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Arabidopsis thaliana full genome longmer microarrays: a powerful gene discovery tool for agriculture and forestry.

Sequenced plant genomes provide a large reservoir of known genes with potential for use in crop and tree improvement, but assignment of specific functions to annotated genes in sequenced plant genomes remains a challenge. Furthermore, most plant genes belong to families encoding proteins with related but distinct functions. In this commentary, we discuss our development of Arabidopsis spotted whole genome longmer oligonucleotide microarrays, and their use in global transcription profiling. We show that longmer array based transcriptome analysis in Arabidopsis can be used as an efficient and effective gene discovery and functional genomics tool, particularly for functional analyses of members of large gene families. We discuss experiments that focus on gene families involved in phenylpropanoid natural product biosynthesis and fiber differentiation. These analyses have helped to elucidate functions of individual gene family members, and have identified new candidate genes involved in fiber development and differentiation. Results obtained by these studies in Arabidopsis can be used as the basis for gene discovery in commercially important plants, and we have focused our attention on Populus trichocarpa (poplar), a species important in forestry and agroforestry for which complete genome sequence information is available.

Agriculture↗

[Effect of hydrocortisone on the membrane properties of innervated and denervated muscle fibers in frogs].

Two injections of 10, 100 or 1000 micrograms of hydrocortisone into the lymphatic sack with one-week interval or daily injections of 100 micrograms of the hormone did not hinder a decrease in the membrane resting potential, an increase of the input resistance and time constant of the membrane as well as appearance of nonsynaptic sensitivity to acetylcholine in muscle fibers developing by the 13-15th day after denervation of the muscle. In latter two cases, however, no increase of the input resistance and time constant of the membrane occurs. Administration of the same doses of drug to intact frogs led to a decrease of the membrane resting potential, increase of the time constant and input resistance of the membrane whereas daily injections reduced the sensitivity of muscle fibers to acetylcholine. Hydrocortisone seems to be unable to hinder the postdenervation changes in the muscle membrane whereas high doses of the hormone are able to induce changes in the muscle membrane.

Animals↗

Adaptive changes in structure of skeletal muscles from adult Sod1 homozygous knockout mice.

Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), which is localized cytoplasmically and in the mitochondrial intermembrane space, is an enzyme that is critically important for superoxide free-radical elimination. Compared with age-matched wild-type littermates (Sod1 ( +/+ )), SOD1 homozygous knockout (Sod1 ( -/- )) mice have smaller body masses, heart and skeletal muscle masses, and muscle cross-sectional areas. At the light-microscopic level, cross sections of skeletal muscles from Sod1 ( -/- ) mice show no gross structural abnormalities. Following the staining of muscles of Sod1 ( -/- ) mice for succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) enzymatic activity, a grouping of SDH-positive fibers has been observed. Immunostaining for neural cell adhesion marker in the gastrocnemius muscle of Sod1 ( -/- ) mice has revealed a small number of atrophic denervated muscle fibers. No denervated fibers are observed in extensor digitorum longus (EDL), tibialis anterior, or plantaris muscles. An increase in mRNA expression levels of myogenin and acetylcholine receptor alpha has been detected in muscles in Sod1 ( -/- ) mice, but no changes in MyoD expression occur. Compared with fast oxidative fibers in EDL muscles of Sod1 ( +/+ ) mice, those of Sod1 ( -/- ) mice show increased accumulations of sub-sarcolemmal mitochondria. We conclude that the lack of SOD1 in adult Sod1 ( -/- ) mice does not result in extensive denervation of skeletal muscle fibers, although the distribution of fiber types is modified, and that fast oxidative fibers develop alterations in the amount and spatial distribution of sub-sarcolemmal mitochondria.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Molecular cloning and characterization of GhlecRK, a novel kinase gene with lectin-like domain from Gossypium hirsutum.

A novel gene encoding a lectin-like protein kinase was cloned from the upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) through cDNA library screening. This gene (named as Ghlecrk; GenBank accession number: AY487461) had a total length of 2233bp with an open reading frame of 1926bp, and encoded a predicted polypeptide of 641 amino acids with a molecular weight of 71.16kDa. The GhLecRK protein shared 73, 65, 64 and 59% identity with other lectin-like kinase proteins isolated from A. thaliana (At3g53810, At2g37710, At3g55550) and Populus nigra (PnLPK) at amino acid level, respectively. Southern blot analysis showed that GhLecRK belonged to a multi-copy gene family. Expression patterns revealed that GhLecRK was enriched in the developing boll (six days post anthesis, 6DPA) and shoot, but low in the root and stem and no expression in the leaf. The domains analysis showed that GhlecRK protein possessed many activating sites/domains including ATP-binding sites, a transmembrane region, a lectin-like domain and a kinase domain. These results indicate that GhlecRK is a lectin-like membrane protein that may play an important role in the phase of fiber development.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Nonbacteremic pseudomonas pneumonia in immunosuppressed guinea pigs.

An experimental model of nonbacteremic pneumonia with a virulent strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was successfully established in guinea pigs immuno-suppressed with cortisone acetate although the organisms were eliminated rapidly from the lungs without cortisone treatment. Using a pocket nebulizer, almost all the animals which received 10(6) organisms/g-lung developed bronchopneumonia without any septic findings as long as 10 days after challenge. The lesions produced in such animals were characterized by dissemination of multiple purulogranulomatous changes. In the early stage of infection, infiltration of polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) in the bronchiolar and alveolar spaces was diffuse, later showing multifocal accumulation with the formation of central spherical grains enclosing bacterial colonies. In the later stage, granulation tissue consisting of large mononuclear cells, fibroblasts and collagen fibers developed around the PMN accumulation. The animals which received 10(7) organisms/g-lung, on the other hand, developed severe pulmonary hemorrhages and necrosis followed by septic death.

Animals↗

Creatine kinase in regulation of heart function and metabolism. II. The effect of phosphocreatine on the rigor tension of EGTA-treated rat myocardial fibers.

Bundles of rat cardiac fibers were treated with EGTA to increase the permeability of the sarcolemma to ions and small molecules. In the medium without calcium, the EGTA-treated fibers developed rigor tension dependent on the concentration of MgATP in the bathing solution: half-maximal tension was recorded at 2.5 mM MgATP and maximal tension at 0.1 mM MgATP in the medium. However, in the presence of 15 mM phosphocreatine without added creatine kinase a decrease of MgATP concentration to 0.1 mM did not result in any development of rigor tension. Phosphocreatine prevented rigor tension development in the absence of added MgATP when MgADP was added. In the presence of MgADP, phosphocreatine decreased rigor tension more rapidly and to a higher extent than added MgATP. At 5 mM MgADP, half-maximal rigor tension was observed in the presence of 2 mM phosphocreatine which is close to the Km value for phosphocreatine in the creatine-kinase reaction. These results demonstrate that the intact creatine kinase in the EGTA-treated fibers with increased sarcolemmal permeability is able to ensure rapid replenishment of MgATP in the myofibrillar compartment at the expense of phosphocreatine. The data obtained conform completely to the concept of adenine-nucleotide compartmentation in cardiac cells and of energy channelling by the phosphocreatine-creatine shuttle mechanism.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Mossy fiber and Purkinje cell axon collateral arborization patterns in normal and X-irradiated rat cerebellum: a light microscopic study using horseradish peroxidase fiber filling techniques.

The horseradish peroxidase neuronal staining technique was applied to reveal through anterograde and retrograde staining the detailed morphology of fiber arborization patterns in the cerebella of normal adult rats as well as those treated with neonatal X-irradiation. Morphological features of anterogradely-filled mossy fibers including the axonal arborization and glomerular-type synaptic specializations were found to be similar in all groups studied. In addition, retrogradely-filled Purkinje cell axon collaterals in the cerebella degranulated by X-irradiation exhibited much more elaborate branching and arborization of recurrent collaterals than those labeled in the normal cerebellar cortex. The presence of glomerular-type specializations in the degranulated cerebellum suggested that mossy fibers develop and maintain their normal features independent of major influences from granule cells. The hypertrophy observed after destruction of the cerebellar interneurons suggests the hypothesis that the growth of the normal Purkinje cell collateral system is normally suppressed by extrinsic factors within the neuronal circuit.

Animals↗

Fluid shear-induced mechanical signaling in MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts requires cytoskeleton-integrin interactions.

Mechanical stimulation of bone induces new bone formation in vivo and increases the metabolic activity and gene expression of osteoblasts in culture. We investigated the role of the actin cytoskeleton and actin-membrane interactions in the transmission of mechanical signals leading to altered gene expression in cultured MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. Application of fluid shear to osteoblasts caused reorganization of actin filaments into contractile stress fibers and involved recruitment of beta1-integrins and alpha-actinin to focal adhesions. Fluid shear also increased expression of two proteins linked to mechanotransduction in vivo, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and the early response gene product c-fos. Inhibition of actin stress fiber development by treatment of cells with cytochalasin D, by expression of a dominant negative form of the small GTPase Rho, or by microinjection into cells of a proteolytic fragment of alpha-actinin that inhibits alpha-actinin-mediated anchoring of actin filaments to integrins at the plasma membrane each blocked fluid-shear-induced gene expression in osteoblasts. We conclude that fluid shear-induced mechanical signaling in osteoblasts leads to increased expression of COX-2 and c-Fos through a mechanism that involves reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Thus Rho-mediated stress fiber formation and the alpha-actinin-dependent anchorage of stress fibers to integrins in focal adhesions may promote fluid shear-induced metabolic changes in bone cells.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗

Fluctuation in the development of various skeletal muscles in the chick embryo, with special reference to AChE activity and the formation of neuromuscular junctions.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-rich cytoplasmic granules in the developing myofibers increased remarkably until the establishment of neuromuscular junctions and thereafter decreased rapidly, whereas junctional AChE activities continued to increase (K. Wake, 1976, Cell Tissue Res. 173, 383-400). In the present paper, during the developmental course of the chick embryo, the temporal and regional gradients in differentiation of skeletal muscles at various sites were examined with special reference to the fluctuation of intracellular AChE activity. AChE-rich granules in each muscle throughout the whole body of chick embryos were observed. Since the distribution pattern of these granules changed regularly in the course of the muscle fiber development, advances of muscle differentiation in various sites of the body were compared. (1) The process of muscle development is more advanced in the trunk muscles than in the limb muscles. (2) The dorsal trunk muscles differentiate one day earlier than the ventral ones. (3) Within the same limb, proximal muscles differentiate approximately 24 hr ahead of distal ones. (4) The development of posterior limb muscles advances faster than that of anterior limb muscles. (5) Within the thigh muscles, the flexor muscles tend to differentiate earlier than the extensor muscles.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

The T cell oncogene Tal2 is necessary for normal development of the mouse brain.

Transcription factors are commonly involved in leukemia by activation through chromosomal translocations and normally function in cell type(s) that differ from that of the tumor. TAL2 is a member of a basic helix-loop-helix gene family specifically involved in T cell leukemogenesis. Null mutations of Tal2 have been made in mice to determine its function during development. Tal2 null mutant mice show no obvious defects of hematopoiesis. During embryogenesis, Tal2 expression is restricted to the developing midbrain, dorsal diencephalon, and rostroventral diencephalic/telencephalic boundary, partly along presumptive developing fiber tracts. The null mutant mice are viable at birth but growth become progressively retarded and they do not survive to reproductive age. Tal2-deficient mice show a distinct dysgenesis of the midbrain tectum. Due to loss of superficial gray and optical layers, the superior colliculus is reduced in size and the inferior colliculus is abnormally rounded and protruding. Death is most likely due to progressive hydrocephalus which appears to be caused by obstruction of the foramen of Monro (the connection between the ventricles of the forebrain). Thus, in addition to its oncogenicity when ectopically expressed, Tal2 normally plays a pivotal role in brain development and without this gene, mice cannot survive to maturity.

Animals↗

Myosin expression and specialization among the earliest muscle fibers of the developing avian limb.

Monoclonal antibodies specific to the light- and heavy-chain subunits of chicken skeletal muscle myosin have been used to identify fast and slow myosin-containing fibers in the thigh muscles of embryonic and adult chickens and to determine when in development diversification of muscle fiber types first occurs. Primary generation fibers which expressed different MLC and MHC types were evident within the dorsal and ventral premuscle masses and in the first muscles to form in the limb. These early embryonic muscle fiber types became distributed among and within the individual muscles of the thigh in a characteristic spatial pattern which served as a "blueprint" for guiding future muscle development and predicting the future fiber composition of the muscle. Despite the continuous addition of muscle fibers to the limb throughout development, the pattern remained unchanged. Neither the time of appearance, initial specialization, nor characteristic distribution of these primary fiber types within the limb was altered during the early embryonic period by chronic neuromuscular paralysis induced by D-tubocurarine. In contrast, muscles at later stages of embryonic development were markedly affected by such treatments and underwent atrophy and loss of differential staining characteristics. These results demonstrate that diversification of fibers in terms of myosin content is one of the earliest events in the formation of these muscles and suggest that the development of avian muscles be divided into two phases: an embryonic phase during which fibers of differing myosin content appear independently of innervation to become distributed in a specific topographic pattern within each muscle as it forms, followed by a fetal phase during which innervation becomes essential for maintaining this pattern and modulating the myosin content of its fibers.

Animals↗

Cotton fiber germin-like protein. I. Molecular cloning and gene expression.

The presence of cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) fiber transcripts coding for a germin-like protein (GLP) was revealed by differential display analysis in which early stages of cotton fiber development between a wild type line, Texas Marker-1 (TM1) and a near isogenic mutant, Naked Seed (N1) were compared. Transcripts of the cotton GLP ( GhGLP1) accumulated specifically in TM1, but did not accumulate in the mutant although the GhGLP1 gene was present in both lines. The deduced protein sequence of GhGLP1 is similar to Prunus persica auxin-binding proteins, a barley ADP-glucose pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase and two different classes of hydrogen peroxide-producing enzymes: wheat germin oxalate oxidase and moss extracellular Mn-superoxide dismutase. Cotton GLPs constitute a multigene family like those of Arabidopsis, rice, soybean, and barley. GhGLP1 transcripts accumulated to their highest levels during the period of fiber expansion, followed by a sharp decline when the rate of cell expansion decreased. While germins and GLPs appear to be involved in defense mechanisms in some plants, both biotic and abiotic stress down-regulated the expression of GhGLP1. Numerous functions have been proposed for dicot GLPs. However, to date, there is little direct evidence for how these proteins function in vivo. The association of maximal GhGLP1 expression with stages of maximal cotton fiber elongation suggests that some GLPs may be important for cell wall expansion.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Histological study of masseter muscle in a mouse muscular dystrophy model (mdx mouse).

Histological changes in the masseter muscle were observed over time in mdx mice, a muscular dystrophy model. It was found that marked necrosis occurs about the time of weaning at around 4 weeks of age; then the tissue actively regenerates at 8 weeks and stabilizes as regenerated muscle with centronuclei at 15 weeks old. This study examined the centronucleus in regenerated muscle. The process from necrosis to regeneration in muscle fibers occurs a little later in the masseter muscle than in other limbic muscles. Regenerated muscles observed around 15 weeks after birth showed a moth-eaten appearance. Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) observation of transverse sections of muscle fibers revealed that myofibrils surrounded lost regions in the area showing a moth-eaten appearance. Thus, some defensive mechanism may affect the ability of muscle fibers to maintain a function close to normal in mdx mice even though the muscle fibers develop muscular dystrophy. The function of the masseter muscle drastically changes from sucking to mastication behavior at around 4 weeks, and this was considered to influence the morphological changes in the muscle tissue. The moth-eaten appearance seen at 15 weeks may represent an appropriate myofibril reconstruction preventing invasion of the lost regions.

Aging↗

The integrated function of muscles and tendons during locomotion.

The mechanical roles of tendon and muscle contractile elements during locomotion are often considered independently, but functionally they are tightly integrated. Tendons can enhance muscle performance for a wide range of locomotor activities because muscle-tendon units shorten and lengthen at velocities that would be mechanically unfavorable for muscle fibers functioning alone. During activities that require little net mechanical power output, such as steady-speed running, tendons reduce muscular work by storing and recovering cyclic changes in the mechanical energy of the body. Tendon stretch and recoil not only reduces muscular work, but also allows muscle fibers to operate nearly isometrically, where, due to the force-velocity relation, skeletal muscle fibers develop high forces. Elastic energy storage and recovery in tendons may also provide a key mechanism to enable individual muscles to alter their mechanical function, from isometric force-producers during steady speed running to actively shortening power-producers during high-power activities like acceleration or uphill running. Evidence from studies of muscle contraction and limb dynamics in turkeys suggests that during running accelerations work is transferred directly from muscle to tendon as tendon stretch early in the step is powered by muscle shortening. The energy stored in the tendon is later released to help power the increase in energy of the body. These tendon length changes redistribute muscle power, enabling contractile elements to shorten at relatively constant velocities and power outputs, independent of the pattern of flexion/extension at a joint. Tendon elastic energy storage and recovery extends the functional range of muscles by uncoupling the pattern of muscle fiber shortening from the pattern of movement of the body.

Animals↗

Identification of a peripherin dimer: changes during axonal development and regeneration of the rat sciatic nerve.

Western blotting of rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and sciatic nerve under nonreducing conditions revealed that a peripherin-specific antibody recognized a protein species of 116/130 kDa, pI 5.6, in addition to peripherin (56 kDa, pI 5.6). We showed that this 116/130 kDa protein is a disulfide dimer of peripherin, because it gave rise to a single protein band comigrating with peripherin under reducing conditions and yielded the same proteolytic pattern as peripherin upon N-chlorosuccinimide digestion. In addition, the immunological characteristics of the resulting peptides were identical to those of peripherin. We investigated the changes in peripherin monomer and dimer protein levels during axonal development and regeneration. During postnatal development, quantitative analysis of western blots of DRG proteins showed a significant increase in peripherin monomer (+52%) and dimer (+33%) levels from the day of birth [postnatal day 0 (P0)] to P7. The monomer levels remained high until P14 and then decreased so that at P21 and later ages, the monomer levels were similar to those observed at birth. In contrast, the dimer levels decreased continuously after P7, and in the adult, its level represented only 30% of the level at birth. Changes in [35S]methionine incorporation into adult DRG proteins were studied during regeneration of axotomized sciatic axons. Quantitative analysis of proteins showed a strong increase in labeling of both peripherin monomer (+56%) and dimer (+88%) 7 days after the crush. These levels, which remained high until 28 days after the axotomy, had returned to normal 70 days post axotomy. Our results show that peripherin monomer and dimer greatly increase during DRG fiber development and regeneration, suggesting that the two forms are involved in the growth of axons.

Aging↗

Alpha-smooth muscle actin is crucial for focal adhesion maturation in myofibroblasts.

Cultured myofibroblasts are characterized by stress fibers, containing alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and by supermature focal adhesions (FAs), which are larger than FAs of alpha-SMA-negative fibroblasts. We have investigated the role of alpha-SMA for myofibroblast adhesion and FA maturation. Inverted centrifugation reveals two phases of initial myofibroblast attachment: during the first 2 h of plating microfilament bundles contain essentially cytoplasmic actin and myofibroblast adhesion is similar to that of alpha-SMA-negative fibroblasts. Then, myofibroblasts incorporate alpha-SMA in stress fibers, develop mature FAs and their adhesion capacity is significantly increased. When alpha-SMA expression is induced in 5 d culture by TGFbeta or low serum levels, fibroblast adhesion is further increased correlating with a "supermaturation" of FAs. Treatment of myofibroblasts with alpha-SMA fusion peptide (SMA-FP), which inhibits alpha-SMA-mediated contractile activity, reduces their adhesion to the level of alpha-SMA negative fibroblasts. With the use of flexible micropatterned substrates and EGFP-constructs we show that SMA-FP application leads to a decrease of myofibroblast contraction, shortly followed by disassembly of paxillin- and beta3 integrin-containing FAs; alpha5 integrin distribution is not affected. FRAP of beta3 integrin-EGFP demonstrates an increase of FA protein turnover following SMA-FP treatment. We conclude that the formation and stability of supermature FAs depends on a high alpha-SMA-mediated contractile activity of myofibroblast stress fibers.

Actins↗

Cotton genome mapping with new microsatellites from Acala 'Maxxa' BAC-ends.

Fine mapping and positional cloning will eventually improve with the anchoring of additional markers derived from genomic clones such as BACs. From 2,603 new BAC-end genomic sequences from Gossypium hirsutum Acala 'Maxxa', 1,316 PCR primer pairs (designated as MUSB) were designed to flank microsatellite or simple sequence repeat motif sequences. Most (1164 or 88%) MUSB primer pairs successfully amplified DNA from three species of cotton with an average of three amplicons per marker and 365 markers (21%) were polymorphic between G. hirsutum and G. barbadense. An interspecific RIL population developed from the above two entries was used to map 433 marker loci and 46 linkage groups with a genetic distance of 2,126.3 cM covering approximately 45% of the cotton genome and an average distance between two loci of 4.9 cM. Based on genome-specific chromosomes identified in G. hirsutum tetraploid (A and D), 56.9% of the coverage was located on the A subgenome while 39.7% was assigned to the D subgenome in the genetic map, suggesting that the A subgenome may be more polymorphic and recombinationally active than originally thought. The linkage groups were assigned to 23 of the 26 chromosomes. This is the first genetic map in which the linkage groups A01 and A02/D03 have been assigned to specific chromosomes. In addition the MUSB-derived markers from BAC-end sequences markers allows fine genetic and QTL mapping of important traits and for the first time provides reconciliation of the genetic and physical maps. Limited QTL analyses suggested that loci on chromosomes 2, 3, 12, 15 and 18 may affect variation in fiber quality traits. The original BAC clones containing the newly mapped MUSB that tag the QTLs provide critical DNA regions for the discovery of gene sequences involved in biological processes such as fiber development and pest resistance in cotton.

Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial↗

Gabapentin reverses the allodynia produced by the administration of anti-GD2 ganglioside, an immunotherapeutic drug.

UNLABELLED: Systemically administered, the anti-GD2 antibody produces allodynia demonstrated by decreased mechanical withdrawal threshold. Electrophysiologic recordings indicate a probable neuropathic origin, as small-diameter sensory fibers develop continuous high-frequency discharge after antibody administration. Gabapentin (GBP) is a gamma-aminobutyric acid analog originally synthesized for its anticonvulsant actions. Several open-label clinical studies, as well as a wealth of anecdotal evidence, suggest that GBP may be beneficial for the treatment of neuropathic pain. This study examined the effects of GBP given as a posttreatment after induction of an anti-GD2-associated allodynia. Anti-GD2 (1 mg/kg intravenously [i.v.]) administered to Sprague-Dawley rats reduced the mean withdrawal threshold from 14.71 to 4.95 g (P < 0.001), as measured by using von Frey hairs. This was reversed by GBP in a dose-dependent fashion; the minimal effective dose was between 3 and 30 mg/kg i.v. The maximal percent analgesic effect of GBP was 76% and 93% at doses of 30 and 100 mg/kg, respectively (P < 0.001). With these doses, side effects were minimal and were manifested as slightly decreased spontaneous movement and startle response. No changes were seen in reflex responses to corneal or pinna stimulation, and no motor deficits were observed. These data support the use of GBP as an effective therapy for neuropathic pain. IMPLICATIONS: After the administration of anti-GD2 antibody, rats display an escape reaction to light touch, increased blood pressure, and aberrant firing in nerve fibers associated with pain transmission. Systemic gabapentin reduced or eliminated the escape response and reversed the hypertension with minimal side effects. This suggests that gabapentin blocked the antibody-associated (neuropathic) pain.

Acetates↗