Codon Optimization is Required to Express Fluorogenic Reporter Proteins in Lactococcus lactis.

Lactococcus lactis is a Gram-positive bacterium used to produce fermented foods and heterologous proteins. Its Nisin-controlled gene expression system stands out for its versatility and safety. However, the lower GC content in its genome may lead to some limitations in protein production.

Highly effective mlo-based powdery mildew resistance in hexaploid wheat without pleiotropic effects.

Application of the mlo-based resistance in barley against powdery mildew attacks is a major success in crop breeding, since it confers durable disease resistance. Resistance caused by mutations in the Mlo gene seems to be ubiquitous across a range of species. This work addresses the introduction of mlo-based resistance into hexaploid wheat, which is complicated by the occurrence of three homoeologous genes: Mlo-A1, Mlo-B1 and Mlo-D1.

The allele of conditions misregulation of the phosphorus starvation response in maize ( ssp. L.).

Plant PHO1 proteins play a central role in the translocation and sensing of inorganic phosphate. The maize ( ssp. ) genome encodes two co-orthologs of the gene, designated and .

The thnI gene is not required for thurincin H biosynthesis or immunity.

Thurincin H is a bacteriocin produced by Bacillus thuringiensis, it is encoded in a group of ten genes, most of which have been characterized experimentally or by homology. However, the activity of the thnI gene encoding a 95 amino acid ORF remains unknown. In this work, the thnI gene was cloned under the regulation of two promoters and transformed into a sensitive strain to determine if it acts as an immunity protein.

Expression of thurincin H, ChiA74 and Cry proteins at the sporulation phase in Bacillus thuringiensis HD1.

Aims: The objective of this study was to produce thurincin H, ChiA74 and Cry proteins together using Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD1 as a heterologous host.

Methods And Results: pSTAB-ThurH and pSTAB-ChiA74 constructs were designed to produce thurincin H and chitinase, respectively, at the sporulation phase.

Low nitrogen availability inhibits the phosphorus starvation response in maize (Zea mays ssp. mays L.).

Background: Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are macronutrients essential for crop growth and productivity. In cultivated fields, N and P levels are rarely sufficient, contributing to the gap between realized and potential production. Fertilizer application increases nutrient availability, but is not available to all farmers, nor are current rates of application sustainable or environmentally desirable.

The Phosphoglycerate Kinase (PGK) Gene Family of Maize ( var. B73).

Phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK, E.C. 2.

Identification of the maize Mediator CDK8 module and transposon-mediated mutagenesis of .

Mediator is a conserved transcriptional co-activator that links transcription factors bound at enhancer elements to RNA Polymerase II. Mediator-RNA Polymerase II interactions can be sterically hindered by the Cyclin Dependent Kinase 8 (CDK8) module, a submodule of Mediator that acts to repress transcription in response to discrete cellular and environmental cues. The CDK8 module is conserved in all eukaryotes and consists of 4 proteins: CDK8, CYCLIN C (CYCC), MED12, and MED13.

Changes in spatiotemporal protein and amino acid gradients in wheat caryopsis after N-topdressing.

Wheat grain nitrogen content displays large variations within different pearling fractions of grains because of radial gradients in the protein content. We identified how spatiotemporal mechanisms regulate this. The protein gradients emerged clearly at 19 days after anthesis, with the highest N content in aleurone and seed coat, followed by outer endosperm, whereas the lowest was in middle and inner endosperm.

Development of mlo-based resistance in tetraploid wheat against wheat powdery mildew.

Powdery mildew is a severe disease in wheat. In barley, durable resistance exists, based on non-functionality of the Mlo gene. As a model to analyse the effects of mutagenesis in the homoeologous Mlo genes of wheat, we developed mlo-based powdery mildew resistance in tetraploid durum wheat.

Genome wide characterization of barley NAC transcription factors enables the identification of grain-specific transcription factors exclusive for the Poaceae family of monocotyledonous plants.

The plant NAC transcription factors depict one of the largest plant transcription factor families. They regulate a wide range of different developmental processes and most probably played an important role in the evolutionary diversification of plants. This makes comparative studies of the NAC transcription factor family between individual species and genera highly relevant and such studies have in recent years been greatly facilitated by the increasing number of fully sequenced complex plant genomes.

Genome-wide analysis of the invertase gene family from maize.

The recent release of the maize genome (AGPv4) contains annotation errors of invertase genes and therefore the enzymes are bestly curated manually at the protein level in a comprehensible fashion The synthesis, transport and degradation of sucrose are determining factors for biomass allocation and yield of crop plants. Invertase (INV) is a key enzyme of carbon metabolism in both source and sink tissues. Current releases of the maize genome correctly annotates only two vacuolar invertases (ivr1 and ivr2) and four cell wall invertases (incw1, incw2 (mn1), incw3, and incw4).

AhDGR2, an amaranth abiotic stress-induced DUF642 protein gene, modifies cell wall structure and composition and causes salt and ABA hyper-sensibility in transgenic Arabidopsis.

An amaranth DGR gene, induced under abiotic stress, modifies cell wall structure and causes hypersensitivity to ABA and salt when overexpressed in Arabidopsis. DUF642 is a highly conserved plant-specific family of unknown cell wall-associated proteins. The AhDGR2 gene, coding for a DUF642 protein, was significantly induced in grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) plants subjected to water-deficit and salinity stress, thereby suggesting its participation in abiotic stress tolerance in this plant.

Overexpression of Grain Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) AhERF or AhDOF Transcription Factors in Arabidopsis thaliana Increases Water Deficit- and Salt-Stress Tolerance, Respectively, via Contrasting Stress-Amelioration Mechanisms.

Two grain amaranth transcription factor (TF) genes were overexpressed in Arabidopsis plants. The first, coding for a group VII ethylene response factor TF (i.e.

The overexpression of an Amaranthus hypochondriacus NF-YC gene modifies growth and confers water deficit stress resistance in Arabidopsis.

Nuclear factor-Y (NF-Y), is a plant heterotrimeric transcription factor constituted by NF-YA, NF-YB and NF-YC subunits. The function of many NF-Y subunits, mostly of the A and B type, has been studied in plants, but knowledge regarding the C subunit remains fragmentary. Here, a water stress-induced NF-YC gene from Amaranthus hypochondriacus (AhNF-YC) was further characterized by its overexpression in transgenic Arabidospis thaliana plants.

The novel and taxonomically restricted Ah24 gene from grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) has a dual role in development and defense.

Grain amaranths tolerate stress and produce highly nutritious seeds. We have identified several (a)biotic stress-responsive genes of unknown function in Amaranthus hypochondriacus, including the so-called Ah24 gene. Ah24 was expressed in young or developing tissues; it was also strongly induced by mechanical damage, insect herbivory and methyl jasmonate and in meristems and newly emerging leaves of severely defoliated plants.