Whole-genome resequencing reveals Brassica napus origin and genetic loci involved in its improvement.

Brassica napus (2n = 4x = 38, AACC) is an important allopolyploid crop derived from interspecific crosses between Brassica rapa (2n = 2x = 20, AA) and Brassica oleracea (2n = 2x = 18, CC). However, no truly wild B. napus populations are known; its origin and improvement processes remain unclear.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Family Genes in .

NODULE-INCEPTION-like proteins (NLPs) are conserved, plant-specific transcription factors that play crucial roles in responses to nitrogen deficiency. However, the evolutionary relationships and characteristics of family genes in are unclear. In this study, we identified 31 genes in , including 16 genes located in the A subgenome and 15 in the C subgenome.

Genome-Wide Association and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal Candidate Genes Underlying Yield-determining Traits in .

Yield is one of the most important yet complex crop traits. To improve our understanding of the genetic basis of yield establishment, and to identify candidate genes responsible for yield improvement in , we performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for seven yield-determining traits [main inflorescence pod number (MIPN), branch pod number (BPN), pod number per plant (PNP), seed number per pod (SPP), thousand seed weight, main inflorescence yield (MIY), and branch yield], using data from 520 diverse accessions from two different yield environments. In total, we detected 128 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 93 of which were revealed as novel by integrative analysis.

A combination of genome-wide association and transcriptome analysis reveals candidate genes controlling harvest index-related traits in Brassica napus.

Harvest index (HI), the ratio of seed mass to total biomass of the aboveground plant parts, is an important trait for harvestable yield of crops. Unfortunately, HI of Brassica napus is lower than that of other economically important crops. To identify candidate genes associated with high HI, a genome-wide association study of HI and four HI-related traits was conducted with 520 B.

Solution NMR and calorimetric analysis of Rem2 binding to the Ca2+ channel β4 subunit: a low affinity interaction is required for inhibition of Cav2.1 Ca2+ currents.

Rem, Rad, Kir/Gem (RGK) proteins, including Rem2, mediate profound inhibition of high-voltage activated Ca(2+) channels containing intracellular regulatory β subunits. All RGK proteins bind to voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel β subunit (Cavβ) subunits in vitro, but the necessity of the interaction for current inhibition remains controversial. This study applies NMR and calorimetric techniques to map the binding site for Rem2 on human Cavβ4a and measure its binding affinity.

¹H, ¹³C, and ¹⁵N backbone resonance assignments of the 37 kDa voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channel β4 subunit core SH3-GK domains.

The β subunit of the voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel (α1, α2δ, and β subunits) is a member of the MAGUK family of proteins and plays an essential role in regulating Ca(2+) channel trafficking and gating. It also serves as a central interaction partner for various Ca(2+) channel regulatory proteins. We report here the nearly complete (1)H, (13)C, and (15)N backbone resonance assignments of the 37 kDa core SH3-GK domains of the β4 subunit.

Selective modulation of nuclear factor of activated T-cell function in restenosis by a potent bipartite peptide inhibitor.

Rationale: Nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) is importantly implicated in pathological cardiac remodeling and vascular lesion formation. NFAT functionality is mainly regulated by calcineurin, a Ca(2+)-dependent multi-effector phosphatase. Calcineurin inhibitors such as cyclosporine A (CsA) were shown to be effective in the treatment of restenosis and vascular inflammation but with adverse side effects.

The Ca2+ channel beta4c subunit interacts with heterochromatin protein 1 via a PXVXL binding motif.

The β subunits of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels are best known for their roles in regulating surface expression and gating of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel α(1) subunits. Recent evidence, however, indicates that these proteins have a variety of Ca(2+) channel-independent functions. For example, on the molecular level, they regulate gene expression, and on the whole animal level, they regulate early cell movements in zebrafish development.

Ternary protein complex of ferredoxin, ferredoxin:thioredoxin reductase, and thioredoxin studied by paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy.

In oxygenic photosynthetic cells, carbon metabolism is regulated by a light-dependent redox signaling pathway through which the light signal is transmitted in the form of electrons via a redox chain comprising ferredoxin (Fd), ferredoxin:thioredoxin reductase (FTR), and thioredoxin (Trx). Trx affects the activity of a variety of enzymes via dithiol oxidation and reduction reactions. FTR reduces an intramolecular disulfide bridge of Trx, and Trx reduction involves a transient cross-link with FTR.

Intermolecular dynamics studied by paramagnetic tagging.

Yeast cytochrome c and bovine adrenodoxin form a dynamic electron transfer complex, which is a pure encounter complex. It is demonstrated that the dynamic nature of the interaction can readily be probed by using a rigid lanthanide tag attached to cytochrome c. The tag, Caged Lanthanide NMR Probe 5, induces pseudocontact shifts and residual dipolar couplings and does not perturb the binding interface.

Dynamics in a pure encounter complex of two proteins studied by solution scattering and paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy.

In the general view of protein-complex formation, a transient and dynamic encounter complex proceeds to form a more stable, well-defined, and active form. In weak protein complexes, however, the encounter state can represent a significant population of the complex. The redox proteins adrenodoxin (Adx) and cytochrome c (C c) associate to form such a weak and short-lived complex, which is nevertheless active in electron transfer.

Ferredoxin/ferredoxin-thioredoxin reductase complex: Complete NMR mapping of the interaction site on ferredoxin by gallium substitution.

The reduction of ferredoxin-thioredoxin reductase (FTR) by plant-type ferredoxin plays an important role in redox regulation in plants and cyanobacteria. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to map the binding sites on Synechocystis ferredoxin for FTR. A gallium-substituted structural analog of this [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin was obtained by reconstituting the apoprotein in a refolding buffer containing gallium.

NMR structure of a type IVb pilin from Salmonella typhi and its assembly into pilus.

The structure of the N-terminal-truncated Type IVb structural pilin (t-PilS) from Salmonella typhi was determined by NMR. Although topologically similar to the recently determined x-ray structure of pilin from Vibrio cholerae toxin-coregulated pilus, the only Type IVb pilin with known structure, t-PilS contains many distinct structural features. The protein contains an extra pair of beta-strands in the N-terminal alphabeta loop that align with the major beta-strands to form a continuous 7-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet.