The potential roles of aquaporin 4 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Aquaporin 4 (AQP4) is a primary water channel found on astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS). Besides its function in water and ion homeostasis, AQP4 has also been documented to be involved in a myriad of acute and chronic cerebral pathologies, including autoimmune neurodegenerative diseases. AQP4 has been postulated to be associated with the incidence of a progressive neurodegenerative disorder known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease that targets the motor neurons, causing muscle weakness and eventually paralysis.

UGT74D1 is a novel auxin glycosyltransferase from Arabidopsis thaliana.

Auxin is one type of phytohormones that plays important roles in nearly all aspects of plant growth and developmental processes. The glycosylation of auxins is considered to be an essential mechanism to control the level of active auxins. Thus, the identification of auxin glycosyltransferases is of great significance for further understanding the auxin regulation.

Ectopic expression of Arabidopsis glycosyltransferase UGT85A5 enhances salt stress tolerance in tobacco.

Abiotic stresses greatly influence plant growth and productivity. While glycosyltransferases are widely distributed in plant kingdom, their biological roles in response to abiotic stresses are largely unknown. In this study, a novel Arabidopsis glycosyltransferase gene UGT85A5 was identified as significantly induced by salt stress.

UGT87A2, an Arabidopsis glycosyltransferase, regulates flowering time via FLOWERING LOCUS C.

• Family 1 glycosyltransferases comprise the greatest number of glycosyltransferases found in plants. The widespread occurrence and diversity of glycosides throughout the plant kingdom underscore the importance of these glycosyltransferases. • Here, we describe the identification and characterization of a late-flowering Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutant, in which a putative family 1 glycosyltransferase gene, UGT87A2, was disrupted.

Urinary metabonomics study of anti-depressive effect of Chaihu-Shu-Gan-San on an experimental model of depression induced by chronic variable stress in rats.

Chaihu-Shu-Gan-San (CSGS), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, has been effectively used for the treatment of depression in clinic. However, studies of its anti-depressive mechanism are challenging, accounted for the complex pathophysiology of depression, and complexity of CSGS with multiple constituents acting on different metabolic pathways. The variations of endogenous metabolites in rat model of depression after administration of CSGS may offer deeper insights into the anti-depressive effect and mechanism of CSGS.

Two new isoflavone glycosides from Pueraria lobata.

Two new isoflavone diglycosides, formononetin 8-C-[beta-D-apiofuranosyl-(1 --> 6)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1) and formononetin 8-C-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl-(1 --> 6)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), were isolated from the roots of Pueraria lobata, together with four known compounds, 4'-methoxypuerarin (3), daidzin (4), genistin (5), and daidzein (6). The structures of these compounds were elucidated by the spectroscopic methods.

Simultaneous characterization of isoflavonoids and astragalosides in two Astragalus species by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

A method was developed for the simultaneous identification of astragalosides (AGs) and isoflavonoids (IFs) in the roots of Astragalus membranaceus and Astragalus mongholicus by HPLC coupled with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization MS/MS (HPLC-APCI-MS/MS). Diagnostic fragment ions of AGs and different group of IFs were obtained with one AG and eight IF standards analyzed by CID-MS, which were adopted as characteristic MS/MS fingerprints for further identification of these compounds in the two Astragalus species by using HPLC-APCI-MS/MS. A total of 20 IFs and 10 AGs were identified or tentatively identified.