Control of DEMETER DNA demethylase gene transcription in male and female gamete companion cells in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The DEMETER (DME) DNA glycosylase initiates active DNA demethylation via the base-excision repair pathway and is vital for reproduction in Arabidopsis thaliana DME-mediated DNA demethylation is preferentially targeted to small, AT-rich, and nucleosome-depleted euchromatic transposable elements, influencing expression of adjacent genes and leading to imprinting in the endosperm. In the female gametophyte, DME expression and subsequent genome-wide DNA demethylation are confined to the companion cell of the egg, the central cell. Here, we show that, in the male gametophyte, DME expression is limited to the companion cell of sperm, the vegetative cell, and to a narrow window of time: immediately after separation of the companion cell lineage from the germline. We define transcriptional regulatory elements of DME using reporter genes, showing that a small region, which surprisingly lies within the DME gene, controls its expression in male and female companion cells. DME expression from this minimal promoter is sufficient to rescue seed abortion and the aberrant DNA methylome associated with the null dme-2 mutation. Within this minimal promoter, we found short, conserved enhancer sequences necessary for the transcriptional activities of DME and combined predicted binding motifs with published transcription factor binding coordinates to produce a list of candidate upstream pathway members in the genetic circuitry controlling DNA demethylation in gamete companion cells. These data show how DNA demethylation is regulated to facilitate endosperm gene imprinting and potential transgenerational epigenetic regulation, without subjecting the germline to potentially deleterious transposable element demethylation.

Optimized Methods for the Isolation of Arabidopsis Female Central Cells and Their Nuclei.

The Arabidopsis female gametophyte contains seven cells with eight haploid nuclei buried within layers of sporophytic tissue. Following double fertilization, the egg and central cells of the gametophyte develop into the embryo and endosperm of the seed, respectively. The epigenetic status of the central cell has long presented an enigma due both to its inaccessibility, and the fascinating epigenome of the endosperm, thought to have been inherited from the central cell following activity of the DEMETER demethylase enzyme, prior to fertilization. Here, we present for the first time, a method to isolate pure populations of Arabidopsis central cell nuclei. Utilizing a protocol designed to isolate leaf mesophyll protoplasts, we systematically optimized each step in order to efficiently separate central cells from the female gametophyte. We use initial manual pistil dissection followed by the derivation of central cell protoplasts, during which process the central cell emerges from the micropylar pole of the embryo sac. Then, we use a modified version of the Isolation of Nuclei TAgged in specific Cell Types (INTACT) protocol to purify central cell nuclei, resulting in a purity of 75-90% and a yield sufficient to undertake downstream molecular analyses. We find that the process is highly dependent on the health of the original plant tissue used, and the efficiency of protoplasting solution infiltration into the gametophyte. By isolating pure central cell populations, we have enabled elucidation of the physiology of this rare cell type, which in the future will provide novel insights into Arabidopsis reproduction.

Efficacy of sauchinone as a novel AMPK-activating lignan for preventing iron-induced oxidative stress and liver injury.

Iron-overload disorders cause hepatocyte injury and inflammation by oxidative stress, possibly leading to liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This study investigated the efficacy of sauchinone, a bioactive lignan, in preventing iron-induced liver injury and explored the mechanism of sauchinone's activity. To create iron overload, mice were injected with phenylhydrazine, and the effects on hepatic iron and histopathology were assessed. Phenylhydrazine treatment promoted liver iron accumulation and ferritin expression, causing hepatocyte death and increased plasma arachidonic acid (AA). Sauchinone attenuated liver injury (EC(50)=10 mg/kg) and activated AMPK in mice. Treatment of hepatocytes with iron and AA simulated iron overload conditions: iron + AA synergistically amplified cytotoxicity, increasing H(2)O(2) and the mitochondrial permeability transition. Sauchinone protected hepatocytes from iron + AA-induced cytotoxicity, preventing the induction of mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis (EC(50)=1 microM), similar to the result using metformin. Sauchinone treatment activated LKB1, which led to AMPK activation: these events contributed to cell survival. Evidence of cytoprotection by LKB1 and AMPK activation was revealed in the reversal of sauchinone's restoration of the mitochondrial membrane potential by either dominant negative mutant AMPKalpha or chemical inhibitor. In conclusion, sauchinone protects the liver from toxicity induced by iron accumulation, and sauchinone's effects may be mediated by LKB1-dependent AMPK activation.

The Emergence of Behavioral Testing of Fishes to Measure Toxicological Effects.

Historically, research in toxicology has utilized non-human mammalian species, particularly rats and mice, to study in vivo the effects of toxic exposure on physiology and behavior. However, ethical considerations and the overwhelming increase in the number of chemicals to be screened has led to a shift away from in vivo work. The decline in in vivo experimentation has been accompanied by an increase in alternative methods for detecting and predicting detrimental effects: in vitro experimentation and in silico modeling. Yet, these new methodologies can not replace the need for in vivo work on animal physiology and behavior. The development of new, non-mammalian model systems shows great promise in restoring our ability to use behavioral endpoints in toxicological testing. Of these systems, the zebrafish, Danio rerio, is the model organism for which we are accumulating enough knowledge in vivo, in vitro, and in silico to enable us to develop a comprehensive, highthroughput toxicology screening system.