Dual two-component regulatory systems are involved in aromatic compound degradation in a polychlorinated-biphenyl degrader, Rhodococcus jostii RHA1.

A Gram-positive polychlorinated-biphenyl (PCB) degrader, Rhodococcus jostii RHA1, degrades PCBs by cometabolism with biphenyl. A two-component BphS1T1 system encoded by bphS1 and bphT1 (formerly bphS and bphT) is responsible for the transcription induction of the five gene clusters, bphAaAbAcAdC1B1, etbAa1Ab1CbphD1, etbAa2Ab2AcD2, etbAdbphB2, and etbD1, which constitute multiple enzyme systems for biphenyl/PCB degradation. The bphS2 and bphT2 genes, which encode BphS2 and BphT2, virtually identical to BphS1 (92%) and BphT1 (97%), respectively, were characterized.

Proteomics approach for identifying osmotic-stress-related proteins in soybean roots.

Osmotic stress can endanger the survival of plants. To investigate the mechanisms by which plants respond to osmotic stress, protein profiles from soybean plants treated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) were monitored by a proteomics approach. Treatment with 10% aqueous PEG reduced the lengths of roots and hypocotyls of soybean seedlings.

Enhanced soybean infection by the legume "super-virulent" Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain KAT23.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens KAT23 harbors a nopaline-type Ti plasmid and is "super-virulent" to soybean (Glycine max) and other leguminous plants. The right and left border sequences of the essential cis-element for T-DNA transfer were removed in order to utilize the high infectivity of this strain in an Agrobacterium-mediated soybean transformation system. The resulting strain, named Soy2, showed no oncogenic activity.

Cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase 2 (cAPX 2) is involved in the soybean response to flooding.

Proteomic analyses of soybean seedlings responding to flooding were conducted to identify key proteins involved. The seeds were germinated on a spongy matrix for two days, and then subjected to flooding for three days. After flooding, the total number of roots, the length of the main root, the lengths of the lateral and adventitious roots, and the fresh weight of the underground tissues of flooded soybean seedlings were significantly suppressed compared with nontreated plants.

Characterization and host range determination of soybean super virulent Agrobacterium tumefaciens KAT23.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens KAT23 isolated from peach root causes crown gall disease in a number of grain legume plants, including the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and soybean (Glycine max). KAT23 caused tumor formation in each of these plants more effectively than strain C58. Biotype determination suggested that this strain is biotype II.