LEA proteins in higher plants: structure, function, gene expression and regulation

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are mainly low molecular weight (10–30 kDa) proteins, which are involved in protecting higher plants from damage caused by environmental stresses, especially drought (dehydration). These findings and the fact that the breeding of drought tolerant varieties would be of great value in agriculture, form the basis of search for anti-drought inducible genes and their characterization. LEA proteins are generally classified into six groups (families) according to their amino acid sequence and corresponding mRNA homology, which are basically localized in cytoplasm and nuclear region. LEA protein synthesis, expression and biological activities are regulated by many factors (e.g. developmental stages, hormones, ion change and dehydration), signal transduction pathways and lea genes. No tissue-specific lea gene expression has been considered as one main regulatory mechanism on the basis of extensive studies with the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. The study of the regulatory mechanism of lea gene expression is an important feature of modern plant molecular biology.     

The role of cobalt,copper, nickel,and zinc in the DNA replication inhibitory activity of p‐aminophenyl triphenylporphyrin

Cationic porphyrins have been widely used as tumor localizers in cancer therapies. When cationic porphyrins are flat they intercalate with double‐stranded DNA, duplexes of RNA or RNA–DNA. The antitumor activity of some cationic porphyrins depends on their interaction with human telomeric quadruplexes. Here, we report that noncationic meso‐(4‐aminophenyl)triphenylporphyrin (H₂TPPNH₂) ( 3 ) and its cobalt, copper, nickel, and zinc metallo derivatives ( 4 – 7 ) have DNA replication inhibitory activity in B16 mouse melanoma line cells. By means of quantification of ³HdTT radio‐labeled DNA, we observed that the nonplanar porphyrin [CoTPPNH₂] has the highest activity against carcinogenic DNA replication. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mutation scanning-coupled analysis of haplotypic variability in mitochondrial DNA regions reveals low gene flow between human and porcine Ascaris in endemic regions of China

Haplotypic variation within and among the Ascaris populations representing six provinces in China was investigated. Mitochondrial DNA regions in the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) genes were amplified by PCR from total genomic DNA samples (n > 720) from Ascaris individuals from humans and pigs, and subjected to mutation scanning and subsequent selective sequencing. For the cox1, ten different electrophoretic profiles were recorded for human Ascaris, and the same number for pig Ascaris, one of them being common to both host species. For the nad1, 11 different profiles were detected for human Ascaris, and 15 for pig Ascaris. Having defined all haplotypes (20 for pcox1 and 26 for pnad1) by sequencing, their frequencies were estimated in each of the two host species and each of the six provinces. For each mitochondrial region, the frequency of the different haplotypes varied considerably, depending on host species and geographical origin. Analysis of the sequence data (representing all haplotypes for each mitochondrial locus) by F-statistics indicated restricted gene flow between human Ascaris and pig Ascaris, and supported the conclusions from previous molecular epidemiological investigations that pigs are not a significant source of Ascaris infection in humans in endemic regions.     

Biofunctionalization of Polyoxometalates with DNA Primers,Their Use in the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Electrochemical Detection of PCR Products

The bioconjugation of polyoxometalates (POMs), which are inorganic metal oxido clusters, to DNA strands to obtain functional labeled DNA primers and their potential use in electrochemical detection have been investigated. Activated monooxoacylated polyoxotungstates [SiW₁₁O₃₉{Sn(CH₂)₂CO}]^8? and [P₂W₁₇O₆₁{Sn(CH₂)₂CO}]^6? have been used to link to a 5′‐NH₂ terminated 21‐mer DNA forward primer through amide coupling. The functionalized primer was characterized by using a battery of techniques, including electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, as well as IR and Raman spectroscopy. The functionality of the POM‐labeled primers was demonstrated through hybridization with a surface‐immobilized probe. Finally, the labeled primers were successfully used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the PCR products were characterized by using electrophoresis.     

Synthesis, Characterization, Spectroscopic Properties of 2-（4-Dimethylaminophenyl）-5-fluoro-6-（morpholin-4-yl）-1H-benzimidazole and its Interaction with Calf Thymus DNA

Benzimidazole compounds have attracted a renewed interest recently owing to theirpotential applications in high-performance composite materials, electronic chemicals,photosensitive materials, and their special potentials in biological and/or medicinalapplication1,2. Typically, aromatic compounds with near planar structures and contain-ing hydrogen-donor groups or groups, which are capable of being protonated, havespecial interactions with DNA via intercalation, hydrogen-bonding, and so on3.Me…     

C?H and N?H bond activation in reactions of vinyl acetate,allyl cyanide,allylamine and other amines with (η-C5H5)2Rh2(CO)(CF3C2CF3)

There is activation of olefinic C? H bonds when (η-C₅H₅)₂Rh₂(CO)(CF₃C₂CF₃) is treated with vinyl acetate or allyl cyanide. These reactions are initiated by exposure to sunlight. In the vinyl acetate reaction, each of the three vinylic C? H bonds can be broken, but there is strong preference for cleavage at the substituted carbon. The products formed in these reactions are bisalkenyl complexes of the type (η-C₅H₅)₂Rh₂{μ-C(CF₃)C(CF₃)H}(μ-CR?CR′R″), and all isomers have been thoroughly characterized by NMR analysis. Similar reactions with allylamine and other amines (NH₂R, NHMe₂) occur in the dark and proceed by N? H bond cleavage. Near-quantitative amounts of the products, (η-C₅H₅)Rh₂{C(CF₃)C(CF₃)H}(C(O)NRR′) are isolated. Spectroscopic data indicate a bridging carboxamide ligand attached to the Rh? Rh bond from oxygen and nitrogen donor sites. It is proposed that coordination of O or N to rhodium has a strong influence on all of the reactions studied.