A vegetative storage protein improves drought tolerance in maize.

Vegetative storage proteins (VSPs) are known to serve as nitrogen reserves in many dicot plants but remain undiscovered in grasses, most widely grown group of crops globally. We identified and characterized a VSP in maize and demonstrated that its overexpression improved drought tolerance. Nitrogen supplementation selectively induced a mesophyll lipoxygenase (ZmLOX6), which was targeted to chloroplasts by a novel N-terminal transit peptide of 62 amino acids.

Biochemical and genetic analyses of N metabolism in maize testcross seedlings: 2. Roots.

Intracellular factors differentially affected enzyme activities of N assimilation in the roots of maize testcrosses where alanine aminotransferase and glutamate synthase were the main enzymes regulating the levels of glutamate. N is a key macronutrient for plant growth and development. Breeding maize with improved efficiency in N use could help reduce environmental contamination as well as increase profitability for the farmers.

Biochemical and genetic analyses of N metabolism in maize testcross seedlings: 1. Leaves.

Aside from the identification of 32 QTL for N metabolism in the seedling leaves of a maize testcross population, alanine aminotransferase was found to be a central enzyme in N assimilation. Excessive application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer to grow commercial crops like maize is a cause of concern because of the runoff of excess N into streams and rivers. Breeding maize with improved N use efficiency (NUE) would reduce environmental pollution as well as input costs for the farmers.

Developmental thermal plasticity among Drosophila melanogaster populations.

Many biotic and abiotic variables influence the dispersal and distribution of organisms. Temperature has a major role in determining these patterns because it changes daily, seasonally and spatially, and these fluctuations have a significant impact on an organism's behaviour and fitness. Most ecologically relevant phenotypes that are adaptive are also complex and thus they are influenced by many underlying loci that interact with the environment.

Genetic variation in heat-stress tolerance among South American Drosophila populations.

Spatial or temporal differences in environmental variables, such as temperature, are ubiquitous in nature and impose stress on organisms. This is especially true for organisms that are isothermal with the environment, such as insects. Understanding the means by which insects respond to temperature and how they will react to novel changes in environmental temperature is important for understanding the adaptive capacity of populations and to predict future trajectories of evolutionary change.

Identification and role of carbohydrates on the surface of gametes in the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha.

The objective of this study is to identify surface carbohydrates on zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, eggs and sperm and to analyze their potential role in fertilization. The lectins WGA, Con A, LcH, LTA, SBA, PNA, and GSII were tested for affinity to both eggs and sperm. WGA, Con A, and LcH uniformly labeled eggs.

The biological response of MCF7 breast cancer cells to proteosome inhibition or gamma-radiation is unrelated to the level of p53 induction.

The p53 tumour suppressor is stabilised following exposure to genotoxic agents, such as gamma-radiation. Cell responses to p53 stabilisation include induction of apoptosis and/or cell cycle arrest. Several studies have suggested that gamma-radiation stabilises p53 by blocking ubiquitin mediated proteolysis.

Novel function of the cyclin A binding site of E2F in regulating p53-induced apoptosis in response to DNA damage.

We demonstrate here that the E2F1 induced by DNA damage can bind to and promote the apoptotic function of p53 via the cyclin A binding site of E2F1. This function of E2F1 does not require its DP-1 binding, DNA binding, or transcriptional activity and is independent of mdm2. All the cyclin A binding E2F family members can interact and cooperate with p53 to induce apoptosis.

Degradation of p27(Kip) cdk inhibitor triggered by Kaposi's sarcoma virus cyclin-cdk6 complex.

The Kaposi's sarcoma-associated human herpesvirus 8 (KSHV/HHV8) encodes a protein similar to cellular cyclins. This cyclin is most closely related to cellular D-type cyclins, but biochemically it behaves atypically in various respects. Complexes formed between the viral cyclin and the cyclin-dependent kinase subunit, cdk6, can phosphorylate a wider range of substrates and are resistant to cdk inhibitory proteins.

High level expression of p27(kip1) and cyclin D1 in some human breast cancer cells: inverse correlation between the expression of p27(kip1) and degree of malignancy in human breast and colorectal cancers.

The expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27(kip1) in human tumors and normal tissues was investigated using a panel of novel anti-p27(kip1) mAbs. An inverse correlation between expression of p27(kip1) and cell proliferation was generally observed after analyzing its expression in 25 different normal human tissues. In some highly proliferative human breast cancer cells, however, high level p27(kip1) expression was seen, indicating the existence of a mechanism by which some growing tumor cells may tolerate this inhibitor of cell cycle progression.

p53 phosphorylation mutants retain transcription activity.

To investigate the effect of phosphorylation on the transcription activity of p53, ten phosphorylation mutants were constructed covering all the identified phosphorylation sites of rat p53. These included mutants of two casein kinase I sites (Ser6 and Ser9), two DNA-PK sites (Ser15 and Ser39), a p34cdc2 site (Ser313), the adjacent Ser312 and a casein kinase II site (Ser390). Two double phosphorylation mutants (Ser4, 6 and Ser15, 390) and one triple phosphorylation mutant (Ser4, 6 and 15) were also constructed.

Identification of an S-locus glycoprotein allele introgressed from B. napus ssp. rapifera to B. napus ssp. oleifera.

Self-incompatible Brassica napus ssp. oleifera lines were generated by introgressing the S-locus from the self-incompatible B. napus ssp.

Abundant expression of herpes simplex virus glycoprotein gB using an adenovirus vector.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) glycoprotein B (gB) is a major component of infected cell membranes and virion envelopes. Glycoprotein B is known to be essential for entry of viruses into cells and may play important roles in virus-induced cell fusion and other alterations in cell morphology. In order to study the biochemical and immunological properties of gB in isolation from other HSV-1 polypeptides we have constructed human adenovirus vectors capable of expressing high levels of gB.

NON-OPERATIVE TREATMENT OF INTERNAL HEMORRHOIDS.

It has been estimated that about one-half of the adult population has internal hemorrhoids. While the majority of these experience relatively few symptoms, a considerable number continue to suffer discomfort because of unwillingness or inability to accept the expense and loss of time necessitated by operation. Ligation by elastic ligatures of certain selected groups of internal hemorrhoids is an alternative procedure which can be done easily by the doctor in his office with minimal distress to the patient.