scholarly journals Mutations in orthologous PETALOSA TOE-type genes cause a dominant double-flower phenotype in phylogenetically distant eudicots

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (9) ◽  
pp. 2585-2595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Gattolin ◽  
Marco Cirilli ◽  
Stefania Chessa ◽  
Alessandra Stella ◽  
Daniele Bassi ◽  
...  

Abstract The double-flower phenotype has been selected by humans for its attractiveness in various plant species and it is of great commercial value for the ornamental market. In this study we investigated the genetic determinant of the dominant double-flower trait in carnation, petunia, and Rosa rugosa, and identified mutant alleles of TARGET OF EAT (TOE)-type genes characterized by a disruption of the miR172 target sequence and of the C-terminal portion of the encoded protein. Despite the phylogenetic distance between these eudicots, which diverged in the early Cretaceous, the orthologous genes carrying these mutations all belong to a single TOE-type subgroup, which we name as PETALOSA (PET). Homology searches allowed us to identify PET sequences in various other species. To confirm the results from naturally occurring mutations, we used CrispR-Cas9 to induce lesions within the miR172 target site of Nicotiana tabacum PET genes, and this resulted in the development of supernumerary petaloid structures. This study describes pet alleles in economically important ornamental species and provides evidence about the possibility of identifying and engineering PET genes to obtain the desirable double-flower trait in different plants.

2003 ◽  
Vol 47 (7) ◽  
pp. 2330-2333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria José Saavedra ◽  
Luísa Peixe ◽  
João Carlos Sousa ◽  
Isabel Henriques ◽  
Artur Alves ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT An environmental isolate of Serratia fonticola resistant to carbapenems was shown to contain a genetic determinant encoding a metallo-β-lactamase of the subclass B2. The Sfh-I enzyme exhibits some divergence from the previously characterized enzymes of this subclass. This is the first example of a naturally occurring metallo-β-lactamase in Enterobacteriaceae.


Author(s):  
A. W. Fetter ◽  
C. C. Capen

Atrophic rhinitis in swine is a disease of uncertain etiology in which infectious agents, hereditary predisposition, and metabolic disturbances have been reported to be of primary etiologic importance. It shares many similarities, both clinically and pathologically, with ozena in man. The disease is characterized by deformity and reduction in volume of the nasal turbinates. The fundamental cause for the localized lesion of bone in the nasal turbinates has not been established. Reduced osteogenesis, increased resorption related to inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane, and excessive resorption due to osteocytic osteolysis stimulated by hyperparathyroidism have been suggested as possible pathogenetic mechanisms.The objectives of this investigation were to evaluate ultrastructurally bone cells in the nasal turbinates of pigs with experimentally induced atrophic rhinitis, and to compare these findings to those in control pigs of the same age and pigs with the naturally occurring disease, in order to define the fundamental lesion responsible for the progressive reduction in volume of the osseous core.


Author(s):  
W. W. Barker ◽  
W. E. Rigsby ◽  
V. J. Hurst ◽  
W. J. Humphreys

Experimental clay mineral-organic molecule complexes long have been known and some of them have been extensively studied by X-ray diffraction methods. The organic molecules are adsorbed onto the surfaces of the clay minerals, or intercalated between the silicate layers. Natural organo-clays also are widely recognized but generally have not been well characterized. Widely used techniques for clay mineral identification involve treatment of the sample with H2 O2 or other oxidant to destroy any associated organics. This generally simplifies and intensifies the XRD pattern of the clay residue, but helps little with the characterization of the original organoclay. Adequate techniques for the direct observation of synthetic and naturally occurring organoclays are yet to be developed.


Author(s):  
G. M. Hutchins ◽  
J. S. Gardner

Cytokinins are plant hormones that play a large and incompletely understood role in the life-cycle of plants. The goal of this study was to determine what roles cytokinins play in the morphological development of wheat. To achieve any real success in altering the development and growth of wheat, the cytokinins must be applied directly to the apical meristem, or spike of the plant. It is in this region that the plant cells are actively undergoing mitosis. Kinetin and Zeatin were the two cytokinins chosen for this experiment. Kinetin is an artificial hormone that was originally extracted from old or heated DNA. Kinetin is easily made from the reaction of adenine and furfuryl alcohol. Zeatin is a naturally occurring hormone found in corn, wheat, and many other plants.Chinese Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was used for this experiment. Prior to planting, the seeds were germinated in a moist environment for 72 hours.


Author(s):  
David R. Veblen

Extended defects and interfaces control many processes in rock-forming minerals, from chemical reactions to rock deformation. In many cases, it is not the average structure of a defect or interface that is most important, but rather the structure of defect terminations or offsets in an interface. One of the major thrusts of high-resolution electron microscopy in the earth sciences has been to identify the role of defect fine structures in reactions and to determine the structures of such features. This paper will review studies using HREM and image simulations to determine the structures of defects in silicate and oxide minerals and present several examples of the role of defects in mineral chemical reactions. In some cases, the geological occurrence can be used to constrain the diffusional properties of defects.The simplest reactions in minerals involve exsolution (precipitation) of one mineral from another with a similar crystal structure, and pyroxenes (single-chain silicates) provide a good example. Although conventional TEM studies have led to a basic understanding of this sort of phase separation in pyroxenes via spinodal decomposition or nucleation and growth, HREM has provided a much more detailed appreciation of the processes involved.


2020 ◽  
Vol 134 (12) ◽  
pp. 1403-1432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manal Muin Fardoun ◽  
Dina Maaliki ◽  
Nabil Halabi ◽  
Rabah Iratni ◽  
Alessandra Bitto ◽  
...  

Abstract Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables, in addition to beverages such as tea and coffee. Flavonoids are emerging as potent therapeutic agents for cardiovascular as well as metabolic diseases. Several studies corroborated an inverse relationship between flavonoid consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) or adipose tissue inflammation (ATI). Flavonoids exert their anti-atherogenic effects by increasing nitric oxide (NO), reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS), and decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, flavonoids alleviate ATI by decreasing triglyceride and cholesterol levels, as well as by attenuating inflammatory mediators. Furthermore, flavonoids inhibit synthesis of fatty acids and promote their oxidation. In this review, we discuss the effect of the main classes of flavonoids, namely flavones, flavonols, flavanols, flavanones, anthocyanins, and isoflavones, on atherosclerosis and ATI. In addition, we dissect the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms of action for these flavonoids. We conclude by supporting the potential benefit for flavonoids in the management or treatment of CVD; yet, we call for more robust clinical studies for safety and pharmacokinetic values.


2011 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 240-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Ward ◽  
Carol P Wilson ◽  
J J Strain ◽  
Geraldine Horigan ◽  
John M. Scott ◽  
...  

Hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke. A common polymorphism in the gene encoding the enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), previously identified as the main genetic determinant of elevated homocysteine concentration and also recognized as a risk factor for CVD, appears to be independently associated with hypertension. The B-vitamin riboflavin is required as a cofactor by MTHFR and recent evidence suggests it may have a role in modulating blood pressure, specifically in those with the homozygous mutant MTHFR 677 TT genotype. If studies confirm that this genetic predisposition to hypertension is correctable by low-dose riboflavin, the findings could have important implications for the management of hypertension given that the frequency of this polymorphism ranges from 3 to 32 % worldwide.


2008 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan ◽  
Jiang ◽  
Zhang ◽  
Bai

In efforts to identify naturally occurring compounds that act as protective agents, resveratrol, a phytoalexin existing in wine, has attracted much interest because of its diverse pharmacological characteristics. Considering that apoptosis induction is the most potent defense approach for cancer treatment, we have tried to summarize our present understanding of apoptosis induction by resveratrol based on the two major apoptosis pathways.


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