Differential expression of ethylene biosynthetic and receptor genes in pollination-induced senescence of Dendrobium flowers.

Following successful pollination, Dendrobium orchid flowers rapidly undergo senescence. In Dendrobium cv. Khao Chaimongkol, compatible pollination resulted in faster ethylene production and more rapid development of senescence symptoms, such as drooping, epinasty, venation and yellowing, compared with non-pollinated controls or pollination with incompatible pollinia.

A Data Driven Approach to Assess Complex Colour Profiles in Plant Tissues.

The ability to quantify the colour of fruit is extremely important for a number of applied fields including plant breeding, postharvest assessment, and consumer quality assessment. Fruit and other plant organs display highly complex colour patterning. This complexity makes it challenging to compare and contrast colours in an accurate and time efficient manner.

A gene expression atlas for kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) and network analysis of transcription factors.

Background: Transcriptomic studies combined with a well annotated genome have laid the foundations for new understanding of molecular processes. Tools which visualise gene expression patterns have further added to these resources. The manual annotation of the Actinidia chinensis (kiwifruit) genome has resulted in a high quality set of 33,044 genes.

Genetic Analysis of Walnut ( L.) Pellicle Pigment Variation Through a Novel, High-Throughput Phenotyping Platform.

Walnut pellicle color is a key quality attribute that drives consumer preference and walnut sales. For the first time a high-throughput, computer vision-based phenotyping platform using a custom algorithm to quantitatively score each walnut pellicle in L* a* b* color space was deployed at large-scale. This was compared to traditional qualitative scoring by eye and was used to dissect the genetics of pellicle pigmentation.

Massively parallel sequencing and STR analysis from partial bloody fingerprints enhanced with columnar thin films.

Fingerprint enhancement often includes either physical or chemical approaches, such as fingerprint powder or cyanoacrylate fuming, to improve the quality of a fingerprint for visualization and analysis. However, these methods become more complex when fingerprints are partial bloody, and these procedures may interfere with downstream DNA analysis. Columnar thin film (CTF) deposition is a type of nanotechnology that utilizes an evaporant material to enhance a fingerprint under low-pressure conditions.

Sensory-Directed Genetic and Biochemical Characterization of Volatile Terpene Production in Kiwifruit.

Terpene volatiles are found in many important fruit crops, but their relationship to flavor is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate using sensory descriptive and discriminant analysis that 1,8-cineole contributes a key floral/eucalyptus note to the aroma of ripe 'Hort16A' kiwifruit (). Two quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for 1,8-cineole production were identified on linkage groups 27 and 29a in a segregating population, with the QTL on LG29a colocating with a complex cluster of putative terpene synthase (TPS)-encoding genes.

Hybrid Nanostructured Porous Silicon-Silver Layers for Wideband Optical Absorption.

As subwavelength nanostructures are receiving increasing attention for photonic and plasmonic applications, we grew nanostructured porous silicon (n-PS) and hybrid n-PS/Ag layers onto silicon substrates and measured their reflection and absorption characteristics as functions of the wavelength, angle of incidence, and polarization state of incident light. The experimental results show that the absorption characteristics of the hybrid n-PS/Ag layer can be controlled by selecting the appropriate combination of its thickness and porosity, together with the density of infiltrant silver nanoparticles. The observed wideband optical absorption characteristics of the hybrid n-PS/Ag layers might be useful in light-harvesting devices and photodetectors, since the overall efficiency will be increased as a result of increased field-of-view for both s- and p-polarization states of incident light.

Re-programming of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae gene expression during early stages of infection of kiwifruit.

Background: Pseudomonas syringae is a widespread bacterial species complex that includes a number of significant plant pathogens. Amongst these, P. syringae pv.

Experimental and theoretical investigation of the co-occurrence of linear and circular dichroisms for oblique incidence of light on chiral sculptured thin films.

Theory shows that a slab of a dielectric structurally chiral material (DSCM) exhibits both linear and circular dichroisms because of its anisotropy and structural chirality, for normal as well as oblique incidence. This conclusion was confirmed by fabricating a chiral sculptured thin film and measuring the spectra of its reflectances and transmittances, both linear and circular. Signatures of the circular Bragg phenomenon are evident in the spectra of all reflectances, transmittances, absorptances, and dichroisms.

A manually annotated Actinidia chinensis var. chinensis (kiwifruit) genome highlights the challenges associated with draft genomes and gene prediction in plants.

Background: Most published genome sequences are drafts, and most are dominated by computational gene prediction. Draft genomes typically incorporate considerable sequence data that are not assigned to chromosomes, and predicted genes without quality confidence measures. The current Actinidia chinensis (kiwifruit) 'Hongyang' draft genome has 164 Mb of sequences unassigned to pseudo-chromosomes, and omissions have been identified in the gene models.

The effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on expression of ethylene receptor genes in durian pulp during ripening.

Rapid fruit ripening is a significant problem that limits the shelf life of durian, with ethylene having a major impact on the regulation of this event. Durian treated with ethephon ripened 3 d after treatment with increased pulp total soluble solids, ethylene production of the whole fruit and decreased pulp firmness compared to the control fruit. 1-MCP treatment delayed ripening by up to 9 d with inhibited accumulation of total soluble solids, color change, softening and ethylene production.

Cell separation in kiwifruit without development of a specialised detachment zone.

Background: Unlike in abscission or dehiscence, fruit of kiwifruit Actinidia eriantha develop the ability for peel detachment when they are ripe and soft in the absence of a morphologically identifiable abscission zone. Two closely-related genotypes with contrasting detachment behaviour have been identified. The 'good-peeling' genotype has detachment with clean debonding of cells, and a peel tissue that does not tear.

Apple dwarfing rootstocks exhibit an imbalance in carbohydrate allocation and reduced cell growth and metabolism.

Apple dwarfing rootstocks cause earlier shoot termination and reduced root and shoot mass. To identify physiological factors responsible for rootstock-induced growth restriction, we compared vascular-enriched gene expression between two dwarfing rootstocks ('M27' and 'M9') and the vigorous rootstock 'M793' using RNA sequencing and quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. Differentially expressed genes common to both dwarfing rootstocks belonged to five main biological processes: (1) primary metabolism, (2) cell wall synthesis and modification, (3) secondary metabolism, (4) hormone signalling and response and (5) redox homeostasis.

The hybrid non-ethylene and ethylene ripening response in kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) is associated with differential regulation of MADS-box transcription factors.

Background: Ripening in tomato is predominantly controlled by ethylene, whilst in fruit such as grape, it is predominantly controlled by other hormones. The ripening response of many kiwifruit (Actinidia) species is atypical. The majority of ripening-associated fruit starch hydrolysis, colour change and softening occurs in the apparent absence of ethylene production (Phase 1 ripening) whilst Phase 2 ripening requires autocatalytic ethylene production and is associated with further softening and an increase in aroma volatiles.

A dynamic interplay between phytohormones is required for fruit development, maturation, and ripening.

Plant species that bear fruit often utilize expansion of an ovary (carpel) or accessory tissue as a vehicle for seed dispersal. While the seed(s) develop, the tissue(s) of the fruit follow a common progression of cell division and cell expansion, promoting growth of the fruit. Once the seed is fully developed, the fruit matures and the surrounding tissue either dries or ripens promoting the dissemination of the seed.

Fruit development of the diploid kiwifruit, Actinidia chinensis 'Hort16A'.

Background: With the advent of high throughput genomic tools, it is now possible to undertake detailed molecular studies of individual species outside traditional model organisms. Combined with a good understanding of physiological processes, these tools allow researchers to explore natural diversity, giving a better understanding of biological mechanisms. Here a detailed study of fruit development from anthesis through to fruit senescence is presented for a non-model organism, kiwifruit, Actinidia chinensis ('Hort16A').

A rapid method of fruit cell isolation for cell size and shape measurements.

Background: Cell size is a structural component of fleshy fruit, contributing to important traits such as fruit size and texture. There are currently a number of methods for measuring cell size; most rely either on tissue sectioning or digestion of the tissue with cell wall degrading enzymes or chemicals to release single cells. Neither of these approaches is ideal for assaying large fruit numbers as both require a considerable time to prepare the tissue, with current methods of cell wall digestions taking 24 to 48 hours.

The prevalence of cardiac ectopy in elderly patients with echocardiographically normal hearts is not increased by significant coronary artery disease.

Issue: A higher frequency of abnormal heart rhythms has previously been shown in elderly subjects with overtly normal hearts as demonstrated by noninvasive testing. However, no prior study on elderly patients with echocardiographically structurally normal hearts has distinguished cardiac dysrhythmia incidence based on the presence or absence of angiographically documented coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: We performed 24-hour ambulatory monitoring on patients with no coronary stenosis of greater than 30% and normal left ventricular (LV) systolic function by angiography.

Cardiac resynchronization in chronic heart failure.

Background: Previous studies have suggested that cardiac resynchronization achieved through atrial-synchronized biventricular pacing produces clinical benefits in patients with heart failure who have an intraventricular conduction delay. We conducted a double-blind trial to evaluate this therapeutic approach.

Methods: Four hundred fifty-three patients with moderate-to-severe symptoms of heart failure associated with an ejection fraction of 35 percent or less and a QRS interval of 130 msec or more were randomly assigned to a cardiac-resynchronization group (228 patients) or to a control group (225 patients) for six months, while conventional therapy for heart failure was maintained.

Expression, characterization, and immunoreactivities of a soluble hepatitis E virus putative capsid protein species expressed in insect cells.

The hepatitis E virus (HEV) open reading frame-2 (ORF-2) is predicted to encode a 71-kDa putative capsid protein involved in virus particle formation. When insect Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells were infected with a recombinant baculovirus containing the entire ORF-2 sequence, two types of recombinant proteins were produced; an insoluble protein of 73 kDa and a soluble protein of 62 kDa. The 62-kDa species was shown to be a proteolytic cleavage product of the 73-kDa protein.

Phospholipase C activity in NCB-20 cells is inhibited by protein kinase A-mediated phosphorylation of low molecular mass GTP-binding proteins.

We have previously shown that bradykinin-induced production of second messengers such as inositol trisphosphate and diacylglycerol in neurotumor cells is inhibited by raising cellular cyclic AMP levels, which in turn inhibit phospholipase C. A monoclonal antibody to phospholipase C-II immunoprecipitated the 140-kDa form of phospholipase C-II from [35S]methionine/[3H]eucine-labeled cells, but not [32P]orthophosphate-labeled phospholipase C-II, following treatment with either forskolin or dibutyryl cyclic AMP. This suggested that phospholipase C is not the target for cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase-mediated phosphorylation.

Rapid dephosphorylation of protein kinase C substrates by protein kinase A activators results from inhibition of diacylglycerol release.

The biochemical events encompassing the dephosphorylation of protein kinase C substrates by protein kinase A activators have been investigated in a neurotumor cell line, NCB-20. Treatment of [32P]orthophosphate-labeled cells with protein kinase A activators (e.g.

Differential regulation of basic protein phosphorylation by calcium phospholipid and cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinases.

Myelin basic protein, an 80-kilodalton (kDa) protein in rat oligodendrocytes, and an 80-kDa basic protein in neuroblastoma x neonatal Chinese hamster brain explant hybrids were phosphorylated extensively when the cells were treated with either phorbol esters (TPA) or diacylglycerols (e.g., oleyoyl-acetylglycerol).