Antagonistic MADS-box transcription factors SEEDSTICK and SEPALLATA3 form a transcriptional regulatory network that regulates seed oil accumulation.

Transcriptional regulation is essential for balancing multiple metabolic pathways that influence oil accumulation in seeds. Thus far, the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms that govern seed oil accumulation remain largely unknown. Here, we identified the transcriptional regulatory network composed of MADS-box transcription factors SEEDSTICK (STK) and SEPALLATA3 (SEP3), which bridges several key genes to regulate oil accumulation in seeds.

Role of in the Response to Low Phosphate in Foxtail Millet via Comparative Transcriptomic and Co-Expression Network Analyses.

Enhancing the absorption and utilization of phosphorus by crops is an important aim for ensuring food security worldwide. However, the gene regulatory network underlying phosphorus use in foxtail millet remains unclear. In this study, the molecular mechanism underlying low-phosphorus (LP) responsiveness in foxtail millet was evaluated using a comparative transcriptome analysis.

Genome-wide investigation of histone acetyltransferase gene family and its responses to biotic and abiotic stress in foxtail millet (Setaria italica [L.] P. Beauv).

Background: Modification of histone acetylation is a ubiquitous and reversible process in eukaryotes and prokaryotes and plays crucial roles in the regulation of gene expression during plant development and stress responses. Histone acetylation is co-regulated by histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and histone deacetylase (HDAC). HAT plays an essential regulatory role in various growth and development processes by modifying the chromatin structure through interactions with other histone modifications and transcription factors in eukaryotic cells, affecting the transcription of genes.

Vasoactive agonists exert dynamic and coordinated effects on vascular smooth muscle cell elasticity, cytoskeletal remodelling and adhesion.

In this study, we examined the ability of vasoactive agonists to induce dynamic changes in vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) elasticity and adhesion, and tested the hypothesis that these events are coordinated with rapid remodelling of the cortical cytoskeleton. Real-time measurement of cell elasticity was performed with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and adhesion was assessed with AFM probes coated with fibronectin (FN). Temporal data were analysed using an Eigen-decomposition method.

Prolonged vasoconstriction of resistance arteries involves vascular smooth muscle actin polymerization leading to inward remodelling.

Aims: Inward remodelling of the resistance vasculature is predictive of hypertension and life-threatening cardiovascular events. We hypothesize that the contractile mechanisms responsible for maintaining a reduced diameter over time in response to prolonged stimulation with vasoconstrictor agonists are in part responsible for the initial stages of the remodelling process. Here we investigated the role of vascular smooth muscle (VSM) actin polymerization on agonist-induced vasoconstriction and development of inward remodelling.

Mono-dispersed bioactive glass nanospheres: preparation and effects on biomechanics of mammalian cells.

Mono-dispersed SiO(2)-CaO bioactive glass nanospheres (BGNS) were prepared by a two step sol-gel method in the absence of surfactant. The size of BGNS ranged from 200 to 350 nm in diameter and exhibited a rough surface texture. In vitro biomineralization tests showed that BGNS could rapidly induce the deposition of an apatite layer in simulated body fluid (SBF).