Unique biological activity of botulinum D/C mosaic neurotoxin in murine species.

Clostridium botulinum types C and D cause animal botulism by the production of serotype-specific or mosaic botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT). The D/C mosaic BoNT (BoNT/DC), which is produced by the isolate from bovine botulism in Japan, exhibits the highest toxicity to mice among all BoNTs. In contrast, rats appeared to be very resistant to BoNT/DC in type C and D BoNTs and their mosaic BoNTs.

Evaluation of metabolic alteration in transgenic rice overexpressing dihydroflavonol-4-reductase.

Background And Aims: Previous studies have shown that transgenic rice plants overexpressing YK1, which possesses dihydroflavonol-4-reductase (DFR) activity, showed biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. High throughput profiles of metabolites have also been shown in such transgenic plants by Fourier transform ion cyclotron mass spectrometry. In this study, capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry analysis (CE/MS) was employed to identify precise metabolites such as organic acids, amino acids and sugars.

Enhanced dihydroflavonol-4-reductase activity and NAD homeostasis leading to cell death tolerance in transgenic rice.

The maize Hm1 gene encoding the NADPH-dependent HC-toxin reductase is capable of detoxifying HC-toxin of fungus Cochliobolus carbonum. Here, we conducted the metabolic and biochemical analysis in transgenic rice plants overexpressing an HC-toxin reductase-like gene in rice (YK1 gene). Methods employing NADPH oxidation and capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry analysis confirmed that YK1 possessed dihydroflavonol-4-reductase activity in vitro and in vivo.