Fractionated whole body gamma irradiation modulates the hepatic response in type II diabetes of high fat diet model rats.

HFD animals were exposed to a low rate of different fractionated whole body gamma irradiation doses (0.5, 1 and 2 Gy, three fractions per week for two consecutive months) and the expression of certain genes involved in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in livers and brains of HFD Wistar rats was investigated. Additionally, levels of diabetes-related proteins encoded by the studied genes were analyzed. Results indicated that mRNA level of incretin glucagon like peptite-1 receptor (GLP-1R) was augmented in livers and brains exposed to 1 and 2 Gy doses. Moreover, the mitochondrial uncoupling proteins 2 and 3 (UCP2/3) expressions in animals fed on HFD compared to those fed on normal chow diet were significantly increased at all applied doses. GLP-1R and UCP3 protein levels were up regulated in livers. Total protein content increased at 0.5 and 1 Gy gamma irradiation exposure and returned to its normal level at 2 Gy dose. Results could be an indicator of type 2 diabetes delayed development during irradiation exposure and support the importance of GLP-1R as a target gene in radiotherapy against T2DM and its chronic complications. A new hypothesis of brain-liver and intestine interface is speculated by which an increase in the hepatic GLP-1R is influenced by the effect of fractionated whole body gamma irradiation.

Accumulation of Transcripts Abundance after Barley Inoculation with Cochliobolus sativus.

Spot blotch caused by the hemibiotrophic pathogen Cochliobolus sativus has been the major yield-reducing factor for barley production during the last decade. Monitoring transcriptional reorganization triggered in response to this fungus is an essential first step for the functional analysis of genes involved in the process. To characterize the defense responses initiated by barley resistant and susceptible cultivars, a survey of transcript abundance at early time points of C. sativus inoculation was conducted. A notable number of transcripts exhibiting significant differential accumulations in the resistant and susceptible cultivars were detected compared to the non-inoculated controls. At the p-value of 0.0001, transcripts were divided into three general categories; defense, regulatory and unknown function, and the resistant cultivar had the greatest number of common transcripts at different time points. Quantities of differentially accumulated gene transcripts in both cultivars were identified at 24 h post infection, the approximate time when the pathogen changes trophic lifestyles. The unique and common accumulated transcripts might be of considerable interest for enhancing effective resistance to C. sativus.

Transcriptome Analysis of the Barley-Rhynchosporium secalis Interaction.

Leaf scald caused by the infection of Rhynchosporium secalis, is a worldwide crop disease resulting in significant loss of barley yield. In this study, a systematic sequencing of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) was chosen to obtain a global picture of the assembly of genes involved in pathogenesis. To identify a large number of plant ESTs, which are induced at different time points, an amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) display of complementary DNA (cDNA) was utilized. Transcriptional changes of 140 ESTs were observed, of which 19 have no previously described function. Functional annotation of the transcripts revealed a variety of infection-induced host genes encoding classical pathogenesis-related (PR) or genes that play a role in the signal transduction pathway. The expression analyses by a semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that Rar1 and Rpg4 are defense inducible genes, and were consistent with the cDNA-AFLP data in their expression patterns. Hence, the here presented transcriptomic approach provides novel global catalogue of genes not currently represented in the EST databases.

Phytoremediation of trichloroethylene and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane-polluted water using transgenic Sesbania grandiflora and Arabidopsis thaliana plants harboring rabbit cytochrome p450 2E1.

Sesbania grandiflora (L.) pers (Fabaceae) and Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) (Brassicaceae) were genetically engineered to constitutively express the rabbit cytochrome p450 2E1 enzyme aiming at increasing their activity toward trichloroethylene (TCE) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) removal Successful generation of Sesbania and Arabidopsis transgenic plants was verified using p450 2E1 specific PCR and confirmed by western blot analysis. Gas chromatography (GC) analysis revealed that small cuttings of Sesbania and third generation (F3) Arabidopsis transgenic plants exposed to TCE and DDT in small hydroponics' vessels accumulated more TCE and DDT compared to plants transformed with the empty vector. Furthermore, both transgenic plants were more effective in breaking down TCE and DDT with a 2-fold increase in TCE metabolism. Two independent Arabidopsis lines showed that DDT was metabolized about 4-fold higher than that detected in non transformed plants. Similarly, S. grandiflora cuttings removed 51 to 90% of the added DDT compared with only 3% removal in controls transformed with the null vector. Notably, stability of rabbit cytochrome p450 2E1 was confirmed using third generation Arabidopsis plants that displayed higher potential for the removal of two important pollutants, TCE and DDT compared with the controls.

RIN13 is a positive regulator of the plant disease resistance protein RPM1.

The RPM1 protein confers resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv tomato DC3000 expressing either of the Type III effector proteins AvrRpm1 or AvrB. Here, we describe the isolation and functional characterization of RPM1 Interacting Protein 13 (RIN13), a resistance protein interactor shown to positively enhance resistance function. Ectopic expression of RIN13 (RIN13s) enhanced bacterial restriction mechanisms but paradoxically abolished the normally rapid hypersensitive response (HR) controlled by RPM1. In contrast with wild-type plants, leaves expressing RIN13s did not undergo electrolyte leakage or accumulate H2O2 after bacterial delivery of AvrRpm1. Overexpression of RIN13 also altered the transcription profile observed during a normal HR. By contrast, RIN13 knockout plants had the same ion leakage signatures and HR timing of wild-type plants in response to DC3000(avrRpm1) but failed to suppress bacterial growth. The modified phenotypes seen in the RIN13s/as plants were specific to recognition of AvrRpm1 or AvrB, and wild-type responses were observed after challenge with other incompatible pathogens or the virulent DC3000 isolate. Our results suggest that cell death is not necessary to confer resistance, and engineering enhanced resistance without activation of programmed cell death is a real possibility.