Biomedical subjects

Xuelu Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Xuelu Wang.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Brassinosteroid signaling pathway.

Plant growth is regulated by an intricate network of hormonal signaling pathways. These small-molecule hormones cause changes in gene expression that are associated with cell expansion and division and changes in development. Paradoxically, six of these hormones appear to have largely overlapping functions, yet the loss of response to any one hormone cannot be compensated by the action of another plant hormone. Among these hormones are the brassinosteroids (BRs), the polyhydroxylated steroid hormones of plants. The emerging picture of BR signal transduction diverges radically from the paradigms of animal steroid signaling, which generally involve the action of members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. BRs bind the extracellular domain of a small family of leucine-rich-repeat receptor kinases to activate intracellular signal transduction cascades that regulate the expression of hundreds of genes. The signaling pathway involves a cell surface receptor complex, a glycogen synthase kinase 3, a kelch-containing serine/threonine phosphatase, and a novel family of basic helix-loop-helix and Myc-like plant specific transcription factors. The receptor and each of the signaling components were identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, and knowledge of their sequences allowed identification of orthologs in rice, tomato, barley, and pea.

Arabidopsis Proteins↗

PubMed2006

Arabidopsis brassinosteroid signaling pathway.

Plants control their size through the action of several phytohormones. One class of growth-promoting hormones is the brassinosteroids (BRs), the polyhydroxylated steroid hormones of plants. Here, we present the Arabidopsis-specific proteins that are the founding members of key BR signaling pathway components found in all plants. The genetic studies that identified these components are unique to Arabidopsis owing to its rapid generation time, sophisticated genetics, and facile transformation protocols, thereby highlighting the importance of a reference plant for understanding fundamental processes in all land plants.

Arabidopsis↗

PubMed2006

Brassinosteroids regulate dissociation of BKI1, a negative regulator of BRI1 signaling, from the plasma membrane.

Brassinosteroids, the steroid hormones of plants, are perceived at the plasma membrane by a leucine-rich repeat receptor serine/threonine kinase called BRI1. We report a BRI1-interacting protein, BKI1, which is a negative regulator of brassinosteroid signaling. Brassinosteroids cause the rapid dissociation of BKI1-yellow fluorescent protein from the plasma membrane in a process that is dependent on BRI1-kinase. BKI1 is a substrate of BRI1 kinase and limits the interaction of BRI1 with its proposed coreceptor, BAK1, suggesting that BKI1 prevents the activation of BRI1.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

Autoregulation and homodimerization are involved in the activation of the plant steroid receptor BRI1.

The leucine-rich-repeat receptor serine/threonine kinase, BRI1, is a cell-surface receptor for brassinosteroids (BRs), the steroid hormones of plants, yet its activation mechanism is unknown. Here, we report a unique autoregulatory mechanism of BRI1 activation. Removal of BRI1's C terminus leads to a hypersensitive receptor, indicated by suppression of dwarfism of BR-deficient and BR-perception mutants and by enhanced BR signaling as a result of elevated phosphorylation of BRI1. Several sites in the C-terminal region can be phosphorylated in vitro, and transgenic Arabidopsis expressing BRI1 mutated at these sites demonstrates an essential role of phosphorylation in BRI1 activation. BRI1 is a ligand-independent homo-oligomer, as evidenced by the transphosphorylation of BRI1 kinase in vitro, the dominant-negative effect of a kinase-inactive BRI1 in transgenic Arabidopsis, and coimmunoprecipitation experiments. Our results support a BRI1-activation model that involves inhibition of kinase activity by its C-terminal domain, which is relieved upon ligand binding to the extracellular domain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

A model for estimating joint maternal-offspring effects on seed development in autogamous plants.

We present a statistical model for testing and estimating the effects of maternal-offspring genome interaction on the embryo and endosperm traits during seed development in autogamous plants. Our model is constructed within the context of maximum likelihood implemented with the EM algorithm. Extensive simulations were performed to investigate the statistical properties of our approach. We have successfully identified a quantitative trait locus that exerts a significant maternal-offspring interaction effect on amino acid contents of the endosperm in maize, demonstrating the power of our approach. This approach will be broadly useful in mapping endosperm traits for many agriculturally important crop plants and also make it possible to study the genetic significance of double fertilization in the evolution of higher plants.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2003

Altered starch structure is associated with endosperm modification in Quality Protein Maize.

The biochemical basis of modified kernel texture in Quality Protein Maize (QPM) is poorly understood. Proteomic analysis of several QPM lines indicated increased levels of granule-bound starch synthase I in the soluble nonzein protein fraction of these genotypes. Increased extraction of this enzyme reflected a change in starch structure, which was manifested as shorter amylopectin branches and increased starch-granule swelling. In mature kernels, these alterations in starch structure were associated with interconnections between starch granules that resulted in a vitreous kernel phenotype. Understanding the molecular basis for this previously uncharacterized starch structure will accelerate the development of QPM.

Amylopectin↗

PubMed2002

An improved genetic model generates high-resolution mapping of QTL for protein quality in maize endosperm.

The genetic mapping of polymorphic markers in a cross between two inbred plant lines has proven to be a powerful method for detecting quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying complex traits. However, existing methods of QTL mapping were developed for disomic inheritance of both marker and QTL loci in a diploid population. To map QTL influencing traits expressed in the endosperm, a triploid embryo-nourishing tissue resulting from double fertilization, existing QTL mapping models require modification to consider the trisomic inheritance of the endosperm and the generation difference between the mapping population and the endosperm. Such a model requires simultaneous use of two successive generations, which theoretically can lead to an increase in resolution for QTL mapping compared with the use of a single backcross or F(2) generation. Using a newly developed model based on these considerations, we demonstrate the improved resolution of QTL, influencing protein quality traits in maize endosperm. The increased resolution made possible with this approach makes identified QTL accessible to positional cloning.

Chromosome Mapping↗