According to GenBank, ROGDI is located on chromosome 16p13.3 and the size of its coding region is 864 bp which encodes 287 amino acids. It is a novel gene which has unknown function. By bioinformatic analysis, the product of this gene was predicted as a hydrophilic protein containing leucine zipper domain. Some transcription factors utilize their leucine zipper structures as function domains. A full-length coding region cDNA of this gene was cloned in our laboratory. After the ROGDI gene was transfected into HEK293T cells, cell clones with different ROGDI protein expression levels were selected and classified into groups of high, middle and low. According to the results of foci formation assay, growth curve, anchorage indepentdent growth assay and MTS assay, it is found that clones with higher ROGDI protein level could enhance faster proliferation rate of HEK293T cells. Thus ROGDI may be a positive regulator of cell cycle and may play a role in cell proliferation.

No description available.

No description available.

An analysis of Glycine max homologs of the symbiosis genes DOES NOT MAKE INFECTIONS (DMI) DMI1, DMI2 and DMI3 was carried out as it relates to the defense response to Heterodera glycines parasitism. Transgenic analyses of the DMI1, DMI2 and DMI3 for overexpression showed decreased H. glycines parasitism while the analyses for RNAi showed increased H. glycines parasitism. The combination of decreased parasitism in the H. glycines-susceptible genotype G. max [Williams 82/PI 518671] and increased parasitism in the H. glycines resistant genotype G. max [Peking/PI 548402] is taken as the genes function in the defense process at some level. Prior analyses have shown that mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) function in the defense response that has to H. glycines. A preliminary RNA seq analysis of MAPK3-1 and MAPK3-2 overexpressing roots reveal increased relative transcript abundance of DMI3, but only in the MAPK3-1 overexpressing roots. Additionally, examination of the expression profiles of two G. max MAPK3-1 and MAPK3-2 showed that their relative transcript abundances in some cases are influenced by DMI1, DMI2 and DMI3 expression. Taken together, the results show that the G. max DMI1, DMI2 and DMI3 function in the defense response to H. glycines and appear to involve MAPKs.

No description available.

Abstract Gibberellins (GAs) are a class of plant hormones that regulate many aspects of plant growth and development including seed germination, stem elongation and fruit development. To investigate the regulation of GA biosynthesis and the impact of altered GA levels on plant growth and development, transgenic pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Carneval) plants were generated to overexpress PsGA3ox1 (codes for GA 3-hydroxylase which converts GA20 to bioactive GA1) under the control of the CaMV-35S promoter. Increased expression of the transgene PsGA3ox1 was correlated with altered plant phenotype including longer internodes, larger stipules and tendrils, and longer pods. Transgenic lines also showed upregulation of the GA catabolic genes PsGA2ox1 and/or PsGA2ox2, suggesting that GA1 substrate-induced feedback regulation also occurs to maintain GA homeostasis. Changes in endogenous GAs, quantified using an isotope dilution method, indicated that an increased flux in GA biosynthesis occurred in the expanding internodes, stipules and tendrils of the PsGA3ox1-overexpressor lines. Higher bioactive GA1 levels and growth were correlated with lower PsGA2ox1 transcript levels in elongating internodes, and oscillation of these parameters between adjacent elongating internodes in the PsGA3ox1-overexpression lines suggests that coordination of bioactive GA levels and growth occurs between adjacent internodes. During germination and early seedling growth, GA gene expression studies suggested that PsGA3ox1-overexpression increased the flux through to bioactive GA in the cotyledons, shoots and roots of pea seedlings, resulting in longer shoots but shorter roots. Auxins are a class of plant hormones involved in growth and differentiation of plants that can influence GA biosynthesis and action. The location and action of auxins is in part regulated by auxin carrier proteins. The expression patterns of the putative auxin efflux carrier genes PsPIN1 and PsPIN2 in elongating internodes were correlated with vascular re-patterning events in this tissue, and PsGA3ox1-overexpression appears to increase internode PsPIN1 and PsPIN2 transcript abundance and the formation of the vascular connections between the internode and the axillary buds. Overall, characterization of PsGA3ox1-overexpressor lines in pea demonstrated that bioactive GA levels are tightly regulated in pea tissues for the coordination of plant growth and development. / Plant Science

The pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) prohormone produces several biologically active peptides, including £\-melanocyte-stimulating hormones (£\-MSH, £]-MSH, £^-MSH), corticotrophin (ACTH) and £]-endorphin. POMC-expressing neurons in the brain play a major role in the control of pain, energy homeostasis, pigmentation, adrenocortical function, and sebaceous gland lipid production. Recently, the peripheral POMC system is under active investigation to delineate their pathogenic roles in metabolic diseases such as Cushing¡¦s syndrome and obesity. In the present study, we employed adenovirus gene delivery system to achieve POMC overexpression in the livers of adult C57/BL6 mice. In the endocrine system of adrenal glands, hepatic POMC overexpression mice display hypertrophy the ACTH levels elevated concentrations in the blood, the ACTH receptor, melanocortin type 2 receptor (MC2-R) were decrease. This phenomenon explained the local adrenal gland tissue was inhibiting and feedback from central hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis. Meanwhile, we investigated the islets of Langerhans in hepatic POMC overexpression mice, the insulin were disappear but the glucagon were constant, these reflect the blood sugar were loss of balance, maybe progress to metabolic syndrome. Subsequently, hepatic POMC overexpression resulted in liver injuries that the ALT and AST levels were significantly higher, the fat accumulation in the liver and the glycogen were diminished to nearly 1/4 of basal levels. Evidence the hepatic POMC overexpression induced inflammatory and fatty changes in the livers of mice. In summary, POMC gene delivery induces systemic POMC overexpression and results in fatty liver and adrenal dysfunction, which may facilitates a mice model for Cushing¡¦s-like metabolic syndrome.

Dlk is a transmembrane protein that possesses six epidermal growth factor-like sequences at the extracellular domain, a single transmembrane domain and an intracellular tail. The extracellular EFG-like region of Dlk can be released by action of an unknown protease that cuts the extracellular region near the cell membrane. Dlk belongs to the EGF-like homeotic protein family and has received many names: pG2, FA-1, Pref-1, SCP-1, ZOG and Dlk. All the proteins are identical or polymorphic products of a single gene. Dlk has been involved in several differentiation processes, such as adipogenesis, hematopoiesis and neuroendocrine differentiation. Dlk is also known as the preadipocyte factor-1 (Pref-1), is highly expressed in preadipocytes but is completely abolished in adipocytes. Pref-1 may function in the maintenance of the preadipocyte state and is a negative regulator of adipocyte differentiation. Dlk is expressed in tumors with neuroendocrine features, such as human neuroblastoma, rat pheochromocytoma, and a subset of Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) cell lines. The Dlk expression is probably associated with some differentiation stages because the most undifferentiated cells were lacking expression of Dlk. The finding suggests that Dlk plays an important role in differentiation and tumorigenesis of several cell types. The study was designed to examine the influence of dlk overexpression on tumorigenicity of hepatoma cells. We constructed the mammalian expression vectors for full-length dlk, dlk extracellular domain, which were transfected into SK-Hep-1 cells for generation of stable clones. The transgene expressions in selected stable clones were verified by QRT-PCR and western blot analysis. Our results indicated that overexpression of extracellular domain significantly promoted the viability of SK-Hep1 cells during serum deprivation. In SCID mice, injection of full-length dlk clones led to increased tumor growth compared with the control groups. However, the migration ability was reduced in Dlk stable clones. In summary, these results suggested full-length Dlk promoted the tumor growth but reduced the migration ability of SK-Hep1 cells.

No description available.

Fusarium graminearum is a major fungal pathogen of wheat and other small grain cereal crops globally, causing Fusarium ear blight (FEB) disease. Like many other plant pathogens, F. graminearum is predicted to produce in planta secreted effector proteins that modulate plant metabolism to suppress or re-programme plant defences. Understanding the molecular functions of Fg effectors will help to elucidate the processes underlying wheat spike colonisation and fungal pathogenicity. With the aim of identifying Fg effector proteins that can suppress host plant defences, I selected using next generation sequencing and bioinformatic analysis, a set of small secreted proteins (SSP) to express in planta using the Barley stripe mosaic virus over-expression system (BSMV-VOX). I then tested whether expression of any of these SSPs enhanced Fg fungal infection of susceptible wheat spikes. Amongst the set of Fg SSP tested, FgSSP8, which encodes a ribonuclease protein, induced strong symptoms of necrosis in N. benthamiana leaves when infiltrated via the BSMV:FgSSP8. Three other genes tested (FgSSP7, FgSSP6 and FgSSP5) enhance FEB disease formation in the majority of the experiments when overexpressed in wheat ears prior to infecting with F. graminearum. FgSSP6 and FgSSP7 belong to the cerato-platanin protein (CPP) family. In several other plant pathogenic fungi, CPPs have been implicated in a number of virulence and plant protection mechanisms, including induction of host plant cell death, binding specific polymers and/or expansin-like activity. FgSSP5 encodes a protein that possesses the pfam domain RALF (Rapid alkalinization factor; PF05498.6). RALF domain-containing proteins are predominately found in plants and play a role in plant development regulating tissue expansion and/or negatively regulating pollen tube elongation. BLAST analyses identified RALF domain containing proteins in a restricted range of different pathogen species. Based on the VOX results and biochemical tests, our hypothesis is that pre-elevated cerato-platanins (FgSSP6 and FgSSP7) levels in the apoplast/surrounding the hyphae could initially shield the hyphae from detection by the plant, but late induce an intense defence response culminating in cell death to benefit the necrotrophic phase of Fg by increasing nutrient availability. FgSSP5 may be a specific virulence factor that manipulates a key plant process, by alkalinising the plant environment during infection, and using the same plant receptor repertoire used to recognise plant proteins. Once the mechanisms are further understood, these genes/proteins could potentially be novel intervention targets either for conventional chemistries and/or for methods such as host-induced gene silencing to achieve FEB disease and/or mycotoxin control. The characterisation of single and double gene deletion F. graminearum mutants is in progress.