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1.
Plants (Basel) ; 13(1)2024 Jan 04.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38202451

RESUMO

Maize is a globally significant cereal crop, contributing to the production of essential food products and serving as a pivotal resource for diverse industrial applications. This study investigated the proximate analysis of maize hybrids from different FAO maturity groups in Serbia, exploring variations in polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, tocopherols, and fatty acids with the aim of understanding how agroecological conditions influence the nutritional potential of maize hybrids. The results indicate substantial variations in nutritional composition and antioxidant properties among different maturity groups. The levels of total polyphenols varied among FAO groups, indicating that specific hybrids may offer greater health benefits. Flavonoids and carotenoids also showed considerable variation, with implications for nutritional quality. Tocopherol content varied significantly, emphasizing the diversity in antioxidant capacity. Fatty acid analysis revealed high levels of unsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid, indicating favorable nutritional and industrial properties. The study highlights the importance of considering maturity groups in assessing the nutritional potential of maize hybrids.

3.
Innovation (Camb) ; 3(6): 100342, 2022 Nov 08.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36353677

RESUMO

In recent years, more and more single-cell technologies have been developed. A vast amount of single-cell omics data has been generated by large projects, such as the Human Cell Atlas, the Mouse Cell Atlas, the Mouse RNA Atlas, the Mouse ATAC Atlas, and the Plant Cell Atlas. Based on these single-cell big data, thousands of bioinformatics algorithms for quality control, clustering, cell-type annotation, developmental inference, cell-cell transition, cell-cell interaction, and spatial analysis are developed. With powerful experimental single-cell technology and state-of-the-art big data analysis methods based on artificial intelligence, the molecular landscape at the single-cell level can be revealed. With spatial transcriptomics and single-cell multi-omics, even the spatial dynamic multi-level regulatory mechanisms can be deciphered. Such single-cell technologies have many successful applications in oncology, assisted reproduction, embryonic development, and plant breeding. We not only review the experimental and bioinformatics methods for single-cell research, but also discuss their applications in various fields and forecast the future directions for single-cell technologies. We believe that spatial transcriptomics and single-cell multi-omics will become the next booming business for mechanism research and commercial industry.

4.
Nat Plants ; 8(8): 930-939, 2022 08.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35851621

RESUMO

Crop breeding heavily relies on natural genetic variation. However, additional new variations are desired to meet the increasing human demand. Inflorescence architecture determines grain number per spike, a major determinant of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield. Here, using Brachypodium distachyon as a wheat proxy, we identified DUO-B1, encoding an APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) transcription factor, regulating spike inflorescence architecture in bread wheat. Mutations of DUO-B1 lead to mild supernumerary spikelets, increased grain number per spike and, importantly, increased yield under field conditions without affecting other major agronomic traits. DUO-B1 suppresses cell division and promotes the expression of BHt/WFZP, whose mutations could lead to branched 'miracle-wheat'. Pan-genome analysis indicated that DUO-B1 has not been utilized in breeding, and holds promise to increase wheat yield further.


Assuntos
Pão , Triticum , Grão Comestível/genética , Etilenos , Humanos , Melhoramento Vegetal , Proteínas Repressoras , Triticum/genética
5.
Int J Mol Sci ; 23(12)2022 Jun 14.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35743085

RESUMO

Gibberellin (GA) is frequently used in tree peony forcing culture, but inappropriate application often causes flower deformity. Here, 5-azacytidine (5-azaC), an efficient DNA demethylating reagent, induced tree peony flowering with a low deformity rate by rapidly inducing PsFT expression, whereas GA treatment affected various flowering pathway genes with strong pleiotropy. The 5-azaC treatment, but not GA, significantly reduced the methylation level in the PsFT promoter with the demethylation of five CG contexts in a 369 bp CG-rich region, and eight light-responsive related cis-elements were also predicted in this region, accompanied by enhanced leaf photosynthetic efficiency. Through GO analysis, all methylation-closer differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were located in the thylakoid, the main site for photosynthesis, and were mainly involved in response to stimulus and single-organism process, whereas GA-closer DEGs had a wider distribution inside and outside of cells, associated with 12 categories of processes and regulations. We further mapped five candidate DEGs with potential flowering regulation, including three kinases (SnRK1, WAK2, and 5PTase7) and two bioactive enzymes (cytochrome P450 and SBH1). In summary, 5-azaC and GA may have individual roles in inducing tree peony flowering, and 5-azaC could be a preferable regulation approach; DNA demethylation is suggested to be more focused on flowering regulation with PsFT playing a core role through promoter demethylation. In addition, 5-azaC may partially undertake or replace the light-signal function, combined with other factors, such as SnRK1, in regulating flowering. This work provides new ideas for improving tree peony forcing culture technology.


Assuntos
Paeonia , Desmetilação do DNA , Flores/metabolismo , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas , Giberelinas/metabolismo , Giberelinas/farmacologia , Paeonia/genética
6.
Sci Adv ; 7(33)2021 Aug.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34380624

RESUMO

Cell pluripotency is fundamental to biology. It has long been known that differentiated somatic plant cells may reacquire pluripotency, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive. In many plant species, a single isolated mesophyll protoplast may regenerate into an entire plant, which is widely used in gene transformation. Here, we identified two transcription factors whose ectopic activation promotes protoplast regeneration. Furthermore, we found that their expression was induced by protoplast isolation but at a very low frequency. Using live imaging and single-cell transcriptomics, we show that isolating protoplasts induces enhanced expression variation at the genome level. Isolating protoplasts also leads to genome-wide increases in chromatin accessibility, which promotes stochastic activation of gene expression and enhances protoplast regeneration. We propose that transcriptome chaos with increased expression variability among cells creates a cellular-level evolutionary driver selecting for regenerating cells.

7.
Mol Plant ; 14(6): 949-962, 2021 06 07.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33722761

RESUMO

Leaf shape is highly variable within and among plant species, ranging from slender to oval shaped. This is largely determined by the proximodistal axis of growth. However, little is known about how proximal-distal growth is controlled to determine leaf shape. Here, we show that Arabidopsis leaf and sepal proximodistal growth is tuned by two phytohormones. Two class A AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs (ARFs), ARF6 and ARF8, activate the transcription of DWARF4, which encodes a key brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthetic enzyme. At the cellular level, the phytohormones promote more directional cell expansion along the proximodistal axis, as well as final cell sizes. BRs promote the demethyl-esterification of cell wall pectins, leading to isotropic in-plane cell wall loosening. Notably, numerical simulation showed that isotropic cell wall loosening could lead to directional cell and organ growth along the proximodistal axis. Taken together, we show that auxin acts through biosynthesis of BRs to determine cell wall mechanics and directional cell growth to generate leaves of variable roundness.


Assuntos
Arabidopsis/genética , Brassinosteroides/metabolismo , Parede Celular , Ácidos Indolacéticos/metabolismo , Folhas de Planta/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Anisotropia , Arabidopsis/metabolismo , Proteínas de Arabidopsis/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/metabolismo , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas , Genes de Plantas , Reguladores de Crescimento de Plantas/fisiologia , Folhas de Planta/metabolismo , Plantas Geneticamente Modificadas , Transdução de Sinais , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo
9.
Nat Commun ; 10(1): 141, 2019 01 11.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30635575

RESUMO

Gene regulatory networks control development via domain-specific gene expression. In seed plants, self-renewing stem cells located in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) produce leaves from the SAM peripheral zone. After initiation, leaves develop polarity patterns to form a planar shape. Here we compare translating RNAs among SAM and leaf domains. Using translating ribosome affinity purification and RNA sequencing to quantify gene expression in target domains, we generate a domain-specific translatome map covering representative vegetative stage SAM and leaf domains. We discuss the predicted cellular functions of these domains and provide evidence that dome seemingly unrelated domains, utilize common regulatory modules. Experimental follow up shows that the RABBIT EARS and HANABA TARANU transcription factors have roles in axillary meristem initiation. This dataset provides a community resource for further study of shoot development and response to internal and environmental signals.


Assuntos
Arabidopsis/embriologia , Arabidopsis/genética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento/genética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas/genética , Redes Reguladoras de Genes/genética , Meristema/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Processamento Alternativo , Proteínas de Arabidopsis/genética , Sequência de Bases , Fatores de Transcrição GATA/genética , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Proteínas de Homeodomínio/genética , Meristema/genética , Folhas de Planta/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Proteínas Repressoras/genética , Análise de Sequência de RNA , Fatores de Transcrição/genética
10.
Plant Physiol ; 175(2): 746-757, 2017 Oct.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28807930

RESUMO

The architecture of wheat (Triticum aestivum) inflorescence and its complexity is among the most important agronomic traits that influence yield. For example, wheat spikes vary considerably in the number of spikelets, which are specialized reproductive branches, and the number of florets, which are spikelet branches that produce seeds. The large and repetitive nature of the three homologous and highly similar subgenomes of wheat has impeded attempts at using genetic approaches to uncover beneficial alleles that can be utilized for yield improvement. Using a population-associative transcriptomic approach, we analyzed the transcriptomes of developing spikes in 90 wheat lines comprising 74 landrace and 16 elite varieties and correlated expression with variations in spike complexity traits. In combination with coexpression network analysis, we inferred the identities of genes related to spike complexity. Importantly, further experimental studies identified regulatory genes whose expression is associated with and influences spike complexity. The associative transcriptomic approach utilized in this study allows rapid identification of the genetic basis of important agronomic traits in crops with complex genomes.


Assuntos
Inflorescência/genética , Transcriptoma , Triticum/genética , Alelos , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Genótipo , Inflorescência/anatomia & histologia , Fenótipo , Filogenia , Sementes/anatomia & histologia , Sementes/genética , Especificidade da Espécie , Triticum/anatomia & histologia
11.
Plant Cell ; 29(6): 1373-1387, 2017 Jun.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28576845

RESUMO

The homeodomain transcription factor WUSCHEL (WUS) defines the shoot stem cell niche, but the mechanisms underlying the establishment of WUS expression remain unclear. Here, we show that cytokinin signaling precedes WUS expression in leaf axils and activates WUS expression de novo in the leaf axil to promote axillary meristem initiation. Furthermore, type-B Arabidopsis response regulator proteins, which are transcriptional activators in the cytokinin signaling pathway, directly bind to the WUS promoter and activate its expression. Finally, we show that cytokinin activation of WUS in the leaf axil correlates with increased histone acetylation and methylation markers associated with transcriptional activation, supporting the fact that WUS expression requires a permissive epigenetic environment to restrict it to highly defined meristematic tissues. Taken together, these findings explain how cytokinin regulates axillary meristem initiation and establish a mechanistic framework for the postembryonic establishment of the shoot stem cell niche.


Assuntos
Proteínas de Arabidopsis/metabolismo , Arabidopsis/metabolismo , Citocininas/metabolismo , Meristema/metabolismo , Acetilação , Arabidopsis/citologia , Arabidopsis/genética , Proteínas de Arabidopsis/genética , Citocininas/genética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas , Proteínas de Homeodomínio/genética , Proteínas de Homeodomínio/metabolismo , Meristema/citologia , Meristema/genética , Transdução de Sinais
12.
PLoS Genet ; 12(7): e1006168, 2016 07.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27398935

RESUMO

Shoot branching requires the establishment of new meristems harboring stem cells; this phenomenon raises questions about the precise regulation of meristematic fate. In seed plants, these new meristems initiate in leaf axils to enable lateral shoot branching. Using live-cell imaging of leaf axil cells, we show that the initiation of axillary meristems requires a meristematic cell population continuously expressing the meristem marker SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM). The maintenance of STM expression depends on the leaf axil auxin minimum. Ectopic expression of STM is insufficient to activate axillary buds formation from plants that have lost leaf axil STM expressing cells. This suggests that some cells undergo irreversible commitment to a developmental fate. In more mature leaves, REVOLUTA (REV) directly up-regulates STM expression in leaf axil meristematic cells, but not in differentiated cells, to establish axillary meristems. Cell type-specific binding of REV to the STM region correlates with epigenetic modifications. Our data favor a threshold model for axillary meristem initiation, in which low levels of STM maintain meristematic competence and high levels of STM lead to meristem initiation.


Assuntos
Arabidopsis/genética , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas , Meristema/citologia , Brotos de Planta/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Alelos , Arabidopsis/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Proteínas de Arabidopsis/genética , Diferenciação Celular , Linhagem da Célula , Imunoprecipitação da Cromatina , Genes de Plantas , Genótipo , Ácidos Indolacéticos/metabolismo , Fenótipo , Folhas de Planta/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Plantas Geneticamente Modificadas/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Regulação para Cima
14.
Mol Syst Biol ; 10: 755, 2014 Oct 30.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25358340

RESUMO

Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) control development via cell type-specific gene expression and interactions between transcription factors (TFs) and regulatory promoter regions. Plant organ boundaries separate lateral organs from the apical meristem and harbor axillary meristems (AMs). AMs, as stem cell niches, make the shoot a ramifying system. Although AMs have important functions in plant development, our knowledge of organ boundary and AM formation remains rudimentary. Here, we generated a cellular-resolution genomewide gene expression map for low-abundance Arabidopsis thaliana organ boundary cells and constructed a genomewide protein-DNA interaction map focusing on genes affecting boundary and AM formation. The resulting GRN uncovers transcriptional signatures, predicts cellular functions, and identifies promoter hub regions that are bound by many TFs. Importantly, further experimental studies determined the regulatory effects of many TFs on their targets, identifying regulators and regulatory relationships in AM initiation. This systems biology approach thus enhances our understanding of a key developmental process.


Assuntos
Proteínas de Arabidopsis/genética , Arabidopsis/genética , Redes Reguladoras de Genes , Meristema/genética , Proteínas de Arabidopsis/metabolismo , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas , Genoma de Planta , Modelos Genéticos , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo
15.
Plant Physiol ; 165(3): 1156-1170, 2014 Jul.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24868033

RESUMO

Plants cope with inorganic phosphate (Pi) deficiencies in their environment by adjusting their developmental programs and metabolic activities. For Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), the developmental responses include the inhibition of primary root growth and the enhanced formation of lateral roots and root hairs. Pi deficiency also inhibits photosynthesis by suppressing the expression of photosynthetic genes. Early studies showed that photosynthetic gene expression was also suppressed in Pi-deficient roots, a nonphotosynthetic organ; however, the biological relevance of this phenomenon remains unknown. In this work, we characterized an Arabidopsis mutant, hypersensitive to Pi starvation7 (hps7), that is hypersensitive to Pi deficiency; the hypersensitivity includes an increased inhibition of root growth. HPS7 encodes a tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase. Accumulation of HPS7 proteins in root tips is enhanced by Pi deficiency. Comparative RNA sequencing analyses indicated that the expression of many photosynthetic genes is activated in roots of hps7. Under Pi deficiency, the expression of photosynthetic genes in hps7 is further increased, which leads to enhanced accumulation of chlorophyll, starch, and sucrose. Pi-deficient hps7 roots also produce a high level of reactive oxygen species. Previous research showed that the overexpression of GOLDEN-like (GLK) transcription factors in transgenic Arabidopsis activates photosynthesis in roots. The GLK overexpressing (GLK OX) lines also exhibit increased inhibition of root growth under Pi deficiency. The increased inhibition of root growth in hps7 and GLK OX lines by Pi deficiency was completely reversed by growing the plants in the dark. Based on these results, we propose that suppression of photosynthetic gene expression is required for sustained root growth under Pi deficiency.

16.
J Insect Physiol ; 56(12): 1857-62, 2010 Dec.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20708012

RESUMO

The parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis suppresses host immune mechanisms that include melanization reactions. Melanization is an important immune response of hosts induced by wasp infection and thus its inhibition represents a successful strategy for parasitism. However, the molecular basis associated with such inhibition is largely unknown in N. vitripennis. Here, we report recombinant expression, structural and functional characterization of a Nasonia-derived defensin-like peptide (called nasonin-3) whose recombinant product exerts inhibitory effect on host melanization. The possible role of nasonin-3 in immune suppression is also discussed.


Assuntos
Defensinas/imunologia , Dípteros/parasitologia , Himenópteros/imunologia , Proteínas de Insetos/imunologia , Motivos de Aminoácidos/imunologia , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Sequência de Bases , Dicroísmo Circular , Defensinas/genética , Dípteros/imunologia , Himenópteros/enzimologia , Himenópteros/genética , Proteínas de Insetos/genética , Modelos Moleculares , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Monofenol Mono-Oxigenase/análise , RNA/química , RNA/genética , Proteínas Recombinantes/química , Proteínas Recombinantes/imunologia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Alinhamento de Sequência , Espectrometria de Massas por Ionização e Dessorção a Laser Assistida por Matriz
17.
BMC Genomics ; 11: 187, 2010 Mar 19.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20302637

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an essential component of innate immunity which can rapidly respond to diverse microbial pathogens. Insects, as a rich source of AMPs, attract great attention of scientists in both understanding of the basic biology of the immune system and searching molecular templates for anti-infective drug design. Despite a large number of AMPs have been identified from different insect species, little information in terms of these peptides is available from parasitic insects. RESULTS: By using integrated computational approaches to systemically mining the Hymenopteran parasitic wasp Nasonia vitripennis genome, we establish the first AMP repertoire whose members exhibit extensive sequence and structural diversity and can be distinguished into multiple molecular types, including insect and fungal defensin-like peptides (DLPs) with the cysteine-stabilized alpha-helical and beta-sheet (CSalphabeta) fold; Pro- or Gly-rich abaecins and hymenoptaecins; horseshoe crab tachystatin-type AMPs with the inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) fold; and a linear alpha-helical peptide. Inducible expression pattern of seven N. vitripennis AMP genes were verified, and two representative peptides were synthesized and functionally identified to be antibacterial. In comparison with Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera) and several non-Hymenopteran model insects, N. vitripennis has evolved a complex antimicrobial immune system with more genes and larger protein precursors. Three classical strategies that are likely responsible for the complexity increase have been recognized: 1) Gene duplication; 2) Exon duplication; and 3) Exon-shuffling. CONCLUSION: The present study established the N. vitripennis peptidome associated with antimicrobial immunity by using a combined computational and experimental strategy. As the first AMP repertoire of a parasitic wasp, our results offer a basic platform for further studying the immunological and evolutionary significances of these newly discovered AMP-like genes in this class of insects.


Assuntos
Peptídeos Catiônicos Antimicrobianos/genética , Genoma de Inseto , Himenópteros/genética , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Peptídeos Catiônicos Antimicrobianos/química , Biologia Computacional , Sequência Conservada , Himenópteros/química , Modelos Moleculares , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Filogenia , Estrutura Terciária de Proteína , Alinhamento de Sequência
18.
Mol Immunol ; 45(15): 3909-16, 2008 Sep.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18657321

RESUMO

Drosophila employs various antimicrobial peptides as effective weapons to defend against diverse pathogens. Drosomycin is an inducible antifungal peptide initially isolated from the Drosophila melanogaster haemolymph. Here we report the expression pattern of seven drosomycin genes in four different developmental stages (egg, larva, pupa and adult). Results show that drosomycin and drosomycin-2 are expressed in larva, pupa and adult, whereas drosomycin-1 and drosomycin-6 were not detected in all the stages. Moreover, all the seven drosomycin genes are shut off in egg. Functional comparison of recombinant drosomycin and drosomycin-2, both with identical expression pattern, produced from Escherichia coli, revealed their significant differences in potency against a specific fungal species. In addition, we found for the first time that drosomycin and drosomycin-2 both are antiparasitic peptides which show inhibitory effect on the ookinete development of the parasite Plasmodium berghei with differential potency. Functional differentiation between them was further evaluated by evolutionary trace analysis which identified two evolutionary epitopes (named alpha- and gamma-patch, respectively) and an important site in the m-loop. Substitutions in these regions are possibly associated with the antifungal and antiparasitic potency difference among members of the drosomycin family.


Assuntos
Defensinas/metabolismo , Proteínas de Drosophila/metabolismo , Drosophila melanogaster/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Antifúngicos/metabolismo , Antifúngicos/farmacologia , Antimaláricos/metabolismo , Antimaláricos/farmacologia , Defensinas/genética , Defensinas/farmacologia , Proteínas de Drosophila/genética , Proteínas de Drosophila/farmacologia , Drosophila melanogaster/embriologia , Drosophila melanogaster/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Drosophila melanogaster/imunologia , Fungos/efeitos dos fármacos , Regulação da Expressão Gênica no Desenvolvimento , Imunidade Inata , Modelos Moleculares , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Filogenia , Plasmodium berghei/efeitos dos fármacos , Conformação Proteica , Proteínas Recombinantes/farmacologia
19.
Toxicon ; 51(4): 555-62, 2008 Mar 15.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18177911

RESUMO

Scorpion depressant toxins represent a distinct pharmacological group of sodium channel neurotoxins, identified by their preferential ability in induction of depressant and flaccid paralysis of insects. However, recent observations that some members in this group exhibit anti-mammal activity raise an interesting evolutionary question of whether it is a consequence of adaptive evolution to the early radiation of mammals on earth. By employing the maximum likelihood method, we provided convincing statistical evidence in favor of positive selection driving the evolution of the depressant toxins, and found that two of three positively selected sites are located on the functional surface of the toxins. A complex model of the scorpion depressant toxin LqhIT2 binding to insect sodium channel alpha-subunit (DmNav1) was constructed by structural bioinformatics approaches which highlights a possible direct interaction between these two sites and insect sodium channels. Our work presented here thus suggests that accelerated substitutions in these site residues could offer an evolutionary advantage for these toxins to adapt different channels from diverse origins.


Assuntos
Neurotoxinas/metabolismo , Neurotoxinas/toxicidade , Venenos de Escorpião/toxicidade , Escorpiões/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Evolução Biológica , Clonagem Molecular , DNA/genética , Genômica , Insetos/efeitos dos fármacos , Mamíferos , Modelos Moleculares , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Neurotoxinas/química , Neurotoxinas/genética , Conformação Proteica , Venenos de Escorpião/química , Escorpiões/genética
20.
Peptides ; 28(12): 2299-305, 2007 Dec.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18023929

RESUMO

Innate immunity is the first line defense of multicellular organisms that rapidly operates to limit aggression upon exposure to pathogen microorganisms. Although the existence of some antibacterial peptides in scorpion venoms suggests that venom gland could be protected by these effector molecules, antibacterial activity of venom itself has not been assessed. In this study, we reported the antibacterial activity of the venom of Chinese scorpion Buthus martensii. Protease K digestion test indicated that it is venom peptide/protein components, as key players, which are involved in such antibacterial response. As the first step toward studying molecular mechanism of scorpion venom gland immunity, we established an infection model which supports inducible antibacterial response of scorpion venom gland. A known B. martensii antibacterial peptide gene BmKb1 was up-regulated at the transcriptional level after venom gland was challenged, suggesting its key defense role. This is further strengthened by the presence of several immune response elements in the BmKb1 promoter region. Our work thus provides the first evidence supporting the role of venom antibacterial peptides (ABPs) in controlling scorpion venom gland infection and lays a basis for characterizing related components involved in regulation of scorpion venom gland ABP gene expression.


Assuntos
Peptídeos Catiônicos Antimicrobianos/isolamento & purificação , Venenos de Escorpião/imunologia , Escorpiões/imunologia , Escorpiões/microbiologia , Animais , Peptídeos Catiônicos Antimicrobianos/química , Peptídeos Catiônicos Antimicrobianos/genética , Peptídeos Catiônicos Antimicrobianos/farmacologia , Sequência de Bases , DNA/química , DNA/genética , Primers do DNA/genética , Expressão Gênica , Imunidade Inata , Micrococcus luteus/efeitos dos fármacos , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Conformação de Ácido Nucleico , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas , Venenos de Escorpião/química , Venenos de Escorpião/genética , Venenos de Escorpião/farmacologia , Escorpiões/genética
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