Cellular Partners of Tobamoviral Movement Proteins.

The size of viral genomes is limited, thus the majority of encoded proteins possess multiple functions. The main function of tobamoviral movement protein (MP) is to perform plasmodesmata gating and mediate intercellular transport of the viral RNA. MP is a remarkable example of a protein that, in addition to the initially discovered and most obvious function, carries out numerous activities that are important both for the manifestation of its key function and for successful and productive infection in general.

Methanol-Inducible Gene (MIG) 21 Encodes a Nucleolus-Localized Protein That Stimulates Viral Intercellular Transport and Downregulates Nuclear Import.

The mechanical damage of plant tissues leads to the activation of methanol production and its release into the atmosphere. The gaseous methanol or vapors emitted by the damaged plant induce resistance in neighboring intact plants to bacterial pathogens but create favorable conditions for viral infection spread. Among the methanol-inducible genes (MIGs), most are associated with plant defense and intercellular transport.

Nanoplatforms for the Delivery of Nucleic Acids into Plant Cells.

Nanocarriers are widely used for efficient delivery of different cargo into mammalian cells; however, delivery into plant cells remains a challenging issue due to physical and mechanical barriers such as the cuticle and cell wall. Here, we discuss recent progress on biodegradable and biosafe nanomaterials that were demonstrated to be applicable to the delivery of nucleic acids into plant cells. This review covers studies the object of which is the plant cell and the cargo for the nanocarrier is either DNA or RNA.

Class 1 Reversibly Glycosylated Polypeptides Suppress Tobacco Mosaic Virus Infection.

Reversibly glycosylated polypeptides (RGPs) have been identified in many plant species and play an important role in cell wall formation, intercellular transport regulation, and plant-virus interactions. Most plants have several genes with different expression patterns depending on the organ and developmental stage. Here, we report on four members of the RGP family in .

A novel cellular factor of susceptibility to tobamovirus infection.

Viral infection, which entails synthesis of viral proteins and active reproduction of the viral genome, effects significant changes in the functions of many intracellular systems in plants. Along with these processes, a virus has to suppress cellular defense to create favorable conditions for its successful systemic spread in a plant. The virus exploits various cellular factors of a permissive host modulating its metabolism as well as local and systemic transport of macromolecules and photoassimilates.

Kunitz peptidase inhibitor-like protein involved in chloroplast-to-nucleus regulatory pathway in plant-virus interaction.

Plant viruses use a variety of strategies to infect their host. During infection, viruses cause symptoms of varying severity, which are often associated with altered leaf pigmentation due to structural and functional damage to chloroplasts that are affected by viral proteins. Here we demonstrate that Kunitz peptidase inhibitor-like protein (KPILP) gene is induced in response to potato virus X (PVX) infection.

Enhanced Synthesis of Foreign Nuclear Protein Stimulates Viral Reproduction via the Induction of Expression.

Plants are a promising platform for recombinant protein production. Here we propose a novel approach to increase the level of viral vector-mediated recombinant protein synthesis. This approach is based on the hypothesis that antiviral protection is weakened during the antibacterial cellular response.

The Tobamoviral Movement Protein: A "Conditioner" to Create a Favorable Environment for Intercellular Spread of Infection.

During their evolution, viruses acquired genes encoding movement protein(s) (MPs) that mediate the intracellular transport of viral genetic material to plasmodesmata (Pd) and initiate the mechanisms leading to the increase in plasmodesmal permeability. Although the current view on the role of the viral MPs was primarily formed through studies on tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), the function of its MP has not been fully elucidated. Given the intercellular movement of MPs independent of genomic viral RNA (vRNA), this characteristic may induce favorable conditions ahead of the infection front for the accelerated movement of the vRNA ( the MP plays a role as a "conditioner" of viral intercellular spread).

Plasmodesmata Conductivity Regulation: A Mechanistic Model.

Plant cells form a multicellular symplast via cytoplasmic bridges called plasmodesmata (Pd) and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that crosses almost all plant tissues. The Pd proteome is mainly represented by secreted Pd-associated proteins (PdAPs), the repertoire of which quickly adapts to environmental conditions and responds to biotic and abiotic stresses. Although the important role of Pd in stress-induced reactions is universally recognized, the mechanisms of Pd control are still not fully understood.

Digest: Ecological crossover effects on sexual selection.

Environmental conditions during birds' nonbreeding season can affect the manifestation of secondary sexual traits and therefore sexual selection. In pied flycatchers, the size of the wing patch is a secondary sexual trait that signals mate value and is influenced by the previous winter's conditions. Female preference changes accordingly with the conditions of the previous nonbreeding season.

An Alternative Nested Reading Frame May Participate in the Stress-Dependent Expression of a Plant Gene.

Although plants as sessile organisms are affected by a variety of stressors in the field, the stress factors for the above-ground and underground parts of the plant and their gene expression profiles are not the same. Here, we investigated , a gene encoding a new member of the ubiquitous, pathogenesis-related Kunitz peptidase inhibitor (KPI)-like protein family, that we discovered in the genome of and other representatives of the family. The gene encodes a protein that has all the structural elements characteristic of KPI but in contrast to the proven KPI (AtKPI), it does not inhibit serine peptidases.

The Antioxidant Cofactor Alpha-Lipoic Acid May Control Endogenous Formaldehyde Metabolism in Mammals.

The healthy human body contains small amounts of metabolic formaldehyde (FA) that mainly results from methanol oxidation by pectin methylesterase, which is active in a vegetable diet and in the gastrointestinal microbiome. With age, the ability to maintain a low level of FA decreases, which increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. It has been shown that 1,2-dithiolane-3-pentanoic acid or alpha lipoic acid (ALA), a naturally occurring dithiol and antioxidant cofactor of mitochondrial α-ketoacid dehydrogenases, increases glutathione (GSH) content and FA metabolism by mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) thus manifests a therapeutic potential beyond its antioxidant property.

The Intergenic Interplay between and in Abiotic and Biotic Stress Control.

The mechanical damage that often precedes the penetration of a leaf by a pathogen promotes the activation of pectin methylesterase (PME); the activation of PME leads to the emission of methanol, resulting in a "priming" effect on intact leaves, which is accompanied by an increased sensitivity to (TMV) and resistance to bacteria. In this study, we revealed that mRNA levels of the methanol-inducible gene encoding aldose 1-epimerase-like protein (NbAELP) in the leaves of intact plants are very low compared with roots. However, stress and pathogen attack increased the accumulation of the mRNA in the leaves.