The role and mechanism of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in regulating the Rho-kinase signaling pathway in asthmatic rats.

Background: Bronchial asthma (referred to as asthma in the present study) is the most common chronic airway inflammatory disease in childhood. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25-(OH)D] on VDR expression, which is closely associated with asthmatic airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs), and explored its role and mechanism in the Rho-kinase signaling pathway.

Methods: The acute asthma model was induced by ovalbumin (OVA) and pertussis bacillus, and ASMCs obtained from asthmatic rats were cultured .

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of the JAZ Gene Family in Rubber Tree ().

Jasmonate signaling plays a vital role in the regulation of secondary laticifer differentiation and natural rubber biosynthesis in . Jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ) proteins are the master regulators of jasmonate signaling. Although several JAZs have been reported in the laticifer cells of , the genome-wide screening of members has not yet been explored.

The formation and accumulation of protein-networks by physical interactions in the rapid occlusion of laticifer cells in rubber tree undergoing successive mechanical wounding.

Background: Although the wound response of plants has been extensively studied, little is known of the rapid occlusion of wounded cell itself. The laticifer in rubber tree is a specific type of tissue for natural rubber biosynthesis and storage. In natural rubber production, tapping is used to harvest the latex which flows out from the severed laticifer in the bark.

[Clinical features and treatment of macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children].

Objective: To study the clinical features of macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia and its treatment regimens in children.

Methods: The samples of throat swab or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were collected from 136 children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect 2063/2064 A:G mutation in 23S rRNA, and according to such results, the children were divided into drug-resistance group with 81 children and sensitive group with 55 children.

Transcript Profiling of during Latex Flow.

Latex exploitation enhances latex regeneration in rubber trees. The latex exploitation-caused latex flow lasts from 10 min to a few hours, which is convenient for exploring the transcript profiling of latex metabolism-related genes at the different stages of latex flow. In the present study, the expression pattern of 62 latex metabolism-related genes involved in water transportation, carbohydrate metabolism, natural rubber biosynthesis, hormone signaling, ROS generation and scavenging, and latex coagulum across three stages of latex flow between rubber tree clones CATAS7-33-97 and CATAS8-79 were comparatively analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR.

Transcriptome Analysis of the Signalling Networks in Coronatine-Induced Secondary Laticifer Differentiation from Vascular Cambia in Rubber Trees.

The secondary laticifer in rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) is a specific tissue within the secondary phloem.

Evaluation of Reference Genes for Quantitative Real-Time PCR Analysis of the Gene Expression in Laticifers on the Basis of Latex Flow in Rubber Tree (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.).

Latex exploitation-caused latex flow is effective in enhancing latex regeneration in laticifer cells of rubber tree. It should be suitable for screening appropriate reference gene for analysis of the expression of latex regeneration-related genes by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). In the present study, the expression stability of 23 candidate reference genes was evaluated on the basis of latex flow by using geNorm and NormFinder algorithms.

Gene expression analysis and SNP/InDel discovery to investigate yield heterosis of two rubber tree F1 hybrids.

As an important industrial material, natural rubber is mainly harvested from the rubber tree. Rubber tree breeding is inefficient, expensive and time-consuming, whereas marker-assisted selection is a feasible method for early selection of high-yield hybrids. We thus sequenced and analyzed the transcriptomes of two parent rubber trees (RRIM 600 and PR 107) and their most productive hybrids (RY 7-33-97 and RY 7-20-59) to understand their gene expression patterns and genetic variations including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and small insertions/deletions (InDels).

Cloning, heterologous expression and characterization of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) gene in laticifer cells of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.).

Ascorbate peroxidases (APXs) are a kind of crucial enzymes for removing reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plant cell. In the present study, a full-length cDNA encoding an APX, designated HbAPX, was isolated from Hevea brasiliensis by the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method. HbAPX was 1174-bp in length and contained a 912-bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a putative protein of 304 amino acids.

Ethrel-stimulated prolongation of latex flow in the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.): an Hev b 7-like protein acts as a universal antagonist of rubber particle aggregating factors from lutoids and C-serum.

Ethrel is the most effective stimuli in prolonging the latex flow that consequently increases yield per tapping. This effect is largely ascribed to the enhanced lutoid stability, which is associated with the decreased release of initiators of rubber particle (RP) aggregation from lutoid bursting. However, the increase in both the bursting index of lutoids and the duration of latex flow after applying ethrel or ethylene gas in high concentrations suggests that a new mechanism needs to be introduced.

Analysis of Differentially Expressed Genes Associated with Coronatine-Induced Laticifer Differentiation in the Rubber Tree by Subtractive Hybridization Suppression.

The secondary laticifer in the secondary phloem is differentiated from the vascular cambia of the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.).

Mechanical wounding-induced laticifer differentiation in rubber tree: An indicative role of dehydration, hydrogen peroxide, and jasmonates.

The secondary laticifer in the secondary phloem of rubber tree are a specific tissue differentiating from vascular cambia. The number of the secondary laticifers is closely related to the rubber productivity of Hevea. Factors involved in the mechanical wounding-induced laticifer differentiation were analyzed by using paraffin section, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and Northern-blot techniques.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of latex from rubber tree clone CATAS8-79 and PR107 reveals new cues for the regulation of latex regeneration and duration of latex flow.

Background: Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) is the primarily commercial source of natural rubber in the world.

Cloning and characterization of HbMT2a, a metallothionein gene from Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg differently responds to abiotic stress and heavy metals.

Metallothioneins (MTs) are of low molecular mass, cysteine-rich proteins. They play an important role in the detoxification of heavy metals and homeostasis of intracellular metal ions, and protecting against intracellular oxidative damages. In this study a full-length cDNA of type 2 plant metallothioneins, HbMT2a, was isolated from 25 mM Polyethyleneglycol (PEG) stressed leaves of Hevea brasiliensis by RACE.

Nerve growth factor exacerbates allergic lung inflammation and airway remodeling in a rat model of chronic asthma.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is critical in the pathogenesis of allergic airway inflammation and induces proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression . However, the effects of NGF on chronic pulmonary diseases of allergic origin remain unknown. To investigate the effects of NGF on lung inflammation and airway remodeling, 32 Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, NGF, ovalbumin (OVA) and anti-rat-β-NGF antibody (anti-NGF).

Comparative proteomics of primary and secondary lutoids reveals that chitinase and glucanase play a crucial combined role in rubber particle aggregation in Hevea brasiliensis.

Lutoids are specific vacuole-based organelles within the latex-producing laticifers in rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis. Primary and secondary lutoids are found in the primary and secondary laticifers, respectively. Although both lutoid types perform similar roles in rubber particle aggregation (RPA) and latex coagulation, they vary greatly at the morphological and proteomic levels.

Molecular and biochemical characterization of a cyanogenic β-glucosidase in the inner bark tissues of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.).

Tapping causes the loss of large amounts of latex from laticifers and subsequently enhances latex regeneration, a high carbon- and nitrogen-cost activity in rubber tree. It is suggested that a 67 kDa protein associated with protein-storing cells in the inner bark tissues of rubber tree plays an important role in meeting the nitrogen demand for latex regeneration. Here, the 67 kDa protein was further characterized by a combination of cell biological, molecular biological and biochemical techniques.

[Expression of RANTES in the lung tissue of asthmatic rats, and the intervention effect of vitamin D on RANTES expression].

Objective: To investigate the effect of vitamin D on the expression of chemokine regulated on activation, normal T cells expressed and secreted (RANTES) in the lung tissue of asthmatic rats, and the role of vitamin D in the control of asthmatic airway inflammation and the synergistic action of hormones.

Methods: Forty female Wistar rats were randomly and equally divided into normal control, asthma, vitamin D intervention, budesonide intervention, and budesonide+vitamin D intervention groups. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe pathological changes in the lung tissue.

Molecular characterization of a novel 14-3-3 protein gene (Hb14-3-3c) from Hevea brasiliensis.

The cDNA encoding a 14-3-3 protein, designated as Hb14-3-3c, was isolated from Hevea brasiliensis. Hb14-3-3c was 1,269 bp long containing a 795 bp open reading frame encoding a putative protein of 264 amino acids, flanked by a 146 bp 5'UTR and a 328 bp 3' UTR. The predicted molecular mass of Hb14-3-3c is 29.

Characterization of HbEREBP1, a wound-responsive transcription factor gene in laticifers of Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.

AP2/ERF transcription factors play an important role in regulation of the cross-talk between ethylene and jasmonate signaling pathways mediating defense responses of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, an AP2/ERF transcription factor gene was isolated and characterized from laticifers of rubber tree by using RACE and real time PCR. The full length cDNA, referred to as HbEREBP1, was 1,095 bp in length and contained a 732 bp open reading frame encoding a putative protein of 243 amino acid residues.

MYC genes with differential responses to tapping, mechanical wounding, ethrel and methyl jasmonate in laticifers of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.).

MYC2 transcription factor is a key component of the core module COI1-JAZ-MYC2 of jasmonate signaling in Arabidopsis, but the MYC transcription factor (s) associated with jasmonate signaling in jasmonate-responsive laticifer cells remains to be identified. Two full-length cDNAs, designated HblMYC1 and HblMYC2, were isolated from laticifer cells in Hevea brasiliensis by the method of RACE. HblMYC1 contained 1431bp ORF encoding a putative protein of 476 amino acids while HblMYC2 contained 1428bp ORF encoding a putative protein of 475 amino acids.

Three MADS-box genes of Hevea brasiliensis expressed during somatic embryogenesis and in the laticifer cells.

Three MADS-box genes, designated HbMADS1, HbMADS2 and HbMADS3, were isolated from Hevea brasiliensis. HbMADS1, HbMADS2 and HbMADS3 encode polypetides consisting of 245, 217 and 239 amino acids, respectively, containing conserved MADS-box motifs at N-terminus. Transcription pattern analysis revealed that three MADS-box genes had highly transcription in the laticifer cells.

Molecular characterization of HbCDPK1, an ethephon-induced calcium-dependent protein kinase gene of Hevea brasiliensis.

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), as major primary Ca(2+) sensors, have been implicated in the regulation of stress and developmental signals in plants. In this study, a novel CDPK gene, designated HbCDPK1, was isolated from Hevea brasiliensis. The HbCDPK1 cDNA had 2,400 bp with an open reading frame of 1,671 bp encoding 556 amino acids, and the deduced HbCDPK1 protein contained four characteristic domains identified in CDPKs, showing a high level of sequence similarity to CDPKs from other plants.