Plants make galls to accommodate foreigners: some are friends, most are foes.

At the colonization site of a foreign entity, plant cells alter their trajectory of growth and development. The resulting structure - a plant gall - accommodates various needs of the foreigner, which are phylogenetically diverse: viruses, bacteria, protozoa, oomycetes, true fungi, parasitic plants, and many types of animals, including rotifers, nematodes, insects, and mites. The plant species that make galls also are diverse.

Molecular dynamics in germinating, endophyte-colonized quinoa seeds.

Aims: The pseudo-cereal quinoa has an outstanding nutritional value. Seed germination is unusually fast, and plant tolerance to salt stress exceptionally high. Seemingly all seeds harbor bacterial endophytes.

Eye lens radiation exposure of the medical staff performing interventional urology procedures with an over-couch X-ray tube.

The purpose of this work was to estimate the eye lens radiation exposure of the medical staff during interventional urology procedures. The measurements were carried out for six medical staff members performing 33 fluoroscopically-guided procedures. All procedures were performed with the X-ray tube positioned over the couch.

Determination of the radiance of cylindrical light diffusers: design of a one-axis charge-coupled device camera-based goniometer setup.

A one-axis charge-coupled device camera-based goniometer setup was developed to measure the three-dimensional radiance profile (longitudinal, azimuthal, and polar) of cylindrical light diffusers in air and water. An algorithm was programmed to project the two-dimensional camera data onto the diffuser coordinates. The optical system was designed to achieve a spatial resolution on the diffuser surface in the submillimeter range.

Developmental Peculiarities and Seed-Borne Endophytes in Quinoa: Omnipresent, Robust Bacilli Contribute to Plant Fitness.

Among potential climate change-adapted crops for future agriculture, quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), a facultative halophyte plant with exceptional nutritional properties, stands out as a prime candidate. This work examined how quinoa deals with extreme situations during seed rehydration. Quinoa distinguishes itself from other plants in multiple ways.

Post-Translational Modification and Secretion of Azelaic Acid Induced 1 (AZI1), a Hybrid Proline-Rich Protein from Arabidopsis.

Arabidopsis EARLI-type hybrid proline-rich proteins (HyPRPs) consist of a putative N-terminal secretion signal, a proline-rich domain (PRD), and a characteristic eight-cysteine-motif (8-CM). They have been implicated in biotic and abiotic stress responses. AZI1 is required for systemic acquired resistance and it has recently been identified as a target of the stress-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase MPK3.

Antioxidative responses during germination in quinoa grown in vitamin B-rich medium.

Synthetic vitamin preparations have grown in popularity to combat health risks associated with an imbalanced diet, poor exercise and stress. In terms of bioavailability and diversity, they lack behind vitamins naturally occurring in plants. Solutions to obtain plant-derived vitamins at a larger scale are highly desirable.

Red and NIR light dosimetry in the human deep brain.

Photobiomodulation (PBM) appears promising to treat the hallmarks of Parkinson's Disease (PD) in cellular or animal models. We measured light propagation in different areas of PD-relevant deep brain tissue during transcranial, transsphenoidal illumination (at 671 and 808 nm) of a cadaver head and modeled optical parameters of human brain tissue using Monte-Carlo simulations. Gray matter, white matter, cerebrospinal fluid, ventricles, thalamus, pons, cerebellum and skull bone were processed into a mesh of the skull (158 × 201 × 211 voxels; voxel side length: 1 mm).

Optical properties of rabbit brain in the red and near-infrared: changes observed under in vivo, postmortem, frozen, and formalin-fixated conditions.

The outcome of light-based therapeutic approaches depends on light propagation in biological tissues, which is governed by their optical properties. The objective of this study was to quantify optical properties of brain tissue in vivo and postmortem and assess changes due to tissue handling postmortem. The study was carried out on eight female New Zealand white rabbits.

Modes of MAPK substrate recognition and control.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are universal, evolutionary conserved signalling modules, which translate environmental information into appropriate responses via phosphorylation of their substrate proteins. In Arabidopsis, the MAPK MPK3 regulates numerous cellular processes, including the adaptation to abiotic and biotic stresses. The molecular steps immediately downstream of MPK3 induction have, therefore, received abundant attention, and a respectable number of MPK3 targets are known by now.

Dominant repression by Arabidopsis transcription factor MYB44 causes oxidative damage and hypersensitivity to abiotic stress.

In any living species, stress adaptation is closely linked with major changes of the gene expression profile. As a substrate protein of the rapidly stress-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase MPK3, Arabidopsis transcription factor MYB44 likely acts at the front line of stress-induced re-programming. We recently characterized MYB44 as phosphorylation-dependent positive regulator of salt stress signaling.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase-regulated AZI1 - an attractive candidate for genetic engineering.

Mitogen-activated protein kinases and their targets have been in the limelight of plant stress research. Signaling pathways mediating the responses to multiple stresses deserve particular attention. In a recent study, we reported AZI1, a member of the lipid transfer protein family, to play a role in MPK3-mediated responses to salt stress in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Agrobacterium infection and plant defense-transformation success hangs by a thread.

The value of Agrobacterium tumefaciens for plant molecular biologists cannot be appreciated enough. This soil-borne pathogen has the unique capability to transfer DNA (T-DNA) into plant systems. Gene transfer involves both bacterial and host factors, and it is the orchestration of these factors that determines the success of transformation.

Salt stress in Arabidopsis: lipid transfer protein AZI1 and its control by mitogen-activated protein kinase MPK3.

A plant's capability to cope with environmental challenges largely relies on signal transmission through mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades. In Arabidopsis thaliana, MPK3 is particularly strongly associated with numerous abiotic and biotic stress responses. Identification of MPK3 substrates is a milestone towards improving stress resistance in plants.

Tropaeolum tops tobacco - simple and efficient transgene expression in the order Brassicales.

Transient expression systems are valuable tools in molecular biology. Agrobacterial infiltration of leaves is well-established in tobacco, but has led to limited success in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. An efficient expression system combining the advantages of Arabidopsis (well-characterised) and the simplicity of leaf infiltration is desirable.

Tight interconnection and multi-level control of Arabidopsis MYB44 in MAPK cascade signalling.

Abiotic stress poses a huge, ever-increasing problem to plants and agriculture. The dissection of signalling pathways mediating stress tolerance is a prerequisite to develop more resistant plant species. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are universal signalling modules.

Brassinosteroid-regulated GSK3/Shaggy-like kinases phosphorylate mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinases, which control stomata development in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are steroid hormones that coordinate fundamental developmental programs in plants. In this study we show that in addition to the well established roles of BRs in regulating cell elongation and cell division events, BRs also govern cell fate decisions during stomata development in Arabidopsis thaliana. In wild-type A.

Poinsettia protoplasts - a simple, robust and efficient system for transient gene expression studies.

Background: Transient gene expression systems are indispensable tools in molecular biology. Yet, their routine application is limited to few plant species often requiring substantial equipment and facilities. High chloroplast and chlorophyll content may further impede downstream applications of transformed cells from green plant tissue.

"Snowflake" H mode in a tokamak plasma.

An edge-localized mode (ELM) H-mode regime, supported by electron cyclotron heating, has been successfully established in a "snowflake" (second-order null) divertor configuration for the first time in the TCV tokamak. This regime exhibits 2 to 3 times lower ELM frequency and 20%-30% increased normalized ELM energy (ΔWELM/Wp) compared to an identically shaped, conventional single-null diverted H mode. Enhanced stability of mid- to high-toroidal-mode-number ideal modes is consistent with the different snowflake ELM phenomenology.

New insights into an old story: Agrobacterium-induced tumour formation in plants by plant transformation.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens causes tumour formation in plants. Plant signals induce in the bacteria the expression of a range of virulence (Vir) proteins and the formation of a type IV secretion system (T4SS). On attachment to plant cells, a transfer DNA (T-DNA) and Vir proteins are imported into the host cells through the bacterial T4SS.

VIP1 response elements mediate mitogen-activated protein kinase 3-induced stress gene expression.

The plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens transforms plant cells by delivering its T-DNA into the plant cell nucleus where it integrates into the plant genome and causes tumor formation. A key role of VirE2-interacting protein 1 (VIP1) in the nuclear import of T-DNA during Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation has been unravelled and VIP1 was shown to undergo nuclear localization upon phosphorylation by the mitogen-activated protein kinase MPK3. Here, we provide evidence that VIP1 encodes a functional bZIP transcription factor that stimulates stress-dependent gene expression by binding to VIP1 response elements (VREs), a DNA hexamer motif.

MAPK cascade signalling networks in plant defence.

The sensing of stress signals and their transduction into appropriate responses is crucial for the adaptation and survival of plants. Kinase cascades of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) class play a remarkably important role in plant signalling of a variety of abiotic and biotic stresses. MAPK cascade-mediated signalling is an essential step in the establishment of resistance to pathogens.

A major role of the MEKK1-MKK1/2-MPK4 pathway in ROS signalling.

Over the last few years, it has become evident that reactive oxygen species (ROS) signalling plays an important role in various physiological responses, including pathogen defense and stomatal opening/closure. On the other hand, ROS overproduction is detrimental for proper plant growth and development, indicating that the regulation of an appropriate redox balance is essential for plants. ROS homeostasis in plants involves the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway consisting of the MAPK kinase kinase MEKK1 and the MAPK MPK4.