Na+ Sensitivity of the KAT2-Like Channel Is a Common Feature of Cucurbits and Depends on the S5-P-S6 Segment.

Inhibition of Shaker K+ channel activity by external Na+ was previously reported in the melon (Cucumis melo L.) inwardly rectifying K+ channel MIRK and was hypothesized to contribute to salt tolerance. In this study, two inward Shaker K+ channels, CsKAT2 from cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and ClKAT2 from watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), were identified and characterized in Xenopus oocytes.

Supportive role of the Na transporter CmHKT1;1 from Cucumis melo in transgenic Arabidopsis salt tolerance through improved K/Na balance.

CmHKT1;1 selectively exports Na from plant cells. Upon NaCl stress, its expression increased in a salt-tolerant melon cultivar. Overexpression of CmHKT1;1 increased transgenic Arabidopsis salt tolerance through improved K/Na balance.

Morphophysiological and molecular evidence supporting the augmentative role of Piriformospora indica in mitigation of salinity in Cucumis melo L.

Salinity is one of the major limiting factors in plant growth and productivity. Cucumis melo L. is a widely cultivated plant, but its productivity is significantly influenced by the level of salinity in soil.

Constitutive expression of CmSKOR, an outward K channel gene from melon, in Arabidopsis thaliana involved in saline tolerance.

Shaker-like K outward rectifying channel (SKOR) is involved in mediating long-distance K transport from roots to shoots. In this study, a Shaker-like outward K channel gene CmSKOR (GenBank accession number MF447462) was isolated from melon (Cucumis melo L.).

Clinical Profile and Significance of Mucocutaneous Lesions of Primary Sjögren's Syndrome: A Large Cross-sectional Study with 874 Patients.

Background: Mucocutaneous lesions are common features of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), but only a few studies have focused on them. To demonstrate the profile of mucocutaneous lesions of pSS and further explore their potential clinical significance, we performed a cross-sectional study on 874 patients.

Methods: Demographic data, clinical manifestations, and laboratory results of 874 pSS patients were collected.

A comparable study of clinical and optical outcomes after 1.8, 2.0 mm microcoaxial and 3.0 mm coaxial cataract surgery.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical and optical outcomes after clear corneal incision cataract surgery (CICS) with three different incision sizes (1.8, 2.0 and 3.

[Resveratrol attenuates oxidant-induced mitochondrial damage in embryonic rat cardiomyocytes via inactivating GSK-3β].

Objective: To investigate the underlying mechanism of the protective effects of resveratrol on oxidant-induced mitochondrial damage in embryonic rat cardiomyocytes.

Methods: H9c2 cells, a permanent cell line derived from embryonic rat cardiac tissue, and then randomly divided into control group [PBS, cells exposed to H2O2 (600 µmol/L) for 20 min to induce mitochondrial oxidant damage], resveratrol group (0.01, 0.

trans-Bis[4-amino-N-(pyrimidin-2-yl-κN)benzene-sulfonamidato-κN]bis(N,N-dimethyl-formamide-κO)cobalt(II).

The title complex, [Co(C(10)H(9)N(4)O(2)S)(2)(C(3)H(7)NO)(2)], lies across an inversion center. The Co(II) atom is coordinated in a slightly distorted octa-hedral geometry by four N atoms from two bidentate 4-amino-N-(pyrimidin-2-yl)benzene-sulfonamidate (sulfadiazine) anions and two O atoms from two dimethyl-formamide (DMF) ligands. The dihedral angle between the benzene and pyrimidine rings is 82.

Tris[2,4-dichloro-6-(ethyl-imino-meth-yl)phenolato-κ(2)N,O]cobalt(III).

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Co(C(9)H(8)Cl(2)NO)(3)], contains three independent mol-ecules. In each mol-ecule, the Co(III) ion is coordinated by an O atom and an N atom from three bidentate 2,4-dichloro-6-(ethyl-imino-meth-yl)phenolate ligands in a slightly distorted octa-hedral environment. In the crystal, a weak C-H⋯Cl hydrogen bond is observed.

Bis[4-bromo-2-(ethyl-imino-meth-yl)phenolato-κN,O]nickel(II).

In the title complex, [Ni(C(9)H(9)BrNO)(2)], the Ni(II) ion lies on an inversion centre and is coordinated in a slightly distorted square-planar geometry by two N atoms and two O atoms from two symmetry-related bidentate 4-bromo-2-(ethyl-imino-meth-yl)phenolate ligands. The complex forms a one-dimensional chain in the crystal structure through short C-H⋯Br contacts (H⋯Br = 3.009 Å).

From nanoplates to microtubes and microrods: a surfactant-free rolling mechanism for facile fabrication and morphology evolution of Ag2S films.

By a simple and facile wet-chemistry technique without any surfactant, various shapes of Ag(2)S crystals--including leaflike pentagonal nanoplates, crinkly nanoscrolls, hexagonal prismlike microtubes, and microrods--were fabricated in situ on a large-area silver-foil surface separately. Detailed experiments revealed that the Ag(2)S nanoplates were formed just by immersing the silver foil in a sulfur/ethanol solution at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, and they subsequently rolled into nanoscrolls and further grew into microtubes and microrods under solvothermal conditions. Inspired by the natural curling of a piece of foliage, we proposed a surfactant-free rolling mechanism to interpret the observed morphological evolution from lamellar to tubular structures.

A K+ channel from salt-tolerant melon inhibited by Na+.

• The possible roles of K(+) channels in plant adaptation to high Na(+) conditions have not been extensively analyzed. Here, we characterize an inward Shaker K(+) channel, MIRK (melon inward rectifying K(+) channel), cloned in a salt-tolerant melon (Cucumis melo) cultivar, and show that this channel displays an unusual sensitivity to Na(+) . • MIRK expression localization was analyzed by reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR).

Extranuclear estrogen receptors mediate the neuroprotective effects of estrogen in the rat hippocampus.

Background: 17beta-estradiol (E2) has been implicated to exert neuroprotective effects in the brain following cerebral ischemia. Classically, E2 is thought to exert its effects via genomic signaling mediated by interaction with nuclear estrogen receptors. However, the role and contribution of extranuclear estrogen receptors (ER) is unclear and was the subject of the current study.

Isolation and characterization of a GS2 gene in melon (Cucumis melo L.) and its expression patterns under the fertilization of different forms of N.

We isolated a novel glutamine synthetase (GS, EC 6.3.1.

Protective effect of magnolol against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in human lens epithelial cells.

Oxidative stress plays a significant role in the progression of cataract. We aimed to investigate the protective effect of magnolol, a compound extracted from the Chinese herb Magnolia officinalis, against oxidative stress in human lens epithelial (HLE) cells as well as the possible molecular mechanism involved. In this study, magnolol was observed to protect against H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in HLE B-3 cells.