Drought-responsive WRKY transcription factor genes IgWRKY50 and IgWRKY32 from Iris germanica enhance drought resistance in transgenic Arabidopsis.

Drought greatly affects the growth and development of garden plants and affects their ornamental value. WRKY transcription factors make up one of the largest transcription factor families in plants and they play an important role in the plant response to drought stress. However, the function of the WRKY gene in response to drought stress in Iris germanica, which is commonly used in landscaping, has not been studied. In this study, we isolated two WRKY transcription factor genes from Iris germanica, IgWRKY50 and IgWRKY32, which belong to Group II and Group III of the WRKY family, respectively. IgWRKY50 and IgWRKY32 could be induced by PEG-6000, high temperature and ABA in Iris germanica. IgWRKY50 and IgWRKY32 could quickly respond to drought and they peaked at 3 h after PEG-6000 treatment (19.93- and 23.32-fold). The fusion proteins IgWRKY50-GFP and IgWRKY32-GFP were located in the nucleus of mesophyll protoplasts of Arabidopsis. The overexpression of the IgWRKY50 and IgWRKY32 genes improved the osmotic tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis, mainly exhibited by the transgenic plants having a higher germination rate and a longer total root length on 1/2 MS medium containing mannitol. Under PEG-6000 stress, the transgenic plants had higher stomatal closure than the wild type (WT). Under natural drought stress, the water loss rate of the isolated leaves of transgenic Arabidopsis was lower than that of WT, the contents of proline (Pro) and soluble protein (SP) and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) in the transgenic plants were higher, but the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was lower. Furthermore, the expression of several stress-related genes (RD29A, DREB2A, PP2CA, and ABA2) was significantly increased in IgWRKY50- and IgWRKY32- overexpressing transgenic Arabidposis plants after drought treatment. These results suggest that IgWRKY50 and IgWRKY32, as two positive regulators, enhance the drought resistance of transgenic Arabidopsis by mediating the ABA signal transduction pathway. IgWRKY50 and IgWRKY32 can be used as candidate genes for molecular breeding of drought resistance in Iris.

Inoculation With Indigenous Rhizosphere Microbes Enhances Aboveground Accumulation of Lead in Salix integra Thunb. by Improving Transport Coefficients.

The application of plant-microbial remediation of heavy metals is restricted by the difficulty of exogenous microbes to form large populations and maintain their long-term remediation efficiency. We therefore investigated the effects of inoculation with indigenous heavy-metal-tolerant rhizosphere microbes on phytoremediation of lead (Pb) by Salix integra. We measured plant physiological indexes and soil Pb bioavailability and conducted widespread targeted metabolome analysis of strains to better understand the mechanisms of enhance Pb accumulation. Growth of Salix integra was improved by both single and co-inoculation treatments with Bacillus sp. and Aspergillus niger, increasing by 14% in co-inoculated plants. Transfer coefficients for Pb, indicating mobility from soil via roots into branches or leaves, were higher following microbial inoculation, showing a more than 100% increase in the co-inoculation treatment over untreated plants. However, Pb accumulation was only enhanced by single inoculation treatments with either Bacillus sp. or Aspergillus niger, being 10% greater in plants inoculated with Bacillus sp. compared with uninoculated controls. Inoculation mainly promoted accumulation of Pb in aboveground plant parts. Superoxide dismutase and catalase enzyme activities as well as the proline content of inoculated plants were enhanced by most treatments. However, soil urease and catalase activities were lower in inoculated plants than controls. Proportions of acid-soluble Pb were 0.34 and 0.41% higher in rhizosphere and bulk soil, respectively, of plants inoculated with Bacillus sp. than in that of uninoculated plants. We identified 410 metabolites from the microbial inoculations, of which more than 50% contributed to heavy metal bioavailability; organic acids, amino acids, and carbohydrates formed the three major metabolite categories. These results suggest that both indigenous Bacillus sp. and Aspergillus niger could be used to assist phytoremediation by enhancing antioxidant defenses of Salix integra and altering Pb bioavailability. We speculate that microbial strains colonized the soil and plants at the same time, with variations in their metabolite profiles reflecting different living conditions. We also need to consider interactions between inocula and the whole microbial community when applying microbial inoculation to promote phytoremediation.

Pollen morphology of different species of Iris barbata and its systematic significance with scanning electron microscopy methods.

Forty-eight cultivars of Iris barbata were used as research materials, and observations of their pollen morphologies were made using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The pollen of I. barbata consisted of a single grain, which was subspheroidal or subprolate and boat-shaped in equatorial view and oval or nearly round in polar view. The pollen was symmetrical or radially symmetrical on both sides, and there were five types of germination furrows: monocolpate, dicolpate, monocolpate-colpoidal, 2-syncolpate, and parasyncolpate. The exine ornamentation was mostly crass-reticulate and occasionally verrucate or pilate. Variation in the equatorial axis length of I. barbata pollen was the lowest, and variation in pollen morphology was stable. Q-type cluster analysis was conducted using seven indexes: polar axis length (P), equatorial axis length (E), P/E, mesh diameter (D), net ridge width (W), D/W, and germination furrow width (WG). The 48 cultivars were divided into three groups. Three dwarf cultivars were clustered in one group, and the degree of evolution of this group was higher than that of the other two groups. This paper systematically describes the characteristics of I. barbata for the first time, and thus provides important palynological insights into the classification and cross-breeding of I. barbata.

Correlation of Glucose Transporter-1 Expression With Uptake of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in Thyroid Papillary Carcinoma / 대한이비인후과학회지

Backgroud and Objectives: 18F-FDG Positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) is a noninvasive diagnostic tool for many kinds of human cancer, where glucose transporter-1 (Glut-1) acts as a main transporter in the uptake of 18F-FDG in cancer cells. The object of this study is to assess the expression of Glut-1 in human papillary carcinoma and the relationship between the expression and the uptake of 18F-FDG PET. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We evaluated 30 patients diagnosed as papillary carcinoma. Tumor sizes were measured and Glut-1 expression rate (ER), expression intensity (EI) and total expression score (ES) were analyzed. 18F-FDG PET was performed in 19 patients and standardized uptake value (SUV) was measured in each case. The correlations between ER and SUV, ES and SUV, tumor sizes and SUV, ER and tumor sizes were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: 96.7% (29/30) of tumors were Glut-1 positive, the mean ER was 67.42+/-22.89% and the mean ES 131.8+/-71. Tumor cells showed higher expression of Glut-1 than normal thyroid tissue. 18F-FDG uptake was positive in 81% (17/21) of solitary thyroid papillary carcinoma and negative in 19% (4/21). The average SUV of the PET positive group was 6.75+/-4.8, ER 71.25 +/-20.6% and ES 134.68+/-51.4. The average size of PET positive tumors was 3.37+/-2.94 cm2 and that of negative tumors was 0.43+/-0.45 cm2. Both ER and ES of Glut-1 were correlated with SUV significantly. The size and SUV were also correlated significantly. But the size and ER were not correlated significantly. CONCLUSION: Thyroid papillary carcinoma has high ER of Glut-1 and there is a positive correlation between Glut-1 expression and the uptake of 18F-FDG PET. The size of tumor can also affect the 18F-FDG uptake. But there is no correlation between the size and Glut-1 expression and further studies are needed to find the mechanisms and to decide the cut-off value.

Evaluation of Internal Laryngeal Muscles Related to Phonation and the Compensatory Mechanism in Patients with Unilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis Using (18)F-Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES : Several studies have reported that (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is physiologically increased at the intact vocal cord in patients with unilateral vocal cord paralysis, which is explained by a compensatory mechanism of the intact vocal cord. We aimed to evaluate internal laryngeal muscles related to phonation and the compensatory mechanism in patients with unilateral vocal cord paralysis. SUBJECTS AND METHOD : We performed (18)FDG-PET imaging and neck computed tomography (CT) scan in the normal control group composed of 13 subjects and the paralyzed group composed of 11 patients with unilateral vocal cord paralysis. The two groups were divided into two groups, phonating and silent, before performing (18)FDG-PET. (18)FDG-PET and neck CT images by Syntegra. A specialist in nuclear medicine performed all the test measurements, the standardized uptake value (SUV) in the interarytenoid muscle (IA), both thyroarytenoid muscles (TA), and both lateral cricoarytenoid muscles (LCA). The mean SUVs were statistically analyzed. RESULTS : In the Normal-Phonating group, the mean SUV of IA was the highest, with 3.68+/-0.96 (Mean+/-SD), followed by that of LCA, with 2.34+/-0.67. However, when compared with the same muscles in the Phonating-Silent group, only the SUV of IA was significantly increased by phonation. In the Paralyzed-Silent group, the SUV of TA in the intact side was the highest, with 2.30+/-0.39. In the Paralyzed-Phonating group, the SUV of TA in the intact side, IA, and LCA in the intact side were 5.88+/-2.65, 3.92+/-1.65, and 3.87+/-1.37, respectively. When compared with the same muscles in the Phonating-Silent group, the SUVs of TA and IA were significantly increased. CONCLUSION : The muscle related to the compensatory mechanism in patients with unilateral vocal cord paralysis is thyroarytenoid muscle in the intact side. The interarytenoid muscle plays a major role in the mechanism of phonation in humans.

Role of Redistribution and 24 Hour Reinjection Images to assess Myocardial Viability in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction / 대한핵의학회잡지

PURPOSE: We evaluated the importance of redistribution and 24 hour reinjection images in Tl-201 SPECT assessment of myocardial viability after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed dipyridamole stress-4 hour redistribution-24 hour reinjection Tl-201 SPECT in 43 patients with recent AMI (4-16 days). The myocardium was divided into 16 segments and perfusion grade was measured visually with 4 point score from 0 to 3 (absent uptake to normal uptake). A perfusion defect with stress score 2 was considered moderate. A defect was considered severe if the stress score was 0 or l (absent uptake or severe perfusion decrease). Moderate defect on stress image were considered viable and segments with severe defect were considered viable if they showed improvement of 1 score or more on redistribution or reinjection images. We compared the results of viability assess-ment in stress-redistribution and stress-reinjection images. RESULTS: On visual analysis, 344 of 688 segments (50%) had abnormal perfusion. Fifty two (15%) had moderate perfusion defects and 292 (85%) had severe perfusion defects on stress image. Of 292 severe stress defects, 53 were irreversible on redistribution and reversible on reinjection images, and 15 were reversible on redistribution and irreversible on reinjection images. Two hundred twenty four of 292 segments (76.7%) showed concordant results on stress-redistribution and stress-reinjection images. Therefore 24 hour reinjection image changed viability status from necrotic to viable in 53 segments of 292 severe stress defect (18%). However, myocardial viability was underestimated in only 5% (15/292) of severe defects by 24 hour reinjection. CONCLUSION: The 24 hour reinjection imaging is useful in the assessment of rnyocardial viability. It is more sensitive than 4 hour redistribution imaging. However, both redistribution and reinjection images are needed since they complement each other.

Assessment of Viability in Regional Myocardium with Reversed Redistribution by Thallium Reinjection in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction / 대한핵의학회잡지

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether T1-201 reinjection distinguishes viable from non-viable myocardium in patients with reverse redistribution after acute myocardial infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 42 patients with acute myocardial infarction (age, 55+/-12 years). Eighteen (43%) out of 42 showed reverse redistribution on dipyridamole stress-4 hour redistribution T1-201 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). T1-201 reinjection was performed at 24 hours. Reverse redistribution was defined as worsening of perfusion defect at 4 hour delayed scan. All patients underwent follow-up echocardiography in 4 months to assess regional wall motion improvement. T1-201 uptake on reinjection images were analyzed for the prediction of myocardial wall motion improvement. RESULTS: Of 36 segments with reverse redistribution, 17 segments showed normal wall motion on echocardiography, while 19 segments showed all motion abnormalities. Of 19 the segments with reverse redistribution, 11 (58%) showed enhanced uptake after 24 hour reinjection. Myocardial wall motion was improved in 10 of 11 segments (90%) with enhanced uptake on reinjection. Wall motion improvement was not seen in 5 of 8 segments (63%) without enhanced thallium uptake. When myocardial viability was assessed by the uptake on reinjection image, nine of 10 segments (90%) with normal or mildly decreased uptake showed improved wall motion. Wall motion was not improved in 5 of 9 segments (56%) with severely decreased uptake. CONCLUSION: In patients with acute myocardial ifarction, T1-201 reinjection imaging on myocardial segments with reverse redistribution has a high positive predictive value in the assessment of myocardial viability.

Radioiodine Therapy in a Patient with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma associated with Breast Uptake ; Hyperprolactinemia due to Empty Sella Syndrome / 대한핵의학회잡지

We report a 37 year-old-female patient with papillary thyroid cancer treated by surgery who demonstrated residual thyroid and bilateral breast uptake on a diagnostic I-131 whole body scan. She had an extrathyroidal extension needing I-131 ablative therapy. Her galactorrhea was investigated and treated with low doses of bromocriptine prior to I-131 therapy. Her galactorrhea was due to the decreased secretion of PIF induced by empty sella.

Safety and Feasibility of Thallium-201 Myocardial SPECT with Intravenous Infusion of Disodium Sdenosine Trophosphate ( ATP ) in the Diagnosis of Coronary Artery disease / 대한핵의학회잡지

PURPOSE: ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is a potent coronary vasodilator with a rapid onset of action and a very short half-life. Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with intravenous ATP has not yet been sufficiently proven in the diagnosis, follow-up, and risk stratification of coronary artery disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety, feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of pharmacologic stress thallium-201 myocardial SPECT using an intravenous ATP infusion in patients with suspected coronary artery disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thalliurn-201 myocardial SPECT in 319 patients with suspected coronary artery disease were performed after the infusion of ATP (0.08 mg/kg/min for 6 rnin). The adverse effects were carefully monitored. Coronary angiography was also performed within 3 weeks. RESULTS: Although 76.5% of the patients had sorne adverse effects, they were transient, mild, and well tolerated. In all patients, the ATP infusion protocol was completed and only 2 patients required aminophylline. The adverse effects were dyspnea in 63%, headache in 31%, flushing in 21%, chest pain in 14% and abdominal discomfort in 5% of the patients. The sensitivity and specificity were 80% and 90% respectively. CONCLUSION: Thallium-201 myocardial SPECT after 6 min-infusion of ATP at a rate of 0.08 mg/kg/min is safe and has a diagnostic value in detecting coronary artery disease.