Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of the CrDAT gene and selection of transgenic periwinkle lines with a high vincristine accumulation

Catharanthus roseus contains vincristine and vinblastine, which are outstanding drugs for cancer. In the biosynthetic pathways of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) in C. roseus, deacetylvindoline 4-O-acetyltransferase (DAT) is a key enzyme that catalyses the last reaction of vindoline biosynthesis to form vinblastine and vincristine. In this study, the CrDAT transgene was transferred into the periwinkle by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and generated transgenic periwinkle lines with an increase in vincristine accumulation. The C. roseus DAT gene was introduced into C. roseus plants and it was confirmed that CrDAT was successfully transferred into the genome of periwinkle plants and efficiently translated to synthesise recombinant DAT protein. Four transgenic periwinkle lines in T1 generation, T1-1, T1-3, T1-6, and T1-7, expressed recombinant DAT protein with the total protein content in the range of 2.86 μg.mg^?1 to 5.12 μg.mg^?1. Moreover, the vincristine contents of four transgenic lines increased by 1.63?2.48-fold compared to non-transgenic plants, ranging from 6.91 µg.g^?1 (fresh weight) to 10.53 µg.g^?1 (fresh weight). The T1-1 line had the highest vincristine content. Hence, the overexpression of the recombinant DAT protein can improve the vincristine accumulation of transgenic C. roseus plants.

Abbreviation: CrDAT - Catharanthus roseus Deacetylvindoline-4-O-Acetyl Transferase; D4H - Deacetoxyvindoline 4-hydroxylase; ELISA - Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Monoterpene indole alkaloid; T0, T1 - Generations of transgenic plants; TIAs - Terpenoid indole alkaloids; WT- The wild-type tobacco plants (non transgenic plant); 35S - Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter     

Effects of elevated CO2 concentration on bulbil germination and early seedling growth in Chinese yam under different air temperatures

The present study investigated the effects of elevated carbon dioxide concentration ([CO₂]) and air temperature on the germination of seed bulbils and the seedling vigour of two Chinese yam lines. Plants were grown under two [CO₂] levels, ambient and elevated (ambient + 200 μmol mol^?1), and two mean air temperature regimes, 22.2 °C (ambient + 1.4 °C) and 25.6 °C (ambient + 5.2 °C). Elevated [CO₂] did not affect bulbil germination under both air temperature regimes. During the early growth stage, the dry weight (DW) of leaves, vines, shoots, roots, belowground parts (roots + tubers) and whole plants were higher under elevated [CO₂] than ambient [CO₂] for both lines under the low- and high-temperature regimes. The values of vigour indexes (index I = germination % × seedling length and index II = germination % × seedling DW) were also higher under elevated [CO₂] than ambient [CO₂] for both lines. These results indicated that Chinese yam seedlings respond positively to elevated [CO₂] during the early growth stage. The above:belowground DW ratios were lower under elevated [CO₂] than ambient [CO₂] in seedlings with very small new tubers for both yam lines, indicating that elevated [CO₂] strongly affected the root growth in the early growth stage. The DWs of post-treatment seed bulbils were higher in the elevated [CO₂] under both air temperature regimes. The results showed that Chinese yam used a smaller amount of the reserves in seed bulbils under elevated [CO₂] than under ambient [CO₂].     

Antiviral Effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiaeβ‐glucan to Swine Influenza Virus by Increased Production of Interferon‐γ and Nitric Oxide

The aim of these experiments was to investigate the potential antiviral effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiaeβ‐glucan on the pneumonia induced by swine influenza virus (SIV). Forty colostrum‐deprived 5‐day‐old piglets were randomly divided into four groups of 10. The 20 pigs in groups 1 and 2 were administered Saccharomyces cerevisiaeβ‐glucan orally (50 mg/day/pig; En‐Bio Technology Co., Ltd) for 3 days before SIV infection and those in groups 3 and 4 were given culture medium/diluent alone. Groups 1 and 3 were inoculated intranasally with 3 ml of tissue culture fluid containing 2 × 10⁶ tissue culture infective doses 50% (TCID₅₀)/ml of SIV and those in groups 2 and 4 were exposed in the same manner to uninfected cell culture supernatant. The microscopic lung lesions induced by SIV infection (group 1 pigs) were significantly more severe than those induced by infection in animals pre‐administered β‐glucan (group 3) (P < 0.05). Significantly more SIV nucleic acid was detected in the lungs of pigs experimentally infected with SIV only (group 1) at 5, 7 and 10 days post‐inoculation (dpi) compared with lungs from pigs pre‐administered β‐glucan and infected with SIV (group 3) (P < 0.05). The concentrations of interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) and nitric oxide (NO) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from pigs pre‐administered β‐glucan and infected with SIV (group 3) were significantly higher than for any other group at 7 and 10 dpi for IFN‐γ, and at 5, 7 and 10 dpi for NO (P < 0.05). Saccharomyces cerevisiaeβ‐glucan reduced the pulmonary lesion score and viral replication rate in SIV‐infected pigs. These findings support the potential application of β‐glucan as prophylactic/treatment agent in influenza virus infection.     

The grafting of recycled polyol from waste polyurethane foam onto new polyurethane and its impact on shape recovery and water vapor permeation

Recycled polyols from waste polyurethane (PU) foams were grafted onto PU to improve the properties such as tensile strength, shape recovery, low-temperature flexibility, and water compatibility. The recycled polyol was either purified by column chromatography before grafting or was used directly for grafting. The soft segment melting temperature of PU did not notably increase with the addition of polyol, whereas the glass transition temperature increased with increased polyol content. The tensile strength sharply increased at low polyol content and decreased at high polyol content, while the strain at break did not significantly change with an increase in polyol content. The shape recovery at 10 oC notably improved compared with unmodified PU and remained high after four cyclic tests. Polyol-grafted PU demonstrated better lowtemperature flexibility and reduced the water vapor permeability of PU membranes. Overall, grafting recycled polyol onto PU significantly improved the tensile stress, shape recovery, and low-temperature flexibility of PU.     

Effects of Fermentation Conditions Using Lactobacillus plantarum on the Charantin,Stigmasterol Glucoside and β-sitosterol Glucoside Contents of Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia L.) Juice

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Bitter gourd fruits contain high amounts of charantin, stigmasterol glucoside and β-sitosterol glucoside, which have been shown to provide health benefits for...     

Differences in Ion Accumulation and Salt Tolerance among Glycine Accessions

Salinity reduces crop yield by limiting water uptake and causing ion‐specific stress. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is sensitive to soil salinity. However, there is variability among soybean genotypes and wild relatives for salt tolerance, suggesting that genetic improvement may be possible. The objective of this study was to identify differences in salt tolerance based on ion accumulation in leaves, stems and roots among accessions of four Glycine species. Four NaCl treatments, 0, 50, 75 and 100 mm , were imposed on G. max, G. soja, G. tomentella and G. argyrea accessions with different levels of salinity tolerance. Tolerant genotypes had less leaf scorch and a greater capacity to prevent Na⁺ and Cl^? transport from soil solution to stems and leaves than sensitive genotypes. Magnitude of leaf injury per unit increase in leaf Na⁺ or Cl^? concentrations was lower in tolerant than in susceptible accessions. Also, plant injury was associated more with Na⁺ rather than with Cl^? concentration in leaves. Salt‐tolerant accessions had greater leaf chlorophyll‐meter readings than sensitive genotypes at all NaCl concentrations. Glycine argyrea and G. tomentella accessions possessed higher salt tolerance than G. soja and G. max genotypes.     

Towards sustainable farming systems: Effectiveness and deficiency of the French procedure of sustainable agriculture

There is a widespread consensus about the importance of sustainable agriculture. In France, the Farming Orientation Law of July 1999 has set down a precise procedure for the implementation of sustainable agriculture: the contrat territorial d’exploitation – or territorial farm contract (TFC). This paper aims to analyse the TFC effectiveness. An analysis has been made of the TFCs signed in the Midi-Pyrenees Region in south-western France, using statistical analysis and qualitative surveys of a sample of farms. The results show that the most valuable effects have been mainly economic. Effects regarding social and environmental aspects were very limited. But from the point of view of an integrated approach, indirect effects of TFCs can be observed on social and environmental aspects. These results are explained, on the one hand, by farmers’ motivations guided by economic objectives, and on the other hand, by the dominance of professional farming organisations in the implementation of TFC’s procedure. Given these results, two ways of improving the elaboration procedure for TFCs are proposed. Firstly, technical improvements can be made to the diagnostic assessment of farms, and to the choice of actions addressed by the contract. Secondly, organisational improvements can be applied to TFCs elaboration and implementation process, in order to adopt a participatory approach which would involve all rural stakeholders.     

Responses in residual feed intake in lines of Large White pigs selected for growth rate on restricted feeding (measured on ad libitum individual feeding)

Residual feed intake (RFI) represents the deviation of the actual ad libitum food consumption of each animal from that predicted from combination of growth rate, backfat and metabolic body weight measurements. After 4 years of divergent selection of pigs in lines for either high or low postweaning growth rate on restricted feeding, the high line exhibited a significant reduction in RFI relative to the low line. This indicated, to some extents, a lower energy requirement for maintenance in the high than in the low line, possibly because of reduced physical activity of the animals. Estimates of genetical parameters showed that RFI was moderately heritable and those genetic correlations of RFI with carcass backfat and food conversion ratio were moderate to highly positive.