transposon mutagenesis and mutant growth experiments. Conditions of low water potential were mimicked by adding NaCl to the growth media. Three different mutant selection or separation method were tested, which, however recovered different mutants. Recovered transposon mutants with poorer growth under salt-induced water stress carried insertions in genes involved in proline and glutamate biosynthesis, and further in a gene putatively involved in aromatic compound catabolism. Transposon mutants growing poorer on medium with lowered water potential also included ones that had insertions in genes involved in more general functions such as transcriptional regulation, elongation factor, cell division protein, RNA polymerase β or an aconitase.

  2. Involvement of co-repressor LUH and the adapter proteins SLK1 and SLK2 in the regulation of abiotic stress response genes in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shrestha, Barsha; Guragain, Bhuwan; Sridhar, Vaniyambadi V

    2014-02-24

    During abiotic stress many genes that are important for growth and adaptation to stress are expressed at elevated levels. However, the mechanisms that keep the stress responsive genes from expressing under non stress conditions remain elusive. Recent genetic characterization of the co-repressor LEUNIG_HOMOLOG (LUH) and transcriptional adaptor proteins SEUSS-LIKE1 (SLK1) and SLK2 have been proposed to function redundantly in diverse developmental processes; however their function in the abiotic stress response is unknown. Moreover, the molecular functions of LUH, SLK1 and SLK2 remain obscure. Here, we show the molecular function of LUH, SLK1 and SLK2 and the role of this complex in the abiotic stress response. The luh, slk1 and slk2 mutant plants shows enhanced tolerance to salt and osmotic stress conditions. SLK1 and SLK2 interact physically with the LUFS domain in LUH forming SLK1-LUH and SLK2-LUH co-repressor complexes to inhibit the transcription. LUH has repressor activity, whereas SLK1 and SLK2 function as adaptors to recruit LUH, which in turn recruits histone deacetylase to the target sequences to repress transcription. The stress response genes RD20, MYB2 and NAC019 are expressed at elevated levels in the luh, slk1 and slk2 mutant plants. Furthermore, these stress response genes are associated with decreased nucleosome density and increased acetylation levels at H3K9 and H3K14 in the luh, slk1 and slk2 mutant plants. Our results indicate that SLK1, SLK2 and LUH form a co-repressor complex. LUH represses by means of an epigenetic process involving histone modification to facilitate the condensation of chromatin thus preventing transcription at the target genes.

  3. Transcriptional Response of Selenopolypeptide Genes and Selenocysteine Biosynthesis Machinery Genes in Escherichia coli during Selenite Reduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tetteh, Antonia Y; Sun, Katherine H; Hung, Chiu-Yueh; Kittur, Farooqahmed S; Ibeanu, Gordon C; Williams, Daniel; Xie, Jiahua

    2014-01-01

    Bacteria can reduce toxic selenite into less toxic, elemental selenium (Se(0)), but the mechanism on how bacterial cells reduce selenite at molecular level is still not clear. We used Escherichia coli strain K12, a common bacterial strain, as a model to study its growth response to sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) treatment and then used quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to quantify transcript levels of three E. coli selenopolypeptide genes and a set of machinery genes for selenocysteine (SeCys) biosynthesis and incorporation into polypeptides, whose involvements in the selenite reduction are largely unknown. We determined that 5 mM Na2SeO3 treatment inhibited growth by ∼ 50% while 0.001 to 0.01 mM treatments stimulated cell growth by ∼ 30%. Under 50% inhibitory or 30% stimulatory Na2SeO3 concentration, selenopolypeptide genes (fdnG, fdoG, and fdhF) whose products require SeCys but not SeCys biosynthesis machinery genes were found to be induced ≥2-fold. In addition, one sulfur (S) metabolic gene iscS and two previously reported selenite-responsive genes sodA and gutS were also induced ≥2-fold under 50% inhibitory concentration. Our findings provide insight about the detoxification of selenite in E. coli via induction of these genes involved in the selenite reduction process.

  4. An ABRE promoter sequence is involved in osmotic stress-responsive expression of the DREB2A gene, which encodes a transcription factor regulating drought-inducible genes in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, June-Sik; Mizoi, Junya; Yoshida, Takuya; Fujita, Yasunari; Nakajima, Jun; Ohori, Teppei; Todaka, Daisuke; Nakashima, Kazuo; Hirayama, Takashi; Shinozaki, Kazuo; Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, Kazuko

    2011-12-01

    In plants, osmotic stress-responsive transcriptional regulation depends mainly on two major classes of cis-acting elements found in the promoter regions of stress-inducible genes: ABA-responsive elements (ABREs) and dehydration-responsive elements (DREs). ABRE has been shown to perceive ABA-mediated osmotic stress signals, whereas DRE is known to be involved in an ABA-independent pathway. Previously, we reported that the transcription factor DRE-BINDING PROTEIN 2A (DREB2A) regulates DRE-mediated transcription of target genes under osmotic stress conditions in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). However, the transcriptional regulation of DREB2A itself remains largely uncharacterized. To elucidate the transcriptional mechanism associated with the DREB2A gene under osmotic stress conditions, we generated a series of truncated and base-substituted variants of the DREB2A promoter and evaluated their transcriptional activities individually. We found that both ABRE and coupling element 3 (CE3)-like sequences located approximately -100 bp from the transcriptional initiation site are necessary for the dehydration-responsive expression of DREB2A. Coupling our transient expression analyses with yeast one-hybrid and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays indicated that the ABRE-BINDING PROTEIN 1 (AREB1), AREB2 and ABRE-BINDING FACTOR 3 (ABF3) bZIP transcription factors can bind to and activate the DREB2A promoter in an ABRE-dependent manner. Exogenous ABA application induced only a modest accumulation of the DREB2A transcript when compared with the osmotic stress treatment. However, the osmotic stress-induced DREB2A expression was found to be markedly impaired in several ABA-deficient and ABA-insensitive mutants. These results suggest that in addition to an ABA-independent pathway, the ABA-dependent pathway plays a positive role in the osmotic stress-responsive expression of DREB2A.

  5. Functional dissection of drought-responsive gene expression patterns in Cynodon dactylon L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Changsoo; Lemke, Cornelia; Paterson, Andrew H

    2009-05-01

    Water deficit is one of the main abiotic factors that affect plant productivity in subtropical regions. To identify genes induced during the water stress response in Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), cDNA macroarrays were used. The macroarray analysis identified 189 drought-responsive candidate genes from C. dactylon, of which 120 were up-regulated and 69 were down-regulated. The candidate genes were classified into seven groups by cluster analysis of expression levels across two intensities and three durations of imposed stress. Annotation using BLASTX suggested that up-regulated genes may be involved in proline biosynthesis, signal transduction pathways, protein repair systems, and removal of toxins, while down-regulated genes were mostly related to basic plant metabolism such as photosynthesis and glycolysis. The functional classification of gene ontology (GO) was consistent with the BLASTX results, also suggesting some crosstalk between abiotic and biotic stress. Comparative analysis of cis-regulatory elements from the candidate genes implicated specific elements in drought response in Bermudagrass. Although only a subset of genes was studied, Bermudagrass shared many drought-responsive genes and cis-regulatory elements with other botanical models, supporting a strategy of cross-taxon application of drought-responsive genes, regulatory cues, and physiological-genetic information.

  6. Gene Expression Dynamics Accompanying the Sponge Thermal Stress Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guzman, Christine; Conaco, Cecilia

    2016-01-01

    Marine sponges are important members of coral reef ecosystems. Thus, their responses to changes in ocean chemistry and environmental conditions, particularly to higher seawater temperatures, will have potential impacts on the future of these reefs. To better understand the sponge thermal stress response, we investigated gene expression dynamics in the shallow water sponge, Haliclona tubifera (order Haplosclerida, class Demospongiae), subjected to elevated temperature. Using high-throughput transcriptome sequencing, we show that these conditions result in the activation of various processes that interact to maintain cellular homeostasis. Short-term thermal stress resulted in the induction of heat shock proteins, antioxidants, and genes involved in signal transduction and innate immunity pathways. Prolonged exposure to thermal stress affected the expression of genes involved in cellular damage repair, apoptosis, signaling and transcription. Interestingly, exposure to sublethal temperatures may improve the ability of the sponge to mitigate cellular damage under more extreme stress conditions. These insights into the potential mechanisms of adaptation and resilience of sponges contribute to a better understanding of sponge conservation status and the prediction of ecosystem trajectories under future climate conditions.

  7. Responses of human cells to ZnO nanoparticles: a gene transcription study†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moos, Philip J.; Olszewski, Kyle; Honeggar, Matthew; Cassidy, Pamela; Leachman, Sancy; Woessner, David; Cutler, N. Shane; Veranth, John M.

    2013-01-01

    The gene transcript profile responses to metal oxide nanoparticles was studied using human cell lines derived from the colon and skin tumors. Much of the research on nanoparticle toxicology has focused on models of inhalation and intact skin exposure, and effects of ingestion exposure and application to diseased skin are relatively unknown. Powders of nominally nanosized SiO2, TiO2, ZnO and Fe2O3 were chosen because these substances are widely used in consumer products. The four oxides were evaluated using colon-derived cell lines, RKO and CaCo-2, and ZnO and TiO2 were evaluated further using skin-derived cell lines HaCaT and SK Mel-28. ZnO induced the most notable gene transcription changes, even though this material was applied at the lowest concentration. Nano-sized and conventional ZnO induced similar responses suggesting common mechanisms of action. The results showed neither a non-specific response pattern common to all substances nor synergy of the particles with TNF-α cotreatment. The response to ZnO was not consistent with a pronounced proinflammatory signature, but involved changes in metal metabolism, chaperonin proteins, and protein folding genes. This response was observed in all cell lines when ZnO was in contact with the human cells. When the cells were exposed to soluble Zn, the genes involved in metal metabolism were induced but the genes involved in protein refoldling were unaffected. This provides some of the first data on the effects of commercial metal oxide nanoparticles on human colon-derived and skin-derived cells. PMID:21769377

  8. The recX gene product is involved in the SOS response in Herbaspirillum seropedicae

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Galvao, C.W.; Pedrosa, F.O.; Souza, E.M.; Yates, M.G.; Chubatsu, L.S.; Steffens, M.B.R.

    2003-01-01

    The recA and the recX genes of Herbaspirillum seropedicae were sequenced. The recX is located 359 bp downstream from recA. Sequence analysis indicated the presence of a putative operator site overlapping a probable σ 70 -dependent promoter upstream of recA and a transcription terminator downstream from recX, with no apparent promoter sequence in the intergenic region. Transcriptional analysis using lacZ promoter fusions indicated that recA expression increased three- to fourfold in the presence of methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). The roles of recA and recX genes in the SOS response were determined from studies of chromosomal mutants. The recA mutant showed the highest sensitivity to MMS and UV, and the recX mutant had an intermediate sensitivity, compared with the wild type (SMR1), confirming the essential role of the RecA protein in cell viability in the presence of mutagenic agents and also indicating a role for RecX in the SOS response. (author)

  9. The recX gene product is involved in the SOS response in Herbaspirillum seropedicae

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Galvao, C.W.; Pedrosa, F.O.; Souza, E.M.; Yates, M.G.; Chubatsu, L.S.; Steffens, M.B.R. [Univ. Federal do Parana, Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Curitiba (Brazil)]. E-mail: steffens@bioufpr.br

    2003-02-15

    The recA and the recX genes of Herbaspirillum seropedicae were sequenced. The recX is located 359 bp downstream from recA. Sequence analysis indicated the presence of a putative operator site overlapping a probable {sigma}{sup 70}-dependent promoter upstream of recA and a transcription terminator downstream from recX, with no apparent promoter sequence in the intergenic region. Transcriptional analysis using lacZ promoter fusions indicated that recA expression increased three- to fourfold in the presence of methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). The roles of recA and recX genes in the SOS response were determined from studies of chromosomal mutants. The recA mutant showed the highest sensitivity to MMS and UV, and the recX mutant had an intermediate sensitivity, compared with the wild type (SMR1), confirming the essential role of the RecA protein in cell viability in the presence of mutagenic agents and also indicating a role for RecX in the SOS response. (author)

  10. The recX gene product is involved in the SOS response in Herbaspirillum seropedicae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galvão, Carolina W; Pedrosa, Fábio O; Souza, Emanuel M; Yates, M Geoffrey; Chubatsu, Leda S; Steffens, Maria Berenice R

    2003-02-01

    The recA and the recX genes of Herbaspirillum seropedicae were sequenced. The recX is located 359 bp downstream from recA. Sequence analysis indicated the presence of a putative operator site overlapping a probable sigma70-dependent promoter upstream of recA and a transcription terminator downstream from recX, with no apparent promoter sequence in the intergenic region. Transcriptional analysis using lacZ promoter fusions indicated that recA expression increased three- to fourfold in the presence of methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). The roles of recA and recX genes in the SOS response were determined from studies of chromosomal mutants. The recA mutant showed the highest sensitivity to MMS and UV, and the recX mutant had an intermediate sensitivity, compared with the wild type (SMR1), confirming the essential role of the RecA protein in cell viability in the presence of mutagenic agents and also indicating a role for RecX in the SOS response.

  11. Plant Core Environmental Stress Response Genes Are Systemically Coordinated during Abiotic Stresses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kenneth W. Berendzen

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Studying plant stress responses is an important issue in a world threatened by global warming. Unfortunately, comparative analyses are hampered by varying experimental setups. In contrast, the AtGenExpress abiotic stress experiment displays intercomparability. Importantly, six of the nine stresses (wounding, genotoxic, oxidative, UV-B light, osmotic and salt can be examined for their capacity to generate systemic signals between the shoot and root, which might be essential to regain homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana. We classified the systemic responses into two groups: genes that are regulated in the non-treated tissue only are defined as type I responsive and, accordingly, genes that react in both tissues are termed type II responsive. Analysis of type I and II systemic responses suggest distinct functionalities, but also significant overlap between different stresses. Comparison with salicylic acid (SA and methyl-jasmonate (MeJA responsive genes implies that MeJA is involved in the systemic stress response. Certain genes are predominantly responding in only one of the categories, e.g., WRKY genes respond mainly non-systemically. Instead, genes of the plant core environmental stress response (PCESR, e.g., ZAT10, ZAT12, ERD9 or MES9, are part of different response types. Moreover, several PCESR genes switch between the categories in a stress-specific manner.

  12. Exploring genes and pathways involved in migraine

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eising, E.

    2017-01-01

    The research in this thesis was aimed at identifying genes and molecular pathways involved in migraine. To this end, two gene expression analyses were performed in brain tissue obtained from transgenic mouse models for familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM), a monogenic subtype of migraine with aura.

  13. Identification of the Regulator Gene Responsible for the Acetone-Responsive Expression of the Binuclear Iron Monooxygenase Gene Cluster in Mycobacteria ▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furuya, Toshiki; Hirose, Satomi; Semba, Hisashi; Kino, Kuniki

    2011-01-01

    The mimABCD gene cluster encodes the binuclear iron monooxygenase that oxidizes propane and phenol in Mycobacterium smegmatis strain MC2 155 and Mycobacterium goodii strain 12523. Interestingly, expression of the mimABCD gene cluster is induced by acetone. In this study, we investigated the regulator gene responsible for this acetone-responsive expression. In the genome sequence of M. smegmatis strain MC2 155, the mimABCD gene cluster is preceded by a gene designated mimR, which is divergently transcribed. Sequence analysis revealed that MimR exhibits amino acid similarity with the NtrC family of transcriptional activators, including AcxR and AcoR, which are involved in acetone and acetoin metabolism, respectively. Unexpectedly, many homologs of the mimR gene were also found in the sequenced genomes of actinomycetes. A plasmid carrying a transcriptional fusion of the intergenic region between the mimR and mimA genes with a promoterless green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene was constructed and introduced into M. smegmatis strain MC2 155. Using a GFP reporter system, we confirmed by deletion and complementation analyses that the mimR gene product is the positive regulator of the mimABCD gene cluster expression that is responsive to acetone. M. goodii strain 12523 also utilized the same regulatory system as M. smegmatis strain MC2 155. Although transcriptional activators of the NtrC family generally control transcription using the σ54 factor, a gene encoding the σ54 factor was absent from the genome sequence of M. smegmatis strain MC2 155. These results suggest the presence of a novel regulatory system in actinomycetes, including mycobacteria. PMID:21856847

  14. The defense-responsive genes showing enhanced and repressed expression after pathogen infection in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    ZHOU; Bin(周斌); PENG; Kaiman(彭开蔓); CHU; Zhaohui(储昭晖); WANG; Shiping(王石平); ZHANG; Qifa(张启发)

    2002-01-01

    Despite large numbers of studies about defense response, processes involved in the resistance of plants to incompatible pathogens are still largely uncharacterized. The objective of this study was to identify genes involved in defense response by cDNA array analysis and to gain knowledge about the functions of the genes involved in defense response. Approximately 20000 rice cDNA clones were arrayed on nylon filters. RNA samples isolated from different rice lines after infection with incompatible strains or isolates of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae or Pyricularia grisea, respectively, were used to synthesize cDNA as probes for screening the cDNA arrays. A total of 100 differentially expressed unique sequences were identified from 5 pathogen-host combinations. Fifty-three sequences were detected as showing enhanced expression and 47 sequences were detected as showing repressed expression after pathogen infection. Sequence analysis revealed that most of the 100 sequences had various degrees of homology with genes in databases which encode or putatively encode transcription regulating proteins, translation regulating proteins, transport proteins, kinases, metabolic enzymes, and proteins involved in other functions. Most of the genes have not been previously reported as being involved in the disease resistance response in rice. The results from cDNA arrays, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and RNA gel blot analysis suggest that activation or repression of most of these genes might occur commonly in the defense response.

  15. Host genes involved in Agrobacterium-mediated transformation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Soltani, Jalal

    2009-01-01

    Agrobacterium is the nature’s genetic engineer that can transfer genes across the kingdom barriers to both prokaryotic and eukaryotic host cells. The host genes which are involved in Agrobacterium-mediated transformatiom (AMT) are not well known. Here, I studied in a systematic way to identify the

  16. Transcriptional Response of Selenopolypeptide Genes and Selenocysteine Biosynthesis Machinery Genes in Escherichia coli during Selenite Reduction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonia Y. Tetteh

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Bacteria can reduce toxic selenite into less toxic, elemental selenium (Se0, but the mechanism on how bacterial cells reduce selenite at molecular level is still not clear. We used Escherichia coli strain K12, a common bacterial strain, as a model to study its growth response to sodium selenite (Na2SeO3 treatment and then used quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR to quantify transcript levels of three E. coli selenopolypeptide genes and a set of machinery genes for selenocysteine (SeCys biosynthesis and incorporation into polypeptides, whose involvements in the selenite reduction are largely unknown. We determined that 5 mM Na2SeO3 treatment inhibited growth by ∼50% while 0.001 to 0.01 mM treatments stimulated cell growth by ∼30%. Under 50% inhibitory or 30% stimulatory Na2SeO3 concentration, selenopolypeptide genes (fdnG, fdoG, and fdhF whose products require SeCys but not SeCys biosynthesis machinery genes were found to be induced ≥2-fold. In addition, one sulfur (S metabolic gene iscS and two previously reported selenite-responsive genes sodA and gutS were also induced ≥2-fold under 50% inhibitory concentration. Our findings provide insight about the detoxification of selenite in E. coli via induction of these genes involved in the selenite reduction process.

  17. Genes related to antioxidant metabolism are involved in Methylobacterium mesophilicum-soybean interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araújo, Welington Luiz; Santos, Daiene Souza; Dini-Andreote, Francisco; Salgueiro-Londoño, Jennifer Katherine; Camargo-Neves, Aline Aparecida; Andreote, Fernando Dini; Dourado, Manuella Nóbrega

    2015-10-01

    The genus Methylobacterium is composed of pink-pigmented methylotrophic bacterial species that are widespread in natural environments, such as soils, stream water and plants. When in association with plants, this genus colonizes the host plant epiphytically and/or endophytically. This association is known to promote plant growth, induce plant systemic resistance and inhibit plant infection by phytopathogens. In the present study, we focused on evaluating the colonization of soybean seedling-roots by Methylobacterium mesophilicum strain SR1.6/6. We focused on the identification of the key genes involved in the initial step of soybean colonization by methylotrophic bacteria, which includes the plant exudate recognition and adaptation by planktonic bacteria. Visualization by scanning electron microscopy revealed that M. mesophilicum SR1.6/6 colonizes soybean roots surface effectively at 48 h after inoculation, suggesting a mechanism for root recognition and adaptation before this period. The colonization proceeds by the development of a mature biofilm on roots at 96 h after inoculation. Transcriptomic analysis of the planktonic bacteria (with plant) revealed the expression of several genes involved in membrane transport, thus confirming an initial metabolic activation of bacterial responses when in the presence of plant root exudates. Moreover, antioxidant genes were mostly expressed during the interaction with the plant exudates. Further evaluation of stress- and methylotrophic-related genes expression by qPCR showed that glutathione peroxidase and glutathione synthetase genes were up-regulated during the Methylobacterium-soybean interaction. These findings support that glutathione (GSH) is potentially a key molecule involved in cellular detoxification during plant root colonization. In addition to methylotrophic metabolism, antioxidant genes, mainly glutathione-related genes, play a key role during soybean exudate recognition and adaptation, the first step in

  18. ESTs analysis reveals putative genes involved in symbiotic seed germination in Dendrobium officinale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Ming-Ming; Zhang, Gang; Zhang, Da-Wei; Hsiao, Yu-Yun; Guo, Shun-Xing

    2013-01-01

    Dendrobiumofficinale (Orchidaceae) is one of the world's most endangered plants with great medicinal value. In nature, D. officinale seeds must establish symbiotic relationships with fungi to germinate. However, the molecular events involved in the interaction between fungus and plant during this process are poorly understood. To isolate the genes involved in symbiotic germination, a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) cDNA library of symbiotically germinated D. officinale seeds was constructed. From this library, 1437 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were clustered to 1074 Unigenes (including 902 singletons and 172 contigs), which were searched against the NCBI non-redundant (NR) protein database (E-value cutoff, e(-5)). Based on sequence similarity with known proteins, 579 differentially expressed genes in D. officinale were identified and classified into different functional categories by Gene Ontology (GO), Clusters of orthologous Groups of proteins (COGs) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. The expression levels of 15 selected genes emblematic of symbiotic germination were confirmed via real-time quantitative PCR. These genes were classified into various categories, including defense and stress response, metabolism, transcriptional regulation, transport process and signal transduction pathways. All transcripts were upregulated in the symbiotically germinated seeds (SGS). The functions of these genes in symbiotic germination were predicted. Furthermore, two fungus-induced calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), which were upregulated 6.76- and 26.69-fold in SGS compared with un-germinated seeds (UGS), were cloned from D. officinale and characterized for the first time. This study provides the first global overview of genes putatively involved in D. officinale symbiotic seed germination and provides a foundation for further functional research regarding symbiotic relationships in orchids.

  19. ESTs analysis reveals putative genes involved in symbiotic seed germination in Dendrobium officinale.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming-Ming Zhao

    Full Text Available Dendrobiumofficinale (Orchidaceae is one of the world's most endangered plants with great medicinal value. In nature, D. officinale seeds must establish symbiotic relationships with fungi to germinate. However, the molecular events involved in the interaction between fungus and plant during this process are poorly understood. To isolate the genes involved in symbiotic germination, a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH cDNA library of symbiotically germinated D. officinale seeds was constructed. From this library, 1437 expressed sequence tags (ESTs were clustered to 1074 Unigenes (including 902 singletons and 172 contigs, which were searched against the NCBI non-redundant (NR protein database (E-value cutoff, e(-5. Based on sequence similarity with known proteins, 579 differentially expressed genes in D. officinale were identified and classified into different functional categories by Gene Ontology (GO, Clusters of orthologous Groups of proteins (COGs and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG pathways. The expression levels of 15 selected genes emblematic of symbiotic germination were confirmed via real-time quantitative PCR. These genes were classified into various categories, including defense and stress response, metabolism, transcriptional regulation, transport process and signal transduction pathways. All transcripts were upregulated in the symbiotically germinated seeds (SGS. The functions of these genes in symbiotic germination were predicted. Furthermore, two fungus-induced calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs, which were upregulated 6.76- and 26.69-fold in SGS compared with un-germinated seeds (UGS, were cloned from D. officinale and characterized for the first time. This study provides the first global overview of genes putatively involved in D. officinale symbiotic seed germination and provides a foundation for further functional research regarding symbiotic relationships in orchids.

  20. ESTs Analysis Reveals Putative Genes Involved in Symbiotic Seed Germination in Dendrobium officinale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Ming-Ming; Zhang, Gang; Zhang, Da-Wei; Hsiao, Yu-Yun; Guo, Shun-Xing

    2013-01-01

    Dendrobium officinale (Orchidaceae) is one of the world’s most endangered plants with great medicinal value. In nature, D . officinale seeds must establish symbiotic relationships with fungi to germinate. However, the molecular events involved in the interaction between fungus and plant during this process are poorly understood. To isolate the genes involved in symbiotic germination, a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) cDNA library of symbiotically germinated D . officinale seeds was constructed. From this library, 1437 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were clustered to 1074 Unigenes (including 902 singletons and 172 contigs), which were searched against the NCBI non-redundant (NR) protein database (E-value cutoff, e-5). Based on sequence similarity with known proteins, 579 differentially expressed genes in D . officinale were identified and classified into different functional categories by Gene Ontology (GO), Clusters of orthologous Groups of proteins (COGs) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. The expression levels of 15 selected genes emblematic of symbiotic germination were confirmed via real-time quantitative PCR. These genes were classified into various categories, including defense and stress response, metabolism, transcriptional regulation, transport process and signal transduction pathways. All transcripts were upregulated in the symbiotically germinated seeds (SGS). The functions of these genes in symbiotic germination were predicted. Furthermore, two fungus-induced calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), which were upregulated 6.76- and 26.69-fold in SGS compared with un-germinated seeds (UGS), were cloned from D . officinale and characterized for the first time. This study provides the first global overview of genes putatively involved in D . officinale symbiotic seed germination and provides a foundation for further functional research regarding symbiotic relationships in orchids. PMID:23967335

  1. In silico analysis of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) genes that involved in pathogen and disease responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agung, Muhammad Budi; Budiarsa, I. Made; Suwastika, I. Nengah

    2017-02-01

    Cocoa bean is one of the main commodities from Indonesia for the world, which still have problem regarding yield degradation due to pathogens and disease attack. Developing robust cacao plant that genetically resistant to pathogen and disease attack is an ideal solution in over taking on this problem. The aim of this study was to identify Theobroma cacao genes on database of cacao genome that homolog to response genes of pathogen and disease attack in other plant, through in silico analysis. Basic information survey and gene identification were performed in GenBank and The Arabidopsis Information Resource database. The In silico analysis contains protein BLAST, homology test of each gene's protein candidates, and identification of homologue gene in Cacao Genome Database using data source "Theobroma cacao cv. Matina 1-6 v1.1" genome. Identification found that Thecc1EG011959t1 (EDS1), Thecc1EG006803t1 (EDS5), Thecc1EG013842t1 (ICS1), and Thecc1EG015614t1 (BG_PPAP) gene of Cacao Genome Database were Theobroma cacao genes that homolog to plant's resistance genes which highly possible to have similar functions of each gene's homologue gene.

  2. A Gene Expression Profile of BRCAness That Predicts for Responsiveness to Platinum and PARP Inhibitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-02-01

    affecting the function of Fanconi Anemia (FA) genes ( FANCA /B/C/D2/E/F/G/I/J/L/M, PALB2) or DNA damage response genes involved in HR 5 (ATM, ATR...Award Number: W81XWH-10-1-0585 TITLE: A Gene Expression Profile of BRCAness That Predicts for Responsiveness to Platinum and PARP Inhibitors...To) 15 July 2010 – 2 Nov.2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE A Gene Expression Profile of BRCAness That Predicts for Responsiveness to Platinum and PARP

  3. Molecular responses and expression analysis of genes in a ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Haloxylon ammodendron (C.A Mey.) Bunge is a xero-halophytic desert shrub with excellent drought resistance and salt tolerance. To decipher the molecular responses involved in its drought resistance, the cDNA-AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) technique was employed to identify genes expressed ...

  4. Identification and analysis of novel genes involved in gravitropism of Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morita, Miyo T.; Tasaka, Masao; Masatoshi Taniguchi, .

    2012-07-01

    Gravitropism is a continuous control with regard to the orientation and juxtaposition of the various parts of the plant body in response to gravity. In higher plants, the relative directional change of gravity is mainly suscepted in specialized cells called statocytes, followed by signal conversion from physical information into physiological information within the statocytes. We have studied the early process of shoot gravitropism, gravity sensing and signaling process, mainly by molecular genetic approach. In Arabidopsis shoot, statocytes are the endodermal cells. sgr1/scarcrow (scr) and sgr7/short-root (shr) mutants fail to form the endodermis and to respond to gravity in their inflorescence stems. Since both SGR1/SCR and SGR7/SHR are transcriptional factors, at least a subset of their downstream genes can be expected to be involved in gravitropism. In addition, eal1 (endodermal-amyloplast less 1), which exhibits no gravitropism in inflorescence stem but retains ability to form endodermis, is a hypomorphic allele of sgr7/shr. Take advantage of these mutants, we performed DNA microarray analysis and compared gene expression profiles between wild type and the mutants. We found that approx. 40 genes were commonly down-regulated in these mutants and termed them DGE (DOWN-REGULATED GENE IN EAL1) genes. DGE1 has sequence similarity to Oryza sativa LAZY1 that is involved in shoot gravitropism of rice. DGE2 has a short region homologous to DGE1. DTL (DGE TWO-LIKE}) that has 54% identity to DGE2 is found in Arabidopsis genome. All three genes are conserved in angiosperm but have no known functional domains or motifs. We analyzed T-DNA insertion for these genes in single or multiple combinations. In dge1 dge2 dtl triple mutant, gravitropic response of shoot, hypocotyl and root dramatically reduced. Now we are carrying out further physiological and molecular genetic analysis of the triple mutant.

  5. In depth analysis of genes and pathways of the mammary gland involved in the pathogenesis of bovine Escherichia coli-mastitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buitenhuis, Albert Johannes; Rontved, Christine M.; Edwards, Stefan McKinnon

    2011-01-01

    Background Bovine mastitis is one of the most costly and prevalent diseases affecting dairy cows worldwide. In order to develop new strategies to prevent Escherichia coli-induced mastitis, a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the host immune response to an E. coli.......i. to represent the acute phase response (APR) and chronic stage, respectively. Differentially expressed (DE) genes for each stage were analyzed and the DE genes detected at T=24h were also compared to data collected from two previous E. coli mastitis studies that were carried out on post mortem tissue. Results...... of the up-regulated transcripts were associated with tissue healing processes. Comparison of T=24h DE genes detected in the three E. coli mastitis studies revealed 248 were common and mainly involved immune response functions. KEGG pathway analysis indicated these genes were involved in 12 pathways related...

  6. Kin3 protein, a NIMA-related kinase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is involved in DNA adduct damage response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moura, Dinara J; Castilhos, Bruna; Immich, Bruna F; Cañedo, Andrés D; Henriques, João A P; Lenz, Guido; Saffi, Jenifer

    2010-06-01

    Kin3 is a nonessential serine/threonine protein kinase of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae with unknown cellular role. It is an ortholog of the Aspergillus nidulans protein kinase NIMA (Never-In Mitosis, gene A), which is involved in the regulation of G2/M phase progression, DNA damage response and mitosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether Kin3 is required for proper checkpoint activation and DNA repair. Here we show that KIN3 gene deficient cells present sensitivity and fail to arrest properly at G2/M-phase checkpoint in response to the DNA damage inducing agents MMS, cisplatin, doxorubicin and nitrogen mustard, suggesting that Kin3 can be involved in DNA strand breaks recognition or signaling. In addition, there is an increase in KIN3 gene expression in response to the mutagenic treatment, which was confirmed by the increase of Kin3 protein. We also showed that co-treatment with caffeine induces a slight increase in the susceptibility to genotoxic agents in kin3 cells and abolishes KIN3 gene expression in wild-type strain, suggesting that Kin3p can play a role in Tel1/Mec1-dependent pathway activation induced after genotoxic stress. These data provide the first evidence of the involvement of S. cerevisiae Kin3 in the DNA damage response.

  7. Transcriptional Profiling and Identification of Heat-Responsive Genes in Perennial Ryegrass by RNA-Sequencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kehua Wang

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne is one of the most widely used forage and turf grasses in the world due to its desirable agronomic qualities. However, as a cool-season perennial grass species, high temperature is a major factor limiting its performance in warmer and transition regions. In this study, a de novo transcriptome was generated using a cDNA library constructed from perennial ryegrass leaves subjected to short-term heat stress treatment. Then the expression profiling and identification of perennial ryegrass heat response genes by digital gene expression analyses was performed. The goal of this work was to produce expression profiles of high temperature stress responsive genes in perennial ryegrass leaves and further identify the potentially important candidate genes with altered levels of transcript, such as those genes involved in transcriptional regulation, antioxidant responses, plant hormones and signal transduction, and cellular metabolism. The de novo assembly of perennial ryegrass transcriptome in this study obtained more total and annotated unigenes compared to previously published ones. Many DEGs identified were genes that are known to respond to heat stress in plants, including HSFs, HSPs, and antioxidant related genes. In the meanwhile, we also identified four gene candidates mainly involved in C4 carbon fixation, and one TOR gene. Their exact roles in plant heat stress response need to dissect further. This study would be important by providing the gene resources for improving heat stress tolerance in both perennial ryegrass and other cool-season perennial grass plants.

  8. Nutritional Effect on Androgen-Response Gene Expression and Prostate Tumor Growth

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Wang, Zhou

    2001-01-01

    .... The dietary influence on ventral prostate weight does not seem to involve androgen action axis because dietary components did not influence the expression of several androgen-response genes, serum testosterone...

  9. Characterization of differentially expressed genes involved in pathways associated with gastric cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hao Li

    Full Text Available To explore the patterns of gene expression in gastric cancer, a total of 26 paired gastric cancer and noncancerous tissues from patients were enrolled for gene expression microarray analyses. Limma methods were applied to analyze the data, and genes were considered to be significantly differentially expressed if the False Discovery Rate (FDR value was 2. Subsequently, Gene Ontology (GO categories were used to analyze the main functions of the differentially expressed genes. According to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG database, we found pathways significantly associated with the differential genes. Gene-Act network and co-expression network were built respectively based on the relationships among the genes, proteins and compounds in the database. 2371 mRNAs and 350 lncRNAs considered as significantly differentially expressed genes were selected for the further analysis. The GO categories, pathway analyses and the Gene-Act network showed a consistent result that up-regulated genes were responsible for tumorigenesis, migration, angiogenesis and microenvironment formation, while down-regulated genes were involved in metabolism. These results of this study provide some novel findings on coding RNAs, lncRNAs, pathways and the co-expression network in gastric cancer which will be useful to guide further investigation and target therapy for this disease.

  10. Involvement of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) MKK6 in response to potato virus Y.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazar, Ana; Coll, Anna; Dobnik, David; Baebler, Spela; Bedina-Zavec, Apolonija; Zel, Jana; Gruden, Kristina

    2014-01-01

    Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades have crucial roles in the regulation of plant development and in plant responses to stress. Plant recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns or pathogen-derived effector proteins has been shown to trigger activation of several MAPKs. This then controls defence responses, including synthesis and/or signalling of defence hormones and activation of defence related genes. The MAPK cascade genes are highly complex and interconnected, and thus the precise signalling mechanisms in specific plant-pathogen interactions are still not known. Here we investigated the MAPK signalling network involved in immune responses of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) to Potato virus Y, an important potato pathogen worldwide. Sequence analysis was performed to identify the complete MAPK kinase (MKK) family in potato, and to identify those regulated in the hypersensitive resistance response to Potato virus Y infection. Arabidopsis has 10 MKK family members, of which we identified five in potato and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), and eight in Nicotiana benthamiana. Among these, StMKK6 is the most strongly regulated gene in response to Potato virus Y. The salicylic acid treatment revealed that StMKK6 is regulated by the hormone that is in agreement with the salicylic acid-regulated domains found in the StMKK6 promoter. The involvement of StMKK6 in potato defence response was confirmed by localisation studies, where StMKK6 accumulated strongly only in Potato-virus-Y-infected plants, and predominantly in the cell nucleus. Using a yeast two-hybrid method, we identified three StMKK6 targets downstream in the MAPK cascade: StMAPK4_2, StMAPK6 and StMAPK13. These data together provide further insight into the StMKK6 signalling module and its involvement in plant defence.

  11. Identification of genes involved in low aminoglycoside-induced SOS response in Vibrio cholerae: a role for transcription stalling and Mfd helicase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baharoglu, Zeynep; Babosan, Anamaria; Mazel, Didier

    2014-02-01

    Sub-inhibitory concentrations (sub-MIC) of antibiotics play a very important role in selection and development of resistances. Unlike Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae induces its SOS response in presence of sub-MIC aminoglycosides. A role for oxidized guanine residues was observed, but the mechanisms of this induction remained unclear. To select for V. cholerae mutants that do not induce low aminoglycoside-mediated SOS induction, we developed a genetic screen that renders induction of SOS lethal. We identified genes involved in this pathway using two strategies, inactivation by transposition and gene overexpression. Interestingly, we obtained mutants inactivated for the expression of proteins known to destabilize the RNA polymerase complex. Reconstruction of the corresponding mutants confirmed their specific involvement in induction of SOS by low aminoglycoside concentrations. We propose that DNA lesions formed on aminoglycoside treatment are repaired through the formation of single-stranded DNA intermediates, inducing SOS. Inactivation of functions that dislodge RNA polymerase leads to prolonged stalling on these lesions, which hampers SOS induction and repair and reduces viability under antibiotic stress. The importance of these mechanisms is illustrated by a reduction of aminoglycoside sub-MIC. Our results point to a central role for transcription blocking at DNA lesions in SOS induction, so far underestimated.

  12. Identification of a cobia (Rachycentron canadum) CC chemokine gene and its involvement in the inflammatory response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Youlu; Guo, Zhixun; Xu, Liwen; Jiang, Jingzhe; Wang, Jiangyong; Feng, Juan

    2012-01-01

    The chemokines regulate immune cell migration under inflammatory and physiological conditions. We investigated a CC chemokine gene (RcCC1) from cobia (Rachycentron canadum). The full-length RcCC1 cDNA is comprised 673 nucleotides and encodes a four-cysteine arrangement 99-amino-acid protein typical of known CC chemokines. The genomic DNA of RcCC1 consists of three exons and two introns. Phylogenetic analysis showed that RcCC1 was closest to the MIP group of CC chemokines. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed RcCC1 was constitutively expressed in all tissues examined, with relative strong expression in gill, blood, kidney, spleen, and head kidney. The RcCC1 transcripts in the head kidney, spleen, and liver were quickly up-regulated after stimulation with formalin-inactivated Vibrio carchariae (bacterial vaccine) or polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid (poly I:C). These results indicate RcCC1 not only plays a role in homeostasis, but also may be involved in inflammatory responses to bacterial and viral infection. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Molecular Analysis of Rice CIPKs Involved in Both Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    CHEN Xi-feng; Gu Zhi-min; LIU Feng; MA Bo-jun; ZHANG Hong-sheng

    2011-01-01

    Plant calcineurin B-like (CBL) proteins have been proposed as important Ca2+ sensors and specifically interact with CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) in plant-specific calcium signaling.Here,we identified and isolated 15 CIPK genes in a japonica rice variety Nipponbare based on the predicted sequences of rice CIPK gene family.Gene structure analysis showed that these 15 genes were divided into intron-less and intron-rich groups,and OsCIPK3 and OsCIPK24 exhibited alternative splicing in their mature process.The phylogenetic analyses indicated that rice CIPKs shared an ancestor with Arabidopsis and poplar CIPKs.Analyses of gene expression showed that these OsCIPK genes were differentially induced by biotic stresses such as bacterial blight and abiotic stresses (heavy metal such as Hg2+,high salinity,cold and ABA).Interestingly,five OsCIPK genes,OsCIPK1,2,10,11 and 12,were transcriptionally up-regulated after bacterial blight infection whereas four OsCIPK genes,OsCIPK2,10,11 and 14,were induced by all treatments,indicating that some of OsCIPK genes are involved in multiple stress response pathways in plants.Our finding suggests that CIPKs play a key role in both biotic and abiotic stress responses.

  14. A novel two-component system involved in secretion stress response in Streptomyces lividans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonia Gullón

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Misfolded proteins accumulating outside the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane can interfere with the secretory machinery, hence the existence of quality factors to eliminate these misfolded proteins is of capital importance in bacteria that are efficient producers of secretory proteins. These bacteria normally use a specific two-component system to respond to the stress produced by the accumulation of the misfolded proteins, by activating the expression of HtrA-like proteases to specifically eliminate the incorrectly folded proteins. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Overproduction of alpha-amylase in S. lividans causing secretion stress permitted the identification of a two-component system (SCO4156-SCO4155 that regulates three HtrA-like proteases which appear to be involved in secretion stress response. Mutants in each of the genes forming part of the two-genes operon that encodes the sensor and regulator protein components accumulated misfolded proteins outside the cell, strongly suggesting the involvement of this two-component system in the S. lividans secretion stress response. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: To our knowledge this is the first time that a specific secretion stress response two-component system is found to control the expression of three HtrA-like protease genes in S. lividans, a bacterium that has been repeatedly used as a host for the synthesis of homologous and heterologous secretory proteins of industrial application.

  15. Snapshot of iron response in Shewanella oneidensis by gene network reconstruction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Yunfeng; Harris, Daniel P.; Luo, Feng; Xiong, Wenlu; Joachimiak, Marcin; Wu, Liyou; Dehal, Paramvir; Jacobsen, Janet; Yang, Zamin; Palumbo, Anthony V.; Arkin, Adam P.; Zhou, Jizhong

    2008-10-09

    Background: Iron homeostasis of Shewanella oneidensis, a gamma-proteobacterium possessing high iron content, is regulated by a global transcription factor Fur. However, knowledge is incomplete about other biological pathways that respond to changes in iron concentration, as well as details of the responses. In this work, we integrate physiological, transcriptomics and genetic approaches to delineate the iron response of S. oneidensis. Results: We show that the iron response in S. oneidensis is a rapid process. Temporal gene expression profiles were examined for iron depletion and repletion, and a gene co-expression network was reconstructed. Modules of iron acquisition systems, anaerobic energy metabolism and protein degradation were the most noteworthy in the gene network. Bioinformatics analyses suggested that genes in each of the modules might be regulated by DNA-binding proteins Fur, CRP and RpoH, respectively. Closer inspection of these modules revealed a transcriptional regulator (SO2426) involved in iron acquisition and ten transcriptional factors involved in anaerobic energy metabolism. Selected genes in the network were analyzed by genetic studies. Disruption of genes encoding a putative alcaligin biosynthesis protein (SO3032) and a gene previously implicated in protein degradation (SO2017) led to severe growth deficiency under iron depletion conditions. Disruption of a novel transcriptional factor (SO1415) caused deficiency in both anaerobic iron reduction and growth with thiosulfate or TMAO as an electronic acceptor, suggesting that SO1415 is required for specific branches of anaerobic energy metabolism pathways. Conclusions: Using a reconstructed gene network, we identified major biological pathways that were differentially expressed during iron depletion and repletion. Genetic studies not only demonstrated the importance of iron acquisition and protein degradation for iron depletion, but also characterized a novel transcriptional factor (SO1415) with a

  16. Trpac1, a pH response transcription regulator, is involved in cellulase gene expression in Trichoderma reesei.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Ronglin; Ma, Lijuan; Li, Chen; Jia, Wendi; Li, Demao; Zhang, Dongyuan; Chen, Shulin

    2014-12-01

    Fungi grow over a relatively wide pH range and adapt to extracellular pH through a genetic regulatory system mediated by a key component PacC, which is a pH transcription regulator. The cellulase production of the filamentous fungi Trichoderma reesei is sensitive to ambient pH. To investigate the connection between cellulase expression regulation and ambient pH, an ortholog of Aspergillus nidulans pacC, Trpac1, was identified and functionally characterized using a target gene deletion strategy. Deleting Trpac1 dramatically increased the cellulase production and the transcription levels of the major cellulase genes at neutral pH, which suggested Trpac1 is involved in the regulation of cellulase production. It was further observed that the expression levels of transcription factors xyr1 and ace2 also increased in the ΔTrpac1 mutant at neutral pH. In addition, the ΔTrpac1 mutant exhibited conidiation defects under neutral and alkaline pH. These results implied that Trpac1 in involved in growth and development process and cellulase gene expression in T. reesei. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Isolating genes involved with genotoxic drug response in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans using genome-wide RNAi screening

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schøler, Lone Vedel; Møller, Tine Hørning; Nørgaard, Steffen

    2012-01-01

    The soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has become a popular genetic model organism used to study a broad range of complex biological processes, including development, aging, apoptosis, and DNA damage responses. Many genetic tools and tricks have been developed in C. elegans including knock down...... of gene expression via RNA interference (RNAi). In C. elegans RNAi can effectively be administrated via feeding the nematodes bacteria expressing double-stranded RNA targeting the gene of interest. Several commercial C. elegans RNAi libraries are available and hence gene inactivation using RNAi can...

  18. Memory responses of jasmonic acid-associated Arabidopsis genes to a repeated dehydration stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Ning; Staswick, Paul E; Avramova, Zoya

    2016-11-01

    Dehydration stress activates numerous genes co-regulated by diverse signaling pathways. Upon repeated exposures, however, a subset of these genes does not respond maintaining instead transcription at their initial pre-stressed levels ('revised-response' genes). Most of these genes are involved in jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis, JA-signaling and JA-mediated stress responses. How these JA-associated genes are regulated to provide different responses to similar dehydration stresses is an enigma. Here, we investigate molecular mechanisms that contribute to this transcriptional behavior. The memory-mechanism is stress-specific: one exposure to dehydration stress or to abscisic acid (ABA) is required to prevent transcription in the second. Both ABA-mediated and JA-mediated pathways are critical for the activation of these genes, but the two signaling pathways interact differently during a single or multiple encounters with dehydration stress. Synthesis of JA during the first (S1) but not the second dehydration stress (S2) accounts for the altered transcriptional responses. We propose a model for these memory responses, wherein lack of MYC2 and of JA synthesis in S2 is responsible for the lack of expression of downstream genes. The similar length of the memory displayed by different memory-type genes suggests biological relevance for transcriptional memory as a gene-regulating mechanism during recurring bouts of drought. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Transcriptome analysis of skeletal muscle tissue to identify genes involved in pre-slaughter stress response in pigs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vincenzo Russo

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The knowledge of genes and molecular processes controlling stress reactions and involved in the genetic system determining resistance to stress in pigs could be important for the improvement of meat quality. This research aimed to compare the expression profiles of skeletal muscle between physically stressed and not stressed pigs of different breeds immediately before slaughter. DNA microarray analysis showed that different functional categories of genes are up-regulated in stressed compared to not stressed pigs and relevant differences among breeds were found.

  20. Stably Expressed Genes Involved in Basic Cellular Functions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kejian Wang

    Full Text Available Stably Expressed Genes (SEGs whose expression varies within a narrow range may be involved in core cellular processes necessary for basic functions. To identify such genes, we re-analyzed existing RNA-Seq gene expression profiles across 11 organs at 4 developmental stages (from immature to old age in both sexes of F344 rats (n = 4/group; 320 samples. Expression changes (calculated as the maximum expression / minimum expression for each gene of >19000 genes across organs, ages, and sexes ranged from 2.35 to >109-fold, with a median of 165-fold. The expression of 278 SEGs was found to vary ≤4-fold and these genes were significantly involved in protein catabolism (proteasome and ubiquitination, RNA transport, protein processing, and the spliceosome. Such stability of expression was further validated in human samples where the expression variability of the homologous human SEGs was significantly lower than that of other genes in the human genome. It was also found that the homologous human SEGs were generally less subject to non-synonymous mutation than other genes, as would be expected of stably expressed genes. We also found that knockout of SEG homologs in mouse models was more likely to cause complete preweaning lethality than non-SEG homologs, corroborating the fundamental roles played by SEGs in biological development. Such stably expressed genes and pathways across life-stages suggest that tight control of these processes is important in basic cellular functions and that perturbation by endogenous (e.g., genetics or exogenous agents (e.g., drugs, environmental factors may cause serious adverse effects.

  1. Cooperative adaptive responses in gene regulatory networks with many degrees of freedom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inoue, Masayo; Kaneko, Kunihiko

    2013-04-01

    Cells generally adapt to environmental changes by first exhibiting an immediate response and then gradually returning to their original state to achieve homeostasis. Although simple network motifs consisting of a few genes have been shown to exhibit such adaptive dynamics, they do not reflect the complexity of real cells, where the expression of a large number of genes activates or represses other genes, permitting adaptive behaviors. Here, we investigated the responses of gene regulatory networks containing many genes that have undergone numerical evolution to achieve high fitness due to the adaptive response of only a single target gene; this single target gene responds to changes in external inputs and later returns to basal levels. Despite setting a single target, most genes showed adaptive responses after evolution. Such adaptive dynamics were not due to common motifs within a few genes; even without such motifs, almost all genes showed adaptation, albeit sometimes partial adaptation, in the sense that expression levels did not always return to original levels. The genes split into two groups: genes in the first group exhibited an initial increase in expression and then returned to basal levels, while genes in the second group exhibited the opposite changes in expression. From this model, genes in the first group received positive input from other genes within the first group, but negative input from genes in the second group, and vice versa. Thus, the adaptation dynamics of genes from both groups were consolidated. This cooperative adaptive behavior was commonly observed if the number of genes involved was larger than the order of ten. These results have implications in the collective responses of gene expression networks in microarray measurements of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the significance to the biological homeostasis of systems with many components.

  2. Expression profiles of genes involved in tanshinone biosynthesis of ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Expression profiles of genes involved in tanshinone biosynthesis of two. Salvia miltiorrhiza genotypes with different tanshinone contents. Zhenqiao Song, Jianhua Wang and Xingfeng Li. J. Genet. 95, 433–439. Table 1. S. miltiorrhiza genes and primer pairs used for qRT-PCR. Gene. GenBank accession. Primer name.

  3. Coverage analysis of lists of genes involved in heterogeneous ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Genes involved in myopathies: 82 genes, based on the disease groups ... 605517 Muscular dystrophy-dystroglycanopathy (congenital with brain and eye ..... Epilepsy, X-linked, with variable learning disabilities and behavior disorders. 300491.

  4. Differential gene expression in response to Fusarium oxysporum infection in resistant and susceptible genotypes of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dmitriev, Alexey A; Krasnov, George S; Rozhmina, Tatiana A; Novakovskiy, Roman O; Snezhkina, Anastasiya V; Fedorova, Maria S; Yurkevich, Olga Yu; Muravenko, Olga V; Bolsheva, Nadezhda L; Kudryavtseva, Anna V; Melnikova, Nataliya V

    2017-12-28

    Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a crop plant used for fiber and oil production. Although potentially high-yielding flax varieties have been developed, environmental stresses markedly decrease flax production. Among biotic stresses, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lini is recognized as one of the most devastating flax pathogens. It causes wilt disease that is one of the major limiting factors for flax production worldwide. Breeding and cultivation of flax varieties resistant to F. oxysporum is the most effective method for controlling wilt disease. Although the mechanisms of flax response to Fusarium have been actively studied, data on the plant response to infection and resistance gene candidates are currently very limited. The transcriptomes of two resistant and two susceptible flax cultivars with respect to Fusarium wilt, as well as two resistant BC 2 F 5 populations, which were grown under control conditions or inoculated with F. oxysporum, were sequenced using the Illumina platform. Genes showing changes in expression under F. oxysporum infection were identified in both resistant and susceptible flax genotypes. We observed the predominant overexpression of numerous genes that are involved in defense response. This was more pronounced in resistant cultivars. In susceptible cultivars, significant downregulation of genes involved in cell wall organization or biogenesis was observed in response to F. oxysporum. In the resistant genotypes, upregulation of genes related to NAD(P)H oxidase activity was detected. Upregulation of a number of genes, including that encoding beta-1,3-glucanase, was significantly greater in the cultivars and BC 2 F 5 populations resistant to Fusarium wilt than in susceptible cultivars in response to F. oxysporum infection. Using high-throughput sequencing, we identified genes involved in the early defense response of L. usitatissimum against the fungus F. oxysporum. In response to F. oxysporum infection, we detected changes in the

  5. Transcriptomic profiling of linolenic acid-responsive genes in ROS signalling from RNA-seq data in Arabidopsis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Capilla eMata-Pérez

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Linolenic acid (Ln released from chloroplast membrane galactolipids is a precursor of the phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA. The involvement of this hormone in different plant biological processes, such as responses to biotic stress conditions, has been extensively studied. However, the role of Ln in the regulation of gene expression during abiotic stress situations mediated by cellular redox changes and/or by oxidative stress processes remains poorly understood. An RNA-seq approach has increased our knowledge of the interplay among Ln, oxidative stress and ROS signalling that mediates abiotic stress conditions. Transcriptome analysis with the aid of RNA-seq in the absence of oxidative stress revealed that the incubation of Arabidopsis thaliana cell suspension cultures (ACSC with Ln resulted in the modulation of 7525 genes, of which 3034 genes had a 2 fold-change, being 533 up- and 2501 down-regulated genes, respectively. Thus, RNA-seq data analysis showed that an important set of these genes were associated with the jasmonic acid biosynthetic pathway including lypoxygenases (LOXs and Allene oxide cyclases (AOCs. In addition, several transcription factor families involved in the response to biotic stress conditions (pathogen attacks or herbivore feeding, such as WRKY, JAZ, MYC and LRR were also modified in response to Ln. However, this study also shows that Ln has the capacity to modulate the expression of genes involved in the response to abiotic stress conditions, particularly those mediated by ROS signalling. In this regard, we were able to identify new targets such as galactinol synthase 1 (GOLS1, methionine sulfoxide reductase (MSR and alkenal reductase in ACSC. It is therefore possible to suggest that, in the absence of any oxidative stress, Ln is capable of modulating new sets of genes involved in the signalling mechanism mediated by additional abiotic stresses (salinity, UV and high light intensity and especially in stresses mediated by ROS.

  6. Identification of late O{sub 3}-responsive genes in Arabidopsis thaliana by cDNA microarray analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    D' Haese, D. [Univ. of Antwerp, Dept. of Biology, Antwerp (BE) and Univ. of Newcastle, School of Biology and Psychology, Div. of Biology, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (United Kingdom); Horemans, N.; Coen, W. De; Guisez, Y. [Univ. of Antwerp, Dept. of Biology, Antwerp (Belgium)

    2006-09-15

    To better understand the response of a plant to 0{sub 3} stress, an integrated microarray analysis was performed on Arabidopsis plants exposed during 2 days to purified air or 150 nl l{sup -1} O{sub 3}, 8 h day-l. Agilent Arabidopsis 2 Oligo Microarrays were used of which the reliability was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR of nine randomly selected genes. We confirmed the O{sub 3} responsiveness of heat shock proteins (HSPs), glutathione-S-tranferases and genes involved in cell wall stiffening and microbial defence. Whereas, a previous study revealed that during an early stage of the O{sub 3} stress response, gene expression was strongly dependent on jasmonic acid and ethylene, we report that at a later stage (48 h) synthesis of jasrnonic acid and ethylene was downregulated. In addition, we observed the simultaneous induction of salicylic acid synthesis and genes involved in programmed cell death and senescence. Also typically, the later stage of the response to O{sub 3} appeared to be the induction of the complete pathway leading to the biosynthesis of anthocyanin diglucosides and the induction of thioredoxin-based redox control. Surprisingly absent in the list of induced genes were genes involved in ASC-dependent antioxidation, few of which were found to be induced after 12 h of 0{sub 3} exposure in another study. We discuss these and other particular results of the microarray analysis and provide a map depicting significantly affected genes and their pathways highlighting their interrelationships and subcellular localization. (au)

  7. [Regulation of heat shock gene expression in response to stress].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garbuz, D G

    2017-01-01

    Heat shock (HS) genes, or stress genes, code for a number of proteins that collectively form the most ancient and universal stress defense system. The system determines the cell capability of adaptation to various adverse factors and performs a variety of auxiliary functions in normal physiological conditions. Common stress factors, such as higher temperatures, hypoxia, heavy metals, and others, suppress transcription and translation for the majority of genes, while HS genes are upregulated. Transcription of HS genes is controlled by transcription factors of the HS factor (HSF) family. Certain HSFs are activated on exposure to higher temperatures or other adverse factors to ensure stress-induced HS gene expression, while other HSFs are specifically activated at particular developmental stages. The regulation of the main mammalian stress-inducible factor HSF1 and Drosophila melanogaster HSF includes many components, such as a variety of early warning signals indicative of abnormal cell activity (e.g., increases in intracellular ceramide, cytosolic calcium ions, or partly denatured proteins); protein kinases, which phosphorylate HSFs at various Ser residues; acetyltransferases; and regulatory proteins, such as SUMO and HSBP1. Transcription factors other than HSFs are also involved in activating HS gene transcription; the set includes D. melanogaster GAF, mammalian Sp1 and NF-Y, and other factors. Transcription of several stress genes coding for molecular chaperones of the glucose-regulated protein (GRP) family is predominantly regulated by another stress-detecting system, which is known as the unfolded protein response (UPR) system and is activated in response to massive protein misfolding in the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial matrix. A translational fine tuning of HS protein expression occurs via changing the phosphorylation status of several proteins involved in translation initiation. In addition, specific signal sequences in the 5'-UTRs of some HS

  8. Rice Yellow Mottle Virus stress responsive genes from susceptible and tolerant rice genotypes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siré Christelle

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The effects of viral infection involve concomitant plant gene variations and cellular changes. A simple system is required to assess the complexity of host responses to viral infection. The genome of the Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV is a single-stranded RNA with a simple organisation. It is the most well-known monocotyledon virus model. Several studies on its biology, structure and phylogeography have provided a suitable background for further genetic studies. 12 rice chromosome sequences are now available and provide strong support for genomic studies, particularly physical mapping and gene identification. Results The present data, obtained through the cDNA-AFLP technique, demonstrate differential responses to RYMV of two different rice cultivars, i.e. susceptible IR64 (Oryza sativa indica, and partially resistant Azucena (O. s. japonica. This RNA profiling provides a new original dataset that will enable us to gain greater insight into the RYMV/rice interaction and the specificity of the host response. Using the SIM4 subroutine, we took the intron/exon structure of the gene into account and mapped 281 RYMV stress responsive (RSR transcripts on 12 rice chromosomes corresponding to 234 RSR genes. We also mapped previously identified deregulated proteins and genes involved in partial resistance and thus constructed the first global physical map of the RYMV/rice interaction. RSR transcripts on rice chromosomes 4 and 10 were found to be not randomly distributed. Seven genes were identified in the susceptible and partially resistant cultivars, and transcripts were colocalized for these seven genes in both cultivars. During virus infection, many concomitant plant gene expression changes may be associated with host changes caused by the infection process, general stress or defence responses. We noted that some genes (e.g. ABC transporters were regulated throughout the kinetics of infection and differentiated susceptible and

  9. Calmodulin Gene Expression in Response to Mechanical Wounding and Botrytis cinerea Infection in Tomato Fruit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui Peng

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Calmodulin, a ubiquitous calcium sensor, plays an important role in decoding stress-triggered intracellular calcium changes and regulates the functions of numerous target proteins involved in various plant physiological responses. To determine the functions of calmodulin in fleshy fruit, expression studies were performed on a family of six calmodulin genes (SlCaMs in mature-green stage tomato fruit in response to mechanical injury and Botrytis cinerea infection. Both wounding and pathogen inoculation triggered expression of all those genes, with SlCaM2 being the most responsive one to both treatments. Furthermore, all calmodulin genes were upregulated by salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate, two signaling molecules involved in plant immunity. In addition to SlCaM2, SlCaM1 was highly responsive to salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate. However, SlCaM2 exhibited a more rapid and stronger response than SlCaM1. Overexpression of SlCaM2 in tomato fruit enhanced resistance to Botrytis-induced decay, whereas reducing its expression resulted in increased lesion development. These results indicate that calmodulin is a positive regulator of plant defense in fruit by activating defense pathways including salicylate- and jasmonate-signaling pathways, and SlCaM2 is the major calmodulin gene responsible for this event.

  10. Identification of genes involved in the ACC-mediated control of root cell elongation in Arabidopsis thaliana

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    Markakis Marios

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Along the root axis of Arabidopsis thaliana, cells pass through different developmental stages. In the apical meristem repeated cycles of division increase the numbers of cells. Upon leaving the meristem, these cells pass the transition zone where they are physiologically and mechanically prepared to undergo subsequent rapid elongation. During the process of elongation epidermal cells increase their length by 300% in a couple of hours. When elongation ceases, the cells acquire their final size, shape and functions (in the differentiation zone. Ethylene administered as its precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC is capable of inhibiting elongation in a concentration-dependent way. Using a microarray analysis, genes and/or processes involved in this elongation arrest are identified. Results Using a CATMA-microarray analysis performed on control and 3h ACC-treated roots, 240 differentially expressed genes were identified. Quantitative Real-Time RT-PCR analysis of the 10 most up and down regulated genes combined with literature search confirmed the accurateness of the analysis. This revealed that inhibition of cell elongation is, at least partly, caused by restricting the events that under normal growth conditions initiate elongation and by increasing the processes that normally stop cellular elongation at the end of the elongation/onset of differentiation zone. Conclusions ACC interferes with cell elongation in the Arabidopsis thaliana roots by inhibiting cells from entering the elongation process and by immediately stimulating the formation of cross-links in cell wall components, diminishing the remaining elongation capacity. From the analysis of the differentially expressed genes, it becomes clear that many genes identified in this response, are also involved in several other kind of stress responses. This suggests that many responses originate from individual elicitors, but that somewhere in the downstream

  11. Dynamic gene expression response to altered gravity in human T cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thiel, Cora S; Hauschild, Swantje; Huge, Andreas; Tauber, Svantje; Lauber, Beatrice A; Polzer, Jennifer; Paulsen, Katrin; Lier, Hartwin; Engelmann, Frank; Schmitz, Burkhard; Schütte, Andreas; Layer, Liliana E; Ullrich, Oliver

    2017-07-12

    We investigated the dynamics of immediate and initial gene expression response to different gravitational environments in human Jurkat T lymphocytic cells and compared expression profiles to identify potential gravity-regulated genes and adaptation processes. We used the Affymetrix GeneChip® Human Transcriptome Array 2.0 containing 44,699 protein coding genes and 22,829 non-protein coding genes and performed the experiments during a parabolic flight and a suborbital ballistic rocket mission to cross-validate gravity-regulated gene expression through independent research platforms and different sets of control experiments to exclude other factors than alteration of gravity. We found that gene expression in human T cells rapidly responded to altered gravity in the time frame of 20 s and 5 min. The initial response to microgravity involved mostly regulatory RNAs. We identified three gravity-regulated genes which could be cross-validated in both completely independent experiment missions: ATP6V1A/D, a vacuolar H + -ATPase (V-ATPase) responsible for acidification during bone resorption, IGHD3-3/IGHD3-10, diversity genes of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus participating in V(D)J recombination, and LINC00837, a long intergenic non-protein coding RNA. Due to the extensive and rapid alteration of gene expression associated with regulatory RNAs, we conclude that human cells are equipped with a robust and efficient adaptation potential when challenged with altered gravitational environments.

  12. Time-Course Analysis of Gene Expression During the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hypoxic Response

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    Nasrine Bendjilali

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Many cells experience hypoxia, or low oxygen, and respond by dramatically altering gene expression. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, genes that respond are required for many oxygen-dependent cellular processes, such as respiration, biosynthesis, and redox regulation. To more fully characterize the global response to hypoxia, we exposed yeast to hypoxic conditions, extracted RNA at different times, and performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq analysis. Time-course statistical analysis revealed hundreds of genes that changed expression by up to 550-fold. The genes responded with varying kinetics suggesting that multiple regulatory pathways are involved. We identified most known oxygen-regulated genes and also uncovered new regulated genes. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR analysis confirmed that the lysine methyltransferase EFM6 and the recombinase DMC1, both conserved in humans, are indeed oxygen-responsive. Looking more broadly, oxygen-regulated genes participate in expected processes like respiration and lipid metabolism, but also in unexpected processes like amino acid and vitamin metabolism. Using principle component analysis, we discovered that the hypoxic response largely occurs during the first 2 hr and then a new steady-state expression state is achieved. Moreover, we show that the oxygen-dependent genes are not part of the previously described environmental stress response (ESR consisting of genes that respond to diverse types of stress. While hypoxia appears to cause a transient stress, the hypoxic response is mostly characterized by a transition to a new state of gene expression. In summary, our results reveal that hypoxia causes widespread and complex changes in gene expression to prepare the cell to function with little or no oxygen.

  13. Time-Course Analysis of Gene Expression During the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hypoxic Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bendjilali, Nasrine; MacLeon, Samuel; Kalra, Gurmannat; Willis, Stephen D; Hossian, A K M Nawshad; Avery, Erica; Wojtowicz, Olivia; Hickman, Mark J

    2017-01-05

    Many cells experience hypoxia, or low oxygen, and respond by dramatically altering gene expression. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, genes that respond are required for many oxygen-dependent cellular processes, such as respiration, biosynthesis, and redox regulation. To more fully characterize the global response to hypoxia, we exposed yeast to hypoxic conditions, extracted RNA at different times, and performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis. Time-course statistical analysis revealed hundreds of genes that changed expression by up to 550-fold. The genes responded with varying kinetics suggesting that multiple regulatory pathways are involved. We identified most known oxygen-regulated genes and also uncovered new regulated genes. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis confirmed that the lysine methyltransferase EFM6 and the recombinase DMC1, both conserved in humans, are indeed oxygen-responsive. Looking more broadly, oxygen-regulated genes participate in expected processes like respiration and lipid metabolism, but also in unexpected processes like amino acid and vitamin metabolism. Using principle component analysis, we discovered that the hypoxic response largely occurs during the first 2 hr and then a new steady-state expression state is achieved. Moreover, we show that the oxygen-dependent genes are not part of the previously described environmental stress response (ESR) consisting of genes that respond to diverse types of stress. While hypoxia appears to cause a transient stress, the hypoxic response is mostly characterized by a transition to a new state of gene expression. In summary, our results reveal that hypoxia causes widespread and complex changes in gene expression to prepare the cell to function with little or no oxygen. Copyright © 2017 Bendjilali et al.

  14. MicroRNA-target gene responses to lead-induced stress in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Qiuling; Zhu, Shuijin; Zhang, Baohong

    2014-09-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in plant responses to various metal stresses. To investigate the miRNA-mediated plant response to heavy metals, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), the most important fiber crop in the world, was exposed to different concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 µM) of lead (Pb) and then the toxicological effects were investigated. The expression patterns of 16 stress-responsive miRNAs and 10 target genes were monitored in cotton leaves and roots by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR); of these selected genes, several miRNAs and their target genes are involved in root development. The results show a reciprocal regulation of cotton response to lead stress by miRNAs. The characterization of the miRNAs and the associated target genes in response to lead exposure would help in defining the potential roles of miRNAs in plant adaptation to heavy metal stress and further understanding miRNA regulation in response to abiotic stress.

  15. De novo RNA sequencing transcriptome of Rhododendron obtusum identified the early heat response genes involved in the transcriptional regulation of photosynthesis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linchuan Fang

    Full Text Available Rhododendron spp. is an important ornamental species that is widely cultivated for landscape worldwide. Heat stress is a major obstacle for its cultivation in south China. Previous studies on rhododendron principally focused on its physiological and biochemical processes, which are involved in a series of stress tolerance. However, molecular or genetic properties of rhododendron's response to heat stress are still poorly understood. The phenotype and chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics parameters of four rhododendron cultivars were compared under normal or heat stress conditions, and a cultivar with highest heat tolerance, "Yanzhimi" (R. obtusum was selected for transcriptome sequencing. A total of 325,429,240 high quality reads were obtained and assembled into 395,561 transcripts and 92,463 unigenes. Functional annotation showed that 38,724 unigenes had sequence similarity to known genes in at least one of the proteins or nucleotide databases used in this study. These 38,724 unigenes were categorized into 51 functional groups based on Gene Ontology classification and were blasted to 24 known cluster of orthologous groups. A total of 973 identified unigenes belonged to 57 transcription factor families, including the stress-related HSF, DREB, ZNF, and NAC genes. Photosynthesis was significantly enriched in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway, and the changed expression pattern was illustrated. The key pathways and signaling components that contribute to heat tolerance in rhododendron were revealed. These results provide a potentially valuable resource that can be used for heat-tolerance breeding.

  16. De novo RNA sequencing transcriptome of Rhododendron obtusum identified the early heat response genes involved in the transcriptional regulation of photosynthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tong, Jun; Dong, Yanfang; Xu, Dongyun; Mao, Jing; Zhou, Yuan

    2017-01-01

    Rhododendron spp. is an important ornamental species that is widely cultivated for landscape worldwide. Heat stress is a major obstacle for its cultivation in south China. Previous studies on rhododendron principally focused on its physiological and biochemical processes, which are involved in a series of stress tolerance. However, molecular or genetic properties of rhododendron’s response to heat stress are still poorly understood. The phenotype and chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics parameters of four rhododendron cultivars were compared under normal or heat stress conditions, and a cultivar with highest heat tolerance, “Yanzhimi” (R. obtusum) was selected for transcriptome sequencing. A total of 325,429,240 high quality reads were obtained and assembled into 395,561 transcripts and 92,463 unigenes. Functional annotation showed that 38,724 unigenes had sequence similarity to known genes in at least one of the proteins or nucleotide databases used in this study. These 38,724 unigenes were categorized into 51 functional groups based on Gene Ontology classification and were blasted to 24 known cluster of orthologous groups. A total of 973 identified unigenes belonged to 57 transcription factor families, including the stress-related HSF, DREB, ZNF, and NAC genes. Photosynthesis was significantly enriched in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway, and the changed expression pattern was illustrated. The key pathways and signaling components that contribute to heat tolerance in rhododendron were revealed. These results provide a potentially valuable resource that can be used for heat-tolerance breeding. PMID:29059200

  17. Uncovering genes and ploidy involved in the high diversity in root hair density, length and response to local scarce phosphate in Arabidopsis thaliana.

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    Markus G Stetter

    Full Text Available Plant root hairs increase the root surface to enhance the uptake of sparingly soluble and immobile nutrients, such as the essential nutrient phosphorus, from the soil. Here, root hair traits and the response to scarce local phosphorus concentration were studied in 166 accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana using split plates. Root hair density and length were correlated, but highly variable among accessions. Surprisingly, the well-known increase in root hair density under low phosphorus was mostly restricted to genotypes that had less and shorter root hairs under P sufficient conditions. By contrast, several accessions with dense and long root hairs even had lower hair density or shorter hairs in local scarce phosphorus. Furthermore, accessions with whole-genome duplications developed more dense but phosphorus-insensitive root hairs. The impact of genome duplication on root hair density was confirmed by comparing tetraploid accessions with their diploid ancestors. Genome-wide association mapping identified candidate genes potentially involved in root hair responses tp scarce local phosphate. Knock-out mutants in identified candidate genes (CYR1, At1g32360 and RLP48 were isolated and differences in root hair traits in the mutants were confirmed. The large diversity in root hair traits among accessions and the diverse response when local phosphorus is scarce is a rich resource for further functional analyses.

  18. Cloning and Characterizing Genes Involved in Monoterpene Induced Mammary Tumor Regression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1996-10-01

    AD GRANT NUMBER DAMDI7-94-J-4041 TITLE: Cloning and Characterizing Genes Involved in Monoterpene Induced Mammary Tumor Regression PRINCIPAL...October 1996 Annual (1 Sep 95 - 31 Aug 96) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Cloning and Characterizing Genes Involved in Monoterpene Induced... Monoterpene -induced/repressed genes were identified in regressing rat mammary carcinomas treated with dietary limonene using a newly developed method

  19. Integration of metabolic and gene regulatory networks modulates the C. elegans dietary response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, Emma; MacNeil, Lesley T; Arda, H Efsun; Zhu, Lihua Julie; Walhout, Albertha J M

    2013-03-28

    Expression profiles are tailored according to dietary input. However, the networks that control dietary responses remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we combine forward and reverse genetic screens to delineate a network of 184 genes that affect the C. elegans dietary response to Comamonas DA1877 bacteria. We find that perturbation of a mitochondrial network composed of enzymes involved in amino acid metabolism and the TCA cycle affects the dietary response. In humans, mutations in the corresponding genes cause inborn diseases of amino acid metabolism, most of which are treated by dietary intervention. We identify several transcription factors (TFs) that mediate the changes in gene expression upon metabolic network perturbations. Altogether, our findings unveil a transcriptional response system that is poised to sense dietary cues and metabolic imbalances, illustrating extensive communication between metabolic networks in the mitochondria and gene regulatory networks in the nucleus. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. A core filamentation response network in Candida albicans is restricted to eight genes.

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    Ronny Martin

    Full Text Available Although morphological plasticity is a central virulence trait of Candida albicans, the number of filament-associated genes and the interplay of mechanisms regulating their expression remain unknown. By correlation-based network modeling of the transcriptional response to different defined external stimuli for morphogenesis we identified a set of eight genes with highly correlated expression patterns, forming a core filamentation response. This group of genes included ALS3, ECE1, HGT2, HWP1, IHD1 and RBT1 which are known or supposed to encode for cell- wall associated proteins as well as the Rac1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor encoding gene DCK1 and the unknown function open reading frame orf19.2457. The validity of network modeling was confirmed using a dataset of advanced complexity that describes the transcriptional response of C. albicans during epithelial invasion as well as comparing our results with other previously published transcriptome studies. Although the set of core filamentation response genes was quite small, several transcriptional regulators are involved in the control of their expression, depending on the environmental condition.

  1. Genome-Wide Transcriptome Analysis of Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. Identifies Candidate Gene Signatures in Response to Aflatoxin Producing Fungus Aspergillus flavus.

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    Renesh Bedre

    Full Text Available Aflatoxins are toxic and potent carcinogenic metabolites produced from the fungi Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Aflatoxins can contaminate cottonseed under conducive preharvest and postharvest conditions. United States federal regulations restrict the use of aflatoxin contaminated cottonseed at >20 ppb for animal feed. Several strategies have been proposed for controlling aflatoxin contamination, and much success has been achieved by the application of an atoxigenic strain of A. flavus in cotton, peanut and maize fields. Development of cultivars resistant to aflatoxin through overexpression of resistance associated genes and/or knocking down aflatoxin biosynthesis of A. flavus will be an effective strategy for controlling aflatoxin contamination in cotton. In this study, genome-wide transcriptome profiling was performed to identify differentially expressed genes in response to infection with both toxigenic and atoxigenic strains of A. flavus on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. pericarp and seed. The genes involved in antifungal response, oxidative burst, transcription factors, defense signaling pathways and stress response were highly differentially expressed in pericarp and seed tissues in response to A. flavus infection. The cell-wall modifying genes and genes involved in the production of antimicrobial substances were more active in pericarp as compared to seed. The genes involved in auxin and cytokinin signaling were also induced. Most of the genes involved in defense response in cotton were highly induced in pericarp than in seed. The global gene expression analysis in response to fungal invasion in cotton will serve as a source for identifying biomarkers for breeding, potential candidate genes for transgenic manipulation, and will help in understanding complex plant-fungal interaction for future downstream research.

  2. Molecular hydrogen is involved in phytohormone signaling and stress responses in plants.

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    Jiqing Zeng

    Full Text Available Molecular hydrogen (H2 metabolism in bacteria and algae has been well studied from an industrial perspective because H2 is viewed as a potential future energy source. A number of clinical trials have recently reported that H2 is a therapeutic antioxidant and signaling molecule. Although H2 metabolism in higher plants was reported in some early studies, its biological effects remain unclear. In this report, the biological effects of H2 and its involvement in plant hormone signaling pathways and stress responses were determined. Antioxidant enzyme activity was found to be increased and the transcription of corresponding genes altered when the effects of H2 on the germination of mung bean seeds treated with phytohormones was investigated. In addition, upregulation of several phytohormone receptor genes and genes that encode a few key factors involved in plant signaling pathways was detected in rice seedlings treated with HW. The transcription of putative rice hydrogenase genes, hydrogenase activity, and endogenous H2 production were also determined. H2 production was found to be induced by abscisic acid, ethylene, and jasmonate acid, salt, and drought stress and was consistent with hydrogenase activity and the expression of putative hydrogenase genes in rice seedlings. Together, these results suggest that H2 may have an effect on rice stress tolerance by modulating the output of hormone signaling pathways.

  3. Genes involved in Beauveria bassiana infection to Galleria mellonella.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Anhui; Wang, Yulong; Shao, Ying; Zhou, Qiumei; Chen, Shanglong; Wu, Yonghua; Chen, Hongwei; Liu, Enqi

    2018-05-01

    The ascomycete fungus Beauveria bassiana is a natural pathogen of hundreds of insect species and is commercially produced as an environmentally friendly mycoinsecticide. Many genes involved in fungal insecticide infection have been identified but few have been further explored. In this study, we constructed three transcriptomes of B. bassiana at 24, 48 and 72 h post infection of insect pests (BbI) or control (BbC). There were 3148, 3613 and 4922 genes differentially expressed at 24, 48 and 72 h post BbI/BbC infection, respectively. A large number of genes and pathways involved in infection were identified. To further analyze those genes, expression patterns across different infection stages (0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 and 84 h) were studied using quantitative RT-PCR. This analysis showed that the infection-related genes could be divided into four patterns: highly expressed throughout the whole infection process (thioredoxin 1); highly expressed during early stages of infection but lowly expressed after the insect death (adhesin protein Mad1); lowly expressed during early infection but highly expressed after insect death (cation transporter, OpS13); or lowly expressed across the entire infection process (catalase protein). The data provide novel insights into the insect-pathogen interaction and help to uncover the molecular mechanisms involved in fungal infection of insect pests.

  4. Transcriptome Sequencing of Dianthus spiculifolius and Analysis of the Genes Involved in Responses to Combined Cold and Drought Stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Aimin; Ma, Hongping; Liu, Enhui; Jiang, Tongtong; Feng, Shuang; Gong, Shufang; Wang, Jingang

    2017-04-17

    Dianthus spiculifolius , a perennial herbaceous flower and a member of the Caryophyllaceae family, has strong resistance to cold and drought stresses. To explore the transcriptional responses of D. spiculifolius to individual and combined stresses, we performed transcriptome sequencing of seedlings under normal conditions or subjected to cold treatment (CT), simulated drought treatment (DT), or their combination (CTDT). After de novo assembly of the obtained reads, 112,015 unigenes were generated. Analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) showed that 2026, 940, and 2346 genes were up-regulated and 1468, 707, and 1759 were down-regulated in CT, DT, and CTDT samples, respectively. Among all the DEGs, 182 up-regulated and 116 down-regulated genes were identified in all the treatment groups. Analysis of metabolic pathways and regulatory networks associated with the DEGs revealed overlaps and cross-talk between cold and drought stress response pathways. The expression profiles of the selected DEGs in CT, DT, and CTDT samples were characterized and confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. These DEGs and metabolic pathways may play important roles in the response of D. spiculifolius to the combined stress. Functional characterization of these genes and pathways will provide new targets for enhancement of plant stress tolerance through genetic manipulation.

  5. Expression profiling identifies genes involved in emphysema severity

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    Bowman Rayleen V

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD is a major public health problem. The aim of this study was to identify genes involved in emphysema severity in COPD patients. Gene expression profiling was performed on total RNA extracted from non-tumor lung tissue from 30 smokers with emphysema. Class comparison analysis based on gas transfer measurement was performed to identify differentially expressed genes. Genes were then selected for technical validation by quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR (qRT-PCR if also represented on microarray platforms used in previously published emphysema studies. Genes technically validated advanced to tests of biological replication by qRT-PCR using an independent test set of 62 lung samples. Class comparison identified 98 differentially expressed genes (p p Gene expression profiling of lung from emphysema patients identified seven candidate genes associated with emphysema severity including COL6A3, SERPINF1, ZNHIT6, NEDD4, CDKN2A, NRN1 and GSTM3.

  6. Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Anaplasma marginale Elicit Different Gene Expression Responses in Cultured Tick Cells

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    Zorica Zivkovic

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available The genus Anaplasma (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae includes obligate tick-transmitted intracellular organisms, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Anaplasma marginale that multiply in both vertebrate and tick host cells. Recently, we showed that A. marginale affects the expression of tick genes that are involved in tick survival and pathogen infection and multiplication. However, the gene expression profile in A. phagocytophilum-infected tick cells is currently poorly characterized. The objectives of this study were to characterize tick gene expression profile in Ixodes scapularis ticks and cultured ISE6 cells in response to infection with A. phagocypthilum and to compare tick gene expression responses in A. phagocytophilum- and A. marginale-infected tick cells by microarray and real-time RT-PCR analyses. The results of these studies demonstrated modulation of tick gene expression by A. phagocytophilum and provided evidence of different gene expression responses in tick cells infected with A. phagocytophilum and A. marginale. These differences in Anaplasma-tick interactions may reflect differences in pathogen life cycle in the tick cells.

  7. Association genetics and transcriptome analysis reveal a gibberellin-responsive pathway involved in regulating photosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Jianbo; Tian, Jiaxing; Du, Qingzhang; Chen, Jinhui; Li, Ying; Yang, Xiaohui; Li, Bailian; Zhang, Deqiang

    2016-05-01

    Gibberellins (GAs) regulate a wide range of important processes in plant growth and development, including photosynthesis. However, the mechanism by which GAs regulate photosynthesis remains to be understood. Here, we used multi-gene association to investigate the effect of genes in the GA-responsive pathway, as constructed by RNA sequencing, on photosynthesis, growth, and wood property traits, in a population of 435 Populus tomentosa By analyzing changes in the transcriptome following GA treatment, we identified many key photosynthetic genes, in agreement with the observed increase in measurements of photosynthesis. Regulatory motif enrichment analysis revealed that 37 differentially expressed genes related to photosynthesis shared two essential GA-related cis-regulatory elements, the GA response element and the pyrimidine box. Thus, we constructed a GA-responsive pathway consisting of 47 genes involved in regulating photosynthesis, including GID1, RGA, GID2, MYBGa, and 37 photosynthetic differentially expressed genes. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based association analysis showed that 142 SNPs, representing 40 candidate genes in this pathway, were significantly associated with photosynthesis, growth, and wood property traits. Epistasis analysis uncovered interactions between 310 SNP-SNP pairs from 37 genes in this pathway, revealing possible genetic interactions. Moreover, a structural gene-gene matrix based on a time-course of transcript abundances provided a better understanding of the multi-gene pathway affecting photosynthesis. The results imply a functional role for these genes in mediating photosynthesis, growth, and wood properties, demonstrating the potential of combining transcriptome-based regulatory pathway construction and genetic association approaches to detect the complex genetic networks underlying quantitative traits. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights

  8. Functional characterization of two SOS-regulated genes involved in mitomycin C resistance in Caulobacter crescentus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes-Kulishev, Carina O; Alves, Ingrid R; Valencia, Estela Y; Pidhirnyj, María I; Fernández-Silva, Frank S; Rodrigues, Ticiane R; Guzzo, Cristiane R; Galhardo, Rodrigo S

    2015-09-01

    The SOS response is a universal bacterial regulon involved in the cellular response to DNA damage and other forms of stress. In Caulobacter crescentus, previous work has identified a plethora of genes that are part of the SOS regulon, but the biological roles of several of them remain to be determined. In this study, we report that two genes, hereafter named mmcA and mmcB, are involved in the defense against DNA damage caused by mitomycin C (MMC), but not against lesions induced by other common DNA damaging agents, such as UVC light, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) and hydrogen peroxide. mmcA is a conserved gene that encodes a member of the glyoxalases/dioxygenases protein family, and acts independently of known DNA repair pathways. On the other hand, epistasis analysis showed that mmcB acts in the same pathway as imuC (dnaE2), and is required specifically for MMC-induced mutagenesis, but not for that induced by UV light, suggesting a role for MmcB in translesion synthesis-dependent repair of MMC damage. We show that the lack of MMC-induced mutability in the mmcB strain is not caused by lack of proper SOS induction of the imuABC operon, involved in translesion synthesis (TLS) in C. crescentus. Based on this data and on structural analysis of a close homolog, we propose that MmcB is an endonuclease which creates substrates for ImuABC-mediated TLS patches. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. The genomic view of genes responsive to the antagonistic phytohormones, abscisic acid, and gibberellin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yazaki, Junshi; Kikuchi, Shoshi

    2005-01-01

    We now have the various genomics tools for monocot (Oryza sativa) and a dicot (Arabidopsis thaliana) plant. Plant is not only a very important agricultural resource but also a model organism for biological research. It is important that the interaction between ABA and GA is investigated for controlling the transition from embryogenesis to germination in seeds using genomics tools. These studies have investigated the relationship between dormancy and germination using genomics tools. Genomics tools identified genes that had never before been annotated as ABA- or GA-responsive genes in plant, detected new interactions between genes responsive to the two hormones, comprehensively characterized cis-elements of hormone-responsive genes, and characterized cis-elements of rice and Arabidopsis. In these research, ABA- and GA-regulated genes have been classified as functional proteins (proteins that probably function in stress or PR tolerance) and regulatory proteins (protein factors involved in further regulation of signal transduction). Comparison between ABA and/or GA-responsive genes in rice and those in Arabidopsis has shown that the cis-element has specificity in each species. cis-Elements for the dehydration-stress response have been specified in Arabidopsis but not in rice. cis-Elements for protein storage are remarkably richer in the upstream regions of the rice gene than in those of Arabidopsis.

  10. Plant Genes Involved in Symbiotic Sinal Perception/Signal Transduction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Binder, A; Soyano, T; Hayashi, H

    2014-01-01

    to nodule primordia formation, and the infection thread initiation in the root hairs guiding bacteria towards dividing cortical cells. This chapter focuses on the plant genes involved in the recognition of the symbiotic signal produced by rhizobia, and the downstream genes, which are part of a complex...... symbiotic signalling pathway that leads to the generation of calcium spiking in the nuclear regions and activation of transcription factors controlling symbiotic genes induction...

  11. Salt and drought stress and ABA responses related to bZIP genes from V. radiata and V. angularis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lanfen; Zhu, Jifeng; Li, Xiaoming; Wang, Shumin; Wu, Jing

    2018-04-20

    Mung bean and adzuki bean are warm-season legumes widely cultivated in China. However, bean production in major producing regions is limited by biotic and abiotic stress, such as drought and salt stress. Basic leucine zipper (bZIP) genes play key roles in responses to various biotic and abiotic stresses. However, only several bZIP genes involved in drought and salt stress in legumes, especially Vigna radiata and Vigna angularis, have been identified. In this study, we identified 54 and 50 bZIP proteins from whole-genome sequences of V. radiata and V. angularis, respectively. First, we comprehensively surveyed the characteristics of all bZIP genes, including their gene structure, chromosome distribution and motif composition. Phylogenetic trees showed that VrbZIP and VabZIP proteins were divided into ten clades comprising nine known and one unknown subgroup. The results of the nucleotide substitution rate of the orthologous gene pairs showed that bZIP proteins have undergone strong purifying selection: V. radiata and V. angularis diverged 1.25 million years ago (mya) to 9.20 mya (average of 4.95 mya). We also found that many cis-acting regulatory elements (CAREs) involved in abiotic stress and plant hormone responses were detected in the putative promoter regions of the bZIP genes. Finally, using the quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) method, we performed expression profiling of the bZIP genes in response to drought, salt and abscisic acid (ABA). We identified several bZIP genes that may be involved in drought and salt responses. Generally, our results provided useful and rich resources of VrbZIP and VabZIP genes for the functional characterization and understanding of bZIP transcription factors (TFs) in warm-season legumes. In addition, our results revealed important and interesting data - a subset of VrbZIP and VabZIP gene expression profiles in response to drought, salt and ABA stress. These results provide gene expression evidence for the selection of

  12. Identification of genes involved in a water stress response in timothy and mapping of orthologous loci in perennial ryegrass

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jonavičienė, Kristina; Studer, Bruno; Asp, Torben

    2012-01-01

    In order to characterize the response of selected grasses to water stress, relative water content (RWC) in leaves and quantum efficiency of photosystem 2 (Fv/Fm) were measured in Phleum pratense L., P. bertolonii DC. and P. phleoides H. Karst. during 6 d of water stress. The results indicated...... differential responses to water stress among the three Phleum species with higher water deficit sensitivity of P. pratense and P. bertolonii than that of P. phleoides. The cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) technique was applied to identify differentially expressed genes responding...... to water stress in P. pratense. Cloned and sequenced differentially expressed fragments (DEFs) were used for primer design in order to identify orthologous genes in Lolium perenne L. Twelve genes orthologous to P. pratense DEFs were mapped in the L. perenne mapping population VrnA based on a high...

  13. Integrating Genetic and Gene Co-expression Analysis Identifies Gene Networks Involved in Alcohol and Stress Responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Jie; Xu, Pei; Cao, Peijian; Wan, Hongjian; Lv, Xiaonan; Xu, Shengchun; Wang, Gangjun; Cook, Melloni N; Jones, Byron C; Lu, Lu; Wang, Xusheng

    2018-01-01

    Although the link between stress and alcohol is well recognized, the underlying mechanisms of how they interplay at the molecular level remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to identify molecular networks underlying the effects of alcohol and stress responses, as well as their interaction on anxiety behaviors in the hippocampus of mice using a systems genetics approach. Here, we applied a gene co-expression network approach to transcriptomes of 41 BXD mouse strains under four conditions: stress, alcohol, stress-induced alcohol and control. The co-expression analysis identified 14 modules and characterized four expression patterns across the four conditions. The four expression patterns include up-regulation in no restraint stress and given an ethanol injection (NOE) but restoration in restraint stress followed by an ethanol injection (RSE; pattern 1), down-regulation in NOE but rescue in RSE (pattern 2), up-regulation in both restraint stress followed by a saline injection (RSS) and NOE, and further amplification in RSE (pattern 3), and up-regulation in RSS but reduction in both NOE and RSE (pattern 4). We further identified four functional subnetworks by superimposing protein-protein interactions (PPIs) to the 14 co-expression modules, including γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABA) signaling, glutamate signaling, neuropeptide signaling, cAMP-dependent signaling. We further performed module specificity analysis to identify modules that are specific to stress, alcohol, or stress-induced alcohol responses. Finally, we conducted causality analysis to link genetic variation to these identified modules, and anxiety behaviors after stress and alcohol treatments. This study underscores the importance of integrative analysis and offers new insights into the molecular networks underlying stress and alcohol responses.

  14. Integrating Genetic and Gene Co-expression Analysis Identifies Gene Networks Involved in Alcohol and Stress Responses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jie Luo

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Although the link between stress and alcohol is well recognized, the underlying mechanisms of how they interplay at the molecular level remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to identify molecular networks underlying the effects of alcohol and stress responses, as well as their interaction on anxiety behaviors in the hippocampus of mice using a systems genetics approach. Here, we applied a gene co-expression network approach to transcriptomes of 41 BXD mouse strains under four conditions: stress, alcohol, stress-induced alcohol and control. The co-expression analysis identified 14 modules and characterized four expression patterns across the four conditions. The four expression patterns include up-regulation in no restraint stress and given an ethanol injection (NOE but restoration in restraint stress followed by an ethanol injection (RSE; pattern 1, down-regulation in NOE but rescue in RSE (pattern 2, up-regulation in both restraint stress followed by a saline injection (RSS and NOE, and further amplification in RSE (pattern 3, and up-regulation in RSS but reduction in both NOE and RSE (pattern 4. We further identified four functional subnetworks by superimposing protein-protein interactions (PPIs to the 14 co-expression modules, including γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABA signaling, glutamate signaling, neuropeptide signaling, cAMP-dependent signaling. We further performed module specificity analysis to identify modules that are specific to stress, alcohol, or stress-induced alcohol responses. Finally, we conducted causality analysis to link genetic variation to these identified modules, and anxiety behaviors after stress and alcohol treatments. This study underscores the importance of integrative analysis and offers new insights into the molecular networks underlying stress and alcohol responses.

  15. Sphingomonas wittichii Strain RW1 Genome-Wide Gene Expression Shifts in Response to Dioxins and Clay.

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    Benli Chai

    Full Text Available Sphingomonas wittichii strain RW1 (RW1 is one of the few strains that can grow on dibenzo-p-dioxin (DD. We conducted a transcriptomic study of RW1 using RNA-Seq to outline transcriptional responses to DD, dibenzofuran (DF, and the smectite clay mineral saponite with succinate as carbon source. The ability to grow on DD is rare compared to growth on the chemically similar DF even though the same initial dioxygenase may be involved in oxidation of both substrates. Therefore, we hypothesized the reason for this lies beyond catabolic pathways and may concern genes involved in processes for cell-substrate interactions such as substrate recognition, transport, and detoxification. Compared to succinate (SUC as control carbon source, DF caused over 240 protein-coding genes to be differentially expressed, whereas more than 300 were differentially expressed with DD. Stress response genes were up-regulated in response to both DD and DF. This effect was stronger with DD than DF, suggesting a higher toxicity of DD compared to DF. Both DD and DF caused changes in expression of genes involved in active cross-membrane transport such as TonB-dependent receptor proteins, but the patterns of change differed between the two substrates. Multiple transcription factor genes also displayed expression patterns distinct to DD and DF growth. DD and DF induced the catechol ortho- and the salicylate/gentisate pathways, respectively. Both DD and DF induced the shared down-stream aliphatic intermediate compound pathway. Clay caused category-wide down-regulation of genes for cell motility and chemotaxis, particularly those involved in the synthesis, assembly and functioning of flagella. This is an environmentally important finding because clay is a major component of soil microbes' microenvironment influencing local chemistry and may serve as a geosorbent for toxic pollutants. Similar to clay, DD and DF also affected expression of genes involved in motility and chemotaxis.

  16. Enrichment of conserved synaptic activity-responsive element in neuronal genes predicts a coordinated response of MEF2, CREB and SRF.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernanda M Rodríguez-Tornos

    Full Text Available A unique synaptic activity-responsive element (SARE sequence, composed of the consensus binding sites for SRF, MEF2 and CREB, is necessary for control of transcriptional upregulation of the Arc gene in response to synaptic activity. We hypothesize that this sequence is a broad mechanism that regulates gene expression in response to synaptic activation and during plasticity; and that analysis of SARE-containing genes could identify molecular mechanisms involved in brain disorders. To search for conserved SARE sequences in the mammalian genome, we used the SynoR in silico tool, and found the SARE cluster predominantly in the regulatory regions of genes expressed specifically in the nervous system; most were related to neural development and homeostatic maintenance. Two of these SARE sequences were tested in luciferase assays and proved to promote transcription in response to neuronal activation. Supporting the predictive capacity of our candidate list, up-regulation of several SARE containing genes in response to neuronal activity was validated using external data and also experimentally using primary cortical neurons and quantitative real time RT-PCR. The list of SARE-containing genes includes several linked to mental retardation and cognitive disorders, and is significantly enriched in genes that encode mRNA targeted by FMRP (fragile X mental retardation protein. Our study thus supports the idea that SARE sequences are relevant transcriptional regulatory elements that participate in plasticity. In addition, it offers a comprehensive view of how activity-responsive transcription factors coordinate their actions and increase the selectivity of their targets. Our data suggest that analysis of SARE-containing genes will reveal yet-undescribed pathways of synaptic plasticity and additional candidate genes disrupted in mental disease.

  17. GEM2Net: from gene expression modeling to -omics networks, a new CATdb module to investigate Arabidopsis thaliana genes involved in stress response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaag, Rim; Tamby, Jean Philippe; Guichard, Cécile; Tariq, Zakia; Rigaill, Guillem; Delannoy, Etienne; Renou, Jean-Pierre; Balzergue, Sandrine; Mary-Huard, Tristan; Aubourg, Sébastien; Martin-Magniette, Marie-Laure; Brunaud, Véronique

    2015-01-01

    CATdb (http://urgv.evry.inra.fr/CATdb) is a database providing a public access to a large collection of transcriptomic data, mainly for Arabidopsis but also for other plants. This resource has the rare advantage to contain several thousands of microarray experiments obtained with the same technical protocol and analyzed by the same statistical pipelines. In this paper, we present GEM2Net, a new module of CATdb that takes advantage of this homogeneous dataset to mine co-expression units and decipher Arabidopsis gene functions. GEM2Net explores 387 stress conditions organized into 18 biotic and abiotic stress categories. For each one, a model-based clustering is applied on expression differences to identify clusters of co-expressed genes. To characterize functions associated with these clusters, various resources are analyzed and integrated: Gene Ontology, subcellular localization of proteins, Hormone Families, Transcription Factor Families and a refined stress-related gene list associated to publications. Exploiting protein-protein interactions and transcription factors-targets interactions enables to display gene networks. GEM2Net presents the analysis of the 18 stress categories, in which 17,264 genes are involved and organized within 681 co-expression clusters. The meta-data analyses were stored and organized to compose a dynamic Web resource. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  18. Temporal expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Gibberellins (GAs) are a large family of endogenous plant growth regulators. Bioactive GAs influence nearly all processes during plant growth and development. In the present study, we cloned and identified 10 unique genes that are potentially involved in the biosynthesis of GAs, including one BpGGDP gene, two BpCPS ...

  19. Discovery of a novel gene involved in autolysis of Clostridium cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Liejian; Bao, Guanhui; Zhu, Yan; Dong, Hongjun; Zhang, Yanping; Li, Yin

    2013-06-01

    Cell autolysis plays important physiological roles in the life cycle of clostridial cells. Understanding the genetic basis of the autolysis phenomenon of pathogenic Clostridium or solvent producing Clostridium cells might provide new insights into this important species. Genes that might be involved in autolysis of Clostridium acetobutylicum, a model clostridial species, were investigated in this study. Twelve putative autolysin genes were predicted in C. acetobutylicum DSM 1731 genome through bioinformatics analysis. Of these 12 genes, gene SMB_G3117 was selected for testing the in tracellular autolysin activity, growth profile, viable cell numbers, and cellular morphology. We found that overexpression of SMB_G3117 gene led to earlier ceased growth, significantly increased number of dead cells, and clear electrolucent cavities, while disruption of SMB_G3117 gene exhibited remarkably reduced intracellular autolysin activity. These results indicate that SMB_G3117 is a novel gene involved in cellular autolysis of C. acetobutylicum.

  20. In silico identification of known osmotic stress responsive genes from Arabidopsis in soybean and Medicago

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nina M. Soares-Cavalcanti

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Plants experience various environmental stresses, but tolerance to these adverse conditions is a very complex phenomenon. The present research aimed to evaluate a set of genes involved in osmotic response, comparing soybean and medicago with the well-described Arabidopsis thaliana model plant. Based on 103 Arabidopsis proteins from 27 categories of osmotic stress response, comparative analyses against Genosoja and Medicago truncatula databases allowed the identification of 1,088 soybean and 1,210 Medicago sequences. The analysis showed a high number of sequences and high diversity, comprising genes from all categories in both organisms. Genes with unknown function were among the most representative, followed by transcription factors, ion transport proteins, water channel, plant defense, protein degradation, cellular structure, organization & biogenesis and senescence. An analysis of sequences with unknown function allowed the annotation of 174 soybean and 217 Medicago sequences, most of them concerning transcription factors. However, for about 30% of the sequences no function could be attributed using in silico procedures. The establishment of a gene set involved in osmotic stress responses in soybean and barrel medic will help to better understand the survival mechanisms for this type of stress condition in legumes.

  1. Expression analysis of MYC genes from Tamarix hispida in response to different abiotic stresses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Xiaoyu; Wang, Yucheng; Liu, Guifeng

    2012-01-01

    The MYC genes are a group of transcription factors containing both bHLH and ZIP motifs that play important roles in the regulation of abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive genes. In the present study, to investigate the roles of MYC genes under NaCl, osmotic and ABA stress conditions, nine MYC genes were cloned from Tamarix hispida. Real-time reverse-transcriptase (RT)-PCR showed that all nine MYC genes were expressed in root, stem and leaf tissues, but that the levels of the transcripts of these genes in the various tissues differed notably. The MYC genes were highly induced in the roots in response to ABA, NaCl and osmotic stresses after 3 h; however, in the stem and leaf tissues, MYC genes were highly induced only when exposed to these stresses for 6 h. In addition, most of these MYC genes were highly expressed in roots in comparison with stems and leaves. Furthermore, the MYC genes were more highly induced in roots than in stem and leaf tissues, indicating that these genes may play roles in stress responses mainly in the roots rather than the stems and leaves. The results of this present study suggest that MYCs are involved in salt and osmotic stress tolerances and are controlled by the ABA signal transduction pathway.

  2. CCDB: a curated database of genes involved in cervix cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwal, Subhash M; Raghav, Dhwani; Singh, Harinder; Raghava, G P S

    2011-01-01

    The Cervical Cancer gene DataBase (CCDB, http://crdd.osdd.net/raghava/ccdb) is a manually curated catalog of experimentally validated genes that are thought, or are known to be involved in the different stages of cervical carcinogenesis. In spite of the large women population that is presently affected from this malignancy still at present, no database exists that catalogs information on genes associated with cervical cancer. Therefore, we have compiled 537 genes in CCDB that are linked with cervical cancer causation processes such as methylation, gene amplification, mutation, polymorphism and change in expression level, as evident from published literature. Each record contains details related to gene like architecture (exon-intron structure), location, function, sequences (mRNA/CDS/protein), ontology, interacting partners, homology to other eukaryotic genomes, structure and links to other public databases, thus augmenting CCDB with external data. Also, manually curated literature references have been provided to support the inclusion of the gene in the database and establish its association with cervix cancer. In addition, CCDB provides information on microRNA altered in cervical cancer as well as search facility for querying, several browse options and an online tool for sequence similarity search, thereby providing researchers with easy access to the latest information on genes involved in cervix cancer.

  3. Gene expression profiling following maternal deprivation: Involvement of the brain renin-angiotensin system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudia Liebl

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available The postnatal development of the mouse is characterized by a stress hyporesponsive period (SHRP, where basal corticosterone levels are low and responsiveness to mild stressors is reduced. Maternal separation is able to disrupt the SHRP and is widely used to model early trauma. In this study we aimed at identifying of brain systems involved in acute and possible long-term effects of maternal separation. We conducted a microarray-based gene expression analysis in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus after maternal separation, which revealed 52 differentially regulated genes compared to undisturbed controls, among them are 37 up-regulated and 15 down-regulated genes. One of the prominently up-regulated genes, angiotensinogen, was validated using in-situ hybridization. Angiotensinogen is the precursor of angiotensin II, the main effector of the brain renin-angiotensin system (RAS, which is known to be involved in stress system modulation in adult animals. Using the selective angiotensin type I receptor (AT(1 antagonist candesartan we found strong effects on CRH and GR mRNA expression in the brain a nd ACTH release following maternal separation. AT(1 receptor blockade appears to enhance central effects of maternal separation in the neonate, suggesting a suppressing function of brain RAS during the SHRP. Taken together, our results illustrate the molecular adaptations that occur in the paraventricular nucleus following maternal separation and contribute to identifying signaling cascades that control stress system activity in the neonate.

  4. Characterization of Arabidopsis Transcriptional Responses to Different Aphid Species Reveals Genes that Contribute to Host Susceptibility and Non-host Resistance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaouannet, Maëlle; Morris, Jenny A.; Hedley, Peter E.; Bos, Jorunn I. B.

    2015-01-01

    Aphids are economically important pests that display exceptional variation in host range. The determinants of diverse aphid host ranges are not well understood, but it is likely that molecular interactions are involved. With significant progress being made towards understanding host responses upon aphid attack, the mechanisms underlying non-host resistance remain to be elucidated. Here, we investigated and compared Arabidopsis thaliana host and non-host responses to aphids at the transcriptional level using three different aphid species, Myzus persicae, Myzus cerasi and Rhopalosiphum pisum. Gene expression analyses revealed a high level of overlap in the overall gene expression changes during the host and non-host interactions with regards to the sets of genes differentially expressed and the direction of expression changes. Despite this overlap in transcriptional responses across interactions, there was a stronger repression of genes involved in metabolism and oxidative responses specifically during the host interaction with M. persicae. In addition, we identified a set of genes with opposite gene expression patterns during the host versus non-host interactions. Aphid performance assays on Arabidopsis mutants that were selected based on our transcriptome analyses identified novel genes contributing to host susceptibility, host defences during interactions with M. persicae as well to non-host resistance against R. padi. Understanding how plants respond to aphid species that differ in their ability to infest plant species, and identifying the genes and signaling pathways involved, is essential for the development of novel and durable aphid control in crop plants. PMID:25993686

  5. Expression profiling of Crambe abyssinica under arsenate stress identifies genes and gene networks involved in arsenic metabolism and detoxification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kandasamy Suganthi

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Arsenic contamination is widespread throughout the world and this toxic metalloid is known to cause cancers of organs such as liver, kidney, skin, and lung in human. In spite of a recent surge in arsenic related studies, we are still far from a comprehensive understanding of arsenic uptake, detoxification, and sequestration in plants. Crambe abyssinica, commonly known as 'abyssinian mustard', is a non-food, high biomass oil seed crop that is naturally tolerant to heavy metals. Moreover, it accumulates significantly higher levels of arsenic as compared to other species of the Brassicaceae family. Thus, C. abyssinica has great potential to be utilized as an ideal inedible crop for phytoremediation of heavy metals and metalloids. However, the mechanism of arsenic metabolism in higher plants, including C. abyssinica, remains elusive. Results To identify the differentially expressed transcripts and the pathways involved in arsenic metabolism and detoxification, C. abyssinica plants were subjected to arsenate stress and a PCR-Select Suppression Subtraction Hybridization (SSH approach was employed. A total of 105 differentially expressed subtracted cDNAs were sequenced which were found to represent 38 genes. Those genes encode proteins functioning as antioxidants, metal transporters, reductases, enzymes involved in the protein degradation pathway, and several novel uncharacterized proteins. The transcripts corresponding to the subtracted cDNAs showed strong upregulation by arsenate stress as confirmed by the semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Conclusions Our study revealed novel insights into the plant defense mechanisms and the regulation of genes and gene networks in response to arsenate toxicity. The differential expression of transcripts encoding glutathione-S-transferases, antioxidants, sulfur metabolism, heat-shock proteins, metal transporters, and enzymes in the ubiquitination pathway of protein degradation as well as several unknown

  6. Expression profiling of Crambe abyssinica under arsenate stress identifies genes and gene networks involved in arsenic metabolism and detoxification

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Background Arsenic contamination is widespread throughout the world and this toxic metalloid is known to cause cancers of organs such as liver, kidney, skin, and lung in human. In spite of a recent surge in arsenic related studies, we are still far from a comprehensive understanding of arsenic uptake, detoxification, and sequestration in plants. Crambe abyssinica, commonly known as 'abyssinian mustard', is a non-food, high biomass oil seed crop that is naturally tolerant to heavy metals. Moreover, it accumulates significantly higher levels of arsenic as compared to other species of the Brassicaceae family. Thus, C. abyssinica has great potential to be utilized as an ideal inedible crop for phytoremediation of heavy metals and metalloids. However, the mechanism of arsenic metabolism in higher plants, including C. abyssinica, remains elusive. Results To identify the differentially expressed transcripts and the pathways involved in arsenic metabolism and detoxification, C. abyssinica plants were subjected to arsenate stress and a PCR-Select Suppression Subtraction Hybridization (SSH) approach was employed. A total of 105 differentially expressed subtracted cDNAs were sequenced which were found to represent 38 genes. Those genes encode proteins functioning as antioxidants, metal transporters, reductases, enzymes involved in the protein degradation pathway, and several novel uncharacterized proteins. The transcripts corresponding to the subtracted cDNAs showed strong upregulation by arsenate stress as confirmed by the semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Conclusions Our study revealed novel insights into the plant defense mechanisms and the regulation of genes and gene networks in response to arsenate toxicity. The differential expression of transcripts encoding glutathione-S-transferases, antioxidants, sulfur metabolism, heat-shock proteins, metal transporters, and enzymes in the ubiquitination pathway of protein degradation as well as several unknown novel proteins serve as

  7. ESKIMO1 is a key gene involved in water economy as well as cold acclimation and salt tolerance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Agnes

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Drought is a major social and economic problem resulting in huge yield reduction in the field. Today's challenge is to develop plants with reduced water requirements and stable yields in fluctuating environmental conditions. Arabidopsis thaliana is an excellent model for identifying potential targets for plant breeding. Drought tolerance in the field was successfully conferred to crops by transferring genes from this model species. While involved in a plant genomics programme, which aims to identify new genes responsible for plant response to abiotic stress, we identified ESKIMO1 as a key gene involved in plant water economy as well as cold acclimation and salt tolerance. Results All esk1 mutants were more tolerant to freezing, after acclimation, than their wild type counterpart. esk1 mutants also showed increased tolerance to mild water deficit for all traits measured. The mutant's improved tolerance to reduced water supply may be explained by its lower transpiration rate and better water use efficiency (WUE, which was assessed by carbon isotope discrimination and gas exchange measurements. esk1 alleles were also shown to be more tolerant to salt stress. Transcriptomic analysis of one mutant line and its wild-type background was carried out. Under control watering conditions a number of genes were differentially expressed between the mutant and the wild type whereas under mild drought stress this list of genes was reduced. Among the genes that were differentially expressed between the wild type and mutant, two functional categories related to the response to stress or biotic and abiotic stimulus were over-represented. Under salt stress conditions, all gene functional categories were represented equally in both the mutant and wild type. Based on this transcriptome analysis we hypothesise that in control conditions the esk1 mutant behaves as if it was exposed to drought stress. Conclusion Overall our findings suggest that the

  8. Gene up-regulation in response to predator kairomones in the water flea, Daphnia pulex

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    Okada Yasukazu

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Numerous cases of predator-induced polyphenisms, in which alternate phenotypes are produced in response to extrinsic stimuli, have been reported in aquatic taxa to date. The genus Daphnia (Branchiopoda, Cladocera provides a model experimental system for the study of the developmental mechanisms and evolutionary processes associated with predator-induced polyphenisms. In D. pulex, juveniles form neckteeth in response to predatory kairomones released by Chaoborus larvae (Insecta, Diptera. Results Previous studies suggest that the timing of the sensitivity to kairomones in D. pulex can generally be divided into the embryonic and postembryonic developmental periods. We therefore examined which of the genes in the embryonic and first-instar juvenile stages exhibit different expression levels in the presence or absence of predator kairomones. Employing a candidate gene approach and identifying differentially-expressed genes revealed that the morphogenetic factors, Hox3, extradenticle and escargot, were up-regulated by kairomones in the postembryonic stage and may potentially be responsible for defense morph formation. In addition, the juvenile hormone pathway genes, JHAMT and Met, and the insulin signaling pathway genes, InR and IRS-1, were up-regulated in the first-instar stage. It is well known that these hormonal pathways are involved in physiological regulation following morphogenesis in many insect species. During the embryonic stage when morphotypes were determined, one of the novel genes identified by differential display was up-regulated, suggesting that this gene may be related to morphotype determination. Biological functions of the up-regulated genes are discussed in the context of defense morph formation. Conclusions It is suggested that, following the reception of kairomone signals, the identified genes are involved in a series of defensive phenotypic alterations and the production of a defensive phenotype.

  9. KBERG: KnowledgeBase for Estrogen Responsive Genes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tang, Suisheng; Zhang, Zhuo; Tan, Sin Lam

    2007-01-01

    Estrogen has a profound impact on human physiology affecting transcription of numerous genes. To decipher functional characteristics of estrogen responsive genes, we developed KnowledgeBase for Estrogen Responsive Genes (KBERG). Genes in KBERG were derived from Estrogen Responsive Gene Database...... (ERGDB) and were analyzed from multiple aspects. We explored the possible transcription regulation mechanism by capturing highly conserved promoter motifs across orthologous genes, using promoter regions that cover the range of [-1200, +500] relative to the transcription start sites. The motif detection...... is based on ab initio discovery of common cis-elements from the orthologous gene cluster from human, mouse and rat, thus reflecting a degree of promoter sequence preservation during evolution. The identified motifs are linked to transcription factor binding sites based on the TRANSFAC database. In addition...

  10. A WRKY gene from Tamarix hispida, ThWRKY4, mediates abiotic stress responses by modulating reactive oxygen species and expression of stress-responsive genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Lei; Liu, Guifeng; Meng, Xiangnan; Liu, Yujia; Ji, Xiaoyu; Li, Yanbang; Nie, Xianguang; Wang, Yucheng

    2013-07-01

    WRKY transcription factors are involved in various biological processes, such as development, metabolism and responses to stress. However, their exact roles in abiotic stress tolerance are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrated a working model for the function of a WRKY gene (ThWRKY4) from Tamarix hispida in the stress response. ThWRKY4 is highly induced by abscisic acid (ABA), salt and drought in the early period of stress (stress for 3, 6, or 9 h), which can be regulated by ABF (ABRE binding factors) and Dof (DNA binding with one finger), and also can be crossregulated by other WRKYs and autoregulated as well. Overexpression of ThWRKY4 conferred tolerance to salt, oxidative and ABA treatment in transgenic plants. ThWRKY4 can improve the tolerance to salt and ABA treatment by improving activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase, decreasing levels of O2 (-) and H2O2, reducing electrolyte leakage, keeping the loss of chlorophyll, and protecting cells from death. Microarray analyses showed that overexpression of ThWRKY4 in Arabidopsis leads to 165 and 100 genes significantly up- and downregulated, respectively. Promoter scanning analysis revealed that ThWRKY4 regulates the gene expression via binding to W-box motifs present in their promoter regions. This study shows that ThWRKY4 functions as a transcription factor to positively modulate abiotic stress tolerances, and is involved in modulating reactive oxygen species.

  11. Profiling spermatogenic failure in adult testes bearing Sox9-deficient Sertoli cells identifies genes involved in feminization, inflammation and stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barrionuevo Francisco

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Sox9 (Sry box containing gene 9 is a DNA-binding transcription factor involved in chondrocyte development and sex determination. The protein's absence in testicular Sertoli nurse cells has been shown to disrupt testicular function in adults but little is known at the genome-wide level about molecular events concomitant with testicular break-down. Methods To determine the genome-wide effect on mRNA concentrations triggered by the absence of Sox9 in Sertoli cells we analysed adult testicular tissue from wild-type versus mutant mice with high-density oligonucleotide microarrays and integrated the output of this experiment with regulatory motif predictions and protein-protein network data. Results We report the genome-wide mRNA signature of adult testes lacking Sox9 in Sertoli cells before and after the onset of late spermatogenic failure as compared to fertile controls. The GeneChip data integrated with evolutionarily conserved Sox9 DNA binding motifs and regulatory network data identified genes involved in feminization, stress response and inflammation. Conclusions Our results extend previous observations that genes required for female gonadogenesis are up-regulated in the absence of Sox9 in fetal Sertoli cells to the adult stage. Importantly, we identify gene networks involved in immunological processes and stress response which is reminiscent of a phenomenon occurring in a sub-group of infertile men. This suggests mice lacking Sox9 in their Sertoli cells to be a potentially useful model for adult human testicular failure.

  12. Dose response relationship in anti-stress gene regulatory networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qiang; Andersen, Melvin E

    2007-03-02

    the level of local gains, presence of gain-changing events, and degree of feedforward gene activation, this region can appear as superlinear, sublinear, or even J-shaped. The general dose response transition proposed here was further examined in a complex anti-electrophilic stress pathway, which involves multiple genes, enzymes, and metabolic reactions. This work would help biologists and especially toxicologists to better assess and predict the cellular impact brought about by biological stressors.

  13. Dose response relationship in anti-stress gene regulatory networks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiang Zhang

    2007-03-01

    , and depending on the level of local gains, presence of gain-changing events, and degree of feedforward gene activation, this region can appear as superlinear, sublinear, or even J-shaped. The general dose response transition proposed here was further examined in a complex anti-electrophilic stress pathway, which involves multiple genes, enzymes, and metabolic reactions. This work would help biologists and especially toxicologists to better assess and predict the cellular impact brought about by biological stressors.

  14. Mycobacterium smegmatis PafBC is involved in regulation of DNA damage response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fudrini Olivencia, Begonia; Müller, Andreas U; Roschitzki, Bernd; Burger, Sibylle; Weber-Ban, Eilika; Imkamp, Frank

    2017-10-25

    Two genes, pafB and pafC, are organized in an operon with the Pup-ligase gene pafA, which is part of the Pup-proteasome system (PPS) present in mycobacteria and other actinobacteria. The PPS is crucial for Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistance towards reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI). However, pafB and pafC apparently play only a minor role in RNI resistance. To characterize their function, we generated a pafBC deletion in Mycobacterium smegmatis (Msm). Proteome analysis of the mutant strain revealed decreased cellular levels of various proteins involved in DNA damage repair, including recombinase A (RecA). In agreement with this finding, Msm ΔpafBC displayed increased sensitivity to DNA damaging agents. In mycobacteria two pathways regulate DNA repair genes: the LexA/RecA-dependent SOS response and a predominant pathway that controls gene expression via a LexA/RecA-independent promoter, termed P1. PafB and PafC feature winged helix-turn-helix DNA binding motifs and we demonstrate that together they form a stable heterodimer in vitro, implying a function as a heterodimeric transcriptional regulator. Indeed, P1-driven transcription of recA was decreased in Msm ΔpafBC under standard conditions and induction of recA expression upon DNA damage was strongly impaired. Taken together, our data indicate an important regulatory function of PafBC in the mycobacterial DNA damage response.

  15. Influence of Immune Responses in Gene/Stem Cell Therapies for Muscular Dystrophies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea Farini

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Muscular dystrophies (MDs are a heterogeneous group of diseases, caused by mutations in different components of sarcolemma, extracellular matrix, or enzymes. Inflammation and innate or adaptive immune response activation are prominent features of MDs. Various therapies under development are directed toward rescuing the dystrophic muscle damage using gene transfer or cell therapy. Here we discussed current knowledge about involvement of immune system responses to experimental therapies in MDs.

  16. Sugarcane genes differentially expressed in response to Puccinia melanocephala infection: identification and transcript profiling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oloriz, María I; Gil, Víctor; Rojas, Luis; Portal, Orelvis; Izquierdo, Yovanny; Jiménez, Elio; Höfte, Monica

    2012-05-01

    Brown rust caused by the fungus Puccinia melanocephala is a major disease of sugarcane (Saccharum spp.). A sugarcane mutant, obtained by chemical mutagenesis of the susceptible variety B4362, showed a post-haustorial hypersensitive response (HR)-mediated resistance to the pathogen and was used to identify genes differentially expressed in response to P. melanocephala via suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH). Tester cDNA was derived from the brown rust-resistant mutant after inoculation with P. melanocephala, while driver cDNAs were obtained from the non-inoculated resistant mutant and the inoculated susceptible donor variety B4362. Database comparisons of the sequences of the SSH recombinant clones revealed that, of a subset of 89 non-redundant sequences, 88% had similarity to known functional genes, while 12% were of unknown function. Thirteen genes were selected for transcript profiling in the resistant mutant and the susceptible donor variety. Genes involved in glycolysis and C4 carbon fixation were up-regulated in both interactions probably due to disturbance of sugarcane carbon metabolism by the pathogen. Genes related with the nascent polypeptide associated complex, post-translational proteome modulation and autophagy were transcribed at higher levels in the compatible interaction. Up-regulation of a putative L-isoaspartyl O-methyltransferase S-adenosylmethionine gene in the compatible interaction may point to fungal manipulation of the cytoplasmatic methionine cycle. Genes coding for a putative no apical meristem protein, S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, non-specific lipid transfer protein, and GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase involved in ascorbic acid biosynthesis were up-regulated in the incompatible interaction at the onset of haustorium formation, and may contribute to the HR-mediated defense response in the rust-resistant mutant.

  17. Identification of cytokinin-responsive genes using microarray meta-analysis and RNA-Seq in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhargava, Apurva; Clabaugh, Ivory; To, Jenn P; Maxwell, Bridey B; Chiang, Yi-Hsuan; Schaller, G Eric; Loraine, Ann; Kieber, Joseph J

    2013-05-01

    Cytokinins are N(6)-substituted adenine derivatives that play diverse roles in plant growth and development. We sought to define a robust set of genes regulated by cytokinin as well as to query the response of genes not represented on microarrays. To this end, we performed a meta-analysis of microarray data from a variety of cytokinin-treated samples and used RNA-seq to examine cytokinin-regulated gene expression in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Microarray meta-analysis using 13 microarray experiments combined with empirically defined filtering criteria identified a set of 226 genes differentially regulated by cytokinin, a subset of which has previously been validated by other methods. RNA-seq validated about 73% of the up-regulated genes identified by this meta-analysis. In silico promoter analysis indicated an overrepresentation of type-B Arabidopsis response regulator binding elements, consistent with the role of type-B Arabidopsis response regulators as primary mediators of cytokinin-responsive gene expression. RNA-seq analysis identified 73 cytokinin-regulated genes that were not represented on the ATH1 microarray. Representative genes were verified using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and NanoString analysis. Analysis of the genes identified reveals a substantial effect of cytokinin on genes encoding proteins involved in secondary metabolism, particularly those acting in flavonoid and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, as well as in the regulation of redox state of the cell, particularly a set of glutaredoxin genes. Novel splicing events were found in members of some gene families that are known to play a role in cytokinin signaling or metabolism. The genes identified in this analysis represent a robust set of cytokinin-responsive genes that are useful in the analysis of cytokinin function in plants.

  18. Carbon: Nitrogen Interaction Regulates Expression of Genes Involved in N-Uptake and Assimilation in Brassica juncea L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goel, Parul; Bhuria, Monika; Kaushal, Mamta

    2016-01-01

    In plants, several cellular and metabolic pathways interact with each other to regulate processes that are vital for their growth and development. Carbon (C) and Nitrogen (N) are two main nutrients for plants and coordination of C and N pathways is an important factor for maintaining plant growth and development. In the present work, influence of nitrogen and sucrose (C source) on growth parameters and expression of genes involved in nitrogen transport and assimilatory pathways was studied in B. juncea seedlings. For this, B. juncea seedlings were treated with four combinations of C and N source viz., N source alone (-Suc+N), C source alone (+Suc-N), with N and C source (+Suc+N) or without N and C source (-Suc-N). Cotyledon size and shoot length were found to be increased in seedlings, when nitrogen alone was present in the medium. Distinct expression pattern of genes in both, root and shoot tissues was observed in response to exogenously supplied N and C. The presence or depletion of nitrogen alone in the medium leads to severe up- or down-regulation of key genes involved in N-uptake and transport (BjNRT1.1, BjNRT1.8) in root tissue and genes involved in nitrate reduction (BjNR1 and BjNR2) in shoot tissue. Moreover, expression of several genes, like BjAMT1.2, BjAMT2 and BjPK in root and two genes BjAMT2 and BjGS1.1 in shoot were found to be regulated only when C source was present in the medium. Majority of genes were found to respond in root and shoot tissues, when both C and N source were present in the medium, thus reflecting their importance as a signal in regulating expression of genes involved in N-uptake and assimilation. The present work provides insight into the regulation of genes of N-uptake and assimilatory pathway in B. juncea by interaction of both carbon and nitrogen. PMID:27637072

  19. Carbon: Nitrogen Interaction Regulates Expression of Genes Involved in N-Uptake and Assimilation in Brassica juncea L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Parul Goel

    Full Text Available In plants, several cellular and metabolic pathways interact with each other to regulate processes that are vital for their growth and development. Carbon (C and Nitrogen (N are two main nutrients for plants and coordination of C and N pathways is an important factor for maintaining plant growth and development. In the present work, influence of nitrogen and sucrose (C source on growth parameters and expression of genes involved in nitrogen transport and assimilatory pathways was studied in B. juncea seedlings. For this, B. juncea seedlings were treated with four combinations of C and N source viz., N source alone (-Suc+N, C source alone (+Suc-N, with N and C source (+Suc+N or without N and C source (-Suc-N. Cotyledon size and shoot length were found to be increased in seedlings, when nitrogen alone was present in the medium. Distinct expression pattern of genes in both, root and shoot tissues was observed in response to exogenously supplied N and C. The presence or depletion of nitrogen alone in the medium leads to severe up- or down-regulation of key genes involved in N-uptake and transport (BjNRT1.1, BjNRT1.8 in root tissue and genes involved in nitrate reduction (BjNR1 and BjNR2 in shoot tissue. Moreover, expression of several genes, like BjAMT1.2, BjAMT2 and BjPK in root and two genes BjAMT2 and BjGS1.1 in shoot were found to be regulated only when C source was present in the medium. Majority of genes were found to respond in root and shoot tissues, when both C and N source were present in the medium, thus reflecting their importance as a signal in regulating expression of genes involved in N-uptake and assimilation. The present work provides insight into the regulation of genes of N-uptake and assimilatory pathway in B. juncea by interaction of both carbon and nitrogen.

  20. DNA demethylases target promoter transposable elements to positively regulate stress responsive genes in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le, Tuan-Ngoc; Schumann, Ulrike; Smith, Neil A; Tiwari, Sameer; Au, Phil Chi Khang; Zhu, Qian-Hao; Taylor, Jennifer M; Kazan, Kemal; Llewellyn, Danny J; Zhang, Ren; Dennis, Elizabeth S; Wang, Ming-Bo

    2014-09-17

    DNA demethylases regulate DNA methylation levels in eukaryotes. Arabidopsis encodes four DNA demethylases, DEMETER (DME), REPRESSOR OF SILENCING 1 (ROS1), DEMETER-LIKE 2 (DML2), and DML3. While DME is involved in maternal specific gene expression during seed development, the biological function of the remaining DNA demethylases remains unclear. We show that ROS1, DML2, and DML3 play a role in fungal disease resistance in Arabidopsis. A triple DNA demethylase mutant, rdd (ros1 dml2 dml3), shows increased susceptibility to the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. We identify 348 genes differentially expressed in rdd relative to wild type, and a significant proportion of these genes are downregulated in rdd and have functions in stress response, suggesting that DNA demethylases maintain or positively regulate the expression of stress response genes required for F. oxysporum resistance. The rdd-downregulated stress response genes are enriched for short transposable element sequences in their promoters. Many of these transposable elements and their surrounding sequences show localized DNA methylation changes in rdd, and a general reduction in CHH methylation, suggesting that RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM), responsible for CHH methylation, may participate in DNA demethylase-mediated regulation of stress response genes. Many of the rdd-downregulated stress response genes are downregulated in the RdDM mutants nrpd1 and nrpe1, and the RdDM mutants nrpe1 and ago4 show enhanced susceptibility to F. oxysporum infection. Our results suggest that a primary function of DNA demethylases in plants is to regulate the expression of stress response genes by targeting promoter transposable element sequences.

  1. Trait specific expression profiling of salt stress responsive genes in diverse rice genotypes as determined by modified Significance Analysis of Microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Rashed Hossain

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Stress responsive gene expression is commonly profiled in a comparative manner involving different stress conditions or genotypes with contrasting reputation of tolerance/resistance. In contrast, this research exploited a wide natural variation in terms of taxonomy, origin and salt sensitivity in eight genotypes of rice to identify the trait specific patterns of gene expression under salt stress. Genome wide transcptomic responses were interrogated by the weighted continuous morpho-physiological trait responses using modified Significance Analysis of Microarrays. More number of genes was found to be differentially expressed under salt stressed compared to that of under unstressed conditions. Higher numbers of genes were observed to be differentially expressed for the traits shoot Na+/K+, shoot Na+, root K+, biomass and shoot Cl-, respectively. The results identified around sixty genes to be involved in Na+, K+ and anion homeostasis, transport and transmembrane activity under stressed conditions. Gene Ontology (GO enrichment analysis identified 1.36% (578 genes of the entire transcriptome to be involved in the major molecular functions such as signal transduction (>150 genes, transcription factor (81 genes and translation factor activity (62 genes etc. under salt stress. Chromosomal mapping of the genes suggests that majority of the genes are located on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 6 & 7. The gene network analysis showed that the transcription factors and translation initiation factors formed the major gene networks and are mostly active in nucleus, cytoplasm and mitochondria whereas the membrane and vesicle bound proteins formed a secondary network active in plasma membrane and vacuoles. The novel genes and the genes with unknown functions thus identified provide picture of a synergistic salinity response representing the potentially fundamental mechanisms that are active in the wide natural genetic background of rice and will be of greater use once

  2. The rose (Rosa hybrida) NAC transcription factor 3 gene, RhNAC3, involved in ABA signaling pathway both in rose and Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Guimei; Jiang, Xinqiang; Lü, Peitao; Liu, Jitao; Gao, Junping; Zhang, Changqing

    2014-01-01

    Plant transcription factors involved in stress responses are generally classified by their involvement in either the abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent or the ABA-independent regulatory pathways. A stress-associated NAC gene from rose (Rosa hybrida), RhNAC3, was previously found to increase dehydration tolerance in both rose and Arabidopsis. However, the regulatory mechanism involved in RhNAC3 action is still not fully understood. In this study, we isolated and analyzed the upstream regulatory sequence of RhNAC3 and found many stress-related cis-elements to be present in the promoter, with five ABA-responsive element (ABRE) motifs being of particular interest. Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana plants transformed with the putative RhNAC3 promoter sequence fused to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene revealed that RhNAC3 is expressed at high basal levels in leaf guard cells and in vascular tissues. Moreover, the ABRE motifs in the RhNAC3 promoter were observed to have a cumulative effect on the transcriptional activity of this gene both in the presence and absence of exogenous ABA. Overexpression of RhNAC3 in A. thaliana resulted in ABA hypersensitivity during seed germination and promoted leaf closure after ABA or drought treatments. Additionally, the expression of 11 ABA-responsive genes was induced to a greater degree by dehydration in the transgenic plants overexpressing RhNAC3 than control lines transformed with the vector alone. Further analysis revealed that all these genes contain NAC binding cis-elements in their promoter regions, and RhNAC3 was found to partially bind to these putative NAC recognition sites. We further found that of 219 A. thaliana genes previously shown by microarray analysis to be regulated by heterologous overexpression RhNAC3, 85 are responsive to ABA. In rose, the expression of genes downstream of the ABA-signaling pathways was also repressed in RhNAC3-silenced petals. Taken together, we propose that the rose RhNAC3 protein

  3. The rose (Rosa hybrida NAC transcription factor 3 gene, RhNAC3, involved in ABA signaling pathway both in rose and Arabidopsis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guimei Jiang

    Full Text Available Plant transcription factors involved in stress responses are generally classified by their involvement in either the abscisic acid (ABA-dependent or the ABA-independent regulatory pathways. A stress-associated NAC gene from rose (Rosa hybrida, RhNAC3, was previously found to increase dehydration tolerance in both rose and Arabidopsis. However, the regulatory mechanism involved in RhNAC3 action is still not fully understood. In this study, we isolated and analyzed the upstream regulatory sequence of RhNAC3 and found many stress-related cis-elements to be present in the promoter, with five ABA-responsive element (ABRE motifs being of particular interest. Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana plants transformed with the putative RhNAC3 promoter sequence fused to the β-glucuronidase (GUS reporter gene revealed that RhNAC3 is expressed at high basal levels in leaf guard cells and in vascular tissues. Moreover, the ABRE motifs in the RhNAC3 promoter were observed to have a cumulative effect on the transcriptional activity of this gene both in the presence and absence of exogenous ABA. Overexpression of RhNAC3 in A. thaliana resulted in ABA hypersensitivity during seed germination and promoted leaf closure after ABA or drought treatments. Additionally, the expression of 11 ABA-responsive genes was induced to a greater degree by dehydration in the transgenic plants overexpressing RhNAC3 than control lines transformed with the vector alone. Further analysis revealed that all these genes contain NAC binding cis-elements in their promoter regions, and RhNAC3 was found to partially bind to these putative NAC recognition sites. We further found that of 219 A. thaliana genes previously shown by microarray analysis to be regulated by heterologous overexpression RhNAC3, 85 are responsive to ABA. In rose, the expression of genes downstream of the ABA-signaling pathways was also repressed in RhNAC3-silenced petals. Taken together, we propose that the rose Rh

  4. Temporal Gene Expression of the Cyanobacterium Arthrospira in Response to Gamma Rays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badri, Hanène; Monsieurs, Pieter; Coninx, Ilse; Nauts, Robin; Wattiez, Ruddy; Leys, Natalie

    2015-01-01

    The edible cyanobacterium Arthrospira is resistant to ionising radiation. The cellular mechanisms underlying this radiation resistance are, however, still largely unknown. Therefore, additional molecular analysis was performed to investigate how these cells can escape from, protect against, or repair the radiation damage. Arthrospira cells were shortly exposed to different doses of 60Co gamma rays and the dynamic response was investigated by monitoring its gene expression and cell physiology at different time points after irradiation. The results revealed a fast switch from an active growth state to a kind of 'survival modus' during which the cells put photosynthesis, carbon and nitrogen assimilation on hold and activate pathways for cellular protection, detoxification, and repair. The higher the radiation dose, the more pronounced this global emergency response is expressed. Genes repressed during early response, suggested a reduction of photosystem II and I activity and reduced tricarboxylic acid (TCA) and Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycles, combined with an activation of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). For reactive oxygen species detoxification and restoration of the redox balance in Arthrospira cells, the results suggested a powerful contribution of the antioxidant molecule glutathione. The repair mechanisms of Arthrospira cells that were immediately switched on, involve mainly proteases for damaged protein removal, single strand DNA repair and restriction modification systems, while recA was not induced. Additionally, the exposed cells showed significant increased expression of arh genes, coding for a novel group of protein of unknown function, also seen in our previous irradiation studies. This observation confirms our hypothesis that arh genes are key elements in radiation resistance of Arthrospira, requiring further investigation. This study provides new insights into phasic response and the cellular pathways involved in the radiation resistance of

  5. Temporal Gene Expression of the Cyanobacterium Arthrospira in Response to Gamma Rays.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hanène Badri

    Full Text Available The edible cyanobacterium Arthrospira is resistant to ionising radiation. The cellular mechanisms underlying this radiation resistance are, however, still largely unknown. Therefore, additional molecular analysis was performed to investigate how these cells can escape from, protect against, or repair the radiation damage. Arthrospira cells were shortly exposed to different doses of 60Co gamma rays and the dynamic response was investigated by monitoring its gene expression and cell physiology at different time points after irradiation. The results revealed a fast switch from an active growth state to a kind of 'survival modus' during which the cells put photosynthesis, carbon and nitrogen assimilation on hold and activate pathways for cellular protection, detoxification, and repair. The higher the radiation dose, the more pronounced this global emergency response is expressed. Genes repressed during early response, suggested a reduction of photosystem II and I activity and reduced tricarboxylic acid (TCA and Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB cycles, combined with an activation of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP. For reactive oxygen species detoxification and restoration of the redox balance in Arthrospira cells, the results suggested a powerful contribution of the antioxidant molecule glutathione. The repair mechanisms of Arthrospira cells that were immediately switched on, involve mainly proteases for damaged protein removal, single strand DNA repair and restriction modification systems, while recA was not induced. Additionally, the exposed cells showed significant increased expression of arh genes, coding for a novel group of protein of unknown function, also seen in our previous irradiation studies. This observation confirms our hypothesis that arh genes are key elements in radiation resistance of Arthrospira, requiring further investigation. This study provides new insights into phasic response and the cellular pathways involved in the radiation

  6. Expression Analysis of MYC Genes from Tamarix hispida in Response to Different Abiotic Stresses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guifeng Liu

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The MYC genes are a group of transcription factors containing both bHLH and ZIP motifs that play important roles in the regulation of abscisic acid (ABA-responsive genes. In the present study, to investigate the roles of MYC genes under NaCl, osmotic and ABA stress conditions, nine MYC genes were cloned from Tamarix hispida. Real-time reverse-transcriptase (RT-PCR showed that all nine MYC genes were expressed in root, stem and leaf tissues, but that the levels of the transcripts of these genes in the various tissues differed notably. The MYC genes were highly induced in the roots in response to ABA, NaCl and osmotic stresses after 3 h; however, in the stem and leaf tissues, MYC genes were highly induced only when exposed to these stresses for 6 h. In addition, most of these MYC genes were highly expressed in roots in comparison with stems and leaves. Furthermore, the MYC genes were more highly induced in roots than in stem and leaf tissues, indicating that these genes may play roles in stress responses mainly in the roots rather than the stems and leaves. The results of this present study suggest that MYCs are involved in salt and osmotic stress tolerances and are controlled by the ABA signal transduction pathway.

  7. A chromatin modifying enzyme, SDG8, is involved in morphological, gene expression, and epigenetic responses to mechanical stimulation

    OpenAIRE

    Cazzonelli, Christopher I.; Nisar, Nazia; Roberts, Andrea C.; Murray, Kevin D.; Borevitz, Justin O.; Pogson, Barry J.

    2014-01-01

    Thigmomorphogenesis is viewed as being a response process of acclimation to short repetitive bursts of mechanical stimulation or touch. The underlying molecular mechanisms that coordinate changes in how touch signals lead to long-term morphological changes are enigmatic. Touch responsive gene expression is rapid and transient, and no transcription factor or DNA regulatory motif has been reported that could confer a genome wide mechanical stimulus. We report here on a chromatin modifying enzym...

  8. Characterization of the Promoter Region of an Arabidopsis Gene for 9-cis-Epoxycarotenoid Dioxygenase Involved in Dehydration-Inducible Transcription

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behnam, Babak; Iuchi, Satoshi; Fujita, Miki; Fujita, Yasunari; Takasaki, Hironori; Osakabe, Yuriko; Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, Kazuko; Kobayashi, Masatomo; Shinozaki, Kazuo

    2013-01-01

    Plants respond to dehydration stress and tolerate water-deficit status through complex physiological and cellular processes. Many genes are induced by water deficit. Abscisic acid (ABA) plays important roles in tolerance to dehydration stress by inducing many stress genes. ABA is synthesized de novo in response to dehydration. Most of the genes involved in ABA biosynthesis have been identified, and they are expressed mainly in leaf vascular tissues. Of the products of such genes, 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) is a key enzyme in ABA biosynthesis. One of the five NCED genes in Arabidopsis, AtNCED3, is significantly induced by dehydration. To understand the regulatory mechanism of the early stages of the dehydration stress response, it is important to analyse the transcriptional regulatory systems of AtNCED3. In the present study, we found that an overlapping G-box recognition sequence (5′-CACGTG-3′) at −2248 bp from the transcriptional start site of AtNCED3 is an important cis-acting element in the induction of the dehydration response. We discuss the possible transcriptional regulatory system of dehydration-responsive AtNCED3 expression, and how this may control the level of ABA under water-deficit conditions. PMID:23604098

  9. A NAC transcription factor gene of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum), CarNAC3, is involved in drought stress response and various developmental processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Hui; Cheng, Hui-Ying; Chen, Chen; Yu, Xin-Wang; Yang, Jia-Ni; Gao, Wen-Rui; Shi, Qing-Hua; Zhang, Hua; Li, Jian-Gui; Ma, Hao

    2009-11-15

    NAC transcription factors have been found to play important roles in plant development and responses to environmental stresses. Based on two cDNA libraries constructed from the PEG-treated and -nontreated seedling leaves of chickpea, a NAC gene, CarNAC3, was isolated and characterized. The results indicated that CarNAC3 contained 285 amino acids and had a conserved NAC domain. It was localized in the nucleus and possessed trans-activation activity in the C-terminus. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CarNAC3 belonged to the NAP (NAC-like, activated by APETALA3/PISTILLATA) subgroup of the NAC protein family. CarNAC3 exhibited organ-specific expression and its induction was strongly dependent on leaf age. CarNAC3 showed differential expression patterns during seed development and germination, and could be significantly induced by drought stress, abscisic acid (ABA), ethephon (Et) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), but was inhibited by N-6-benzyl-adenine (6-BA). Our data suggest that CarNAC3 may be a transcriptional activator involved in drought stress response and various developmental processes.

  10. Identification of a gene involved in the regulation of hyphal growth of Epichloë festucae during symbiosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassett, Shalome A; Johnson, Richard D; Simpson, Wayne R; Laugraud, Aurelie; Jordan, T William; Bryan, Gregory T

    2016-10-01

    Secreted proteins, those involved in cell wall biogenesis, are likely to play a role in communication in the symbiotic interaction between the fungal endophyte Epichloë festucae with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), particularly given the close association between fungal hyphae and the plant cell wall. Our hypothesis was that secreted proteins are likely to be responsible for establishing and maintaining a normal symbiotic relationship. We analyzed an endophyte EST database for genes with predicted signal peptide sequences. Here, we report the identification and characterization of rhgA; a gene involved in the regulation of hyphal growth in planta In planta analysis of ΔrhgA mutants showed that disruption of rhgA resulted in extensive unregulated hyphal growth. This phenotype was fully complemented by insertion of the rhgA gene and suggests that rhgA is important for maintaining normal hyphal growth during symbiosis. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Astrocyte-specific overexpressed gene signatures in response to methamphetamine exposure in vitro

    KAUST Repository

    Bortell, Nikki; Basova, Liana; Semenova, Svetlana; Fox, Howard S.; Ravasi, Timothy; Marcondes, Maria Cecilia G.

    2017-01-01

    BackgroundAstrocyte activation is one of the earliest findings in the brain of methamphetamine (Meth) abusers. Our goal in this study was to identify the characteristics of the astrocytic acute response to the drug, which may be critical in pathogenic outcomes secondary to the use.MethodsWe developed an integrated analysis of gene expression data to study the acute gene changes caused by the direct exposure to Meth treatment of astrocytes in vitro, and to better understand how astrocytes respond, what are the early molecular markers associated with this response. We examined the literature in search of similar changes in gene signatures that are found in central nervous system disorders.ResultsWe identified overexpressed gene networks represented by genes of an inflammatory and immune nature and that are implicated in neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions. The overexpressed networks are linked to molecules that were highly upregulated in astrocytes by all doses of methamphetamine tested and that could play a role in the central nervous system. The strongest overexpressed signatures were the upregulation of MAP2K5, GPR65, and CXCL5, and the gene networks individually associated with these molecules. Pathway analysis revealed that these networks are involved both in neuroprotection and in neuropathology. We have validated several targets associated to these genes.ConclusionsGene signatures for the astrocytic response to Meth were identified among the upregulated gene pool, using an in vitro system. The identified markers may participate in dysfunctions of the central nervous system but could also provide acute protection to the drug exposure. Further in vivo studies are necessary to establish the role of these gene networks in drug abuse pathogenesis.

  12. Astrocyte-specific overexpressed gene signatures in response to methamphetamine exposure in vitro

    KAUST Repository

    Bortell, Nikki

    2017-03-09

    BackgroundAstrocyte activation is one of the earliest findings in the brain of methamphetamine (Meth) abusers. Our goal in this study was to identify the characteristics of the astrocytic acute response to the drug, which may be critical in pathogenic outcomes secondary to the use.MethodsWe developed an integrated analysis of gene expression data to study the acute gene changes caused by the direct exposure to Meth treatment of astrocytes in vitro, and to better understand how astrocytes respond, what are the early molecular markers associated with this response. We examined the literature in search of similar changes in gene signatures that are found in central nervous system disorders.ResultsWe identified overexpressed gene networks represented by genes of an inflammatory and immune nature and that are implicated in neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions. The overexpressed networks are linked to molecules that were highly upregulated in astrocytes by all doses of methamphetamine tested and that could play a role in the central nervous system. The strongest overexpressed signatures were the upregulation of MAP2K5, GPR65, and CXCL5, and the gene networks individually associated with these molecules. Pathway analysis revealed that these networks are involved both in neuroprotection and in neuropathology. We have validated several targets associated to these genes.ConclusionsGene signatures for the astrocytic response to Meth were identified among the upregulated gene pool, using an in vitro system. The identified markers may participate in dysfunctions of the central nervous system but could also provide acute protection to the drug exposure. Further in vivo studies are necessary to establish the role of these gene networks in drug abuse pathogenesis.

  13. The Role of Tomato WRKY Genes in Plant Responses to Combined Abiotic and Biotic Stresses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuling Bai

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available In the field, plants constantly face a plethora of abiotic and biotic stresses that can impart detrimental effects on plants. In response to multiple stresses, plants can rapidly reprogram their transcriptome through a tightly regulated and highly dynamic regulatory network where WRKY transcription factors can act as activators or repressors. WRKY transcription factors have diverse biological functions in plants, but most notably are key players in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. In tomato there are 83 WRKY genes identified. Here we review recent progress on functions of these tomato WRKY genes and their homologs in other plant species, such as Arabidopsis and rice, with a special focus on their involvement in responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. In particular, we highlight WRKY genes that play a role in plant responses to a combination of abiotic and biotic stresses.

  14. Involvement of the Pleiotropic Drug Resistance Response, Protein Kinase C Signaling, and Altered Zinc Homeostasis in Resistance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Diclofenac ▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Leeuwen, Jolanda S.; Vermeulen, Nico P. E.; Vos, J. Chris

    2011-01-01

    Diclofenac is a widely used analgesic drug that can cause serious adverse drug reactions. We used Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model eukaryote with which to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of diclofenac toxicity and resistance. Although most yeast cells died during the initial diclofenac treatment, some survived and started growing again. Microarray analysis of the adapted cells identified three major processes involved in diclofenac detoxification and tolerance. In particular, pleiotropic drug resistance (PDR) genes and genes under the control of Rlm1p, a transcription factor in the protein kinase C (PKC) pathway, were upregulated in diclofenac-adapted cells. We tested if these processes or pathways were directly involved in diclofenac toxicity or resistance. Of the pleiotropic drug resistance gene products, the multidrug transporter Pdr5p was crucially important for diclofenac tolerance. Furthermore, deletion of components of the cell wall stress-responsive PKC pathway increased diclofenac toxicity, whereas incubation of cells with the cell wall stressor calcofluor white before the addition of diclofenac decreased its toxicity. Also, diclofenac induced flocculation, which might trigger the cell wall alterations. Genes involved in ribosome biogenesis and rRNA processing were downregulated, as were zinc-responsive genes. Paradoxically, deletion of the zinc-responsive transcription factor Zap1p or addition of the zinc chelator 1,10-phenanthroline significantly increased diclofenac toxicity, establishing a regulatory role for zinc in diclofenac resistance. In conclusion, we have identified three new pathways involved in diclofenac tolerance in yeast, namely, Pdr5p as the main contributor to the PDR response, cell wall signaling via the PKC pathway, and zinc homeostasis, regulated by Zap1p. PMID:21724882

  15. Deciphering RNA Regulatory Elements Involved in the Developmental and Environmental Gene Regulation of Trypanosoma brucei.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gazestani, Vahid H; Salavati, Reza

    2015-01-01

    Trypanosoma brucei is a vector-borne parasite with intricate life cycle that can cause serious diseases in humans and animals. This pathogen relies on fine regulation of gene expression to respond and adapt to variable environments, with implications in transmission and infectivity. However, the involved regulatory elements and their mechanisms of actions are largely unknown. Here, benefiting from a new graph-based approach for finding functional regulatory elements in RNA (GRAFFER), we have predicted 88 new RNA regulatory elements that are potentially involved in the gene regulatory network of T. brucei. We show that many of these newly predicted elements are responsive to both transcriptomic and proteomic changes during the life cycle of the parasite. Moreover, we found that 11 of predicted elements strikingly resemble previously identified regulatory elements for the parasite. Additionally, comparison with previously predicted motifs on T. brucei suggested the superior performance of our approach based on the current limited knowledge of regulatory elements in T. brucei.

  16. Gene expression profiles responses to aphid feeding in chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Xiaolong; Shao, Yafeng; Jiang, Jiafu; Ren, Liping; Chen, Fadi; Fang, Weimin; Guan, Zhiyong; Chen, Sumei

    2014-12-02

    Chrysanthemum is an important ornamental plant all over the world. It is easily attacked by aphid, Macrosiphoniella sanbourni. The molecular mechanisms of plant defense responses to aphid are only partially understood. Here, we investigate the gene expression changes in response to aphid feeding in chrysanthemum leaf by RNA-Seq technology. Three libraries were generated from pooled leaf tissues of Chrysanthemum morifolium 'nannongxunzhang' that were collected at different time points with (Y) or without (CK) aphid infestations and mock puncture treatment (Z), and sequenced using an Illumina HiSeqTM 2000 platform. A total of 7,363,292, 7,215,860 and 7,319,841 clean reads were obtained in library CK, Y and Z, respectively. The proportion of clean reads was >97.29% in each library. Approximately 76.35% of the clean reads were mapped to a reference gene database including all known chrysanthemum unigene sequences. 1,157, 527 and 340 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the comparison of CK-VS-Y, CK-VS-Z and Z-VS-Y, respectively. These DEGs were involved in phytohormone signaling, cell wall biosynthesis, photosynthesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathway and transcription factor regulatory networks, and so on. Changes in gene expression induced by aphid feeding are shown to be multifaceted. There are various forms of crosstalk between different pathways those genes belonging to, which would allow plants to fine-tune its defense responses.

  17. Differential response of two somatolactin genes to zinc or estrogen in pituitary of Cyprinus carpio.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valenzuela, G E; Perez, A; Navarro, M; Romero, A; Figueroa, J; Kausel, G

    2015-05-01

    Environmental changes affect gene expression that we addressed in the pituitary, a central regulatory organ at the interface between the central nervous system and the endocrine system. With the aim to reveal effects of changes in the aquatic environment on the expression of hypothalamo-hypophyseal factors, we characterized somatolactin (SL) in Cyprinus carpio. SL, a fish specific pituitary hormone belonging to the prolactin (PRL) superfamily, is involved in background adaptation, osmoregulation, reproduction and fatty acid metabolism. Two sl genes, α and β, were discovered in carp and transcripts of both were detected in pituitaries. Clearly, expression of slα and slβ was modulated significantly in pituitary of male adult carp in response to treatment with ZnCl2 (Zn), but only slβ responded to 17β-estrogen (E2), relative to control carp as shown by RT-qPCR analyses. Furthermore, the amount of mRNA of related factors was assessed revealing variable effects on prl, growth hormone (gh), and factors involved in sl regulation: the pituitary transcription factor pit1 and hypothalamic pituitary adenylase cyclase activating peptide (pacap). In parallel, the physiological response of the experimental animals to Zn or E2 was confirmed by showing a significant increase of metallothionein (mt) or vitellogenin (vg) gene expression in liver, classical sentinels for exposure to heavy metal or estrogens. These data suggest that the sl genes seem to be involved in the response to Zn, as well as to estrogen, and could contribute to evaluate biological relevant changes in the aquatic environment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Cross-species global and subset gene expression profiling identifies genes involved in prostate cancer response to selenium

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    Dhir Rajiv

    2004-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene expression technologies have the ability to generate vast amounts of data, yet there often resides only limited resources for subsequent validation studies. This necessitates the ability to perform sorting and prioritization of the output data. Previously described methodologies have used functional pathways or transcriptional regulatory grouping to sort genes for further study. In this paper we demonstrate a comparative genomics based method to leverage data from animal models to prioritize genes for validation. This approach allows one to develop a disease-based focus for the prioritization of gene data, a process that is essential for systems that lack significant functional pathway data yet have defined animal models. This method is made possible through the use of highly controlled spotted cDNA slide production and the use of comparative bioinformatics databases without the use of cross-species slide hybridizations. Results Using gene expression profiling we have demonstrated a similar whole transcriptome gene expression patterns in prostate cancer cells from human and rat prostate cancer cell lines both at baseline expression levels and after treatment with physiologic concentrations of the proposed chemopreventive agent Selenium. Using both the human PC3 and rat PAII prostate cancer cell lines have gone on to identify a subset of one hundred and fifty-four genes that demonstrate a similar level of differential expression to Selenium treatment in both species. Further analysis and data mining for two genes, the Insulin like Growth Factor Binding protein 3, and Retinoic X Receptor alpha, demonstrates an association with prostate cancer, functional pathway links, and protein-protein interactions that make these genes prime candidates for explaining the mechanism of Selenium's chemopreventive effect in prostate cancer. These genes are subsequently validated by western blots showing Selenium based induction and using

  19. Identification of Arabidopsis candidate genes in response to biotic and abiotic stresses using comparative microarrays.

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    Arjun Sham

    Full Text Available Plants have evolved with intricate mechanisms to cope with multiple environmental stresses. To adapt with biotic and abiotic stresses, plant responses involve changes at the cellular and molecular levels. The current study was designed to investigate the effects of combinations of different environmental stresses on the transcriptome level of Arabidopsis genome using public microarray databases. We investigated the role of cyclopentenones in mediating plant responses to environmental stress through TGA (TGACG motif-binding factor transcription factor, independently from jasmonic acid. Candidate genes were identified by comparing plants inoculated with Botrytis cinerea or treated with heat, salt or osmotic stress with non-inoculated or non-treated tissues. About 2.5% heat-, 19% salinity- and 41% osmotic stress-induced genes were commonly upregulated by B. cinerea-treatment; and 7.6%, 19% and 48% of genes were commonly downregulated by B. cinerea-treatment, respectively. Our results indicate that plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses are mediated by several common regulatory genes. Comparisons between transcriptome data from Arabidopsis stressed-plants support our hypothesis that some molecular and biological processes involved in biotic and abiotic stress response are conserved. Thirteen of the common regulated genes to abiotic and biotic stresses were studied in detail to determine their role in plant resistance to B. cinerea. Moreover, a T-DNA insertion mutant of the Responsive to Dehydration gene (rd20, encoding for a member of the caleosin (lipid surface protein family, showed an enhanced sensitivity to B. cinerea infection and drought. Overall, the overlapping of plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses, coupled with the sensitivity of the rd20 mutant, may provide new interesting programs for increased plant resistance to multiple environmental stresses, and ultimately increases its chances to survive. Future research

  20. Influence of the gene xthA in the activation of SOS response of Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dominguez M, V.

    2013-01-01

    The SOS response is one of the strategies that has Escherichia coli to counteract the lesions in the genetic material. The response is integrated for approximately 60 genes that when are activated they provide to the cell a bigger opportunity to survive. For the activation of this system is necessary that DNA regions of simple chain are generated, in such a way that most of the lesions should be processed, to be able to induce this answer. Some genes that intervene in this procedure, as recO, recB and recJ are recognized since when being exposed to the radiation, their activity SOS is smaller than in a wild strain. In previous works has been studied that to inactivate the genes that are involves in the lesions processing to generate DNA of simple chain, the SOS induction level diminishes with regard to a wild strain, but that when eliminating the genes that are involves directly in the repair, the SOS response increases. In this work a strain with defects in the gene xthA was built, which encodes for an endonuclease AP that participates in the repair mechanism by base excision and was evaluated their sensibility as the activity of the SOS response when exposing it to UV light and gamma radiation. The results showed that the lethality of the strain with the defect is very similar to the wild strain; while the activation level of the SOS response is bigger in comparison with the wild strain when being exposed to UV light; suggesting the existence of an enzyme that recognizes the lesions that produces this radiation, however, is not this the main repair channel, since the survival is similar to that of the wild strain. On the contrary, the results obtained with gamma radiation showed that the lethality diminishes in comparison to that of the wild strain, like the SOS activity; due surely to that the gene product intervenes in the repair for base excision, participating in the formation of the previous substrate to the activation of the SOS response. (Author)

  1. Comparative Digital Gene Expression Analysis of the Arabidopsis Response to Volatiles Emitted by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hai-Ting Hao

    Full Text Available Some plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR regulated plant growth and elicited plant basal immunity by volatiles. The response mechanism to the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens volatiles in plant has not been well studied. We conducted global gene expression profiling in Arabidopsis after treatment with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42 volatiles by Illumina Digital Gene Expression (DGE profiling of different growth stages (seedling and mature and tissues (leaves and roots. Compared with the control, 1,507 and 820 differentially expressed genes (DEGs were identified in leaves and roots at the seedling stage, respectively, while 1,512 and 367 DEGs were identified in leaves and roots at the mature stage. Seventeen genes with different regulatory patterns were validated using quantitative RT-PCR. Numerous DEGs were enriched for plant hormones, cell wall modifications, and protection against stress situations, which suggests that volatiles have effects on plant growth and immunity. Moreover, analyzes of transcriptome difference in tissues and growth stage using DGE profiling showed that the plant response might be tissue-specific and/or growth stage-specific. Thus, genes encoding flavonoid biosynthesis were downregulated in leaves and upregulated in roots, thereby indicating tissue-specific responses to volatiles. Genes related to photosynthesis were downregulated at the seedling stage and upregulated at the mature stage, respectively, thereby suggesting growth period-specific responses. In addition, the emission of bacterial volatiles significantly induced killing of cells of other organism pathway with up-regulated genes in leaves and the other three pathways (defense response to nematode, cell morphogenesis involved in differentiation and trichoblast differentiation with up-regulated genes were significantly enriched in roots. Interestingly, some important alterations in the expression of growth-related genes, metabolic pathways, defense response

  2. Bioinformatics Analysis Reveals Genes Involved in the Pathogenesis of Ameloblastoma and Keratocystic Odontogenic Tumor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Eliane Macedo Sobrinho; Santos, Hércules Otacílio; Dos Santos Dias, Ivoneth; Santos, Sérgio Henrique; Batista de Paula, Alfredo Maurício; Feltenberger, John David; Sena Guimarães, André Luiz; Farias, Lucyana Conceição

    2016-01-01

    Pathogenesis of odontogenic tumors is not well known. It is important to identify genetic deregulations and molecular alterations. This study aimed to investigate, through bioinformatic analysis, the possible genes involved in the pathogenesis of ameloblastoma (AM) and keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT). Genes involved in the pathogenesis of AM and KCOT were identified in GeneCards. Gene list was expanded, and the gene interactions network was mapped using the STRING software. "Weighted number of links" (WNL) was calculated to identify "leader genes" (highest WNL). Genes were ranked by K-means method and Kruskal-Wallis test was used (Preview data was used to corroborate the bioinformatics data. CDK1 was identified as leader gene for AM. In KCOT group, results show PCNA and TP53 . Both tumors exhibit a power law behavior. Our topological analysis suggested leader genes possibly important in the pathogenesis of AM and KCOT, by clustering coefficient calculated for both odontogenic tumors (0.028 for AM, zero for KCOT). The results obtained in the scatter diagram suggest an important relationship of these genes with the molecular processes involved in AM and KCOT. Ontological analysis for both AM and KCOT demonstrated different mechanisms. Bioinformatics analyzes were confirmed through literature review. These results may suggest the involvement of promising genes for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of AM and KCOT.

  3. Identification of new genes involved in human adipogenesis and fat storage.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jörn Söhle

    Full Text Available Since the worldwide increase in obesity represents a growing challenge for health care systems, new approaches are needed to effectively treat obesity and its associated diseases. One prerequisite for advances in this field is the identification of genes involved in adipogenesis and/or lipid storage. To provide a systematic analysis of genes that regulate adipose tissue biology and to establish a target-oriented compound screening, we performed a high throughput siRNA screen with primary (preadipocytes, using a druggable siRNA library targeting 7,784 human genes. The primary screen showed that 459 genes affected adipogenesis and/or lipid accumulation after knock-down. Out of these hits, 333 could be validated in a secondary screen using independent siRNAs and 110 genes were further regulated on the gene expression level during adipogenesis. Assuming that these genes are involved in neutral lipid storage and/or adipocyte differentiation, we performed InCell-Western analysis for the most striking hits to distinguish between the two phenotypes. Beside well known regulators of adipogenesis and neutral lipid storage (i.e. PPARγ, RXR, Perilipin A the screening revealed a large number of genes which have not been previously described in the context of fatty tissue biology such as axonemal dyneins. Five out of ten axonemal dyneins were identified in our screen and quantitative RT-PCR-analysis revealed that these genes are expressed in preadipocytes and/or maturing adipocytes. Finally, to show that the genes identified in our screen are per se druggable we performed a proof of principle experiment using an antagonist for HTR2B. The results showed a very similar phenotype compared to knock-down experiments proofing the "druggability". Thus, we identified new adipogenesis-associated genes and those involved in neutral lipid storage. Moreover, by using a druggable siRNA library the screen data provides a very attractive starting point to identify anti

  4. Phospholipases Dα and δ are involved in local and systemic wound responses of cotton (G. hirsutum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angeliki Bourtsala

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Phospholipases D (PLDs catabolize structural phospholipids to produce phosphatidic acid (PtdOH, a lipid playing central role in signalling pathways in animal, yeast and plant cells. In animal cells two PLD genes have been studied while in model plant Arabidopsis twelve genes exist, classified in six classes (α-ζ. This underlines the role of these enzymes in plant responses to environmental stresses. However, information concerning the PLD involvement in the widely cultivated and economically important cotton plant responses is very limited. The aim of this report was to study the activity of conventional cotton PLD and its participation in plant responses to mechanical wounding, which resembles both biotic and abiotic stresses. PLDα activity was identified and further characterized by transphosphatidylation reaction. Upon wounding, cotton leaf responses consist of an acute in vitro increase of PLDα activity in both wounded and systemic tissue. However, determination of the in vivo PtdOH levels under the same wounding conditions revealed a rapid PtdOH formation only in wounded leaves and a late response of a PtdOH increase in both tissues. Εxpression analysis of PLDα and PLDδ isoforms showed mRNA accumulation of both isoforms in the wounded tissue, but only PLDδ exerts a high and sustainable expression in systemic leaves, indicating that this isoform is mainly responsible for the systemic wound-induced PtdOH production. Therefore, our data suggest that PLDα and PLDδ isoforms are involved in different steps in cotton wound signalling.

  5. Global Analysis of WRKY Genes and Their Response to Dehydration and Salt Stress in Soybean.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Hui; Wang, Pengfei; Hou, Lei; Zhao, Shuzhen; Zhao, Chuanzhi; Xia, Han; Li, Pengcheng; Zhang, Ye; Bian, Xiaotong; Wang, Xingjun

    2016-01-01

    WRKY proteins are plant specific transcription factors involved in various developmental and physiological processes, especially in biotic and abiotic stress resistance. Although previous studies suggested that WRKY proteins in soybean (Glycine max var. Williams 82) involved in both abiotic and biotic stress responses, the global information of WRKY proteins in the latest version of soybean genome (Wm82.a2v1) and their response to dehydration and salt stress have not been reported. In this study, we identified 176 GmWRKY proteins from soybean Wm82.a2v1 genome. These proteins could be classified into three groups, namely group I (32 proteins), group II (120 proteins), and group III (24 proteins). Our results showed that most GmWRKY genes were located on Chromosome 6, while chromosome 11, 12, and 20 contained the least number of this gene family. More GmWRKY genes were distributed on the ends of chromosomes to compare with other regions. The cis-acting elements analysis suggested that GmWRKY genes were transcriptionally regulated upon dehydration and salt stress. RNA-seq data analysis indicated that three GmWRKY genes responded negatively to dehydration, and 12 genes positively responded to salt stress at 1, 6, and 12 h, respectively. We confirmed by qRT-PCR that the expression of GmWRKY47 and GmWRKY 58 genes was decreased upon dehydration, and the expression of GmWRKY92, 144 and 165 genes was increased under salt treatment.

  6. Systems approach identifies an organic nitrogen-responsive gene network that is regulated by the master clock control gene CCA1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutiérrez, Rodrigo A; Stokes, Trevor L; Thum, Karen; Xu, Xiaodong; Obertello, Mariana; Katari, Manpreet S; Tanurdzic, Milos; Dean, Alexis; Nero, Damion C; McClung, C Robertson; Coruzzi, Gloria M

    2008-03-25

    Understanding how nutrients affect gene expression will help us to understand the mechanisms controlling plant growth and development as a function of nutrient availability. Nitrate has been shown to serve as a signal for the control of gene expression in Arabidopsis. There is also evidence, on a gene-by-gene basis, that downstream products of nitrogen (N) assimilation such as glutamate (Glu) or glutamine (Gln) might serve as signals of organic N status that in turn regulate gene expression. To identify genome-wide responses to such organic N signals, Arabidopsis seedlings were transiently treated with ammonium nitrate in the presence or absence of MSX, an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase, resulting in a block of Glu/Gln synthesis. Genes that responded to organic N were identified as those whose response to ammonium nitrate treatment was blocked in the presence of MSX. We showed that some genes previously identified to be regulated by nitrate are under the control of an organic N-metabolite. Using an integrated network model of molecular interactions, we uncovered a subnetwork regulated by organic N that included CCA1 and target genes involved in N-assimilation. We validated some of the predicted interactions and showed that regulation of the master clock control gene CCA1 by Glu or a Glu-derived metabolite in turn regulates the expression of key N-assimilatory genes. Phase response curve analysis shows that distinct N-metabolites can advance or delay the CCA1 phase. Regulation of CCA1 by organic N signals may represent a novel input mechanism for N-nutrients to affect plant circadian clock function.

  7. A 20 bp cis-acting element is both necessary and sufficient to mediate elicitor response of a maize PRms gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raventós, D; Jensen, A B; Rask, M B; Casacuberta, J M; Mundy, J; San Segundo, B

    1995-01-01

    Transient gene expression assays in barley aleurone protoplasts were used to identify a cis-regulatory element involved in the elicitor-responsive expression of the maize PRms gene. Analysis of transcriptional fusions between PRms 5' upstream sequences and a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene, as well as chimeric promoters containing PRms promoter fragments or repeated oligonucleotides fused to a minimal promoter, delineated a 20 bp sequence which functioned as an elicitor-response element (ERE). This sequence contains a motif (-246 AATTGACC) similar to sequences found in promoters of other pathogen-responsive genes. The analysis also indicated that an enhancing sequence(s) between -397 and -296 is required for full PRms activation by elicitors. The protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine was found to completely block the transcriptional activation induced by elicitors. These data indicate that protein phosphorylation is involved in the signal transduction pathway leading to PRms expression.

  8. Genome-Wide Characterization and Expression Profiling of the AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF) Gene Family in Eucalyptus grandis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Hong; Soler, Marçal; Mila, Isabelle; San Clemente, Hélène; Savelli, Bruno; Dunand, Christophe; Paiva, Jorge A. P.; Myburg, Alexander A.; Bouzayen, Mondher; Grima-Pettenati, Jacqueline; Cassan-Wang, Hua

    2014-01-01

    Auxin is a central hormone involved in a wide range of developmental processes including the specification of vascular stem cells. Auxin Response Factors (ARF) are important actors of the auxin signalling pathway, regulating the transcription of auxin-responsive genes through direct binding to their promoters. The recent availability of the Eucalyptus grandis genome sequence allowed us to examine the characteristics and evolutionary history of this gene family in a woody plant of high economic importance. With 17 members, the E. grandis ARF gene family is slightly contracted, as compared to those of most angiosperms studied hitherto, lacking traces of duplication events. In silico analysis of alternative transcripts and gene truncation suggested that these two mechanisms were preeminent in shaping the functional diversity of the ARF family in Eucalyptus. Comparative phylogenetic analyses with genomes of other taxonomic lineages revealed the presence of a new ARF clade found preferentially in woody and/or perennial plants. High-throughput expression profiling among different organs and tissues and in response to environmental cues highlighted genes expressed in vascular cambium and/or developing xylem, responding dynamically to various environmental stimuli. Finally, this study allowed identification of three ARF candidates potentially involved in the auxin-regulated transcriptional program underlying wood formation. PMID:25269088

  9. Genome-wide characterization and expression profiling of the AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF gene family in Eucalyptus grandis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hong Yu

    Full Text Available Auxin is a central hormone involved in a wide range of developmental processes including the specification of vascular stem cells. Auxin Response Factors (ARF are important actors of the auxin signalling pathway, regulating the transcription of auxin-responsive genes through direct binding to their promoters. The recent availability of the Eucalyptus grandis genome sequence allowed us to examine the characteristics and evolutionary history of this gene family in a woody plant of high economic importance. With 17 members, the E. grandis ARF gene family is slightly contracted, as compared to those of most angiosperms studied hitherto, lacking traces of duplication events. In silico analysis of alternative transcripts and gene truncation suggested that these two mechanisms were preeminent in shaping the functional diversity of the ARF family in Eucalyptus. Comparative phylogenetic analyses with genomes of other taxonomic lineages revealed the presence of a new ARF clade found preferentially in woody and/or perennial plants. High-throughput expression profiling among different organs and tissues and in response to environmental cues highlighted genes expressed in vascular cambium and/or developing xylem, responding dynamically to various environmental stimuli. Finally, this study allowed identification of three ARF candidates potentially involved in the auxin-regulated transcriptional program underlying wood formation.

  10. Transcriptome Analysis of Early Responsive Genes in Rice during Magnaporthe oryzae Infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yiming Wang

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Rice blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most serious diseases of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L. in most rice-growing regions of the world. In order to investigate early response genes in rice, we utilized the transcriptome analysis approach using a 300 K tilling microarray to rice leaves infected with compatible and incompatible M. oryzae strains. Prior to the microarray experiment, total RNA was validated by measuring the differential expression of rice defense-related marker genes (chitinase 2, barwin, PBZ1, and PR-10 by RT-PCR, and phytoalexins (sakuranetin and momilactone A with HPLC. Microarray analysis revealed that 231 genes were up-regulated (>2 fold change, p < 0.05 in the incompatible interaction compared to the compatible one. Highly expressed genes were functionally characterized into metabolic processes and oxidation-reduction categories. The oxidative stress response was induced in both early and later infection stages. Biotic stress overview from MapMan analysis revealed that the phytohormone ethylene as well as signaling molecules jasmonic acid and salicylic acid is important for defense gene regulation. WRKY and Myb transcription factors were also involved in signal transduction processes. Additionally, receptor-like kinases were more likely associated with the defense response, and their expression patterns were validated by RT-PCR. Our results suggest that candidate genes, including receptor-like protein kinases, may play a key role in disease resistance against M. oryzae attack.

  11. The Mediator subunit SFR6/MED16 controls defence gene expression mediated by salicylic acid and jasmonate responsive pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wathugala, Deepthi L; Hemsley, Piers A; Moffat, Caroline S; Cremelie, Pieter; Knight, Marc R; Knight, Heather

    2012-07-01

    • Arabidopsis SENSITIVE TO FREEZING6 (SFR6) controls cold- and drought-inducible gene expression and freezing- and osmotic-stress tolerance. Its identification as a component of the MEDIATOR transcriptional co-activator complex led us to address its involvement in other transcriptional responses. • Gene expression responses to Pseudomonas syringae, ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiation, salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) were investigated in three sfr6 mutant alleles by quantitative real-time PCR and susceptibility to UV-C irradiation and Pseudomonas infection were assessed. • sfr6 mutants were more susceptible to both Pseudomonas syringae infection and UV-C irradiation. They exhibited correspondingly weaker PR (pathogenesis-related) gene expression than wild-type Arabidopsis following these treatments or after direct application of SA, involved in response to both UV-C and Pseudomonas infection. Other genes, however, were induced normally in the mutants by these treatments. sfr6 mutants were severely defective in expression of plant defensin genes in response to JA; ectopic expression of defensin genes was provoked in wild-type but not sfr6 by overexpression of ERF5. • SFR6/MED16 controls both SA- and JA-mediated defence gene expression and is necessary for tolerance of Pseudomonas syringae infection and UV-C irradiation. It is not, however, a universal regulator of stress gene transcription and is likely to mediate transcriptional activation of specific regulons only. © 2012 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2012 New Phytologist Trust.

  12. The light gene of Drosophila melanogaster encodes a homologue of VPS41, a yeast gene involved in cellular-protein trafficking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warner, T S; Sinclair, D A; Fitzpatrick, K A; Singh, M; Devlin, R H; Honda, B M

    1998-04-01

    Mutations in a number of genes affect eye colour in Drosophila melanogaster; some of these "eye-colour" genes have been shown to be involved in various aspects of cellular transport processes. In addition, combinations of viable mutant alleles of some of these genes, such as carnation (car) combined with either light (lt) or deep-orange (dor) mutants, show lethal interactions. Recently, dor was shown to be homologous to the yeast gene PEP3 (VPS18), which is known to be involved in intracellular trafficking. We have undertaken to extend our earlier work on the lt gene, in order to examine in more detail its expression pattern and to characterize its gene product via sequencing of a cloned cDNA. The gene appears to be expressed at relatively high levels in all stages and tissues examined, and shows strong homology to VPS41, a gene involved in cellular-protein trafficking in yeast and higher eukaryotes. Further genetic experiments also point to a role for lt in transport processes: we describe lethal interactions between viable alleles of lt and dor, as well as phenotypic interactions (reductions in eye pigment) between allels of lt and another eye-colour gene, garnet (g), whose gene product has close homology to a subunit of the human adaptor complex, AP-3.

  13. Identification of Candidate Genes Involved in the Salt Tolerance of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Based on a Yeast Functional Bioassay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patankar, Himanshu V; Al-Harrasi, Ibtisam; Al-Yahyai, Rashid; Yaish, Mahmoud W

    2018-06-01

    Although date palm is a relatively salt-tolerant plant, the molecular basis of this tolerance is complex and poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the genes involved in salinity tolerance using a basic yeast functional bioassay. To achieve this, a date palm cDNA library was overexpressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells. The expression levels of selected genes that make yeast cells tolerant to salt were subsequently validated in the leaf and root tissues of date palm seedlings using a quantitative PCR method. About 6000 yeast transformant cells were replica printed and screened on a synthetic minimal medium containing 1.0 M of NaCl. The screening results showed the presence of 62 salt-tolerant transformant colonies. Sequence analysis of the recombinant yeast plasmids revealed the presence of a group of genes with potential salt-tolerance functions, such as aquaporins (PIP), serine/threonine protein kinases (STKs), ethylene-responsive transcription factor 1 (ERF1), and peroxidases (PRX). The expression pattern of the selected genes endorsed the hypothesis that these genes may be involved in salinity tolerance, as they showed a significant (p < 0.05) overexpression trend in both the leaf and root tissues in response to salinity. The genes identified in this project are suitable candidates for the further functional characterization of date palms.

  14. Transcriptional expression of type I interferon response genes and stability of housekeeping genes in the human endometrium and endometriosis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vestergaard, Anna L; Knudsen, Ulla B; Munk, Torben

    2011-01-01

    Endometriosis is a painful chronic female disease defined by the presence of endometrial tissue implants in ectopic locations. The pathogenesis is much debated, and type I interferons could be involved. The expression of genes of the type I interferon response were profiled by a specific PCR Array...... of RNA obtained from ectopic and eutopic endometrium collected from 9 endometriosis patients and 9 healthy control women. Transcriptional expression levels of selected interferon-regulated and housekeeping genes were investigated by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). Stably...... expressed housekeeping genes for valid normalization of transcriptional studies of endometrium and endometriosis have not yet been published. Here, seven housekeeping genes were evaluated for stability using the GeNorm and NormFinder software. A normalization factor based on HMBS, TBP, and YWHAZ expression...

  15. BDE-47 causes developmental retardation with down-regulated expression profiles of ecdysteroid signaling pathway-involved nuclear receptor (NR) genes in the copepod Tigriopus japonicus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hwang, Dae-Sik; Han, Jeonghoon; Won, Eun-Ji; Kim, Duck-Hyun; Jeong, Chang-Bum [Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419 (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, Un-Ki [Marine Ecological Risk Assessment Center, West Sea Fisheries Research Institute, National Fisheries Research & Development Institute, Incheon 46083 (Korea, Republic of); Zhou, Bingsheng [State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072 (China); Choe, Joonho [Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jae-Seong, E-mail: jslee2@skku.edu [Department of Biological Science, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419 (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-08-15

    Highlights: • The developmental rate was significantly inhibited (P < 0.05) in response to BDE-47. • Expression profiles of nearly all NR genes were the highest at naupliar stages 5–6. • USP, HR96, and FTZ-F1 genes showed significant sex differences (P < 0.05) over different developmental stages. • NR gene expression patterns showed significant decreases (P<0.05) in response to BDE-47. • BDE-47 leads to molting and metamorphosis retardation and suppresses transcription of NR genes. - Abstract: 2,2′,4,4′-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) is a persistent organic pollutant (POP) in marine environments. Despite its adverse effects (e.g. developmental retardation) in ecdysozoa, the effects of BDE-47 on transcription of ecdysteroid signaling pathway-involved-nuclear receptor (NR) genes and metamorphosis-related genes have not been examined in copepods. To examine the deleterious effect of BDE-47 on copepod molting and metamorphosis, BDE-47 was exposed to the harpacticoid copepod Tigriopus japonicus, followed by monitoring developmental retardation and transcriptional alteration of NR genes. The developmental rate was significantly inhibited (P < 0.05) in response to BDE-47 and the agricultural insecticide gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane. Conversely, the ecdysteroid agonist ponasterone A (PoA) led to decreased molting and metamorphosis time (P < 0.05) from the nauplius stage to the adult stage. In particular, expression profiles of all NR genes were the highest at naupliar stages 5–6 except for SVP, FTZ-F1, and HR96 genes. Nuclear receptor USP, HR96, and FTZ-F1 genes also showed significant sex differences (P < 0.05) in gene expression levels over different developmental stages, indicating that these genes may be involved in vitellogenesis. NR gene expression patterns showed significant decreases (P < 0.05) in response to BDE-47 exposure, implying that molting and metamorphosis retardation is likely associated with NR gene expression. In summary, BDE-47

  16. BDE-47 causes developmental retardation with down-regulated expression profiles of ecdysteroid signaling pathway-involved nuclear receptor (NR) genes in the copepod Tigriopus japonicus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hwang, Dae-Sik; Han, Jeonghoon; Won, Eun-Ji; Kim, Duck-Hyun; Jeong, Chang-Bum; Hwang, Un-Ki; Zhou, Bingsheng; Choe, Joonho; Lee, Jae-Seong

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • The developmental rate was significantly inhibited (P < 0.05) in response to BDE-47. • Expression profiles of nearly all NR genes were the highest at naupliar stages 5–6. • USP, HR96, and FTZ-F1 genes showed significant sex differences (P < 0.05) over different developmental stages. • NR gene expression patterns showed significant decreases (P<0.05) in response to BDE-47. • BDE-47 leads to molting and metamorphosis retardation and suppresses transcription of NR genes. - Abstract: 2,2′,4,4′-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) is a persistent organic pollutant (POP) in marine environments. Despite its adverse effects (e.g. developmental retardation) in ecdysozoa, the effects of BDE-47 on transcription of ecdysteroid signaling pathway-involved-nuclear receptor (NR) genes and metamorphosis-related genes have not been examined in copepods. To examine the deleterious effect of BDE-47 on copepod molting and metamorphosis, BDE-47 was exposed to the harpacticoid copepod Tigriopus japonicus, followed by monitoring developmental retardation and transcriptional alteration of NR genes. The developmental rate was significantly inhibited (P < 0.05) in response to BDE-47 and the agricultural insecticide gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane. Conversely, the ecdysteroid agonist ponasterone A (PoA) led to decreased molting and metamorphosis time (P < 0.05) from the nauplius stage to the adult stage. In particular, expression profiles of all NR genes were the highest at naupliar stages 5–6 except for SVP, FTZ-F1, and HR96 genes. Nuclear receptor USP, HR96, and FTZ-F1 genes also showed significant sex differences (P < 0.05) in gene expression levels over different developmental stages, indicating that these genes may be involved in vitellogenesis. NR gene expression patterns showed significant decreases (P < 0.05) in response to BDE-47 exposure, implying that molting and metamorphosis retardation is likely associated with NR gene expression. In summary, BDE-47

  17. Two pear glutathione S-transferases genes are regulated during fruit development and involved in response to salicylic acid, auxin, and glucose signaling.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hai-Yan Shi

    Full Text Available Two genes encoding putative glutathione S-transferase proteins were isolated from pear (Pyrus pyrifolia and designated PpGST1 and PpGST2. The deduced PpGST1 and PpGST2 proteins contain conserved Glutathione S-transferase N-terminal domain (GST_N and Glutathione S-transferase, C-terminal domain (GST_C. Using PCR amplification technique, the genomic clones corresponding to PpGST1 and PpGST2 were isolated and shown to contain two introns and a singal intron respectively with typical GT/AG boundaries defining the splice junctions. Phylogenetic analysis clearly demonstrated that PpGST1 belonged to Phi class of GST superfamilies and had high homology with apple MdGST, while PpGST2 was classified into the Tau class of GST superfamilies. The expression of PpGST1 and PpGST2 genes was developmentally regulated in fruit. Further study demonstrated that PpGST1 and PpGST2 expression was remarkably induced by glucose, salicylic acid (SA and indole-3-aceticacid (IAA treatments in pear fruit, and in diseased fruit. These data suggested that PpGST1 and PpGST2 might be involved in response to sugar, SA, and IAA signaling during fruit development of pear.

  18. Identification of Phytophthora sojae genes involved in asexual ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    ual sporulation or germination. But molecular details about asexual spore development in P. sojae are limited (Tyler et al. 2006). In the present study, to understand the molecular basis of asexual spore development in P. sojae, we investigated gene expression changes involved in asexual sporulation after ul- traviolet (UV) ...

  19. BDE-47 causes developmental retardation with down-regulated expression profiles of ecdysteroid signaling pathway-involved nuclear receptor (NR) genes in the copepod Tigriopus japonicus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Dae-Sik; Han, Jeonghoon; Won, Eun-Ji; Kim, Duck-Hyun; Jeong, Chang-Bum; Hwang, Un-Ki; Zhou, Bingsheng; Choe, Joonho; Lee, Jae-Seong

    2016-08-01

    2,2',4,4'-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) is a persistent organic pollutant (POP) in marine environments. Despite its adverse effects (e.g. developmental retardation) in ecdysozoa, the effects of BDE-47 on transcription of ecdysteroid signaling pathway-involved-nuclear receptor (NR) genes and metamorphosis-related genes have not been examined in copepods. To examine the deleterious effect of BDE-47 on copepod molting and metamorphosis, BDE-47 was exposed to the harpacticoid copepod Tigriopus japonicus, followed by monitoring developmental retardation and transcriptional alteration of NR genes. The developmental rate was significantly inhibited (P<0.05) in response to BDE-47 and the agricultural insecticide gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane. Conversely, the ecdysteroid agonist ponasterone A (PoA) led to decreased molting and metamorphosis time (P<0.05) from the nauplius stage to the adult stage. In particular, expression profiles of all NR genes were the highest at naupliar stages 5-6 except for SVP, FTZ-F1, and HR96 genes. Nuclear receptor USP, HR96, and FTZ-F1 genes also showed significant sex differences (P<0.05) in gene expression levels over different developmental stages, indicating that these genes may be involved in vitellogenesis. NR gene expression patterns showed significant decreases (P<0.05) in response to BDE-47 exposure, implying that molting and metamorphosis retardation is likely associated with NR gene expression. In summary, BDE-47 leads to molting and metamorphosis retardation and suppresses transcription of NR genes. This information will be helpful in understanding the molting and metamorphosis delay mechanism in response to BDE-47 exposure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Genes and Gut Bacteria Involved in Luminal Butyrate Reduction Caused by Diet and Loperamide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Nakwon; Eom, Taekil; Gupta, Sachin K; Jeong, Seong-Yeop; Jeong, Do-Youn; Kim, Yong Sung; Lee, Ji-Hoon; Sadowsky, Michael J; Unno, Tatsuya

    2017-11-28

    Unbalanced dietary habits and gut dysmotility are causative factors in metabolic and functional gut disorders, including obesity, diabetes, and constipation. Reduction in luminal butyrate synthesis is known to be associated with gut dysbioses, and studies have suggested that restoring butyrate formation in the colon may improve gut health. In contrast, shifts in different types of gut microbiota may inhibit luminal butyrate synthesis, requiring different treatments to restore colonic bacterial butyrate synthesis. We investigated the influence of high-fat diets (HFD) and low-fiber diets (LFD), and loperamide (LPM) administration, on key bacteria and genes involved in reduction of butyrate synthesis in mice. MiSeq-based microbiota analysis and HiSeq-based differential gene analysis indicated that different types of bacteria and genes were involved in butyrate metabolism in each treatment. Dietary modulation depleted butyrate kinase and phosphate butyryl transferase by decreasing members of the Bacteroidales and Parabacteroides . The HFD also depleted genes involved in succinate synthesis by decreasing Lactobacillus . The LFD and LPM treatments depleted genes involved in crotonoyl-CoA synthesis by decreasing Roseburia and Oscilllibacter . Taken together, our results suggest that different types of bacteria and genes were involved in gut dysbiosis, and that selected treatments may be needed depending on the cause of gut dysfunction.

  1. Regulatory network analysis of Epstein-Barr virus identifies functional modules and hub genes involved in infectious mononucleosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poorebrahim, Mansour; Salarian, Ali; Najafi, Saeideh; Abazari, Mohammad Foad; Aleagha, Maryam Nouri; Dadras, Mohammad Nasr; Jazayeri, Seyed Mohammad; Ataei, Atousa; Poortahmasebi, Vahdat

    2017-05-01

    Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the most common cause of infectious mononucleosis (IM) and establishes lifetime infection associated with a variety of cancers and autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study was to develop an integrative gene regulatory network (GRN) approach and overlying gene expression data to identify the representative subnetworks for IM and EBV latent infection (LI). After identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in both IM and LI gene expression profiles, functional annotations were applied using gene ontology (GO) and BiNGO tools, and construction of GRNs, topological analysis and identification of modules were carried out using several plugins of Cytoscape. In parallel, a human-EBV GRN was generated using the Hu-Vir database for further analyses. Our analysis revealed that the majority of DEGs in both IM and LI were involved in cell-cycle and DNA repair processes. However, these genes showed a significant negative correlation in the IM and LI states. Furthermore, cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) - a hub gene with the highest centrality score - appeared to be the key player in cell cycle regulation in IM disease. The most significant functional modules in the IM and LI states were involved in the regulation of the cell cycle and apoptosis, respectively. Human-EBV network analysis revealed several direct targets of EBV proteins during IM disease. Our study provides an important first report on the response to IM/LI EBV infection in humans. An important aspect of our data was the upregulation of genes associated with cell cycle progression and proliferation.

  2. Antenatal maternal long-term hypoxia: acclimatization responses with altered gene expression in ovine fetal carotid arteries.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravi Goyal

    Full Text Available In humans and other species, long-term hypoxia (LTH during pregnancy can lead to intrauterine growth restriction with reduced body/brain weight, dysregulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF, and other problems. To identify the signal transduction pathways and critical molecules, which may be involved in acclimatization to high altitude LTH, we conducted microarray with advanced bioinformatic analysis on carotid arteries (CA from the normoxic near-term ovine fetus at sea-level and those acclimatized to high altitude for 110+ days during gestation. In response to LTH acclimatization, in fetal CA we identified mRNA from 38 genes upregulated >2 fold (P2-fold (P<0.05. The major genes with upregulated mRNA were SLC1A3, Insulin-like growth factor (IGF binding protein 3, IGF type 2 receptor, transforming growth factor (TGF Beta-3, and genes involved in the AKT and BCL2 signal transduction networks. Most genes with upregulated mRNA have a common motif for Pbx/Knotted homeobox in the promoter region, and Sox family binding sites in the 3' un translated region (UTR. Genes with downregulated mRNA included those involved in the P53 pathway and 5-lipoxygenase activating proteins. The promoter region of all genes with downregulated mRNA, had a common 49 bp region with a binding site for DOT6 and TOD6, components of the RPD3 histone deacetylase complex RPD3C(L. We also identified miRNA complementary to a number of the altered genes. Thus, the present study identified molecules in the ovine fetus, which may play a role in the acclimatization response to high-altitude associated LTH.

  3. Silicon Regulates Potential Genes Involved in Major Physiological Processes in Plants to Combat Stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abinaya Manivannan

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Silicon (Si, the quasi-essential element occurs as the second most abundant element in the earth's crust. Biological importance of Si in plant kingdom has become inevitable particularly under stressed environment. In general, plants are classified as high, medium, and low silicon accumulators based on the ability of roots to absorb Si. The uptake of Si directly influence the positive effects attributed to the plant but Si supplementation proves to mitigate stress and recover plant growth even in low accumulating plants like tomato. The application of Si in soil as well as soil-less cultivation systems have resulted in the enhancement of quantitative and qualitative traits of plants even under stressed environment. Silicon possesses several mechanisms to regulate the physiological, biochemical, and antioxidant metabolism in plants to combat abiotic and biotic stresses. Nevertheless, very few reports are available on the aspect of Si-mediated molecular regulation of genes with potential role in stress tolerance. The recent advancements in the era of genomics and transcriptomics have opened an avenue for the determination of molecular rationale associated with the Si amendment to the stress alleviation in plants. Therefore, the present endeavor has attempted to describe the recent discoveries related to the regulation of vital genes involved in photosynthesis, transcription regulation, defense, water transport, polyamine synthesis, and housekeeping genes during abiotic and biotic stress alleviation by Si. Furthermore, an overview of Si-mediated modulation of multiple genes involved in stress response pathways such as phenylpropanoid pathway, jasmonic acid pathway, ABA-dependent or independent regulatory pathway have been discussed in this review.

  4. Identification of genes involved in DNA replication of the Autographa californica baculovirus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kool, M.; Ahrens, C. H.; Goldbach, R. W.; Rohrmann, G. F.; Vlak, J. M.

    1994-01-01

    By use of a transient replication assay, nine genes involved in DNA replication were identified in the genome of the Autographa californica baculovirus. Six genes encoding helicase, DNA polymerase, IE-1, LEF-1, LEF-2, and LEF-3 are essential for DNA replication while three genes encoding P35, IE-2,

  5. Dicer and Argonaute Genes Involved in RNA Interference in the Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium robertsii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Huimin; Wang, Zhangxun; Wang, Yulong; Zhu, Hong; Huang, Bo

    2017-04-01

    RNA interference (RNAi) is a gene-silencing mechanism that plays an important role in gene regulation in a number of eukaryotic organisms. Two core components, Dicer and Argonaute, are central in the RNAi machinery. However, the physiological roles of Dicer and Argonaute in the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium robertsii have remained unclear. Here, the roles of genes encoding Dicer ( M. robertsii dcl1 [ Mrdcl1 ] and Mrdcl2 ) and Argonaute ( Mrago1 and Mrago2 ) proteins in M. robertsii were investigated. The results showed that the Dicer-like protein MrDCL2 and Argonaute protein MrAGO1 are the major components of the RNAi process occurring in M. robertsii The Dicer and Argonaute genes were not involved in the regulation of growth and diverse abiotic stress response in M. robertsii under the tested conditions. Moreover, our results showed that the Dicer and Argonaute gene mutants demonstrated reduced abilities to produce conidia, compared to the wild type (WT) and the gene-rescued mutant. In particular, the conidial yields in the Δ dcl2 and Δ ago1 mutants were reduced by 55.8% and 59.3%, respectively, compared with those from the control strains. Subsequently, for the WT and Δ dcl2 mutant strains, digital gene expression (DGE) profiling analysis of the stage of mycelium growth and conidiogenesis revealed that modest changes occur in development or metabolism processes, which may explain the reduction in conidiation in the Δ dcl2 mutant. In addition, we further applied high-throughput sequencing technology to identify small RNAs (sRNAs) that are differentially expressed in the WT and the Δ dcl2 mutant and found that 4 known microRNA-like small RNAs (milRNAs) and 8 novel milRNAs were Mrdcl2 dependent in M. robertsii IMPORTANCE The identification and characterization of components in RNAi have contributed significantly to our understanding of the mechanism and functions of RNAi in eukaryotes. Here, we found that Dicer and Argonaute genes play an important role

  6. Identification of bovine leukemia virus tax function associated with host cell transcription, signaling, stress response and immune response pathway by microarray-based gene expression analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arainga Mariluz

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Bovine leukemia virus (BLV is associated with enzootic bovine leukosis and is closely related to human T-cell leukemia virus type I. The Tax protein of BLV is a transcriptional activator of viral replication and a key contributor to oncogenic potential. We previously identified interesting mutant forms of Tax with elevated (TaxD247G or reduced (TaxS240P transactivation effects on BLV replication and propagation. However, the effects of these mutations on functions other than transcriptional activation are unknown. In this study, to identify genes that play a role in the cascade of signal events regulated by wild-type and mutant Tax proteins, we used a large-scale host cell gene-profiling approach. Results Using a microarray containing approximately 18,400 human mRNA transcripts, we found several alterations after the expression of Tax proteins in genes involved in many cellular functions such as transcription, signal transduction, cell growth, apoptosis, stress response, and immune response, indicating that Tax protein has multiple biological effects on various cellular environments. We also found that TaxD247G strongly regulated more genes involved in transcription, signal transduction, and cell growth functions, contrary to TaxS240P, which regulated fewer genes. In addition, the expression of genes related to stress response significantly increased in the presence of TaxS240P as compared to wild-type Tax and TaxD247G. By contrast, the largest group of downregulated genes was related to immune response, and the majority of these genes belonged to the interferon family. However, no significant difference in the expression level of downregulated genes was observed among the Tax proteins. Finally, the expression of important cellular factors obtained from the human microarray results were validated at the RNA and protein levels by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting

  7. Understanding the Relation between Attitude Involvement and Response Latitude Using Item Response Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lake, Christopher J.; Withrow, Scott; Zickar, Michael J.; Wood, Nicole L.; Dalal, Dev K.; Bochinski, Joseph

    2013-01-01

    Adapting the original latitude of acceptance concept to Likert-type surveys, response latitudes are defined as the range of graded response options a person is willing to endorse. Response latitudes were expected to relate to attitude involvement such that high involvement was linked to narrow latitudes (the result of selective, careful…

  8. Stress, and pathogen response gene expression in modeled microgravity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundaresan, Alamelu; Pellis, Neal R.

    2006-01-01

    endoplasmic reticulum, and exists in many tissue types. HSP90 associates with actin filaments in certain conditions and aids cell motility. The down-regulation of HSP90 could lead to deleterious effects in the lymphocytes, thereby contributing to suppressed immune function in microgravity. Interleukins such as IL 1 alpha, IL11 receptor chain alpha, IL7R, and IL4R were significantly down regulated in modeled microgravity. Further analysis of the genes involved in immune response at the protein level may provide a basis for prophylactic and countermeasure strategies to augment the human immune system for space exploration.

  9. Molecular characterisation of two α-esterase genes involving chlorpyrifos detoxification in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Miao; Ren, Na-Na; You, Yan-Chun; Chen, Wei-Jun; Song, Qi-Sheng; You, Min-Sheng

    2017-06-01

    Carboxylesterases (CarEs) are involved in metabolic detoxification of dietary and environmental xenobiotics in insects. However, owing to the complexity of the protein family, the involvement of CarEs in insecticide metabolism in Plutella xylostella has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to characterise two CarE genes and assess their potential roles in response to chlorpyrifos in P. xylostella. Synergistic tests showed that triphenyl phosphate decreased the resistance of the third-instar larvae to chlorpyrifos. The treatment of the third-instar larvae with chlorpyrifos at the LC 30 dose led to a significant increase in CarE activity. Two CarE cDNAs (Pxae18 and Pxae28) were subsequently sequenced and characterised. Both genes were expressed predominantly in the larval midgut. Most importantly, two CarE genes showed significantly higher expression in the chlorpyrifos-resistant strain than in the susceptible strain. RNAi knockdown of Pxae18 and Pxae28 significantly increased the mortality to chlorpyrifos from 40% in the control to 73.8 and 63.3% respectively. RNAi knockdown of Pxae18 and Pxae28 significantly inhibited detoxification ability and increased the mortality in P. xylostella. The results indicate that these two CarE genes play important roles in the detoxification of chlorpyrifos in P. xylostella. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

  10. Involvement of Trichoderma harzianum Epl-1 Protein in the Regulation of Botrytis Virulence- and Tomato Defense-Related Genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Eriston V; Ulhoa, Cirano J; Cardoza, Rosa E; Silva, Roberto N; Gutiérrez, Santiago

    2017-01-01

    Several Trichoderma spp. are well known for their ability to: (i) act as important biocontrol agents against phytopathogenic fungi; (ii) function as biofertilizers; (iii) increase the tolerance of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses; and (iv) induce plant defense responses via the production and secretion of elicitor molecules. In this study, we analyzed the gene-regulation effects of Trichoderma harzianum Epl-1 protein during the interactions of mutant Δ epl-1 or wild-type T. harzianum strains with: (a) the phytopathogen Botrytis cinerea and (b) with tomato plants, on short (24 h hydroponic cultures) and long periods (4-weeks old plants) after Trichoderma inoculation. Our results indicate that T. harzianum Epl-1 protein affects the in vitro expression of B. cinerea virulence genes, especially those involved in the botrydial biosynthesis ( BcBOT genes), during the mycoparasitism interaction. The tomato defense-related genes were also affected, indicating that Epl-1 is involved in the elicitation of the salicylic acid pathway. Moreover, Epl-1 also regulates the priming effect in host tomato plants and contributes to enhance the interaction with the host tomato plant during the early stage of root colonization.

  11. Involvement of Trichoderma harzianum Epl-1 Protein in the Regulation of Botrytis Virulence- and Tomato Defense-Related Genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eriston V. Gomes

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Several Trichoderma spp. are well known for their ability to: (i act as important biocontrol agents against phytopathogenic fungi; (ii function as biofertilizers; (iii increase the tolerance of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses; and (iv induce plant defense responses via the production and secretion of elicitor molecules. In this study, we analyzed the gene-regulation effects of Trichoderma harzianum Epl-1 protein during the interactions of mutant Δepl-1 or wild-type T. harzianum strains with: (a the phytopathogen Botrytis cinerea and (b with tomato plants, on short (24 h hydroponic cultures and long periods (4-weeks old plants after Trichoderma inoculation. Our results indicate that T. harzianum Epl-1 protein affects the in vitro expression of B. cinerea virulence genes, especially those involved in the botrydial biosynthesis (BcBOT genes, during the mycoparasitism interaction. The tomato defense-related genes were also affected, indicating that Epl-1 is involved in the elicitation of the salicylic acid pathway. Moreover, Epl-1 also regulates the priming effect in host tomato plants and contributes to enhance the interaction with the host tomato plant during the early stage of root colonization.

  12. De novo transcriptome assembly and analysis of differential gene expression in response to drought in European beech.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Markus Müller

    Full Text Available Despite the ecological and economic importance of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L. genomic resources of this species are still limited. This hampers an understanding of the molecular basis of adaptation to stress. Since beech will most likely be threatened by the consequences of climate change, an understanding of adaptive processes to climate change-related drought stress is of major importance. Here, we used RNA-seq to provide the first drought stress-related transcriptome of beech. In a drought stress trial with beech saplings, 50 samples were taken for RNA extraction at five points in time during a soil desiccation experiment. De novo transcriptome assembly and analysis of differential gene expression revealed 44,335 contigs, and 662 differentially expressed genes between the stress and normally watered control group. Gene expression was specific to the different time points, and only five genes were significantly differentially expressed between the stress and control group on all five sampling days. GO term enrichment showed that mostly genes involved in lipid- and homeostasis-related processes were upregulated, whereas genes involved in oxidative stress response were downregulated in the stressed seedlings. This study gives first insights into the genomic drought stress response of European beech, and provides new genetic resources for adaptation research in this species.

  13. Feminizing Wolbachia: a transcriptomics approach with insights on the immune response genes in Armadillidium vulgare

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chevalier Frédéric

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Wolbachia are vertically transmitted bacteria known to be the most widespread endosymbiont in arthropods. They induce various alterations of the reproduction of their host, including feminization of genetic males in isopod crustaceans. In the pill bug Armadillidium vulgare, the presence of Wolbachia is also associated with detrimental effects on host fertility and lifespan. Deleterious effects have been demonstrated on hemocyte density, phenoloxidase activity, and natural hemolymph septicemia, suggesting that infected individuals could have defective immune capacities. Since nothing is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in Wolbachia-A. vulgare interactions and its secondary immunocompetence modulation, we developed a transcriptomics strategy and compared A. vulgare gene expression between Wolbachia-infected animals (i.e., “symbiotic” animals and uninfected ones (i.e., “asymbiotic” animals as well as between animals challenged or not challenged by a pathogenic bacteria. Results Since very little genetic data is available on A. vulgare, we produced several EST libraries and generated a total of 28 606 ESTs. Analyses of these ESTs revealed that immune processes were over-represented in most experimental conditions (responses to a symbiont and to a pathogen. Considering canonical crustacean immune pathways, these genes encode antimicrobial peptides or are involved in pathogen recognition, detoxification, and autophagy. By RT-qPCR, we demonstrated a general trend towards gene under-expression in symbiotic whole animals and ovaries whereas the same gene set tends to be over-expressed in symbiotic immune tissues. Conclusion This study allowed us to generate the first reference transcriptome ever obtained in the Isopoda group and to identify genes involved in the major known crustacean immune pathways encompassing cellular and humoral responses. Expression of immune-related genes revealed a modulation of host

  14. Stat1-independent regulation of gene expression in response to IFN-γ

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramana, Chilakamarti V.; Gil, M. Pilar; Han, Yulong; Ransohoff, Richard M.; Schreiber, Robert D.; Stark, George R.

    2001-01-01

    Although Stat1 is essential for cells to respond fully to IFN-γ, there is substantial evidence that, in the absence of Stat1, IFN-γ can still regulate the expression of some genes, induce an antiviral state and affect cell growth. We have now identified many genes that are regulated by IFN-γ in serum-starved Stat1-null mouse fibroblasts. The proteins induced by IFN-γ in Stat1-null cells can account for the substantial biological responses that remain. Some genes are induced in both wild-type and Stat1-null cells and thus are truly Stat1-independent. Others are subject to more complex regulation in response to IFN-γ, repressed by Stat1 in wild-type cells and activated in Stat1-null cells. Many genes induced by IFN-γ in Stat1-null fibroblasts also are induced by platelet-derived growth factor in wild-type cells and thus are likely to be involved in cell proliferation. In mouse cells expressing the docking site mutant Y440F of human IFN-γ receptor subunit 1, the mouse Stat1 is not phosphorylated in response to human IFN-γ, but c-myc and c-jun are still induced, showing that the Stat1 docking site is not required for Stat1-independent signaling. PMID:11390994

  15. Promoter polymorphisms in genes involved in porcine myogenesis influence their transcriptional activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bongiorni, Silvia; Tilesi, Francesca; Bicorgna, Silvia; Iacoponi, Francesca; Willems, Daniela; Gargani, Maria; D'Andrea, MariaSilvia; Pilla, Fabio; Valentini, Alessio

    2014-11-07

    Success of meat production and selection for improvement of meat quality is among the primary aims in animal production. Meat quality traits are economically important in swine; however, the underlying genetic nature is very complex. Therefore, an improved pork production strongly depends on identifying and studying how genetic variations contribute to modulate gene expression. Promoters are key regions in gene modulation as they harbour several binding motifs to transcription regulatory factors. Therefore, polymorphisms in these regions are likely to deeply affect RNA levels and consequently protein synthesis. In this study, we report the identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in promoter regions of candidate genes involved in development, cellular differentiation and muscle growth in Sus scrofa. We identified SNPs in the promoter regions of genes belonging to the Myogenic Regulatory Factors (MRF) gene family (the Myogenic Differentiation gene, MYOD1) and to Growth and Differentiation Factors (GDF) gene family (Myostatin gene, MSTN, GDF8), in Casertana and Large White breeds. The purpose of this study was to investigate if polymorphisms in the promoters could affect the transcriptional activity of these genes. With this aim, we evaluated in vitro the functional activity of the luciferase reporter gene luc2 activity, driven by two constructs carrying different promoter haplotypes. We tested the effects of the G302A (U12574) transition on the promoter efficiency in MYOD1 gene. We ascertained a difference in transcription efficiency for the two variants. A stronger activity of the A-carrying construct is more evident in C2C12. The luciferase expression driven by the MYOD1-A allelic variant displayed a 3.8-fold increased transcriptional activity. We investigated the activity of two haplotype variants (AY527152) in the promoter of GDF8 gene. The haploptype-1 (A435-A447-A879) up-regulated the expression of the reporter gene by a two-fold increase, and

  16. Preservation of genes involved in sterol metabolism in cholesterol auxotrophs: facts and hypotheses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanna Vinci

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: It is known that primary sequences of enzymes involved in sterol biosynthesis are well conserved in organisms that produce sterols de novo. However, we provide evidence for a preservation of the corresponding genes in two animals unable to synthesize cholesterol (auxotrophs: Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have been able to detect bona fide orthologs of several ERG genes in both organisms using a series of complementary approaches. We have detected strong sequence divergence between the orthologs of the nematode and of the fruitfly; they are also very divergent with respect to the orthologs in organisms able to synthesize sterols de novo (prototrophs. Interestingly, the orthologs in both the nematode and the fruitfly are still under selective pressure. It is possible that these genes, which are not involved in cholesterol synthesis anymore, have been recruited to perform different new functions. We propose a more parsimonious way to explain their accelerated evolution and subsequent stabilization. The products of ERG genes in prototrophs might be involved in several biological roles, in addition to sterol synthesis. In the case of the nematode and the fruitfly, the relevant genes would have lost their ancestral function in cholesterogenesis but would have retained the other function(s, which keep them under pressure. CONCLUSIONS: By exploiting microarray data we have noticed a strong expressional correlation between the orthologs of ERG24 and ERG25 in D. melanogaster and genes encoding factors involved in intracellular protein trafficking and folding and with Start1 involved in ecdysteroid synthesis. These potential functional connections are worth being explored not only in Drosophila, but also in Caenorhabditis as well as in sterol prototrophs.

  17. Trichomonas vaginalis Cysteine Proteinases: Iron Response in Gene Expression and Proteolytic Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cárdenas-Guerra, Rosa Elena; Figueroa-Angulo, Elisa Elvira; Puente-Rivera, Jonathan; Zamudio-Prieto, Olga; Ortega-López, Jaime

    2015-01-01

    We focus on the iron response of Trichomonas vaginalis to gene family products such as the cysteine proteinases (CPs) involved in virulence properties. In particular, we examined the effect of iron on the gene expression regulation and function of cathepsin L-like and asparaginyl endopeptidase-like CPs as virulence factors. We addressed some important aspects about CPs genomic organization and we offer possible explanations to the fact that only few members of this large gene family are expressed at the RNA and protein levels and the way to control their proteolytic activity. We also summarized all known iron regulations of CPs at transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and posttranslational levels along with new insights into the possible epigenetic and miRNA processes. PMID:26090464

  18. Gene expression changes in female zebrafish (Danio rerio) brain in response to acute exposure to methylmercury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richter, Catherine A.; Garcia-Reyero, Natàlia; Martyniuk, Chris; Knoebl, Iris; Pope, Marie; Wright-Osment, Maureen K.; Denslow, Nancy D.; Tillitt, Donald E.

    2011-01-01

    Methylmercury (MeHg) is a potent neurotoxicant and endocrine disruptor that accumulates in aquatic systems. Previous studies have shown suppression of hormone levels in both male and female fish, suggesting effects on gonadotropin regulation in the brain. The gene expression profile in adult female zebrafish whole brain induced by acute (96 h) MeHg exposure was investigated. Fish were exposed by injection to 0 or 0.5(mu or u)g MeHg/g. Gene expression changes in the brain were examined using a 22,000-feature zebrafish microarray. At a significance level of pgenes were up-regulated and 76 genes were down-regulated in response to MeHg exposure. Individual genes exhibiting altered expression in response to MeHg exposure implicate effects on glutathione metabolism in the mechanism of MeHg neurotoxicity. Gene ontology (GO) terms significantly enriched among altered genes included protein folding, cell redox homeostasis, and steroid biosynthetic process. The most affected biological functions were related to nervous system development and function, as well as lipid metabolism and molecular transport. These results support the involvement of oxidative stress and effects on protein structure in the mechanism of action of MeHg in the female brain. Future studies will compare the gene expression profile induced in response to MeHg with that induced by other toxicants and will investigate responsive genes as potential biomarkers of MeHg exposure.

  19. A compendium and functional characterization of mammalian genes involved in adaptation to Arctic or Antarctic environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yudin, Nikolay S; Larkin, Denis M; Ignatieva, Elena V

    2017-12-28

    positively selected in at least two species. However, we did not reveal any positively selected genes that would be related to cold adaptation in all species from our list. But, our work points to several strong candidate genes involved in mechanisms and biochemical pathways related to cold adaptation response in different species.

  20. Genes Involved in Human Ribosome Biogenesis areTranscriptionally Upregulated in Colorectal Cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mansilla, Francisco; Lamy, Philippe; Ørntoft, Torben Falck

    2009-01-01

    Microarray gene expression profiling comprising 168 colorectal adenocarcinomas and 10 normal mucosas showed that over 79% of the genes involved in human ribosome biogenesis are significantly upregulated (log2>0.5, p<10-3) when compared to normal mucosa. Overexpression was independent of microsate......Microarray gene expression profiling comprising 168 colorectal adenocarcinomas and 10 normal mucosas showed that over 79% of the genes involved in human ribosome biogenesis are significantly upregulated (log2>0.5, p... of microsatellite status. The promoters of the genes studied showed a significant enrichment for several transcription factor binding sites. There was a significant correlation between the number of binding site targets for these transcription factors and the observed gene transcript upregulation. The upregulation...

  1. A PerR-like protein involved in response to oxidative stress in the extreme bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Chengzhi; Wang, Liangyan; Li, Tao; Lin, Lin; Dai, Shang; Tian, Bing, E-mail: tianbing@zju.edu.cn; Hua, Yuejin, E-mail: yjhua@zju.edu.cn

    2014-07-18

    Highlights: • We report a novel PerR-like protein of Fur family in D. radiodurans that is not annotated in the current database. • drperR responses to H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and functions as a negative regulator of katE and dps. • We provided implications on how to utilize sequenced genome data and the importance of genome data mining. • This study adds knowledge to complicated regulatory network that responds to ROS stress in D. radiodurans. - Abstract: Response and defense systems against reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the remarkable resistance of Deinococcus radiodurans to oxidative stress induced by oxidants or radiation. However, mechanisms involved in ROS response and defense systems of D. radiodurans are not well understood. Fur family proteins are important in ROS response. Only a single Fur homolog is predicted by sequence similarity in the current D. radiodurans genome database. Our bioinformatics analysis demonstrated an additional guanine nucleotide in the genome of D. radiodurans that is not in the database, leading to the discovery of another Fur homolog DrPerR. Gene disruption mutant of DrPerR showed enhanced resistance to hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) and increased catalase activity in cell extracts. Real-time PCR results indicated that DrPerR functions as a repressor of the catalase gene katE. Meanwhile, derepression of dps (DNA-binding proteins from starved cells) gene under H{sub 2}O{sub 2} stress by DrPerR point to its regulatory role in metal ions hemostasis. Thus, DrPerR might function as a Fur homolog protein which is involved in ROS response and defense. These results help clarify the complicated regulatory network that responds to ROS stress in D. radiodurans.

  2. A PerR-like protein involved in response to oxidative stress in the extreme bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Chengzhi; Wang, Liangyan; Li, Tao; Lin, Lin; Dai, Shang; Tian, Bing; Hua, Yuejin

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • We report a novel PerR-like protein of Fur family in D. radiodurans that is not annotated in the current database. • drperR responses to H 2 O 2 and functions as a negative regulator of katE and dps. • We provided implications on how to utilize sequenced genome data and the importance of genome data mining. • This study adds knowledge to complicated regulatory network that responds to ROS stress in D. radiodurans. - Abstract: Response and defense systems against reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the remarkable resistance of Deinococcus radiodurans to oxidative stress induced by oxidants or radiation. However, mechanisms involved in ROS response and defense systems of D. radiodurans are not well understood. Fur family proteins are important in ROS response. Only a single Fur homolog is predicted by sequence similarity in the current D. radiodurans genome database. Our bioinformatics analysis demonstrated an additional guanine nucleotide in the genome of D. radiodurans that is not in the database, leading to the discovery of another Fur homolog DrPerR. Gene disruption mutant of DrPerR showed enhanced resistance to hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and increased catalase activity in cell extracts. Real-time PCR results indicated that DrPerR functions as a repressor of the catalase gene katE. Meanwhile, derepression of dps (DNA-binding proteins from starved cells) gene under H 2 O 2 stress by DrPerR point to its regulatory role in metal ions hemostasis. Thus, DrPerR might function as a Fur homolog protein which is involved in ROS response and defense. These results help clarify the complicated regulatory network that responds to ROS stress in D. radiodurans

  3. Expansion of banana (Musa acuminata) gene families involved in ethylene biosynthesis and signalling after lineage-specific whole-genome duplications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jourda, Cyril; Cardi, Céline; Mbéguié-A-Mbéguié, Didier; Bocs, Stéphanie; Garsmeur, Olivier; D'Hont, Angélique; Yahiaoui, Nabila

    2014-05-01

    Whole-genome duplications (WGDs) are widespread in plants, and three lineage-specific WGDs occurred in the banana (Musa acuminata) genome. Here, we analysed the impact of WGDs on the evolution of banana gene families involved in ethylene biosynthesis and signalling, a key pathway for banana fruit ripening. Banana ethylene pathway genes were identified using comparative genomics approaches and their duplication modes and expression profiles were analysed. Seven out of 10 banana ethylene gene families evolved through WGD and four of them (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase (ACS), ethylene-insensitive 3-like (EIL), ethylene-insensitive 3-binding F-box (EBF) and ethylene response factor (ERF)) were preferentially retained. Banana orthologues of AtEIN3 and AtEIL1, two major genes for ethylene signalling in Arabidopsis, were particularly expanded. This expansion was paralleled by that of EBF genes which are responsible for control of EIL protein levels. Gene expression profiles in banana fruits suggested functional redundancy for several MaEBF and MaEIL genes derived from WGD and subfunctionalization for some of them. We propose that EIL and EBF genes were co-retained after WGD in banana to maintain balanced control of EIL protein levels and thus avoid detrimental effects of constitutive ethylene signalling. In the course of evolution, subfunctionalization was favoured to promote finer control of ethylene signalling. © 2014 CIRAD New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

  4. Identification of circular RNAs from the parental genes involved in multiple aspects of cellular metabolism in barley

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shirvanehdeh, Behrooz Darbani; Noeparvar, Shahin; Borg, Søren

    2016-01-01

    circular RNAs as novel interactors in the regulation of gene expression in plants and imply the comprehensiveness of this regulatory pathway by identifying circular RNAs for a diverse set of genes. These genes are involved in several aspects of cellular metabolism as hormonal signaling, intracellular...... protein sorting, carbohydrate metabolism and cell-wall biogenesis, respiration, amino acid biosynthesis, transcription and translation, and protein ubiquitination. Additionally, these parental loci of circular RNAs, from both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, encode for different transcript classes...... and elucidate their cellular-level alterations across tissues and in response to micronutrients iron and zinc. In further support of circular RNAs’ functional roles in plants, we report several cases where fluctuations of circRNAs do not correlate with the levels of their parental-loci encoded linear...

  5. The rice YABBY1 gene is involved in the feedback regulation of gibberellin metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Mingqiu; Zhao, Yu; Ma, Qian; Hu, Yongfeng; Hedden, Peter; Zhang, Qifa; Zhou, Dao-Xiu

    2007-05-01

    Gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis is regulated by feedback control providing a mechanism for GA homeostasis in plants. However, regulatory elements involved in the feedback control are not known. In this report, we show that a rice (Oryza sativa) YABBY1 (YAB1) gene had a similar expression pattern as key rice GA biosynthetic genes GA3ox2 and GA20ox2. Overexpression of YAB1 in transgenic rice resulted in a semidwarf phenotype that could be fully rescued by applied GA. Quantification of the endogenous GA content revealed increases of GA(20) and decreases of GA(1) levels in the overexpression plants, in which the transcripts of the biosynthetic gene GA3ox2 were decreased. Cosuppression of YAB1 in transgenic plants induced expression of GA3ox2. The repression of GA3ox2 could be obtained upon treatment by dexamethasone of transgenic plants expressing a YAB1-glucocorticoid receptor fusion. Importantly, we show that YAB1 bound to a GA-responsive element within the GA3ox2 promoter. In addition, the expression of YAB1 was deregulated in GA biosynthesis and signaling mutants and could be either transiently induced by GA or repressed by a GA inhibitor. Finally, either overexpression or cosuppression of YAB1 impaired GA-mediated repression of GA3ox2. These data together suggest that YAB1 is involved in the feedback regulation of GA biosynthesis in rice.

  6. Identification of a novel gene in ROD9 island of Salmonella Enteritidis involved in the alteration of virulence-associated genes expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Susmita; Ray, Shilpa; Ryan, Daniel; Sahu, Bikash; Suar, Mrutyunjay

    2018-01-01

    Salmonella enterica subsp. I serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis), one of the causative agents for non-typhoidal gastrointestinal diseases in humans is an intracellular bacterium and mechanism for its invasion into host cells is critical to cause infection. The virulence of the pathogen is explained by the expression of genes located on its pathogenicity islands, mostly encoded under SPI-1 and SPI-2. However, S. Typhimurium SL1344, despite sharing ∼98% of its genome with S. Enteritidis P125109, lacks few regions of differences (ROD) that are hypothesized to impart virulence potential to S. Enteritidis. In this study, we created different mutants in the ROD9 island of S. Enteritidis, also referred as SPI-19 and identified a novel locus, SEN1005, encoding a hypothetical protein that is involved in its pathogenesis. ΔSEN1005 displayed significantly reduced entry into cultured epithelial cells as well as uptake by macrophages and failed to cause acute colitis in C57BL/6 mice at day 3 post-infection (p.i.). Additionally, the global transcriptome analysis revealed a highly repressed SPI-1 and other down-regulated genes responsible for flagellar assembly, chemotaxis and motility in the mutant which correlated with decreased invasion and abated inflammation as compared to the wild-type. Therefore, our findings revealed that ΔSEN1005 was attenuated in vitro as well as in vivo and we propose this hypothetical protein to play a role in altering the expression of genes involved in Salmonella virulence.

  7. Development of a radiation-responsive gene expression system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogawa, Ryohei; Morii, Akihiro; Watanabe, Akihiko

    2013-01-01

    We have obtained a promoter enhancing expression of a gene of our interest connected downstream after activation in response to radiation stimulation and it could be used in radiogenetic therapy, a combination between radiotherapy and gene therapy. The promoter has been chosen out of a library of DNA fragments constructed by connecting the TATA box to randomly combined binding sequences of transcription factors that are activated in response to radiation. Although it was shown that the promoter activation was cell type specific, it turned out that radiation responsive promoters could be obtained for a different type of cells by using another set of transcription factor binding sequences, suggesting that the method would be feasible to obtain promoters functioning in any type of cells. Radiation reactivity of obtained promoters could be improved by techniques such as random introduction of point mutations. The improved promoters significantly enhanced expression of the luciferase gene connected downstream in response to radiation even in vivo, in addition, a gene cassette composed of one such promoter and the fcy::fur gene was confirmed useful for suicide gene therapy as shown in vitro simulation experiment, suggesting possible clinical application. (author)

  8. Histone acetylation associated up-regulation of the cell wall related genes is involved in salt stress induced maize root swelling

    OpenAIRE

    Li, Hui; Yan, Shihan; Zhao, Lin; Tan, Junjun; Zhang, Qi; Gao, Fei; Wang, Pu; Hou, Haoli; Li, Lijia

    2014-01-01

    Background Salt stress usually causes crop growth inhibition and yield decrease. Epigenetic regulation is involved in plant responses to environmental stimuli. The epigenetic regulation of the cell wall related genes associated with the salt-induced cellular response is still little known. This study aimed to analyze cell morphological alterations in maize roots as a consequence of excess salinity in relation to the transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of the cell wall related protein ge...

  9. Role of the Talaromyces marneffei (Penicillium marneffei) sakA gene in nitrosative stress response, conidiation and red pigment production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nimmanee, Panjaphorn; Tam, Emily W T; Woo, Patrick C Y; Vanittanakom, Pramote; Vanittanakom, Nongnuch

    2017-04-01

    Stress-activated MAPK pathways are systems used to regulate the stress adaptation of most fungi. It has been shown that in Talaromyces marneffei (Penicillium marneffei), a pathogenic dimorphic fungus, the sakA gene is involved, not only in tolerance against oxidative and heat stresses, but also in playing a role in asexual development, yeast cell generation in vitro and survival inside macrophage cell lines. In this study, the role of the T. marneffei sakA gene on the nitrosative stress response and the regulation of gene expression were investigated. The susceptibility of the sakA mutant to NaNO2 was investigated using drop dilution assay and the expression of genes of interest were determined by RT-PCR, comparing them to the wild-type and complemented strains. The results demonstrated that the T. marneffei sakA gene played a role in the stress response to NaNO2, the expression of genes functioning in conidial development (brlA, abaA and wetA) and red pigment biosynthesis (pks3, rp1, rp2 and rp3). These findings suggest that T. marneffei sakA is broadly involved in a wide variety of cell activities, including stress response, cell morphogenesis, asexual development and pigmentation. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. The Rose (Rosa hybrida) NAC Transcription Factor 3 Gene, RhNAC3, Involved in ABA Signaling Pathway Both in Rose and Arabidopsis

    OpenAIRE

    Jiang, Guimei; Jiang, Xinqiang; Lü, Peitao; Liu, Jitao; Gao, Junping; Zhang, Changqing

    2014-01-01

    Plant transcription factors involved in stress responses are generally classified by their involvement in either the abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent or the ABA-independent regulatory pathways. A stress-associated NAC gene from rose (Rosa hybrida), RhNAC3, was previously found to increase dehydration tolerance in both rose and Arabidopsis. However, the regulatory mechanism involved in RhNAC3 action is still not fully understood. In this study, we isolated and analyzed the upstream regulatory seq...

  11. Assessing the Role of ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR Transcriptional Repressors in Salicylic Acid-Mediated Suppression of Jasmonic Acid-Responsive Genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caarls, Lotte; Van der Does, Dieuwertje; Hickman, Richard; Jansen, Wouter; Verk, Marcel C Van; Proietti, Silvia; Lorenzo, Oscar; Solano, Roberto; Pieterse, Corné M J; Van Wees, Saskia C M

    2017-02-01

    Salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) cross-communicate in the plant immune signaling network to finely regulate induced defenses. In Arabidopsis, SA antagonizes many JA-responsive genes, partly by targeting the ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR (ERF)-type transcriptional activator ORA59. Members of the ERF transcription factor family typically bind to GCC-box motifs in the promoters of JA- and ethylene-responsive genes, thereby positively or negatively regulating their expression. The GCC-box motif is sufficient for SA-mediated suppression of JA-responsive gene expression. Here, we investigated whether SA-induced ERF-type transcriptional repressors, which may compete with JA-induced ERF-type activators for binding at the GCC-box, play a role in SA/JA antagonism. We selected ERFs that are transcriptionally induced by SA and/or possess an EAR transcriptional repressor motif. Several of the 16 ERFs tested suppressed JA-dependent gene expression, as revealed by enhanced JA-induced PDF1.2 or VSP2 expression levels in the corresponding erf mutants, while others were involved in activation of these genes. However, SA could antagonize JA-induced PDF1.2 or VSP2 in all erf mutants, suggesting that the tested ERF transcriptional repressors are not required for SA/JA cross-talk. Moreover, a mutant in the co-repressor TOPLESS, that showed reduction in repression of JA signaling, still displayed SA-mediated antagonism of PDF1.2 and VSP2. Collectively, these results suggest that SA-regulated ERF transcriptional repressors are not essential for antagonism of JA-responsive gene expression by SA. We further show that de novo SA-induced protein synthesis is required for suppression of JA-induced PDF1.2, pointing to SA-stimulated production of an as yet unknown protein that suppresses JA-induced transcription. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  12. Genes involved in degradation of para-nitrophenol are differentially arranged in form of non-contiguous gene clusters in Burkholderia sp. strain SJ98.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Surendra Vikram

    Full Text Available Biodegradation of para-Nitrophenol (PNP proceeds via two distinct pathways, having 1,2,3-benzenetriol (BT and hydroquinone (HQ as their respective terminal aromatic intermediates. Genes involved in these pathways have already been studied in different PNP degrading bacteria. Burkholderia sp. strain SJ98 degrades PNP via both the pathways. Earlier, we have sequenced and analyzed a ~41 kb fragment from the genomic library of strain SJ98. This DNA fragment was found to harbor all the lower pathway genes; however, genes responsible for the initial transformation of PNP could not be identified within this fragment. Now, we have sequenced and annotated the whole genome of strain SJ98 and found two ORFs (viz., pnpA and pnpB showing maximum identity at amino acid level with p-nitrophenol 4-monooxygenase (PnpM and p-benzoquinone reductase (BqR. Unlike the other PNP gene clusters reported earlier in different bacteria, these two ORFs in SJ98 genome are physically separated from the other genes of PNP degradation pathway. In order to ascertain the identity of ORFs pnpA and pnpB, we have performed in-vitro assays using recombinant proteins heterologously expressed and purified to homogeneity. Purified PnpA was found to be a functional PnpM and transformed PNP into benzoquinone (BQ, while PnpB was found to be a functional BqR which catalyzed the transformation of BQ into hydroquinone (HQ. Noticeably, PnpM from strain SJ98 could also transform a number of PNP analogues. Based on the above observations, we propose that the genes for PNP degradation in strain SJ98 are arranged differentially in form of non-contiguous gene clusters. This is the first report for such arrangement for gene clusters involved in PNP degradation. Therefore, we propose that PNP degradation in strain SJ98 could be an important model system for further studies on differential evolution of PNP degradation functions.

  13. Photosynthesis and chloroplast genes are involved in water-use efficiency in common bean.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz-Nieto, Jorge E; Aguirre-Mancilla, César L; Acosta-Gallegos, Jorge A; Raya-Pérez, Juan C; Piedra-Ibarra, Elías; Vázquez-Medrano, Josefina; Montero-Tavera, Victor

    2015-01-01

    A recent proposal to mitigate the effects of climatic change and reduce water consumption in agriculture is to develop cultivars with high water-use efficiency. The aims of this study were to characterize this trait as a differential response mechanism to water-limitation in two bean cultivars contrasting in their water stress tolerance, to isolate and identify gene fragments related to this response in a model cultivar, as well as to evaluate transcription levels of genes previously identified. Keeping CO2 assimilation through a high photosynthesis rate under limited conditions was the physiological response which allowed the cultivar model to maintain its growth and seed production with less water. Chloroplast genes stood out among identified genetic elements, which confirmed the importance of photosynthesis in such response. ndhK, rpoC2, rps19, rrn16, ycf1 and ycf2 genes were expressed only in response to limited water availability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  14. Characterization and mutational analysis of omega-class GST (GSTO1 from Apis cerana cerana, a gene involved in response to oxidative stress.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fei Meng

    Full Text Available The Omega-class of GSTs (GSTOs is a class of cytosolic GSTs that have specific structural and functional characteristics that differ from those of other GST groups. In this study, we demonstrated the involvement of the GSTO1 gene from A. cerana cerana in the oxidative stress response and further investigated the effects of three cysteine residues of GSTO1 protein on this response. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR showed that AccGSTO1 was highly expressed in larvae and foragers, primarily in the midgut, epidermis, and flight muscles. The AccGSTO1 mRNA was significantly induced by cold and heat at 1 h and 3 h. The TBA (2-Thiobarbituric acid method indicated that cold or heat resulted in MDA accumulation, but silencing of AccGSTO1 by RNAi in honeybees increased the concentration of MDA. RNAi also increased the temperature sensitivity of honeybees and markedly reduced their survival. Disc diffusion assay indicated that overexpression of AccGSTO1 in E. coli caused the resistance to long-term oxidative stress. Furthermore, AccGSTO1 was active in an in vitro DNA protection assay. Mutations in Cys-28, Cys-70, and Cys-124 affected the catalytic activity and antioxidant activity of AccGSTO1. The predicted three-dimensional structure of AccGSTO1 was also influenced by the replacement of these cysteine residues. These findings suggest that AccGSTO1 plays a protective role in the response to oxidative stress.

  15. Diversification, phylogeny and evolution of auxin response factor (ARF) family: insights gained from analyzing maize ARF genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yijun; Deng, Dexiang; Shi, Yating; Miao, Nan; Bian, Yunlong; Yin, Zhitong

    2012-03-01

    Auxin response factors (ARFs), member of the plant-specific B3 DNA binding superfamily, target specifically to auxin response elements (AuxREs) in promoters of primary auxin-responsive genes and heterodimerize with Aux/IAA proteins in auxin signaling transduction cascade. In previous research, we have isolated and characterized maize Aux/IAA genes in whole-genome scale. Here, we report the comprehensive analysis of ARF genes in maize. A total of 36 ARF genes were identified and validated from the B73 maize genome through an iterative strategy. Thirty-six maize ARF genes are distributed in all maize chromosomes except chromosome 7. Maize ARF genes expansion is mainly due to recent segmental duplications. Maize ARF proteins share one B3 DNA binding domain which consists of seven-stranded β sheets and two short α helixes. Twelve maize ARFs with glutamine-rich middle regions could be as activators in modulating expression of auxin-responsive genes. Eleven maize ARF proteins are lack of homo- and heterodimerization domains. Putative cis-elements involved in phytohormones and light signaling responses, biotic and abiotic stress adaption locate in promoters of maize ARF genes. Expression patterns vary greatly between clades and sister pairs of maize ARF genes. The B3 DNA binding and auxin response factor domains of maize ARF proteins are primarily subjected to negative selection during selective sweep. The mixed selective forces drive the diversification and evolution of genomic regions outside of B3 and ARF domains. Additionally, the dicot-specific proliferation of ARF genes was detected. Comparative genomics analysis indicated that maize, sorghum and rice duplicate chromosomal blocks containing ARF homologs are highly syntenic. This study provides insights into the distribution, phylogeny and evolution of ARF gene family.

  16. Identification of Circular RNAs From the Parental Genes Involved in Multiple Aspects of Cellular Metabolism in Barley

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Behrooz eDarbani

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available RNA circularization made by head-to-tail back-splicing events is involved in the regulation of gene expression from transcriptional to post-translational levels. By exploiting RNA-Seq data and down-stream analysis, we shed light on the importance of circular RNAs in plants. The results introduce circular RNAs as novel interactors in the regulation of gene expression in plants and imply the comprehensiveness of this regulatory pathway by identifying circular RNAs for a diverse set of genes. These genes are involved in several aspects of cellular metabolism as hormonal signaling, intracellular protein sorting, carbohydrate metabolism and cell-wall biogenesis, respiration, amino acid biosynthesis, transcription and translation, and protein ubiquitination. Additionally, these parental loci of circular RNAs, from both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, encode for different transcript classes including protein coding transcripts, microRNA, rRNA, and long non-coding/microprotein coding RNAs. The results shed light on the mitochondrial exonic circular RNAs and imply the importance of circular RNAs for regulation of mitochondrial genes. Importantly, we introduce circular RNAs in barley and elucidate their cellular-level alterations across tissues and in response to micronutrients iron and zinc. In further support of circular RNAs' functional roles in plants, we report several cases where fluctuations of circRNAs do not correlate with the levels of their parental-loci encoded linear transcripts.Keywords: circular RNAs, coding and non-coding transcripts, leaves, seeds, transfer cells, micronutrients, mitochondria

  17. Identification of key genes involved in polysaccharide bioflocculant synthesis in Bacillus licheniformis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhen; Liu, Peize; Li, Zhipeng; Yu, Wencheng; Wang, Zhi; Yao, Haosheng; Wang, Yuanpeng; Li, Qingbiao; Deng, Xu; He, Ning

    2017-03-01

    The present study reports the sequenced genome of Bacillus licheniformis CGMCC 2876, which is composed of a 4,284,461 bp chromosome that contains 4,188 protein-coding genes, 72 tRNA genes, and 21 rRNA genes. Additional analysis revealed an eps gene cluster with 16 open reading frames. Conserved Domains Database analysis combined with qPCR experiments indicated that all genes in this cluster were involved in polysaccharide bioflocculant synthesis. Phosphoglucomutase and UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase were supposed to be key enzymes in polysaccharide secretion in B. licheniformis. A biosynthesis pathway for the production of polysaccharide bioflocculant involving the integration of individual genes was proposed based on functional analysis. Overexpression of epsDEF from the eps gene cluster in B. licheniformis CGMCC 2876 increased the flocculating activity of the recombinant strain by 90% compared to the original strain. Similarly, the crude yield of polysaccharide bioflocculant was enhanced by 27.8%. Overexpression of the UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase gene not only increased the flocculating activity by 71% but also increased bioflocculant yield by 13.3%. Independent of UDP-N-acetyl-D-mannosamine dehydrogenase gene, flocculating activity, and polysaccharide yield were negatively impacted by overexpression of the UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase gene. Overall, epsDEF and gtaB2 were identified as key genes for polysaccharide bioflocculant synthesis in B. licheniformis. These results will be useful for further engineering of B. licheniformis for industrial bioflocculant production. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 645-655. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Neisseria meningitidis elicits a pro-inflammatory response involving IκBζ in a human blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borkowski, Julia; Li, Li; Steinmann, Ulrike; Quednau, Natascha; Stump-Guthier, Carolin; Weiss, Christel; Findeisen, Peter; Gretz, Norbert; Ishikawa, Hiroshi; Tenenbaum, Tobias; Schroten, Horst; Schwerk, Christian

    2014-09-13

    The human-specific, Gram-negative bacterium Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis worldwide. The blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB), which is constituted by the epithelial cells of the choroid plexus (CP), has been suggested as one of the potential entry sites of Nm into the CSF and can contribute to the inflammatory response during infectious diseases of the brain. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are involved in mediating signal transduction caused by the pathogens. Using a recently established in vitro model of the human BCSFB based on human malignant CP papilloma (HIBCPP) cells we investigated the cellular response of HIBCPP cells challenged with the meningitis-causing Nm strain, MC58, employing transcriptome and RT-PCR analysis, cytokine bead array, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In comparison, we analyzed the answer to the closely related unencapsulated carrier isolate Nm α14. The presence of TLRs in HIBCPP and their role during signal transduction caused by Nm was studied by RT-PCR and the use of specific agonists and mutant bacteria. We observed a stronger transcriptional response after infection with strain MC58, in particular with its capsule-deficient mutant MC58siaD-, which correlated with bacterial invasion levels. Expression evaluation and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis pointed to a NFκB-mediated pro-inflammatory immune response involving up-regulation of the transcription factor IκBζ. Infected cells secreted significant levels of pro-inflammatory chemokines and cytokines, including, among others, IL8, CXCL1-3, and the IκBζ target gene product IL6. The expression profile of pattern recognition receptors in HIBCPP cells and the response to specific agonists indicates that TLR2/TLR6, rather than TLR4 or TLR2/TLR1, is involved in the cellular reaction following Nm infection. Our data show that Nm can initiate a pro-inflammatory response in human CP epithelial cells probably involving TLR2/TLR6

  19. Genetic dissection of acute ethanol responsive gene networks in prefrontal cortex: functional and mechanistic implications.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aaron R Wolen

    Full Text Available Individual differences in initial sensitivity to ethanol are strongly related to the heritable risk of alcoholism in humans. To elucidate key molecular networks that modulate ethanol sensitivity we performed the first systems genetics analysis of ethanol-responsive gene expression in brain regions of the mesocorticolimbic reward circuit (prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and ventral midbrain across a highly diverse family of 27 isogenic mouse strains (BXD panel before and after treatment with ethanol.Acute ethanol altered the expression of ~2,750 genes in one or more regions and 400 transcripts were jointly modulated in all three. Ethanol-responsive gene networks were extracted with a powerful graph theoretical method that efficiently summarized ethanol's effects. These networks correlated with acute behavioral responses to ethanol and other drugs of abuse. As predicted, networks were heavily populated by genes controlling synaptic transmission and neuroplasticity. Several of the most densely interconnected network hubs, including Kcnma1 and Gsk3β, are known to influence behavioral or physiological responses to ethanol, validating our overall approach. Other major hub genes like Grm3, Pten and Nrg3 represent novel targets of ethanol effects. Networks were under strong genetic control by variants that we mapped to a small number of chromosomal loci. Using a novel combination of genetic, bioinformatic and network-based approaches, we identified high priority cis-regulatory candidate genes, including Scn1b, Gria1, Sncb and Nell2.The ethanol-responsive gene networks identified here represent a previously uncharacterized intermediate phenotype between DNA variation and ethanol sensitivity in mice. Networks involved in synaptic transmission were strongly regulated by ethanol and could contribute to behavioral plasticity seen with chronic ethanol. Our novel finding that hub genes and a small number of loci exert major influence over the ethanol

  20. The small ethylene response factor ERF96 is involved in the regulation of the abscisic acid response in Arabidopsis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoping eWang

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Ethylene regulates many aspects of plant growth and development including seed germination, leaf senescence, and fruit ripening, and of plant responses to environmental stimuli including both biotic and abiotic stresses. Ethylene Response Factors (ERFs are plant-specific transcription factors and are a subfamily of the AP2 (APETALA2/ERF transcription factor family. The function of many members in this large gene family remains largely unknown. ERF96, a member of the Group IX ERF family transcription factors, has recently been shown to be a transcriptional activator that is involved in plant defense response in Arabidopsis. Here we provide evidence that ERF96 is a positive regulator of abscisic acid (ABA responses. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that there are a total four small ERFs in Arabidopsis including ERF95, ERF96, ERF97 and ERF98, and that ERF96 forms a cluster with ERF95 and ERF97. By using quantitative RT-PCR, we found that ERF96 is expressed in all tissues and organs examined except roots, with relatively high expression in flowers and seeds. Results from the protoplast transfection assay results indicated that the EDLL motif-containing C-terminal domain is responsible for ERF96’s transcriptional activity. Although loss-of-function mutant of ERF96 was morphologically similar to wild type plants, transgenic plants overexpressing ERF96 had smaller rosette size and were delayed in flowering time. In ABA sensitivity assays, we found that ERF96 overexpression plants were hypersensitive to ABA in terms of ABA inhibition of seed germination, early seedling development and root elongation. Consistent with these observations, elevated transcript levels of some ABA-responsive genes including RD29A, ABI5, ABF3, ABF4, P5CS and COR15A were observed in the transgenic plants in the presence of ABA. However, in the absence of ABA treatment, the transcript levels of these ABA-responsive genes remained largely unchanged. Our experiments also showed

  1. Identification of Proteins Using iTRAQ and Virus-Induced Gene Silencing Reveals Three Bread Wheat Proteins Involved in the Response to Combined Osmotic-Cold Stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ning; Zhang, Lingran; Shi, Chaonan; Zhao, Lei; Cui, Dangqun; Chen, Feng

    2018-05-25

    Crops are often subjected to a combination of stresses in the field. To date, studies on the physiological and molecular responses of common wheat to a combination of osmotic and cold stresses, however, remain unknown. In this study, wheat seedlings exposed to osmotic-cold stress for 24 h showed inhibited growth, as well as increased lipid peroxidation, relative electrolyte leakage, and soluble sugar contents. iTRAQ-based quantitative proteome method was employed to determine the proteomic profiles of the roots and leaves of wheat seedlings exposed to osmotic-cold stress conditions. A total of 250 and 258 proteins with significantly altered abundance in the roots and leaves were identified, respectively, and the majority of these proteins displayed differential abundance, thereby revealing organ-specific differences in adaptation to osmotic-cold stress. Yeast two hybrid assay examined five pairs of stress/defense-related protein-protein interactions in the predicted protein interaction network. Furthermore, quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that abiotic stresses increased the expression of three candidate protein genes, i.e., TaGRP2, CDCP, and Wcor410c in wheat leaves. Virus-induced gene silencing indicated that three genes TaGRP2, CDCP, and Wcor410c were involved in modulating osmotic-cold stress in common wheat. Our study provides useful information for the elucidation of molecular and genetics bases of osmotic-cold combined stress in bread wheat.

  2. General and family-specific gene expression responses to viral hemorrhagic septicaemia virus infection in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, H. B. H.; Sørensen, P.; Cooper, G. A.

    2011-01-01

    challenge) and a relatively high susceptibility (18% survival following challenge) trout family that were both split into a group exposed to virus and a non-exposed control group. In total, 939 genes were differentially expressed between infected and non-infected fish (FDR p = 0.05). Five groups of Gene...... Ontology categories were involved in immune-related processes and over-represented in infected fish: (i) stress and defense response, (ii) NFkappaB signal transduction, (iii) response to non-self, (iv) antigen processing and presentation, and (v) proteasome complexes. The first four categories were also...... over-represented among the 642 differentially expressed genes in the low-susceptibility trout family but not among the 556 differentially expressed genes in the high-susceptibility trout family. Expression profiles for most immune genes discussed showed increased transcription from day 3 post...

  3. Screening key candidate genes and pathways involved in insulinoma by microarray analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Wuhua; Gong, Li; Li, Xuefeng; Wan, Yunyan; Wang, Xiangfei; Li, Huili; Jiang, Bin

    2018-06-01

    Insulinoma is a rare type tumor and its genetic features remain largely unknown. This study aimed to search for potential key genes and relevant enriched pathways of insulinoma.The gene expression data from GSE73338 were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between insulinoma tissues and normal pancreas tissues, followed by pathway enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction, and module analysis. The expressions of candidate key genes were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in insulinoma tissues.A total of 1632 DEGs were obtained, including 1117 upregulated genes and 514 downregulated genes. Pathway enrichment results showed that upregulated DEGs were significantly implicated in insulin secretion, and downregulated DEGs were mainly enriched in pancreatic secretion. PPI network analysis revealed 7 hub genes with degrees more than 10, including GCG (glucagon), GCGR (glucagon receptor), PLCB1 (phospholipase C, beta 1), CASR (calcium sensing receptor), F2R (coagulation factor II thrombin receptor), GRM1 (glutamate metabotropic receptor 1), and GRM5 (glutamate metabotropic receptor 5). DEGs involved in the significant modules were enriched in calcium signaling pathway, protein ubiquitination, and platelet degranulation. Quantitative RT-PCR data confirmed that the expression trends of these hub genes were similar to the results of bioinformatic analysis.The present study demonstrated that candidate DEGs and enriched pathways were the potential critical molecule events involved in the development of insulinoma, and these findings were useful for better understanding of insulinoma genesis.

  4. Gene expression profile of the fibrotic response in the peritoneal cavity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le, S J; Gongora, M; Zhang, B; Grimmond, S; Campbell, G R; Campbell, J H; Rolfe, B E

    2010-01-01

    The cellular response to materials implanted in the peritoneal cavity has been utilised to produce tissue for grafting to hollow smooth muscle organs (blood vessels, bladder, uterus and vas deferens). To gain insight into the regulatory mechanisms involved in encapsulation of a foreign object, and subsequent differentiation of encapsulating cells, the present study used microarray technology and real-time RT-PCR to identify the temporal changes in gene expression associated with tissue development. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that 3-7 days post-implantation of foreign objects (cubes of boiled egg white) into rats, they were encapsulated by tissue comprised primarily of haemopoietic (CD45(+)) cells, mainly macrophages (CD68(+), CCR1(+)). By day 14, tissue capsule cells no longer expressed CD68, but were positive for myofibroblast markers alpha-smooth muscle (SM) actin and SM22. In accordance with these results, gene expression data showed that early capsule (days 3-7) development was dominated by the expression of monocyte/macrophage-specific genes (CD14, CSF-1, CSF-1R, MCP-1) and pro-inflammatory mediators such as transforming growth factor (TGF-beta). As tissue capsule development progressed (days 14-21), myofibroblast-associated and pro-fibrotic genes (associated with TGF-beta and Wnt/beta-catenin signalling pathways, including Wnt 4, TGFbetaRII, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), SMADs-1, -2, -4 and collagen-1 subunits) were significantly up-regulated. The up-regulation of genes associated with Cardiovascular and Skeletal and Muscular System Development at later time-points suggests the capacity of cells within the tissue capsule for further differentiation to smooth muscle, and possibly other cell types. The identification of key regulatory pathways and molecules associated with the fibrotic response to implanted materials has important applications not only for optimising tissue engineering strategies, but also to control deleterious fibrotic

  5. De novo characterization of the spleen transcriptome of the large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) and analysis of the immune relevant genes and pathways involved in the antiviral response

    KAUST Repository

    Mu, Yinnan

    2014-05-12

    The large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) is an economically important marine fish in China. To understand the molecular basis for antiviral defense in this species, we used Illumia paired-end sequencing to characterize the spleen transcriptome of polyriboinosinic:polyribocytidylic acid [poly(I:C)]-induced large yellow croakers. The library produced 56,355,728 reads and assembled into 108,237 contigs. As a result, 15,192 unigenes were found from this transcriptome. Gene ontology analysis showed that 4,759 genes were involved in three major functional categories: biological process, cellular component, and molecular function. We further ascertained that numerous consensus sequences were homologous to known immune-relevant genes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes orthology mapping annotated 5,389 unigenes and identified numerous immune-relevant pathways. These immune-relevant genes and pathways revealed major antiviral immunity effectors, including but not limited to: pattern recognition receptors, adaptors and signal transducers, the interferons and interferon-stimulated genes, inflammatory cytokines and receptors, complement components, and B-cell and T-cell antigen activation molecules. Moreover, the partial genes of Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, RIG-I-like receptors signaling pathway, Janus kinase-Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway, and T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathway were found to be changed after poly(I:C) induction by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, suggesting that these signaling pathways may be regulated by poly(I:C), a viral mimic. Overall, the antivirus-related genes and signaling pathways that were identified in response to poly(I:C) challenge provide valuable leads for further investigation of the antiviral defense mechanism in the large yellow croaker. © 2014 Mu et al.

  6. De novo characterization of the spleen transcriptome of the large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea and analysis of the immune relevant genes and pathways involved in the antiviral response.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yinnan Mu

    Full Text Available The large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea is an economically important marine fish in China. To understand the molecular basis for antiviral defense in this species, we used Illumia paired-end sequencing to characterize the spleen transcriptome of polyriboinosinic:polyribocytidylic acid [poly(I:C]-induced large yellow croakers. The library produced 56,355,728 reads and assembled into 108,237 contigs. As a result, 15,192 unigenes were found from this transcriptome. Gene ontology analysis showed that 4,759 genes were involved in three major functional categories: biological process, cellular component, and molecular function. We further ascertained that numerous consensus sequences were homologous to known immune-relevant genes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes orthology mapping annotated 5,389 unigenes and identified numerous immune-relevant pathways. These immune-relevant genes and pathways revealed major antiviral immunity effectors, including but not limited to: pattern recognition receptors, adaptors and signal transducers, the interferons and interferon-stimulated genes, inflammatory cytokines and receptors, complement components, and B-cell and T-cell antigen activation molecules. Moreover, the partial genes of Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, RIG-I-like receptors signaling pathway, Janus kinase-Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK-STAT signaling pathway, and T-cell receptor (TCR signaling pathway were found to be changed after poly(I:C induction by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR analysis, suggesting that these signaling pathways may be regulated by poly(I:C, a viral mimic. Overall, the antivirus-related genes and signaling pathways that were identified in response to poly(I:C challenge provide valuable leads for further investigation of the antiviral defense mechanism in the large yellow croaker.

  7. De novo characterization of the spleen transcriptome of the large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) and analysis of the immune relevant genes and pathways involved in the antiviral response

    KAUST Repository

    Mu, Yinnan; Li, Mingyu; Ding, Feng; Ding, Yang; Ao, Jingqun; Hu, Songnian; Chen, Xinhua

    2014-01-01

    The large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) is an economically important marine fish in China. To understand the molecular basis for antiviral defense in this species, we used Illumia paired-end sequencing to characterize the spleen transcriptome of polyriboinosinic:polyribocytidylic acid [poly(I:C)]-induced large yellow croakers. The library produced 56,355,728 reads and assembled into 108,237 contigs. As a result, 15,192 unigenes were found from this transcriptome. Gene ontology analysis showed that 4,759 genes were involved in three major functional categories: biological process, cellular component, and molecular function. We further ascertained that numerous consensus sequences were homologous to known immune-relevant genes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes orthology mapping annotated 5,389 unigenes and identified numerous immune-relevant pathways. These immune-relevant genes and pathways revealed major antiviral immunity effectors, including but not limited to: pattern recognition receptors, adaptors and signal transducers, the interferons and interferon-stimulated genes, inflammatory cytokines and receptors, complement components, and B-cell and T-cell antigen activation molecules. Moreover, the partial genes of Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, RIG-I-like receptors signaling pathway, Janus kinase-Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway, and T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathway were found to be changed after poly(I:C) induction by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, suggesting that these signaling pathways may be regulated by poly(I:C), a viral mimic. Overall, the antivirus-related genes and signaling pathways that were identified in response to poly(I:C) challenge provide valuable leads for further investigation of the antiviral defense mechanism in the large yellow croaker. © 2014 Mu et al.

  8. Wheat F-Box Protein Gene TaFBA1 Is Involved in Plant Tolerance to Heat Stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qinxue Li

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Adverse environmental conditions, including high temperature, often affect the growth and production of crops worldwide. F-box protein, a core component of the Skp1-Cullin-F-box (SCF E3 ligase complex, plays an important role in abiotic stress responses. A previously cloned gene from wheat, TaFBA1, encodes a homologous F-box protein. A Yeast two-Hybrid (Y2H assay showed that TaFBA1 interacted with other SCF proteins. We found that the expression of TaFBA1 could be induced by heat stress (45°C. Overexpression of TaFBA1 enhanced heat stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco, because growth inhibition was reduced and photosynthesis increased as compared with those in the wild type (WT plants. Furthermore, the accumulation of H2O2, O2-, and carbonyl protein decreased and cell damage was alleviated in transgenic plants under heat stress, which resulted in less oxidative damage. However, the transgenic plants contained more enzymatic antioxidants after heat stress, which might be related to the regulation of some antioxidant gene expressions. The qRT-PCR analysis showed that the overexpression of TaFBA1 upregulated the expression of genes involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS scavenging, proline biosynthesis, and abiotic stress responses. We identified the interaction of TaFBA1 with Triticum aestivum stress responsive protein 1 (TaASRP1 by Y2H assay and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC assay. The results suggested that TaFBA1 may improve enzymatic antioxidant levels and regulate gene expression by interacting with other proteins, such as TaASRP1, which leads to the enhanced heat stress tolerance seen in the transgenic plants.

  9. Genes involved in cell division in mycoplasmas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frank Alarcón

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Bacterial cell division has been studied mainly in model systems such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, where it is described as a complex process with the participation of a group of proteins which assemble into a multiprotein complex called the septal ring. Mycoplasmas are cell wall-less bacteria presenting a reduced genome. Thus, it was important to compare their genomes to analyze putative genes involved in cell division processes. The division and cell wall (dcw cluster, which in E. coli and B. subtilis is composed of 16 and 17 genes, respectively, is represented by only three to four genes in mycoplasmas. Even the most conserved protein, FtsZ, is not present in all mycoplasma genomes analyzed so far. A model for the FtsZ protein from Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Mycoplasma synoviae has been constructed. The conserved residues, essential for GTP/GDP binding, are present in FtsZ from both species. A strong conservation of hydrophobic amino acid patterns is observed, and is probably necessary for the structural stability of the protein when active. M. synoviae FtsZ presents an extended amino acid sequence at the C-terminal portion of the protein, which may participate in interactions with other still unknown proteins crucial for the cell division process.

  10. Genes and genetic variations involved in the development of hypertension: focusing on a Greek patient cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kouremenos, Nikolaos; Zacharopoulou, Ioanna V; Triantafyllidi, Helen; Zacharopoulos, Georgios V; Mornos, Cristian; Filippatos, Gerasimos; Lekakis, John; Kremastinos, Dimitrios; Manolis, Athanasios I; Gavras, Haralambos

    2014-01-01

    Essential hypertension (HTN) is a multifactorial disease involving environmental, genetic and other factors. Over the past years, genetic studies of essential HTN have increased dramatically but the molecular mechanisms involved are still unknown. As part of a research program coordinated by Boston university (USA), we studied the role of various genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the inheritance or the onset of HTN in African-American, Caucasian-American and Greek families. Among 128 Greek families with a history of HTN, we studied 1474 people. Of the total examined, 273 men and 286 women were hypertensive. Based on 410 DNA samples from the hypertensive subjects, different SNPs were examined. An overall meta-analysis of the results from the Greek families, as well as a comparison with the 2 other groups (African-Americans and Caucasian-Americans), was performed. We report SNPs that are associated with the inheritance of HTN and are located either at the promoters of N-methyltransferase and catalase genes, or within the coding region of NEDD4L ubiquitin ligase gene, or SNPs in mitochondrial DNA of hypertensive probands. Furthermore, we clarified the role of hereditary predisposition in the development of HTN, showing that the presence of maternal HTN was significantly higher in African-Americans and Greeks compared to Caucasian-Americans (81.7%, 84.8%, and 65%), while the paternal HTN showed no such difference (50%, 48.3% and 44.9%), respectively. Although genetic factors that were correlated with HTN were identified, it was not possible to identify a single gene that should be targeted for the treatment of HTN. Nevertheless, the important role of the maternal hereditary predisposition to HTN in the Greek patients and the responsible genetic factors involved should be further examined.

  11. Global gene response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae exposed to silver nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niazi, Javed H; Sang, Byoung-In; Kim, Yeon Seok; Gu, Man Bock

    2011-08-01

    Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), exhibiting a broad size range and morphologies with highly reactive facets, which are widely applicable in real-life but not fully verified for biosafety and ecotoxicity, were subjected to report transcriptome profile in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A large number of genes accounted for ∼3% and ∼5% of the genome affected by AgNPs and Ag-ions, respectively. Principal component and cluster analysis suggest that the different physical forms of Ag were the major cause in differential expression profile. Among 90 genes affected by both AgNPs and Ag-ions, metalloprotein mediating high resistance to copper (CUP1-1 and CUP1-2) were strongly induced by AgNPs (∼45-folds) and Ag-ions (∼22-folds), respectively. A total of 17 genes, responsive to chemical stimuli, stress, and transport processes, were differentially induced by AgNPs. The differential expression was also seen with Ag-ions that affected 73 up- and 161 down-regulating genes, and most of these were involved in ion transport and homeostasis. This study provides new information on the knowledge for impact of nanoparticles on living microorganisms that can be extended to other nanoparticles.

  12. Identification of water-deficit responsive genes in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) roots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubos, Christian; Plomion, Christophe

    2003-01-01

    Root adaptation to soil environmental factors is very important to maritime pine, the main conifer species used for reforestation in France. The range of climates in the sites where this species is established varies from flooded in winter to drought-prone in summer. No studies have yet focused on the morphological, physiological or molecular variability of the root system to adapt its growth to such an environment. We developed a strategy to isolate drought-responsive genes in the root tissue in order to identify the molecular mechanisms that trees have evolved to cope with drought (the main problem affecting wood productivity), and to exploit this information to improve drought stress tolerance. In order to provide easy access to the root system, seedlings were raised in hydroponic solution. Polyethylene glycol was used as an osmoticum to induce water deficit. Using the cDNA-AFLP technique, we screened more than 2500 transcript derived fragments, of which 33 (1.2%) showed clear variation in presence/absence between non stressed and stressed medium. The relative abundance of these transcripts was then analysed by reverse northern. Only two out of these 33 genes showed significant opposite behaviour between both techniques. The identification and characterization of water-deficit responsive genes in roots provide the emergence of physiological understanding of the patterns of gene expression and regulation involved in the drought stress response of maritime pine.

  13. Meta-analysis of archived DNA microarrays identifies genes regulated by hypoxia and involved in a metastatic phenotype in cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pierre, Michael; DeHertogh, Benoît; Gaigneaux, Anthoula; DeMeulder, Bertrand; Berger, Fabrice; Bareke, Eric; Michiels, Carine; Depiereux, Eric

    2010-01-01

    Metastasis is a major cancer-related cause of death. Recent studies have described metastasis pathways. However, the exact contribution of each pathway remains unclear. Another key feature of a tumor is the presence of hypoxic areas caused by a lack of oxygen at the center of the tumor. Hypoxia leads to the expression of pro-metastatic genes as well as the repression of anti-metastatic genes. As many Affymetrix datasets about metastasis and hypoxia are publicly available and not fully exploited, this study proposes to re-analyze these datasets to extract new information about the metastatic phenotype induced by hypoxia in different cancer cell lines. Affymetrix datasets about metastasis and/or hypoxia were downloaded from GEO and ArrayExpress. AffyProbeMiner and GCRMA packages were used for pre-processing and the Window Welch t test was used for processing. Three approaches of meta-analysis were eventually used for the selection of genes of interest. Three complementary approaches were used, that eventually selected 183 genes of interest. Out of these 183 genes, 99, among which the well known JUNB, FOS and TP63, have already been described in the literature to be involved in cancer. Moreover, 39 genes of those, such as SERPINE1 and MMP7, are known to regulate metastasis. Twenty-one genes including VEGFA and ID2 have also been described to be involved in the response to hypoxia. Lastly, DAVID classified those 183 genes in 24 different pathways, among which 8 are directly related to cancer while 5 others are related to proliferation and cell motility. A negative control composed of 183 random genes failed to provide such results. Interestingly, 6 pathways retrieved by DAVID with the 183 genes of interest concern pathogen recognition and phagocytosis. The proposed methodology was able to find genes actually known to be involved in cancer, metastasis and hypoxia and, thus, we propose that the other genes selected based on the same methodology are of prime interest in

  14. Honey bee foraging induces upregulation of early growth response protein 1, hormone receptor 38 and candidate downstream genes of the ecdysteroid signalling pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, A S; Shah, A; Brockmann, A

    2018-02-01

    In honey bees, continuous foraging at an artificial feeder induced a sustained upregulation of the immediate early genes early growth response protein 1 (Egr-1) and hormone receptor 38 (Hr38). This gene expression response was accompanied by an upregulation of several Egr-1 candidate downstream genes: ecdysone receptor (EcR), dopamine/ecdysteroid receptor (DopEcR), dopamine decarboxylase and dopamine receptor 2. Hr38, EcR and DopEcR are components of the ecdysteroid signalling pathway, which is highly probably involved in learning and memory processes in honey bees and other insects. Time-trained foragers still showed an upregulation of Egr-1 when the feeder was presented at an earlier time of the day, suggesting that the genomic response is more dependent on the food reward than training time. However, presentation of the feeder at the training time without food was still capable of inducing a transient increase in Egr-1 expression. Thus, learnt feeder cues, or even training time, probably affect Egr-1 expression. In contrast, whole brain Egr-1 expression changes did not differ between dancing and nondancing foragers. On the basis of our results we propose that food reward induced continuous foraging ultimately elicits a genomic response involving Egr-1 and Hr38 and their downstream genes. Furthermore this genomic response is highly probably involved in foraging-related learning and memory responses. © 2017 The Royal Entomological Society.

  15. The diamine oxidase gene is associated with hypersensitivity response to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José A G Agúndez

    Full Text Available UNLABELLED: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs are the drugs most frequently involved in hypersensitivity drug reactions. Histamine is released in the allergic response to NSAIDs and is responsible for some of the clinical symptoms. The aim of this study is to analyze clinical association of functional polymorphisms in the genes coding for enzymes involved in histamine homeostasis with hypersensitivity response to NSAIDs. We studied a cohort of 442 unrelated Caucasian patients with hypersensitivity to NSAIDs. Patients who experienced three or more episodes with two or more different NSAIDs were included. If this requirement was not met diagnosis was established by challenge. A total of 414 healthy unrelated controls ethnically matched with patients and from the same geographic area were recruited. Analyses of the SNPs rs17740607, rs2073440, rs1801105, rs2052129, rs10156191, rs1049742 and rs1049793 in the HDC, HNMT and DAO genes were carried out by means of TaqMan assays. The detrimental DAO 16 Met allele (rs10156191, which causes decreased metabolic capacity, is overrepresented among patients with crossed-hypersensitivity to NSAIDs with an OR  = 1.7 (95% CI  = 1.3-2.1; Pc  = 0.0003 with a gene-dose effect (P = 0.0001. The association was replicated in two populations from different geographic areas (Pc  = 0.008 and Pc  = 0.004, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The DAO polymorphism rs10156191 which causes impaired metabolism of circulating histamine is associated with the clinical response in crossed-hypersensitivity to NSAIDs and could be used as a biomarker of response.

  16. JAZ repressors: Possible Involvement in Nutrients Deficiency Response in Rice and Chickpea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ajit P. Singh

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Jasmonates (JA are well-known phytohormones which play important roles in plant development and defence against pathogens. Jasmonate ZIM domain (JAZ proteins are plant-specific proteins and act as transcriptional repressors of JA-responsive genes. JA regulates both biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants; however, its role in nutrient deficiency responses is very elusive. Although, JA is well-known for root growth inhibition, little is known about behaviour of JAZ genes in response to nutrient deficiencies, under which root architectural alteration is an important adaptation. Using protein sequence homology and a conserved-domains approach, here we identify ten novel JAZ genes from the recently sequenced Chickpea genome, which is one of the most nutrient efficient crops. Both rice and chickpea JAZ genes express in tissue- and stimuli-specific manners. Many of which are preferentially expressed in root. Our analysis further showed differential expression of JAZ genes under macro (NPK and micronutrients (Zn, Fe deficiency in rice and chickpea roots. While both rice and chickpea JAZ genes showed a certain level of specificity towards type of nutrient deficiency, generally majority of them showed induction under K deficiency. Generally, JAZ genes showed an induction at early stages of stress and expression declined at later stages of macro-nutrient deficiency. Our results suggest that JAZ genes might play a role in early nutrient deficiency response both in monocot and dicot roots, and information generated here can be further used for understanding the possible roles of JA in root architectural alterations for nutrient deficiency adaptations

  17. A Morpholino-based screen to identify novel genes involved in craniofacial morphogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melvin, Vida Senkus; Feng, Weiguo; Hernandez-Lagunas, Laura; Artinger, Kristin Bruk; Williams, Trevor

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND The regulatory mechanisms underpinning facial development are conserved between diverse species. Therefore, results from model systems provide insight into the genetic causes of human craniofacial defects. Previously, we generated a comprehensive dataset examining gene expression during development and fusion of the mouse facial prominences. Here, we used this resource to identify genes that have dynamic expression patterns in the facial prominences, but for which only limited information exists concerning developmental function. RESULTS This set of ~80 genes was used for a high throughput functional analysis in the zebrafish system using Morpholino gene knockdown technology. This screen revealed three classes of cranial cartilage phenotypes depending upon whether knockdown of the gene affected the neurocranium, viscerocranium, or both. The targeted genes that produced consistent phenotypes encoded proteins linked to transcription (meis1, meis2a, tshz2, vgll4l), signaling (pkdcc, vlk, macc1, wu:fb16h09), and extracellular matrix function (smoc2). The majority of these phenotypes were not altered by reduction of p53 levels, demonstrating that both p53 dependent and independent mechanisms were involved in the craniofacial abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS This Morpholino-based screen highlights new genes involved in development of the zebrafish craniofacial skeleton with wider relevance to formation of the face in other species, particularly mouse and human. PMID:23559552

  18. Discovering Host Genes Involved in the Infection by the Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus Complex and in the Establishment of Resistance to the Virus Using Tobacco Rattle Virus-based Post Transcriptional Gene Silencing

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    Rosa Lozano-Durán

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available The development of high-throughput technologies allows for evaluating gene expression at the whole-genome level. Together with proteomic and metabolomic studies, these analyses have resulted in the identification of plant genes whose function or expression is altered as a consequence of pathogen attacks. Members of the Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV complex are among the most important pathogens impairing production of agricultural crops worldwide. To understand how these geminiviruses subjugate plant defenses, and to devise counter-measures, it is essential to identify the host genes affected by infection and to determine their role in susceptible and resistant plants. We have used a reverse genetics approach based on Tobacco rattle virus-induced gene silencing (TRV-VIGS to uncover genes involved in viral infection of susceptible plants, and to identify genes underlying virus resistance. To identify host genes with a role in geminivirus infection, we have engineered a Nicotiana benthamiana line, coined 2IRGFP, which over-expresses GFP upon virus infection. With this system, we have achieved an accurate description of the dynamics of virus replication in space and time. Upon silencing selected N. benthamiana genes previously shown to be related to host response to geminivirus infection, we have identified eighteen genes involved in a wide array of cellular processes. Plant genes involved in geminivirus resistance were studied by comparing two tomato lines: one resistant (R, the other susceptible (S to the virus. Sixty-nine genes preferentially expressed in R tomatoes were identified by screening cDNA libraries from infected and uninfected R and S genotypes. Out of the 25 genes studied so far, the silencing of five led to the total collapse of resistance, suggesting their involvement in the resistance gene network. This review of our results indicates that TRV-VIGS is an exquisite reverse genetics tool that may provide new insights into the

  19. Transcriptome analysis reveals key differentially expressed genes involved in wheat grain development

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    Yonglong Yu

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Wheat seed development is an important physiological process of seed maturation and directly affects wheat yield and quality. In this study, we performed dynamic transcriptome microarray analysis of an elite Chinese bread wheat cultivar (Jimai 20 during grain development using the GeneChip Wheat Genome Array. Grain morphology and scanning electron microscope observations showed that the period of 11–15 days post-anthesis (DPA was a key stage for the synthesis and accumulation of seed starch. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling and significance analysis of microarrays revealed that the period from 11 to 15 DPA was more important than the 15–20 DPA stage for the synthesis and accumulation of nutritive reserves. Series test of cluster analysis of differential genes revealed five statistically significant gene expression profiles. Gene ontology annotation and enrichment analysis gave further information about differentially expressed genes, and MapMan analysis revealed expression changes within functional groups during seed development. Metabolic pathway network analysis showed that major and minor metabolic pathways regulate one another to ensure regular seed development and nutritive reserve accumulation. We performed gene co-expression network analysis to identify genes that play vital roles in seed development and identified several key genes involved in important metabolic pathways. The transcriptional expression of eight key genes involved in starch and protein synthesis and stress defense was further validated by qRT-PCR. Our results provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms of wheat seed development and the determinants of yield and quality.

  20. DNA sequence responsible for the amplification of adjacent genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasion, S G; Hartigan, J A; Kumar, V; Biswas, D K

    1987-10-01

    A 10.3-kb DNA fragment in the 5'-flanking region of the rat prolactin (rPRL) gene was isolated from F1BGH(1)2C1, a strain of rat pituitary tumor cells (GH cells) that produces prolactin in response to 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Following transfection and integration into genomic DNA of recipient mouse L cells, this DNA induced amplification of the adjacent thymidine kinase gene from Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1TK). We confirmed the ability of this "Amplicon" sequence to induce amplification of other linked or unlinked genes in DNA-mediated gene transfer studies. When transferred into the mouse L cells with the 10.3-5'rPRL gene sequence of BrdU-responsive cells, both the human growth hormone and the HSV1TK genes are amplified in response to 5-bromodeoxyuridine. This observation is substantiated by BrdU-induced amplification of the cotransferred bacterial Neo gene. Cotransfection studies reveal that the BrdU-induced amplification capability is associated with a 4-kb DNA sequence in the 5'-flanking region of the rPRL gene of BrdU-responsive cells. These results demonstrate that genes of heterologous origin, linked or unlinked, and selected or unselected, can be coamplified when located within the amplification boundary of the Amplicon sequence.

  1. Calmodulin Gene Expression in Response to Mechanical Wounding and Botrytis cinerea Infection in Tomato Fruit

    OpenAIRE

    Peng, Hui; Yang, Tianbao; Jurick, Wayne M.

    2014-01-01

    Calmodulin, a ubiquitous calcium sensor, plays an important role in decoding stress-triggered intracellular calcium changes and regulates the functions of numerous target proteins involved in various plant physiological responses. To determine the functions of calmodulin in fleshy fruit, expression studies were performed on a family of six calmodulin genes (SlCaMs) in mature-green stage tomato fruit in response to mechanical injury and Botrytis cinerea infection. Both wounding and pathogen in...

  2. Gene expression profiling in response to the histone deacetylase inhibitor BL1521 in neuroblastoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruijter, Annemieke J.M. de; Meinsma, Rutger J.; Bosma, Peter; Kemp, Stephan; Caron, Huib N.; Kuilenburg, Andre B.P. van

    2005-01-01

    Neuroblastoma is a childhood tumor with a poor survival in advanced stage disease despite intensive chemotherapeutic regimes. The new histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor BL1521 has shown promising results in neuroblastoma. Inhibition of HDAC resulted in a decrease in proliferation and metabolic activity, induction of apoptosis and differentiation of neuroblastoma cells. In order to elucidate the mechanism mediating the effects of BL1521 on neuroblastoma cells, we investigated the gene expression profile of an MYCN single copy (SKNAS) and an MYCN amplified (IMR32) neuroblastoma cell line after treatment with BL1521 using the Affymetrix oligonucleotide array U133A. An altered expression of 255 genes was observed in both neuroblastoma cell lines. The majority of these genes were involved in gene expression, cellular metabolism, and cell signaling. We observed changes in the expression of vital genes belonging to the cell cycle (cyclin D1 and CDK4) and apoptosis (BNIP3, BID, and BCL2) pathway in response to BL1521. The expression of 37 genes was altered by both BL1521 and Trichostatin A, which could indicate a common gene set regulated by different HDAC inhibitors. BL1521 treatment changed the expression of a number of MYCN-associated genes. Several genes in the Wnt and the Delta/Notch pathways were changed in response to BL1521 treatment, suggesting that BL1521 is able to induce the differentiation of neuroblastoma cells into a more mature phenotype

  3. Early brain response to low-dose radiation exposure involves molecular networks and pathways associated with cognitive functions, advanced aging and Alzheimer's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowe, Xiu R; Bhattacharya, Sanchita; Marchetti, Francesco; Wyrobek, Andrew J

    2009-01-01

    Understanding the cognitive and behavioral consequences of brain exposures to low-dose ionizing radiation has broad relevance for health risks from medical radiation diagnostic procedures, radiotherapy and environmental nuclear contamination as well as for Earth-orbit and space missions. Analyses of transcriptome profiles of mouse brain tissue after whole-body irradiation showed that low-dose exposures (10 cGy) induced genes not affected by high-dose radiation (2 Gy) and that low-dose genes were associated with unique pathways and functions. The low-dose response had two major components: pathways that are consistently seen across tissues and pathways that were specific for brain tissue. Low-dose genes clustered into a saturated network (P < 10(-53)) containing mostly down-regulated genes involving ion channels, long-term potentiation and depression, vascular damage, etc. We identified nine neural signaling pathways that showed a high degree of concordance in their transcriptional response in mouse brain tissue after low-dose irradiation, in the aging human brain (unirradiated), and in brain tissue from patients with Alzheimer's disease. Mice exposed to high-dose radiation did not show these effects and associations. Our findings indicate that the molecular response of the mouse brain within a few hours after low-dose irradiation involves the down-regulation of neural pathways associated with cognitive dysfunctions that are also down-regulated in normal human aging and Alzheimer's disease.

  4. Early Brain Response to Low-Dose Radiation Exposure Involves Molecular Networks and Pathways Associated with Cognitive Functions, Advanced Aging and Alzheimer's Disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lowe, Xiu R.; Bhattacharya, Sanchita; Marchetti, Francesco; Wyrobek, Andrew J.

    2008-01-01

    Understanding the cognitive and behavioral consequences of brain exposures to low-dose ionizing radiation has broad relevance for health risks from medical radiation diagnostic procedures, radiotherapy, environmental nuclear contamination, as well as earth orbit and space missions. Analyses of transcriptome profiles of murine brain tissue after whole-body radiation showed that low-dose exposures (10 cGy) induced genes not affected by high dose (2 Gy), and low-dose genes were associated with unique pathways and functions. The low-dose response had two major components: pathways that are consistently seen across tissues, and pathways that were brain tissue specific. Low-dose genes clustered into a saturated network (p -53 ) containing mostly down-regulated genes involving ion channels, long-term potentiation and depression, vascular damage, etc. We identified 9 neural signaling pathways that showed a high degree of concordance in their transcriptional response in mouse brain tissue after low-dose radiation, in the aging human brain (unirradiated), and in brain tissue from patients with Alzheimer's disease. Mice exposed to high-dose radiation did not show these effects and associations. Our findings indicate that the molecular response of the mouse brain within a few hours after low-dose irradiation involves the down-regulation of neural pathways associated with cognitive dysfunctions that are also down regulated in normal human aging and Alzheimer's disease

  5. Signalling pathways involved in adult heart formation revealed by gene expression profiling in Drosophila.

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    Bruno Zeitouni

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Drosophila provides a powerful system for defining the complex genetic programs that drive organogenesis. Under control of the steroid hormone ecdysone, the adult heart in Drosophila forms during metamorphosis by a remodelling of the larval cardiac organ. Here, we evaluated the extent to which transcriptional signatures revealed by genomic approaches can provide new insights into the molecular pathways that underlie heart organogenesis. Whole-genome expression profiling at eight successive time-points covering adult heart formation revealed a highly dynamic temporal map of gene expression through 13 transcript clusters with distinct expression kinetics. A functional atlas of the transcriptome profile strikingly points to the genomic transcriptional response of the ecdysone cascade, and a sharp regulation of key components belonging to a few evolutionarily conserved signalling pathways. A reverse genetic analysis provided evidence that these specific signalling pathways are involved in discrete steps of adult heart formation. In particular, the Wnt signalling pathway is shown to participate in inflow tract and cardiomyocyte differentiation, while activation of the PDGF-VEGF pathway is required for cardiac valve formation. Thus, a detailed temporal map of gene expression can reveal signalling pathways responsible for specific developmental programs and provides here substantial grasp into heart formation.

  6. Oleocanthal Modulates Estradiol-Induced Gene Expression Involving Estrogen Receptor α.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keiler, Annekathrin Martina; Djiogue, Sefirin; Ehrhardt, Tino; Zierau, Oliver; Skaltsounis, Leandros; Halabalaki, Maria; Vollmer, Günter

    2015-09-01

    Oleocanthal is a bioactive compound from olive oil. It has attracted considerable attention as it is anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and has been shown to possess neuroprotective properties in vitro and in vivo. Delineated from its polyphenolic structure, the aim of this study was to characterize oleocanthal towards estrogenic properties. This might contribute to partly explain the beneficial effects described for the Mediterranean diet. Estrogenic properties of oleocanthal were assessed by different methods: a) stimulation of reporter gene activity in MVLN or RNDA cells either expressing estrogen receptor α or β, b) stimulation of luciferase reporter gene activity in U2OS osteosarcoma cells expressing estrogen receptor α or β, and c) elucidation of the impact on estradiol-induced gene expression in U2OS cells transduced with both estrogen receptors. Depending on the cell line origin, oleocanthal inhibited luciferase activity (MVLN, U2OS-estrogen receptor β) or weakly induced reporter gene activity at 10 µM in U2OS-estrogen receptor α cells. However, oleocanthal inhibited stimulation of luciferase activity by estradiol from both estrogen receptors. Oleocanthal, if given alone, did not stimulate gene expression in U2OS cells, but it significantly modulated the response of estradiol. Oleocanthal enhanced the effect of estradiol on the regulation of those genes, which are believed to be regulated through heterodimeric estrogen receptors. As the estrogenic response pattern of oleocanthal is rather unique, we compared the results obtained with oleacein. Oleocanthal binds to both estrogen receptors inducing estradiol-agonistic or antiagonistic effects depending on the cell line. Regarding regulation of gene expression in U2OS-estrogen receptor α/β cells, oleocanthal and oleacein enhanced estradiol-mediated regulation of heterodimer-regulated genes. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  7. The density and length of root hairs are enhanced in response to cadmium and arsenic by modulating gene expressions involved in fate determination and morphogenesis of root hairs in Arabidopsis

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    Ramin Bahmani

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Root hairs are tubular outgrowths that originate from epidermal cells. Exposure of Arabidopsis to cadmium (Cd and arsenic [arsenite, As(III] increases root hair density and length. To examine the underlying mechanism, we measured the expression of genes involved in fate determination and morphogenesis of root hairs. Cd and As(III downregulated TTG1 and GL2 (negative regulators of fate determination and upregulated GEM (positive regulator, suggesting that root hair fate determination is stimulated by Cd and As(III. Cd and As(III increased the transcript levels of genes involved in root hair initiation (RHD6 and AXR2 and root hair elongation (AUX1, AXR1, ETR1, and EIN2 except CTR1. DR5::GUS transgenic Arabidopsis showed a higher DR5 expression in the root tip, suggesting that Cd and As(III increased the auxin content in the root tip. Knockdown of TTG1 in Arabidopsis resulted in increased root hair density and decreased root hair length compared with the control (Col-0 on 1/2 MS media. This phenotype may be attributed to the downregulation of GL2 and CTR1 and upregulation of RHD6. By contrast, gem mutant plants displayed a decrease in root hair density and length with reduced expression of RHD6, AXR2, AUX1, AXR1, ETR1, CTR1, and EIN2. Taken together, our results indicate that fate determination, initiation, and elongation of root hairs are stimulated in response to Cd and As(III through the modulation of the expression of genes involved in these processes in Arabidopsis.

  8. Supplementary Material for: Astrocyte-specific overexpressed gene signatures in response to methamphetamine exposure in vitro

    KAUST Repository

    Bortell, Nikki; Basova, Liana; Semenova, Svetlana; Fox, Howard; Ravasi, Timothy; Marcondes, Maria

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background Astrocyte activation is one of the earliest findings in the brain of methamphetamine (Meth) abusers. Our goal in this study was to identify the characteristics of the astrocytic acute response to the drug, which may be critical in pathogenic outcomes secondary to the use. Methods We developed an integrated analysis of gene expression data to study the acute gene changes caused by the direct exposure to Meth treatment of astrocytes in vitro, and to better understand how astrocytes respond, what are the early molecular markers associated with this response. We examined the literature in search of similar changes in gene signatures that are found in central nervous system disorders. Results We identified overexpressed gene networks represented by genes of an inflammatory and immune nature and that are implicated in neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions. The overexpressed networks are linked to molecules that were highly upregulated in astrocytes by all doses of methamphetamine tested and that could play a role in the central nervous system. The strongest overexpressed signatures were the upregulation of MAP2K5, GPR65, and CXCL5, and the gene networks individually associated with these molecules. Pathway analysis revealed that these networks are involved both in neuroprotection and in neuropathology. We have validated several targets associated to these genes. Conclusions Gene signatures for the astrocytic response to Meth were identified among the upregulated gene pool, using an in vitro system. The identified markers may participate in dysfunctions of the central nervous system but could also provide acute protection to the drug exposure. Further in vivo studies are necessary to establish the role of these gene networks in drug abuse pathogenesis.

  9. Role of NPR1 dependent and NPR1 independent genes in response to Salicylic acid

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    Neha Agarwal

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available NPR1 (Nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related gene is a transcription coactivator and central regulator of systemic acquired resistance (SAR pathway. It controls wide range of pathogenesis related genes involved in various defense responses, acts by sensing SAR signal molecule, Salicylic acid (SA. Mutation in NPR1 results in increased susceptibility to pathogen infection and less expression of pathogenesis related genes. The present study aimed to identify the role of NPR1 in gene expression after the Salicylic acid induction. For this RNA-seq was performed in Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 and npr1-1 in response to Salicylic acid. RNA-seq analysis revealed a total of 3811 differentially expressed gene in which 2109 genes are up-regulated and 1702 genes are down-regulated. We have divided these genes in 6 categories SA induced (SI, SA repressed (SR, NPR1 dependent SI (ND-SI, NPR1 dependent SR (ND-SR, NPR1 independent SI (NI-SI, NPR1 independent SR (NI-SR. Further, Gene ontology and MapMan pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes suggested variety of biological processes and metabolic pathways that are enriched during SAR defense pathway. These results contribute to shed light on importance of both NPR1-dependent (ND and NPR1-independent (NI gene acting downstream to Salicylic acid induction in SAR pathway. The present study aimed to identify the role of NPR1 in gene expression after the Salicylic acid induction.

  10. Host genetic variation influences gene expression response to rhinovirus infection.

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    Minal Çalışkan

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Rhinovirus (RV is the most prevalent human respiratory virus and is responsible for at least half of all common colds. RV infections may result in a broad spectrum of effects that range from asymptomatic infections to severe lower respiratory illnesses. The basis for inter-individual variation in the response to RV infection is not well understood. In this study, we explored whether host genetic variation is associated with variation in gene expression response to RV infections between individuals. To do so, we obtained genome-wide genotype and gene expression data in uninfected and RV-infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs from 98 individuals. We mapped local and distant genetic variation that is associated with inter-individual differences in gene expression levels (eQTLs in both uninfected and RV-infected cells. We focused specifically on response eQTLs (reQTLs, namely, genetic associations with inter-individual variation in gene expression response to RV infection. We identified local reQTLs for 38 genes, including genes with known functions in viral response (UBA7, OAS1, IRF5 and genes that have been associated with immune and RV-related diseases (e.g., ITGA2, MSR1, GSTM3. The putative regulatory regions of genes with reQTLs were enriched for binding sites of virus-activated STAT2, highlighting the role of condition-specific transcription factors in genotype-by-environment interactions. Overall, we suggest that the 38 loci associated with inter-individual variation in gene expression response to RV-infection represent promising candidates for affecting immune and RV-related respiratory diseases.

  11. Host genetic variation influences gene expression response to rhinovirus infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Çalışkan, Minal; Baker, Samuel W; Gilad, Yoav; Ober, Carole

    2015-04-01

    Rhinovirus (RV) is the most prevalent human respiratory virus and is responsible for at least half of all common colds. RV infections may result in a broad spectrum of effects that range from asymptomatic infections to severe lower respiratory illnesses. The basis for inter-individual variation in the response to RV infection is not well understood. In this study, we explored whether host genetic variation is associated with variation in gene expression response to RV infections between individuals. To do so, we obtained genome-wide genotype and gene expression data in uninfected and RV-infected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 98 individuals. We mapped local and distant genetic variation that is associated with inter-individual differences in gene expression levels (eQTLs) in both uninfected and RV-infected cells. We focused specifically on response eQTLs (reQTLs), namely, genetic associations with inter-individual variation in gene expression response to RV infection. We identified local reQTLs for 38 genes, including genes with known functions in viral response (UBA7, OAS1, IRF5) and genes that have been associated with immune and RV-related diseases (e.g., ITGA2, MSR1, GSTM3). The putative regulatory regions of genes with reQTLs were enriched for binding sites of virus-activated STAT2, highlighting the role of condition-specific transcription factors in genotype-by-environment interactions. Overall, we suggest that the 38 loci associated with inter-individual variation in gene expression response to RV-infection represent promising candidates for affecting immune and RV-related respiratory diseases.

  12. Transcriptional Response of Human Neurospheres to Helper-Dependent CAV-2 Vectors Involves the Modulation of DNA Damage Response, Microtubule and Centromere Gene Groups.

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    Stefania Piersanti

    Full Text Available Brain gene transfer using viral vectors will likely become a therapeutic option for several disorders. Helper-dependent (HD canine adenovirus type 2 vectors (CAV-2 are well suited for this goal. These vectors are poorly immunogenic, efficiently transduce neurons, are retrogradely transported to afferent structures in the brain and lead to long-term transgene expression. CAV-2 vectors are being exploited to unravel behavior, cognition, neural networks, axonal transport and therapy for orphan diseases. With the goal of better understanding and characterizing HD-CAV-2 for brain therapy, we analyzed the transcriptomic modulation induced by HD-CAV-2 in human differentiated neurospheres derived from midbrain progenitors. This 3D model system mimics several aspects of the dynamic nature of human brain. We found that differentiated neurospheres are readily transduced by HD-CAV-2 and that transduction generates two main transcriptional responses: a DNA damage response and alteration of centromeric and microtubule probes. Future investigations on the biochemistry of processes highlighted by probe modulations will help defining the implication of HD-CAV-2 and CAR receptor binding in enchaining these functional pathways. We suggest here that the modulation of DNA damage genes is related to viral DNA, while the alteration of centromeric and microtubule probes is possibly enchained by the interaction of the HD-CAV-2 fibre with CAR.

  13. The Mutyh base excision repair gene influences the inflammatory response in a mouse model of ulcerative colitis.

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    Ida Casorelli

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The Mutyh DNA glycosylase is involved in the repair of oxidized DNA bases. Mutations in the human MUTYH gene are responsible for colorectal cancer in familial adenomatous polyposis. Since defective DNA repair genes might contribute to the increased cancer risk associated with inflammatory bowel diseases, we compared the inflammatory response of wild-type and Mutyh(-/- mice to oxidative stress. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The severity of colitis, changes in expression of genes involved in DNA repair and inflammation, DNA 8-oxoguanine levels and microsatellite instability were analysed in colon of mice treated with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS. The Mutyh(-/- phenotype was associated with a significant accumulation of 8-oxoguanine in colon DNA of treated mice. A single DSS cycle induced severe acute ulcerative colitis in wild-type mice, whereas lesions were modest in Mutyh(-/- mice, and this was associated with moderate variations in the expression of several cytokines. Eight DSS cycles caused chronic colitis in both wild-type and Mutyh(-/- mice. Lymphoid hyperplasia and a significant reduction in Foxp3(+ regulatory T cells were observed only in Mutyh(-/- mice. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that, in this model of ulcerative colitis, Mutyh plays a major role in maintaining intestinal integrity by affecting the inflammatory response.

  14. Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate perturbs the expression of genes involved in immune response and lipid and steroid metabolism in chicken embryos

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farhat, Amani; Buick, Julie K.; Williams, Andrew; Yauk, Carole L.; O'Brien, Jason M.; Crump, Doug; Williams, Kim L.; Chiu, Suzanne; Kennedy, Sean W.

    2014-01-01

    We previously demonstrated that in ovo exposure to the flame retardant tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) decreased plasma thyroxine levels, reduced growth parameters, and decreased gallbladder size in chicken embryos. In the current study DNA microarrays were used to evaluate global mRNA expression in liver tissue of male chicken embryos that exhibited the above mentioned effects. Injected doses were dimethyl sulfoxide vehicle control, 7.6 or 45 μg TDCPP/g egg. TDCPP caused significant changes in the expression of five genes at the low dose and 47 genes at the high dose (False Discovery Rate p ≤ 0.1, fold change ≥ 1.5). The gene expression analysis suggested a compromised immune function, a state of cholestatic liver/biliary fibrosis, and disrupted lipid and steroid metabolism. Circulating bile acid levels were elevated, which is an indication of liver dysfunction, and plasma cholesterol levels were reduced; however, hepatic bile acid and cholesterol levels were unaltered. Interactome analyses identified apolipoprotein E, hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha as key regulatory molecules involved in the effects of TDCPP. Our results demonstrate a targeted effect of TDCPP toxicity on lipid metabolism, including cholesterol, that helps explain the aforementioned phenotypic effects, as chicken embryos are highly dependent on yolk lipids for growth and maintenance throughout development. Finally, our results are in concordance with the literature that describes TDCPP as a cancer-causing agent, since the majority of dysregulated genes were involved in cancer pathways. - Highlights: • TDCPP dysregulates genes involved in immune function and lipid metabolism. • A targeted effect of TDCPP toxicity on cholesterol metabolism is apparent. • A state of cholestatic liver fibrosis is suggested by the expression profile. • Elevated plasma bile acids suggest that TDCPP causes liver dysfunction

  15. Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate perturbs the expression of genes involved in immune response and lipid and steroid metabolism in chicken embryos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Farhat, Amani [Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 (Canada); National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3 (Canada); Buick, Julie K.; Williams, Andrew; Yauk, Carole L.; O' Brien, Jason M. [Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9 (Canada); Crump, Doug; Williams, Kim L.; Chiu, Suzanne [National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3 (Canada); Kennedy, Sean W., E-mail: sean.kennedy@ec.gc.ca [Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 (Canada); National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3 (Canada)

    2014-03-01

    We previously demonstrated that in ovo exposure to the flame retardant tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) decreased plasma thyroxine levels, reduced growth parameters, and decreased gallbladder size in chicken embryos. In the current study DNA microarrays were used to evaluate global mRNA expression in liver tissue of male chicken embryos that exhibited the above mentioned effects. Injected doses were dimethyl sulfoxide vehicle control, 7.6 or 45 μg TDCPP/g egg. TDCPP caused significant changes in the expression of five genes at the low dose and 47 genes at the high dose (False Discovery Rate p ≤ 0.1, fold change ≥ 1.5). The gene expression analysis suggested a compromised immune function, a state of cholestatic liver/biliary fibrosis, and disrupted lipid and steroid metabolism. Circulating bile acid levels were elevated, which is an indication of liver dysfunction, and plasma cholesterol levels were reduced; however, hepatic bile acid and cholesterol levels were unaltered. Interactome analyses identified apolipoprotein E, hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha as key regulatory molecules involved in the effects of TDCPP. Our results demonstrate a targeted effect of TDCPP toxicity on lipid metabolism, including cholesterol, that helps explain the aforementioned phenotypic effects, as chicken embryos are highly dependent on yolk lipids for growth and maintenance throughout development. Finally, our results are in concordance with the literature that describes TDCPP as a cancer-causing agent, since the majority of dysregulated genes were involved in cancer pathways. - Highlights: • TDCPP dysregulates genes involved in immune function and lipid metabolism. • A targeted effect of TDCPP toxicity on cholesterol metabolism is apparent. • A state of cholestatic liver fibrosis is suggested by the expression profile. • Elevated plasma bile acids suggest that TDCPP causes liver dysfunction.

  16. De novo transcriptome sequencing of Isaria cateniannulata and comparative analysis of gene expression in response to heat and cold stresses.

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    Dingfeng Wang

    Full Text Available Isaria cateniannulata is a very important and virulent entomopathogenic fungus that infects many insect pest species. Although I. cateniannulata is commonly exposed to extreme environmental temperature conditions, little is known about its molecular response mechanism to temperature stress. Here, we sequenced and de novo assembled the transcriptome of I. cateniannulata in response to high and low temperature stresses using Illumina RNA-Seq technology. Our assembly encompassed 17,514 unigenes (mean length = 1,197 bp, in which 11,445 unigenes (65.34% showed significant similarities to known sequences in NCBI non-redundant protein sequences (Nr database. Using digital gene expression analysis, 4,483 differentially expressed genes (DEGs were identified after heat treatment, including 2,905 up-regulated genes and 1,578 down-regulated genes. Under cold stress, 1,927 DEGs were identified, including 1,245 up-regulated genes and 682 down-regulated genes. The expression patterns of 18 randomly selected candidate DEGs resulting from quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR were consistent with their transcriptome analysis results. Although DEGs were involved in many pathways, we focused on the genes that were involved in endocytosis: In heat stress, the pathway of clathrin-dependent endocytosis (CDE was active; however at low temperature stresses, the pathway of clathrin-independent endocytosis (CIE was active. Besides, four categories of DEGs acting as temperature sensors were observed, including cell-wall-major-components-metabolism-related (CWMCMR genes, heat shock protein (Hsp genes, intracellular-compatible-solutes-metabolism-related (ICSMR genes and glutathione S-transferase (GST. These results enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of I. cateniannulata in response to temperature stresses and provide a valuable resource for the future investigations.

  17. The Ve-mediated resistance response of the tomato to Verticillium dahliae involves H2O2, peroxidase and lignins and drives PAL gene expression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Merino Fuencisla

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Verticillium dahliae is a fungal pathogen that infects a wide range of hosts. The only known genes for resistance to Verticillium in the Solanaceae are found in the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Ve locus, formed by two linked genes, Ve1 and Ve2. To characterize the resistance response mediated by the tomato Ve gene, we inoculated two nearly isogenic tomato lines, LA3030 (ve/ve and LA3038 (Ve/Ve, with V. dahliae. Results We found induction of H2O2 production in roots of inoculated plants, followed by an increase in peroxidase activity only in roots of inoculated resistant plants. Phenylalanine-ammonia lyase (PAL activity was also increased in resistant roots 2 hours after inoculation, while induction of PAL activity in susceptible roots was not seen until 48 hours after inoculation. Phenylpropanoid metabolism was also affected, with increases in ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, vanillin and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde contents in resistant roots after inoculation. Six tomato PAL cDNA sequences (PAL1 - PAL6 were found in the SolGenes tomato EST database. RT-PCR analysis showed that these genes were expressed in all organs of the plant, albeit at different levels. Real-time RT-PCR indicated distinct patterns of expression of the different PAL genes in V. dahliae-inoculated roots. Phylogenetic analysis of 48 partial PAL cDNAs corresponding to 19 plant species grouped angiosperm PAL sequences into four clusters, suggesting functional differences among the six tomato genes, with PAL2 and PAL6 presumably involved in lignification, and the remaining PAL genes implicated in other biological processes. An increase in the synthesis of lignins was found 16 and 28 days after inoculation in both lines; this increase was greater and faster to develop in the resistant line. In both resistant and susceptible inoculated plants, an increase in the ratio of guaiacyl/syringyl units was detected 16 days after inoculation, resulting from the lowered amount

  18. Identification and expression profiling analysis of TCP family genes involved in growth and development in maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chai, Wenbo; Jiang, Pengfei; Huang, Guoyu; Jiang, Haiyang; Li, Xiaoyu

    2017-10-01

    The TCP family is a group of plant-specific transcription factors. TCP genes encode proteins harboring bHLH structure, which is implicated in DNA binding and protein-protein interactions and known as the TCP domain. TCP genes play important roles in plant development and have been evolutionarily and functionally elaborated in various plants, however, no overall phylogenetic analysis or expression profiling of TCP genes in Zea mays has been reported. In the present study, a systematic analysis of molecular evolution and functional prediction of TCP family genes in maize ( Z . mays L.) has been conducted. We performed a genome-wide survey of TCP genes in maize, revealing the gene structure, chromosomal location and phylogenetic relationship of family members. Microsynteny between grass species and tissue-specific expression profiles were also investigated. In total, 29 TCP genes were identified in the maize genome, unevenly distributed on the 10 maize chromosomes. Additionally, ZmTCP genes were categorized into nine classes based on phylogeny and purifying selection may largely be responsible for maintaining the functions of maize TCP genes. What's more, microsynteny analysis suggested that TCP genes have been conserved during evolution. Finally, expression analysis revealed that most TCP genes are expressed in the stem and ear, which suggests that ZmTCP genes influence stem and ear growth. This result is consistent with the previous finding that maize TCP genes represses the growth of axillary organs and enables the formation of female inflorescences. Altogether, this study presents a thorough overview of TCP family in maize and provides a new perspective on the evolution of this gene family. The results also indicate that TCP family genes may be involved in development stage in plant growing conditions. Additionally, our results will be useful for further functional analysis of the TCP gene family in maize.

  19. De Novo Transcriptome Sequencing in Passiflora edulis Sims to Identify Genes and Signaling Pathways Involved in Cold Tolerance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sian Liu

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims, also known as the purple granadilla, is widely cultivated as the new darling of the fruit market throughout southern China. This exotic and perennial climber is adapted to warm and humid climates, and thus is generally intolerant of cold. There is limited information about gene regulation and signaling pathways related to the cold stress response in this species. In this study, two transcriptome libraries (KEDU_AP vs. GX_AP were constructed from the aerial parts of cold-tolerant and cold-susceptible varieties of P. edulis, respectively. Overall, 126,284,018 clean reads were obtained, and 86,880 unigenes with a mean size of 1449 bp were assembled. Of these, there were 64,067 (73.74% unigenes with significant similarity to publicly available plant protein sequences. Expression profiles were generated, and 3045 genes were found to be significantly differentially expressed between the KEDU_AP and GX_AP libraries, including 1075 (35.3% up-regulated and 1970 (64.7% down-regulated. These included 36 genes in enriched pathways of plant hormone signal transduction, and 56 genes encoding putative transcription factors. Six genes involved in the ICE1–CBF–COR pathway were induced in the cold-tolerant variety, and their expression levels were further verified using quantitative real-time PCR. This report is the first to identify genes and signaling pathways involved in cold tolerance using high-throughput transcriptome sequencing in P. edulis. These findings may provide useful insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating cold tolerance and genetic breeding in Passiflora spp.

  20. Diurnal oscillations of soybean circadian clock and drought responsive genes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juliana Marcolino-Gomes

    Full Text Available Rhythms produced by the endogenous circadian clock play a critical role in allowing plants to respond and adapt to the environment. While there is a well-established regulatory link between the circadian clock and responses to abiotic stress in model plants, little is known of the circadian system in crop species like soybean. This study examines how drought impacts diurnal oscillation of both drought responsive and circadian clock genes in soybean. Drought stress induced marked changes in gene expression of several circadian clock-like components, such as LCL1-, GmELF4- and PRR-like genes, which had reduced expression in stressed plants. The same conditions produced a phase advance of expression for the GmTOC1-like, GmLUX-like and GmPRR7-like genes. Similarly, the rhythmic expression pattern of the soybean drought-responsive genes DREB-, bZIP-, GOLS-, RAB18- and Remorin-like changed significantly after plant exposure to drought. In silico analysis of promoter regions of these genes revealed the presence of cis-elements associated both with stress and circadian clock regulation. Furthermore, some soybean genes with upstream ABRE elements were responsive to abscisic acid treatment. Our results indicate that some connection between the drought response and the circadian clock may exist in soybean since (i drought stress affects gene expression of circadian clock components and (ii several stress responsive genes display diurnal oscillation in soybeans.

  1. Polymorphisms of genes involved in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons’ biotransformation and atherosclerosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marinković, Natalija; Pašalić, Daria; Potočki, Slavica

    2013-01-01

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the most prevalent environmental pollutants and result from the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons (coal and gasoline, fossil fuel combustion, byproducts of industrial processing, natural emission, cigarette smoking, etc.). The first phase of xenobiotic biotransformation in the PAH metabolism includes activities of cytochrome P450 from the CYP1 family and microsomal epoxide hydrolase. The products of this biotransformation are reactive oxygen species that are transformed in the second phase through the formation of conjugates with glutathione, glucuronate or sulphates. PAH exposure may lead to PAH-DNA adduct formation or induce an inflammatory atherosclerotic plaque phenotype. Several genetic polymorphisms of genes encoded for enzymes involved in PAH biotransformation have been proven to lead to the development of diseases. Enzyme CYP P450 1A1, which is encoded by the CYP1A1 gene, is vital in the monooxygenation of lipofilic substrates, while GSTM1 and GSTT1 are the most abundant isophorms that conjugate and neutralize oxygen products. Some single nucleotide polymorphisms of the CYP1A1 gene as well as the deletion polymorphisms of GSTT1 and GSTM1 may alter the final specific cellular inflammatory respond. Occupational exposure or conditions from the living environment can contribute to the production of PAH metabolites with adverse effects on human health. The aim of this study was to obtain data on biotransformation and atherosclerosis, as well as data on the gene polymorphisms involved in biotransformation, in order to better study gene expression and further elucidate the interaction between genes and the environment. PMID:24266295

  2. The Tyrosyl-DNA Phosphodiesterase 1β (Tdp1β Gene Discloses an Early Response to Abiotic Stresses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Elisa Sabatini

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (Tdp1 is involved in DNA repair pathways as it mends the topoisomerase I—DNA covalent complexes. In plants, a small Tdp1 gene family, composed by Tdp1α and Tdp1β genes, was identified, but the roles of these genes in abiotic stress responses are not fully understood. To investigate their specific stress response patterns, the present study made use of bioinformatic and molecular tools to look into the Tdp1β gene function, so far described only in the plant kingdom, and compare it with Tdp1α gene coding for the canonical, highly conserved α isoform. The expression profiles of Tdp1α and Tdp1β genes were examined under abiotic stress conditions (cold, heat, high osmolarity, salt, and UV-B in two model species, Arabidopsis thaliana and Medicago truncatula. The two isoforms of topoisomerase I (TOP1α and TOP1β were also taken into consideration in view of their known roles in DNA metabolism and cell proliferation. Data relative to gene expression in Arabidopsis were retrieved from the AtGenExpress microarray dataset, while quantitative Real-Time PCR was carried out to evaluate the stress response in M. truncatula cell cultures. These analyses revealed that Tdp1β gene expression was enhanced during the first hour of treatment, whereas Tdp1α enhanced expression succeeded at subsequent timepoints. In agreement with the gene-specific responses to abiotic stress conditions, the promoter regions of Tdp1α and Tdp1β genes are well equipped with stress-related cis-elements. An in-depth bioinformatic characterization of the HIRAN motif, a distinctive feature of the Tdp1β protein, showed its wide distribution in chromatin remodeling and DNA repair proteins. The reported data suggests that Tdp1β functions in the early response to abiotic stresses.

  3. Expression of genes involved in oxidative stress response in colonies of the ascidian Botryllus schlosseri exposed to various environmental conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tasselli, Stefano; Ballin, Francesca; Franchi, Nicola; Fabbri, Elena; Ballarin, Loriano

    2017-03-01

    Environmental stress conditions are ultimately related to the induction of oxidative stress in organisms, as a consequence of an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This could be exploited to study sub-lethal effects induced by the environment in the organisms. In the present work, we evaluate the possibility to use the colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri as a bioindicator, to assess the environmental quality in the Lagoon of Venice. Three colony batches were immersed, for 22 days, at two sites (1 and 2) with different grades of hydrodynamics and anthropogenic impact and physico-chemical features of seawater; a control batch was kept in a large tank with continuous seawater flow at the Marine Station of the Department of Biology, University of Padova, in Chioggia (site 3). Seawater at site 2 had higher pH and temperature than site 1. Colonies were then retrieved, their mRNA was extracted and the level of transcription of genes involved in oxidative stress response (glutathione synthase, γ-glutamyl-cysteine ligase, modulatory subunit, two isoforms of glutathione peroxidases and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase) was evaluated. In colonies from sites 1 and 2, most genes showed significantly increased transcriptional levels with respect to control values. Spectrophotometric analyses of colony homogenates revealed that the enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase was higher in colonies from site 2 as compared to site 1, allowing us to speculate that colonies in site 2 were under higher stress level than those in site 1. Overall, we can conclude that B. schlosseri seems a good indicator of the ecological status of the Lagoon environment, within a range of pH and temperature in which colonies are used to live.

  4. The HP0256 gene product is involved in motility and cell envelope architecture of Helicobacter pylori

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Douillard, Francois P

    2010-04-08

    Abstract Background Helicobacter pylori is the causative agent for gastritis, and peptic and duodenal ulcers. The bacterium displays 5-6 polar sheathed flagella that are essential for colonisation and persistence in the gastric mucosa. The biochemistry and genetics of flagellar biogenesis in H. pylori has not been fully elucidated. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that the gene HP0256, annotated as hypothetical, was a FliJ homologue. In Salmonella, FliJ is a chaperone escort protein for FlgN and FliT, two proteins that themselves display chaperone activity for components of the hook, the rod and the filament. Results Ablation of the HP0256 gene in H. pylori significantly reduced motility. However, flagellin and hook protein synthesis was not affected in the HP0256 mutant. Transmission electron transmission microscopy revealed that the HP0256 mutant cells displayed a normal flagellum configuration, suggesting that HP0256 was not essential for assembly and polar localisation of the flagella in the cell. Interestingly, whole genome microarrays of an HP0256 mutant revealed transcriptional changes in a number of genes associated with the flagellar regulon and the cell envelope, such as outer membrane proteins and adhesins. Consistent with the array data, lack of the HP0256 gene significantly reduced adhesion and the inflammatory response in host cells. Conclusions We conclude that HP0256 is not a functional counterpart of FliJ in H. pylori. However, it is required for full motility and it is involved, possibly indirectly, in expression of outer membrane proteins and adhesins involved in pathogenesis and adhesion.

  5. Transcriptome-based gene profiling provides novel insights into the characteristics of radish root response to Cr stress with next-generation sequencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang eXie

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Radish (Raphanus sativus L. is an important worldwide root vegetable crop with high nutrient values and is adversely affected by non-essential heavy metals including chromium (Cr. Little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying Cr stress response in radish. In this study, RNA-Seq technique was employed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs under Cr stress. Based on de novo transcriptome assembly, there were 30,676 unigenes representing 60,881 transcripts isolated from radish root under Cr stress. Differential gene analysis revealed that 2,985 uingenes were significantly differentially expressed between Cr-free (CK and Cr-treated (Cr600 libraries, among which 1,424 were up-regulated and 1,561 down-regulated. Gene ontology (GO analysis revealed that these DEGs were mainly involved in primary metabolic process, response to abiotic stimulus, cellular metabolic process and small molecule metabolic process. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were mainly involved in protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, starch and sucrose metabolism, amino acid metabolism, glutathione metabolism, drug and xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 metabolism. RT-qPCR analysis showed that the expression patterns of 12 randomly selected DEGs were highly accordant with the results from RNA-seq. Furthermore, many candidate genes including signaling protein kinases, transcription factors and metal transporters, chelate compound biosynthesis and antioxidant system, were involved in defense and detoxification mechanisms of Cr stress response regulatory networks. These results would provide novel insight into molecular mechanism underlying plant responsiveness to Cr stress and facilitate further genetic manipulation on Cr uptake and accumulation in radish.

  6. Gene expression profiling of chicken intestinal host responses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hemert, van S.

    2007-01-01

    Chicken lines differ in genetic disease susceptibility. The scope of the research described in this thesis was to identify genes involved in genetic disease resistance in the chicken intestine. Therefore gene expression in the jejunum was investigated using a microarray approach. An intestine

  7. Identification of formaldehyde-responsive genes by suppression subtractive hybridization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Min-Ho; Kim, Young-Ae; Na, Tae-Young; Kim, Sung-Hye; Shin, Young Kee; Lee, Byung-Hoon; Shin, Ho-Sang; Lee, Mi-Ock

    2008-01-01

    Formaldehyde is frequently used in indoor household and occupational environments. Inhalation of formaldehyde invokes an inflammatory response, including a variety of allergic signs and symptoms. Therefore, formaldehyde has been considered as the most prevalent cause of sick building syndrome, which has become a major social problem, especially in developing urban areas. Further formaldehyde is classified as a genotoxicant in the respiratory tract of rats and humans. To better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in formaldehyde intoxication, we sought differentially regulated genes by formaldehyde exposure to Hs 680.Tr human trachea cells, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based suppression subtractive hybridization. We identified 27 different formaldehyde-inducible genes, including those coding for the major histocompatibility complex, class IA, calcyclin, glutathione S-transferase pi, mouse double minute 2 (MDM2), platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha, and which are known to be associated with cell proliferation and differentiation, immunity and inflammation, and detoxification. Induction of these genes by formaldehyde treatment was confirmed by reverse transcription PCR and western blot analysis. Further, the expression of calcyclin, glutathione S-transferase pi, PDGFRA and MDM2 were significantly induced in the tracheal epithelium of Sprague Dawley rats after formaldehyde inhalation. Our results suggest that the elevated levels of these genes may be associated with the formaldehyde-induced toxicity, and that they deserve evaluation as potential biomarkers for formaldehyde intoxication

  8. Stochastic biological response to radiation. Comprehensive analysis of gene expression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inoue, Tohru; Hirabayashi, Yoko

    2012-01-01

    Authors explain that the radiation effect on biological system is stochastic along the law of physics, differing from chemical effect, using instances of Cs-137 gamma-ray (GR) and benzene (BZ) exposures to mice and of resultant comprehensive analyses of gene expression. Single GR irradiation is done with Gamma Cell 40 (CSR) to C57BL/6 or C3H/He mouse at 0, 0.6 and 3 Gy. BE is given orally at 150 mg/kg/day for 5 days x 2 weeks. Bone marrow cells are sampled 1 month after the exposure. Comprehensive gene expression is analyzed by Gene Chip Mouse Genome 430 2.0 Array (Affymetrix) and data are processed by programs like case normalization, statistics, network generation, functional analysis etc. GR irradiation brings about changes of gene expression, which are classifiable in common genes variable commonly on the dose change and stochastic genes variable stochastically within each dose: e.g., with Welch-t-test, significant differences are between 0/3 Gy (dose-specific difference, 455 pbs (probe set), in stochastic 2113 pbs), 0/0.6 Gy (267 in 1284 pbs) and 0.6/3 Gy (532 pbs); and with one-way analysis of variation (ANOVA) and hierarchial/dendrographic analyses, 520 pbs are shown to involve the dose-dependent 226 and dose-specific 294 pbs. It is also shown that at 3 Gy, expression of common genes are rather suppressed, including those related to the proliferation/apoptosis of B/T cells, and of stochastic genes, related to cell division/signaling. Ven diagram of the common genes of above 520 pbs, stochastic 2113 pbs at 3 Gy and 1284 pbs at 0.6 Gy shows the overlapping genes 29, 2 and 4, respectively, indicating only 35 pbs are overlapping in total. Network analysis of changes by GR shows the rather high expression of genes around hub of cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) at 0.6 Gy, and rather variable expression around CREB hub/suppressed expression of kinesin hub at 3 Gy; in the network by BZ exposure, unchanged or low expression around p53 hub and suppression

  9. Global gene expression analysis of early response to chemotherapy treatment in ovarian cancer spheroids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tetu Bernard

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chemotherapy (CT resistance in ovarian cancer (OC is broad and encompasses diverse unrelated drugs, suggesting more than one mechanism of resistance. To better understand the molecular mechanisms controlling the immediate response of OC cells to CT exposure, we have performed gene expression profiling in spheroid cultures derived from six OC cell lines (OVCAR3, SKOV3, TOV-112, TOV-21, OV-90 and TOV-155, following treatment with 10,0 μM cisplatin, 2,5 μM paclitaxel or 5,0 μM topotecan for 72 hours. Results Exposure of OC spheroids to these CT drugs resulted in differential expression of genes associated with cell growth and proliferation, cellular assembly and organization, cell death, cell cycle control and cell signaling. Genes, functionally involved in DNA repair, DNA replication and cell cycle arrest were mostly overexpressed, while genes implicated in metabolism (especially lipid metabolism, signal transduction, immune and inflammatory response, transport, transcription regulation and protein biosynthesis, were commonly suppressed following all treatments. Cisplatin and topotecan treatments triggered similar alterations in gene and pathway expression patterns, while paclitaxel action was mainly associated with induction of genes and pathways linked to cellular assembly and organization (including numerous tubulin genes, cell death and protein synthesis. The microarray data were further confirmed by pathway and network analyses. Conclusion Most alterations in gene expression were directly related to mechanisms of the cytotoxics actions in OC spheroids. However, the induction of genes linked to mechanisms of DNA replication and repair in cisplatin- and topotecan-treated OC spheroids could be associated with immediate adaptive response to treatment. Similarly, overexpression of different tubulin genes upon exposure to paclitaxel could represent an early compensatory effect to this drug action. Finally, multicellular

  10. Identification of new developmentally regulated genes involved in Streptomyces coelicolor sporulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salerno, Paola; Persson, Jessica; Bucca, Giselda; Laing, Emma; Ausmees, Nora; Smith, Colin P; Flärdh, Klas

    2013-12-05

    The sporulation of aerial hyphae of Streptomyces coelicolor is a complex developmental process. Only a limited number of the genes involved in this intriguing morphological differentiation programme are known, including some key regulatory genes. The aim of this study was to expand our knowledge of the gene repertoire involved in S. coelicolor sporulation. We report a DNA microarray-based investigation of developmentally controlled gene expression in S. coelicolor. By comparing global transcription patterns of the wild-type parent and two mutants lacking key regulators of aerial hyphal sporulation, we found a total of 114 genes that had significantly different expression in at least one of the two mutants compared to the wild-type during sporulation. A whiA mutant showed the largest effects on gene expression, while only a few genes were specifically affected by whiH mutation. Seven new sporulation loci were investigated in more detail with respect to expression patterns and mutant phenotypes. These included SCO7449-7451 that affect spore pigment biogenesis; SCO1773-1774 that encode an L-alanine dehydrogenase and a regulator-like protein and are required for maturation of spores; SCO3857 that encodes a protein highly similar to a nosiheptide resistance regulator and affects spore maturation; and four additional loci (SCO4421, SCO4157, SCO0934, SCO1195) that show developmental regulation but no overt mutant phenotype. Furthermore, we describe a new promoter-probe vector that takes advantage of the red fluorescent protein mCherry as a reporter of cell type-specific promoter activity. Aerial hyphal sporulation in S. coelicolor is a technically challenging process for global transcriptomic investigations since it occurs only as a small fraction of the colony biomass and is not highly synchronized. Here we show that by comparing a wild-type to mutants lacking regulators that are specifically affecting processes in aerial hypha, it is possible to identify previously

  11. Gene expression responses of HeLa cells to chemical species generated by an atmospheric plasma flow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yokoyama, Mayo; Johkura, Kohei; Sato, Takehiko

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Response of HeLa cells to a plasma-irradiated medium was revealed by DNA microarray. • Gene expression pattern was basically different from that in a H 2 O 2 -added medium. • Prominently up-/down-regulated genes were partly shared by the two media. • Gene ontology analysis showed both similar and different responses in the two media. • Candidate genes involved in response to ROS were detected in each medium. - Abstract: Plasma irradiation generates many factors able to affect the cellular condition, and this feature has been studied for its application in the field of medicine. We previously reported that hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) was the major cause of HeLa cell death among the chemical species generated by high level irradiation of a culture medium by atmospheric plasma. To assess the effect of plasma-induced factors on the response of live cells, HeLa cells were exposed to a medium irradiated by a non-lethal plasma flow level, and their gene expression was broadly analyzed by DNA microarray in comparison with that in a corresponding concentration of 51 μM H 2 O 2 . As a result, though the cell viability was sufficiently maintained at more than 90% in both cases, the plasma-medium had a greater impact on it than the H 2 O 2 -medium. Hierarchical clustering analysis revealed fundamentally different cellular responses between these two media. A larger population of genes was upregulated in the plasma-medium, whereas genes were downregulated in the H 2 O 2 -medium. However, a part of the genes that showed prominent differential expression was shared by them, including an immediate early gene ID2. In gene ontology analysis of upregulated genes, the plasma-medium showed more diverse ontologies than the H 2 O 2 -medium, whereas ontologies such as “response to stimulus” were common, and several genes corresponded to “response to reactive oxygen species.” Genes of AP-1 proteins, e.g., JUN and FOS, were detected and notably elevated in

  12. Gene expression responses of HeLa cells to chemical species generated by an atmospheric plasma flow

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yokoyama, Mayo, E-mail: yokoyama@plasma.ifs.tohoku.ac.jp [Institute of Fluid Science, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Johkura, Kohei, E-mail: kohei@shinshu-u.ac.jp [Department of Histology and Embryology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621 (Japan); Sato, Takehiko, E-mail: sato@ifs.tohoku.ac.jp [Institute of Fluid Science, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan)

    2014-08-08

    Highlights: • Response of HeLa cells to a plasma-irradiated medium was revealed by DNA microarray. • Gene expression pattern was basically different from that in a H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-added medium. • Prominently up-/down-regulated genes were partly shared by the two media. • Gene ontology analysis showed both similar and different responses in the two media. • Candidate genes involved in response to ROS were detected in each medium. - Abstract: Plasma irradiation generates many factors able to affect the cellular condition, and this feature has been studied for its application in the field of medicine. We previously reported that hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) was the major cause of HeLa cell death among the chemical species generated by high level irradiation of a culture medium by atmospheric plasma. To assess the effect of plasma-induced factors on the response of live cells, HeLa cells were exposed to a medium irradiated by a non-lethal plasma flow level, and their gene expression was broadly analyzed by DNA microarray in comparison with that in a corresponding concentration of 51 μM H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. As a result, though the cell viability was sufficiently maintained at more than 90% in both cases, the plasma-medium had a greater impact on it than the H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-medium. Hierarchical clustering analysis revealed fundamentally different cellular responses between these two media. A larger population of genes was upregulated in the plasma-medium, whereas genes were downregulated in the H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-medium. However, a part of the genes that showed prominent differential expression was shared by them, including an immediate early gene ID2. In gene ontology analysis of upregulated genes, the plasma-medium showed more diverse ontologies than the H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-medium, whereas ontologies such as “response to stimulus” were common, and several genes corresponded to “response to reactive oxygen species.” Genes of AP-1 proteins, e.g., JUN

  13. Identification of genes involved in the drought adaptation and recovery in Portulaca oleracea by differential display.

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Andrea, Rodrigo Matías; Triassi, Agustina; Casas, María Isabel; Andreo, Carlos Santiago; Lara, María Valeria

    2015-05-01

    Portulaca oleracea is one of the richest plant sources of ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids and other compounds potentially valuable for nutrition. It is broadly established in arid, semiarid and well-watered fields, thus making it a promising candidate for research on abiotic stress resistance mechanisms. It is capable of withstanding severe drought and then of recovering upon rehydration. Here, the adaptation to drought and the posterior recovery was evaluated at transcriptomic level by differential display validated by qRT-PCR. Of the 2279 transcript-derived fragments amplified, 202 presented differential expression. Ninety of them were successfully isolated and sequenced. Selected genes were tested against different abiotic stresses in P. oleracea and the behavior of their orthologous genes in Arabidopsis thaliana was also explored to seek for conserved response mechanisms. In drought adapted and in recovered plants changes in expression of many protein metabolism-, lipid metabolism- and stress-related genes were observed. Many genes with unknown function were detected, which also respond to other abiotic stresses. Some of them are also involved in the seed desiccation/imbibition process and thus would be of great interest for further research. The potential use of candidate genes to engineer drought tolerance improvement and recovery is discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  14. Genes involved in translation of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Mycoplasma synoviae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mônica de Oliveira Santos

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available This is a report on the analysis of genes involved in translation of the complete genomes of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae strain J and 7448 and Mycoplasma synoviae. In both genomes 31 ORFs encoding large ribosomal subunit proteins and 19 ORFs encoding small ribosomal subunit proteins were found. Ten ribosomal protein gene clusters encoding 42 ribosomal proteins were found in M. synoviae, while 8 clusters encoding 39 ribosomal proteins were found in both M. hyopneumoniae strains. The L33 gene of the M. hyopneumoniae strain 7448 presented two copies in different locations. The genes encoding initiation factors (IF-1, IF-2 and IF-3, elongation factors (EF-G, EF-Tu, EF-Ts and EF-P, and the genes encoding the ribosome recycling factor (frr and one polypeptide release factor (prfA were present in the genomes of M. hyopneumoniae and M. synoviae. Nineteen aminoacyl-tRNA synthases had been previously identified in both mycoplasmas. In the two strains of M. hyopneumoniae, J and 7448, only one set of 5S, 16S and 23S rRNAs had been identified. Two sets of 16S and 23S rRNA genes and three sets of 5S rRNA genes had been identified in the M. synoviae genome.

  15. Association analysis of schizophrenia on 18 genes involved in neuronal migration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kähler, Anna K; Djurovic, Srdjan; Kulle, Bettina

    2008-01-01

    neuronal function, morphology, and formation of synaptic connections. We have investigated the putative association between SZ and gene variants engaged in the neuronal migration process, by performing an association study on 839 cases and 1,473 controls of Scandinavian origin. Using a gene-wide approach......Several lines of evidence support the theory of schizophrenia (SZ) being a neurodevelopmental disorder. The structural, cytoarchitectural and functional brain abnormalities reported in patients with SZ, might be due to aberrant neuronal migration, since the final position of neurons affects......, tagSNPs in 18 candidate genes have been genotyped, with gene products involved in the neuron-to-glial cell adhesion, interactions with the DISC1 protein and/or rearrangements of the cytoskeleton. Of the 289 markers tested, 19 markers located in genes MDGA1, RELN, ITGA3, DLX1, SPARCL1, and ASTN1...

  16. Placental gene-expression profiles of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy reveal involvement of multiple molecular pathways in blood vessel formation and inflammation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, QiaoLing; Pan, YouDong; Zhang, YouHua; Zhang, HaiLong; Zheng, YaJuan; Lu, Ling; Wang, JunLei; Duan, Tao; Chen, JianFeng

    2014-07-07

    Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a pregnancy-associated liver disease with potentially deleterious consequences for the fetus, particularly when maternal serum bile-acid concentration >40 μM. However, the etiology and pathogenesis of ICP remain elusive. To reveal the underlying molecular mechanisms for the association of maternal serum bile-acid level and fetal outcome in ICP patients, DNA microarray was applied to characterize the whole-genome expression profiles of placentas from healthy women and women diagnosed with ICP. Thirty pregnant women recruited in this study were categorized evenly into three groups: healthy group; mild ICP, with serum bile-acid concentration ranging from 10-40 μM; and severe ICP, with bile-acid concentration >40 μM. Gene Ontology analysis in combination with construction of gene-interaction and gene co-expression networks were applied to identify the core regulatory genes associated with ICP pathogenesis, which were further validated by quantitative real-time PCR and histological staining. The core regulatory genes were mainly involved in immune response, VEGF signaling pathway and G-protein-coupled receptor signaling, implying essential roles of immune response, vasculogenesis and angiogenesis in ICP pathogenesis. This implication was supported by the observed aggregated immune-cell infiltration and deficient blood vessel formation in ICP placentas. Our study provides a system-level insight into the placental gene-expression profiles of women with mild or severe ICP, and reveals multiple molecular pathways in immune response and blood vessel formation that might contribute to ICP pathogenesis.

  17. Expression of putative immune response genes during early ontogeny in the coral Acropora millepora.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eneour Puill-Stephan

    Full Text Available Corals, like many other marine invertebrates, lack a mature allorecognition system in early life history stages. Indeed, in early ontogeny, when corals acquire and establish associations with various surface microbiota and dinoflagellate endosymbionts, they do not efficiently distinguish between closely and distantly related individuals from the same population. However, very little is known about the molecular components that underpin allorecognition and immunity responses or how they change through early ontogeny in corals.Patterns in the expression of four putative immune response genes (apextrin, complement C3, and two CELIII type lectin genes were examined in juvenile colonies of Acropora millepora throughout a six-month post-settlement period using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR. Expression of a CELIII type lectin gene peaked in the fourth month for most of the coral juveniles sampled and was significantly higher at this time than at any other sampling time during the six months following settlement. The timing of this increase in expression levels of putative immune response genes may be linked to allorecognition maturation which occurs around this time in A. millepora. Alternatively, the increase may represent a response to immune challenges, such as would be involved in the recognition of symbionts (such as Symbiodinium spp. or bacteria during winnowing processes as symbioses are fine-tuned.Our data, although preliminary, are consistent with the hypothesis that lectins may play an important role in the maturation of allorecognition responses in corals. The co-expression of lectins with apextrin during development of coral juveniles also raises the possibility that these proteins, which are components of innate immunity in other invertebrates, may influence the innate immune systems of corals through a common pathway or system. However, further studies investigating the expression of these genes in alloimmune-challenged corals are

  18. Expression of putative immune response genes during early ontogeny in the coral Acropora millepora.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puill-Stephan, Eneour; Seneca, François O; Miller, David J; van Oppen, Madeleine J H; Willis, Bette L

    2012-01-01

    Corals, like many other marine invertebrates, lack a mature allorecognition system in early life history stages. Indeed, in early ontogeny, when corals acquire and establish associations with various surface microbiota and dinoflagellate endosymbionts, they do not efficiently distinguish between closely and distantly related individuals from the same population. However, very little is known about the molecular components that underpin allorecognition and immunity responses or how they change through early ontogeny in corals. Patterns in the expression of four putative immune response genes (apextrin, complement C3, and two CELIII type lectin genes) were examined in juvenile colonies of Acropora millepora throughout a six-month post-settlement period using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Expression of a CELIII type lectin gene peaked in the fourth month for most of the coral juveniles sampled and was significantly higher at this time than at any other sampling time during the six months following settlement. The timing of this increase in expression levels of putative immune response genes may be linked to allorecognition maturation which occurs around this time in A. millepora. Alternatively, the increase may represent a response to immune challenges, such as would be involved in the recognition of symbionts (such as Symbiodinium spp. or bacteria) during winnowing processes as symbioses are fine-tuned. Our data, although preliminary, are consistent with the hypothesis that lectins may play an important role in the maturation of allorecognition responses in corals. The co-expression of lectins with apextrin during development of coral juveniles also raises the possibility that these proteins, which are components of innate immunity in other invertebrates, may influence the innate immune systems of corals through a common pathway or system. However, further studies investigating the expression of these genes in alloimmune-challenged corals are needed to further

  19. The hnRNP 2H9 gene, which is involved in the splicing reaction, is a multiply spliced gene

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Honoré, B

    2000-01-01

    The hnRNP 2H9 gene products are involved in the splicing process and participate in early heat shock-induced splicing arrest. By combining low/high stringency hybridisation, database search, Northern and Western blotting it is shown that the gene is alternatively spliced into at least six...

  20. Overexpression of stress-related genes in Cuscuta campestris in response to host defense reactions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamed Rezaei

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Herb dodder ( Cuscuta spp. is one of the most important parasitic plants that can severely affect crop yields in the world. So far, interactions of this parasitic plant with hosts were not investigated adequately. Here, we conducted a differential expression analyzes and identified a number of genes that were differentially expressed in haustorium tissue compared with the stem of Cuscuta campestris growing on Alfalfa. We obtained 439 cDNA fragments from haustoria (parasite-host connection zone and stems (25 cm away from connections zones using the cDNA-AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism method with eight different primer combinations. Of 439 transcript-derived fragments (TDFs that were detected, 145 fragments were identified as differentially expressed genes. Five TDF sequences were similar to known functional genes involved in signal transduction, metabolism, respiration, and stress responses. Genes encoding DEAD-box ATP-dependent RNA helicase, potential heme-binding protein, lysine-specific demethylase 5A were selected for qRT-PCR. The qRT-PCR analyzes confirmed the results obtained using cDNA-AFLP. Our findings shed light on the elicitation of dodder defense responses in the connection zone to overcome plant defense reactions.

  1. Identification and expression analysis of cold and freezing stress responsive genes of Brassica oleracea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Nasar Uddin; Jung, Hee-Jeong; Park, Jong-In; Cho, Yong-Gu; Hur, Yoonkang; Nou, Ill-Sup

    2015-01-10

    Cold and freezing stress is a major environmental constraint to the production of Brassica crops. Enhancement of tolerance by exploiting cold and freezing tolerance related genes offers the most efficient approach to address this problem. Cold-induced transcriptional profiling is a promising approach to the identification of potential genes related to cold and freezing stress tolerance. In this study, 99 highly expressed genes were identified from a whole genome microarray dataset of Brassica rapa. Blast search analysis of the Brassica oleracea database revealed the corresponding homologous genes. To validate their expression, pre-selected cold tolerant and susceptible cabbage lines were analyzed. Out of 99 BoCRGs, 43 were differentially expressed in response to varying degrees of cold and freezing stress in the contrasting cabbage lines. Among the differentially expressed genes, 18 were highly up-regulated in the tolerant lines, which is consistent with their microarray expression. Additionally, 12 BoCRGs were expressed differentially after cold stress treatment in two contrasting cabbage lines, and BoCRG54, 56, 59, 62, 70, 72 and 99 were predicted to be involved in cold regulatory pathways. Taken together, the cold-responsive genes identified in this study provide additional direction for elucidating the regulatory network of low temperature stress tolerance and developing cold and freezing stress resistant Brassica crops. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Genes Involved in Initial Follicle Recruitment May Be Associated with Age at Menopause

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Voorhuis, Marlies; Broekmans, Frank J.; Fauser, Bart C. J. M.; Onland-Moret, N. Charlotte; van der Schouw, Yvonne T.

    Context: Timing of menopause is largely influenced by genetic factors. Because menopause occurs when the follicle pool in the ovaries has become exhausted, genes involved in primordial follicle recruitment can be considered as candidate genes for timing of menopause. Objective: The aim was to study

  3. Characterization of an estrogen-responsive element implicated in regulation of the rainbow trout estrogen receptor gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Dréan, Y; Lazennec, G; Kern, L; Saligaut, D; Pakdel, F; Valotaire, Y

    1995-08-01

    We previously reported that the expression of the rainbow trout estrogen receptor (rtER) gene is markedly increased by estradiol (E2). In this paper, we have used transient transfection assays with reporter plasmids expressing chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT), linked to 5' flanking regions of the rtER gene promoter, to identify cis-elements responsible for E2 inducibility. Deletion analysis localized an estrogen-responsive element (ERE), at position +242, with one mutation on the first base compared with the consensus sequence. This element confers estrogen responsiveness to CAT reporter linked to both the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter and the homologous rtER promoter. Moreover, using a 0.2 kb fragment of the rtER promoter encompassing the ERE and the rtER DNA binding domain obtained from a bacterial expression system, DNase I footprinting experiments demonstrated a specific protection covering 20 bp (+240/+260) containing the ERE sequence. Based on these studies, we believe that this ERE sequence, identified in the rtER gene promoter, may be a major cis-acting element involved in the regulation of the gene by estrogen.

  4. Genetic Variation and Divergence of Genes Involved in Leaf Adaxial-abaxial Polarity Establishment in Brassica rapa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianli eLiang

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Alterations in leaf adaxial–abaxial (ad-ab polarity are one of the main factors that are responsible for leaf curvature. In Chinese cabbage, to form a leafy head, leaf incurvature is an essential prerequisite. Identifying ad-ab patterning genes and investigating its genetic variations will facilitate in elucidating the mechanism underlying leaf incurvature during head formation. In the present study we conducted comparative genomic analysis of the identification of 45 leaf ad-ab patterning genes in Brassica rapa based on 26 homologs in Arabidopsis thaliana, indicating that these genes underwent expansion and were retained after whole genome triplication (WGT. We also assessed the nucleotide diversity and selection footprints of these 45 genes in a collection of 94 Brassica rapa accessions that were composed of heading and non-heading morphotypes. Six of the 45 genes showed significant negative Tajima’s D indices and nucleotide diversity reduction in heading accessions compared to that in non-heading accessions, indicating that these underwent purifying selection. Further testing of the BrARF3.1 gene, which was one of the selection signals from a larger collection, confirmed that purifying selection did occur. Our results provide genetic evidence that ad-ab patterning genes are involved in leaf incurvature that is associated in the formation of a leafy head, as well as promote an understanding of the genetic mechanism underlying leafy head formation in Chinese cabbage.

  5. sugE: A gene involved in tributyltin (TBT) resistance of Aeromonas molluscorum Av27.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cruz, Andreia; Micaelo, Nuno; Félix, Vitor; Song, Jun-Young; Kitamura, Shin-Ichi; Suzuki, Satoru; Mendo, Sónia

    2013-01-01

    The mechanism of bacterial resistance to tributyltin (TBT) is still unclear. The results herein presented contribute to clarify that mechanism in the TBT-resistant bacterium Aeromonas molluscorum Av27. We have identified and cloned a new gene that is involved in TBT resistance in this strain. The gene is highly homologous (84%) to the Aeromonas hydrophila-sugE gene belonging to the small multidrug resistance gene family (SMR), which includes genes involved in the transport of lipophilic drugs. In Av27, expression of the Av27-sugE was observed at the early logarithmic growth phase in the presence of a high TBT concentration (500 μM), thus suggesting the contribution of this gene for TBT resistance. E. coli cells transformed with Av27-sugE become resistant to ethidium bromide (EtBr), chloramphenicol (CP) and tetracycline (TE), besides TBT. According to the Moriguchi logP (miLogP) values, EtBr, CP and TE have similar properties and are substrates for the sugE-efflux system. Despite the different miLogP of TBT, E. coli cells transformed with Av27-sugE become resistant to this compound. So it seems that TBT is also a substrate for the SugE protein. The modelling studies performed also support this hypothesis. The data herein presented clearly indicate that sugE is involved in TBT resistance of this bacterium.

  6. The quorum sensing luxS gene is induced in Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM in response to Listeria monocytogenes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moslehi Jenabian, Saloomeh; Vogensen, Finn Kvist; Jespersen, Lene

    2011-01-01

    The luxS gene involved in quorum sensing has been shown to control different behaviour of probiotic lactobacilli. In this study we investigated if luxS in Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM was up-regulated in response to Listeria monocytogenes EGD-e. The two bacterial strains were grown in mono......-killed cells of L. monocytogenes have no effect on luxS transcription. The luxS gene involved in quorum sensing has been shown to control different behaviour of probiotic lactobacilli. In this study we investigated if luxS in Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM was up-regulated in response to Listeria monocytogenes...

  7. In tobacco BY-2 cells xyloglucan oligosaccharides alter the expression of genes involved in cell wall metabolism, signalling, stress responses, cell division and transcriptional control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-Pérez, Lien; Perrotta, Lara; Acosta, Alexis; Orellana, Esteban; Spadafora, Natasha; Bruno, Leonardo; Bitonti, Beatrice M; Albani, Diego; Cabrera, Juan Carlos; Francis, Dennis; Rogers, Hilary J

    2014-10-01

    Xyloglucan oligosaccharides (XGOs) are breakdown products of XGs, the most abundant hemicelluloses of the primary cell walls of non-Poalean species. Treatment of cell cultures or whole plants with XGOs results in accelerated cell elongation and cell division, changes in primary root growth, and a stimulation of defence responses. They may therefore act as signalling molecules regulating plant growth and development. Previous work suggests an interaction with auxins and effects on cell wall loosening, however their mode of action is not fully understood. The effect of an XGO extract from tamarind (Tamarindus indica) on global gene expression was therefore investigated in tobacco BY-2 cells using microarrays. Over 500 genes were differentially regulated with similar numbers and functional classes of genes up- and down-regulated, indicating a complex interaction with the cellular machinery. Up-regulation of a putative XG endotransglycosylase/hydrolase-related (XTH) gene supports the mechanism of XGO action through cell wall loosening. Differential expression of defence-related genes supports a role for XGOs as elicitors. Changes in the expression of genes related to mitotic control and differentiation also support previous work showing that XGOs are mitotic inducers. XGOs also affected expression of several receptor-like kinase genes and transcription factors. Hence, XGOs have significant effects on expression of genes related to cell wall metabolism, signalling, stress responses, cell division and transcriptional control.

  8. Identification of heat-responsive genes in carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L. by RNA-seq

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xueli eWan

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L. is an important flower crop, having substantial commercial value as a cut-flower due to the long vase-life and wide array of flower colours and forms. Standard carnation varieties perform well under cool climates but are very susceptible to high temperatures which adversely affect the yield and the quality of the cut-flowers. Despite several studies of carnation contributing to the number of expressed sequence tags (ESTs, transcriptomic information of this species remains very limited, particularly regarding abiotic stress-related genes. Here, transcriptome analysis was performed to generate expression profiles of heat stress (HS-responsive genes in carnation. We sequenced a cDNA library constructed with mixed RNA from carnation leaves subjected to 42oC HS (0, 0.5, 1 and 2 h and 46oC HS (0.5, 1 and 2 h, and obtained 45,604,882 high quality paired-end reads. After de novo assembly and quantitative assessment, 99,255 contigs were generated with an average length of 1053bp. We then obtained functional annotations by aligning contigs with public protein databases including NR, SwissProt, KEGG and COG. Using the above carnation transcriptome as the reference, we compared the effects of high temperature treatments (42oC: duration 0.5, 2 or 12h delivered to aseptic carnation seedlings, relative to untreated controls, using the FPKM metric. Overall, 11,471 genes were identified which showed a significant response to one or more of the three HS treatment times. In addition, based on GO and metabolic pathway enrichment analyses, a series of candidate genes involved in thermo-tolerance responses were selected and characterized. This study represents the first expression profiling analysis of D. caryophyllus under heat stress treatments. Numerous genes were found to be induced in response to HS, the study of which may advance our understanding of heat response of carnation.

  9. De novo assembly of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin leucocyte transcriptome to identify putative genes involved in the aquatic adaptation and immune response.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duan Gui

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis, a marine mammal species inhabited in the waters of Southeast Asia, South Africa and Australia, has attracted much attention because of the dramatic decline in population size in the past decades, which raises the concern of extinction. So far, this species is poorly characterized at molecular level due to little sequence information available in public databases. Recent advances in large-scale RNA sequencing provide an efficient approach to generate abundant sequences for functional genomic analyses in the species with un-sequenced genomes. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We performed a de novo assembly of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin leucocyte transcriptome by Illumina sequencing. 108,751 high quality sequences from 47,840,388 paired-end reads were generated, and 48,868 and 46,587 unigenes were functionally annotated by BLAST search against the NCBI non-redundant and Swiss-Prot protein databases (E-value<10(-5, respectively. In total, 16,467 unigenes were clustered into 25 functional categories by searching against the COG database, and BLAST2GO search assigned 37,976 unigenes to 61 GO terms. In addition, 36,345 unigenes were grouped into 258 KEGG pathways. We also identified 9,906 simple sequence repeats and 3,681 putative single nucleotide polymorphisms as potential molecular markers in our assembled sequences. A large number of unigenes were predicted to be involved in immune response, and many genes were predicted to be relevant to adaptive evolution and cetacean-specific traits. CONCLUSION: This study represented the first transcriptome analysis of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, an endangered species. The de novo transcriptome analysis of the unique transcripts will provide valuable sequence information for discovery of new genes, characterization of gene expression, investigation of various pathways and adaptive evolution, as well as identification of genetic markers.

  10. Involvement of two microRNAs in the early immune response to DNA vaccination against a fish rhabdovirus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bela-ong, Dennis Berbulla; Schyth, Brian Dall; Zou, Jun

    2015-01-01

    Mechanisms that account for the high protective efficacy in teleost fish of a DNA vaccine expressing the glycoprotein (G) of Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) are thought to involve early innate immune responses mediated by interferons (IFNs). Microribonucleic acids (miRNAs) are a diverse...... class of small (18–22 nucleotides) endogenous RNAs that potently mediate post-transcriptional silencing of a wide range of genes and are emerging as critical regulators of cellular processes, including immune responses. We have recently reported that miR-462 and miR-731 were strongly induced in rainbow......RNAs using anti-miRNA oligonucleotides was conducted in poly I:C-treated rainbow trout fingerlings. Following VHSV challenge, anti-miRNA-injected fish had faster development of disease and higher mortalities than control fish, indicating that miR-462/731 may be involved in IFN-mediated protection conferred...

  11. Regulation of disease-responsive genes mediated by epigenetic factors: interaction of Arabidopsis-Pseudomonas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De-La-Peña, Clelia; Rangel-Cano, Alicia; Alvarez-Venegas, Raúl

    2012-05-01

    Genes in eukaryotic organisms function within the context of chromatin, and the mechanisms that modulate the structure of chromatin are defined as epigenetic. In Arabidopsis, pathogen infection induces the expression of at least one histone deacetylase, suggesting that histone acetylation/deacetylation has an important role in the pathogenic response in plants. How/whether histone methylation affects gene response to pathogen infection is unknown. To gain a better understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms regulating the interaction between Pseudomonas syringae and Arabidopsis thaliana, we analysed three different Arabidopsis ash1-related (absent, small or homeotic discs 1) mutants. We found that the loss of function of ASHH2 and ASHR1 resulted in faster hypersensitive responses (HRs) to both mutant (hrpA) and pathogenic (DC3000) strains of P. syringae, whereas control (Col-0) and ashr3 mutants appeared to be more resistant to the infection after 2 days. Furthermore, we showed that, in the ashr3 background, the PR1 gene (PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENE 1) displayed the highest expression levels on infection with DC3000, correlating with increased resistance against this pathogen. Our results show that, in both the ashr1 and ashh2 backgrounds, the histone H3 lysine 4 dimethylation (H3K4me2) levels decreased at the promoter region of PR1 on infection with the DC3000 strain, suggesting that an epigenetically regulated PR1 expression is involved in the plant defence. Our results suggest that histone methylation in response to pathogen infection may be a critical component in the signalling and defence processes occurring between plants and microbes. © 2011 THE AUTHORS. MOLECULAR PLANT PATHOLOGY © 2011 BSPP AND BLACKWELL PUBLISHING LTD.

  12. Gene-environment interaction involving recently identified colorectal cancer susceptibility loci

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kantor, Elizabeth D.; Hutter, Carolyn M.; Minnier, Jessica; Berndt, Sonja I.; Brenner, Hermann; Caan, Bette J.; Campbell, Peter T.; Carlson, Christopher S.; Casey, Graham; Chan, Andrew T.; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Chanock, Stephen J.; Cotterchio, Michelle; Du, Mengmeng; Duggan, David; Fuchs, Charles S.; Giovannucci, Edward L.; Gong, Jian; Harrison, Tabitha A.; Hayes, Richard B.; Henderson, Brian E.; Hoffmeister, Michael; Hopper, John L.; Jenkins, Mark A.; Jiao, Shuo; Kolonel, Laurence N.; Le Marchand, Loic; Lemire, Mathieu; Ma, Jing; Newcomb, Polly A.; Ochs-Balcom, Heather M.; Pflugeisen, Bethann M.; Potter, John D.; Rudolph, Anja; Schoen, Robert E.; Seminara, Daniela; Slattery, Martha L.; Stelling, Deanna L.; Thomas, Fridtjof; Thornquist, Mark; Ulrich, Cornelia M.; Warnick, Greg S.; Zanke, Brent W.; Peters, Ulrike; Hsu, Li; White, Emily

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND Genome-wide association studies have identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are associated with risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). Prior research has evaluated the presence of gene-environment interaction involving the first 10 identified susceptibility loci, but little work has been conducted on interaction involving SNPs at recently identified susceptibility loci, including: rs10911251, rs6691170, rs6687758, rs11903757, rs10936599, rs647161, rs1321311, rs719725, rs1665650, rs3824999, rs7136702, rs11169552, rs59336, rs3217810, rs4925386, and rs2423279. METHODS Data on 9160 cases and 9280 controls from the Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium (GECCO) and Colon Cancer Family Registry (CCFR) were used to evaluate the presence of interaction involving the above-listed SNPs and sex, body mass index (BMI), alcohol consumption, smoking, aspirin use, post-menopausal hormone (PMH) use, as well as intake of dietary calcium, dietary fiber, dietary folate, red meat, processed meat, fruit, and vegetables. Interaction was evaluated using a fixed-effects meta-analysis of an efficient Empirical Bayes estimator, and permutation was used to account for multiple comparisons. RESULTS None of the permutation-adjusted p-values reached statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS The associations between recently identified genetic susceptibility loci and CRC are not strongly modified by sex, BMI, alcohol, smoking, aspirin, PMH use, and various dietary factors. IMPACT Results suggest no evidence of strong gene-environment interactions involving the recently identified 16 susceptibility loci for CRC taken one at a time. PMID:24994789

  13. Transcriptome Profiling of Louisiana iris Root and Identification of Genes Involved in Lead-Stress Response

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Songqing Tian

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Louisiana iris is tolerant to and accumulates the heavy metal lead (Pb. However, there is limited knowledge of the molecular mechanisms behind this feature. We describe the transcriptome of Louisiana iris using Illumina sequencing technology. The root transcriptome of Louisiana iris under control and Pb-stress conditions was sequenced. Overall, 525,498 transcripts representing 313,958 unigenes were assembled using the clean raw reads. Among them, 43,015 unigenes were annotated and their functions classified using the euKaryotic Orthologous Groups (KOG database. They were divided into 25 molecular families. In the Gene Ontology (GO database, 50,174 unigenes were categorized into three GO trees (molecular function, cellular component and biological process. After analysis of differentially expressed genes, some Pb-stress-related genes were selected, including biosynthesis genes of chelating compounds, metal transporters, transcription factors and antioxidant-related genes. This study not only lays a foundation for further studies on differential genes under Pb stress, but also facilitates the molecular breeding of Louisiana iris.

  14. Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveal Candidate Genes Potentially Involved in Regulation of Primocane Apex Rooting in Raspberry (Rubus spp.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jianfeng; Ming, Yuetong; Cheng, Yunqing; Zhang, Yuchu; Xing, Jiyang; Sun, Yuqi

    2017-01-01

    Raspberries ( Rubus spp.) exhibit a unique rooting process that is initiated from the stem apex of primocane, conferring an unusual asexual mode of reproduction to this plant. However, the full complement of genes involved in this process has not been identified. To this end, the present study analyzed the transcriptomes of the Rubus primocane and floricane stem apex at three developmental stages by Digital Gene Expression profiling to identify genes that regulate rooting. Sequencing and de novo assembly yielded 26.82 Gb of nucleotides and 59,173 unigenes; 498, 7,346, 4,110, 7,900, 9,397, and 4,776 differently expressed genes were identified in paired comparisons of SAF1 (floricane at developmental stage 1) vs. SAP1 (primocane at developmental stage 1), SAF2 vs. SAP2, SAF3 vs. SAP3, SAP1 vs. SAP2, SAP1 vs. SAP3, and SAP2 vs. SAP3, respectively. SAP1 maintains an extension growth pattern; SAP2 then exhibits growth arrest and vertical (downward) gravitropic deflection; and finally, short roots begin to form on the apex of SAP3. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis of SAP1 vs. SAP2 revealed 12 pathways that were activated in response to shoot growth arrest and root differentiation, including circadian rhythm-plant (ko04712) and plant hormone signal transduction (ko04075). Our results indicate that genes related to circadian rhythm, ethylene and auxin signaling, shoot growth, and root development are potentially involved in the regulation of primocane apex rooting in Rubus . These findings provide a basis for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of primocane apex rooting in this economically valuable crop.

  15. The Escherichia coli Cpx envelope stress response regulates genes of diverse function that impact antibiotic resistance and membrane integrity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raivio, Tracy L; Leblanc, Shannon K D; Price, Nancy L

    2013-06-01

    The Cpx envelope stress response mediates adaptation to stresses that cause envelope protein misfolding. Adaptation is partly conferred through increased expression of protein folding and degradation factors. The Cpx response also plays a conserved role in the regulation of virulence determinant expression and impacts antibiotic resistance. We sought to identify adaptive mechanisms that may be involved in these important functions by characterizing changes in the transcriptome of two different Escherichia coli strains when the Cpx response is induced. We show that, while there is considerable strain- and condition-specific variability in the Cpx response, the regulon is enriched for proteins and functions that are inner membrane associated under all conditions. Genes that were changed by Cpx pathway induction under all conditions were involved in a number of cellular functions and included several intergenic regions, suggesting that posttranscriptional regulation is important during Cpx-mediated adaptation. Some Cpx-regulated genes are centrally involved in energetics and play a role in antibiotic resistance. We show that a number of small, uncharacterized envelope proteins are Cpx regulated and at least two of these affect phenotypes associated with membrane integrity. Altogether, our work suggests new mechanisms of Cpx-mediated envelope stress adaptation and antibiotic resistance.

  16. GENE RESPONSE OF THE GASTROCNEMIUS AND SOLEUS MUSCLES TO AN ACUTE AEROBIC RUN IN RATS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael J. McKenzie

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Genes can be activated or inhibited by signals within the tissues in response to an acute bout of exercise. It is unclear how a particular aerobic exercise bout may influence two muscles with similar actions to the activity. Therefore, the purposes of this investigation was to determine the gene response of selected genes involved in the "stress" response of the gastrocnemius (fast-twitch and soleus (slow-twitch muscles to a single two hour aerobic exercise bout in female Sprague-Dawley Rats at the 1 hour time point after the exercise. Exercised rats were run (n=8 for 2 hours at 20 m.min-1 and one hour after the completion of the bout had their soleus (S and gastrocnemius (G muscles removed. Age and timed matched sedentary control rats had both S and G muscles removed also. RNA was isolated from all muscles. Real-time PCR analysis was performed on the following genes: NFκB, TNFα, and Atf3. GAPDH was used as the housekeeping gene for both muscles. S muscle showed more genes altered (n = 52 vs G (n = 26. NFκB gene expression was 0.83 ± 0.14 in the exercised S but was + 1.36 ± 0.58 in the exercised G and was not significantly different between the muscles. TNFα was altered 1.30 ± 0. 34 in the exercised S and 1.36 ± 0.71 in the exercised G and was not significantly different between the muscles. The gene Atf3 was significantly altered at 4.97 ± 1.01 in the exercised S, while it was not significantly altered in the exercised G (0.70 ± 0.55. This study demonstrates that an acute bout of aerobic exercise can alter gene expression to a different extent in both the S and G muscles. It is highly likely that muscle recruitment was a factor which influenced the gene expression in theses muscles. It is interesting to note that some genes were similarly activated in these two muscles but other genes may demonstrate a varied response to the same exercise bout depending on the type of muscle

  17. Genome-wide identification, phylogeny, and expression analyses of the 14-3-3 family reveal their involvement in the development, ripening and abiotic stress response in banana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    meiying li

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Plant 14-3-3 proteins act as critical components of various cellular signaling processes and play an important role in regulating multiple physiological processes. However, less information is known about the 14-3-3 gene family in banana. In this study, 25 14-3-3 genes were identified from the banana genome. Based on the evolutionary analysis, banana 14-3-3 proteins were clustered into ε and non-ε groups. Conserved motif analysis showed that all identified banana 14-3-3 genes had the typical 14-3-3 motif. The gene structure of banana 14-3-3 genes showed distinct class-specific divergence between the ε group and the non-ε group. Most banana 14-3-3 genes showed strong transcript accumulation changes during fruit development and postharvest ripening in two banana varieties, indicating that they might be involved in regulating fruit development and ripening. Moreover, some 14-3-3 genes also showed great changes after osmotic, cold, and salt treatments in two banana varieties, suggested their potential role in regulating banana response to abiotic stress. Taken together, this systemic analysis reveals the involvement of banana 14-3-3 genes in fruit development, postharvest ripening, and response to abiotic stress and provides useful information for understanding the functions of 14-3-3 genes in banana.

  18. Global analysis of transcriptome responses and gene expression profiles to cold stress of Jatropha curcas L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Haibo; Zou, Zhurong; Wang, Shasha; Gong, Ming

    2013-01-01

    Jatropha curcas L., also called the Physic nut, is an oil-rich shrub with multiple uses, including biodiesel production, and is currently exploited as a renewable energy resource in many countries. Nevertheless, because of its origin from the tropical MidAmerican zone, J. curcas confers an inherent but undesirable characteristic (low cold resistance) that may seriously restrict its large-scale popularization. This adaptive flaw can be genetically improved by elucidating the mechanisms underlying plant tolerance to cold temperatures. The newly developed Illumina Hiseq™ 2000 RNA-seq and Digital Gene Expression (DGE) are deep high-throughput approaches for gene expression analysis at the transcriptome level, using which we carefully investigated the gene expression profiles in response to cold stress to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms of cold response in J. curcas. In total, 45,251 unigenes were obtained by assembly of clean data generated by RNA-seq analysis of the J. curcas transcriptome. A total of 33,363 and 912 complete or partial coding sequences (CDSs) were determined by protein database alignments and ESTScan prediction, respectively. Among these unigenes, more than 41.52% were involved in approximately 128 known metabolic or signaling pathways, and 4,185 were possibly associated with cold resistance. DGE analysis was used to assess the changes in gene expression when exposed to cold condition (12°C) for 12, 24, and 48 h. The results showed that 3,178 genes were significantly upregulated and 1,244 were downregulated under cold stress. These genes were then functionally annotated based on the transcriptome data from RNA-seq analysis. This study provides a global view of transcriptome response and gene expression profiling of J. curcas in response to cold stress. The results can help improve our current understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant cold resistance and favor the screening of crucial genes for genetically enhancing cold resistance

  19. The PIN gene family in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum): genome-wide identification and gene expression analyses during root development and abiotic stress responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Peng; Zhao, Peng; Wang, Limin; Zhang, Yuzhou; Wang, Xiaosi; Xiao, Hui; Yu, Jianing; Xiao, Guanghui

    2017-07-03

    Cell elongation and expansion are significant contributors to plant growth and morphogenesis, and are often regulated by environmental cues and endogenous hormones. Auxin is one of the most important phytohormones involved in the regulation of plant growth and development and plays key roles in plant cell expansion and elongation. Cotton fiber cells are a model system for studying cell elongation due to their large size. Cotton is also the world's most utilized crop for the production of natural fibers for textile and garment industries, and targeted expression of the IAA biosynthetic gene iaaM increased cotton fiber initiation. Polar auxin transport, mediated by PIN and AUX/LAX proteins, plays a central role in the control of auxin distribution. However, very limited information about PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux carriers in cotton is known. In this study, 17 PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux carrier family members were identified in the Gossypium hirsutum (G. hirsutum) genome. We found that PIN1-3 and PIN2 genes originated from the At subgenome were highly expressed in roots. Additionally, evaluation of gene expression patterns indicated that PIN genes are differentially induced by various abiotic stresses. Furthermore, we found that the majority of cotton PIN genes contained auxin (AuxREs) and salicylic acid (SA) responsive elements in their promoter regions were significantly up-regulated by exogenous hormone treatment. Our results provide a comprehensive analysis of the PIN gene family in G. hirsutum, including phylogenetic relationships, chromosomal locations, and gene expression and gene duplication analyses. This study sheds light on the precise roles of PIN genes in cotton root development and in adaption to stress responses.

  20. Comparative transcriptome and gene co-expression network analysis reveal genes and signaling pathways adaptively responsive to varied adverse stresses in the insect fungal pathogen, Beauveria bassiana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Zhangjiang; Zhao, Xin; Lu, Zhuoyue; Wang, Huifang; Liu, Pengfei; Zeng, Fanqin; Zhang, Yongjun

    2018-01-01

    Sensing, responding, and adapting to the surrounding environment are crucial for all living organisms to survive, proliferate, and differentiate in their biological niches. Beauveria bassiana is an economically important insect-pathogenic fungus which is widely used as a biocontrol agent to control a variety of insect pests. The fungal pathogen unavoidably encounters a variety of adverse environmental stresses and defense response from the host insects during application of the fungal agents. However, few are known about the transcription response of the fungus to respond or adapt varied adverse stresses. Here, we comparatively analyzed the transcriptome of B. bassiana in globe genome under the varied stationary-phase stresses including osmotic agent (0.8 M NaCl), high temperature (32 °C), cell wall-perturbing agent (Congo red), and oxidative agents (H 2 O 2 or menadione). Total of 12,412 reads were obtained, and mapped to the 6767 genes of the B. bassiana. All of these stresses caused transcription responses involved in basal metabolism, cell wall construction, stress response or cell rescue/detoxification, signaling transduction and gene transcription regulation, and likely other cellular processes. An array of genes displayed similar transcription patterns in response to at least two of the five stresses, suggesting a shared transcription response to varied adverse stresses. Gene co-expression network analysis revealed that mTOR signaling pathway, but not HOG1 MAP kinase pathway, played a central role in regulation the varied adverse stress responses, which was verified by RNAi-mediated knockdown of TOR1. Our findings provided an insight of transcription response and gene co-expression network of B. bassiana in adaptation to varied environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Adaptive response to chronic mild ethanol stress involves ROS, sirtuins and changes in chromosome dosage in wine yeasts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adamczyk, Jagoda; Deregowska, Anna; Skoneczny, Marek; Skoneczna, Adrianna; Kwiatkowska, Aleksandra; Potocki, Leszek; Rawska, Ewa; Pabian, Sylwia; Kaplan, Jakub; Lewinska, Anna; Wnuk, Maciej

    2016-05-24

    Industrial yeast strains of economic importance used in winemaking and beer production are genomically diverse and subjected to harsh environmental conditions during fermentation. In the present study, we investigated wine yeast adaptation to chronic mild alcohol stress when cells were cultured for 100 generations in the presence of non-cytotoxic ethanol concentration. Ethanol-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and superoxide signals promoted growth rate during passages that was accompanied by increased expression of sirtuin proteins, Sir1, Sir2 and Sir3, and DNA-binding transcription regulator Rap1. Genome-wide array-CGH analysis revealed that yeast genome was shaped during passages. The gains of chromosomes I, III and VI and significant changes in the gene copy number in nine functional gene categories involved in metabolic processes and stress responses were observed. Ethanol-mediated gains of YRF1 and CUP1 genes were the most accented. Ethanol also induced nucleolus fragmentation that confirms that nucleolus is a stress sensor in yeasts. Taken together, we postulate that wine yeasts of different origin may adapt to mild alcohol stress by shifts in intracellular redox state promoting growth capacity, upregulation of key regulators of longevity, namely sirtuins and changes in the dosage of genes involved in the telomere maintenance and ion detoxification.

  2. The strong selective sweep candidate gene ADRA2C does not explain domestication related changes in the stress response of chickens.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magnus Elfwing

    Full Text Available Analysis of selective sweeps to pinpoint causative genomic regions involved in chicken domestication has revealed a strong selective sweep on chromosome 4 in layer chickens. The autoregulatory α-adrenergic receptor 2C (ADRA2C gene is the closest to the selective sweep and was proposed as an important gene in the domestication of layer chickens. The ADRA2C promoter region was also hypermethylated in comparison to the non-selected ancestor of all domesticated chicken breeds, the Red Junglefowl, further supporting its relevance. In mice the receptor is involved in the fight-or-flight response as it modulates epinephrine release from the adrenals. To investigate the involvement of ADRA2C in chicken domestication, we measured gene expression in the adrenals and radiolabeled receptor ligand in three brain regions comparing the domestic White Leghorn strain with the wild ancestor Red Junglefowl. In adrenals ADRA2C was twofold greater expressed than the related receptor gene ADRA2A, indicating that ADRA2C is the predominant modulator of epinephrine release but no strain differences were measured. In hypothalamus and amygdala, regions associated with the stress response, and in striatum, receptor binding pIC50 values ranged between 8.1-8.4, and the level was not influenced by the genotyped allele. Because chicken strains differ in morphology, physiology and behavior, differences attributed to a single gene may be lost in the noise caused by the heterogeneous genetic background. Therefore an F10 advanced intercross strain between White Leghorn and Red Junglefowl was used to investigate effects of ADRA2C alleles on fear related behaviors and fecundity. We did not find compelling genotype effects in open field, tonic immobility, aerial predator, associative learning or fecundity. Therefore we conclude that ADRA2C is probably not involved in the domestication of the stress response in chicken, and the strong selective sweep is probably caused by selection

  3. The Zinc-Finger Thylakoid-Membrane Protein FIP Is Involved With Abiotic Stress Response in Arabidopsis thaliana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karina L. Lopes

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Many plant genes have their expression modulated by stress conditions. Here, we used Arabidopsis FtsH5 protease, which expression is regulated by light stress, as bait in a yeast two-hybrid screen to search for new proteins involved in the stress response. As a result, we found FIP (FtsH5 Interacting Protein, which possesses an amino proximal cleavable transit peptide, a hydrophobic membrane-anchoring region, and a carboxyl proximal C4-type zinc-finger domain. In vivo experiments using FIP fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP showed a plastid localization. This finding was corroborated by chloroplast import assays that showed FIP inserted in the thylakoid membrane. FIP expression was down-regulated in plants exposed to high light intensity, oxidative, salt, and osmotic stresses, whereas mutant plants expressing low levels of FIP were more tolerant to these abiotic stresses. Our data shows a new thylakoid-membrane protein involved with abiotic stress response in Arabidopsis thaliana.

  4. PKG in honey bees: spatial expression, Amfor gene expression, sucrose responsiveness, and division of labor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thamm, Markus; Scheiner, Ricarda

    2014-06-01

    Division of labor is a hallmark of social insects. In honey bees, division of labor involves transition of female workers from one task to the next. The most distinct tasks are nursing (providing food for the brood) and foraging (collecting pollen and nectar). The brain mechanisms regulating this form of behavioral plasticity have largely remained elusive. Recently, it was suggested that division of labor is based on nutrition-associated signaling pathways. One highly conserved gene associated with food-related behavior across species is the foraging gene, which encodes a cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKG). Our analysis of this gene reveals the presence of alternative splicing in the honey bee. One isoform is expressed in the brain. Expression of this isoform is most pronounced in the mushroom bodies, the subesophageal ganglion, and the corpora allata. Division of labor and sucrose responsiveness in honey bees correlate significantly with foraging gene expression in distinct brain regions. Activating PKG selectively increases sucrose responsiveness in nurse bees to the level of foragers, whereas the same treatment does not affect responsiveness to light. These findings demonstrate a direct link between PKG signaling in distinct brain areas and division of labor. Furthermore, they demonstrate that the difference in sensory responsiveness between nurse bees and foragers can be compensated for by activating PKG. Our findings on the function of PKG in regulating specific sensory responsiveness and social organization offer valuable indications for the function of the cGMP/PKG pathway in many other insects and vertebrates. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Analysis of global gene expression profile of rice in response to methylglyoxal indicates its possible role as a stress signal molecule

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charanpreet eKaur

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Methylglyoxal (MG is a toxic metabolite produced primarily as a byproduct of glycolysis. Being a potent glycating agent, it can readily bind macromolecules like DNA, RNA or proteins, modulating their expression and activity. In plants, despite the known inhibitory effects of MG on growth and development, still limited information is available about the molecular mechanisms and response pathways elicited upon elevation in MG levels. To gain insight into the molecular basis of MG response, we have investigated changes in global gene expression profiles in rice upon exposure to exogenous MG using GeneChip microarrays. Initially, growth of rice seedlings was monitored in response to increasing MG concentrations which could retard plant growth in a dose-dependent manner. Upon exposure to 10 mM concentration of MG, a total of 1685 probe sets were up- or down-regulated by more than 1.5-fold in shoot tissues within 16 h. These were classified into ten functional categories. The genes involved in signal transduction such as, protein kinases and transcription factors, were significantly over-represented in the perturbed transcriptome, of which several are known to be involved in abiotic and biotic stress response indicating a cross-talk between MG-responsive and stress-responsive signal transduction pathways. Through in silico studies, we could predict 7-8 bp long conserved motif as a possible MG-responsive element (MGRE in the 1 kb upstream region of genes that were more than ten-fold up- or down-regulated in the analysis. Since several perturbations were found in signaling cascades in response to MG, we hereby suggest that it plays an important role in signal transduction probably acting as a stress signal molecule.

  6. Global gene expression response to telomerase in bovine adrenocortical cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perrault, Steven D.; Hornsby, Peter J.; Betts, Dean H.

    2005-01-01

    The infinite proliferative capability of most immortalized cells is dependent upon the presence of the enzyme telomerase and its ability to maintain telomere length and structure. However, telomerase may be involved in a greater system than telomere length regulation, as recent evidence has shown it capable of increasing wound healing in vivo, and improving cellular proliferation rate and survival from apoptosis in vitro. Here, we describe the global gene expression response to ectopic telomerase expression in an in vitro bovine adrenocortical cell model. Telomerase-immortalized cells showed an increased ability for proliferation and survival in minimal essential medium above cells transgenic for GFP. cDNA microarray analyses revealed an altered cell state indicative of increased adrenocortical cell proliferation regulated by the IGF2 pathway and alterations in members of the TGF-B family. As well, we identified alterations in genes associated with development and wound healing that support a model that high telomerase expression induces a highly adaptable, progenitor-like state

  7. Intra- and interspecies gene expression models for predicting drug response in canine osteosarcoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fowles, Jared S; Brown, Kristen C; Hess, Ann M; Duval, Dawn L; Gustafson, Daniel L

    2016-02-19

    Genomics-based predictors of drug response have the potential to improve outcomes associated with cancer therapy. Osteosarcoma (OS), the most common primary bone cancer in dogs, is commonly treated with adjuvant doxorubicin or carboplatin following amputation of the affected limb. We evaluated the use of gene-expression based models built in an intra- or interspecies manner to predict chemosensitivity and treatment outcome in canine OS. Models were built and evaluated using microarray gene expression and drug sensitivity data from human and canine cancer cell lines, and canine OS tumor datasets. The "COXEN" method was utilized to filter gene signatures between human and dog datasets based on strong co-expression patterns. Models were built using linear discriminant analysis via the misclassification penalized posterior algorithm. The best doxorubicin model involved genes identified in human lines that were co-expressed and trained on canine OS tumor data, which accurately predicted clinical outcome in 73 % of dogs (p = 0.0262, binomial). The best carboplatin model utilized canine lines for gene identification and model training, with canine OS tumor data for co-expression. Dogs whose treatment matched our predictions had significantly better clinical outcomes than those that didn't (p = 0.0006, Log Rank), and this predictor significantly associated with longer disease free intervals in a Cox multivariate analysis (hazard ratio = 0.3102, p = 0.0124). Our data show that intra- and interspecies gene expression models can successfully predict response in canine OS, which may improve outcome in dogs and serve as pre-clinical validation for similar methods in human cancer research.

  8. Gene expression analysis of overwintering mountain pine beetle larvae suggests multiple systems involved in overwintering stress, cold hardiness, and preparation for spring development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeanne A. Robert

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Cold-induced mortality has historically been a key aspect of mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, population control, but little is known about the molecular basis for cold tolerance in this insect. We used RNA-seq analysis to monitor gene expression patterns of mountain pine beetle larvae at four time points during their overwintering period—early-autumn, late-autumn, early-spring, and late-spring. Changing transcript profiles over the winter indicates a multipronged physiological response from larvae that is broadly characterized by gene transcripts involved in insect immune responses and detoxification during the autumn. In the spring, although transcripts associated with developmental process are present, there was no particular biological process dominating the transcriptome.

  9. Early Brain Response to Low-Dose Radiation Exposure Involves Molecular Networks and Pathways Associated with Cognitive Functions, Advanced Aging and Alzheimer's Disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lowe, Xiu R; Bhattacharya, Sanchita; Marchetti, Francesco; Wyrobek, Andrew J.

    2008-06-06

    Understanding the cognitive and behavioral consequences of brain exposures to low-dose ionizing radiation has broad relevance for health risks from medical radiation diagnostic procedures, radiotherapy, environmental nuclear contamination, as well as earth orbit and space missions. Analyses of transcriptome profiles of murine brain tissue after whole-body radiation showed that low-dose exposures (10 cGy) induced genes not affected by high dose (2 Gy), and low-dose genes were associated with unique pathways and functions. The low-dose response had two major components: pathways that are consistently seen across tissues, and pathways that were brain tissue specific. Low-dose genes clustered into a saturated network (p < 10{sup -53}) containing mostly down-regulated genes involving ion channels, long-term potentiation and depression, vascular damage, etc. We identified 9 neural signaling pathways that showed a high degree of concordance in their transcriptional response in mouse brain tissue after low-dose radiation, in the aging human brain (unirradiated), and in brain tissue from patients with Alzheimer's disease. Mice exposed to high-dose radiation did not show these effects and associations. Our findings indicate that the molecular response of the mouse brain within a few hours after low-dose irradiation involves the down-regulation of neural pathways associated with cognitive dysfunctions that are also down regulated in normal human aging and Alzheimer's disease.

  10. Genome-wide targeted prediction of ABA responsive genes in rice based on over-represented cis-motif in co-expressed genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenka, Sangram K; Lohia, Bikash; Kumar, Abhay; Chinnusamy, Viswanathan; Bansal, Kailash C

    2009-02-01

    Abscisic acid (ABA), the popular plant stress hormone, plays a key role in regulation of sub-set of stress responsive genes. These genes respond to ABA through specific transcription factors which bind to cis-regulatory elements present in their promoters. We discovered the ABA Responsive Element (ABRE) core (ACGT) containing CGMCACGTGB motif as over-represented motif among the promoters of ABA responsive co-expressed genes in rice. Targeted gene prediction strategy using this motif led to the identification of 402 protein coding genes potentially regulated by ABA-dependent molecular genetic network. RT-PCR analysis of arbitrarily chosen 45 genes from the predicted 402 genes confirmed 80% accuracy of our prediction. Plant Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of ABA responsive genes showed enrichment of signal transduction and stress related genes among diverse functional categories.

  11. Gene expression during different periods of the handling-stress response in Pampus argenteus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Peng; Tang, Baojun; Yin, Fei

    2017-11-01

    Common aquaculture practices subject fish to a variety of acute and chronic stressors. Such stressors are inherent in aquaculture production but can adversely affect survival, growth, immune response, reproductive capacity, and behavior. Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying stress responses helps with methods to alleviate the negative effects through better aquaculture practices, resulting in improved animal welfare and production efficiency. In the present study, transcriptome sequencing of liver and kidney was performed in silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) subjected to handling stress versus controls. A total of 162.19 million clean reads were assembled to 30 339 unigenes. The quality of the assembly was high, with an N50 length of 2 472 bases. For function classification and pathway assignment, the unigenes were categorized into three GO (gene ontology) categories, twenty-six clusters of eggNOG (evolutionary genealogy of genes: non-supervised orthologous groups) function categories, and thirty-eight KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways. Stress affected different functional groups of genes in the tissues studied. Differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in metabolic pathways (carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, amino-acid metabolism, uptake of cofactors and vitamins, and biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites), environmental information processing (signaling molecules and their interactions), organismal systems (endocrine system, digestive system), and disease (immune, neurodegenerative, endocrine and metabolic diseases). This is the first reported analysis of genome-wide transcriptome in P. argenteus, and the findings expand our understanding of the silver pomfret genome and gene expression in association with stress. The results will be useful to future analyses of functional genes and studies of healthy artificial breeding in P. argenteus and other related fish species.

  12. An Evolutionary Genomic Approach to Identify Genes Involved in Human Birth Timing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orabona, Guilherme; Morgan, Thomas; Haataja, Ritva; Hallman, Mikko; Puttonen, Hilkka; Menon, Ramkumar; Kuczynski, Edward; Norwitz, Errol; Snegovskikh, Victoria; Palotie, Aarno; Fellman, Vineta; DeFranco, Emily A.; Chaudhari, Bimal P.; McGregor, Tracy L.; McElroy, Jude J.; Oetjens, Matthew T.; Teramo, Kari; Borecki, Ingrid; Fay, Justin; Muglia, Louis

    2011-01-01

    Coordination of fetal maturation with birth timing is essential for mammalian reproduction. In humans, preterm birth is a disorder of profound global health significance. The signals initiating parturition in humans have remained elusive, due to divergence in physiological mechanisms between humans and model organisms typically studied. Because of relatively large human head size and narrow birth canal cross-sectional area compared to other primates, we hypothesized that genes involved in parturition would display accelerated evolution along the human and/or higher primate phylogenetic lineages to decrease the length of gestation and promote delivery of a smaller fetus that transits the birth canal more readily. Further, we tested whether current variation in such accelerated genes contributes to preterm birth risk. Evidence from allometric scaling of gestational age suggests human gestation has been shortened relative to other primates. Consistent with our hypothesis, many genes involved in reproduction show human acceleration in their coding or adjacent noncoding regions. We screened >8,400 SNPs in 150 human accelerated genes in 165 Finnish preterm and 163 control mothers for association with preterm birth. In this cohort, the most significant association was in FSHR, and 8 of the 10 most significant SNPs were in this gene. Further evidence for association of a linkage disequilibrium block of SNPs in FSHR, rs11686474, rs11680730, rs12473870, and rs1247381 was found in African Americans. By considering human acceleration, we identified a novel gene that may be associated with preterm birth, FSHR. We anticipate other human accelerated genes will similarly be associated with preterm birth risk and elucidate essential pathways for human parturition. PMID:21533219

  13. Functional analysis of a tyrosinase gene involved in early larval shell biogenesis in Crassostrea angulata and its response to ocean acidification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Bingye; Pu, Fei; Li, Lingling; You, Weiwei; Ke, Caihuan; Feng, Danqing

    2017-04-01

    The formation of the primary shell is a vital process in marine bivalves. Ocean acidification largely influences shell formation. It has been reported that enzymes involved in phenol oxidation, such as tyrosinase and phenoloxidases, participate in the formation of the periostracum. In the present study, we cloned a tyrosinase gene from Crassostrea angulata named Ca-tyrA1, and its potential function in early larval shell biogenesis was investigated. The Ca-tyrA1 gene has a full-length cDNA of 2430bp in size, with an open reading frame of 1896bp in size, which encodes a 631-amino acid protein that includes a 24-amino acid putative signal peptide. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that Ca-tyrA1 transcription mainly occurs at the trochophore stage, and the Ca-tyrA1 mRNA levels in the 3000ppm treatment group were significantly upregulated in the early D-veliger larvae. WMISH and electron scanning microscopy analyses showed that the expression of Ca-tyrA1 occurs at the gastrula stage, thereby sustaining the early D-veliger larvae, and the shape of its signal is saddle-like, similar to that observed under an electron scanning microscope. Furthermore, the RNA interference has shown that the treatment group has a higher deformity rate than that of the control, thereby indicating that Ca-tyrA1 participates in the biogenesis of the primary shell. In conclusion, and our results indicate that Ca-tyrA1 plays a vital role in the formation of the larval shell and participates in the response to larval shell damages in Crassostrea angulata that were induced by ocean acidification. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. RNA-Seq mediated root transcriptome analysis of Chlorophytum borivilianum for identification of genes involved in saponin biosynthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Sunil; Kalra, Shikha; Singh, Baljinder; Kumar, Avneesh; Kaur, Jagdeep; Singh, Kashmir

    2016-01-01

    Chlorophytum borivilianum is an important species of liliaceae family, owing to its vital medicinal properties. Plant roots are used for aphrodisiac, adaptogen, anti-aging, health-restorative and health-promoting purposes. Saponins, are considered to be the principal bioactive components responsible for the wide variety of pharmacological properties of this plant. In the present study, we have performed de novo root transcriptome sequencing of C. borivilianum using Illumina Hiseq 2000 platform, to gain molecular insight into saponins biosynthesis. A total of 33,963,356 high-quality reads were obtained after quality filtration. Sequences were assembled using various programs which generated 97,344 transcripts with a size range of 100-5,216 bp and N50 value of 342. Data was analyzed against non-redundant proteins, gene ontology (GO), and enzyme commission (EC) databases. All the genes involved in saponins biosynthesis along with five full-length genes namely farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase, cycloartenol synthase, β-amyrin synthase, cytochrome p450, and sterol-3-glucosyltransferase were identified. Read per exon kilobase per million (RPKM)-based comparative expression profiling was done to study the differential regulation of the genes. In silico expression analysis of seven selected genes of saponin biosynthetic pathway was validated by qRT-PCR.

  15. Perturbation of B Cell Gene Expression Persists in HIV-Infected Children Despite Effective Antiretroviral Therapy and Predicts H1N1 Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cotugno, Nicola; De Armas, Lesley; Pallikkuth, Suresh; Rinaldi, Stefano; Issac, Biju; Cagigi, Alberto; Rossi, Paolo; Palma, Paolo; Pahwa, Savita

    2017-01-01

    Despite effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV-infected individuals with apparently similar clinical and immunological characteristics can vary in responsiveness to vaccinations. However, molecular mechanisms responsible for such impairment, as well as biomarkers able to predict vaccine responsiveness in HIV-infected children, remain unknown. Following the hypothesis that a B cell qualitative impairment persists in HIV-infected children (HIV) despite effective ART and phenotypic B cell immune reconstitution, the aim of the current study was to investigate B cell gene expression of HIV compared to age-matched healthy controls (HCs) and to determine whether distinct gene expression patterns could predict the ability to respond to influenza vaccine. To do so, we analyzed prevaccination transcriptional levels of a 96-gene panel in equal numbers of sort-purified B cell subsets (SPBS) isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells using multiplexed RT-PCR. Immune responses to H1N1 antigen were determined by hemaglutination inhibition and memory B cell ELISpot assays following trivalent-inactivated influenza vaccination (TIV) for all study participants. Although there were no differences in terms of cell frequencies of SPBS between HIV and HC, the groups were distinguishable based upon gene expression analyses. Indeed, a 28-gene signature, characterized by higher expression of genes involved in the inflammatory response and immune activation was observed in activated memory B cells (CD27 + CD21 - ) from HIV when compared to HC despite long-term viral control (>24 months). Further analysis, taking into account H1N1 responses after TIV in HIV participants, revealed that a 25-gene signature in resting memory (RM) B cells (CD27 + CD21 + ) was able to distinguish vaccine responders from non-responders (NR). In fact, prevaccination RM B cells of responders showed a higher expression of gene sets involved in B cell adaptive immune responses ( APRIL, BTK, BLIMP1 ) and

  16. Genome-wide analysis of the Hsp70 family genes in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and functional identification of CaHsp70-2 involvement in heat stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Meng; Liu, Jin-Hong; Ma, Xiao; Zhai, Yu-Fei; Gong, Zhen-Hui; Lu, Ming-Hui

    2016-11-01

    Hsp70s function as molecular chaperones and are encoded by a multi-gene family whose members play a crucial role in plant response to stress conditions, and in plant growth and development. Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an important vegetable crop whose genome has been sequenced. Nonetheless, no overall analysis of the Hsp70 gene family is reported in this crop plant to date. To assess the functionality of Capsicum annuum Hsp70 (CaHsp70) genes, pepper genome database was analyzed in this research. A total of 21 CaHsp70 genes were identified and their characteristics were also described. The promoter and transcript expression analysis revealed that CaHsp70s were involved in pepper growth and development, and heat stress response. Ectopic expression of a cytosolic gene, CaHsp70-2, regulated expression of stress-related genes and conferred increased thermotolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. Taken together, our results provide the basis for further studied to dissect CaHsp70s' function in response to heat stress as well as other environmental stresses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Faba bean drought responsive gene identification and validation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Megahed H. Ammar

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This study was carried out to identify drought-responsive genes in a drought tolerant faba bean variety (Hassawi 2 using a suppressive subtraction hybridization approach (SSH. A total of 913 differentially expressed clones were sequenced from a differential cDNA library that resulted in a total of 225 differentially expressed ESTs. The genes of mitochondrial and chloroplast origin were removed, and the remaining 137 EST sequences were submitted to the gene bank EST database (LIBEST_028448. A sequence analysis identified 35 potentially drought stress-related ESTs that regulate ion channels, kinases, and energy production and utilization and transcription factors. Quantitative PCR on Hassawi 2 genotype confirmed that more than 65% of selected drought-responsive genes were drought-related. Among these induced genes, the expression levels of eight highly up-regulated unigenes were further analyzed across 38 selected faba bean genotypes that differ in their drought tolerance levels. These unigenes included ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL gene, non-LTR retroelement reverse related, probable cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel, polyubiquitin, potassium channel, calcium-dependent protein kinase and putative respiratory burst oxidase-like protein C and a novel unigene. The expression patterns of these unigenes were variable across 38 genotypes however, it was found to be very high in tolerant genotype. The up-regulation of these unigenes in majority of tolerant genotypes suggests their possible role in drought tolerance. The identification of possible drought responsive candidate genes in Vicia faba reported here is an important step toward the development of drought-tolerant genotypes that can cope with arid environments.

  18. Gene transcription and biomarker responses in the clam Ruditapes philippinarum after exposure to ibuprofen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Milan, Massimo; Pauletto, Marianna; Patarnello, Tomaso; Bargelloni, Luca [Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Viale dell' Universita 16, Legnaro (Padova) (Italy); Marin, Maria Gabriella [Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova (Italy); Matozzo, Valerio, E-mail: matozzo@bio.unipd.it [Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova (Italy)

    2013-01-15

    Pharmaceuticals are a class of emerging environmental contaminants that continuously enter aquatic environments. Presently, little information is available about the effects of these substances on non-target organisms, such as bivalves. We investigated the effects of ibuprofen (IBU) on the clam Ruditapes philippinarum. Clams were exposed for 1, 3, 5 and 7 days to 0, 100 and 1000 {mu}g IBU/L, and established biomarker responses (haemolymph lysozyme, gill acetylcholinesterase and digestive gland superoxide dismutase activities) as well as digestive gland transcriptome were evaluated. A two-way ANOVA revealed significant effects of both 'IBU concentration' and 'exposure duration' on biomarker responses. Overall, the enzyme activities were generally lower in IBU-exposed clams than in controls. Although limited knowledge of the mollusc transcriptome makes it difficult to interpret the effects of IBU on clams, the gene transcription analysis using DNA microarrays enabled the identification of the putative molecular mode of action of the IBU. The functional analysis of differentially transcribed genes suggests that IBU can interfere with various signalling pathways in clams, such as arachidonic acid metabolism, apoptosis, peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptors, and nuclear factor-kappa B. In addition, several genes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics (e.g., glutathione S-transferase, sulfotransferase, cytochrome P450) were also found to be significantly affected by IBU exposure. In summary, the integrated approach of gene transcription analysis and biomarker responses facilitated the elucidation of the putative mechanisms of action of IBU in non-target species.

  19. Gene transcription and biomarker responses in the clam Ruditapes philippinarum after exposure to ibuprofen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Milan, Massimo; Pauletto, Marianna; Patarnello, Tomaso; Bargelloni, Luca; Marin, Maria Gabriella; Matozzo, Valerio

    2013-01-01

    Pharmaceuticals are a class of emerging environmental contaminants that continuously enter aquatic environments. Presently, little information is available about the effects of these substances on non-target organisms, such as bivalves. We investigated the effects of ibuprofen (IBU) on the clam Ruditapes philippinarum. Clams were exposed for 1, 3, 5 and 7 days to 0, 100 and 1000 μg IBU/L, and established biomarker responses (haemolymph lysozyme, gill acetylcholinesterase and digestive gland superoxide dismutase activities) as well as digestive gland transcriptome were evaluated. A two-way ANOVA revealed significant effects of both “IBU concentration” and “exposure duration” on biomarker responses. Overall, the enzyme activities were generally lower in IBU-exposed clams than in controls. Although limited knowledge of the mollusc transcriptome makes it difficult to interpret the effects of IBU on clams, the gene transcription analysis using DNA microarrays enabled the identification of the putative molecular mode of action of the IBU. The functional analysis of differentially transcribed genes suggests that IBU can interfere with various signalling pathways in clams, such as arachidonic acid metabolism, apoptosis, peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptors, and nuclear factor-kappa B. In addition, several genes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics (e.g., glutathione S-transferase, sulfotransferase, cytochrome P450) were also found to be significantly affected by IBU exposure. In summary, the integrated approach of gene transcription analysis and biomarker responses facilitated the elucidation of the putative mechanisms of action of IBU in non-target species.

  20. The effects of calcium on the expression of genes involved in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Calcium regulation of the genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis and ethylene receptors in flower abscission zones (AZ) of wild-type tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) was investigated in this study. Calcium treatment delayed abscission of pedicel explants. However, verapamil (VP, calcium inhibitor) treatments ...

  1. Molecular analysis of UAS(E), a cis element containing stress response elements responsible for ethanol induction of the KlADH4 gene of Kluyveromyces lactis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazzoni, C; Santori, F; Saliola, M; Falcone, C

    2000-01-01

    KlADH4 is a gene of Kluyveromyces lactis encoding a mitochondrial alcohol dehydrogenase activity, which is specifically induced by ethanol and insensitive to glucose repression. In this work, we report the molecular analysis of UAS(E), an element of the KlADH4 promoter which is essential for the induction of KlADH4 in the presence of ethanol. UAS(E) contains five stress response elements (STREs), which have been found in many genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae involved in the response of cells to conditions of stress. Whereas KlADH4 is not responsive to stress conditions, the STREs present in UAS(E) seem to play a key role in the induction of the gene by ethanol, a situation that has not been observed in the related yeast S. cerevisiae. Gel retardation experiments showed that STREs in the KlADH4 promoter can bind factor(s) under non-inducing conditions. Moreover, we observed that the RAP1 binding site present in UAS(E) binds KlRap1p.

  2. Exercise improves cognitive responses to psychological stress through enhancement of epigenetic mechanisms and gene expression in the dentate gyrus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew Collins

    Full Text Available We have shown previously that exercise benefits stress resistance and stress coping capabilities. Furthermore, we reported recently that epigenetic changes related to gene transcription are involved in memory formation of stressful events. In view of the enhanced coping capabilities in exercised subjects we investigated epigenetic, gene expression and behavioral changes in 4-weeks voluntarily exercised rats.Exercised and control rats coped differently when exposed to a novel environment. Whereas the control rats explored the new cage for the complete 30-min period, exercised animals only did so during the first 15 min after which they returned to sleeping or resting behavior. Both groups of animals showed similar behavioral responses in the initial forced swim session. When re-tested 24 h later however the exercised rats showed significantly more immobility behavior and less struggling and swimming. If rats were killed at 2 h after novelty or the initial swim test, i.e. at the peak of histone H3 phospho-acetylation and c-Fos induction, then the exercised rats showed a significantly higher number of dentate granule neurons expressing the histone modifications and immediate-early gene induction.Thus, irrespective of the behavioral response in the novel cage or initial forced swim session, the impact of the event at the dentate gyrus level was greater in exercised rats than in control animals. Furthermore, in view of our concept that the neuronal response in the dentate gyrus after forced swimming is involved in memory formation of the stressful event, the observations in exercised rats of enhanced neuronal responses as well as higher immobility responses in the re-test are consistent with the reportedly improved cognitive performance in these animals. Thus, improved stress coping in exercised subjects seems to involve enhanced cognitive capabilities possibly resulting from distinct epigenetic mechanisms in dentate gyrus neurons.

  3. Identification of differentially accumulated proteins involved in regulating independent and combined osmosis and cadmium stress response in Brachypodium seedling roots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ziyan; Zhu, Dong; Wu, Jisu; Cheng, Zhiwei; Yan, Xing; Deng, Xiong; Yan, Yueming

    2018-05-17

    In this study, we aimed to identify differentially accumulated proteins (DAPs) involved in PEG mock osmotic stress, cadmium (Cd 2+ ) stress, and their combined stress responses in Brachypodium distachyon seedling roots. The results showed that combined PEG and Cd 2+ stresses had more significant effects on Brachypodium seedling root growth, physiological traits, and ultrastructures when compared with each individual stress. Totally, 106 DAPs were identified that are responsive to individual and combined stresses in roots. These DAPs were mainly involved in energy metabolism, detoxification and stress defense and protein metabolism. Principal component analysis revealed that DAPs from Cd 2+ and combined stress treatments were grouped closer than those from osmotic stress treatment, indicating that Cd 2+ and combined stresses had more severe influences on the root proteome than osmotic stress alone. Protein-protein interaction analyses highlighted a 14-3-3 centered sub-network that synergistically responded to osmotic and Cd 2+ stresses and their combined stresses. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis of 14 key DAP genes revealed that most genes showed consistency between transcriptional and translational expression patterns. A putative pathway of proteome metabolic changes in Brachypodium seedling roots under different stresses was proposed, which revealed a complicated synergetic responsive network of plant roots to adverse environments.

  4. Confirmation of RAX gene involvement in human anophthalmia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lequeux, L; Rio, M; Vigouroux, A; Titeux, M; Etchevers, H; Malecaze, F; Chassaing, N; Calvas, P

    2008-10-01

    Microphthalmia and anophthalmia are at the severe end of the spectrum of abnormalities in ocular development. Mutations in several genes have been involved in syndromic and non-syndromic anophthalmia. Previously, RAX recessive mutations were implicated in a single patient with right anophthalmia, left microphthalmia and sclerocornea. In this study, we report the findings of novel compound heterozygous RAX mutations in a child with bilateral anophthalmia. Both mutations are located in exon 3. c.664delT is a frameshifting deletion predicted to introduce a premature stop codon (p.Ser222ArgfsX62), and c.909C>G is a nonsense mutation with similar consequences (p.Tyr303X). This is the second report of a patient with anophthalmia caused by RAX mutations. These findings confirm that RAX plays a major role in the early stages of eye development and is involved in human anophthalmia.

  5. An ortholog of farA of Aspergillus nidulans is implicated in the transcriptional activation of genes involved in fatty acid utilization in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poopanitpan, Napapol; Kobayashi, Satoshi; Fukuda, Ryouichi; Horiuchi, Hiroyuki; Ohta, Akinori

    2010-01-01

    Research highlights: → POR1 is a Yarrowia lipolytica ortholog of farA involved in fatty acid response in A. nidulans. → Deletion of POR1 caused growth defects on fatty acids. → Δpor1 strain exhibited defects in the induction of genes involved in fatty acid utilization. -- Abstract: The yeast Yarrowia lipolytica effectively utilizes hydrophobic substrates such as fatty acids and n-alkanes. To identify a gene(s) regulating fatty acid utilization in Y. lipolytica, we first studied homologous genes to OAF1 and PIP2 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but their disruption did not change growth on oleic acid at all. We next characterized a Y. lipolytica gene, POR1 (primary oleate regulator 1), an ortholog of farA encoding a transcriptional activator that regulates fatty acid utilization in Aspergillus nidulans. The deletion mutant of POR1 was defective in the growth on various fatty acids, but not on glucose, glycerol, or n-hexadecane. It exhibited slight defect on n-decane. The transcriptional induction of genes involved in β-oxidation and peroxisome proliferation by oleate was distinctly diminished in the Δpor1 strains. These data suggest that POR1 encodes a transcriptional activator widely regulating fatty acid metabolism in Y. lipolytica.

  6. Genes involved in immunity and apoptosis are associated with human presbycusis based on microarray analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Yang; Li, Ming; Liu, Puzhao; Song, Haiyan; Zhao, Yuping; Shi, Jianrong

    2014-06-01

    Genes involved in immunity and apoptosis were associated with human presbycusis. CCR3 and GILZ played an important role in the pathogenesis of presbycusis, probably through regulating chemokine receptor, T-cell apoptosis, or T-cell activation pathways. To identify genes associated with human presbycusis and explore the molecular mechanism of presbycusis. Hearing function was tested by pure-tone audiometry. Microarray analysis was performed to identify presbycusis-correlated genes by Illumina Human-6 BeadChip using the peripheral blood samples of subjects. To identify biological process categories and pathways associated with presbycusis-correlated genes, bioinformatics analysis was carried out by Gene Ontology Tree Machine (GOTM) and database for annotation, visualization, and integrated discovery (DAVID). Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to validate the microarray data. Microarray analysis identified 469 up-regulated genes and 323 down-regulated genes. Both the dominant biological processes by Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and the enriched pathways by Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) and BIOCARTA showed that genes involved in immunity and apoptosis were associated with presbycusis. In addition, CCR3, GILZ, CXCL10, and CX3CR1 genes showed consistent difference between groups for both the gene chip and qRT-PCR data. The differences of CCR3 and GILZ between presbycusis patients and controls were statistically significant (p < 0.05).

  7. Cytogenetic Response to Ionizing Radiation Exposure in Human Fibroblasts with Suppressed Expression of Non-DSB Repair Genes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ye; Rohde, Larry H.; Emami, Kamal; Hammond, Dianne; Mehta, Satish K.; Jeevarajan, Antony S.; Pierson, Duane L.; Wu, Honglu

    2009-01-01

    Changes of gene expression profile are one of the most important biological responses in living cells after ionizing radiation (IR) exposure. Although some studies have shown that genes up-regulated by IR may play important roles in DNA damage repair, the relationship between the regulation of gene expression by IR, particularly genes not known for their roles in double-strand break (DSB) repair, and its impact on cytogenetic responses has not been well studied. The purpose of this study is to identify new roles of IR inducible genes in radiation-induced chromosome aberrations and micronuclei formation. In the study, the expression of 25 genes selected on the basis of their transcriptional changes in response to IR was individually knocked down by small interfering RNA in human fibroblast cells. Frequencies of micronuclei (MN) formation and chromosome aberrations were measured to determine the efficiency of cytogenetic repair, and the fraction of bi-nucleated cells in the MN analysis was used as a marker for cell cycle progression. In response to gamma radiation, the formation of MN was significantly increased by suppressed expression of five genes: Ku70 (DSB repair pathway), XPA (nucleotide excision repair pathway), RPA1 (mismatch repair pathway), RAD17 and RBBP8 (cell cycle control). Knocked-down expression of four genes (MRE11A, RAD51 in the DSB pathway, SESN1, and SUMO1) significantly inhibited cell cycle progression, possibly because of severe impairment of DNA damage repair. Moreover, decreased XPA, p21, or MLH1 expression resulted in both significantly enhanced cell cycle progression and increased yields of chromosome aberrations, indicating that these gene products modulate both cell cycle control and DNA damage repair. Nine of these eleven genes, whose knock-down expression affected cytogenetic repair, were up-regulated in cells exposed to gamma radiation, suggesting that genes transcriptionally modulated by IR were critical to regulate IR

  8. Evidence for adaptive evolution of low-temperature stress response genes in a Pooideae grass ancestor

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vigeland, Magnus D; Spannagl, Manuel; Asp, Torben

    2013-01-01

    Adaptation to temperate environments is common in the grass subfamily Pooideae, suggesting an ancestral origin of cold climate adaptation. Here, we investigated substitution rates of genes involved in low-temperature-induced (LTI) stress responses to test the hypothesis that adaptive molecular...... evolution of LTI pathway genes was important for Pooideae evolution. Substitution rates and signatures of positive selection were analyzed using 4330 gene trees including three warm climate-adapted species (maize (Zea mays), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and rice (Oryza sativa)) and five temperate Pooideae...... species (Brachypodium distachyon, wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), Lolium perenne and Festuca pratensis). Nonsynonymous substitution rate differences between Pooideae and warm habitat-adapted species were elevated in LTI trees compared with all trees. Furthermore, signatures...

  9. Epigenetic involvement of Alien/ESET complex in thyroid hormone-mediated repression of E2F1 gene expression and cell proliferation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hong, Wei; Li, Jinru; Wang, Bo; Chen, Linfeng; Niu, Wenyan; Yao, Zhi; Baniahmad, Aria

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: ► Corepressor Alien interacts with histone methyltransferase ESET in vivo. ► Alien/ESET complex is recruited to nTRE of T3-responsive gene by liganded TRβ1. ► ESET-mediated H3K9 methylation is required for liganded TRβ1-repressed transcription. ► ESET is involved in T3-repressed G1/S phase transition and proliferation. -- Abstract: The ligand-bound thyroid hormone receptor (TR) is known to repress via a negative TRE (nTRE) the expression of E2F1, a key transcription factor that controls the G1/S phase transition. Alien has been identified as a novel interacting factor of E2F1 and acts as a corepressor of E2F1. The detailed molecular mechanism by which Alien inhibits E2F1 gene expression remains unclear. Here, we report that the histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methyltransferase (HMT) ESET is an integral component of the corepressor Alien complex and the Alien/ESET complex is recruited to both sites, the E2F1 and the nTRE site of the E2F1 gene while the recruitment to the negative thyroid hormone response element (nTRE) is induced by the ligand-bound TRβ1 within the E2F1 gene promoter. We show that, overexpression of ESET promotes, whereas knockdown of ESET releases, the inhibition of TRβ1-regulated gene transcription upon T3 stimulation; and H3K9 methylation is required for TRβ1-repressed transcription. Furthermore, depletion of ESET impairs thyroid hormone-repressed proliferation as well as the G1/S transition of the cell cycle. Taken together, our data indicate that ESET is involved in TRβ1-mediated transcription repression and provide a molecular basis of thyroid hormone-induced repression of proliferation.

  10. The role of genes involved in neuroplasticity and neurogenesis in the observation of a gene-environment interaction (GxE) in schizophrenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Strat, Yann; Ramoz, Nicolas; Gorwood, Philip

    2009-05-01

    Schizophrenia is a multifactorial disease characterized by a high heritability. Several candidate genes have been suggested, with the strongest evidences for genes encoding dystrobrevin binding protein 1 (DTNBP1), neuregulin 1 (NRG1), neuregulin 1 receptor (ERBB4) and disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), as well as several neurotrophic factors. These genes are involved in neuronal plasticity and play also a role in adult neurogenesis. Therefore, the genetic basis of schizophrenia could involve different factors more or less specifically required for neuroplasticity, including the synapse maturation, potentiation and plasticity as well as neurogenesis. Following the model of Knudson in tumors, we propose a two-hit hypothesis of schizophrenia. In this model of gene-environment interaction, a variant in a gene related to neurogenesis is transmitted to the descent (first hit), and, secondarily, an environmental factor occurs during the development of the central nervous system (second hit). Both of these vulnerability and trigger factors are probably necessary to generate a deficit in neurogenesis and therefore to cause schizophrenia. The literature supporting this gene x environment hypothesis is reviewed, with emphasis on some molecular pathways, raising the possibility to propose more specific molecular medicine.

  11. Cloning and Expression Analysis of an AP2/ERF Gene and Its Responses to Phytohormones and Abiotic Stresses in Rice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hao-li MA

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Ethylene response factors (ERFs play important roles in response to plant biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, a gene encoding a putative AP2/ERF domain-containing protein was isolated by screening a SSH cDNA library from rice and designated as Oryza sativa AP2/ERF-like protein (OsAP2LP gene. OsAP2LP is 1491 bp in length, interrupted by seven introns, and encodes a putative protein of 348 amino acids. Temporal and spatial expression analysis showed that the OsAP2LP gene was preferentially expressed in roots, panicles, mature embryos and seeds in rice. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis indicated that the expression levels of the OsAP2LP gene were increased under the treatments of drought and gibberellin but decreased under the treatments of low temperature, salt, abscisic acid (ABA and zeatin. Taken together, these results suggest that OsAP2LP might be involved in stress responses, and probably plays roles as a transcription regulator when plants response to cold, salt and drought stresses through ABA and gibberellin pathways.

  12. Fox (forkhead) genes are involved in the dorso-ventral patterning of the Xenopus mesoderm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El-Hodiri, H; Bhatia-Dey, N; Kenyon, K; Ault, K; Dirksen, M; Jamrich, M

    2001-01-01

    Fox (forkhead/winged helix) genes encode a family of transcription factors that are involved in embryonic pattern formation, regulation of tissue specific gene expression and tumorigenesis. Several of them are transcribed during Xenopus embryogenesis and are important for the patterning of ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. We have isolated three forkhead genes that are activated during gastrulation and play an important role in the dorso-ventral patterning of the mesoderm. XFKH1 (FoxA4b), the first vertebrate forkhead gene to be implicated in embryonic pattern formation, is expressed in the Spemann-Mangold organizer region and later in the embryonic notochord. XFKH7, the Xenopus orthologue of the murine Mfh1(Foxc2), is expressed in the presomitic mesoderm, but not in the notochord or lateral plate mesoderm. Finally, XFD-13'(FoxF1b)1 is expressed in the lateral plate mesoderm, but not in the notochord or presomitic mesoderm. Expression pattern and functional experiments indicate that these three forkhead genes are involved in the dorso-ventral patterning of the mesoderm.

  13. The involvement of the nif-associated ferredoxin-like genes fdxA and fdxN of Herbaspirillum seropedicae in nitrogen fixation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Souza, André L F; Invitti, Adriana L; Rego, Fabiane G M; Monteiro, Rose A; Klassen, Giseli; Souza, Emanuel M; Chubatsu, Leda S; Pedrosa, Fábio O; Rigo, Liu U

    2010-02-01

    The pathway of electron transport to nitrogenase in the endophytic beta-Proteobacterium Herbaspirillum seropedicae has not been characterized. We have generated mutants in two nif-associated genes encoding putative ferredoxins, fdxA and fdxN. The fdxA gene is part of the operon nifHDKENXorf1orf2fdxAnifQmodABC and is transcribed from the nifH promoter, as revealed by lacZ gene fusion. The fdxN gene is probably cotranscribed with the nifB gene. Mutational analysis suggests that the FdxA protein is essential for maximum nitrogenase activity, since the nitrogenase activity of the fdxA mutant strain was reduced to about 30% of that of the wild-type strain. In addition, the fdxA mutation had no effect on the nitrogenase switch-off in response to ammonium. Nitrogenase activity of a mutant strain lacking the fdxN gene was completely abolished. This phenotype was reverted by complementation with fdxN expressed under lacZ promoter control. The results suggest that the products of both the fdxA and fdxN genes are probably involved in electron transfer during nitrogen fixation.

  14. Daily Rhythms of the Expression of Key Genes Involved in Steroidogenesis and Gonadal Function in Zebrafish.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viviana Di Rosa

    Full Text Available Fish present daily and seasonal rhythms in spawning and plasmatic levels of steroids that control reproduction. However, the existence of the rhythms of expression of the genes that underlie the endocrine mechanisms responsible for processes such as steroidogenesis and reproduction in fish have still been poorly explored to date. Here we investigated the daily pattern of the expression of key genes involved in sex steroid production that ultimately set the sex ratio in fish. Adult zebrafish were maintained under a 12:12 h light-dark cycle at a constant temperature of 27°C and were sampled every 4 h during a 24-hour cycle. The expression of key genes in the gonads and brains of female and male individuals were analyzed. In gonads, the expression of aromatase (cyp19a1a, ovarian aromatase and the antimüllerian hormone (amh, testis was rhythmic, with almost opposite acrophases: ZT 5:13 h (in the light phase and ZT 15:39 h (at night, respectively. The expression of foxl2 (forkhead box L2 was also rhythmic in the ovary (acrophase located at ZT 5:02 h and the expression of dmrt1 (doublesex and mab-3-related transcription factor 1 was rhythmic in testes (acrophase at ZT 18:36 h. In the brain, cyp19a1b (brain aromatase and cyp11b (11beta-hydroxylase presented daily differences, especially in males, where the expression peaked at night. These results provide the first evidence for marked time-of-the-day-dependent differences in the expression of the genes involved in sex ratio control, which should be considered when investigating processes such as reproduction, sex differentiation and steroidogenesis in fish.

  15. Combined chromatin and expression analysis reveals specific regulatory mechanisms within cytokine genes in the macrophage early immune response.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Jesus Iglesias

    Full Text Available Macrophages play a critical role in innate immunity, and the expression of early response genes orchestrate much of the initial response of the immune system. Macrophages undergo extensive transcriptional reprogramming in response to inflammatory stimuli such as Lipopolysaccharide (LPS.To identify gene transcription regulation patterns involved in early innate immune responses, we used two genome-wide approaches--gene expression profiling and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing (ChIP-seq analysis. We examined the effect of 2 hrs LPS stimulation on early gene expression and its relation to chromatin remodeling (H3 acetylation; H3Ac and promoter binding of Sp1 and RNA polymerase II phosphorylated at serine 5 (S5P RNAPII, which is a marker for transcriptional initiation. Our results indicate novel and alternative gene regulatory mechanisms for certain proinflammatory genes. We identified two groups of up-regulated inflammatory genes with respect to chromatin modification and promoter features. One group, including highly up-regulated genes such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF, was characterized by H3Ac, high CpG content and lack of TATA boxes. The second group, containing inflammatory mediators (interleukins and CCL chemokines, was up-regulated upon LPS stimulation despite lacking H3Ac in their annotated promoters, which were low in CpG content but did contain TATA boxes. Genome-wide analysis showed that few H3Ac peaks were unique to either +/-LPS condition. However, within these, an unpacking/expansion of already existing H3Ac peaks was observed upon LPS stimulation. In contrast, a significant proportion of S5P RNAPII peaks (approx 40% was unique to either condition. Furthermore, data indicated a large portion of previously unannotated TSSs, particularly in LPS-stimulated macrophages, where only 28% of unique S5P RNAPII peaks overlap annotated promoters. The regulation of the inflammatory response appears to occur in a very specific manner at

  16. Transcriptome analyses of the Dof-like gene family in grapevine reveal its involvement in berry, flower and seed development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Silva, Danielle Costenaro; da Silveira Falavigna, Vítor; Fasoli, Marianna; Buffon, Vanessa; Porto, Diogo Denardi; Pappas, Georgios Joannis; Pezzotti, Mario; Pasquali, Giancarlo; Revers, Luís Fernando

    2016-01-01

    The Dof (DNA-binding with one finger) protein family spans a group of plant transcription factors involved in the regulation of several functions, such as plant responses to stress, hormones and light, phytochrome signaling and seed germination. Here we describe the Dof-like gene family in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), which consists of 25 genes coding for Dof. An extensive in silico characterization of the VviDofL gene family was performed. Additionally, the expression of the entire gene family was assessed in 54 grapevine tissues and organs using an integrated approach with microarray (cv Corvina) and real-time PCR (cv Pinot Noir) analyses. The phylogenetic analysis comparing grapevine sequences with those of Arabidopsis, tomato, poplar and already described Dof genes in other species allowed us to identify several duplicated genes. The diversification of grapevine DofL genes during evolution likely resulted in a broader range of biological roles. Furthermore, distinct expression patterns were identified between samples analyzed, corroborating such hypothesis. Our expression results indicate that several VviDofL genes perform their functional roles mainly during flower, berry and seed development, highlighting their importance for grapevine growth and production. The identification of similar expression profiles between both approaches strongly suggests that these genes have important regulatory roles that are evolutionally conserved between grapevine cvs Corvina and Pinot Noir.

  17. An in silico analysis of the key genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis in Citrus sinensis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adriano R. Lucheta

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Citrus species are known by their high content of phenolic compounds, including a wide range of flavonoids. In plants, these compounds are involved in protection against biotic and abiotic stresses, cell structure, UV protection, attraction of pollinators and seed dispersal. In humans, flavonoid consumption has been related to increasing overall health and fighting some important diseases. The goals of this study were to identify expressed sequence tags (EST in Citrus sinensis (L. Osbeck corresponding to genes involved in general phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and the key genes involved in the main flavonoids pathways (flavanones, flavones, flavonols, leucoanthocyanidins, anthocyanins and isoflavonoids. A thorough analysis of all related putative genes from the Citrus EST (CitEST database revealed several interesting aspects associated to these pathways and brought novel information with promising usefulness for both basic and biotechnological applications.

  18. An ABA-responsive DRE-binding protein gene from Setaria italica, SiARDP, the target gene of SiAREB, plays a critical role under drought stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Cong; Yue, Jing; Wu, Xiaowei; Xu, Cong; Yu, Jingjuan

    2014-10-01

    The DREB (dehydration-responsive element binding)-type transcription factors regulate the expression of stress-inducible genes by binding the DRE/CRT cis-elements in promoter regions. The upstream transcription factors that regulate the transcription of DREB transcription factors have not been clearly defined, although the function of DREB transcription factors in abiotic stress is known. In this study, an abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive DREB-binding protein gene (SiARDP) was cloned from foxtail millet (Setaria italica). The transcript level of SiARDP increased not only after drought, high salt, and low temperature stresses, but also after an ABA treatment in foxtail millet seedlings. Two ABA-responsive elements (ABRE1: ACGTGTC; ABRE2: ACGTGGC) exist in the promoter of SiARDP. Further analyses showed that two ABA-responsive element binding (AREB)-type transcription factors, SiAREB1 and SiAREB2, could physically bind to the ABRE core element in vitro and in vivo. The constitutive expression of SiARDP in Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced drought and salt tolerance during seed germination and seedling development, and overexpression of SiARDP in foxtail millet improved drought tolerance. The expression levels of target genes of SiARDP were upregulated in transgenic Arabidopsis and foxtail millet. These results reveal that SiARDP, one of the target genes of SiAREB, is involved in ABA-dependent signal pathways and plays a critical role in the abiotic stress response in plants. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

  19. Organ-Specific Gene Expression Changes in the Fetal Liver and Placenta in Response to Maternal Folate Depletion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jill A. McKay

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Growing evidence supports the hypothesis that the in utero environment can have profound implications for fetal development and later life offspring health. Current theory suggests conditions experienced in utero prepare, or “programme”, the fetus for its anticipated post-natal environment. The mechanisms responsible for these programming events are poorly understood but are likely to involve gene expression changes. Folate is essential for normal fetal development and inadequate maternal folate supply during pregnancy has long term adverse effects for offspring. We tested the hypothesis that folate depletion during pregnancy alters offspring programming through altered gene expression. Female C57BL/6J mice were fed diets containing 2 mg or 0.4 mg folic acid/kg for 4 weeks before mating and throughout pregnancy. At 17.5 day gestation, genome-wide gene expression was measured in male fetal livers and placentas. In the fetal liver, 989 genes were expressed differentially (555 up-regulated, 434 down-regulated in response to maternal folate depletion, with 460 genes expressed differentially (250 up-regulated, 255 down-regulated in the placenta. Only 25 differentially expressed genes were common between organs. Maternal folate intake during pregnancy influences fetal gene expression in a highly organ specific manner which may reflect organ-specific functions.

  20. Organ-Specific Gene Expression Changes in the Fetal Liver and Placenta in Response to Maternal Folate Depletion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKay, Jill A; Xie, Long; Adriaens, Michiel; Evelo, Chris T; Ford, Dianne; Mathers, John C

    2016-10-22

    Growing evidence supports the hypothesis that the in utero environment can have profound implications for fetal development and later life offspring health. Current theory suggests conditions experienced in utero prepare, or "programme", the fetus for its anticipated post-natal environment. The mechanisms responsible for these programming events are poorly understood but are likely to involve gene expression changes. Folate is essential for normal fetal development and inadequate maternal folate supply during pregnancy has long term adverse effects for offspring. We tested the hypothesis that folate depletion during pregnancy alters offspring programming through altered gene expression. Female C57BL/6J mice were fed diets containing 2 mg or 0.4 mg folic acid/kg for 4 weeks before mating and throughout pregnancy. At 17.5 day gestation, genome-wide gene expression was measured in male fetal livers and placentas. In the fetal liver, 989 genes were expressed differentially (555 up-regulated, 434 down-regulated) in response to maternal folate depletion, with 460 genes expressed differentially (250 up-regulated, 255 down-regulated) in the placenta. Only 25 differentially expressed genes were common between organs. Maternal folate intake during pregnancy influences fetal gene expression in a highly organ specific manner which may reflect organ-specific functions.

  1. A genome-wide search for genes involved in the radiation-induced gastroschisis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hillebrandt, S.; Streffer, C.

    1997-01-01

    Whole genome linkage analysis of gastroschisis (abdominal wall defect) using geno-typing with micro-satellites of affected BC1 mice [(HLGxC57BL/6J)xHLG] was performed. The HLG inbred strain shows an increased risk in gastroschisis after irradiation of embryos in the 1-cell stage. Previous studies demonstrated, that gastroschisis is a poly-genic trait with a recessive mode of inheritance. Since a recessive inheritance of gastroschisis is assumed, the involved genes must be linked to markers showing a high level of homozygosity in the affected animals. For marker loci on the chromosome 13 and 19 a significantly increased number of homozygotes has been found in mice with gastroschisis comparing to mice without this malformation. The linkage analysis performed by us allowed determining intervals likely to contain genes related to gastroschisis on these two chromosomes. The highest lod score value has been found for the marker locus D19MIT27 very close to Pax2 (lod score=1.23; p=0.017). For the marker D13MIT99 a lod score of 0.85 (p=0.047) was calculated. However, markers more close to the homeo-box gene Msx-2 on the chromosome 13 show lower lod score values than D13MIT99, suggesting that this homeo-box gene is probably not involved in gastroschisis. According to the classification of results of the linkage analysis of complex traits described by Lander and Kruglyak (1995), our data provide a suggestive evidence for the involvement of the analyzed intervals on the chromosomes 19 and 13 to gastroschisis. Further studies are necessary to prove this linkage. (authors)

  2. Hindsight regulates photoreceptor axon targeting through transcriptional control of jitterbug/Filamin and multiple genes involved in axon guidance in Drosophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliva, Carlos; Molina-Fernandez, Claudia; Maureira, Miguel; Candia, Noemi; López, Estefanía; Hassan, Bassem; Aerts, Stein; Cánovas, José; Olguín, Patricio; Sierralta, Jimena

    2015-09-01

    During axon targeting, a stereotyped pattern of connectivity is achieved by the integration of intrinsic genetic programs and the response to extrinsic long and short-range directional cues. How this coordination occurs is the subject of intense study. Transcription factors play a central role due to their ability to regulate the expression of multiple genes required to sense and respond to these cues during development. Here we show that the transcription factor HNT regulates layer-specific photoreceptor axon targeting in Drosophila through transcriptional control of jbug/Filamin and multiple genes involved in axon guidance and cytoskeleton organization.Using a microarray analysis we identified 235 genes whose expression levels were changed by HNT overexpression in the eye primordia. We analyzed nine candidate genes involved in cytoskeleton regulation and axon guidance, six of which displayed significantly altered gene expression levels in hnt mutant retinas. Functional analysis confirmed the role of OTK/PTK7 in photoreceptor axon targeting and uncovered Tiggrin, an integrin ligand, and Jbug/Filamin, a conserved actin- binding protein, as new factors that participate of photoreceptor axon targeting. Moreover, we provided in silico and molecular evidence that supports jbug/Filamin as a direct transcriptional target of HNT and that HNT acts partially through Jbug/Filamin in vivo to regulate axon guidance. Our work broadens the understanding of how HNT regulates the coordinated expression of a group of genes to achieve the correct connectivity pattern in the Drosophila visual system. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 75: 1018-1032, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Identification of Gene Modules Associated with Low Temperatures Response in Bambara Groundnut by Network-Based Analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Venkata Suresh Bonthala

    Full Text Available Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L. Verdc. is an African legume and is a promising underutilized crop with good seed nutritional values. Low temperature stress in a number of African countries at night, such as Botswana, can effect the growth and development of bambara groundnut, leading to losses in potential crop yield. Therefore, in this study we developed a computational pipeline to identify and analyze the genes and gene modules associated with low temperature stress responses in bambara groundnut using the cross-species microarray technique (as bambara groundnut has no microarray chip coupled with network-based analysis. Analyses of the bambara groundnut transcriptome using cross-species gene expression data resulted in the identification of 375 and 659 differentially expressed genes (p<0.01 under the sub-optimal (23°C and very sub-optimal (18°C temperatures, respectively, of which 110 genes are commonly shared between the two stress conditions. The construction of a Highest Reciprocal Rank-based gene co-expression network, followed by its partition using a Heuristic Cluster Chiseling Algorithm resulted in 6 and 7 gene modules in sub-optimal and very sub-optimal temperature stresses being identified, respectively. Modules of sub-optimal temperature stress are principally enriched with carbohydrate and lipid metabolic processes, while most of the modules of very sub-optimal temperature stress are significantly enriched with responses to stimuli and various metabolic processes. Several transcription factors (from MYB, NAC, WRKY, WHIRLY & GATA classes that may regulate the downstream genes involved in response to stimulus in order for the plant to withstand very sub-optimal temperature stress were highlighted. The identified gene modules could be useful in breeding for low-temperature stress tolerant bambara groundnut varieties.

  4. Paired hormone response elements predict caveolin-1 as a glucocorticoid target gene.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marinus F van Batenburg

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Glucocorticoids act in part via glucocorticoid receptor binding to hormone response elements (HREs, but their direct target genes in vivo are still largely unknown. We developed the criterion that genomic occurrence of paired HREs at an inter-HRE distance less than 200 bp predicts hormone responsiveness, based on synergy of multiple HREs, and HRE information from known target genes. This criterion predicts a substantial number of novel responsive genes, when applied to genomic regions 10 kb upstream of genes. Multiple-tissue in situ hybridization showed that mRNA expression of 6 out of 10 selected genes was induced in a tissue-specific manner in mice treated with a single dose of corticosterone, with the spleen being the most responsive organ. Caveolin-1 was strongly responsive in several organs, and the HRE pair in its upstream region showed increased occupancy by glucocorticoid receptor in response to corticosterone. Our approach allowed for discovery of novel tissue specific glucocorticoid target genes, which may exemplify responses underlying the permissive actions of glucocorticoids.

  5. Absence of linkage between MHC and a gene involved in susceptibility to human schistosomiasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chiarella J.M.

    1998-01-01

    Full Text Available Six hundred million people are at risk of infection by Schistosoma mansoni. MHC haplotypes have been reported to segregate with susceptibility to schistosomiasis in murine models. In humans, a major gene related to susceptibility/resistance to infection by S. mansoni (SM1 and displaying the mean fecal egg count as phenotype was detected by segregation analysis. This gene displayed a codominant mode of inheritance with an estimated frequency of 0.20-0.25 for the deleterious allele and accounted for more than 50% of the variance of infection levels. To determine if the SM1 gene segregates with the human MHC chromosomal region, we performed a linkage study by the lod score method. We typed for HLA-A, B, C, DR and DQ antigens in 11 informative families from an endemic area for schistosomiasis in Bahia, Brazil, by the microlymphocytotoxicity technique. HLA-DR typing by the polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP and HLA-DQ were confirmed by PCR-sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes (PCR-SSOP. The lod scores for the different q values obtained clearly indicate that there is no physical linkage between HLA and SM1 genes. Thus, susceptibility or resistance to schistosomiasis, as defined by mean fecal egg count, is not primarily dependent on the host's HLA profile. However, if the HLA molecule plays an important role in specific immune responses to S. mansoni, this may involve the development of the different clinical aspects of the disease such as granuloma formation and development of hepatosplenomegaly.

  6. Microarray analysis identified Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici genes involved in infection and sporulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) causes stripe rust, one of the most important diseases of wheat worldwide. To identify Pst genes involved in infection and sporulation, a custom oligonucleotide Genechip was made using sequences of 442 genes selected from Pst cDNA libraries. Microarray analy...

  7. Transcriptome profiling of the Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) ovary reveals genes involved in oogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Lu; Wang, Lei; Yang, Yi-Fan; Zou, Ming-Min; He, Wei-Yi; Wang, Yue; Wang, Qing; Vasseur, Liette; You, Min-Sheng

    2017-12-30

    As a specialized organ, the insect ovary performs valuable functions by ensuring fecundity and population survival. Oogenesis is the complex physiological process resulting in the production of mature eggs, which are involved in epigenetic programming, germ cell behavior, cell cycle regulation, etc. Identification of the genes involved in ovary development and oogenesis is critical to better understand the reproductive biology and screening for the potential molecular targets in Plutella xylostella, a worldwide destructive pest of economically major crops. Based on transcriptome sequencing, a total of 7.88Gb clean nucleotides was obtained, with 19,934 genes and 1861 new transcripts being identified. Expression profiling indicated that 61.7% of the genes were expressed (FPKM≥1) in the P. xylostella ovary. GO annotation showed that the pathways of multicellular organism reproduction and multicellular organism reproduction process, as well as gamete generation and chorion were significantly enriched. Processes that were most likely relevant to reproduction included the spliceosome, ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, endocytosis, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, insulin signaling pathway, cAMP signaling pathway, and focal adhesion were identified in the top 20 'highly represented' KEGG pathways. Functional genes involved in oogenesis were further analyzed and validated by qRT-PCR to show their potential predominant roles in P. xylostella reproduction. Our newly developed P. xylostella ovary transcriptome provides an overview of the gene expression profiling in this specialized tissue and the functional gene network closely related to the ovary development and oogenesis. This is the first genome-wide transcriptome dataset of P. xylostella ovary that includes a subset of functionally activated genes. This global approach will be the basis for further studies on molecular mechanisms of P. xylostella reproduction aimed at screening potential molecular targets for integrated pest

  8. Comparative Digital Gene Expression Analysis of Tissue-Cultured Plantlets of Highly Resistant and Susceptible Banana Cultivarsin Response to Fusarium oxysporum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuqing Niu

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Banana Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc is one of the most destructive soil-borne diseases. In this study, young tissue-cultured plantlets of banana (Musa spp. AAA cultivars differing in Foc susceptibility were used to reveal their differential responses to this pathogen using digital gene expression (DGE. Data were evaluated by various bioinformatic tools (Venn diagrams, gene ontology (GO annotation and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG pathway analyses and immunofluorescence labelling method to support the identification of gene candidates determining the resistance of banana against Foc. Interestingly, we have identified MaWRKY50 as an important gene involved in both constitutive and induced resistance. We also identified new genes involved in the resistance of banana to Foc, including several other transcription factors (TFs, pathogenesis-related (PR genes and some genes related to the plant cell wall biosynthesis or degradation (e.g., pectinesterases, β-glucosidases, xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase and endoglucanase. The resistant banana cultivar shows activation of PR-3 and PR-4 genes as well as formation of different constitutive cell barriers to restrict spreading of the pathogen. These data suggest new mechanisms of banana resistance to Foc.

  9. Differential expression of poplar sucrose nonfermenting1-related protein kinase 2 genes in response to abiotic stress and abscisic acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Xiang; Takebayashi, Arika; Demura, Taku; Ohtani, Misato

    2017-09-01

    Knowledge on the responses of woody plants to abiotic stress can inform strategies to breed improved tree varieties and to manage tree species for environmental conservation and the production of lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, we examined the expression patterns of poplar (Populus trichocarpa) genes encoding members of the sucrose nonfermenting1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) family, which are core components of the abiotic stress response. The P. trichocarpa genome contains twelve SnRK2 genes (PtSnRK2.1- PtSnRK2.12) that can be divided into three subclasses (I-III) based on the structures of their encoded kinase domains. We found that PtSnRK2s are differentially expressed in various organs. In MS medium-grown plants, all of the PtSnRK2 genes were significantly upregulated in response to abscisic acid (ABA) treatment, whereas osmotic and salt stress treatments induced only some (four and seven, respectively) of the PtSnRK2 genes. By contrast, soil-grown plants showed increased expression of most PtSnRK2 genes under drought and salt treatments, but not under ABA treatment. In soil-grown plants, drought stress induced SnRK2 subclass II genes in all tested organs (leaves, stems, and roots), whereas subclass III genes tended to be upregulated in leaves only. These results suggest that the PtSnRK2 genes are involved in abiotic stress responses, are at least partially activated by ABA, and show organ-specific responses.

  10. Nitric oxide responsive heavy metal-associated gene AtHMAD1 contributes to development and disease resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qari Muhammad Imran

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Exposure of plants to different biotic and abiotic stress condition instigates significant change in the cellular redox status; resulting in the elevation of reactive nitrogen species that play signaling role in mediating defense responses. Heavy metal associated (HMA domain containing genes are required for spatio-temporal transportation of metal ions that bind with various enzymes and co-factors within the cell. To uncover the underlying mechanisms mediated by AtHMA genes, we identified 14 Arabidopsis HMA genes that were differentially expressed in response to nitrosative stress through RNA-seq analysis. Of those 14 genes, the expression of eight HMA genes was significantly increased, whereas that of six genes was significantly reduced. We further validated the RNA-seq results through quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Gene ontology analysis revealed the involvement of these genes in biological processes such as hemostasis and transport. The majority of these nitric oxide (NO-responsive AtHMA gene products are carrier/transport proteins. AtHMAD1 (At1g51090 showed the highest fold change to S-nitrosocystein. We therefore, further investigated its role in oxidative and nitrosative mediated stress conditions and found that AtHMAD1 has antagonistic role in shoot and root growth. Characterization of AtHMAD1 through functional genomics showed that the knock out mutant athmad1 plants were resistant to virulent Pseudomonas syringae (DC3000 and showed early induction and high transcript accumulation of pathogenesis related gene. Furthermore, inoculation of athamd1 with avirulent strain of the same bacteria showed negative regulation of R-gene mediated resistance. These results were supported by hypersensitive cell death response and cell death induced electrolyte leakage. AtHMAD1 was also observed to negatively regulate systemic acquired resistance SAR as the KO mutant showed induction of SAR marker genes. Overall, these results imply that NO-responsive

  11. Transcriptomic analysis of salt stress responsive genes in Rhazya stricta.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nahid H Hajrah

    Full Text Available Rhazya stricta is an evergreen shrub that is widely distributed across Western and South Asia, and like many other members of the Apocynaceae produces monoterpene indole alkaloids that have anti-cancer properties. This species is adapted to very harsh desert conditions making it an excellent system for studying tolerance to high temperatures and salinity. RNA-Seq analysis was performed on R. stricta exposed to severe salt stress (500 mM NaCl across four time intervals (0, 2, 12 and 24 h to examine mechanisms of salt tolerance. A large number of transcripts including genes encoding tetrapyrroles and pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR proteins were regulated only after 12 h of stress of seedlings grown in controlled greenhouse conditions. Mechanisms of salt tolerance in R. stricta may involve the upregulation of genes encoding chaperone protein Dnaj6, UDP-glucosyl transferase 85a2, protein transparent testa 12 and respiratory burst oxidase homolog protein b. Many of the highly-expressed genes act on protecting protein folding during salt stress and the production of flavonoids, key secondary metabolites in stress tolerance. Other regulated genes encode enzymes in the porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolic pathway with important roles during plant growth, photosynthesis, hormone signaling and abiotic responses. Heme biosynthesis in R. stricta leaves might add to the level of salt stress tolerance by maintaining appropriate levels of photosynthesis and normal plant growth as well as by the participation in reactive oxygen species (ROS production under stress. We speculate that the high expression levels of PPR genes may be dependent on expression levels of their targeted editing genes. Although the results of PPR gene family indicated regulation of a large number of transcripts under salt stress, PPR actions were independent of the salt stress because their RNA editing patterns were unchanged.

  12. Interactions between SNPs affecting inflammatory response genes are associated with multiple myeloma disease risk and survival

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Kaspar René; Rodrigo-Domingo, Maria; Steffensen, Rudi

    2017-01-01

    The origin of multiple myeloma depends on interactions with stromal cells in the course of normal B-cell differentiation and evolution of immunity. The concept of the present study is that genes involved in MM pathogenesis, such as immune response genes, can be identified by screening for single......3L1 gene promoters. The occurrence of single polymorphisms, haplotypes and SNP-SNP interactions were statistically analyzed for association with disease risk and outcome following high-dose therapy. Identified genes that carried SNPs or haplotypes that were identified as risk or prognostic factors......= .005). The 'risk genes' were analyzed for expression in normal B-cell subsets (N = 6) from seven healthy donors and we found TNFA and IL-6 expressed both in naïve and in memory B cells when compared to preBI, II, immature and plasma cells. The 'prognosis genes' CHI3L1, IL-6 and IL-10 were differential...

  13. Next-generation text-mining mediated generation of chemical response-specific gene sets for interpretation of gene expression data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hettne Kristina M

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Availability of chemical response-specific lists of genes (gene sets for pharmacological and/or toxic effect prediction for compounds is limited. We hypothesize that more gene sets can be created by next-generation text mining (next-gen TM, and that these can be used with gene set analysis (GSA methods for chemical treatment identification, for pharmacological mechanism elucidation, and for comparing compound toxicity profiles. Methods We created 30,211 chemical response-specific gene sets for human and mouse by next-gen TM, and derived 1,189 (human and 588 (mouse gene sets from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD. We tested for significant differential expression (SDE (false discovery rate -corrected p-values Results Next-gen TM-derived gene sets matching the chemical treatment were significantly altered in three GE data sets, and the corresponding CTD-derived gene sets were significantly altered in five GE data sets. Six next-gen TM-derived and four CTD-derived fibrate gene sets were significantly altered in the PPARA knock-out GE dataset. None of the fibrate signatures in cMap scored significant against the PPARA GE signature. 33 environmental toxicant gene sets were significantly altered in the triazole GE data sets. 21 of these toxicants had a similar toxicity pattern as the triazoles. We confirmed embryotoxic effects, and discriminated triazoles from other chemicals. Conclusions Gene set analysis with next-gen TM-derived chemical response-specific gene sets is a scalable method for identifying similarities in gene responses to other chemicals, from which one may infer potential mode of action and/or toxic effect.

  14. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal 14-3-3 Proteins Are Involved in Arbuscule Formation and Responses to Abiotic Stresses During AM Symbiosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Zhongfeng; Song, Jiabin; Xin, Xi'an; Xie, Xianan; Zhao, Bin

    2018-01-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are soil-borne fungi belonging to the ancient phylum Glomeromycota and are important symbionts of the arbuscular mycorrhiza, enhancing plant nutrient acquisition and resistance to various abiotic stresses. In contrast to their significant physiological implications, the molecular basis involved is poorly understood, largely due to their obligate biotrophism and complicated genetics. Here, we identify and characterize three genes termed Fm201 , Ri14-3-3 and RiBMH2 that encode 14-3-3-like proteins in the AM fungi Funneliformis mosseae and Rhizophagus irregularis , respectively. The transcriptional levels of Fm201 , Ri14-3-3 and RiBMH2 are strongly induced in the pre-symbiotic and symbiotic phases, including germinating spores, intraradical hyphae- and arbuscules-enriched roots. To functionally characterize the Fm201 , Ri14-3-3 and RiBMH2 genes, we took advantage of a yeast heterologous system owing to the lack of AM fungal transformation systems. Our data suggest that all three genes can restore the lethal Saccharomyces cerevisiae bmh1 bmh2 double mutant on galactose-containing media. Importantly, yeast one-hybrid analysis suggests that the transcription factor RiMsn2 is able to recognize the STRE (CCCCT/AGGGG) element present in the promoter region of Fm201 gene. More importantly, Host-Induced Gene Silencing of both Ri14-3-3 and RiBMH2 in Rhizophagus irregularis impairs the arbuscule formation in AM symbiosis and inhibits the expression of symbiotic PT4 and MST2 genes from plant and fungal partners, respectively. We further subjected the AM fungus- Medicago truncatula association system to drought or salinity stress. Accordingly, the expression profiles in both mycorrhizal roots and extraradical hyphae reveal that these three 14-3-3-like genes are involved in response to drought or salinity stress. Collectively, our results provide new insights into molecular functions of the AM fungal 14-3-3 proteins in abiotic stress responses and

  15. A novel contiguous deletion involving NDP, MAOB and EFHC2 gene ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Journal of Genetics; Volume 96; Issue 6. A novel contiguous deletion involving NDP, MAOBand EFHC2gene in a patient with familial Norrie disease: bilateral blindness and leucocoria without other deficits. BEI JIA LIPING HUANG YAOYU CHEN SIPING LIU CUIHUA CHEN KE XIONG LANLIN SONG YULAI ...

  16. A novel contiguous deletion involving NDP, MAOB and EFHC2 gene ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Journal of Genetics; Volume 96; Issue 6. A novel contiguous deletion involving NDP, MAOBitalic> and EFHC2italic> gene in a patient with familial Norrie disease: bilateral blindness and leucocoria without other deficits. BEI JIA LIPING HUANG YAOYU CHEN SIPING LIU CUIHUA CHEN KE XIONG LANLIN ...

  17. Identification and Heterologous Expression of Genes Involved in Anaerobic Dissimilatory Phosphite Oxidation by Desulfotignum phosphitoxidans▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simeonova, Diliana Dancheva; Wilson, Marlena Marie; Metcalf, William W.; Schink, Bernhard

    2010-01-01

    Desulfotignum phosphitoxidans is a strictly anaerobic, Gram-negative bacterium that utilizes phosphite as the sole electron source for homoacetogenic CO2 reduction or sulfate reduction. A genomic library of D. phosphitoxidans, constructed using the fosmid vector pJK050, was screened for clones harboring the genes involved in phosphite oxidation via PCR using primers developed based on the amino acid sequences of phosphite-induced proteins. Sequence analysis of two positive clones revealed a putative operon of seven genes predicted to be involved in phosphite oxidation. Four of these genes (ptxD-ptdFCG) were cloned and heterologously expressed in Desulfotignum balticum, a related strain that cannot use phosphite as either an electron donor or as a phosphorus source. The ptxD-ptdFCG gene cluster was sufficient to confer phosphite uptake and oxidation ability to the D. balticum host strain but did not allow use of phosphite as an electron donor for chemolithotrophic growth. Phosphite oxidation activity was measured in cell extracts of D. balticum transconjugants, suggesting that all genes required for phosphite oxidation were cloned. Genes of the phosphite gene cluster were assigned putative functions on the basis of sequence analysis and enzyme assays. PMID:20622064

  18. Identification and heterologous expression of genes involved in anaerobic dissimilatory phosphite oxidation by Desulfotignum phosphitoxidans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simeonova, Diliana Dancheva; Wilson, Marlena Marie; Metcalf, William W; Schink, Bernhard

    2010-10-01

    Desulfotignum phosphitoxidans is a strictly anaerobic, Gram-negative bacterium that utilizes phosphite as the sole electron source for homoacetogenic CO2 reduction or sulfate reduction. A genomic library of D. phosphitoxidans, constructed using the fosmid vector pJK050, was screened for clones harboring the genes involved in phosphite oxidation via PCR using primers developed based on the amino acid sequences of phosphite-induced proteins. Sequence analysis of two positive clones revealed a putative operon of seven genes predicted to be involved in phosphite oxidation. Four of these genes (ptxD-ptdFCG) were cloned and heterologously expressed in Desulfotignum balticum, a related strain that cannot use phosphite as either an electron donor or as a phosphorus source. The ptxD-ptdFCG gene cluster was sufficient to confer phosphite uptake and oxidation ability to the D. balticum host strain but did not allow use of phosphite as an electron donor for chemolithotrophic growth. Phosphite oxidation activity was measured in cell extracts of D. balticum transconjugants, suggesting that all genes required for phosphite oxidation were cloned. Genes of the phosphite gene cluster were assigned putative functions on the basis of sequence analysis and enzyme assays.

  19. V-ATPase Is Involved in Silkworm Defense Response against Bombyx mori Nucleopolyhedrovirus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peng Lü

    Full Text Available Silkworms are usually susceptible to the infection of Bombyx mori (B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV, which can cause significant economic loss. However, some silkworm strains are identified to be highly resistant to BmNPV. To explore the silkworm genes involved in this resistance in the present study, we performed comparative real-time PCR, ATPase assay, over-expression and sub-cellular localization experiments. We found that when inoculated with BmNPV both the expression and activity of V-ATPase were significantly up-regulated in the midgut column cells (not the goblet cells of BmNPV-resistant strains (NB and BC8, the main sites for the first step of BmNPV invasion, but not in those of a BmNPV-susceptible strain 306. Furthermore, this up-regulation mainly took place during the first 24 hours post inoculation (hpi, the essential period required for establishment of virus infection, and then was down-regulated to normal levels. Amazingly, transient over-expression of V-ATPase c subunit in BmNPV-infected silkworm cells could significantly inhibit BmNPV proliferation. To our knowledge this is the first report demonstrating clearly that V-ATPase is indeed involved in the defense response against BmNPV. Our data further suggests that prompt and potent regulation of V-ATPase may be essential for execution of this response, which may enable fast acidification of endosomes and/or lysosomes to render them competent for degradation of invading viruses.

  20. Global analysis of transcriptome responses and gene expression profiles to cold stress of Jatropha curcas L.

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    Haibo Wang

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Jatropha curcas L., also called the Physic nut, is an oil-rich shrub with multiple uses, including biodiesel production, and is currently exploited as a renewable energy resource in many countries. Nevertheless, because of its origin from the tropical MidAmerican zone, J. curcas confers an inherent but undesirable characteristic (low cold resistance that may seriously restrict its large-scale popularization. This adaptive flaw can be genetically improved by elucidating the mechanisms underlying plant tolerance to cold temperatures. The newly developed Illumina Hiseq™ 2000 RNA-seq and Digital Gene Expression (DGE are deep high-throughput approaches for gene expression analysis at the transcriptome level, using which we carefully investigated the gene expression profiles in response to cold stress to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms of cold response in J. curcas. RESULTS: In total, 45,251 unigenes were obtained by assembly of clean data generated by RNA-seq analysis of the J. curcas transcriptome. A total of 33,363 and 912 complete or partial coding sequences (CDSs were determined by protein database alignments and ESTScan prediction, respectively. Among these unigenes, more than 41.52% were involved in approximately 128 known metabolic or signaling pathways, and 4,185 were possibly associated with cold resistance. DGE analysis was used to assess the changes in gene expression when exposed to cold condition (12°C for 12, 24, and 48 h. The results showed that 3,178 genes were significantly upregulated and 1,244 were downregulated under cold stress. These genes were then functionally annotated based on the transcriptome data from RNA-seq analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a global view of transcriptome response and gene expression profiling of J. curcas in response to cold stress. The results can help improve our current understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant cold resistance and favor the screening of

  1. Computational method for discovery of estrogen responsive genes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tang, Suisheng; Tan, Sin Lam; Ramadoss, Suresh Kumar

    2004-01-01

    Estrogen has a profound impact on human physiology and affects numerous genes. The classical estrogen reaction is mediated by its receptors (ERs), which bind to the estrogen response elements (EREs) in target gene's promoter region. Due to tedious and expensive experiments, a limited number of hu...

  2. Identification of Bradyrhizobium elkanii Genes Involved in Incompatibility with Vigna radiata

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hien P. Nguyen

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The establishment of a root nodule symbiosis between a leguminous plant and a rhizobium requires complex molecular interactions between the two partners. Compatible interactions lead to the formation of nitrogen-fixing nodules, however, some legumes exhibit incompatibility with specific rhizobial strains and restrict nodulation by the strains. Bradyrhizobium elkanii USDA61 is incompatible with mung bean (Vigna radiata cv. KPS1 and soybean cultivars carrying the Rj4 allele. Here, we explored genetic loci in USDA61 that determine incompatibility with V. radiata KPS1. We identified five novel B. elkanii genes that contribute to this incompatibility. Four of these genes also control incompatibility with soybean cultivars carrying the Rj4 allele, suggesting that a common mechanism underlies nodulation restriction in both legumes. The fifth gene encodes a hypothetical protein that contains a tts box in its promoter region. The tts box is conserved in genes encoding the type III secretion system (T3SS, which is known for its delivery of virulence effectors by pathogenic bacteria. These findings revealed both common and unique genes that are involved in the incompatibility of B. elkanii with mung bean and soybean. Of particular interest is the novel T3SS-related gene, which causes incompatibility specifically with mung bean cv. KPS1.

  3. Identification of estrogen responsive genes using esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) as a model

    KAUST Repository

    Essack, Magbubah

    2012-10-26

    Background: Estrogen therapy has positively impact the treatment of several cancers, such as prostate, lung and breast cancers. Moreover, several groups have reported the importance of estrogen induced gene regulation in esophageal cancer (EC). This suggests that there could be a potential for estrogen therapy for EC. The efficient design of estrogen therapies requires as complete as possible list of genes responsive to estrogen. Our study develops a systems biology methodology using esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) as a model to identify estrogen responsive genes. These genes, on the other hand, could be affected by estrogen therapy in ESCC.Results: Based on different sources of information we identified 418 genes implicated in ESCC. Putative estrogen responsive elements (EREs) mapped to the promoter region of the ESCC genes were used to initially identify candidate estrogen responsive genes. EREs mapped to the promoter sequence of 30.62% (128/418) of ESCC genes of which 43.75% (56/128) are known to be estrogen responsive, while 56.25% (72/128) are new candidate estrogen responsive genes. EREs did not map to 290 ESCC genes. Of these 290 genes, 50.34% (146/290) are known to be estrogen responsive. By analyzing transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) in the promoters of the 202 (56+146) known estrogen responsive ESCC genes under study, we found that their regulatory potential may be characterized by 44 significantly over-represented co-localized TFBSs (cTFBSs). We were able to map these cTFBSs to promoters of 32 of the 72 new candidate estrogen responsive ESCC genes, thereby increasing confidence that these 32 ESCC genes are responsive to estrogen since their promoters contain both: a/mapped EREs, and b/at least four cTFBSs characteristic of ESCC genes that are responsive to estrogen. Recent publications confirm that 47% (15/32) of these 32 predicted genes are indeed responsive to estrogen.Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge our study is the first

  4. Identification of estrogen responsive genes using esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) as a model

    KAUST Repository

    Essack, Magbubah; MacPherson, Cameron Ross; Schmeier, Sebastian; Bajic, Vladimir B.

    2012-01-01

    Background: Estrogen therapy has positively impact the treatment of several cancers, such as prostate, lung and breast cancers. Moreover, several groups have reported the importance of estrogen induced gene regulation in esophageal cancer (EC). This suggests that there could be a potential for estrogen therapy for EC. The efficient design of estrogen therapies requires as complete as possible list of genes responsive to estrogen. Our study develops a systems biology methodology using esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) as a model to identify estrogen responsive genes. These genes, on the other hand, could be affected by estrogen therapy in ESCC.Results: Based on different sources of information we identified 418 genes implicated in ESCC. Putative estrogen responsive elements (EREs) mapped to the promoter region of the ESCC genes were used to initially identify candidate estrogen responsive genes. EREs mapped to the promoter sequence of 30.62% (128/418) of ESCC genes of which 43.75% (56/128) are known to be estrogen responsive, while 56.25% (72/128) are new candidate estrogen responsive genes. EREs did not map to 290 ESCC genes. Of these 290 genes, 50.34% (146/290) are known to be estrogen responsive. By analyzing transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) in the promoters of the 202 (56+146) known estrogen responsive ESCC genes under study, we found that their regulatory potential may be characterized by 44 significantly over-represented co-localized TFBSs (cTFBSs). We were able to map these cTFBSs to promoters of 32 of the 72 new candidate estrogen responsive ESCC genes, thereby increasing confidence that these 32 ESCC genes are responsive to estrogen since their promoters contain both: a/mapped EREs, and b/at least four cTFBSs characteristic of ESCC genes that are responsive to estrogen. Recent publications confirm that 47% (15/32) of these 32 predicted genes are indeed responsive to estrogen.Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge our study is the first

  5. Inherited Variation in Cytokine, Acute Phase Response, and Calcium Metabolism Genes Affects Susceptibility to Infective Endocarditis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anastasia V. Ponasenko

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Infective endocarditis (IE is a septic inflammation of the endocardium. Recognition of microbial patterns, cytokine and acute phase responses, hemostasis features, and alterations in plasma lipid and calcium profile all have been reported to affect pathogenesis and clinical course of IE. Having recruited 123 patients with IE and 300 age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched healthy blood donors, we profiled their genomic DNA for 35 functionally significant polymorphisms within the 22 selected genes involved in the abovementioned pathways, with the further genetic association analysis. We found that the G/A genotype of the rs1143634 polymorphism within the IL1B gene, the G/T genotype of the rs3212227 polymorphism within the IL12B gene, the A/G genotype of the rs1130864 polymorphism within the CRP gene, and the G allele of the rs1801197 polymorphism within the CALCR gene were associated with a decreased risk of IE whereas the T/T genotype of the rs1205 polymorphism within the CRP gene was associated with a higher risk of IE. Furthermore, heterozygous genotypes of the rs1143634 and rs3212227 polymorphisms were associated with the higher plasma levels of IL-1β and IL-12, respectively. Our results indicate that inherited variation in the cytokine, acute phase response, and calcium metabolism pathways may be linked to IE.

  6. Inherited Variation in Cytokine, Acute Phase Response, and Calcium Metabolism Genes Affects Susceptibility to Infective Endocarditis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rutkovskaya, Natalia V.; Kondyukova, Natalia V.; Odarenko, Yuri N.; Kazachek, Yana V.; Tsepokina, Anna V.; Barbarash, Leonid S.

    2017-01-01

    Infective endocarditis (IE) is a septic inflammation of the endocardium. Recognition of microbial patterns, cytokine and acute phase responses, hemostasis features, and alterations in plasma lipid and calcium profile all have been reported to affect pathogenesis and clinical course of IE. Having recruited 123 patients with IE and 300 age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched healthy blood donors, we profiled their genomic DNA for 35 functionally significant polymorphisms within the 22 selected genes involved in the abovementioned pathways, with the further genetic association analysis. We found that the G/A genotype of the rs1143634 polymorphism within the IL1B gene, the G/T genotype of the rs3212227 polymorphism within the IL12B gene, the A/G genotype of the rs1130864 polymorphism within the CRP gene, and the G allele of the rs1801197 polymorphism within the CALCR gene were associated with a decreased risk of IE whereas the T/T genotype of the rs1205 polymorphism within the CRP gene was associated with a higher risk of IE. Furthermore, heterozygous genotypes of the rs1143634 and rs3212227 polymorphisms were associated with the higher plasma levels of IL-1β and IL-12, respectively. Our results indicate that inherited variation in the cytokine, acute phase response, and calcium metabolism pathways may be linked to IE. PMID:28659664

  7. Influence of SNPs in nutrient-sensitive candidate genes and gene-diet interactions on blood lipids

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brahe, Lena Kirchner; Angquist, Lars; Larsen, Lesli Hingstrup

    2013-01-01

    Blood lipid response to a given dietary intervention could be determined by the effect of diet, gene variants or gene-diet interactions. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether variants in presumed nutrient-sensitive genes involved in lipid metabolism modified lipid profile ...

  8. De Novo assembly of the Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus spleen transcriptome to identify putative genes involved in immunity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin Huang

    Full Text Available Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus is an economically important marine fish in Asia and has suffered from disease outbreaks caused by various pathogens, which requires more information for immune relevant genes on genome background. However, genomic and transcriptomic data for Japanese flounder remain scarce, which limits studies on the immune system of this species. In this study, we characterized the Japanese flounder spleen transcriptome using an Illumina paired-end sequencing platform to identify putative genes involved in immunity.A cDNA library from the spleen of P. olivaceus was constructed and randomly sequenced using an Illumina technique. The removal of low quality reads generated 12,196,968 trimmed reads, which assembled into 96,627 unigenes. A total of 21,391 unigenes (22.14% were annotated in the NCBI Nr database, and only 1.1% of the BLASTx top-hits matched P. olivaceus protein sequences. Approximately 12,503 (58.45% unigenes were categorized into three Gene Ontology groups, 19,547 (91.38% were classified into 26 Cluster of Orthologous Groups, and 10,649 (49.78% were assigned to six Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. Furthermore, 40,928 putative simple sequence repeats and 47, 362 putative single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified. Importantly, we identified 1,563 putative immune-associated unigenes that mapped to 15 immune signaling pathways.The P. olivaceus transciptome data provides a rich source to discover and identify new genes, and the immune-relevant sequences identified here will facilitate our understanding of the mechanisms involved in the immune response. Furthermore, the plentiful potential SSRs and SNPs found in this study are important resources with respect to future development of a linkage map or marker assisted breeding programs for the flounder.

  9. Genome-wide characterization of differentially expressed genes provides insights into regulatory network of heat stress response in radish (Raphanus sativus L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ronghua; Mei, Yi; Xu, Liang; Zhu, Xianwen; Wang, Yan; Guo, Jun; Liu, Liwang

    2018-03-01

    Heat stress (HS) causes detrimental effects on plant morphology, physiology, and biochemistry that lead to drastic reduction in plant biomass production and economic yield worldwide. To date, little is known about HS-responsive genes involved in thermotolerance mechanism in radish. In this study, a total of 6600 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the control and Heat24 cDNA libraries of radish were isolated by high-throughput sequencing. With Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, some genes including MAPK, DREB, ERF, AP2, GST, Hsf, and Hsp were predominantly assigned in signal transductions, metabolic pathways, and biosynthesis and abiotic stress-responsive pathways. These pathways played significant roles in reducing stress-induced damages and enhancing heat tolerance in radish. Expression patterns of 24 candidate genes were validated by reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Based mainly on the analysis of DEGs combining with the previous miRNAs analysis, the schematic model of HS-responsive regulatory network was proposed. To counter the effects of HS, a rapid response of the plasma membrane leads to the opening of specific calcium channels and cytoskeletal reorganization, after which HS-responsive genes are activated to repair damaged proteins and ultimately facilitate further enhancement of thermotolerance in radish. These results could provide fundamental insight into the regulatory network underlying heat tolerance in radish and facilitate further genetic manipulation of thermotolerance in root vegetable crops.

  10. Differential gene expression responses distinguish contact and respiratory sensitizers and nonsensitizing irritants in the local lymph node assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adenuga, David; Woolhiser, Michael R; Gollapudi, B Bhaskar; Boverhof, Darrell R

    2012-04-01

    Genomic approaches have the potential to enhance the specificity and predictive accuracy of existing toxicology endpoints, including those for chemical sensitization. The present study was conducted to determine whether gene expression responses can distinguish contact sensitizers (1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene [DNCB] and hexyl cinnamic aldehyde [HCA]), respiratory sensitizers (ortho-phthalaldehyde and trimellitic anhydride [TMA]), and nonsensitizing irritants (methyl salicylate [MS] and nonanoic acid [NA]) in the local lymph node assay (LLNA). Female Balb/c mice received doses of each chemical as per the standard LLNA dosing regimen on days 1, 2, and 3. Auricular lymph nodes were analyzed for tritiated thymidine ((3)HTdR) incorporation on day 6 and for gene expression responses on days 6 and 10. All chemicals induced dose-dependent increases in stimulation index, which correlated strongly with the number of differentially expressed genes. A majority of genes modulated by the irritants were similarly altered by the sensitizers, consistent with the irritating effects of the sensitizers. However, a select number of responses involved with immune-specific functions, such as dendritic cell activation, were unique to the sensitizers and may offer the ability to distinguish sensitizers from irritants. Genes for the mast cell proteases 1 and 8, Lgals7, Tim2, Aicda, Il4, and Akr1c18 were more strongly regulated by respiratory sensitizers compared with contact sensitizers and may represent potential biomarkers for discriminating between contact and respiratory sensitizers. Collectively, these data suggest that gene expression responses may serve as useful biomarkers to distinguish between respiratory and contact sensitizers and nonsensitizing irritants in the LLNA.

  11. Thiol peroxidases mediate specific genome-wide regulation of gene expression in response to hydrogen peroxide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fomenko, Dmitri E.; Koc, Ahmet; Agisheva, Natalia; Jacobsen, Michael; Kaya, Alaattin; Malinouski, Mikalai; Rutherford, Julian C.; Siu, Kam-Leung; Jin, Dong-Yan; Winge, Dennis R.; Gladyshev, Vadim N.

    2011-01-01

    Hydrogen peroxide is thought to regulate cellular processes by direct oxidation of numerous cellular proteins, whereas antioxidants, most notably thiol peroxidases, are thought to reduce peroxides and inhibit H2O2 response. However, thiol peroxidases have also been implicated in activation of transcription factors and signaling. It remains unclear if these enzymes stimulate or inhibit redox regulation and whether this regulation is widespread or limited to a few cellular components. Herein, we found that Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells lacking all eight thiol peroxidases were viable and withstood redox stresses. They transcriptionally responded to various redox treatments, but were unable to activate and repress gene expression in response to H2O2. Further studies involving redox transcription factors suggested that thiol peroxidases are major regulators of global gene expression in response to H2O2. The data suggest that thiol peroxidases sense and transfer oxidative signals to the signaling proteins and regulate transcription, whereas a direct interaction between H2O2 and other cellular proteins plays a secondary role. PMID:21282621

  12. The role of hnRPUL1 involved in DNA damage response is related to PARP1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zehui Hong

    Full Text Available Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U-like 1 (hnRPUL1 -also known as adenovirus early region 1B-associated proteins 5 (E1B-AP5 - plays a role in RNA metabolism. Recently, hnRPUL1 has also been shown to be involved in DNA damage response, but the function of hnRPUL1 in response to DNA damage remains unclear. Here, we have demonstrated that hnRPUL1 is associated with PARP1 and recruited to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs sites in a PARP1-mediated poly (ADP-ribosyl ation dependent manner. In turn, hnRPUL1 knockdown enhances the recruitment of PARP1 to DSBs sites. Specifically, we showed that hnRPUL1 is also implicated in the transcriptional regulation of PARP1 gene. Thus, we propose hnRPUL1 as a new component related to PARP1 in DNA damage response and repair.

  13. Expression of zinc and cadmium responsive genes in leaves of willow (Salix caprea L.) genotypes with different accumulation characteristics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konlechner, Cornelia; Türktaş, Mine; Langer, Ingrid; Vaculík, Marek; Wenzel, Walter W.; Puschenreiter, Markus; Hauser, Marie-Theres

    2013-01-01

    Salix caprea is well suited for phytoextraction strategies. In a previous survey we showed that genetically distinct S. caprea plants isolated from metal-polluted and unpolluted sites differed in their zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) tolerance and accumulation abilities. To determine the molecular basis of this difference we examined putative homologues of genes involved in heavy metal responses and identified over 200 new candidates with a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) screen. Quantitative expression analyses of 20 genes in leaves revealed that some metallothioneins and cell wall modifying genes were induced irrespective of the genotype's origin and metal uptake capacity while a cysteine biosynthesis gene was expressed constitutively higher in the metallicolous genotype. The third and largest group of genes was only induced in the metallicolous genotype. These data demonstrate that naturally adapted woody non-model species can help to discover potential novel molecular mechanisms for metal accumulation and tolerance. -- Highlights: ► The transcriptional Zn/Cd response of the willow Salix caprea was quantified. ► Two genotypes from a highly contaminated and a control environment were compared. ► In addition to candidate genes an SSH library revealed over 200 metal induced genes. ► Constitutive upregulation and isolate-specific induction of genes were revealed. ► Willows adapt to environmental Zn/Cd contamination on the transcriptional level. -- Expression analyzes reveal different responses to Cd and Zn exposure of S. caprea genotypes with different heavy metal accumulation abilities

  14. Identification and characterization of genes responsible for biosynthesis of kojic acid, an industrially important compound from Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terabayashi, Yasunobu; Sano, Motoaki; Yamane, Noriko; Marui, Junichiro; Tamano, Koichi; Sagara, Junichi; Dohmoto, Mitsuko; Oda, Ken; Ohshima, Eiji; Tachibana, Kuniharu; Higa, Yoshitaka; Ohashi, Shinichi; Koike, Hideaki; Machida, Masayuki

    2010-12-01

    Kojic acid is produced in large amounts by Aspergillus oryzae as a secondary metabolite and is widely used in the cosmetic industry. Glucose can be converted to kojic acid, perhaps by only a few steps, but no genes for the conversion have thus far been revealed. Using a DNA microarray, gene expression profiles under three pairs of conditions significantly affecting kojic acid production were compared. All genes were ranked using an index parameter reflecting both high amounts of transcription and a high induction ratio under producing conditions. After disruption of nine candidate genes selected from the top of the list, two genes of unknown function were found to be responsible for kojic acid biosynthesis, one having an oxidoreductase motif and the other a transporter motif. These two genes are closely associated in the genome, showing typical characteristics of genes involved in secondary metabolism. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Gene Expression Responses to FUS, EWS, and TAF15 Reduction and Stress Granule Sequestration Analyses Identifies FET-Protein Non-Redundant Functions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blechingberg, Jenny; Luo, Yonglun; Bolund, Lars

    2012-01-01

    The FET family of proteins is composed of FUS/TLS, EWS/EWSR1, and TAF15 and possesses RNA- and DNA-binding capacities. The FET-proteins are involved in transcriptional regulation and RNA processing, and FET-gene deregulation is associated with development of cancer and protein granule formations...... in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, and trinucleotide repeat expansion diseases. We here describe a comparative characterization of FET-protein localization and gene regulatory functions. We show that FUS and TAF15 locate to cellular stress granules to a larger extend than EWS....... FET-proteins have no major importance for stress granule formation and cellular stress responses, indicating that FET-protein stress granule association most likely is a downstream response to cellular stress. Gene expression analyses showed that the cellular response towards FUS and TAF15 reduction...

  16. Comparison of gene co-networks reveals the molecular mechanisms of the rice (Oryza sativa L.) response to Rhizoctonia solani AG1 IA infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jinfeng; Zhao, Wenjuan; Fu, Rong; Fu, Chenglin; Wang, Lingxia; Liu, Huainian; Li, Shuangcheng; Deng, Qiming; Wang, Shiquan; Zhu, Jun; Liang, Yueyang; Li, Ping; Zheng, Aiping

    2018-05-05

    Rhizoctonia solani causes rice sheath blight, an important disease affecting the growth of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Attempts to control the disease have met with little success. Based on transcriptional profiling, we previously identified more than 11,947 common differentially expressed genes (TPM > 10) between the rice genotypes TeQing and Lemont. In the current study, we extended these findings by focusing on an analysis of gene co-expression in response to R. solani AG1 IA and identified gene modules within the networks through weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). We compared the different genes assigned to each module and the biological interpretations of gene co-expression networks at early and later modules in the two rice genotypes to reveal differential responses to AG1 IA. Our results show that different changes occurred in the two rice genotypes and that the modules in the two groups contain a number of candidate genes possibly involved in pathogenesis, such as the VQ protein. Furthermore, these gene co-expression networks provide comprehensive transcriptional information regarding gene expression in rice in response to AG1 IA. The co-expression networks derived from our data offer ideas for follow-up experimentation that will help advance our understanding of the translational regulation of rice gene expression changes in response to AG1 IA.

  17. Gene transcript profiles of the TIA biosynthetic pathway in response to ethylene and copper reveal their interactive role in modulating TIA biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Ya-Jie; Liu, Jia; Guo, Xiao-Rui; Zu, Yuan-Gang; Tang, Zhong-Hua

    2015-05-01

    change in TIA accumulation does not correlate with expression of the associated genes. Our previous research found significant accumulation of vinblastine in response to high concentration of ethylene and Cu suggesting the involvement of posttranscriptional and posttranslational mechanisms in a spatial and temporal manner. In this study, meta-analysis reveals ERF and MPK form a positive feedback loop connecting two pathways actively involved in response of TIA pathway genes to ethylene and copper in C. roseus.

  18. Transcriptome and Gene Ontology (GO) Enrichment Analysis Reveals Genes Involved in Biotin Metabolism That Affect L-Lysine Production in Corynebacterium glutamicum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hong-Il; Kim, Jong-Hyeon; Park, Young-Jin

    2016-03-09

    Corynebacterium glutamicum is widely used for amino acid production. In the present study, 543 genes showed a significant change in their mRNA expression levels in L-lysine-producing C. glutamicum ATCC21300 than that in the wild-type C. glutamicum ATCC13032. Among these 543 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 28 genes were up- or downregulated. In addition, 454 DEGs were functionally enriched and categorized based on BLAST sequence homologies and gene ontology (GO) annotations using the Blast2GO software. Interestingly, NCgl0071 (bioB, encoding biotin synthase) was expressed at levels ~20-fold higher in the L-lysine-producing ATCC21300 strain than that in the wild-type ATCC13032 strain. Five other genes involved in biotin metabolism or transport--NCgl2515 (bioA, encoding adenosylmethionine-8-amino-7-oxononanoate aminotransferase), NCgl2516 (bioD, encoding dithiobiotin synthetase), NCgl1883, NCgl1884, and NCgl1885--were also expressed at significantly higher levels in the L-lysine-producing ATCC21300 strain than that in the wild-type ATCC13032 strain, which we determined using both next-generation RNA sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR analysis. When we disrupted the bioB gene in C. glutamicum ATCC21300, L-lysine production decreased by approximately 76%, and the three genes involved in biotin transport (NCgl1883, NCgl1884, and NCgl1885) were significantly downregulated. These results will be helpful to improve our understanding of C. glutamicum for industrial amino acid production.

  19. Transcriptome profiling of petal abscission zone and functional analysis of an Aux/IAA family gene RhIAA16 involved in petal shedding in rose

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuerong Gao

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Roses are one of the most important cut flowers among ornamental plants. Rose flower longevity is largely dependent on the timing of petal shedding occurrence. To understand the molecular mechanism underlying petal abscission in rose, we performed transcriptome profiling of the petal abscission zone during petal shedding using Illumina technology. We identified a total of 2592 differentially transcribed genes (DTGs during rose petal shedding. Gene ontology term enrichment and pathway analysis revealed that major biochemical pathways the DTGs were involved in included ethylene biosynthesis, starch degradation, superpathway of cytosolic glycolysis, pyruvate dehydrogenase and TCA cycle, photorespiration and the lactose degradation III pathway. This suggests that alterations in carbon metabolism are an important part of rose petal abscission. Among these DTGs, approximately 150 genes putatively encoding transcription factors were identified in rose abscission zone. These included zinc finger, WRKY, ERF, and Aux/IAA gene families, suggesting that petal abscission involves complex transcriptional reprogramming. Approximately 108 DTGs were related to hormone pathways, of which auxin and ethylene related DTGs were the largest groups including 52 and 41 genes, respectively. These also included 12 DTGs related to gibberellin and 6 DTGs in jasmonic acid pathway. Surprisingly, no DTGs involved in the biosynthesis/signaling of abscisic acid, cytokinin, brassinosteroid, and salicylic acid pathways were detected. Moreover, among DTGs related to auxin, we identified an Aux/IAA gene RhIAA16 that was up-regulated in response to petal shedding. Down-regulation of RhIAA16 by virus-induced gene silencing in rose promoted petal abscission, suggesting that RhIAA16 plays an important role in rose petal abscission.

  20. Genes involved in long-chain alkene biosynthesis in Micrococcus luteus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beller, Harry R.; Goh, Ee-Been; Keasling, Jay D.

    2010-01-07

    Aliphatic hydrocarbons are highly appealing targets for advanced cellulosic biofuels, as they are already predominant components of petroleum-based gasoline and diesel fuels. We have studied alkene biosynthesis in Micrococcus luteus ATCC 4698, a close relative of Sarcina lutea (now Kocuria rhizophila), which four decades ago was reported to biosynthesize iso- and anteiso branched, long-chain alkenes. The underlying biochemistry and genetics of alkene biosynthesis were not elucidated in those studies. We show here that heterologous expression of a three-gene cluster from M. luteus (Mlut_13230-13250) in a fatty-acid overproducing E. coli strain resulted in production of long-chain alkenes, predominantly 27:3 and 29:3 (no. carbon atoms: no. C=C bonds). Heterologous expression of Mlut_13230 (oleA) alone produced no long-chain alkenes but unsaturated aliphatic monoketones, predominantly 27:2, and in vitro studies with the purified Mlut_13230 protein and tetradecanoyl-CoA produced the same C27 monoketone. Gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry confirmed the elemental composition of all detected long-chain alkenes and monoketones (putative intermediates of alkene biosynthesis). Negative controls demonstrated that the M. luteus genes were responsible for production of these metabolites. Studies with wild-type M. luteus showed that the transcript copy number of Mlut_13230-13250 and the concentrations of 29:1 alkene isomers (the dominant alkenes produced by this strain) generally corresponded with bacterial population over time. We propose a metabolic pathway for alkene biosynthesis starting with acyl-CoA (or -ACP) thioesters and involving decarboxylative Claisen condensation as a key step, which we believe is catalyzed by OleA. Such activity is consistent with our data and with the homology (including the conserved Cys-His-Asn catalytic triad) of Mlut_13230 (OleA) to FabH (?-ketoacyl-ACP synthase III), which catalyzes decarboxylative Claisen condensation during

  1. Ethylene is not involved in adaptive responses to flooding in the Amazonian wild rice species Oryza grandiglumis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okishio, Takuma; Sasayama, Daisuke; Hirano, Tatsuya; Akimoto, Masahiro; Itoh, Kazuyuki; Azuma, Tetsushi

    2015-02-01

    The Amazonian wild rice Oryza grandiglumis has two contrasting adaptation mechanisms to flooding submergence: a quiescence response to complete submergence at the seedling stage and an escape response based on internodal elongation to partial submergence at the mature stage. We investigated possible factors that trigger these responses. In stem segments excised from mature O. grandiglumis plants, complete submergence only slightly promoted internodal elongation with increased ethylene levels in the internodes, while partial submergence substantially promoted internodal elongation without increased ethylene levels in the internodes. Incubation of non-submerged stem segments under a continuous flow of humidified ethylene-free air promoted internodal elongation to the same extent as that observed for partially submerged segments. Applied ethylene had little effect on the internodal elongation of non-submerged segments irrespective of humidity conditions. These results indicate that the enhanced internodal elongation of submerged O. grandiglumis plants is not triggered by ethylene accumulated during submergence but by the moist surroundings provided by submergence. The growth of shoots in O. grandiglumis seedlings was not promoted by ethylene or complete submergence, as is the case in O. sativa cultivars possessing the submergence-tolerant gene SUB1A. However, because the genome of O. grandiglumis lacks the SUB1A gene, the quiescence response of O. grandiglumis seedlings to complete submergence may be regulated by a mechanism distinct from that involved in the response of submergence-tolerant O. sativa cultivars. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  2. Response of cyprid specific genes to natural settlement cues in the barnacle Balanus (=Amphibalanus) amphitrite

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Honglei; Thiyagarajan, Vengatesen; Qian, Pei Yuan

    2010-01-01

    Quantitative real-time PCR was used to further our understanding of the molecular processes involved in the attachment and metamorphosis of larval barnacles. We report the effects of natural settlement cues (microbial biofilms and conspecific settlement-inducing factor) on the expression profiles of six barnacle cyprid specific (bcs) genes in cyprids of the barnacle Balanus (=Amphibalanus) amphitrite Darwin. Genes bcs-1 to bcs-5 all showed marked decreases in their expression between initial cyprid attachment and the completion of metamorphosis, whereas bcs-6 showed significant up-regulation. Generally, settlement cues exerted no significant effect on the decreasing trend of bcs-1 to bcs-5 expression during attachment and metamorphosis. However, the expression of bcs-6 increased prior to cyprid attachment in response to both settlement cues. This elevated expression of bcs-6 gene indicates the importance and key regulatory role of this specific gene to larval attachment and metamorphosis in this barnacle species. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Response of cyprid specific genes to natural settlement cues in the barnacle Balanus (=Amphibalanus) amphitrite

    KAUST Repository

    Li, Honglei

    2010-06-01

    Quantitative real-time PCR was used to further our understanding of the molecular processes involved in the attachment and metamorphosis of larval barnacles. We report the effects of natural settlement cues (microbial biofilms and conspecific settlement-inducing factor) on the expression profiles of six barnacle cyprid specific (bcs) genes in cyprids of the barnacle Balanus (=Amphibalanus) amphitrite Darwin. Genes bcs-1 to bcs-5 all showed marked decreases in their expression between initial cyprid attachment and the completion of metamorphosis, whereas bcs-6 showed significant up-regulation. Generally, settlement cues exerted no significant effect on the decreasing trend of bcs-1 to bcs-5 expression during attachment and metamorphosis. However, the expression of bcs-6 increased prior to cyprid attachment in response to both settlement cues. This elevated expression of bcs-6 gene indicates the importance and key regulatory role of this specific gene to larval attachment and metamorphosis in this barnacle species. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Identification of microRNAs Involved in the Host Response to Enterovirus 71 Infection by a Deep Sequencing Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lunbiao Cui

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Role of microRNA (miRNA has been highlighted in pathogen-host interactions recently. To identify cellular miRNAs involved in the host response to enterovirus 71 (EV71 infection, we performed a comprehensive miRNA profiling in EV71-infected Hep2 cells through deep sequencing. 64 miRNAs were found whose expression levels changed for more than 2-fold in response to EV71 infection. Gene ontology analysis revealed that many of these mRNAs play roles in neurological process, immune response, and cell death pathways, which are known to be associated with the extreme virulence of EV71. To our knowledge, this is the first study on host miRNAs expression alteration response to EV71 infection. Our findings supported the hypothesis that certain miRNAs might be essential in the host-pathogen interactions.

  5. Nitrate reductase gene involvement in hexachlorobiphenyl dechlorination by Phanerochaete chrysosporium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De, Supriyo; Perkins, Michael; Dutta, Sisir K.

    2006-01-01

    Polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) degradation usually occurs through reductive dechlorination under anaerobic conditions and phenolic ring cleavage under aerobic conditions. In this paper, we provide evidence of nitrate reductase (NaR) mediated dechlorination of hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB-153) in Phanerochaete chrysosporium under non-ligninolytic condition and the gene involved. The NaR enzyme and its cofactor, molybdenum (Mo), were found to mediate reductive dechlorination of PCBs even in aerobic condition. Tungsten (W), a competitive inhibitor of this enzyme, was found to suppress this dechlorination. Chlorine release assay provided further evidence of this nitrate reductase mediated dechlorination. Commercially available pure NaR enzyme from Aspergillus was used to confirm these results. Through homology search using TBLASTN program, NaR gene was identified, primers were designed and the RT-PCR product was sequenced. The NaR gene was then annotated in the P. chrysosporium genome (GenBank accession no. AY700576). This is the first report regarding the presence of nitrate reductase gene in this fungus with the explanation why this fungus can dechlorinate PCBs even in aerobic condition. These fungal inoculums are used commercially as pellets in sawdust for enhanced bioremediation of PCBs at the risk of depleting soil nitrates. Hence, the addition of nitrates to the pellets will reduce this risk as well as enhance its activity

  6. Analysis of a cis-Acting Element Involved in Regulation by Estrogen of Human Angiotensinogen Gene Expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yan-Yan; Sun, Kai-Lai; Ashok, Kumar

    1998-01-01

    The work was aimed to identify the estrogen responsive element in the human angiotensinogen gene. The nucleotide sequence between the transcription initiation site and TATA box in angiotensinogen gene promoter was found to be strongly homologous with the consensus estrogen responsive element. This sequence was confirmed as the estrogen responsive element (HAG ERE) by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The recombinant expression vectors were constructed in which chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene was driven by angiotensinogen core promoter with HAG ERE of by TK core promoter with multiplied HAG ERE, and were used in cotransfection with the human estrogen receptor expression vector into HepG(2) cells; CAT assays showed an increase of the CAT activity on 17beta-estradiol treatment in those transfectants. These results suggest that the human angiotensinogen gene is transcriptionally up-regulated by estrogen through the estrogen responsive element near TATA box of the promoter.

  7. Brugia malayi gene expression in response to the targeting of the Wolbachia endosymbiont by tetracycline treatment.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elodie Ghedin

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Brugia malayi, like most human filarial parasite species, harbors an endosymbiotic bacterium of the genus Wolbachia. Elimination of the endosymbiont leads to sterilization of the adult female. Previous biochemical and genetic studies have established that communication with its endobacterium is essential for survival of the worm.We used electron microscopy to examine the effects of antibiotic treatment on Wolbachia cell structure. We have also used microarray and quantitative RT-PCR analyses to examine the regulation of the B. malayi transcripts altered in response to the anti-Wolbachia treatment. Microscopy of worms taken from animals treated with tetracycline for 14 and 21 days (14 d and 21 d demonstrated substantial morphologic effects on the Wolbachia endobacterium by 14 d and complete degeneration of the endobacterial structures by 21 d. We observed upregulation of transcripts primarily encoding proteins involved in amino acid synthesis and protein translation, and downregulation of transcripts involved in cuticle biosynthesis after both 7 d and 14 d of treatment. In worms exposed to tetracycline in culture, substantial effects on endobacteria morphology were evident by day 3, and extensive death of the endobacteria was observed by day 5. In a detailed examination of the expression kinetics of selected signaling genes carried out on such cultured worms, a bimodal pattern of regulation was observed. The selected genes were upregulated during the early phase of antibiotic treatment and quickly downregulated in the following days. These same genes were upregulated once more at 6 days post-treatment.Upregulation of protein translation and amino acid synthesis may indicate a generalized stress response induced in B. malayi due to a shortage of essential nutrients/factors that are otherwise supplied by Wolbachia. Downregulation of transcripts involved in cuticle biosynthesis perhaps reflects a disruption in the normal embryogenic program. This is

  8. Gene expression profiling of the host response to HIV-1 B, C, or A/E infection in monocyte-derived dendritic cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solis, Mayra; Wilkinson, Peter; Romieu, Raphaelle; Hernandez, Eduardo; Wainberg, Mark A.; Hiscott, John

    2006-01-01

    Dendritic cells (DC) are among the first targets of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection and in turn play a crucial role in viral transmission to T cells and in the regulation of the immune response. The major group of HIV-1 has diversified genetically based on variation in env sequences and comprise at least 11 subtypes. Because little is known about the host response elicited against different HIV-1 clade isolates in vivo, we sought to use gene expression profiling to identify genes regulated by HIV-1 subtypes B, C, and A/E upon de novo infection of primary immature monocyte-derived DC (iMDDCs). A total of 3700 immune-related genes were subjected to a significance analysis of microarrays (SAM); 656 genes were selected as significant and were further divided into 8 functional categories. Regardless of the time of infection, 20% of the genes affected by HIV-1 were involved in signal transduction, followed by 14% of the genes identified as transcription-related genes, and 7% were classified as playing a role in cell proliferation and cell cycle. Furthermore, 7% of the genes were immune response genes. By 72 h postinfection, genes upregulated by subtype B included the inhibitor of the matrix metalloproteinase TIMP2 and the heat shock protein 40 homolog (Hsp40) DNAJB1, whereas the IFN inducible gene STAT1, the MAPK1/ERK2 kinase regulator ST5, and the chemokine CXCL3 and SHC1 genes were induced by subtypes C and A/E. These analyses distinguish a temporally regulated host response to de novo HIV-1 infection in primary dendritic cells

  9. Dissection of cis-regulatory element architecture of the rice oleosin gene promoters to assess abscisic acid responsiveness in suspension-cultured rice cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sol; Lee, Soo-Bin; Han, Chae-Seong; Lim, Mi-Na; Lee, Sung-Eun; Yoon, In Sun; Hwang, Yong-Sic

    2017-08-01

    Oleosins are the most abundant proteins in the monolipid layer surrounding neutral storage lipids that form oil bodies in plants. Several lines of evidence indicate that they are physiologically important for the maintenance of oil body structure and for mobilization of the lipids stored inside. Rice has six oleosin genes in its genome, the expression of all of which was found to be responsive to abscisic acid (ABA) in our examination of mature embryo and aleurone tissues. The 5'-flanking region of OsOle5 was initially characterized for its responsiveness to ABA through a transient expression assay system using the protoplasts from suspension-cultured rice cells. A series of successive deletions and site-directed mutations identified five regions critical for the hormonal induction of its promoter activity. A search for cis-acting elements in these regions deposited in a public database revealed that they contain various promoter elements previously reported to be involved in the ABA response of various genes. A gain-of-function experiment indicated that multiple copies of all five regions were sufficient to provide the minimal promoter with a distinct ABA responsiveness. Comparative sequence analysis of the short, but still ABA-responsive, promoters of OsOle genes revealed no common modular architecture shared by them, indicating that various distinct promoter elements and independent trans-acting factors are involved in the ABA responsiveness of rice oleosin multigenes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  10. Next-generation text-mining mediated generation of chemical response-specific gene sets for interpretation of gene expression data

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Background Availability of chemical response-specific lists of genes (gene sets) for pharmacological and/or toxic effect prediction for compounds is limited. We hypothesize that more gene sets can be created by next-generation text mining (next-gen TM), and that these can be used with gene set analysis (GSA) methods for chemical treatment identification, for pharmacological mechanism elucidation, and for comparing compound toxicity profiles. Methods We created 30,211 chemical response-specific gene sets for human and mouse by next-gen TM, and derived 1,189 (human) and 588 (mouse) gene sets from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). We tested for significant differential expression (SDE) (false discovery rate -corrected p-values sets and the CTD-derived gene sets in gene expression (GE) data sets of five chemicals (from experimental models). We tested for SDE of gene sets for six fibrates in a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA) knock-out GE dataset and compared to results from the Connectivity Map. We tested for SDE of 319 next-gen TM-derived gene sets for environmental toxicants in three GE data sets of triazoles, and tested for SDE of 442 gene sets associated with embryonic structures. We compared the gene sets to triazole effects seen in the Whole Embryo Culture (WEC), and used principal component analysis (PCA) to discriminate triazoles from other chemicals. Results Next-gen TM-derived gene sets matching the chemical treatment were significantly altered in three GE data sets, and the corresponding CTD-derived gene sets were significantly altered in five GE data sets. Six next-gen TM-derived and four CTD-derived fibrate gene sets were significantly altered in the PPARA knock-out GE dataset. None of the fibrate signatures in cMap scored significant against the PPARA GE signature. 33 environmental toxicant gene sets were significantly altered in the triazole GE data sets. 21 of these toxicants had a similar toxicity pattern as the

  11. Involvement of aberrant DNA methylation on reduced expression of lysophosphatidic acid receptor-1 gene in rat tumor cell lines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsujiuchi, Toshifumi; Shimizu, Kyoko; Onishi, Mariko; Sugata, Eriko; Fujii, Hiromasa; Mori, Toshio; Honoki, Kanya; Fukushima, Nobuyuki

    2006-01-01

    Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive phospholipid that stimulates cell proliferation, migration, and protects cells from apoptosis. It interacts with specific G protein-coupled transmembrane receptors. Recently, it has been reported that alterations of LPA receptor expression might be important in the malignant transformation of tumor cells. Therefore, to assess an involvement of DNA methylation in reduced expression of the LPA receptor-1 (lpa1) gene, we investigated the expression of the lpa1 gene and its DNA methylation patterns in rat tumor cell lines. Both rat brain-derived neuroblastoma B103 and liver-derived hepatoma RH7777 cells used in this study indicated no expression of lpa1. For the analysis of methylation status, bisulfite sequencing was performed with B103 and RH7777 cells, comparing with other lpa1 expressed cells and normal tissues of brain and liver. The lpa1 expressed cells and tissues were all unmethylated in this region of lpa1. In contrast, both B103 and RH7777 cells were highly methylated, correlating with reduced expression of the lpa1. Treatment with 5-aza 2'-deoxycytidine induced expression of lpa1 gene in B103 and RH7777 cells after 24 h. In RH7777 cells treated with 5-aza 2'-deoxycytidine, stress fiber formation was also observed in response to LPA in RH7777 cells, but not in untreated RH7777 cells. These results suggest that aberrant DNA methylation of the lpa1 gene may be involved in its reduced expression in rat tumor cells

  12. Cloning and characterization of a potato StAN11 gene involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis regulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Wang; Wang, Bing; Wang, Man; Chen, Min; Yin, Jing-Ming; Kaleri, Ghullam Murtaza; Zhang, Rui-Jie; Zuo, Tie-Niu; You, Xiong; Yang, Qing

    2014-04-01

    Anthocyanins are a class of products of plant secondary metabolism and are responsible for tubers color in potato. The biosynthesis of anthocyanins is a complex biological process, in which multiple genes are involved including structural genes and regulatory genes. In this study, StAN11, a WD40-repeat gene, was cloned from potato cultivar Chieftain (Solanum tuberosum L.). StAN11 (HQ599506) contained no intron and its open reading frame (ORF) was 1,029 bp long, encoding a putative protein of 342 amino acids. In order to verify its role in anthocyanin biosynthesis, StAN11 was inserted behind the CaMV-35S promoter of pCMBIA1304 and the recombination vector was introduced into the potato cultivar Désirée plants by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The color of transgenic tuber skin was significantly deepened, compared to the wild-type control, which was highly consistent with the accumulation of anthocyanin and expression of StAN11 in transgenic lines tuber skin. Further analysis on the expression of Flavonone-3-hydroxylase (F3H), Dihydroflavonol reductase (DFR), Anthocyanidin synthase (ANS), and Flavonoid 3-O-glucosyl transferase (3GT) in transgenic plants revealed that only DFR was upregulated. This result suggested that StAN11 regulated anthocyanin biosynthesis in potato by controlling DFR expression and accumulation of anthocyanin could be increased through overexpression of StAN11 in the tubers with the genetic background of anthocyanin biosynthesis. © 2013 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

  13. Emergency response planning and preparedness for transport accidents involving radioactive material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-01-01

    The purpose of this Guide is to provide assistance to public authorities and others (including consignors and carriers of radioactive materials) who are responsible for ensuring safety in establishing and developing emergency response arrangements for responding effectively to transport accidents involving radioactive materials. This Guide is concerned mainly with the preparation of emergency response plans. It provides information which will assist those countries whose involvement with radioactive materials is just beginning and those which have already developed their industries involving radioactive materials and attendant emergency plans, but may need to review and improve these plans. The need for emergency response plans and the ways in which they are implemented vary from country to country. In each country, the responsible authorities must decide how best to apply this Guide, taking into account the actual shipments and associated hazards. In this Guide the emergency response planning and response philosophy are outlined, including identification of emergency response organizations and emergency services that would be required during a transport accident. General consequences which could prevail during an accident are described taking into account the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material. 43 refs, figs and tabs

  14. Identification of transcription coactivator OCA-B-dependent genes involved in antigen-dependent B cell differentiation by cDNA array analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Unkyu; Siegel, Rachael; Ren, Xiaodi; Gunther, Cary S; Gaasterland, Terry; Roeder, Robert G

    2003-07-22

    The tissue-specific transcriptional coactivator OCA-B is required for antigen-dependent B cell differentiation events, including germinal center formation. However, the identity of OCA-B target genes involved in this process is unknown. This study has used large-scale cDNA arrays to monitor changes in gene expression patterns that accompany mature B cell differentiation. B cell receptor ligation alone induces many genes involved in B cell expansion, whereas B cell receptor and helper T cell costimulation induce genes associated with B cell effector function. OCA-B expression is induced by both B cell receptor ligation alone and helper T cell costimulation, suggesting that OCA-B is involved in B cell expansion as well as B cell function. Accordingly, several genes involved in cell proliferation and signaling, such as Lck, Kcnn4, Cdc37, cyclin D3, B4galt1, and Ms4a11, have been identified as OCA-B-dependent genes. Further studies on the roles played by these genes in B cells will contribute to an understanding of B cell differentiation.

  15. Epigenetic involvement of Alien/ESET complex in thyroid hormone-mediated repression of E2F1 gene expression and cell proliferation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hong, Wei, E-mail: hongwei@tijmu.edu.cn [Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University, 300070 Tianjin (China); College of Basic Medicine, Tianjin Medical University, 300070 Tianjin (China); Li, Jinru; Wang, Bo [College of Basic Medicine, Tianjin Medical University, 300070 Tianjin (China); Chen, Linfeng [Department of Medical Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, 02115 MA (United States); Niu, Wenyan; Yao, Zhi [Department of Immunology, Tianjin Medical University, 300070 Tianjin (China); Baniahmad, Aria, E-mail: aban@mti.uni-jena.de [Institute for Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, 07740 Jena (Germany)

    2011-12-02

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Corepressor Alien interacts with histone methyltransferase ESET in vivo. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Alien/ESET complex is recruited to nTRE of T3-responsive gene by liganded TR{beta}1. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ESET-mediated H3K9 methylation is required for liganded TR{beta}1-repressed transcription. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer ESET is involved in T3-repressed G1/S phase transition and proliferation. -- Abstract: The ligand-bound thyroid hormone receptor (TR) is known to repress via a negative TRE (nTRE) the expression of E2F1, a key transcription factor that controls the G1/S phase transition. Alien has been identified as a novel interacting factor of E2F1 and acts as a corepressor of E2F1. The detailed molecular mechanism by which Alien inhibits E2F1 gene expression remains unclear. Here, we report that the histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methyltransferase (HMT) ESET is an integral component of the corepressor Alien complex and the Alien/ESET complex is recruited to both sites, the E2F1 and the nTRE site of the E2F1 gene while the recruitment to the negative thyroid hormone response element (nTRE) is induced by the ligand-bound TR{beta}1 within the E2F1 gene promoter. We show that, overexpression of ESET promotes, whereas knockdown of ESET releases, the inhibition of TR{beta}1-regulated gene transcription upon T3 stimulation; and H3K9 methylation is required for TR{beta}1-repressed transcription. Furthermore, depletion of ESET impairs thyroid hormone-repressed proliferation as well as the G1/S transition of the cell cycle. Taken together, our data indicate that ESET is involved in TR{beta}1-mediated transcription repression and provide a molecular basis of thyroid hormone-induced repression of proliferation.

  16. The WSB1 gene is involved in pancreatic cancer progression.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cendrine Archange

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer cells generate metastases because they can survive the stress imposed by the new environment of the host tissue. To mimic this process, pancreatic cancer cells which are not stressed in standard culture conditions are injected into nude mice. Because they develop xenografts, they should have developed adequate stress response. Characterizing that response might provide new strategies to interfere with pancreatic cancer metastasis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the human pancreatic cancer cell lines Panc-1, Mia-PaCa2, Capan-1, Capan-2 and BxPC3, we used Affymetrix DNA microarrays to compare the expressions of 22.000 genes in vitro and in the corresponding xenografts. We identified 228 genes overexpressed in xenografts and characterized the implication of one of them, WSB1, in the control of apoptosis and cell proliferation. WSB1 generates 3 alternatively spliced transcripts encoding distinct protein isoforms. In xenografts and in human pancreatic tumors, global expression of WSB1 mRNA is modestly increased whereas isoform 3 is strongly overexpressed and isoforms 1 and 2 are down-regulated. Treating Mia-PaCa2 cells with stress-inducing agents induced similar changes. Whereas retrovirus-forced expression of WSB1 isoforms 1 and 2 promoted cell growth and sensitized the cells to gemcitabine- and doxorubicin-induced apoptosis, WSB1 isoform 3 expression reduced cell proliferation and enhanced resistance to apoptosis, showing that stress-induced modulation of WSB1 alternative splicing increases resistance to apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Data on WSB1 regulation support the hypothesis that activation of stress-response mechanisms helps cancer cells establishing metastases and suggest relevance to cancer development of other genes overexpressed in xenografts.

  17. Gene expression of corals in response to macroalgal competitors.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tonya L Shearer

    Full Text Available As corals decline and macroalgae proliferate on coral reefs, coral-macroalgal competition becomes more frequent and ecologically important. Whether corals are damaged by these interactions depends on susceptibility of the coral and traits of macroalgal competitors. Investigating changes in gene expression of corals and their intracellular symbiotic algae, Symbiodinium, in response to contact with different macroalgae provides insight into the biological processes and cellular pathways affected by competition with macroalgae. We evaluated the gene expression profiles of coral and Symbiodinium genes from two confamilial corals, Acropora millepora and Montipora digitata, after 6 h and 48 h of contact with four common macroalgae that differ in their allelopathic potency to corals. Contacts with macroalgae affected different biological pathways in the more susceptible (A. millepora versus the more resistant (M. digitata coral. Genes of coral hosts and of their associated Symbiodinium also responded in species-specific and time-specific ways to each macroalga. Changes in number and expression intensity of affected genes were greater after 6 h compared to 48 h of contact and were greater following contact with Chlorodesmis fastigiata and Amphiroa crassa than following contact with Galaxaura filamentosa or Turbinaria conoides. We documented a divergence in transcriptional responses between two confamilial corals and their associated Symbiodinium, as well as a diversity of dynamic responses within each coral species with respect to the species of macroalgal competitor and the duration of exposure to that competitor. These responses included early initiation of immune processes by Montipora, which is more resistant to damage after long-term macroalgal contact. Activation of the immune response by corals that better resist algal competition is consistent with the hypothesis that some macroalgal effects on corals may be mediated by microbial pathogens.

  18. The role of the Yap5 transcription factor in remodeling gene expression in response to Fe bioavailability.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catarina Pimentel

    Full Text Available The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has developed several mechanisms to avoid either the drastic consequences of iron deprivation or the toxic effects of iron excess. In this work, we analysed the global gene expression changes occurring in yeast cells undergoing iron overload. Several genes directly or indirectly involved in iron homeostasis showed altered expression and the relevance of these changes are discussed. Microarray analyses were also performed to identify new targets of the iron responsive factor Yap5. Besides the iron vacuolar transporter CCC1, Yap5 also controls the expression of glutaredoxin GRX4, previously known to be involved in the regulation of Aft1 nuclear localization. Consistently, we show that in the absence of Yap5 Aft1 nuclear exclusion is slightly impaired. These studies provide further evidence that cells control iron homeostasis by using multiple pathways.

  19. Molecular responses during cadmium-induced stress in Daphnia magna: Integration of differential gene expression with higher-level effects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soetaert, Anneleen [Department of Biology, Laboratory for Ecophysiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp (Belgium)]. E-mail: anneleen.soetaert@ua.ac.be; Vandenbrouck, Tine [Department of Biology, Laboratory for Ecophysiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp (Belgium); Ven, Karlijn van der [Department of Biology, Laboratory for Ecophysiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp (Belgium); Maras, Marleen [Department of Biology, Laboratory for Ecophysiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp (Belgium); Remortel, Piet van [Department of Mathematics and Informatics, Intelligent Systems Laboratory, University of Antwerp, Middelheimlaan 1, B-2020 Antwerp (Belgium); Blust, Ronny [Department of Biology, Laboratory for Ecophysiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp (Belgium); Coen, Wim M. de [Department of Biology, Laboratory for Ecophysiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp (Belgium)

    2007-07-20

    DNA microarrays offer great potential in revealing insight into mechanistic toxicity of contaminants. The aim of the present study was (i) to gain insight in concentration- and time-dependent cadmium-induced molecular responses by using a customized Daphnia magna microarray, and (ii) to compare the gene expression profiles with effects at higher levels of biological organization (e.g. total energy budget and growth). Daphnids were exposed to three cadmium concentrations (nominal value of 10, 50, 100 {mu}g/l) for two time intervals (48 and 96 h). In general, dynamic expression patterns were obtained with a clear increase of gene expression changes at higher concentrations and longer exposure duration. Microarray analysis revealed cadmium affected molecular pathways associated with processes such as digestion, oxygen transport, cuticula metabolism and embryo development. These effects were compared with higher-level effects (energy budgets and growth). For instance, next to reduced energy budgets due to a decline in lipid, carbohydrate and protein content, we found an up-regulated expression of genes related to digestive processes (e.g. {alpha}-esterase, cellulase, {alpha}-amylase). Furthermore, cadmium affected the expression of genes coding for proteins involved in molecular pathways associated with immune response, stress response, cell adhesion, visual perception and signal transduction in the present study.

  20. Carbon black nanoparticles induce biphasic gene expression changes associated with inflammatory responses in the lungs of C57BL/6 mice following a single intratracheal instillation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Husain, Mainul; Kyjovska, Zdenka O.; Bourdon-Lacombe, Julie; Saber, Anne T.; Jensen, Keld A.; Jacobsen, Nicklas R.; Williams, Andrew; Wallin, Håkan; Halappanavar, Sabina; Vogel, Ulla; Yauk, Carole L.

    2015-01-01

    Inhalation of carbon black nanoparticles (CBNPs) causes pulmonary inflammation; however, time course data to evaluate the detailed evolution of lung inflammatory responses are lacking. Here we establish a time-series of lung inflammatory response to CBNPs. Female C57BL/6 mice were intratracheally instilled with 162 μg CBNPs alongside vehicle controls. Lung tissues were examined 3 h, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 14, and 42 days (d) post-exposure. Global gene expression and pulmonary inflammation were assessed. DNA damage was evaluated in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells and lung tissue using the comet assay. Increased neutrophil influx was observed at all time-points. DNA strand breaks were increased in BAL cells 3 h post-exposure, and in lung tissues 2–5 d post-exposure. Approximately 2600 genes were differentially expressed (± 1.5 fold; p ≤ 0.05) across all time-points in the lungs of exposed mice. Altered transcript levels were associated with immune-inflammatory response and acute phase response pathways, consistent with the BAL profiles and expression changes found in common respiratory infectious diseases. Genes involved in DNA repair, apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, and muscle contraction were also differentially expressed. Gene expression changes associated with inflammatory response followed a biphasic pattern, with initial changes at 3 h post-exposure declining to base-levels by 3 d, increasing again at 14 d, and then persisting to 42 d post-exposure. Thus, this single CBNP exposure that was equivalent to nine 8-h working days at the current Danish occupational exposure limit induced biphasic inflammatory response in gene expression that lasted until 42 d post-exposure, raising concern over the chronic effects of CBNP exposure. - Highlights: • A single exposure to CBNPs induced expression changes in over 2600 genes in mouse lungs. • Altered genes were associated with immune-inflammatory and acute phase responses. • Several genes were involved in DNA

  1. Carbon black nanoparticles induce biphasic gene expression changes associated with inflammatory responses in the lungs of C57BL/6 mice following a single intratracheal instillation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Husain, Mainul, E-mail: mainul.husain@hc-sc.gc.ca [Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada); Kyjovska, Zdenka O., E-mail: zky@nrcwe.dk [National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen (Denmark); Bourdon-Lacombe, Julie, E-mail: julie.bourdon-lacombe@hc-sc.gc.ca [Water and Air Quality Bureau, Safe Environments Directorate, HECSB, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada); Saber, Anne T., E-mail: ats@nrcwe.dk [National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen (Denmark); Jensen, Keld A., E-mail: kaj@arbejdsmiljoforskning.dk [National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen (Denmark); Jacobsen, Nicklas R., E-mail: nrj@nrcwe.dk [National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen (Denmark); Williams, Andrew, E-mail: andrew.williams@hc-sc.gc.ca [Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada); Wallin, Håkan, E-mail: hwa@nrcwe.dk [National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen (Denmark); Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen (Denmark); Halappanavar, Sabina, E-mail: sabina.halappanavar@hc-sc.gc.ca [Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada); Vogel, Ulla, E-mail: ubv@nrcwe.dk [National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen (Denmark); Institute of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark); Yauk, Carole L., E-mail: carole.yauk@hc-sc.gc.ca [Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON (Canada)

    2015-12-15

    Inhalation of carbon black nanoparticles (CBNPs) causes pulmonary inflammation; however, time course data to evaluate the detailed evolution of lung inflammatory responses are lacking. Here we establish a time-series of lung inflammatory response to CBNPs. Female C57BL/6 mice were intratracheally instilled with 162 μg CBNPs alongside vehicle controls. Lung tissues were examined 3 h, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 14, and 42 days (d) post-exposure. Global gene expression and pulmonary inflammation were assessed. DNA damage was evaluated in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells and lung tissue using the comet assay. Increased neutrophil influx was observed at all time-points. DNA strand breaks were increased in BAL cells 3 h post-exposure, and in lung tissues 2–5 d post-exposure. Approximately 2600 genes were differentially expressed (± 1.5 fold; p ≤ 0.05) across all time-points in the lungs of exposed mice. Altered transcript levels were associated with immune-inflammatory response and acute phase response pathways, consistent with the BAL profiles and expression changes found in common respiratory infectious diseases. Genes involved in DNA repair, apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, and muscle contraction were also differentially expressed. Gene expression changes associated with inflammatory response followed a biphasic pattern, with initial changes at 3 h post-exposure declining to base-levels by 3 d, increasing again at 14 d, and then persisting to 42 d post-exposure. Thus, this single CBNP exposure that was equivalent to nine 8-h working days at the current Danish occupational exposure limit induced biphasic inflammatory response in gene expression that lasted until 42 d post-exposure, raising concern over the chronic effects of CBNP exposure. - Highlights: • A single exposure to CBNPs induced expression changes in over 2600 genes in mouse lungs. • Altered genes were associated with immune-inflammatory and acute phase responses. • Several genes were involved in DNA

  2. The effect of the CCR5-delta32 deletion on global gene expression considering immune response and inflammation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hütter Gero

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The natural function of the C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5 is poorly understood. A 32 base pair deletion in the CCR5 gene (CCR5-delta32 located on chromosome 3 results in a non-functional protein. It is supposed that this deletion causes an alteration in T-cell response to inflammation. For example, the presence of the CCR5-delta32 allele in recipients of allografts constitutes as an independent and protective factor associated with a decreased risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD and graft rejection. However, the mechanism of this beneficial effect of the deletion regarding GVHD is unknown. In this survey we searched for a CCR5-delta32 associated regulation of critical genes involved in the immune response and the development of GVHD. Methods We examined CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells derived from bone marrow samples from 19 healthy volunteers for the CCR5-delta32 deletion with a genomic PCR using primers flanking the site of the deletion. Results 12 individuals were found to be homozygous for CCR5 WT and 7 carried the CCR5-delta32 deletion heterozygously. Global gene expression analysis led to the identification of 11 differentially regulated genes. Six of them are connected with mechanisms of immune response and control: LRG1, CXCR2, CCRL2, CD6, CD7, WD repeat domain, and CD30L. Conclusions Our data indicate that the CCR5-delta32 mutation may be associated with differential gene expression. Some of these genes are critical for immune response, in the case of CD30L probably protective in terms of GVHD.

  3. Resveratrol stimulates c-Fos gene transcription via activation of ERK1/2 involving multiple genetic elements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thiel, Gerald; Rössler, Oliver G

    2018-06-05

    The polyphenol resveratrol is found in many plant and fruits and is a constituent of our diet. Resveratrol has been proposed to have chemopreventive and anti-inflammatory activities. On the cellular level, resveratrol activates stimulus-regulated transcription factors. To identify resveratrol-responsive elements within a natural gene promoter, the molecular pathway leading to c-Fos gene expression by resveratrol was dissected. The c-Fos gene encodes a basic region leucine zipper transcription factor and is a prototype of an immediate-early gene that is regulated by a wide range of signaling molecules. We analyzed chromatin-integrated c-Fos promoter-luciferase reporter genes where transcription factor binding sites were destroyed by point mutations or deletion mutagenesis. The results show that mutation of the binding sites for serum response factor (SRF), activator protein-1 (AP-1) and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) significantly reduced reporter gene transcription following stimulation of the cells with resveratrol. Inactivation of the binding sites for signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) or ternary complex factors did not influence resveratrol-regulated c-Fos promoter activity. Thus, the c-Fos promoter contains three resveratrol-responsive elements, the cAMP response element (CRE), and the binding sites for SRF and AP-1. Moreover, we show that the transcriptional activation potential of the c-Fos protein is increased in resveratrol-stimulated cells, indicating that the biological activity of c-Fos is elevated by resveratrol stimulation. Pharmacological and genetic experiments revealed that the protein kinase ERK1/2 is the signal transducer that connects resveratrol treatment with the c-Fos gene. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Retinoid X receptor and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor activate an estrogen responsive gene independent of the estrogen receptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nuñez, S B; Medin, J A; Braissant, O; Kemp, L; Wahli, W; Ozato, K; Segars, J H

    1997-03-14

    Estrogen receptors regulate transcription of genes essential for sexual development and reproductive function. Since the retinoid X receptor (RXR) is able to modulate estrogen responsive genes and both 9-cis RA and fatty acids influenced development of estrogen responsive tumors, we hypothesized that estrogen responsive genes might be modulated by RXR and the fatty acid receptor (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, PPAR). To test this hypothesis, transfection assays in CV-1 cells were performed with an estrogen response element (ERE) coupled to a luciferase reporter construct. Addition of expression vectors for RXR and PPAR resulted in an 11-fold increase in luciferase activity in the presence of 9-cis RA. Furthermore, mobility shift assays demonstrated binding of RXR and PPAR to the vitellogenin A2-ERE and an ERE in the oxytocin promoter. Methylation interference assays demonstrated that specific guanine residues required for RXR/PPAR binding to the ERE were similar to residues required for ER binding. Moreover, RXR domain-deleted constructs in transfection assays showed that activation required RXR since an RXR delta AF-2 mutant completely abrogated reporter activity. Oligoprecipitation binding studies with biotinylated ERE and (35)S-labeled in vitro translated RXR constructs confirmed binding of delta AF-2 RXR mutant to the ERE in the presence of baculovirus-expressed PPAR. Finally, in situ hybridization confirmed RXR and PPAR mRNA expression in estrogen responsive tissues. Collectively, these data suggest that RXR and PPAR are present in reproductive tissues, are capable of activating estrogen responsive genes and suggest that the mechanism of activation may involve direct binding of the receptors to estrogen response elements.

  5. Prediction of novel target genes and pathways involved in bevacizumab-resistant colorectal cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makondi, Precious Takondwa; Lee, Chia-Hwa; Huang, Chien-Yu; Chu, Chi-Ming; Chang, Yu-Jia

    2018-01-01

    Bevacizumab combined with cytotoxic chemotherapy is the backbone of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) therapy; however, its treatment efficacy is hampered by therapeutic resistance. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying bevacizumab resistance is crucial to increasing the therapeutic efficacy of bevacizumab. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (dataset, GSE86525) was used to identify the key genes and pathways involved in bevacizumab-resistant mCRC. The GEO2R web tool was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional and pathway enrichment analyses of the DEGs were performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery(DAVID). Protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks were established using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins database(STRING) and visualized using Cytoscape software. A total of 124 DEGs were obtained, 57 of which upregulated and 67 were downregulated. PPI network analysis showed that seven upregulated genes and nine downregulated genes exhibited high PPI degrees. In the functional enrichment, the DEGs were mainly enriched in negative regulation of phosphate metabolic process and positive regulation of cell cycle process gene ontologies (GOs); the enriched pathways were the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-serine/threonine kinase signaling pathway, bladder cancer, and microRNAs in cancer. Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A(CDKN1A), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), CD19 molecule (CD19), breast cancer 1, early onset (BRCA1), platelet-derived growth factor subunit A (PDGFA), and matrix metallopeptidase 1 (MMP1) were the DEGs involved in the pathways and the PPIs. The clinical validation of the DEGs in mCRC (TNM clinical stages 3 and 4) revealed that high PDGFA expression levels were associated with poor overall survival, whereas high BRCA1 and MMP1 expression levels were associated with favorable progress free survival(PFS). The identified genes and pathways

  6. Prediction of novel target genes and pathways involved in bevacizumab-resistant colorectal cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Precious Takondwa Makondi

    Full Text Available Bevacizumab combined with cytotoxic chemotherapy is the backbone of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC therapy; however, its treatment efficacy is hampered by therapeutic resistance. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying bevacizumab resistance is crucial to increasing the therapeutic efficacy of bevacizumab. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO database (dataset, GSE86525 was used to identify the key genes and pathways involved in bevacizumab-resistant mCRC. The GEO2R web tool was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses of the DEGs were performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery(DAVID. Protein-protein interaction (PPI networks were established using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins database(STRING and visualized using Cytoscape software. A total of 124 DEGs were obtained, 57 of which upregulated and 67 were downregulated. PPI network analysis showed that seven upregulated genes and nine downregulated genes exhibited high PPI degrees. In the functional enrichment, the DEGs were mainly enriched in negative regulation of phosphate metabolic process and positive regulation of cell cycle process gene ontologies (GOs; the enriched pathways were the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-serine/threonine kinase signaling pathway, bladder cancer, and microRNAs in cancer. Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A(CDKN1A, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4, CD19 molecule (CD19, breast cancer 1, early onset (BRCA1, platelet-derived growth factor subunit A (PDGFA, and matrix metallopeptidase 1 (MMP1 were the DEGs involved in the pathways and the PPIs. The clinical validation of the DEGs in mCRC (TNM clinical stages 3 and 4 revealed that high PDGFA expression levels were associated with poor overall survival, whereas high BRCA1 and MMP1 expression levels were associated with favorable progress free survival(PFS. The identified genes and pathways

  7. The Genome Sequence of the Cyanobacterium Oscillatoria sp. PCC 6506 Reveals Several Gene Clusters Responsible for the Biosynthesis of Toxins and Secondary Metabolites▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Méjean, Annick; Mazmouz, Rabia; Mann, Stéphane; Calteau, Alexandra; Médigue, Claudine; Ploux, Olivier

    2010-01-01

    We report a draft sequence of the genome of Oscillatoria sp. PCC 6506, a cyanobacterium that produces anatoxin-a and homoanatoxin-a, two neurotoxins, and cylindrospermopsin, a cytotoxin. Beside the clusters of genes responsible for the biosynthesis of these toxins, we have found other clusters of genes likely involved in the biosynthesis of not-yet-identified secondary metabolites. PMID:20675499

  8. Naringenin Regulates Expression of Genes Involved in Cell Wall Synthesis in Herbaspirillum seropedicae▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tadra-Sfeir, M. Z.; Souza, E. M.; Faoro, H.; Müller-Santos, M.; Baura, V. A.; Tuleski, T. R.; Rigo, L. U.; Yates, M. G.; Wassem, R.; Pedrosa, F. O.; Monteiro, R. A.

    2011-01-01

    Five thousand mutants of Herbaspirillum seropedicae SmR1 carrying random insertions of transposon pTnMod-OGmKmlacZ were screened for differential expression of LacZ in the presence of naringenin. Among the 16 mutants whose expression was regulated by naringenin were genes predicted to be involved in the synthesis of exopolysaccharides, lipopolysaccharides, and auxin. These loci are probably involved in establishing interactions with host plants. PMID:21257805

  9. Naringenin regulates expression of genes involved in cell wall synthesis in Herbaspirillum seropedicae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tadra-Sfeir, M Z; Souza, E M; Faoro, H; Müller-Santos, M; Baura, V A; Tuleski, T R; Rigo, L U; Yates, M G; Wassem, R; Pedrosa, F O; Monteiro, R A

    2011-03-01

    Five thousand mutants of Herbaspirillum seropedicae SmR1 carrying random insertions of transposon pTnMod-OGmKmlacZ were screened for differential expression of LacZ in the presence of naringenin. Among the 16 mutants whose expression was regulated by naringenin were genes predicted to be involved in the synthesis of exopolysaccharides, lipopolysaccharides, and auxin. These loci are probably involved in establishing interactions with host plants.

  10. Polymorphisms in miRNA genes and their involvement in autoimmune diseases susceptibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latini, Andrea; Ciccacci, Cinzia; Novelli, Giuseppe; Borgiani, Paola

    2017-08-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that negatively regulate the expression of multiple protein-encoding genes at the post-transcriptional level. MicroRNAs are involved in different pathways, such as cellular proliferation and differentiation, signal transduction and inflammation, and play crucial roles in the development of several diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. They have recently been recognized to play a role also in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Although the majority of studies are focused on miRNA expression profiles investigation, a growing number of studies have been investigating the role of polymorphisms in miRNA genes in the autoimmune diseases development. Indeed, polymorphisms affecting the miRNA genes can modify the set of targets they regulate or the maturation efficiency. This review is aimed to give an overview about the available studies that have investigated the association of miRNA gene polymorphisms with the susceptibility to various autoimmune diseases and to their clinical phenotypes.

  11. Imidacloprid does not induce Cyp genes involved in insecticide resistance of a mutant Drosophila melanogaster line.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalajdzic, Predrag; Markaki, Maria; Oehler, Stefan; Savakis, Charalambos

    2013-10-01

    Certain xenobiotics have the capacity to induce the expression of genes involved in various biological phenomena, including insecticide resistance. The induction potential of different chemicals, among them different insecticides, has been documented for a number of insect species. In this study, we have analyzed the induction potential of Imidacloprid, a widely used member of the neonicotinoid insecticide family. Genes Cyp6g1 and Cyp6a2, known to be involved in the resistance of mutant Drosophila melanogaster line MiT[W⁻]3R2 to Imidacloprid and DDT were included in the analyzed sample. We find that Imidacloprid does not induce expression of the analyzed genes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Identification of a melatonin receptor type 1A gene ( AccMTNR1A) in Apis cerana cerana and its possible involvement in the response to low temperature stress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Guilin; Zhang, Yanming; Ni, Yong; Wang, Ying; Xu, Baohua; Guo, Xingqi

    2018-04-01

    It is known that melatonin plays an indispensable role in the defense against some environment-induced stresses. The melatonin receptor (MTNR) is also closely linked to the environmental stress response in mammals. However, little is known about the function of the MTNR in insects, including honeybees. In this study, we identified a MTNR from Apis cerana cerana named AccMTNR1A, which contained a typical seven-transmembrane domain common to this family of receptors. A subcellular localization analysis showed that AccMTNR1A was localized in the cytomembrane. Additionally, we found that cold stress apparently boosted AccMTNR1A transcription, indicating that AccMTNR1A possibly connects to the cold stress response. The knockdown of AccMTNR1A attenuated the expression level of some genes associated with the cold stress response, suggesting that AccMTNR1A likely plays an analogous role with these genes during low temperature stress response. Moreover, silencing of AccMTNR1A also suppressed the transcription of some antioxidant genes, prompting the possibility that the response of AccMTNR1A to cold stress response may be related to antioxidant signaling pathways. Collectively, the findings presented here provide evidence that AccMTNR1A may play essential roles in protecting Apis cerana cerana from cold stress.

  13. Liposome-based DNA carriers may induce cellular stress response and change gene expression pattern in transfected cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background During functional studies on the rat stress-inducible Hspa1b (hsp70.1) gene we noticed that some liposome-based DNA carriers, which are used for transfection, induce its promoter activity. This observation concerned commercial liposome formulations (LA), Lipofectin and Lipofectamine 2000. This work was aimed to understand better the mechanism of this phenomenon and its potential biological and practical consequences. Results We found that a reporter gene driven by Hspa1b promoter is activated both in the case of transient transfections and in the stably transfected cells treated with LA. Using several deletion clones containing different fragments of Hspa1b promoter, we found that the regulatory elements responsible for most efficient LA-driven inducibility were located between nucleotides -269 and +85, relative to the transcription start site. Further studies showed that the induction mechanism was independent of the classical HSE-HSF interaction that is responsible for gene activation during heat stress. Using DNA microarrays we also detected significant activation of the endogenous Hspa1b gene in cells treated with Lipofectamine 2000. Several other stress genes were also induced, along with numerous genes involved in cellular metabolism, cell cycle control and pro-apoptotic pathways. Conclusions Our observations suggest that i) some cationic liposomes may not be suitable for functional studies on hsp promoters, ii) lipofection may cause unintended changes in global gene expression in the transfected cells. PMID:21663599

  14. Liposome-based DNA carriers may induce cellular stress response and change gene expression pattern in transfected cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisowska Katarzyna Marta

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background During functional studies on the rat stress-inducible Hspa1b (hsp70.1 gene we noticed that some liposome-based DNA carriers, which are used for transfection, induce its promoter activity. This observation concerned commercial liposome formulations (LA, Lipofectin and Lipofectamine 2000. This work was aimed to understand better the mechanism of this phenomenon and its potential biological and practical consequences. Results We found that a reporter gene driven by Hspa1b promoter is activated both in the case of transient transfections and in the stably transfected cells treated with LA. Using several deletion clones containing different fragments of Hspa1b promoter, we found that the regulatory elements responsible for most efficient LA-driven inducibility were located between nucleotides -269 and +85, relative to the transcription start site. Further studies showed that the induction mechanism was independent of the classical HSE-HSF interaction that is responsible for gene activation during heat stress. Using DNA microarrays we also detected significant activation of the endogenous Hspa1b gene in cells treated with Lipofectamine 2000. Several other stress genes were also induced, along with numerous genes involved in cellular metabolism, cell cycle control and pro-apoptotic pathways. Conclusions Our observations suggest that i some cationic liposomes may not be suitable for functional studies on hsp promoters, ii lipofection may cause unintended changes in global gene expression in the transfected cells.

  15. MMP-13 regulates growth of wound granulation tissue and modulates gene expression signatures involved in inflammation, proteolysis, and cell viability.

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    Mervi Toriseva

    Full Text Available Proteinases play a pivotal role in wound healing by regulating cell-matrix interactions and availability of bioactive molecules. The role of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13 in granulation tissue growth was studied in subcutaneously implanted viscose cellulose sponge in MMP-13 knockout (Mmp13(-/- and wild type (WT mice. The tissue samples were harvested at time points day 7, 14 and 21 and subjected to histological analysis and gene expression profiling. Granulation tissue growth was significantly reduced (42% at day 21 in Mmp13(-/- mice. Granulation tissue in Mmp13(-/- mice showed delayed organization of myofibroblasts, increased microvascular density at day 14, and virtual absence of large vessels at day 21. Gene expression profiling identified differentially expressed genes in Mmp13(-/- mouse granulation tissue involved in biological functions including inflammatory response, angiogenesis, cellular movement, cellular growth and proliferation and proteolysis. Among genes linked to angiogenesis, Adamts4 and Npy were significantly upregulated in early granulation tissue in Mmp13(-/- mice, and a set of genes involved in leukocyte motility including Il6 were systematically downregulated at day 14. The expression of Pdgfd was downregulated in Mmp13(-/- granulation tissue in all time points. The expression of matrix metalloproteinases Mmp2, Mmp3, Mmp9 was also significantly downregulated in granulation tissue of Mmp13(-/- mice compared to WT mice. Mmp13(-/- mouse skin fibroblasts displayed altered cell morphology and impaired ability to contract collagen gel and decreased production of MMP-2. These results provide evidence for an important role for MMP-13 in wound healing by coordinating cellular activities important in the growth and maturation of granulation tissue, including myofibroblast function, inflammation, angiogenesis, and proteolysis.

  16. Temperature influences the expression profiling of immune response genes in rainbow trout following DNA vaccination and VHS virus infection

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Einer-Jensen, Katja; Gautier, Laurent; Rasmussen, Jesper Skou

    balancing mechanism of the immune system. An experimental VHSV challenge was performed 7 weeks pv. Similar protection levels of approximately 10% mortality were found for the vaccinated fish, regardless of temperature during immunisation and challenge, whereas the course and level of mortality among...... an early unspecific antiviral response as well as a long-lasting specific protection. However, temperature appears to influence immune response with respect to the nature and duration of the protective mechanisms. In this study, groups of fish were temperature acclimated, vaccinated and challenged at three...... different temperatures (5, 10 and 15ºC). Tissue and organ samples were collected at numerous time points post vaccination (pv) and post viral challenge (pch). Then, gene expression levels of a two immune genes (Vig-1 and Mx3) involved in unspecific antiviral response mechanisms were determined by Q...

  17. Identification and functional analysis of gene cluster involvement in biosynthesis of the cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic pelgipeptin produced by Paenibacillus elgii

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    Qian Chao-Dong

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Pelgipeptin, a potent antibacterial and antifungal agent, is a non-ribosomally synthesised lipopeptide antibiotic. This compound consists of a β-hydroxy fatty acid and nine amino acids. To date, there is no information about its biosynthetic pathway. Results A potential pelgipeptin synthetase gene cluster (plp was identified from Paenibacillus elgii B69 through genome analysis. The gene cluster spans 40.8 kb with eight open reading frames. Among the genes in this cluster, three large genes, plpD, plpE, and plpF, were shown to encode non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs, with one, seven, and one module(s, respectively. Bioinformatic analysis of the substrate specificity of all nine adenylation domains indicated that the sequence of the NRPS modules is well collinear with the order of amino acids in pelgipeptin. Additional biochemical analysis of four recombinant adenylation domains (PlpD A1, PlpE A1, PlpE A3, and PlpF A1 provided further evidence that the plp gene cluster involved in pelgipeptin biosynthesis. Conclusions In this study, a gene cluster (plp responsible for the biosynthesis of pelgipeptin was identified from the genome sequence of Paenibacillus elgii B69. The identification of the plp gene cluster provides an opportunity to develop novel lipopeptide antibiotics by genetic engineering.

  18. The involvement of SMILE/TMTC3 in endoplasmic reticulum stress response.

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    Maud Racapé

    Full Text Available The state of operational tolerance has been detected sporadically in some renal transplanted patients that stopped immunosuppressive drugs, demonstrating that allograft tolerance might exist in humans. Several years ago, a study by Brouard et al. identified a molecular signature of several genes that were significantly differentially expressed in the blood of such patients compared with patients with other clinical situations. The aim of the present study is to analyze the role of one of these molecules over-expressed in the blood of operationally tolerant patients, SMILE or TMTC3, a protein whose function is still unknown.We first confirmed that SMILE mRNA is differentially expressed in the blood of operationally tolerant patients with drug-free long term graft function compared to stable and rejecting patients. Using a yeast two-hybrid approach and a colocalization study by confocal microscopy we furthermore report an interaction of SMILE with PDIA3, a molecule resident in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER. In accordance with this observation, SMILE silencing in HeLa cells correlated with the modulation of several transcripts involved in proteolysis and a decrease in proteasome activity. Finally, SMILE silencing increased HeLa cell sensitivity to the proteasome inhibitor Bortezomib, a drug that induces ER stress via protein overload, and increased transcript expression of a stress response protein, XBP-1, in HeLa cells and keratinocytes.In this study we showed that SMILE is involved in the endoplasmic reticulum stress response, by modulating proteasome activity and XBP-1 transcript expression. This function of SMILE may influence immune cell behavior in the context of transplantation, and the analysis of endoplasmic reticulum stress in transplantation may reveal new pathways of regulation in long-term graft acceptance thereby increasing our understanding of tolerance.

  19. Gene expression in Atlantic salmon skin in response to infection with the parasitic copepod Lepeophtheirus salmonis, cortisol implant, and their combination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krasnov Aleksei

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The salmon louse is an ectoparasitic copepod that causes major economic losses in the aquaculture industry of Atlantic salmon. This host displays a high level of susceptibility to lice which can be accounted for by several factors including stress. In addition, the parasite itself acts as a potent stressor of the host, and outcomes of infection can depend on biotic and abiotic factors that stimulate production of cortisol. Consequently, examination of responses to infection with this parasite, in addition to stress hormone regulation in Atlantic salmon, is vital for better understanding of the host pathogen interaction. Results Atlantic salmon post smolts were organised into four experimental groups: lice + cortisol, lice + placebo, no lice + cortisol, no lice + placebo. Infection levels were equal in both treatments upon termination of the experiment. Gene expression changes in skin were assessed with 21 k oligonucleotide microarray and qPCR at the chalimus stage 18 days post infection at 9°C. The transcriptomic effects of hormone treatment were significantly greater than lice-infection induced changes. Cortisol stimulated expression of genes involved in metabolism of steroids and amino acids, chaperones, responses to oxidative stress and eicosanoid metabolism and suppressed genes related to antigen presentation, B and T cells, antiviral and inflammatory responses. Cortisol and lice equally down-regulated a large panel of motor proteins that can be important for wound contraction. Cortisol also suppressed multiple genes involved in wound healing, parts of which were activated by the parasite. Down-regulation of collagens and other structural proteins was in parallel with the induction of proteinases that degrade extracellular matrix (MMP9 and MMP13. Cortisol reduced expression of genes encoding proteins involved in formation of various tissue structures, regulators of cell differentiation and growth factors. Conclusions

  20. Gene targeting by the vitamin D response element binding protein reveals a role for vitamin D in osteoblast mTOR signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lisse, Thomas S; Liu, Ting; Irmler, Martin; Beckers, Johannes; Chen, Hong; Adams, John S; Hewison, Martin

    2011-03-01

    Transcriptional regulation by hormonal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1,25(OH)(2)D(3)] involves occupancy of vitamin D response elements (VDREs) by the VDRE binding protein (VDRE-BP) or 1,25(OH)(2)D(3)-bound vitamin D receptor (VDR). This relationship is disrupted by elevated VDRE-BP, causing a form of hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets (HVDRR). DNA array analysis showed that of 114 genes regulated by 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) in control cells, almost all (113) were rendered insensitive to the hormone in VDRE-BP-overexpressing HVDRR cells. Among these was the gene for DNA-damage-inducible transcript 4 (DDIT4), an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. Chromatin immunoprecipitation PCR using 1,25(OH)(2)D(3)-treated osteoblasts confirmed that VDR and VDRE-BP compete for binding to the DDIT4 gene promoter. Expression of DDIT4 mRNA in these cells was induced (1.6-6 fold) by 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) (10-100 nM), and Western blot and flow cytometry analysis showed that this response involved suppression of phosphorylated S6K1(T389) (a downstream target of mTOR) similar to rapamycin treatment. siRNA knockdown of DDIT4 completely abrogated antiproliferative responses to 1,25(OH)(2)D(3), whereas overexpression of VDRE-BP exerted a dominant-negative effect on transcription of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3)-target genes. DDIT4, an inhibitor of mTOR signaling, is a direct target for 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) and VDRE-BP, and functions to suppress cell proliferation in response to vitamin D.

  1. Identification and comparative analyses of myocardial miRNAs involved in the fetal response to maternal obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maloyan, Alina; Muralimanoharan, Sribalasubashini; Huffman, Steven; Cox, Laura A; Nathanielsz, Peter W; Myatt, Leslie; Nijland, Mark J

    2013-10-01

    Human and animal studies show that suboptimal intrauterine environments lead to fetal programming, predisposing offspring to disease in later life. Maternal obesity has been shown to program offspring for cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and obesity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules that act as key regulators of numerous cellular processes. Compelling evidence links miRNAs to the control of cardiac development and etiology of cardiac pathology; however, little is known about their role in the fetal cardiac response to maternal obesity. Our aim was to sequence and profile the cardiac miRNAs that are dysregulated in the hearts of baboon fetuses born to high fat/high fructose-diet (HFD) fed mothers for comparison with fetal hearts from mothers eating a regular diet. Eighty miRNAs were differentially expressed. Of those, 55 miRNAs were upregulated and 25 downregulated with HFD. Twenty-two miRNAs were mapped to human; 14 of these miRNAs were previously reported to be dysregulated in experimental or human CVD. We used an Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to integrate miRNA profiling and bioinformatics predictions to determine miRNA-regulated processes and genes potentially involved in fetal programming. We found a correlation between miRNA expression and putative gene targets involved in developmental disorders and CVD. Cellular death, growth, and proliferation were the most affected cellular functions in response to maternal obesity. Thus, the current study reveals significant alterations in cardiac miRNA expression in the fetus of obese baboons. The epigenetic modifications caused by adverse prenatal environment may represent one of the mechanisms underlying fetal programming of CVD.

  2. Cloning and characterization of a Candida albicans maltase gene involved in sucrose utilization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Geber, A; Williamson, P R; Rex, J H; Sweeney, E C; Bennett, J E

    1992-01-01

    In order to isolate the structural gene involved in sucrose utilization, we screened a sucrose-induced Candida albicans cDNA library for clones expressing alpha-glucosidase activity. The C. albicans maltase structural gene (CAMAL2) was isolated. No other clones expressing alpha-glucosidase activity. were detected. A genomic CAMAL2 clone was obtained by screening a size-selected genomic library with the cDNA clone. DNA sequence analysis reveals that CAMAL2 encodes a 570-amino-acid protein which shares 50% identity with the maltase structural gene (MAL62) of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis. The substrate specificity of the recombinant protein purified from Escherichia coli identifies the enzyme as a maltase. Northern (RNA) analysis reveals that transcription of CAMAL2 is induced by maltose and sucrose and repressed by glucose. These results suggest that assimilation of sucrose in C. albicans relies on an inducible maltase enzyme. The family of genes controlling sucrose utilization in C. albicans shares similarities with the MAL gene family of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and provides a model system for studying gene regulation in this pathogenic yeast. Images PMID:1400249

  3. Evidence for some signal transduction elements involved in UV-light-dependent responses in parsley protoplasts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frohnmeyer, H.; Bowler, C.; Schäfer, E.

    1997-01-01

    The signalling pathways used by UV-light are largely unknown. Using protoplasts from a heterotrophic parsley (Petroselinum crispum L.) cell culture that exclusively respond to UV-B light between 300 and 350 nm with a fast induction of genes encoding flavonoid biosynthetic enzymes, information was obtained about the UV-light signal transduction pathway for chalcone synthase (CHS) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) gene expression. Pharmacological effectors which influence intracellular calcium levels, calmodulin and the activity of serine/threonine kinases also changed the UV-light-dependent expression of these genes. This evaluation indicated the participation of these components on the UV-B-mediated signal transduction cascade to CHS. In contrast, neither membrane-permeable cyclic GMP nor the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein affected CHS or PAL expression. Similar results were obtained in protoplasts, which have been transiently transformed with CHS-promoter/GUS (β-glucuronidase) reporter fusion constructs. The involvement of calcium and calmodulin was further indicated in a cell-free light-responsive in vitro transcription system from evacuolated parsley protoplasts. In conclusion, there is evidence now that components of the UV-light-dependent pathway leading to the CHS-promoter are different from the previously characterized cGMP-dependent pathway to CHS utilized by phytochrome in soybean (Glycine max) and tomato seedlings (Lycopersicon esculentum). (author)

  4. The gene bap, involved in biofilm production, is present in Staphylococcus spp. strains from nosocomial infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potter, Amina; Ceotto, Hilana; Giambiagi-Demarval, Marcia; dos Santos, Kátia Regina Netto; Nes, Ingolf F; Bastos, Maria do Carmo de Freire

    2009-06-01

    This study analyzed ten strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) involved in nosocomial infections in three Brazilian hospitals. Their antibiotic susceptibility profile showed that most strains exhibited multiple antibiotic resistance and possessed the mecA gene. The ability of these strains to adhere to polystyrene microtiter plates was also tested and nine of them proved to be biofilm producers at least in one of the three conditions tested: growth in TSB, in TSB supplemented with NaCl, or in TSB supplemented with glucose. The presence of the bap gene, which codes for the biofilm-associated protein (Bap), was investigated in all ten strains by PCR. AU strains were bop-positive and DNA sequencing experiments confirmed that the fragments amplified were indeed part of a bap gene. The presence of the icaA gene, one of the genes involved in polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA) formation, was also detected by PCR in eight of the ten strains tested. The two icaA-negative strains were either weak biofilm producer or no biofilm producer, although they were bop-positive. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the presence of the bap gene in nosocomial isolates of CNS, being also the first report on the presence of this gene in Staphylococcus haemolyticus and S. cohnii.

  5. MYC cis-Elements in PsMPT Promoter Is Involved in Chilling Response of Paeonia suffruticosa.

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    Yuxi Zhang

    Full Text Available The MPT transports Pi to synthesize ATP. PsMPT, a chilling-induced gene, was previously reported to promote energy metabolism during bud dormancy release in tree peony. In this study, the regulatory elements of PsMPT promoter involved in chilling response were further analyzed. The PsMPT transcript was detected in different tree peony tissues and was highly expressed in the flower organs, including petal, stigma and stamen. An 1174 bp of the PsMPT promoter was isolated by TAIL-PCR, and the PsMPT promoter::GUS transgenic Arabidopsis was generated and analyzed. GUS staining and qPCR showed that the promoter was active in mainly the flower stigma and stamen. Moreover, it was found that the promoter activity was enhanced by chilling, NaCl, GA, ACC and NAA, but inhibited by ABA, mannitol and PEG. In transgenic plants harboring 421 bp of the PsMPT promoter, the GUS gene expression and the activity were significantly increased by chilling treatment. When the fragment from -421 to -408 containing a MYC cis-element was deleted, the chilling response could not be observed. Further mutation analysis confirmed that the MYC element was one of the key motifs responding to chilling in the PsMPT promoter. The present study provides useful information for further investigation of the regulatory mechanism of PsMPT during the endo-dormancy release.

  6. Cold shock protein YB-1 is involved in hypoxia-dependent gene transcription

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rauen, Thomas; Frye, Bjoern C.; Wang, Jialin; Raffetseder, Ute; Alidousty, Christina; En-Nia, Abdelaziz; Floege, Jürgen; Mertens, Peter R.

    2016-01-01

    Hypoxia-dependent gene regulation is largely orchestrated by hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), which associate with defined nucleotide sequences of hypoxia-responsive elements (HREs). Comparison of the regulatory HRE within the 3′ enhancer of the human erythropoietin (EPO) gene with known binding motifs for cold shock protein Y-box (YB) protein-1 yielded strong similarities within the Y-box element and 3′ adjacent sequences. DNA binding assays confirmed YB-1 binding to both, single- and double-stranded HRE templates. Under hypoxia, we observed nuclear shuttling of YB-1 and co-immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that YB-1 and HIF-1α physically interact with each other. Cellular YB-1 depletion using siRNA significantly induced hypoxia-dependent EPO production at both, promoter and mRNA level. Vice versa, overexpressed YB-1 significantly reduced EPO-HRE-dependent gene transcription, whereas this effect was minor under normoxia. HIF-1α overexpression induced hypoxia-dependent gene transcription through the same element and accordingly, co-expression with YB-1 reduced HIF-1α-mediated EPO induction under hypoxic conditions. Taken together, we identified YB-1 as a novel binding factor for HREs that participates in fine-tuning of the hypoxia transcriptome. - Highlights: • Hypoxia drives nuclear translocation of cold shock protein YB-1. • YB-1 physically interacts with hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α. • YB-1 binds to the hypoxia-responsive element (HRE) within the erythropoietin (EPO) 3′ enhancer. • YB-1 trans-regulates transcription of hypoxia-dependent genes such as EPO and VEGF.

  7. Next-generation text-mining mediated generation of chemical response-specific gene sets for interpretation of gene expression data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hettne, K.M.; Boorsma, A.; Dartel, D.A. van; Goeman, J.J.; Jong, E. de; Piersma, A.H.; Stierum, R.H.; Kleinjans, J.C.; Kors, J.A.

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Availability of chemical response-specific lists of genes (gene sets) for pharmacological and/or toxic effect prediction for compounds is limited. We hypothesize that more gene sets can be created by next-generation text mining (next-gen TM), and that these can be used with gene set

  8. Next-generation text-mining mediated generation of chemical response-specific gene sets for interpretation of gene expression data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hettne, K.M.; Boorsma, A.; Dartel, van D.A.M.; Goeman, J.J.; Jong, de E.; Piersma, A.H.; Stierum, R.H.; Kleinjans, J.C.; Kors, J.A.

    2013-01-01

    Background: Availability of chemical response-specific lists of genes (gene sets) for pharmacological and/or toxic effect prediction for compounds is limited. We hypothesize that more gene sets can be created by next-generation text mining (next-gen TM), and that these can be used with gene set

  9. The Tomato Hoffman's Anthocyaninless Gene Encodes a bHLH Transcription Factor Involved in Anthocyanin Biosynthesis That Is Developmentally Regulated and Induced by Low Temperatures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Zhengkun; Wang, Xiaoxuan; Gao, Jianchang; Guo, Yanmei; Huang, Zejun; Du, Yongchen

    2016-01-01

    Anthocyanin pigments play many roles in plants, including providing protection against biotic and abiotic stresses. Many of the genes that mediate anthocyanin accumulation have been identified through studies of flowers and fruits; however, the mechanisms of genes involved in anthocyanin regulation in seedlings under low-temperature stimulus are less well understood. Genetic characterization of a tomato inbred line, FMTT271, which showed no anthocyanin pigmentation, revealed a mutation in a bHLH transcription factor (TF) gene, which corresponds to the ah (Hoffman's anthocyaninless) locus, and so the gene in FMTT271 at that locus was named ah. Overexpression of the wild type allele of AH in FMTT271 resulted in greater anthocyanin accumulation and increased expression of several genes in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. The expression of AH and anthocyanin accumulation in seedlings was shown to be developmentally regulated and induced by low-temperature stress. Additionally, transcriptome analyses of hypocotyls and leaves from the near-isogenic lines seedlings revealed that AH not only influences the expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes, but also genes associated with responses to abiotic stress. Furthermore, the ah mutation was shown to cause accumulation of reactive oxidative species and the constitutive activation of defense responses under cold conditions. These results suggest that AH regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis, thereby playing a protective role, and that this function is particularly important in young seedlings that are particularly vulnerable to abiotic stresses.

  10. The Tomato Hoffman's Anthocyaninless Gene Encodes a bHLH Transcription Factor Involved in Anthocyanin Biosynthesis That Is Developmentally Regulated and Induced by Low Temperatures.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhengkun Qiu

    Full Text Available Anthocyanin pigments play many roles in plants, including providing protection against biotic and abiotic stresses. Many of the genes that mediate anthocyanin accumulation have been identified through studies of flowers and fruits; however, the mechanisms of genes involved in anthocyanin regulation in seedlings under low-temperature stimulus are less well understood. Genetic characterization of a tomato inbred line, FMTT271, which showed no anthocyanin pigmentation, revealed a mutation in a bHLH transcription factor (TF gene, which corresponds to the ah (Hoffman's anthocyaninless locus, and so the gene in FMTT271 at that locus was named ah. Overexpression of the wild type allele of AH in FMTT271 resulted in greater anthocyanin accumulation and increased expression of several genes in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. The expression of AH and anthocyanin accumulation in seedlings was shown to be developmentally regulated and induced by low-temperature stress. Additionally, transcriptome analyses of hypocotyls and leaves from the near-isogenic lines seedlings revealed that AH not only influences the expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes, but also genes associated with responses to abiotic stress. Furthermore, the ah mutation was shown to cause accumulation of reactive oxidative species and the constitutive activation of defense responses under cold conditions. These results suggest that AH regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis, thereby playing a protective role, and that this function is particularly important in young seedlings that are particularly vulnerable to abiotic stresses.

  11. Upland cotton gene GhFPF1 confers promotion of flowering time and shade-avoidance responses in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoyan Wang

    Full Text Available Extensive studies on floral transition in model species have revealed a network of regulatory interactions between proteins that transduce and integrate developmental and environmental signals to promote or inhibit the transition to flowering. Previous studies indicated FLOWERING PROMOTING FACTOR 1 (FPF1 gene was involved in the promotion of flowering, but the molecular mechanism was still unclear. Here, FPF1 homologous sequences were screened from diploid Gossypium raimondii L. (D-genome, n = 13 and Gossypium arboreum L. genome (A-genome, n = 13 databases. Orthologous genes from the two species were compared, suggesting that distinctions at nucleic acid and amino acid levels were not equivalent because of codon degeneracy. Six FPF1 homologous genes were identified from the cultivated allotetraploid Gossypium hirsutum L. (AD-genome, n = 26. Analysis of relative transcripts of the six genes in different tissues revealed that this gene family displayed strong tissue-specific expression. GhFPF1, encoding a 12.0-kDa protein (Accession No: KC832319 exerted more transcripts in floral apices of short-season cotton, hinting that it could be involved in floral regulation. Significantly activated APETALA 1 and suppressed FLOWERING LOCUS C expression were induced by over-expression of GhFPF1 in the Arabidopsis Columbia-0 ecotype. In addition, transgenic Arabidopsis displayed a constitutive shade-avoiding phenotype that is characterized by long hypocotyls and petioles, reduced chlorophyll content, and early flowering. We propose that GhFPF1 may be involved in flowering time control and shade-avoidance responses.

  12. Transcriptome-wide identification of salt-responsive members of the WRKY gene family in Gossypium aridum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Xinqi; Guo, Qi; Xu, Peng; Gong, YuanYong; Shu, Hongmei; Yang, Yang; Ni, Wanchao; Zhang, Xianggui; Shen, Xinlian

    2015-01-01

    WRKY transcription factors are plant-specific, zinc finger-type transcription factors. The WRKY superfamily is involved in abiotic stress responses in many crops including cotton, a major fiber crop that is widely cultivated and consumed throughout the world. Salinity is an important abiotic stress that results in considerable yield losses. In this study, we identified 109 WRKY genes (GarWRKYs) in a salt-tolerant wild cotton species Gossypium aridum from transcriptome sequencing data to elucidate the roles of these factors in cotton salt tolerance. According to their structural features, the predicted members were divided into three groups (Groups I-III), as previously described for Arabidopsis. Furthermore, 28 salt-responsive GarWRKY genes were identified from digital gene expression data and subjected to real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis. The expression patterns of most GarWRKY genes revealed by this analysis are in good agreement with those revealed by RNA-Seq analysis. RT-PCR analysis revealed that 27 GarWRKY genes were expressed in roots and one was exclusively expressed in roots. Analysis of gene orthology and motif compositions indicated that WRKY members from Arabidopsis, rice and soybean generally shared the similar motifs within the same subgroup, suggesting they have the similar function. Overexpression-GarWRKY17 and -GarWRKY104 in Arabidopsis revealed that they could positively regulate salt tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis during different development stages. The comprehensive data generated in this study provide a platform for elucidating the functions of WRKY transcription factors in salt tolerance of G. aridum. In addition, GarWRKYs related to salt tolerance identified in this study will be potential candidates for genetic improvement of cultivated cotton salt stress tolerance.

  13. Transcriptome-wide identification of salt-responsive members of the WRKY gene family in Gossypium aridum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xinqi Fan

    Full Text Available WRKY transcription factors are plant-specific, zinc finger-type transcription factors. The WRKY superfamily is involved in abiotic stress responses in many crops including cotton, a major fiber crop that is widely cultivated and consumed throughout the world. Salinity is an important abiotic stress that results in considerable yield losses. In this study, we identified 109 WRKY genes (GarWRKYs in a salt-tolerant wild cotton species Gossypium aridum from transcriptome sequencing data to elucidate the roles of these factors in cotton salt tolerance. According to their structural features, the predicted members were divided into three groups (Groups I-III, as previously described for Arabidopsis. Furthermore, 28 salt-responsive GarWRKY genes were identified from digital gene expression data and subjected to real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis. The expression patterns of most GarWRKY genes revealed by this analysis are in good agreement with those revealed by RNA-Seq analysis. RT-PCR analysis revealed that 27 GarWRKY genes were expressed in roots and one was exclusively expressed in roots. Analysis of gene orthology and motif compositions indicated that WRKY members from Arabidopsis, rice and soybean generally shared the similar motifs within the same subgroup, suggesting they have the similar function. Overexpression-GarWRKY17 and -GarWRKY104 in Arabidopsis revealed that they could positively regulate salt tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis during different development stages. The comprehensive data generated in this study provide a platform for elucidating the functions of WRKY transcription factors in salt tolerance of G. aridum. In addition, GarWRKYs related to salt tolerance identified in this study will be potential candidates for genetic improvement of cultivated cotton salt stress tolerance.

  14. Interferon-β lipofection II. Mechanisms involved in cell death and bystander effect induced by cationic lipid-mediated interferon-β gene transfer to human tumor cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villaverde, M S; Gil-Cardeza, M L; Glikin, G C; Finocchiaro, L M E

    2012-06-01

    We evaluated the cytotoxic effects (apoptosis, necrosis and early senescence) of human interferon-β (hIFNβ) gene lipofection. The cytotoxicity of hIFNβ gene lipofection resulted equivalent to that of the corresponding addition of the recombinant protein (rhIFNβ) on human tumor cell lines derived from Ewing's sarcoma (EW7 and COH) and colon (HT-29) carcinomas. However, it was stronger than rhIFNβ on melanoma (M8) and breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7). To reveal the mechanisms involved in these differences, we compared the effects of hIFNβ gene and rhIFNβ protein on EW7 and M8 (sensitive and resistant to rhIFNβ protein, respectively). Lipofection with hIFNβ gene caused a mitochondrial potential decrease simultaneous with an increase of oxidative stress in both cell lines. However, rhIFNβ protein displayed the same pattern of response only in EW7-sensitive cell line. The great bystander effect of the hIFNβ gene lipofection, involving the production of reactive oxygen species, would be among the main causes of its success. In EW7, this effect killed >60% of EW7 cell population, even though only 1% of cells were expressing the transgene. As hIFNβ gene was effective even in the rhIFNβ protein-resistant M8 cell line and in a way not limited by low lipofection efficiency, these results strongly support the clinical potential of this approach.

  15. Expression analysis and functional characterization of a novel cold-responsive gene CbCOR15a from Capsella bursa-pastoris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Mingqi; Wu, Lihua; Liang, Jing; Shen, Chen; Lin, Juan

    2012-05-01

    The cold-responsive (COR) genes involved in C-repeat binding factor signaling pathway function essentially in cold acclimation of higher plants. A novel COR gene CbCOR15a from shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) was predicted to be a homolog of COR15 in Arabidopsis. The analysis of tissue specific expression pattern as well as characterization of the CbCOR15a promoter revealed that the expression of CbCOR15a was induced by coldness not only in leaves and stem but also in roots. Sequence analysis showed that a 909 bp promoter region of CbCOR15a contained two CRT/DRE elements, two ABRE elements, one auxin-responsive TGA-element and one MeJA-responsive CGTCA-motif. In young seedlings the expression of CbCOR15a could be apparently increased by SA, ABA, MeJA and IAA, and transiently increased by GA(3) accompanied by obvious feedback suppression. According to the altered physiological index values in tobacco under cold treatments, the overexpression of CbCOR15a significantly increased the cold tolerance of transgenic tobacco plants. It can be suggested that CbCOR15a was involved in cold response of Capsella bursa-pastoris associated with SA, ABA, MeJA, IAA and GA(3) regulation and confers enhanced cold acclimation in transgenic plants.

  16. Multiple and variable NHEJ-like genes are involved in resistance to DNA damage in Streptomyces ambofaciens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grégory Hoff

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Non homologous end-joining (NHEJ is a double strand break (DSB repair pathway which does not require any homologous template and can ligate two DNA ends together. The basic bacterial NHEJ machinery involves two partners: the Ku protein, a DNA end binding protein for DSB recognition and the multifunctional LigD protein composed a ligase, a nuclease and a polymerase domain, for end processing and ligation of the broken ends. In silico analyses performed in the 38 sequenced genomes of Streptomyces species revealed the existence of a large panel of NHEJ-like genes. Indeed, ku genes or ligD domain homologues are scattered throughout the genome in multiple copies and can be distinguished in two categories: the core NHEJ gene set constituted of conserved loci and the variable NHEJ gene set constituted of NHEJ-like genes present in only a part of the species. In Streptomyces ambofaciens ATCC 23877, not only the deletion of core genes but also that of variable genes led to an increased sensitivity to DNA damage induced by electron beam irradiation. Multiple mutants of ku, ligase or polymerase encoding genes showed an aggravated phenotype compared to single mutants. Biochemical assays revealed the ability of Ku-like proteins to protect and to stimulate ligation of DNA ends. RT-qPCR and GFP fusion experiments suggested that ku-like genes show a growth phase dependent expression profile consistent with their involvement in DNA repair during spores formation and/or germination.

  17. Role of X-ray-inducible genes and proteins in adaptive survival responses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meyers, M.; Schea, R.A.; Petrowski, A.E.; Seabury, H.; McLaughlin, P.W.; Lee, I.; Lee, S.W.; Boothman, D.A.

    1992-01-01

    Certain X-ray-inducible genes and their corresponding protein products, appearing following low priming doses of ionizing radiation may subsequently give rise to an adaptive survival response, ultimately leading to increased radioresistance. Further, this adaptive radioresistance may be due to increased DNA repair (or misrepair) processes. Ultimately, the function of low-dose-induced cDNA clones within the cell is hoped to elucidate to follow the effects of specific gene turn-off on adaptive responses. Future research must determine the various functions of adaptive response gene products so that the beneficial or deleterious consequences of adaptive responses, which increases resistance to ionizing radiation, can be determined. (author). 19 refs., 1 fig

  18. Distinct DNA repair pathways involving RecA and nonhomologous end joining in Mycobacterium smegmatis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korycka-Machala, Malgorzata; Brzostek, Anna; Rozalska, Sylwia; Rumijowska-Galewicz, Anna; Dziedzic, Renata; Bowater, Richard; Dziadek, Jaroslaw

    2006-05-01

    Mycobacterium smegmatis was used to study the relationship between DNA repair processes involving RecA and nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ). The effect of gene deletions in recA and/or in two genes involved in NHEJ (ku and ligD) was tested on the ability of bacteria to join breaks in plasmids transformed into them and in their response to chemicals that damage DNA. The results provide in vivo evidence that only NHEJ is required for the repair of noncompatible DNA ends. By contrast, the response of mycobacteria to mitomycin C preferentially involved a RecA-dependent pathway.

  19. Molecular characterization of genes encoding leucoanthocyanidin reductase involved in proanthocyanidin biosynthesis in apple

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuepeng eHan

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Proanthocyanidins (PAs are the major component of phenolics in apple, but mechanisms involved in PA biosynthesis remain unclear. Here, the relationship between the PA biosynthesis and the expression of genes encoding leucoanthocyanidin reductase (LAR and anthocyanidin reductase (ANR was investigated in fruit skin of one apple cultivar and three crabapples. Transcript levels of LAR1 and ANR2 genes were significantly correlated with the contents of catechin and epicatechin, respectively, which suggests their active roles in PA synthesis. Surprisingly, transcript levels for both LAR1 and LAR2 genes were almost undetectable in two crabapples that accumulated both flavan-3-ols and PAs. This contradicts the previous finding that LAR1 gene is a strong candidate regulating the accumulation of metabolites such as epicatechin and PAs in apple. Ectopic expression of apple MdLAR1 gene in tobacco suppresses expression of the late genes in anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway, resulting in loss of anthocyanin in flowers. Interestingly, a decrease in PA biosynthesis was also observed in flowers of transgenic tobacco plants overexpressing the MdLAR1 gene, which could be attributed to decreased expression of both the NtANR1 and NtANR2 genes. Our study not only confirms the in vivo function of apple LAR1 gene, but it is also helpful for understanding the mechanism of PA biosynthesis.

  20. Identification and expression analysis of WRKY transcription factor genes in canola (Brassica napus L. in response to fungal pathogens and hormone treatments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Deyholos Michael K

    2009-06-01

    expression patterns. Conclusion We identified a set of 13 BnWRKY genes from among 16 BnWRKY genes assayed, that are responsive to both fungal pathogens and hormone treatments, suggesting shared signaling mechanisms for these responses. This study suggests that a large number of BnWRKY proteins are involved in the transcriptional regulation of defense-related genes in response to fungal pathogens and hormone stimuli.

  1. Structure, function and networks of transcription factors involved in abiotic stress responses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lindemose, Søren; O'Shea, Charlotte; Jensen, Michael Krogh

    2013-01-01

    Transcription factors (TFs) are master regulators of abiotic stress responses in plants. This review focuses on TFs from seven major TF families, known to play functional roles in response to abiotic stresses, including drought, high salinity, high osmolarity, temperature extremes...... and the phytohormone ABA. Although ectopic expression of several TFs has improved abiotic stress tolerance in plants, fine-tuning of TF expression and protein levels remains a challenge to avoid crop yield loss. To further our understanding of TFs in abiotic stress responses, emerging gene regulatory networks based...... on TFs and their direct targets genes are presented. These revealed components shared between ABA-dependent and independent signaling as well as abiotic and biotic stress signaling. Protein structure analysis suggested that TFs hubs of large interactomes have extended regions with protein intrinsic...

  2. Isolation and characterization of Lotus japonicus genes involved in iron and zinc homeostasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cvitanich, Cristina; Jensen, Winnie; Sandal, Niels Nørgaard

    . Legumes are frequently grown in soil with limited nutrient availability. Plants use finely tuned mechanisms to keep appropriated levels of iron and zinc in each of their organs. Several genes involved in iron and zinc homeostasis have been described in yeast, and a few orthologs have been studied...... in plants. We have used these sequences to search for L. japonicus ESTs and genomic loci that are likely to be involved in iron and zinc metabolism. We have identified sequences corresponding to ferritins, ferric reductases, metal transport proteins of the ZIP family, and cation transporters of the NRAMP......The goal of this project is to find ways to improve the nutritional value of legumes by identifying genes and proteins important for iron and zinc regulation in the model legume Lotus japonicus. Legumes are important staples in the developing world and are a major source of nutrients in many areas...

  3. Deduction of Novel Genes Potentially Involved in Osteoblasts of Rheumatoid Arthritis Using Next-Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatic Approaches

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-Jen Chen

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available The role of osteoblasts in peri-articular bone loss and bone erosion in rheumatoid arthritis (RA has gained much attention, and microRNAs are hypothesized to play critical roles in the regulation of osteoblast function in RA. The aim of this study is to explore novel microRNAs differentially expressed in RA osteoblasts and to identify genes potentially involved in the dysregulated bone homeostasis in RA. RNAs were extracted from cultured normal and RA osteoblasts for sequencing. Using the next generation sequencing and bioinformatics approaches, we identified 35 differentially expressed microRNAs and 13 differentially expressed genes with potential microRNA–mRNA interactions in RA osteoblasts. The 13 candidate genes were involved mainly in cell–matrix adhesion, as classified by the Gene Ontology. Two genes of interest identified from RA osteoblasts, A-kinase anchoring protein 12 (AKAP12 and leucin rich repeat containing 15 (LRRC15, were found to express more consistently in the related RA synovial tissue arrays in the Gene Expression Omnibus database, with the predicted interactions with miR-183-5p and miR-146a-5p, respectively. The Ingenuity Pathway Analysis identified AKAP12 as one of the genes involved in protein kinase A signaling and the function of chemotaxis, interconnecting with molecules related to neovascularization. The findings indicate new candidate genes as the potential indicators in evaluating therapies targeting chemotaxis and neovascularization to control joint destruction in RA.

  4. Assessment of global and gene-specific DNA methylation in rat liver and kidney in response to non-genotoxic carcinogen exposure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ozden, Sibel, E-mail: stopuz@istanbul.edu.tr [Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Istanbul University, Istanbul (Turkey); Turgut Kara, Neslihan [Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, Istanbul (Turkey); Sezerman, Osman Ugur [Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Acibadem University, Istanbul (Turkey); Durasi, İlknur Melis [Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabancı University, Istanbul (Turkey); Chen, Tao [Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou (China); Demirel, Goksun; Alpertunga, Buket [Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Istanbul University, Istanbul (Turkey); Chipman, J. Kevin [School of Biosciences, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham (United Kingdom); Mally, Angela [Department of Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg (Germany)

    2015-12-01

    Altered expression of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes, which is regulated in part at the level of DNA methylation, is an important event involved in non-genotoxic carcinogenesis. This may serve as a marker for early detection of non-genotoxic carcinogens. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of non-genotoxic hepatocarcinogens, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), methapyrilene (MPY) and male rat kidney carcinogens, d-limonene, p-dichlorobenzene (DCB), chloroform and ochratoxin A (OTA) on global and CpG island promoter methylation in their respective target tissues in rats. No significant dose-related effects on global DNA hypomethylation were observed in tissues of rats compared to vehicle controls using LC–MS/MS in response to short-term non-genotoxic carcinogen exposure. Initial experiments investigating gene-specific methylation using methylation-specific PCR and bisulfite sequencing, revealed partial methylation of p16 in the liver of rats treated with HCB and TCDD. However, no treatment related effects on the methylation status of Cx32, e-cadherin, VHL, c-myc, Igfbp2, and p15 were observed. We therefore applied genome-wide DNA methylation analysis using methylated DNA immunoprecipitation combined with microarrays to identify alterations in gene-specific methylation. Under the conditions of our study, some genes were differentially methylated in response to MPY and TCDD, whereas d-limonene, DCB and chloroform did not induce any methylation changes. 90-day OTA treatment revealed enrichment of several categories of genes important in protein kinase activity and mTOR cell signaling process which are related to OTA nephrocarcinogenicity. - Highlights: • Studied non-genotoxic carcinogens caused no change on global DNA hypomethylation. • d-Limonene, DCB and chloroform did not show any genome-wide methylation changes. • Some genes were differentially methylated in response to MPY, TCDD and OTA. • Protein kinase activity

  5. Assessment of global and gene-specific DNA methylation in rat liver and kidney in response to non-genotoxic carcinogen exposure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozden, Sibel; Turgut Kara, Neslihan; Sezerman, Osman Ugur; Durasi, İlknur Melis; Chen, Tao; Demirel, Goksun; Alpertunga, Buket; Chipman, J. Kevin; Mally, Angela

    2015-01-01

    Altered expression of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes, which is regulated in part at the level of DNA methylation, is an important event involved in non-genotoxic carcinogenesis. This may serve as a marker for early detection of non-genotoxic carcinogens. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of non-genotoxic hepatocarcinogens, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), methapyrilene (MPY) and male rat kidney carcinogens, d-limonene, p-dichlorobenzene (DCB), chloroform and ochratoxin A (OTA) on global and CpG island promoter methylation in their respective target tissues in rats. No significant dose-related effects on global DNA hypomethylation were observed in tissues of rats compared to vehicle controls using LC–MS/MS in response to short-term non-genotoxic carcinogen exposure. Initial experiments investigating gene-specific methylation using methylation-specific PCR and bisulfite sequencing, revealed partial methylation of p16 in the liver of rats treated with HCB and TCDD. However, no treatment related effects on the methylation status of Cx32, e-cadherin, VHL, c-myc, Igfbp2, and p15 were observed. We therefore applied genome-wide DNA methylation analysis using methylated DNA immunoprecipitation combined with microarrays to identify alterations in gene-specific methylation. Under the conditions of our study, some genes were differentially methylated in response to MPY and TCDD, whereas d-limonene, DCB and chloroform did not induce any methylation changes. 90-day OTA treatment revealed enrichment of several categories of genes important in protein kinase activity and mTOR cell signaling process which are related to OTA nephrocarcinogenicity. - Highlights: • Studied non-genotoxic carcinogens caused no change on global DNA hypomethylation. • d-Limonene, DCB and chloroform did not show any genome-wide methylation changes. • Some genes were differentially methylated in response to MPY, TCDD and OTA. • Protein kinase activity

  6. Gene ercA, encoding a putative iron-containing alcohol dehydrogenase, is involved in regulation of ethanol utilization in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hempel, Niels; Görisch, Helmut; Mern, Demissew S

    2013-09-01

    Several two-component regulatory systems are known to be involved in the signal transduction pathway of the ethanol oxidation system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 17933. These sensor kinases and response regulators are organized in a hierarchical manner. In addition, a cytoplasmic putative iron-containing alcohol dehydrogenase (Fe-ADH) encoded by ercA (PA1991) has been identified to play an essential role in this regulatory network. The gene ercA (PA1991) is located next to ercS, which encodes a sensor kinase. Inactivation of ercA (PA1991) by insertion of a kanamycin resistance cassette created mutant NH1. NH1 showed poor growth on various alcohols. On ethanol, NH1 grew only with an extremely extended lag phase. During the induction period on ethanol, transcription of structural genes exa and pqqABCDEH, encoding components of initial ethanol oxidation in P. aeruginosa, was drastically reduced in NH1, which indicates the regulatory function of ercA (PA1991). However, transcription in the extremely delayed logarithmic growth phase was comparable to that in the wild type. To date, the involvement of an Fe-ADH in signal transduction processes has not been reported.

  7. Superoxide-responsive gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana and Zea mays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Junhuan; Tran, Thu; Padilla Marcia, Carmen S; Braun, David M; Goggin, Fiona L

    2017-08-01

    Superoxide (O 2 - ) and other reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated in response to numerous biotic and abiotic stresses. Different ROS have been reported to elicit different transcriptional responses in plants, and so ROS-responsive marker genes and promoter::reporter gene fusions have been proposed as indirect means of detecting ROS and discriminating among different species. However, further information about the specificity of transcriptional responses to O 2 - is needed in order to assess potential markers for this critical stress-responsive signaling molecule. Using qRT-PCR, the expression of 12 genes previously reported to be upregulated by O 2 - was measured in Arabidopsis thaliana plants exposed to elicitors of common stress-responsive ROS: methyl viologen (an inducer of O 2 - ), rose bengal (an inducer of singlet oxygen, 1 ΔO 2 ), and exogenous hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). Surprisingly, Zinc-Finger Protein 12 (AtZAT12), which had previously been used as a reporter for H 2 O 2 , responded more strongly to O 2 - than to H 2 O 2 ; moreover, the expression of an AtZAT12 promoter-reporter fusion (AtZAT12::Luc) was enhanced by diethyldithiocarbamate, which inhibits dismutation of O 2 - to H 2 O 2 . These results suggest that AtZAT12 is transcriptionally upregulated in response to O 2 - , and that AtZAT12::Luc may be a useful biosensor for detecting O 2 - generation in vivo. In addition, transcripts encoding uncoupling proteins (AtUCPs) showed selectivity for O 2 - in Arabidopsis, and an AtUCP homolog upregulated by methyl viologen was also identified in maize (Zea mays L.), indicating that there are O 2 - -responsive members of this family in monocots. These results expand our limited knowledge of ROS-responsive gene expression in monocots, as well as O 2 - -selective responses in dicots. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.

  8. Prediction of novel target genes and pathways involved in irinotecan-resistant colorectal cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Precious Takondwa Makondi

    Full Text Available Acquired drug resistance to the chemotherapeutic drug irinotecan (the active metabolite of which is SN-38 is one of the significant obstacles in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC. The molecular mechanism or targets mediating irinotecan resistance are still unclear. It is urgent to find the irinotecan response biomarkers to improve CRC patients' therapy.Genetic Omnibus Database GSE42387 which contained the gene expression profiles of parental and irinotecan-resistant HCT-116 cell lines was used. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs between parental and irinotecan-resistant cells, protein-protein interactions (PPIs, gene ontologies (GOs and pathway analysis were performed to identify the overall biological changes. The most common DEGs in the PPIs, GOs and pathways were identified and were validated clinically by their ability to predict overall survival and disease free survival. The gene-gene expression correlation and gene-resistance correlation was also evaluated in CRC patients using The Cancer Genomic Atlas data (TCGA.The 135 DEGs were identified of which 36 were upregulated and 99 were down regulated. After mapping the PPI networks, the GOs and the pathways, nine genes (GNAS, PRKACB, MECOM, PLA2G4C, BMP6, BDNF, DLG4, FGF2 and FGF9 were found to be commonly enriched. Signal transduction was the most significant GO and MAPK pathway was the most significant pathway. The five genes (FGF2, FGF9, PRKACB, MECOM and PLA2G4C in the MAPK pathway were all contained in the signal transduction and the levels of those genes were upregulated. The FGF2, FGF9 and MECOM expression were highly associated with CRC patients' survival rate but not PRKACB and PLA2G4C. In addition, FGF9 was also associated with irinotecan resistance and poor disease free survival. FGF2, FGF9 and PRKACB were positively correlated with each other while MECOM correlated positively with FGF9 and PLA2G4C, and correlated negatively with FGF2 and PRKACB after doing gene-gene

  9. Activations of c-fos/c-jun signaling are involved in the modulation of hypothalamic superoxide dismutase (SOD) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene expression in amphetamine-mediated appetite suppression

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsieh, Y.-S.; Yang, S.-F.; Chiou, H.-L.; Kuo, D.-Y.

    2006-01-01

    Amphetamine (AMPH) is known as an anorectic agent. The mechanism underlying the anorectic action of AMPH has been attributed to its inhibitory action on hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY), an appetite stimulant in the brain. This study was aimed to examine the molecular mechanisms behind the anorectic effect of AMPH. Results showed that AMPH treatment decreased food intake, which was correlated with changes of NPY mRNA level, but increased c-fos, c-jun and superoxide dismutase (SOD) mRNA levels in hypothalamus. To determine if c-fos or c-jun was involved in the anorectic response of AMPH, infusions of antisense oligonucleotide into the brain were performed at 1 h before daily AMPH treatment in freely moving rats, and the results showed that c-fos or c-jun knockdown could block this anorectic response and restore NPY mRNA level. Moreover, c-fos or c-jun knockdown could partially block SOD mRNA level that might involve in the modulation of NPY gene expression. It was suggested that c-fos/c-jun signaling might involve in the central regulation of AMPH-mediated feeding suppression via the modulation of NPY gene expression

  10. Effect of diet on expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation in mouse liver-insights into mechanisms of hepatic steatosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helen J Renaud

    Full Text Available Nutritional intake is a fundamental determinant of health. Many studies have correlated excess caloric intake, as well as a high ratio of n-6:n-3 fatty acids, with detrimental health outcomes, such as the metabolic syndrome. In contrast, low-calorie diets have beneficial health effects. Despite these associations, our understanding of the causal relationship between diet and health remains largely elusive. The present study examined the molecular changes elicited by nine diets with varying fat, sugar, cholesterol, omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, and calories in C57BL/6 male mice. Microarray analyses were conducted on liver samples from three mice per diet and detected 20,449 genes of which 3,734 were responsive to changes in dietary components. Principal component analysis showed that diet restriction correlated the least with the other diets and also affected more genes than any other diet. Interestingly, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA identified gene sets involved in glutathione metabolism, immune response, fatty acid metabolism, cholesterol metabolism, ABC transporters, and oxidative phosphorylation as being highly responsive to changes in diet composition. On the gene level, this study reveals novel findings such as the induction of the drug efflux pump Abcb1a (p-glycoprotein by diet restriction and an atherogenic diet, as well as the suppression of the rate limiting step of bile acid synthesis, Cyp7a1, by a high fructose diet. This study provides considerable insight into the molecular changes incurred by a variety of diets and furthers our understanding of the causal relationships between diet and health.

  11. Effect of Diet on Expression of Genes Involved in Lipid Metabolism, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Mouse Liver–Insights into Mechanisms of Hepatic Steatosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renaud, Helen J.; Cui, Julia Y.; Lu, Hong; Klaassen, Curtis D.

    2014-01-01

    Nutritional intake is a fundamental determinant of health. Many studies have correlated excess caloric intake, as well as a high ratio of n-6:n-3 fatty acids, with detrimental health outcomes, such as the metabolic syndrome. In contrast, low-calorie diets have beneficial health effects. Despite these associations, our understanding of the causal relationship between diet and health remains largely elusive. The present study examined the molecular changes elicited by nine diets with varying fat, sugar, cholesterol, omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, and calories in C57BL/6 male mice. Microarray analyses were conducted on liver samples from three mice per diet and detected 20,449 genes of which 3,734 were responsive to changes in dietary components. Principal component analysis showed that diet restriction correlated the least with the other diets and also affected more genes than any other diet. Interestingly, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) identified gene sets involved in glutathione metabolism, immune response, fatty acid metabolism, cholesterol metabolism, ABC transporters, and oxidative phosphorylation as being highly responsive to changes in diet composition. On the gene level, this study reveals novel findings such as the induction of the drug efflux pump Abcb1a (p-glycoprotein) by diet restriction and an atherogenic diet, as well as the suppression of the rate limiting step of bile acid synthesis, Cyp7a1, by a high fructose diet. This study provides considerable insight into the molecular changes incurred by a variety of diets and furthers our understanding of the causal relationships between diet and health. PMID:24551121

  12. Genes involved in long-chain alkene biosynthesis in Micrococcus luteus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beller, Harry R; Goh, Ee-Been; Keasling, Jay D

    2010-02-01

    Aliphatic hydrocarbons are highly appealing targets for advanced cellulosic biofuels, as they are already predominant components of petroleum-based gasoline and diesel fuels. We have studied alkene biosynthesis in Micrococcus luteus ATCC 4698, a close relative of Sarcina lutea (now Kocuria rhizophila), which 4 decades ago was reported to biosynthesize iso- and anteiso-branched, long-chain alkenes. The underlying biochemistry and genetics of alkene biosynthesis were not elucidated in those studies. We show here that heterologous expression of a three-gene cluster from M. luteus (Mlut_13230-13250) in a fatty acid-overproducing Escherichia coli strain resulted in production of long-chain alkenes, predominantly 27:3 and 29:3 (no. carbon atoms: no. C=C bonds). Heterologous expression of Mlut_13230 (oleA) alone produced no long-chain alkenes but unsaturated aliphatic monoketones, predominantly 27:2, and in vitro studies with the purified Mlut_13230 protein and tetradecanoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) produced the same C(27) monoketone. Gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry confirmed the elemental composition of all detected long-chain alkenes and monoketones (putative intermediates of alkene biosynthesis). Negative controls demonstrated that the M. luteus genes were responsible for production of these metabolites. Studies with wild-type M. luteus showed that the transcript copy number of Mlut_13230-13250 and the concentrations of 29:1 alkene isomers (the dominant alkenes produced by this strain) generally corresponded with bacterial population over time. We propose a metabolic pathway for alkene biosynthesis starting with acyl-CoA (or-ACP [acyl carrier protein]) thioesters and involving decarboxylative Claisen condensation as a key step, which we believe is catalyzed by OleA. Such activity is consistent with our data and with the homology (including the conserved Cys-His-Asn catalytic triad) of Mlut_13230 (OleA) to FabH (beta-ketoacyl-ACP synthase III), which

  13. Evaluation of common variants in 16 genes involved in the regulation of neurotransmitter release in ADHD.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Mora, Cristina; Cormand, Bru; Ramos-Quiroga, Josep Antoni; Hervás, Amaia; Bosch, Rosa; Palomar, Glòria; Nogueira, Mariana; Gómez-Barros, Núria; Richarte, Vanesa; Corrales, Montse; Garcia-Martinez, Iris; Corominas, Roser; Guijarro, Silvina; Bigorra, Aitana; Bayés, Mònica; Casas, Miguel; Ribasés, Marta

    2013-06-01

    Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral disorder characterized by inappropriate difficulties to sustain attention, control impulses and modulate activity level. Although ADHD is one of the most prevalent childhood psychiatric disorders, it also persists into adulthood in around 30-50% of the cases. Based on the effect of psychostimulants used in the pharmacological treatment of ADHD, dysfunctions in neuroplasticity mechanisms and synapses have been postulated to be involved in the pathophysiology of ADHD. With this background, we evaluated, both in childhood and adulthood ADHD, the role of several genes involved in the control of neurotransmitter release through synaptic vesicle docking, fusion and recycling processes by means of a population-based association study. We analyzed single nucleotide polymorphisms across 16 genes in a clinical sample of 950 ADHD patients (506 adults and 444 children) and 905 controls. Single and multiple-marker analyses identified several significant associations after correcting for multiple testing with a false discovery rate (FDR) of 15%: (i) the SYT2 gene was strongly associated with both adulthood and childhood ADHD (p=0.001, OR=1.49 (1.18-1.89) and p=0.007, OR=1.37 (1.09-1.72), respectively) and (ii) STX1A was found associated with ADHD only in adults (p=0.0041; OR=1.28 (1.08-1.51)). These data provide preliminary evidence for the involvement of genes that participate in the control of neurotransmitter release in the genetic predisposition to ADHD through a gene-system association study. Further follow-up studies in larger cohorts and deep-sequencing of the associated genomic regions are required to identify sequence variants directly involved in ADHD. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.

  14. Gene prioritization for livestock diseases by data integration

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jiang, Li; Sørensen, Peter; Thomsen, Bo Stjerne

    2012-01-01

    in bovine mastitis. Gene-associated phenome profile and transcriptome profile in response to Escherichia coli infection in the mammary gland were integrated to make a global inference of bovine genes involved in mastitis. The top ranked genes were highly enriched for pathways and biological processes...... underlying inflammation and immune responses, which supports the validity of our approach for identifying genes that are relevant to animal health and disease. These gene-associated phenotypes were used for a local prioritization of candidate genes located in a QTL affecting the susceptibility to mastitis...

  15. Expression Analysis of Multiple Genes May Involve in Antimony Resistance among Leishmania major Clinical Isolates from Fars Province, Central Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nafiseh GHOBAKHLOO

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL is being faced with serious difficulties in Fars Province, due to emerging of resistance against meglumine antimonite (Glucantime®. In this context, determining some biomarkers for drug sensitivity monitoring seems to be highly essential. Different studies have been carried out to decipher the genes might be involved in antimony resistant phenotype in Leishmania spp. Here, we selected three genes: AQP (as drug transporter, TDR-1-1(as drug activator, and γ-GCS (inducing reduction environment for comparative expression analysis on clinical resistant and sensitive isolates of L. major.Methods: The clinical isolates of L. major were collected from CL patients referred to Valfajr Health Center, Shiraz from Oct 2011 to Feb 2012. The susceptibility test was performed to confirm drug sensitivity of strains in vitro as well. Then, the gene expression analysis was performed by quantitative real-time PCR using SYBR® Green.Results: By comparison of expression level between strains, up regulation of γ-GCS gene and down regulation of AQP gene were observed in resistant strains compared to the sensitive isolates; however, down regulation of AQP was not statistically specific. Analysis of TDR-1-1 gene unexpectedly showed a high level of expression in the non-responsive cases.Conclusion: The γ-GCS, at least, can be considered as a suitable molecular marker for screening antimony sensitivity in clinical isolates, although AQP and TDR-1-1gene seem not to be reliable resistant markers. 

  16. Genome-wide characterization of Toll-like receptor gene family in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and their involvement in host immune response to Aeromonas hydrophila infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Yiwen; Feng, Shuaisheng; Li, Shangqi; Zhang, Yan; Zhao, Zixia; Hu, Mou; Xu, Peng; Jiang, Yanliang

    2017-12-01

    The Toll-like receptor (TLR) gene family is a class of conserved pattern recognition receptors, which play an essential role in innate immunity providing efficient defense against invading microbial pathogens. Although TLRs have been extensively characterized in both invertebrates and vertebrates, a comprehensive analysis of TLRs in common carp is lacking. In the present study, we have conducted the first genome-wide systematic analysis of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) TLR genes. A set of 27 common carp TLR genes were identified and characterized. Sequence similarity analysis, functional domain prediction and phylogenetic analysis supported their annotation and orthologies. By examining the gene copy number of TLR genes across several vertebrates, gene duplications and losses were observed. The expression patterns of TLR genes were examined during early developmental stages and in various healthy tissues, and the results showed that TLR genes were ubiquitously expressed, indicating a likely role in maintaining homeostasis. Moreover, the differential expression of TLRs was examined after Aeromons hydrophila infection, and showed that most TLR genes were induced, with diverse patterns. TLR1, TLR4-2, TLR4-3, TLR22-2, TLR22-3 were significantly up-regulated at minimum one timepoint, whereas TLR2-1, TLR4-1, TLR7-1 and TLR7-2 were significantly down-regulated. Our results suggested that TLR genes play critical roles in the common carp immune response. Collectively, our findings provide fundamental genomic resources for future studies on fish disease management and disease-resistance selective breeding strategy development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. AP2/ERF Transcription Factors Involved in Response to Tomato Yellow Leaf Curly Virus in Tomato

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    Ying Huang

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Tomato yellow leaf curly virus (TYLCV, transmitted by the whitefly (, causes leaf curling and yellowing, plant dwarfism, and growth inhibition in tomato ( L.. The APETALA2 (AP2 and ethylene response factor (ERF transcription factor (TF family, the largest plant-specific TF family, was identified to function in plant development and pathogen defense. Our study aimed to analyze the mechanism underlying the function of ERF (SlERF TFs in response to TYLCV infection and improve useful information to increase the resistance to TYLCV in tomato. A total of 22 tomato AP2/ERF TFs in response to TYLCV were identified according to transcriptome database. Five ERF-B3 TFs were identified in cultivars Hongbeibei (highly resistant, Zheza-301, Zhefen-702 (both resistant, Jinpeng-1, and Xianke-6 (both susceptible. Interaction network indicated that SlERF TFs could interact with mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK. Expression profiles of five ERF-B3 genes (, , , , and were detected by quantitative real-time–polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR after TYLCV infection in five tomato cultivars. expression was upregulated in five tomato cultivars. The expressions of three genes (, , and were upregulated in Zheza-301 and Zhefen-702. and expressions were downregulated in Hongbeibei and Xianke-6, respectively. Yeast one-hybrid showed that the GCC-box binding ability of ERF-B3 TFs differed in resistant and susceptible tomato cultivars. Expression profiles were related to the GCC-box binding ability of SlERF TFs in resistant and susceptible tomato cultivars. The defense mechanism underlying the tomato’s response to TYLCV involved a complicated network, which provided important information for us in breeding and genetic analysis.

  18. Transcriptional sequencing and analysis of major genes involved in the adventitious root formation of mango cotyledon segments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yun-He; Zhang, Hong-Na; Wu, Qing-Song; Muday, Gloria K

    2017-06-01

    A total of 74,745 unigenes were generated and 1975 DEGs were identified. Candidate genes that may be involved in the adventitious root formation of mango cotyledon segment were revealed. Adventitious root formation is a crucial step in plant vegetative propagation, but the molecular mechanism of adventitious root formation remains unclear. Adventitious roots formed only at the proximal cut surface (PCS) of mango cotyledon segments, whereas no roots were formed on the opposite, distal cut surface (DCS). To identify the transcript abundance changes linked to adventitious root development, RNA was isolated from PCS and DCS at 0, 4 and 7 days after culture, respectively. Illumina sequencing of libraries generated from these samples yielded 62.36 Gb high-quality reads that were assembled into 74,745 unigenes with an average sequence length of 807 base pairs, and 33,252 of the assembled unigenes at least had homologs in one of the public databases. Comparative analysis of these transcriptome databases revealed that between the different time points at PCS there were 1966 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), while there were only 51 DEGs for the PCS vs. DCS when time-matched samples were compared. Of these DEGs, 1636 were assigned to gene ontology (GO) classes, the majority of that was involved in cellular processes, metabolic processes and single-organism processes. Candidate genes that may be involved in the adventitious root formation of mango cotyledon segment are predicted to encode polar auxin transport carriers, auxin-regulated proteins, cell wall remodeling enzymes and ethylene-related proteins. In order to validate RNA-sequencing results, we further analyzed the expression profiles of 20 genes by quantitative real-time PCR. This study expands the transcriptome information for Mangifera indica and identifies candidate genes involved in adventitious root formation in cotyledon segments of mango.

  19. The endogenous retroviral locus ERVWE1 is a bona fide gene involved in hominoid placental physiology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallet, François; Bouton, Olivier; Prudhomme, Sarah; Cheynet, Valérie; Oriol, Guy; Bonnaud, Bertrand; Lucotte, Gérard; Duret, Laurent; Mandrand, Bernard

    2004-01-01

    The definitive demonstration of a role for a recently acquired gene is a difficult task, requiring exhaustive genetic investigations and functional analysis. The situation is indeed much more complicated when facing multicopy gene families, because most or portions of the gene are conserved among the hundred copies of the family. This is the case for the ERVWE1 locus of the human endogenous retrovirus W family (HERV-W), which encodes an envelope glycoprotein (syncytin) likely involved in trophoblast differentiation. Here we describe, in 155 individuals, the positional conservation of this locus and the preservation of the envelope ORF. Sequencing of the critical elements of the ERVWE1 provirus showed a striking conservation among the 48 alleles of 24 individuals, including the LTR elements involved in the transcriptional machinery, the splice sites involved in the maturation of subgenomic Env mRNA, and the Env ORF. The functionality and tissue specificity of the 5′ LTR were demonstrated, as well as the fusogenic activity of the envelope polymorphic variants. Such functions were also shown to be preserved in the orthologous loci isolated from chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan, and gibbon. This functional preservation among humans and during evolution strongly argued for the involvement of this recently acquired retroviral envelope glycoprotein in hominoid placental physiology. PMID:14757826

  20. Transcription factors and stress response gene alterations in human keratinocytes following Solar Simulated Ultra Violet Radiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marais, Thomas L Des; Kluz, Thomas; Xu, Dazhong; Zhang, Xiaoru; Gesumaria, Lisa; Matsui, Mary S; Costa, Max; Sun, Hong

    2017-10-19

    Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from sunlight is the major effector for skin aging and carcinogenesis. However, genes and pathways altered by solar-simulated UVR (ssUVR), a mixture of UVA and UVB, are not well characterized. Here we report global changes in gene expression as well as associated pathways and upstream transcription factors in human keratinocytes exposed to ssUVR. Human HaCaT keratinocytes were exposed to either a single dose or 5 repetitive doses of ssUVR. Comprehensive analyses of gene expression profiles as well as functional annotation were performed at 24 hours post irradiation. Our results revealed that ssUVR modulated genes with diverse cellular functions changed in a dose-dependent manner. Gene expression in cells exposed to a single dose of ssUVR differed significantly from those that underwent repetitive exposures. While single ssUVR caused a significant inhibition in genes involved in cell cycle progression, especially G2/M checkpoint and mitotic regulation, repetitive ssUVR led to extensive changes in genes related to cell signaling and metabolism. We have also identified a panel of ssUVR target genes that exhibited persistent changes in gene expression even at 1 week after irradiation. These results revealed a complex network of transcriptional regulators and pathways that orchestrate the cellular response to ssUVR.

  1. Analysis of immune-related genes during Nora virus infection of Drosophila melanogaster using next generation sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopez, Wilfredo; Page, Alexis M; Carlson, Darby J; Ericson, Brad L; Cserhati, Matyas F; Guda, Chittibabu; Carlson, Kimberly A

    2018-01-01

    Drosophila melanogaster depends upon the innate immune system to regulate and combat viral infection. This is a complex, yet widely conserved process that involves a number of immune pathways and gene interactions. In addition, expression of genes involved in immunity are differentially regulated as the organism ages. This is particularly true for viruses that demonstrate chronic infection, as is seen with Nora virus. Nora virus is a persistent non-pathogenic virus that replicates in a horizontal manner in D. melanogaster . The genes involved in the regulation of the immune response to Nora virus infection are largely unknown. In addition, the temporal response of immune response genes as a result of infection has not been examined. In this study, D. melanogaster either infected with Nora virus or left uninfected were aged for 2, 10, 20 and 30 days. The RNA from these samples was analyzed by next generation sequencing (NGS) and the resulting immune-related genes evaluated by utilizing both the PANTHER and DAVID databases, as well as comparison to lists of immune related genes and FlyBase. The data demonstrate that Nora virus infected D. melanogaster exhibit an increase in immune related gene expression over time. In addition, at day 30, the data demonstrate that a persistent immune response may occur leading to an upregulation of specific immune response genes. These results demonstrate the utility of NGS in determining the potential immune system genes involved in Nora virus replication, chronic infection and involvement of antiviral pathways.

  2. Identification of Differentially-Expressed Genes in Response to Mycosphaerella fijiensis in the Resistant Musa Accession 'Calcutta-4' Using Suppression Subtractive Hybridization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez Timm, Eduardo; Hidalgo Pardo, Lisette; Pacheco Coello, Ricardo; Chávez Navarrete, Tatiana; Navarrete Villegas, Oscar; Santos Ordóñez, Efrén

    2016-01-01

    Bananas and plantains are considered an important crop around the world. Banana production is affected by several constraints, of which Black Sigatoka Disease, caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis, is considered one of the most important diseases in banana plantations. The banana accession 'Calcutta-4' has a natural resistance to Black Sigatoka; however, the fruit is not valuable for commercialization. Gene identification and expression studies in 'Calcutta-4' might reveal possible gene candidates for resistant to the disease and elucidate mechanisms for resistance. A subtracted cDNA library was generated from leaves after 6, 9 and 12 days inoculated with M. fijiensis conidia on greenhouse banana plants of the accession 'Calcutta-4'. Bioinformatic analysis revealed 99 good quality sequences. Blast2go analysis revealed that 31% of the sequences could not be categorized and, according to the Biological Process Category, 32 and 28 ESTs are related to general metabolic and cellular processes, respectively; while 10 ESTs response to stimulus. Seven sequences were redundant and one was similar to genes that may be involved in pathogen resistance including the putative disease resistance protein RGA1. Genes encoding zinc finger domains were identified and may play an important role in pathogen resistance by inducing the expression of downstream genes. Expression analysis of four selected genes was performed using RT-qPCR during the early stage of the disease development at 6, 9, 12 and 15 days post inoculation showing a peak of up regulation at 9 or 12 days post inoculation. Three of the four genes showed an up-regulation of expression in 'Calcutta-4' when compared to 'Williams' after inoculation with M. fijiensis, suggesting a fine regulation of specific gene candidates that may lead to a resistance response. The genes identified in early responses in a plant-pathogen interaction may be relevant for the resistance response of 'Calcutta-4' to Black Sigatoka

  3. Identification of Differentially-Expressed Genes in Response to Mycosphaerella fijiensis in the Resistant Musa Accession 'Calcutta-4' Using Suppression Subtractive Hybridization.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo Sánchez Timm

    Full Text Available Bananas and plantains are considered an important crop around the world. Banana production is affected by several constraints, of which Black Sigatoka Disease, caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis, is considered one of the most important diseases in banana plantations. The banana accession 'Calcutta-4' has a natural resistance to Black Sigatoka; however, the fruit is not valuable for commercialization. Gene identification and expression studies in 'Calcutta-4' might reveal possible gene candidates for resistant to the disease and elucidate mechanisms for resistance. A subtracted cDNA library was generated from leaves after 6, 9 and 12 days inoculated with M. fijiensis conidia on greenhouse banana plants of the accession 'Calcutta-4'. Bioinformatic analysis revealed 99 good quality sequences. Blast2go analysis revealed that 31% of the sequences could not be categorized and, according to the Biological Process Category, 32 and 28 ESTs are related to general metabolic and cellular processes, respectively; while 10 ESTs response to stimulus. Seven sequences were redundant and one was similar to genes that may be involved in pathogen resistance including the putative disease resistance protein RGA1. Genes encoding zinc finger domains were identified and may play an important role in pathogen resistance by inducing the expression of downstream genes. Expression analysis of four selected genes was performed using RT-qPCR during the early stage of the disease development at 6, 9, 12 and 15 days post inoculation showing a peak of up regulation at 9 or 12 days post inoculation. Three of the four genes showed an up-regulation of expression in 'Calcutta-4' when compared to 'Williams' after inoculation with M. fijiensis, suggesting a fine regulation of specific gene candidates that may lead to a resistance response. The genes identified in early responses in a plant-pathogen interaction may be relevant for the resistance response of 'Calcutta-4' to

  4. Genome-wide identification and functional analysis of the TIFY gene family in response to drought in cotton.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Ge; Song, Yun; Wang, Caixiang; Butt, Hamama Islam; Wang, Qianhua; Zhang, Chaojun; Yang, Zuoren; Liu, Zhao; Chen, Eryong; Zhang, Xueyan; Li, Fuguang

    2016-12-01

    Jasmonates control many aspects of plant biological processes. They are important for regulating plant responses to various biotic and abiotic stresses, including drought, which is one of the most serious threats to sustainable agricultural production. However, little is known regarding how jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ) proteins mediate jasmonic acid signals to improve stress tolerance in cotton. This represents the first comprehensive comparative study of TIFY transcription factors in both diploid A, D and tetraploid AD cotton species. In this study, we identified 21 TIFY family members in the genome of Gossypium arboretum, 28 members from Gossypium raimondii and 50 TIFY genes in Gossypium hirsutum. The phylogenetic analyses indicated the TIFY gene family could be divided into the following four subfamilies: TIFY, PPD, ZML, and JAZ subfamilies. The cotton TIFY genes have expanded through tandem duplications and segmental duplications compared with other plant species. Gene expression profile revealed temporal and tissue specificities for TIFY genes under simulated drought conditions in Gossypium arboretum. The JAZ subfamily members were the most highly expressed genes, suggesting that they have a vital role in responses to drought stress. Over-expression of GaJAZ5 gene decreased water loss, stomatal openings, and the accumulation of H 2 O 2 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Additionally, the results of drought tolerance assays suggested that this subfamily might be involved in increasing drought tolerance. Our study provides new data regarding the genome-wide analysis of TIFY gene families and their important roles in drought tolerance in cotton species. These data may form the basis of future studies regarding the relationship between drought and jasmonic acid.

  5. Characterization of Genes Encoding Key Enzymes Involved in Anthocyanin Metabolism of Kiwifruit during Storage Period.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Boqiang; Xia, Yongxiu; Wang, Yuying; Qin, Guozheng; Tian, Shiping

    2017-01-01

    'Hongyang' is a red fleshed kiwifruit with high anthocyanin content. In this study, we mainly investigated effects of different temperatures (25 and 0°C) on anthocyanin biosynthesis in harvested kiwifruit, and characterized the genes encoding key enzymes involved in anthocyanin metabolism, as well as evaluated the mode of the action, by which low temperature regulates anthocyanin accumulation in 'Hongyang' kiwifruit during storage period. The results showed that low temperature could effectively enhance the anthocyanin accumulation of kiwifruit in the end of storage period (90 days), which related to the increase in mRNA levels of ANS1, ANS2, DRF1, DRF2 , and UGFT2 . Moreover, the transcript abundance of MYBA1-1 and MYB5-1 , the genes encoding an important component of MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) complex, was up-regulated, possibly contributing to the induction of specific anthocyanin biosynthesis genes under the low temperature. To further investigate the roles of AcMYB5-1/5-2/A1-1 in regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis, genes encoding the three transcription factors were transiently transformed in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Overexpression of AcMYB5-1/5-2/A1-1 activated the gene expression of NtANS and NtDFR in tobacco. Our results suggested that low temperature storage could stimulate the anthocyanin accumulation in harvested kiwifruit via regulating several structural and regulatory genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis.

  6. Identification of cisregulatory elements and bioinformatic prediction of transcriptional factors involved in regulation of miRNAs in plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez Quintero, Alvaro; Lopez, Camilo

    2013-01-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small non coding MAS involved in the control of gene expression through the degradation of miRNAs in a sequence specific manner, miRNAs expression is dependent on RNA polymerase ii as most of the coding protein genes. The regulation of miRNAs expression is under the coordinated and combinatorial control of transcription factors (TFS). A bioinformatics approach was carried out to identify transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) in the promoter of miRNAs genes in 17 different plant species and the possible involvement of TF in antibacterial response was analyzed. In nine of the plants studied significant differences in TFBS distribution in the promoter of miRNAs were observed when compare to the promoter of protein coding genes. TFBS as CCA1, T-box y SORLREP3 were present on the promoters of the cassava miRNAs induced in response to the infection by the bacteria Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. manihotis. These TFBS are also present in the promoter of genes coding for proteins involved in circadian rhythm and light responses, suggesting a crosstalk between these process and immune plant responses. Taken together, the results here described give insight about the transcriptional mechanisms involved in the expression of miRNAs.

  7. An S-type anion channel SLAC1 is involved in cryptogein-induced ion fluxes and modulates hypersensitive responses in tobacco BY-2 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurusu, Takamitsu; Saito, Katsunori; Horikoshi, Sonoko; Hanamata, Shigeru; Negi, Juntaro; Yagi, Chikako; Kitahata, Nobutaka; Iba, Koh; Kuchitsu, Kazuyuki

    2013-01-01

    Pharmacological evidence suggests that anion channel-mediated plasma membrane anion effluxes are crucial in early defense signaling to induce immune responses and hypersensitive cell death in plants. However, their molecular bases and regulation remain largely unknown. We overexpressed Arabidopsis SLAC1, an S-type anion channel involved in stomatal closure, in cultured tobacco BY-2 cells and analyzed the effect on cryptogein-induced defense responses including fluxes of Cl(-) and other ions, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), gene expression and hypersensitive responses. The SLAC1-GFP fusion protein was localized at the plasma membrane in BY-2 cells. Overexpression of SLAC1 enhanced cryptogein-induced Cl(-) efflux and extracellular alkalinization as well as rapid/transient and slow/prolonged phases of NADPH oxidase-mediated ROS production, which was suppressed by an anion channel inhibitor, DIDS. The overexpressor also showed enhanced sensitivity to cryptogein to induce downstream immune responses, including the induction of defense marker genes and the hypersensitive cell death. These results suggest that SLAC1 expressed in BY-2 cells mediates cryptogein-induced plasma membrane Cl(-) efflux to positively modulate the elicitor-triggered activation of other ion fluxes, ROS as well as a wide range of defense signaling pathways. These findings shed light on the possible involvement of the SLAC/SLAH family anion channels in cryptogein signaling to trigger the plasma membrane ion channel cascade in the plant defense signal transduction network.

  8. An N-terminal region of a Myb-like protein is involved in its intracellular localization and activation of a gibberellin-inducible proteinase gene in germinated rice seeds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutoh, Keita; Washio, Kenji; Imai, Ryozo; Wada, Masamitsu; Nakai, Tomonori; Yamauchi, Daisuke

    2015-01-01

    The expression of the gene for a proteinase (Rep1) is upregulated by gibberellins. The CAACTC regulatory element (CARE) of the Rep1 promoter is involved in the gibberellin response. We isolated a cDNA for a CARE-binding protein containing a Myb domain in its carboxyl-terminal region and designated the gene Carboxyl-terminal Myb1 (CTMyb1). This gene encodes two polypeptides of two distinctive lengths, CTMyb1L and CTMyb1S, which include or exclude 213 N-terminal amino acid residues, respectively. CTMyb1S transactivated the Rep1 promoter in the presence of OsGAMyb, but not CTMyb1L. We observed an interaction between CTMyb1S and the rice prolamin box-binding factor (RPBF). A bimolecular fluorescence complex analysis detected the CTMyb1S and RPBF complex in the nucleus, but not the CTMyb1L and RPBF complex. The results suggest that the arrangement of the transfactors is involved in gibberellin-inducible expression of Rep1.

  9. Immunoglobulin gene usage in the human anti-pathogen response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newkirk, M M; Rioux, J D

    1995-09-01

    The human antibody response to foreign pathogens is generated to a relatively small number of target surface proteins and carbohydrates that nonetheless have an extensive array of epitopes. The study of human monoclonal antibodies to different pathogens shows that there are a diversity of mechanisms used to generate a sufficient repertoire of antibodies to combat the invading pathogens. Although many different immunoglobulin gene elements are used to construct the anti-pathogen response, some elements are used more often than would be expected if all elements were used randomly. For example, the immune response to Haemophilus influenzae polysaccharide appears to be quite narrow, being restricted primarily to a specific heavy-chain gene, 3-15, and a lambda light-chain family II member, 4A. In contrast, for the immune response to cytomegalovirus proteins, a wider group of gene elements is needed. It is also surprising that despite an investigator bias for IgG- rather than IgM-secreting immortal B cells (because of their high affinity and neutralizing abilities), 26% of light chains and 13% of heavy chains showed a very low level of somatic mutation, equivalent to an IgM molecule that has not undergone affinity maturation. Although some highly mutated IgG molecules are present in the anti-pathogen response, most of the monoclonal antibodies specific for viruses or bacteria have a level of somatic hypermutation similar to that of the adult IgM repertoire. A number of studies have shown that there are similarities in the antibody responses to pathogens and to self (autoantibodies).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  10. Functional analysis of rice HOMEOBOX4 (Oshox4) gene reveals a negative function in gibberellin responses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Mingqiu; Hu, Yongfeng; Ma, Qian; Zhao, Yu; Zhou, Dao-Xiu

    2008-02-01

    The homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) putative transcription factor genes are divided into 4 families. In this work, we studied the function of a rice HD-Zip I gene, H OME O BO X4 (Oshox4). Oshox4 transcripts were detected in leaf and floral organ primordia but excluded from the shoot apical meristem and the protein was nuclear localized. Over-expression of Oshox4 in rice induced a semi-dwarf phenotype that could not be complemented by applied GA3. The over-expression plants accumulated elevated levels of bioactive GA, while the GA catabolic gene GA2ox3 was upregulated in the transgenic plants. In addition, over-expression of Oshox4 blocked GA-dependent alpha-amylase production. However, down-regulation of Oshox4 in RNAi transgenic plants induced no phenotypic alteration. Interestingly, the expression of YAB1 that is involved in the negative feedback regulation of the GA biosynthesis was upregulated in the Oshox4 over-expressing plants. One-hybrid assays showed that Oshox4 could interact with YAB1 promoter in yeast. In addition, Oshox4 expression was upregulated by GA. These data together suggest that Oshox4 may be involved in the negative regulation of GA signalling and may play a role to fine tune GA responses in rice.

  11. Modulation of genes involved in inflammation and cell death in atherosclerosis-susceptible mice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zadelaar, Anna Susanne Maria

    2006-01-01

    In this thesis we focus on atherosclerosis as the main cause of cardiovascular disease. Since inflammation and cell death are important processes in the onset and progression of atherosclerosis, we investigate the role of several genes involved in inflammation and cell death in the vessel wall and

  12. Dietary Resveratrol Does Not Affect Life Span, Body Composition, Stress Response, and Longevity-Related Gene Expression in Drosophila melanogaster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Staats, Stefanie; Wagner, Anika E; Kowalewski, Bianca; Rieck, Florian T; Soukup, Sebastian T; Kulling, Sabine E; Rimbach, Gerald

    2018-01-11

    In this study, we tested the effect of the stilbene resveratrol on life span, body composition, locomotor activity, stress response, and the expression of genes encoding proteins centrally involved in ageing pathways in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster . Male and female w 1118 D. melanogaster were fed diets based on sucrose, corn meal, and yeast. Flies either received a control diet or a diet supplemented with 500 µmol/L resveratrol. Dietary resveratrol did not affect mean, median, and maximal life span of male and female flies. Furthermore, body composition remained largely unchanged following the resveratrol supplementation. Locomotor activity, as determined by the climbing index, was not significantly different between control and resveratrol-supplemented flies. Resveratrol-fed flies did not exhibit an improved stress response towards hydrogen peroxide as compared to controls. Resveratrol did not change mRNA steady levels of antioxidant ( catalase , glutathione-S-transferase , NADH dehydrogenase , glutathione peroxidase , superoxide dismutase 2 ) and longevity-related genes, including sirtuin 2 , spargel , and I'm Not Dead Yet . Collectively, present data suggest that resveratrol does not affect life span, body composition, locomotor activity, stress response, and longevity-associated gene expression in w 1118 D. melanogaster .

  13. Dietary Resveratrol Does Not Affect Life Span, Body Composition, Stress Response, and Longevity-Related Gene Expression in Drosophila melanogaster

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefanie Staats

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we tested the effect of the stilbene resveratrol on life span, body composition, locomotor activity, stress response, and the expression of genes encoding proteins centrally involved in ageing pathways in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Male and female w1118 D. melanogaster were fed diets based on sucrose, corn meal, and yeast. Flies either received a control diet or a diet supplemented with 500 µmol/L resveratrol. Dietary resveratrol did not affect mean, median, and maximal life span of male and female flies. Furthermore, body composition remained largely unchanged following the resveratrol supplementation. Locomotor activity, as determined by the climbing index, was not significantly different between control and resveratrol-supplemented flies. Resveratrol-fed flies did not exhibit an improved stress response towards hydrogen peroxide as compared to controls. Resveratrol did not change mRNA steady levels of antioxidant (catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, NADH dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase 2 and longevity-related genes, including sirtuin 2, spargel, and I’m Not Dead Yet. Collectively, present data suggest that resveratrol does not affect life span, body composition, locomotor activity, stress response, and longevity-associated gene expression in w1118 D. melanogaster.

  14. Involvement of Multiple Gene-Silencing Pathways in a Paramutation-like Phenomenon in Arabidopsis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhimin Zheng

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Paramutation is an epigenetic phenomenon that has been observed in a number of multicellular organisms. The epigenetically silenced state of paramutated alleles is not only meiotically stable but also “infectious” to active homologous alleles. The molecular mechanism of paramutation remains unclear, but components involved in RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM are required. Here, we report a multi-copy pRD29A-LUC transgene in Arabidopsis thaliana that behaves like a paramutation locus. The silent state of LUC is induced by mutations in the DNA glycosylase gene ROS1. The silent alleles of LUC are not only meiotically stable but also able to transform active LUC alleles into silent ones, in the absence of ros1 mutations. Maintaining silencing at the LUC gene requires action of multiple pathways besides RdDM. Our study identified specific factors that are involved in the paramutation-like phenomenon and established a model system for the study of paramutation in Arabidopsis.

  15. The Tomato Hoffman’s Anthocyaninless Gene Encodes a bHLH Transcription Factor Involved in Anthocyanin Biosynthesis That Is Developmentally Regulated and Induced by Low Temperatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Jianchang; Guo, Yanmei; Huang, Zejun; Du, Yongchen

    2016-01-01

    Anthocyanin pigments play many roles in plants, including providing protection against biotic and abiotic stresses. Many of the genes that mediate anthocyanin accumulation have been identified through studies of flowers and fruits; however, the mechanisms of genes involved in anthocyanin regulation in seedlings under low-temperature stimulus are less well understood. Genetic characterization of a tomato inbred line, FMTT271, which showed no anthocyanin pigmentation, revealed a mutation in a bHLH transcription factor (TF) gene, which corresponds to the ah (Hoffman's anthocyaninless) locus, and so the gene in FMTT271 at that locus was named ah. Overexpression of the wild type allele of AH in FMTT271 resulted in greater anthocyanin accumulation and increased expression of several genes in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. The expression of AH and anthocyanin accumulation in seedlings was shown to be developmentally regulated and induced by low-temperature stress. Additionally, transcriptome analyses of hypocotyls and leaves from the near-isogenic lines seedlings revealed that AH not only influences the expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes, but also genes associated with responses to abiotic stress. Furthermore, the ah mutation was shown to cause accumulation of reactive oxidative species and the constitutive activation of defense responses under cold conditions. These results suggest that AH regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis, thereby playing a protective role, and that this function is particularly important in young seedlings that are particularly vulnerable to abiotic stresses. PMID:26943362

  16. Response of Desulfovibrio vulgaris to Alkaline Stress

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stolyar, S.; He, Q.; He, Z.; Yang, Z.; Borglin, S.E.; Joyner, D.; Huang, K.; Alm, E.; Hazen, T.C.; Zhou, J.; Wall, J.D.; Arkin, A.P.; Stahl, D.A.

    2007-11-30

    The response of exponentially growing Desulfovibrio vulgarisHildenborough to pH 10 stress was studied using oligonucleotidemicroarrays and a study set of mutants with genes suggested by microarraydata to be involved in the alkaline stress response deleted. The datashowed that the response of D. vulgaris to increased pH is generallysimilar to that of Escherichia coli but is apparently controlled byunique regulatory circuits since the alternative sigma factors (sigma Sand sigma E) contributing to this stress response in E. coli appear to beabsent in D. vulgaris. Genes previously reported to be up-regulated in E.coli were up-regulated in D. vulgaris; these genes included three ATPasegenes and a tryptophan synthase gene. Transcription of chaperone andprotease genes (encoding ATP-dependent Clp and La proteases and DnaK) wasalso elevated in D. vulgaris. As in E. coli, genes involved in flagellumsynthesis were down-regulated. The transcriptional data also identifiedregulators, distinct from sigma S and sigma E, that are likely part of aD. vulgaris Hildenborough-specific stress response system.Characterization of a study set of mutants with genes implicated inalkaline stress response deleted confirmed that there was protectiveinvolvement of the sodium/proton antiporter NhaC-2, tryptophanase A, andtwo putative regulators/histidine kinases (DVU0331 andDVU2580).

  17. Strain-specific variation in a soilborne phytopathogenic fungus for the expression of genes involved in pH signal transduction pathway, pathogenesis and saprophytic survival in response to environmental pH changes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daval, Stéphanie; Lebreton, Lionel; Gracianne, Cécile; Guillerm-Erckelboudt, Anne-Yvonne; Boutin, Morgane; Marchi, Muriel; Gazengel, Kévin; Sarniguet, Alain

    2013-12-01

    The soilborne fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (Ggt) causes take-all, a wheat root disease. In an original strain-specific way, a previous study indicates that inside the Ggt species, some strains grow preferentially at acidic pH and other strains at neutral/alkaline pH. The most important mechanism for a fungal response to the environmental pH is the Pal pathway which integrates the products of the six pal genes and the transcription factor PacC. To evaluate whether the Ggt strain-specific growth in function of the ambient pH is mediated via the Pal pathway, a transcriptional study of the genes encoding this pathway was carried out. This study provided the first evidence that the pH signalling pathway similar to those described in other fungi operated in Ggt. The pacC gene was induced at neutral pH whatever the strain. In an original way, the expression of Ggt genes coding for the different Pal proteins depended on the strain and on the ambient pH. In the strain growing better at acidic pH, few pal genes were pH-regulated, and some were overexpressed at neutral pH when regulated. In the strain growing better at neutral pH, underexpression of most of the pal genes at neutral pH occurred. The strains displayed higher gene expression in the ambient pH that unfavoured their growth as if it was a compensation system. All pH taken together, a globally weaker Pal transcript level occurred in the strains that were less sensitive to acidic pH, and on the contrary, the strain growing better on neutral pH showed higher Pal mRNA levels. The expression of genes involved in pathogenesis and saprophytic growth was also regulated by the ambient pH and the strain: each gene displayed a specific pH-regulation that was similar between strains. But all pH taken together, the global transcript levels of four out of six genes were higher in the strain growing better on neutral pH. Altogether, for the first time, the results show that inside a species, conditions affecting

  18. Mutations in fetal genes involved in innate immunity and host defense against microbes increase risk of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Modi, Bhavi P; Teves, Maria E; Pearson, Laurel N; Parikh, Hardik I; Haymond-Thornburg, Hannah; Tucker, John L; Chaemsaithong, Piya; Gomez-Lopez, Nardhy; York, Timothy P; Romero, Roberto; Strauss, Jerome F

    2017-11-01

    Twin studies have revealed a significant contribution of the fetal genome to risk of preterm birth. Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) is the leading identifiable cause of preterm delivery. Infection and inflammation of the fetal membranes is commonly found associated with PPROM. We carried out whole exome sequencing (WES) of genomic DNA from neonates born of African-American mothers whose pregnancies were complicated by PPROM (76) or were normal term pregnancies (N = 43) to identify mutations in 35 candidate genes involved in innate immunity and host defenses against microbes. Targeted genotyping of mutations in the candidates discovered by WES was conducted on an additional 188 PPROM cases and 175 controls. We identified rare heterozygous nonsense and frameshift mutations in several of the candidate genes, including CARD6, CARD8, DEFB1, FUT2, MBL2, NLP10, NLRP12, and NOD2. We discovered that some mutations (CARD6, DEFB1, FUT2, MBL2, NLRP10, NOD2) were present only in PPROM cases. We conclude that rare damaging mutations in innate immunity and host defense genes, the majority being heterozygous, are more frequent in neonates born of pregnancies complicated by PPROM. These findings suggest that the risk of preterm birth in African-Americans may be conferred by mutations in multiple genes encoding proteins involved in dampening the innate immune response or protecting the host against microbial infection and microbial products. © 2017 The Authors. Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Next-generation text-mining mediated generation of chemical response-specific gene sets for interpretation of gene expression data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    K.M. Hettne (Kristina); J. Boorsma (Jeffrey); D.A.M. van Dartel (Dorien A M); J.J. Goeman (Jelle); E.C. de Jong (Esther); A.H. Piersma (Aldert); R.H. Stierum (Rob); J. Kleinjans (Jos); J.A. Kors (Jan)

    2013-01-01

    textabstractBackground: Availability of chemical response-specific lists of genes (gene sets) for pharmacological and/or toxic effect prediction for compounds is limited. We hypothesize that more gene sets can be created by next-generation text mining (next-gen TM), and that these can be used with

  20. Identification of NH4+-regulated genes of Herbaspirillum seropedicae by random insertional mutagenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwab, Stefan; Ramos, Humberto J; Souza, Emanuel M; Pedrosa, Fábio O; Yates, Marshall G; Chubatsu, Leda S; Rigo, Liu U

    2007-05-01

    Random mutagenesis using transposons with promoterless reporter genes has been widely used to examine differential gene expression patterns in bacteria. Using this approach, we have identified 26 genes of the endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacterium Herbaspirillum seropedicae regulated in response to ammonium content in the growth medium. These include nine genes involved in the transport of nitrogen compounds, such as the high-affinity ammonium transporter AmtB, and uptake systems for alternative nitrogen sources; nine genes coding for proteins responsible for restoring intracellular ammonium levels through enzymatic reactions, such as nitrogenase, amidase, and arginase; and a third group includes metabolic switch genes, coding for sensor kinases or transcription regulation factors, whose role in metabolism was previously unknown. Also, four genes identified were of unknown function. This paper describes their involvement in response to ammonium limitation. The results provide a preliminary profile of the metabolic response of Herbaspirillum seropedicae to ammonium stress.