Comparative proteome profiles of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua rhizomes (Rhizoma Ploygonati) in response to different levels of cadmium stress.

BACKGROUND: The Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua rhizomes (also known as Rhizoma Polygonati, RP) are consumed for their health benefits. The main source of the RP is wild P. cyrtonema populations in the Hunan province of China. However, the soil Cadmium (Cd) content in Huanan is increasing, thus increasing the risks of Cd accumulation in RP which may end up in the human food chain. To understand the mechanism of Cd accumulation and resistance in P. cyrtonema, we subjected P. cyrtonema plants to four levels of Cd stress [(D2) 1, (D3) 2, (D4) 4, and (D5) 8 mg/kg)] compared to (D1) 0.5 mg/kg. RESULTS: The increase in soil Cd content up to 4 mg/kg resulted in a significant increase in tissue (root hair, rhizome, stem, and leaf) Cd content. The increase in Cd concentration variably affected the antioxidant enzyme activities. We could identify 14,171 and 12,115 protein groups and peptides, respectively. There were 193, 227, 260, and 163 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in D2, D3, D4, and D5, respectively, compared to D1. The number of downregulated DEPs increased with an increase in Cd content up to 4 mg/kg. These downregulated proteins belonged to sugar biosynthesis, amino acid biosynthesis-related pathways, and secondary metabolism-related pathways. Our results indicate that Cd stress increases ROS generation, against which, different ROS scavenging proteins are upregulated in P. cyrtonema. Moreover, Cd stress affected the expression of lipid transport and assembly, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, sugar biosynthesis, and ATP generation. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that an increase in soil Cd content may end up in Huangjing. Cadmium stress initiates expression changes in multiple pathways related to energy metabolism, sugar biosynthesis, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. The proteins involved in these pathways are potential candidates for manipulation and development of Cd stress-tolerant genotypes.

Research progress on dietary and lifestyle inflammatory scores and their relationship with metabolic diseases / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To analyze the relationship between dietary and lifestyle inflammatory scores and metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, tumor and other common metabolic diseases, and to explore the impact of dietary and lifestyle inflammatory potential on metabolic diseases, so as to provide new ideas for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of metabolic diseases. Methods Databases such as CNKI, Wanfang , and PubMed were searched, and literatures related to the dietary and lifestyle inflammatory scores (DLIS) and metabolic diseases were reviewed . Results Seven articles showed that dietary and lifestyle inflammation scores had a positive correlation with metabolic diseases, and two articles showed that only lifestyle inflammatory scores had a positive correlation with metabolic diseases. Conclusion Dietary and lifestyle inflammatory scores may be positively correlated with metabolic diseases, but some results are still controversial. Further studies are needed to prove the correlation between DLIS and metabolic diseases.

Molecular cytogenetic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of four Miscanthus species (Poaceae).

Chromosomes of four Miscanthus (Andersson, 1855) species including M. sinensis (Andersson, 1855), M. floridulus (Schumann & Lauterb, 1901), M. sacchariflorus (Hackel, 1882) and M. lutarioriparius (Chen & Renvoize, 2005) were analyzed using sequentially combined PI and DAPI (CPD) staining and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with 45S rDNA probe. To elucidate the phylogenetic relationship among the four Miscanthus species, the homology of repetitive sequences among the four species was analyzed by comparative genomic in situ hybridization (cGISH). Subsequently four Miscanthus species were clustered based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of 45S rDNA. Molecular cytogenetic karyotypes of the four Miscanthus species were established for the first time using chromosome measurements, fluorochrome bands and 45S rDNA FISH signals, which will provide a cytogenetic tool for the identification of these four species. All the four have the karyotype formula of Miscanthus species, which is 2n = 2x = 38 = 34m(2SAT) + 4sm, and one pair of 45S rDNA sites. The latter were shown as strong red bands by CPD staining. A non-rDNA CPD band emerged in M. floridulus and some blue DAPI bands appeared in M. sinensis and M. floridulus. The hybridization signals of M. floridulus genomic DNA to the chromosomes of M. sinensis and M. lutarioriparius genomic DNA to the chromosomes of M. sacchariflorus were stronger and more evenly distributed than other combinations. Molecular phylogenetic trees showed that M. sinensis and M. floridulus were closest relatives, and M. sacchariflorus and M. lutarioriparius were also closely related. These findings were consistent with the phylogenetic relationships inferred from the cGISH patterns.

Development of novel chloroplast microsatellite markers for Miscanthus species (Poaceae).

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: A set of novel chloroplast microsatellite markers (cpSSRs) was developed for the bioenergy crop Miscanthus, and their utility in cross-species amplification was evaluated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-eight novel primers flanking cpSSR loci were designed from a complete chloroplast genome sequence of Saccharum officinarum, a species closely related to Miscanthus. These primers were then tested on eight Miscanthus species, among which 16 cpSSR loci were found to be polymorphic. The number of alleles per polymorphic locus ranged from two to seven, with an average 3.94 alleles. CONCLUSIONS: These cpSSR markers can be applied to all Miscanthus species and will be useful for studying Miscanthus population structure, diversity, and phylogeography.

[Study on phylogenetic relationships of urticaceae based on rbcL sequence].

The sequences of rbcL from four species of Boehmeria were analyzed in this study by PCR amplification and directly sequencing. The sequences of PCR products were about 1,370 bp. RbcL sequences of nine generas were chosen from GenBank, then the rbcL of 13 species were sequenced with clustal X1.83. After sequencing, the length of rbcL was 1,428 bp and has 1,263 conserved sites, 165 variable sites and 71 information sites. By using MEGA3.1, MP tree and NJ tree of Urticaceae were constructed. Based on the difference in rbcL squence, the genetic distances among species were calculated. With these informations, we can further analyze the genetic relationships of Urticaceae. In result, Pellionia, Poikilospermum, Procris, Elatostema and Pilea formed a monophyletic group; Parietaria and Boehmeria formed another monophyletic group. However, Urtica formed a single group, suggesting it had the most distant relationship to the other genus of Urticaceae.

[Quick testing-technology of transgenic rice with npt- screen marker gene].

By using npt-gene as assistant selection-marker, treating Japonica rice Zhonghua 9 [ZH9 (CK)] and transferred lysozyme gene rice (the donor rice is Japonica rice Zhonghua 9) [ZH9(R)] with antibiotics, we built a system of quickly testing transgenic rice offspring. Detached leaves of ZH9(R) and ZH9(CK) were treated by Kanamycin (0, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600 and 700 mg/L) and G418 (0, 40, 60, 80, 100, 150 and 200 mg/L) with different concentrations. The result show effect of Kanamycin is not evident and G418 is the best antibiotics to test transgenic rice with npt- gene. The data showed that 80 mg/L G418 (treating 4 d) was optimal to test transgenic rice. Further study was done with seeds, young embryos and seedlings by G418 testing: the alive seeds were cultured in the culture dishes which filled with a series of G418 solution with different concentration of 0, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 and 350 mg/L; in the tissue culture room, the germinating embryos were inoculated in the culture medium (1/2 MS+0.5 mg/L 6-BA+1.5% sucrose) which contains G418 with 0, 150, 200, 250 and 300 mg/L concentration; the aseptic seedlings were inoculated in the the same culture medium (1/2 MS+0.5 mg/L 6-BA+1.5% sucrose) which contains G418 with 0, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mg/L concentration. The conclusions indicated that 300 mg/L (treating 7 d) was the critical concentration to test seeds of transgenic rice; 200 mg/L (treating 10 d) was the critical concentration to test young embryo of transgenic rice; 150 mg/L (treating 12 d) was the critical concentration to test seedlings of transgenic rice. Two primers were designed based on npt- and lysozyme gene sequences. PCR technology confirmed the above detection system. The preliminary results showed npt-was tightly linked with lysozyme gene. Above confirmed critical concentrations were applied to test detached leaves, seeds, young embryos and seedlings of transferred generations. The effect was very obvious. It is convenient, intuitionistic, and exact way that aparting the positive plants from the mixture of transgenic positive and negative plants with G418.