Proteomic differences in seed filling between yellow-seeded progeny of Brassica napus-Sinapis alba (Brassicaceae) and black-seeded parent B. napus

Comparative proteomics of seed filling between yellow-seeded progeny from somatic hybrids Brassica napus-Sinapis alba and black-seeded parent (B. napus) were taken out using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). The process indicated distinct differences in 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 weeks after fertilization (WAF) and mature seed. A total of 8 out of the 27 discriminate proteins were identified by mass spectrum analysis and MASCOT comparison, including protein kinase, enolase, triosephosphate isomerase, and dioxygenase. PCR primers contrived for the putative genes were applied for further identification of progenies and both parents, which indicated that spot A3-5 might be the novel protein of intergeneric hybrid, i.e., A5-2 derived from S. alba. Applying these specific primers, this study demonstrates that the new yellow-seeded germplasm is different from the existing yellow seed materials of rapeseed.

Optimization of factors affecting Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Micro-Tom tomatoes

Micro-Tom is the smallest known variety of tomatoes. An orthogonal experimental design L(16) (4(5)) was used to optimize Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cotyledon explants of Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Micro-Tom. Four parameters were investigated to determine their effect on transformation frequency: the concentration of bacterial suspension, time of dip in bacterial suspension, co-cultivation time, and concentration of carbenicillin. We also examined the effect of these parameters on contamination rate, necrosis rate, mortality, cut-surface browning rate, and undamaged explant rate. Both the bacterial and carbenicillin concentrations had a significant influence on the rate of infected explants. The time of co-cultivation also had a significant influence on the transformation parameters. The optimal transformation protocol consisted of an Agrobacterium suspension of 0.5 × 10(8) cells/mL (OD(600) = 0.5) and an infection time of 5 min, one day of co-cultivation and 500 mg/L carbenicillin. Under these conditions, the transformation efficiency of the shoots reached 5.1%; the mean transformation frequency was 3.9% (N = 838).

Analyses of CDC2L1 gene mutations in keloid tissue

BACKGROUND

Keloid disease is the result of a deregulated wound-healing process. Loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 1p36 has been shown to be associated with keloid formation in humans. The cell division cycle 2-like 1 (CDC2L1) gene is known to be essential for eukaryotic cell-cycle control, and has also been mapped to 1p36.

AIM

To verify the possible association between keloid disease and somatic mutation of the CDC2L1 gene on chromosome 1p36.

METHODS

Mutations of the CDC2L1 gene in keloid and healthy skin tissues were screened by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography, and confirmed by DNA sequencing analysis.

RESULTS

Of the 27 patients with keloid assessed, 21 had mutations. The most prevalent exon affected was exon 7, with 15 patients affected: 10 patients (37%) had a base G deletion at codon 247, and 12 patients (44.4%) had a base A insertion at codon 267 (6 patients (25.9%) had both mutations). The remaining six patients had mutations in exons 11 (codon 433; n = 3) and 14 (codon 520; n = 3). Comparing the keloid skin tissues with the healthy control skin tissues, significant differences were seen between the groups for the base G deletion at codon 247 and the base A insertion at codon 267.

CONCLUSIONS

We have identified a correlation between two exon 7 mutations of the CDC2L1 gene and keloid disease. A further study of protein-kinase activity should be conducted to confirm the functionality of the CDC2L1 gene in the prevention of scar formation.

Treatment of cervical esophageal perforation caused by foreign bodies

In this article, we reviewed our experience of treatment of cervical esophageal perforation caused by foreign bodies. Between 1980 and 2010, 42 patients were included in this study. There were 18 women and 24 men with a median age of 54 years. We divided the patients into three groups: the patients whose foreign bodies could not be extracted by otolaryngologists using endoscope (n= 7), the patients who had some signs of abscess formation but the foreign bodies had been extracted using endoscope (n= 25), and the patients who had no signs of abscess formation and the foreign bodies had been extracted (n= 10). We treated the patients of the three groups with surgical treatment, drainage alone, and conservative treatment, respectively. The outcome of the current series was favorable. Our experience suggested that most of the cases can be treated conservatively or by drainage alone. If the foreign bodies of the esophagus could not be extracted using endoscope, surgical treatment including the removal of the foreign bodies, primary repair, and drainage should be performed.

Distinguishing amyloid fibril structures in Alzheimer's disease (AD) by two-dimensional ultraviolet (2DUV) spectroscopy

Understanding the aggregation mechanism of amyloid fibrils and characterizing their structures are important steps in the investigation of several neurodegenerative disorders associated with the misfolding of proteins. We report a simulation study of coherent two-dimensional chiral signals of three NMR structures of Aβ protein fibrils associated with Alzheimer's Disease, two models for Aβ(8-40) peptide wild-type (WT) and one for the Iowa (D23N) Aβ(15-40) mutant. Both far-ultraviolet (FUV) signals (λ = 190-250 nm), which originate from the backbone nπ* and ππ* transitions, and near-ultraviolet (NUV) signals (λ ≥ 250 nm) associated with aromatic side chains (Phe and Tyr) show distinct cross-peak patterns that can serve as novel signatures for the secondary structure.

Ambient pressure proton transfer mass spectrometry: detection of amines and ammonia

An instrument to detect gaseous amines and ammonia is described, and representative data from an urban site and a laboratory setting are presented. The instrument, an Ambient pressure Proton transfer Mass Spectrometer (AmPMS), consists of a chemical ionization and drift region at atmospheric pressure coupled to a standard quadrupole mass spectrometer. Calibrations show that AmPMS sensitivity is good for amines, and AmPMS backgrounds were suitably determined by diverting sampled air through a catalytic converter. In urban air at a site in Atlanta, amines were detected at subpptv levels for methyl and dimethyl amine which were generally at a low abundance of <1 and ∼3 pptv, respectively. Trimethyl amine (or isomers) was on average about 4 pptv in the morning and increased to 15 pptv in the afternoon, while triethyl amine (or isomers or amides) increased to 25 pptv on average in the late afternoon. The background levels for the 4 and 5 carbon amines and ammonia were high, and data are very limited for these species. Improvements in detecting amines and ammonia from a smog chamber were evident due to improvements in AmPMS background determination; notably dimethyl amine and its OH oxidation products were followed along with impurity ammonia and other species. Future work will focus on accurate calibration standards and on improving the sample gas inlet.

Supercontinuum generation in quasi-phase-matched LiNbO3 waveguide pumped by a Tm-doped fiber laser system

We demonstrate self-referencing of a Tm-doped fiber oscillator-amplifier system by performing octave-spanning supercontinuum generation in a periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide. We model the supercontinuum generation numerically and show good agreement with the experiment.