Stress- and phospholipid signalling responses in Arabidopsis PLC4-KO and -overexpression lines under salt- and osmotic stress.

Several drought and salt tolerant phenotypes have been reported when overexpressing (OE) phospholipase C (PLC) genes across plant species. In contrast, a negative role for Arabidopsis PLC4 in salinity stress was recently proposed, showing that roots of PLC4-OE seedlings were more sensitive to NaCl while plc4 knock-out (KO) mutants were more tolerant. To investigate this apparent contradiction, and to analyse the phospholipid signalling responses associated with salinity stress, we performed root growth- and phospholipid analyses on plc4-KO and PLC4-OE seedlings subjected to salinity (NaCl) or osmotic (sorbitol) stress and compared these with wild type (WT).

The dynamics of touch-responsive gene expression in cereals.

Wind, rain, herbivores, obstacles, neighbouring plants, etc. provide important mechanical cues to steer plant growth and survival. Mechanostimulation to stimulate yield and stress resistance of crops is of significant research interest, yet a molecular understanding of transcriptional responses to touch is largely absent in cereals.

MCU proteins dominate in vivo mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in Arabidopsis roots.

Ca2+ signaling is central to plant development and acclimation. While Ca2+-responsive proteins have been investigated intensely in plants, only a few Ca2+-permeable channels have been identified, and our understanding of how intracellular Ca2+ fluxes is facilitated remains limited. Arabidopsis thaliana homologs of the mammalian channel-forming mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) protein showed Ca2+ transport activity in vitro.

Characterization of Histone H3 Gene Family Reveals That is Associated With Higher Seed Weight in .

The main function of histone protein is to provide support to the structure of chromosomes. It helps in binding a long thread of DNA into a more condensed shape to fit into the nucleus. From histone variants, histone H3 () plays a crucial role in plant growth and development.

Visual Outcomes of Microkeratome-Assisted Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty in Keratoconus: 5-Year Results.

Purpose: To report 5-year results of microkeratome-assisted anterior lamellar keratoplasty (MK-ALK) in cases of keratoconus.

Methods: Patients with advanced keratoconus and the thinnest corneal location 300  or more were recruited. A Carriazo-Barraquer microkeratome was used to remove a 200- cap from the recipient cornea, and to prepare a 300- anterior stromal graft from a donor cornea.

Touch signaling and thigmomorphogenesis are regulated by complementary CAMTA3- and JA-dependent pathways.

Plants respond to mechanical stimuli to direct their growth and counteract environmental threats. Mechanical stimulation triggers rapid gene expression changes and affects plant appearance (thigmomorphogenesis) and flowering. Previous studies reported the importance of jasmonic acid (JA) in touch signaling.

Phenotyping Tomato Root Developmental Plasticity in Response to Salinity in Soil Rhizotrons.

Plants have developed multiple strategies to respond to salt stress. In order to identify new traits related to salt tolerance, with potential breeding application, the research focus has recently been shifted to include root system architecture (RSA) and root plasticity. Using a simple but effective root phenotyping system containing soil (rhizotrons), RSA of several tomato cultivars and their response to salinity was investigated.

Efficacy of addition of nepafenac 0.1% to steroid eye drops in prevention of post-phaco macular edema in high-risk eyes.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of addition of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory eye drops to steroidal eye drops with that of using postoperative steroidal anti-inflammatory eye drops alone in prevention of macular edema in high-risk patients.

Setting: Cairo University Hospital.

Design: This study was comparative prospective interventional randomized study.

Halotropism is a response of plant roots to avoid a saline environment.

Tropisms represent fascinating examples of how plants respond to environmental signals by adapting their growth and development. Here, a novel tropism is reported, halotropism, allowing plant seedlings to reduce their exposure to salinity by circumventing a saline environment. In response to a salt gradient, Arabidopsis, tomato, and sorghum roots were found to actively prioritize growth away from salinity above following the gravity axis.

Effect of anodal versus cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation on stroke rehabilitation: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Objective: We compared the long-term effect of anodal versus cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on motor recovery in patients after subacute stroke.

Methods: Forty patients with ischemic stroke undergoing rehabilitation were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: Anodal, Cathodal (over-affected and unaffected hemisphere, respectively), and Sham. Each group received tDCS at an intensity of 2 mA for 25 minutes daily for 6 consecutive days over of the motor cortex hand area.

Heat stress activates phospholipase D and triggers PIP accumulation at the plasma membrane and nucleus.

Heat stress induces an array of physiological adjustments that facilitate continued homeostasis and survival during periods of elevated temperatures. Here, we report that within minutes of a sudden temperature increase, plants deploy specific phospholipids to specific intracellular locations: phospholipase D (PLD) and a phosphatidylinositolphosphate kinase (PIPK) are activated, and phosphatidic acid (PA) and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP(2)) rapidly accumulate, with the heat-induced PIP(2) localized to the plasma membrane, nuclear envelope, nucleolus and punctate cytoplasmic structures. Increases in the steady-state levels of PA and PIP(2) occur within several minutes of temperature increases from ambient levels of 20-25 degrees C to 35 degrees C and above.

Phospholipid signaling responses in salt-stressed rice leaves.

Salinity is one of the major environmental factors limiting growth and productivity of rice plants. In this study, the effect of salt stress on phospholipid signaling responses in rice leaves was investigated. Leaf cuts were radiolabeled with 32P-orthophosphate and the lipids extracted and analyzed by thin-layer chromatography, autoradiography and phosphoimaging.

Structure and sensory equipment of the ovipositor of Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).

The microsculpture of various structures of the ovipositor of Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is described from scanning and transmission electron microscopy. These include: the ovipositor egg canal, valvillus, seal of the first valvulae, interlocking mechanism (olistheter) connecting the first and second valvulae, an olistheter-like interlocking mechanism connecting the two pieces of the first valvulae, annulation, microtrichia of the third valvulae, and the ovipositor sensory equipment. Better understanding of the microsculpture of these components may make their roles in stinging, oviposition, and the host selection process more clear.

Pathogenicity of two entomopathogenic hyphomycetes, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae, to the housefly Musca domestica L.

The pathogenicity of three isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae and two isolates Beauveria bassiana originating from different insect species and localities was tested against housefly larvae. Only one isolate of M. anisopliae (Ma23) and the two isolates of B.