Biomedical subjects

Eiichi Minami

Publications and source records attributed to Eiichi Minami.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2003

Induction of myrosinase gene expression and myrosinase activity in radish hypocotyls by phototropic stimulation.

The role of myrosinase (beta-thioglucoside glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.3.1) in the phototropic response in radish hypocotyls was investigated. Unilateral illumination with blue light abruptly up-regulated the activity of myrosinase, which releases bioactive 4-methylthio-3-butenyl isothiocyanate (MTBI) from inactive 4-methylthio-3-butenyl glucosinolate (MTBG), in the illuminated halves of radish hypocotyls 10 min after onset of phototropic stimulation, peaking after 30 min and decreasing thereafter. The myrosinase activity in the shaded halves also increased, but was significantly lower than that in the illuminated halves. Furthermore, whether blue light illumination induces myrosinase gene expression was studied. Northern blotting analysis indicated that myrosinase mRNA levels were increased markedly in unilaterally illuminated hypocotyls, reaching maximum signal intensity within 10 min after onset of blue illumination, declining nearly to the control level thereafter. These results suggested that phototropic stimulation promotes myrosinase gene expression and myrosinase activity in the illuminated side, resulting in the conversion of inactive MTBG to active MTBI and simultaneously producing more active raphanusanins, causing a phototropic response.

Butyrates↗

PubMed2002

Cloning and characterization of a jasmonic acid-responsive gene encoding 12-oxophytodienoic acid reductase in suspension-cultured rice cells.

In suspension-cultured rice ( Oryza sativaL.) cells, jasmonic acid (JA) functions as a signal transducer in elicitor N-acetylchitoheptaose-induced phytoalexin production. Differential screening of a cDNA library constructed using poly(A)(+) RNA from suspension-cultured rice cells treated with JA (10(-4) M) for 2 h yielded a cDNA for a gene that responded to exogenous JA by an increase in mRNA level. Nucleotide sequence analysis indicated that the cDNA encodes an homologue of the yeast Old Yellow Enzyme. The deduced amino acid sequence was very similar to the sequences of 12-oxophytodienoic acid reductases (OPR) 1 and 2 from Arabidopsis thaliana(AtOPR1 and AtOPR2) and OPR1 from tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum) (LeOPR1). The cDNA-encoded protein purified from recombinant Escherichia coli cells as a hexahistidine-tagged fusion protein exhibited OPR activity similar to that of AtOPR1, AtOPR2, and LeOPR1, which catalyze reduction of (-)- cis-12-oxophytodienoic acid (OPDA) preferentially over (+)- cis-OPDA, a natural precursor of JA. Thus the rice enzyme was termed OsOPR1. The physiological roles of OsOPR1 are discussed. This is the first report of the cloning of an OPR gene from a monocot plant.

Cells, Cultured↗

PubMed2002

EL5, a rice N-acetylchitooligosaccharide elicitor-responsive RING-H2 finger protein, is a ubiquitin ligase which functions in vitro in co-operation with an elicitor-responsive ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, OsUBC5b.

EL5, a rice gene responsive to N-acetylchitooligosaccharide elicitor, encodes a RING-H2 finger protein with structural features common to the plant-specific ATL family. We show that the fusion protein of EL5 with maltose binding protein (MBP) was polyubiquitinated by incubation with ubiquitin, ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1), and the Ubc4/5 subfamily of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (E2). EL5 possesses the activity to catalyse the transfer of ubiquitin to the MBP moiety, and the RING-H2 finger motif of EL5 is necessary for this activity. Thus, we concluded that EL5 represents a ubiquitin ligase (E3). We also show that two rice E2s (OsUBC5a, OsUBC5b) of the Ubc4/5 subfamily function as E2 which catalyses EL5-mediated ubiquitination, and OsUBC5b was induced by elicitor, as well as EL5. These results strongly suggest that EL5 and OsUBC5b have roles in plant defense response through the turnover of protein(s) via the ubiquitin/proteasome system.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Cloning and characterization of cDNAs for the jasmonic acid-responsive Genes RRJ1 and RRJ2 in suspension-cultured rice cells.

Two cDNA clones for jasmonic acid (JA)-responsive genes, RRJ1 and RRJ2, were isolated by differential screening from suspension-cultured rice cells treated with JA for 2 h. The putative RRJ1 protein is completely identical to that of a putative rice cystathionine gamma-lyase, while the putative RRJ2 protein is highly similar in sequence to a rice pyruvate decarboxylase, PDC1.

Blotting, Northern↗