Mutagenic properties of linuron and chlorbromuron evaluated by means of cytogenetic biomarkers in mammalian cell lines.

Agricultural practices are usually supported by several chemical substances, such as herbicides. Linuron and chlorbromuron are phenylurea herbicides largely used to protect crops from weeds, blocking photosynthesis by inhibition of the photosystem II complex. The former, also commercially known as lorox or afalon, is selectively used to protect bean and French bean plants, fennels, and celeriacs; the second, commercially known as maloran, is selectively used for carrots, peas, potatoes, soy sprouts, and sunflowers.

De novo mosaic ring chromosome 18 in a child with mental retardation, epilepsy and immunological problems.

Ring chromosome 18 [r(18)] is a disorder in which one or both ends of chromosome 18 are lost and joined forming a ring-shaped figures. R(18) patients can therefore show features of 18q-, 18p- syndrome or a combination of both, depending on the size of the 18p and 18q deleted regions. The phenotype of the r(18) is characterized by developmental delay/mental retardation, typical facial dysmorphisms, major abnormalities and immunological problems.

Phenylurea herbicides induce cytogenetic effects in Chinese hamster cell lines.

The intensive use of herbicides over the last few decades has caused a general increase of environmental pollution. It is thus very important to evaluate the possible genotoxic properties of these chemical compounds as well as identifying their mode of action. Phenylurea herbicides are selective agents widely used for the control of infestant plants.

Regulation of plant glycine decarboxylase by s-nitrosylation and glutathionylation.

Mitochondria play an essential role in nitric oxide (NO) signal transduction in plants. Using the biotin-switch method in conjunction with nano-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, we identified 11 candidate proteins that were S-nitrosylated and/or glutathionylated in mitochondria of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaves. These included glycine decarboxylase complex (GDC), a key enzyme of the photorespiratory C(2) cycle in C3 plants.

The effect of the bacterial effector protein harpin on transcriptional profile and mitochondrial proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Here we report on the effect of the bacterial elicitor harpin from Pseudomonas syringae on Arabidopsis thaliana with an emphasis on transcriptional profiling and on changes of the mitochondrial proteome. Interestingly, of the currently about 400 identified mitochondrial proteins, transcriptional profiling by genome-wide DNA-microarray analyses revealed a total of 192 genes that showed significant changes in transcript abundance in response to the bacterial elicitor. The most dramatic changes were observed for the mitochondrial protein import apparatus of which 70% of all genes were induced.

Nitric oxide-responsive genes and promoters in Arabidopsis thaliana: a bioinformatics approach.

Due to its high reactivity and its ability to diffuse and permeate the cell membrane, nitric oxide (NO) and its exchangeable redox-activated species are unique biological messengers in animals and in plants. Although an increasing number of reports indicate that NO is an essential molecule in several physiological processes, there is not a clear picture of its method of action. Studies on the transcriptional changes induced by NO permitted identification of genes involved in different functional processes such as signal transduction, defence and cell death, transport, basic metabolism, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and degradation.