Molecular Cloning and Expression Analysis of hyp-1 Type PR-10 Family Genes in Hypericum perforatum.

Hypericum perforatum L. is an important medicinal plant for the treatment of depression. The plant contains bioactive hypericins that accumulate in dark glands present especially in reproductive parts of the plant.

Ascorbic acid metabolism during bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruit development.

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) possesses a high antioxidant capacity in berries due to the presence of anthocyanins and ascorbic acid (AsA). Accumulation of AsA and the expression of the genes encoding the enzymes of the main AsA biosynthetic route and of the ascorbate-glutathione cycle, as well as the activities of the enzymes involved in AsA oxidation and recycling were investigated for the first time during the development and ripening of bilberry fruit.

A SQUAMOSA MADS box gene involved in the regulation of anthocyanin accumulation in bilberry fruits.

Anthocyanins are important health-promoting phytochemicals that are abundant in many fleshy fruits. Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is one of the best sources of these compounds. Here, we report on the expression pattern and functional analysis of a SQUAMOSA-class MADS box transcription factor, VmTDR4, associated with anthocyanin biosynthesis in bilberry.

Optimization of protein extraction from Hypericum perforatum tissues and immunoblotting detection of Hyp-1 at different stages of leaf development.

Sample preparation is crucial for obtaining high-quality proteins for the purpose of electrophoretic separation and further analysis from tissues that contain high levels of interfering compounds. Hypericum perforatum is a medicinal plant that contains high amounts of phenolic compounds, of which hypericins, hyperforins, and flavonoids contribute to the antidepressant activities of the plant. This study focuses on obtaining optimized amounts of high-quality proteins from H.

Effect of latitude on flavonoid biosynthesis in plants.

The growth conditions in different latitudes vary markedly with season, day length, light quality and temperature. Many plant species have adapted well to the distinct environments through different strategies, one of which is the production of additional secondary metabolites. Flavonoids are a widely spread group of plant secondary metabolites that are involved in many crucial functions of plants.

The hyp-1 gene is not a limiting factor for hypericin biosynthesis in the genus Hypericum.

Biosynthesis of the hypericins that accumulate in the dark glands of some members of the genus Hypericum is poorly understood. The gene named hyp-1, isolated from Hypericum perforatum L. has been proposed as playing an important role in the final steps of hypericin biosynthesis.

Bioactive compounds from northern plants.

Northern conditions are characterised by long days with much light and low temperatures during the growing season. It has been chimed that herbs and berries grown in the north are stronger tasting compared to those of southern origin. The compounds imparting aroma and color to berries and herbs are secondary metabolites which in plants mostly act as chemical means of defense.

Production of cinnamyl glycosides in compact callus aggregate cultures of Rhodiola rosea through biotransformation of cinnamyl alcohol.

Rhodiola rosea is a multipurpose medicinal plant with adaptogenic properties: it increases the body's nonspecific resistance and normalizes body functions. The commercial interest for roseroot-based products has quickly increased worldwide. Nearly all raw-materials originate from natural populations.

Bilberry in vitro protocols and analyses of phenolic compounds.

Bilberry or European blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) belongs to the most significant family of wild berries in Northern Europe and is recognized for its bioactive properties. Its fruits and leaves are rich with phenolic compounds, in particular flavonoids.

Isolation and genotype-dependent, organ-specific expression analysis of a Rhodiola rosea cDNA encoding tyrosine decarboxylase.

Tyrosine decarboxylase (TyrDC) is an important enzyme in the secondary metabolism of several plant species, and was hypothesized to play a key role in the biosynthesis of salidroside, a pharmacologically valuable compound of roseroot. A 1520bp cDNA was cloned and sequenced, and turned out to contain an ORF of 963bp, which encodes a protein of 320 amino acids. The expression of the gene was studied by real-time PCR from leaves and roots of both high and low salidroside producer genotype of roseroot.

Organ-specific distribution of phenolic compounds in bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and 'northblue' blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum x V. angustifolium).

Blueberries and bilberries are recognized as some of the best sources of flavonoids, especially anthocyanins. The contents of flavonoids (anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols) and hydroxycinnamic acids in the flower, fruit skin and pulp, leaf and rhizome of bilberry and the blueberry cultivar 'Northblue' were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with diode-array detection. The most striking difference in the fruits was the predominance of hydroxycinnamic acids in blueberry, whereas in bilberry the anthocyanin content was much higher, particularly in the pulp.

Octaketide-producing type III polyketide synthase from Hypericum perforatum is expressed in dark glands accumulating hypericins.

Hypericins are biologically active constituents of Hypericum perforatum (St John's wort). It is likely that emodin anthrone, an anthraquinone precursor of hypericins, is biosynthesized via the polyketide pathway by type III polyketide synthase (PKS). A PKS from H.

Molecular cloning and tissue-specific expression of two cDNAs encoding polyketide synthases from Hypericum perforatum.

Two previously uncharacterized cDNAs encoding for polyketide synthases (PKSs), designated as HpPKS1 and HpPKS2, were isolated from Hypericum perforatum. The full-length HpPKS1 was 1573bp containing an open reading frame (ORF) of 1161bp encoding for a 386 amino acid protein. The full-length cDNA of HpPKS2 was 1559bp with an ORF of 1182bp encoding for a 393 amino acid protein.

Biosynthesis of hyperforin and adhyperforin from amino acid precursors in shoot cultures of Hypericum perforatum.

Hyperforin and adhyperforin contribute to the antidepressant effects of Hypericum perforatum. The involvement of branched-chain amino acids in the biosynthesis of hyperforin and adhyperforin was demonstrated in H. perforatum shoot cultures.

Seasonal variations in location and population structure of endophytes in buds of Scots pine.

We studied the location and distribution of a bacterial isolate, a Mycobacterium sp., in buds of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.).

LC/MS/MS identification of glycosides produced by biotransformation of cinnamyl alcohol in Rhodiola rosea compact callus aggregates.

Cinnamyl alcohol was added to the media of compact callus aggregates (CCA) of Rhodiola rosea for stimulating the production of cinnamyl glycosides. The biotransformation reaction produced high amounts of rosin, while only a very low amount of rosavin was produced. As the consumption rate of cinnamyl alcohol was much higher than production of rosin, the aqueous methanol extracts of compact callus aggregates were studied by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometric methods and four new unexpected biotransformation products of cinnamyl alcohol were identified.

Does extraction of DNA and RNA by magnetic fishing work for diverse plant species?

An automated nucleic acid extraction procedure with magnetic particles originally designed for isolation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) from animal tissues was tested for plant material. We isolated genomic DNA and total RNA from taxonomically diverse plant species representing conifers (Scots pine), broad-leaved trees (silver birch and hybrid aspen), dwarf shrubs (bilberry), and both monocotyledonous (regal lily) and dicotyledonous (Saint John's wort, round-leaved sundew, and tobacco) herbaceous plants. Buffers developed for DNA extraction were successfully used in addition to manufacturer's extraction kits.

Bud endophytes of Scots pine produce adenine derivatives and other compounds that affect morphology and mitigate browning of callus cultures.

Endophytes are found in meristematic bud tissues of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) especially prior to growth, which would suggest their involvement in growth of the bud. To test this hypothesis, production of phytohormones by two bacterial (Methylobacterium extorquens, Pseudomonas synxantha) and one fungal endophyte (Rhodotorula minuta) was studied by mass spectrometry.

Activation of flavonoid biosynthesis by solar radiation in bilberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus L) leaves.

The effect of solar radiation on flavonoid biosynthesis was studied in bilberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus L.) leaves. Expression of flavonoid pathway genes of bilberry was studied in the upper leaves of bilberry, exposed to direct sunlight, in the shaded leaves growing lower in the same plants and in fruits.

Fast high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of naphthodianthrones and phloroglucinols from Hypericum perforatum extracts.

Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's Wort) has been used in modern medicine for treatments of depression and neuralgic disorders.

Comparison of electrospray ionization and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization techniques in the analysis of the main constituents from Rhodiola rosea extracts by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Rhodiola rosea L. (Golden Root) has been used for a long time as an adaptogen in Chinese traditional medicine and is reported to have many pharmacological properties. A liquid chromatographic (LC) method with mass spectrometric (MS) detection based on selected ion monitoring (SIM) was developed for determining salidroside, sachaliside 1, rosin, 4-methoxycinnamyl-O-beta-glucopyranoside, rosarin, rosavin, cinnamyl-(6'-O-beta-xylopyranosyl)-O-beta-glucopyranoside, 4-methoxy-cinnamyl-(6'-O-alpha-arabinopyranosyl)-O-beta-glucopyranoside, rosiridin and benzyl-O-beta-glucopyranoside from the callus and plant extracts in one chromatographic run.

Regional and habitat differences in 7-methyljuglone content of Finnish Drosera rotundifolia.

The concentration of 7-methyljuglone was studied in the round-leaved sundew Drosera rotundifolia L. collected from different regions in Northern Finland. Samples for analysis were collected from peat bogs and sandpit habitats.

Phenylpropanoid glycosides from Rhodiola rosea.

Rhodiola rosea L. (Golden Root) has been used for a long time as an adaptogen in Chinese traditional medicine and is reported to have many pharmacological properties. Along its known secondary metabolites tyrosol (1), salidroside (rhodioloside) (2), rosin (3), rosarin (4), rosavin (5), sachaliside 1 (6) and 4-methoxy-cinnamyl-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (7), four compounds were isolated from aqueous methanol extract of the plant and identified as cinnamyl-(6'-O-beta-xylopyranosyl)-O-beta-glucopyranoside (8), 4-methoxy-cinnamyl-(6'-O-alpha-arabinopyranosyl)-O-beta-glucopyranoside (9), picein (10) and benzyl-O-beta-glucopyranoside (11) by UV, MS and NMR methods.

Changes in cellular structures and enzymatic activities during browning of Scots pine callus derived from mature buds.

Visible browning is a typical feature of callus cultures derived from shoot tips of mature Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Because the ability of callus to regenerate is low, we determined the effect of browning on growth and changes in cellular structure during culture.