[Pharmacological activities of myricetin and its glycosides].

Myricetin and its glycosides are important flavonols commonly found in plants, and they are natural organic compounds with diverse pharmacological activities. Numerous studies have demonstrated that myricetin and its glycosides are strong antioxidants that have great potential in preventing, alleviating and assisting the treatment of chronic non-infectious diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, myricetin and its glycosides also have antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, liver protection and other pharmacological activities.

DNA demethylation is involved in the regulation of temperature-dependent anthocyanin accumulation in peach.

Anthocyanin biosynthesis is induced by low temperatures in a number of plants. However, in peach (cv Zhonghuashoutao), anthocyanin accumulation was observed in fruit stored at 16°C but not at or below 12°C. Fruit stored at 16°C showed elevated transcript levels of genes encoding anthocyanin biosynthetic enzymes, the transport protein glutathione S-transferase and key transcription factors.

A high-throughput SNP discovery strategy for RNA-seq data.

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) have been applied as important molecular markers in genetics and breeding studies. The rapid advance of next generation sequencing (NGS) provides a high-throughput means of SNP discovery. However, SNP development is limited by the availability of reliable SNP discovery methods.

Tomato CRY1a plays a critical role in the regulation of phytohormone homeostasis, plant development, and carotenoid metabolism in fruits.

Blue light photoreceptors, cryptochromes (CRYs), regulate multiple aspects of plant growth and development. However, our knowledge of CRYs is predominantly based on model plant Arabidopsis at early growth stage. In this study, we elucidated functions of CRY1a gene in mature tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants by using cry1a mutants and CRY1a-overexpressing lines (OE-CRY1a-1 and OE-CRY1a-2).

Cytological and molecular characterization of carotenoid accumulation in normal and high-lycopene mutant oranges.

Ripe Cara Cara sweet orange contains 25 times as much carotenoids in flesh as Newhall sweet orange, due to high accumulation of carotenes, mainly phytoene, lycopene and phytofluene. Only yellow globular chromoplasts were observed in Newhall flesh. Distinct yellow globular and red elongated crystalline chromoplasts were found in Cara Cara but only one type of chromoplast was present in each cell.

Transcriptomic and metabolic analyses provide new insights into chilling injury in peach fruit.

Low temperature conditioning (LTC) alleviates peach fruit chilling injury but the underlying molecular basis is poorly understood. Here, changes in transcriptome, ethylene production, flesh softening, internal browning and membrane lipids were compared in fruit maintained in constant 0 °C and LTC (pre-storage at 8 °C for 5 d before storage at 0 °C). Low temperature conditioning resulted in a higher rate of ethylene production and a more rapid flesh softening as a result of higher expression of ethylene biosynthetic genes and a series of cell wall hydrolases.

Activator- and repressor-type MYB transcription factors are involved in chilling injury induced flesh lignification in loquat via their interactions with the phenylpropanoid pathway.

Lignin biosynthesis and its transcriptional regulatory networks have been studied in model plants and woody trees. However, lignification also occurs in some fleshy fruit and has rarely been considered in this way. Loquat ( Eriobotrya japonica ) is one such convenient tissue for exploring the transcription factors involved in regulating fruit flesh lignification.

Codon usage patterns in Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra) based on RNA-Seq data.

Background: Codon usage analysis has been a classical topic for decades and has significances for studies of evolution, mRNA translation, and new gene discovery, etc. While the codon usage varies among different members of the plant kingdom, indicating the necessity for species-specific study, this work has mostly been limited to model organisms. Recently, the development of deep sequencing, especial RNA-Seq, has made it possible to carry out studies in non-model species.

Development and characterization of 109 polymorphic EST-SSRs derived from the Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra, Myricaceae) transcriptome.

Premise Of The Study: In Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra), the available simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers are insufficient to meet the developing demand for genetic and molecular breeding research. This study was aimed at developing a large number of polymorphic expressed sequence tag (EST)-SSRs from the transcriptome of Chinese bayberry. •

Methods And Results: Five hundred ninety-four compound EST-SSRs and 5557 noncompound ones were identified from 41239 unigene sequences generated from the transcriptome of M.

Transcriptomic analysis of Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra) fruit development and ripening using RNA-Seq.

Background: Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. and Zucc.) is an important subtropical fruit crop and an ideal species for fruit quality research due to the rapid and substantial changes that occur during development and ripening, including changes in fruit color and taste.

Cyanidin-3-glucoside-rich extract from Chinese bayberry fruit protects pancreatic β cells and ameliorates hyperglycemia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

Chinese bayberry fruit is a rich source of anthocyanins, especially cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G). The present study investigated the protective effects of C3G-rich bayberry fruit extract (CRBFE) against pancreatic β cells against oxidative stress-induced injury as well as its hypoglycemic effect in diabetic mice. Bayberry extract from "Biqi" was used for both in vitro and in vivo testing because of its high C3G content and high antioxidant capacity.

[Techniques for rapid preparation of tomato leaf DNA and its application in real-time quantitative PCR-based transgene detection].

Using tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Micro-Tom) leaf as material, a simple and rapid DNA preparation protocol was established.

Postharvest temperature influences volatile lactone production via regulation of acyl-CoA oxidases in peach fruit.

The biosynthesis of volatile compounds in plants is affected by environmental conditions. Lactones are considered to be peach-like aroma volatiles; however, no enzymes or genes associated with their biosynthesis have been characterized. White-fleshed (cv.

Expression of genes associated with aroma formation derived from the fatty acid pathway during peach fruit ripening.

Changes in characteristic aroma volatiles, levels of fatty acids as aroma precursors, and expression patterns of related genes, including lipoxygenase (LOX), hydroperoxide lyase (HPL), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), alcohol acyltransferase (AAT), and fatty acid desaturase (FAD), were studied in peach ( Prunus persica L. Batsch., cv.

Coordinated regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra) fruit by a R2R3 MYB transcription factor.

Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra) is a fruit crop with cultivars producing fruit ranging from white (Shuijing, SJ) to red (Dongkui, DK) and dark red-purple (Biqi, BQ), as a result of different levels of anthocyanin accumulation. Genes encoding the anthocyanin biosynthesis enzymes chalcone synthase, chalcone isomerase, flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase (F3'H), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) and UDPglucose: flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase (UFGT), as well as MrMYB1, a R2R3 MYB transcription factor homologous to known activators of anthocyanin biosynthesis, were isolated from ripe fruit of BQ. Differences in mRNA abundance of MrF3H, MrF3'H, MrDFR1, MrANS and MrUFGT were highly correlated with differential accumulation of anthocyanins between cultivars, suggesting coordinated regulation by transcription factors.

[Mechanisms for miniature dwarf characteristics of Mi-cro-Tom tomato and its application in plant functional genomics studies.].

Micro-Tom is a miniature dwarf tomato, which can grow at a high density, has a short life cycle, and can be transformed efficiently. As a result, it became a new model plant for functional genomics study. The origin and biological characteristics of Micro-Tom were summarized.

Characterization of cDNAs associated with lignification and their expression profiles in loquat fruit with different lignin accumulation.

The ripening fruit of two loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) cultivars with different levels of lignin accumulation provide an intriguing example of lignification in flesh tissue. Increase in firmness as a result of lignification in ripening red-fleshed Luoyangqing (LYQ) fruit was confirmed, whereas white-fleshed Baisha (BS) fruit softened without lignification.

Carotenoids in white- and red-fleshed loquat fruits.

Fruits of 23 loquat ( Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) cultivars, of which 11 were white-fleshed and 12 red-fleshed, were analyzed for color, carotenoid content, and vitamin A values. Color differences between two loquat groups were observed in the peel as well as in the flesh.

Differences in the carotenoid content of ordinary citrus and lycopene-accumulating mutants.

High-performance liquid chromatography, coupled with photodiode array detection, was used to analyze the carotenoid composition of peel and juice vesicle tissues of ordinary and lycopene-accumulating mutants (referred to as red mutants in this article) of orange, pummelo, and grapefruit. Thirty-six major carotenoids, including some cis-trans isomers, were separated on a C30 reversed phase column, and 23 of them were identified on the basis of retention times and spectral characteristics with authentic standards. Carotenoid profiles varied with tissue types, citrus species, and mutations.

[An efficient macro-method of genomic DNA isolation from Actinidia chinensis leaves].

It is a difficult problem to isolate high quality DNA from plants containing a high contents of polyphenolics and polysaccharose, such as Actinidia plant. The protocol described in this paper is a modified CTAB (hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide) method. High quality genomic DNA can be isolated from Actinidia plant using the improved method.

[A review of methods for measuring plant programmed cell death (PCD)].

Programmed cell death (PCD) is an active way for plant cells marching to death, which plays an important role in plant development and stress responses. Cytological, biochemical, molecular and physiological methods for measuring plant PCD were reviewed. Application of flow cytometer to plant PCD research was also covered.

Stable response of axisymmetric two-phase water-saturated soil.

Biot's dynamic consolidation equations and Hankel transform were used to derive the integral solutions of stress and displacement for axisymmetric harmonic excitations in the two-phase saturated soil with subjacent rock-stratum. The influence of the coefficient of permeability and loading frequency on the soil displacement at the ground surface were studied. The results showed that higher loading frequency led to more dynamic characteristics; and that the effect of the soil permeability was more obvious at higher frequencies.

Programmed cell death features in apple suspension cells under low oxygen culture.

Suspension-cultured apple fruit cells (Malus pumila Mill. cv. Braeburn) were exposed to a low oxygen atmosphere to test whether programmed cell death (PCD) has a role in cell dysfunction and death under hypoxic conditions.

[Gene and gene engineering of carotenoid biosynthesis].

Carotenoids have a range of diverse biological functions and actions, especially playing an important role in human health with provitamin A activity, anti-cancer activity, enhancing immune ability and so on. Human body can't synthesis carotenoids by itself and must absorb them from outside. However, carotenoid contents in many plant are very low, and many kinds of carotenoid are difficult to produce by chemical ways.