PlantID - DNA-based identification of multiple medicinal plants in complex mixtures.

Background: An efficient method for the identification of medicinal plant products is now a priority as the global demand increases. This study aims to develop a DNA-based method for the identification and authentication of plant species that can be implemented in the industry to aid compliance with regulations, based upon the economically important Hypericum perforatum L. (St John's Wort or Guan ye Lian Qiao).

Molecular identification of Hypericum perforatum by PCR amplification of the ITS and 5.8S rDNA region.

The nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of eight Hypericum species were used to design H. perforatum-specific PCR primers by identification of short "microcode" sequences characteristic of the target species. These were tested with three vouchered H.

Folbos, a new foldback element in rice.

A new class I foldback element, Folbos, has been discovered in O. sativa L. Its long terminal inverted repeats (IVRs) are 303 and 331 bp long and the left one encodes a short open reading frame of 76 codons.

Induction of cell division-related genes in quiescent (G ) sugar beet cells.

Sugar beet cells maintained in the stationary phase of the batch culture cycle for 2 or more days have been shown to exhibit many of the characteristics of quiescent (G ) cells. When such cells were subcultured into fresh medium they progressed through a period of DNA synthesis to a highly synchronised first division, 6 days after subculture. The onset of DNA synthesis and cell division were each delayed by 2 days relative to the timing of the events when the cells were subcultured immediately before entry into the stationary phase.