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DELLA proteins and phytohormone gibberellin act together to control convergence point of plant development. A gibberellin-bound nuclear receptor that interacts with the N-terminal domain of DELLA proteins is required for gibberellin induced degradation of DELLA proteins. N-terminal DELLA domain includes two conserved motifs: DELLA and VHYNP. However, their respective functions remain unclear. Meanwhile, the identification and detection of several bioactive gibberellins from the more than 100 gibberellin metabolites are overwhelmingly difficult for their similar structures. Using in vitro biochemical approach, our work demonstrates for the first time that the synthetic GAI N-terminal DELLA domain peptides have similar bioactive function as the expressed protein to interact with AtGID1a receptor. Furthermore, our results reveal that DELLA motif is vitally important region and DELLA segment is essentially required region to recognize AtGID1a receptor. Finally, based on bioactive GA-dependent of the interaction between AtGID1a and DELLA protein, we generated a new method that could identify and detect bioactive GAs accurately and rapidly with surface plasmon resonance assays.

A network meta-analysis was performed in order compare the efficacy and safety of single-drug or double-drug antidiabetic regimens in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). PubMed and Cochrane Library searches were conducted since inception to February 2017. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of different antidiabetic regimens in the treatment of T2DM were included in this study. Direct and indirect evidences were combined to calculate the odds ratio (OR) or weighted mean difference (WMD) and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI), and in order to draw the surface under the cumulative ranking curves (SUCRA). A total of 19 RCTs meeting our inclusion criteria were finally incorporated into our network meta-analysis, including nineteen single-drug or double-drug antidiabetic regimens. The network meta-analysis showed that the anti-hyperglycemic effects of Sitagliptin + Metformin, Empagliflozin + Metformin, Exenatide + Metformin, Vildagliptin + Metformin, Taspoglutide + Metformin and Pioglitazone + Metformin were better than individual Metformin regimens. Dulaglutide + Metformin and Taspoglutide + Metformin regimens were comparatively less safe than individual Metformin regimens. The cluster ranking analysis based on SUCRA values suggested that Taspoglutide + Metformin regimens had best efficacy and worst safety among the different therapy regimens. Our data confirmed previous observations and suggested that Taspoglutide + Metformin regimen may have better efficacy for the treatment of T2DM among nineteen therapy regimens, while its incidence of adverse events was relatively higher. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Pteris vittata, the first known arsenic hyperaccumulating plant, can accumulate very high concentration arsenic in its aboveground tissues, while low in roots. Previous studies have suggested that arsenic vacuole compartmentalization may play an important role in the arsenic-hyperaccumulation in P. vittata, but the mechanism(s) of arsenic transport to vacuole are largely unknown. We obtained tonoplast isolated from fronds of P. vittata sporophyte grown under minus and 1 mM arsenate for 3 weeks by iodixanol step gradient centrifugation method, and then used TMPP protein labeling technology followed by liquid chromatography—a linear ion trap-Orbitrap hybrid mass spectrometer analysis for the quantitative detection of proteins. And we designed and used an “artificial” database for database searching. In total, 56 tonoplast proteins were identified; more than 70% of them were transport proteins. Under arsenate treatment, one TDT transporter protein, a member of the TerC family and a PDR-like protein were upregulated differentially. While V-ATPase subunits c, E, and G, and V-PPase, were downregulated. Additionally, the identified tonoplast proteins in our present study provide an informative basis for arsenic carriers or channels and help to clarify the regulation of tonoplast arsenic transport processes in P. vittata. Biological significance Vacuole compartmentalization is crucial to As hyperaccumulator P. vittata, while there is limited known arsenic transport proteins involved in vacuole compartmentalization. In this paper, we obtained tonoplast of P. vittata fronds by iodixanol step gradient centrifugation method and then used TMPP protein labeling proteome technology for the quantitative detection of fronds tonoplast proteins. Our findings are the first challenge to the tonoplast proteins data mining of P. vittata which provide an informative basis for As carriers or channels. The proteomic approach in our study is suited for detecting alterations tonoplast protein and help to clarify the regulation of tonoplast transport processes. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Proteomics of non-model organisms.

The detection and identification of genetically modified (GM) plants are challenging issues that have arisen from the potential negative impacts of extensive cultivation of transgenic plants. The screening process is a long-term focus and needs specific detection strategies. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has been used to detect a variety of biomolecules including proteins and nucleic acids due to its ability to monitor specific intermolecular interactions. In the present study, two high-throughput, label-free, and specific methods based on SPR technology were developed to detect transgenic Cry1Ac cotton ( Gossypium spp.) by separately targeting protein and DNA. In the protein-based detection system, monoclonal anti-Cry1Ac antibodies were immobilized on the surface of a CM5 sensor chip. Conventional cotton samples were used to define the detection threshold. Transgenic cotton was easily identified within 5 min per sample. For the DNA-based model, a 25-mer biotinylated oligonucleotide probe was immobilized on an SA sensor chip. PCR products of Cry1Ac (230 bp) were used to investigate the reaction conditions. The sensitivity of the constructed sensor chip was identified at concentrations as low as 0.1 nM based on its complementary base pairing.

Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana were developed to increase tolerance for and accumulation of heavy metals and metalloids by simultaneous overexpression of AsPCS1 and YCF1 (derived from garlic and baker's yeast) based on the fact that chelation of metals and vacuolar compartmentalization are the main strategies for heavy metals/metalloids detoxification and tolerance in plants. Dual-gene transgenic lines had the longest roots and the highest accumulation of Cd and As than single-gene transgenic lines and wildtype. When grown on cadmium or arsenic (arsenite/arsenate), Dual-gene transgenic lines accumulated over 2-10 folds cadmium/arsenite and 2-3 folds arsenate than wild type or plants expressing AsPCS1 or YCF1 alone. Such stacking modified genes involved in chelation of toxic metals and vacuolar compartmentalization represents a highly promising new tool for use in phytoremediation efforts.

The goal of this study was to develop transgenic plants with increased tolerance for and accumulation of heavy metals and metalloids from soil by simultaneous overexpression of AsPCS1 and GSH1 (derived from garlic and baker's yeast) in Arabidopsis thaliana. Phytochelatins (PCs) and glutathione (GSH) are the main binding peptides involved in chelating heavy metal ions in plants and other living organisms. Single-gene transgenic lines had higher tolerance to and accumulated more Cd and As than wild-type. Compared to single-gene transgenic lines, dual-gene transformants exhibited significantly higher tolerance to and accumulated more Cd and As. One of the dual-gene transgenic lines, PG1, accumulated twice the amount of Cd as single-gene transgenic lines. Simultaneous overexpression of AsPCS1 and GSH1 led to elevated total PC production in transgenic Arabidopsis. These results indicate that such a stacking of modified genes is capable of increasing Cd and As tolerance and accumulation in transgenic lines, and represents a highly promising new tool for use in phytoremediation efforts.

The fern Pteris vittata is an arsenic hyperaccumulator. The genes involved in arsenite (As(III)) transport are not yet clear. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of a new P. vittata aquaporin gene, PvTIP4;1, which may mediate As(III) uptake. PvTIP4;1 was identified from yeast functional complement cDNA library of P. vittata. Arsenic toxicity and accumulating activities of PvTIP4;1 were analyzed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Arabidopsis. Subcellular localization of PvTIP4;1-GFP fusion protein in P. vittata protoplast and callus was conducted. The tissue expression of PvTIP4;1 was investigated by quantitative real-time PCR. Site-directed mutagenesis of the PvTIP4;1 aromatic/arginine (Ar/R) domain was studied. Heterologous expression in yeast demonstrates that PvTIP4;1 was able to facilitate As(III) diffusion. Transgenic Arabidopsis showed that PvTIP4;1 increases arsenic accumulation and induces arsenic sensitivity. Images and FM4-64 staining suggest that PvTIP4;1 localizes to the plasma membrane in P. vittata cells. A tissue location study shows that PvTIP4;1 transcripts are mainly expressed in roots. Site-directed mutation in yeast further proved that the cysteine at the LE1 position of PvTIP4;1 Ar/R domain is a functional site. PvTIP4;1 is a new represented tonoplast intrinsic protein (TIP) aquaporin from P. vittata and the function and location results imply that PvTIP4;1 may be involved in As(III) uptake.

The periplasmic protein CusF acts as a metallochaperone to mediate Cu resistance in Escherichia coli. CusF does not contain cysteine residues and barely binds to divalent cations. Here, we addressed effects of cysteine-substitution mutant (named as mCusF) of CusF on zinc/cadmium (Zn/Cd) accumulation and resistance. We targeted mCusF to different subcellular compartments in Arabidopsis. We found that plants expressing vacuole-targeted mCusF were more resistant to excess Zn than WT and plants with cell wall-targeted or cytoplasmic mCusF. Under long-term exposure to excess Zn, all transgenic lines accumulated more Zn (up to 2.3-fold) in shoots than the untransformed plants. Importantly, plants with cytoplasmic mCusF showed higher efficiency of Zn translocation from root to shoot than plants with secretory pathway-targeted-mCusF. Furthermore, the transgenic lines exhibited enhanced resistance to Cd and significant increase in root-to-shoot Cd translocation. We also found all transgenic plants greatly improved manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) homeostasis under Cd exposure. Our results demonstrate heterologous expression of mCusF could be used to engineer a new phytoremediation strategy for Zn/Cd and our finding also deepen our insights into mechanistic basis for relieving Cd toxicity in plants through proper root/shoot partitioning mechanism and homeostatic accumulation of Mn and Fe.

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L. cv. Goldensun) is highly resistant to and accumulates large amounts of cadmium (Cd). A phytochelatin synthase (PCS) cDNA (CdPCS1) was isolated from this grass by rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The putative CdPCS1 protein shared a high homology with PCS from other plants, with 79% homology at the N-terminal and 47% homology at the C-terminal. However, 16 Cys residues were found at the C-terminal of CdPCS1, and among these residues, three positions were different from other PCS proteins. Semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that Cd stress induced CdPCS1 expression in both roots and leaves in Bermudagrass. We verified that CdPCS1 plays an important role in Cd tolerance in yeast cells by expressing the gene in ABDE1, a Cd-sensitive mutant. CdPCS1 was then introduced into tobacco plants. The phytochelatin level in some transgenic tobacco lines increased 3.88-fold more than in wild type plants and Cd accumulation in these transgenic plants was enhanced 3.21-fold accordingly. The results suggested that CdPCS1 could be used as a gene element for phytoremediation in the future. (Managing editor: Ya-Qin Han)

A new gene of metallothionein (MT) family was cloned from garlic (Allium sativum) seedlings using RACE method and designated AsMT2b. The full length of AsMT2b cDNA was 520 bp encoding 80 amino acids. The deduced amino acids of AsMT2b showed that AsMT2b contained the characteristic structure of type 2 MT proteins, but the number and arrangement of the cysteine residues in the N-and C-terminal domains was different from other type 2 MT proteins. Semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR showed that transcript levels of AsMT2b were enhanced only in response to higher concentrations or longer incubation time of Cd. Such an expression pattern of AsMT2b greatly differed from that of other type 2 MT genes. Yeast cells transformed with this gene had improved resistance to Cd. AsMT2b overexpressing Arabidopsis showed stronger Cd tolerance and higher Cd accumulation compared with wild-type plants. These results suggest that AsMT2b should be useful in phytoremediation of Cd-polluted soil in the future.

To evaluate the roles of phytochelatins (PCs) and metallothioneins (MTs) in heavy metal tolerance in garlic (Allium sativum L.), the cDNAs encoding a phytochelatin synthase and a type 2 MT were cloned from the seedlings of garlic using RACE method and designated AsPCS1 and AsMT2a. Semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR and PCs contents showed transcript levels of AsPCS1 in roots exposed to cadmium increased significantly within 1 h concomitant with a sharp increase of PCs. However, the RNA expression of AsMT2a in roots was slightly increased within the preliminary phases of cadmium treatment and an obvious increase did not occurred until 10 h of Cd exposure. Different effects on RNA expression of AsPCS1 and AsMT2a appeared under varied stresses. Treatment with cadmium, arsenic and heat shock resulted in a strong increase of AsPCS1 transcripts and PCs contents in roots. Theses results showed that AsPCS1 and AsMT2a displayed mutual coordination under the stresses. The implications of these results with respect to differential regulation of AsPCS1 and AsMT2a during heavy metal exposure are discussed.

Phytochelatins (PCs) have an important role in metal detoxification in plants, however the relationship of the expression of Lactuca sativa phytochelatin synthase gene, its catalyzing products—PCs and the absorption of cadmium (Cd) was still not clear. To investigate this relationship, a full-length cDNA of a phytochelatin synthase gene (LsPCS1) was cloned from L. sativa and the physiological changes were observed. When L. sativa (cabbage lettuce) plants were exposed to toxic cadmium, growth was retarded. Though L. sativa plants cadmium tolerance was enhanced when synchronously treated with lanthanum (La 3+ ) or calcium (Ca 2+ ), the effect on the expression of phytochelatin synthase gene and cadmium absorption was different. The transcript level of LsPCS1 and the PCs content in the plants grown under normal conditions were very low, and the Cd absorption was minimal. In comparison with these plants, the expression level of LsPCS1 and the

It is a crucial problem in gene engineering whether an exogenous gene could be correctly expressed in cells of transgenic animal or plant, and how the expression products could be detected quantitatively in translational level. It is very difficult to analyze some gene expression products, such as isopentenyl transferase (ipt), in transgenic investigation because they are trace in organisms. A convenient method is described to determine trace content gene expression product which is hard to purify. The method includes predicting and synthesizing the antigenic peptide according to the cDNA sequence, coupling the synthetic antigenic peptide with carrier protein, raising specific antibodies against the synthetic antigen, and detecting the gene expression product by ELISA and Western blot.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a bioactive gas and functions as a signaling molecule in plants exposed to diverse biotic and abiotic stresses including cadmium (Cd(2+)). Cd(2+) is a non-essential and toxic heavy metal, which has been reported to induce programmed cell death (PCD) in plants. Here, we investigated the role of NO in Cd(2+)-induced PCD in tobacco BY-2 cells (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Bright Yellow 2). In this work, BY-2 cells exposed to 150 microM CdCl(2) underwent PCD with TUNEL-positive nuclei, significant chromatin condensation and the increasing expression of a PCD-related gene Hsr203J. Accompanied with the occurring of PCD, the production of NO increased significantly. The supplement of NO by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) had accelerated the PCD, whereas the NO synthase inhibitor Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME) and NO-specific scavenger 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (cPTIO) alleviated this toxicity. To investigate the mechanism by which NO exerted its function, Cd(2+) concentration was measured subsequently. SNP led more Cd(2+) content than Cd(2+) treatment alone. By contrast, the prevention of NO by L-NAME decreased Cd(2+) accumulation. Using the scanning ion-selective electrode technique, we analyzed the pattern and rate of Cd(2+) fluxes. This analysis revealed the promotion of Cd(2+) influxes into cells by application of SNP, while L-NAME and cPTIO reduced the rate of Cd(2+) uptake or even resulted in net Cd(2+) efflux. Based on these founding, we concluded that NO played a positive role in CdCl(2)-induced PCD by modulating Cd(2+) uptake and thus promoting Cd(2+) accumulation in BY-2 cells.