UvSMEK1, a Suppressor of MEK Null,Regulates Pathogenicity,Conidiation and Conidial Germination in Rice False Smut Fungus Ustilaginoidea virens

Rice false smut, which is caused by Ustilaginoidea virens, is an emerging disease of rice spikelets in rice-growing areas worldwide. However, the infection mechanism of U. virens on rice spikelets is still unclear. Here, we characterized a suppressor of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase or ERK kinase(MEK) null(UvSMEK1) in U. virens that is conserved among filamentous fungi. Compared with wild type U. virens strain P-1, Uv SMEK1 deletion mutants were defective in pathogenicity and conidial germination. In addition, conidiation of UvSMEK1 deletion mutants was significantly reduced on yeast extract tryptone(YT) plates, but increased in YT broth compared with the wild type. Compared with Uv SMEK1 expression level during the vegetative mycelia and conidiation stages, UvSMEK1 dramatically increased during infection of rice florets. Surprisingly, the Uv SMEK1 deletion mutants exhibited higher tolerance to H2 O2 and NaCl. In summary, presented evidence suggested that UvSMEK1 positively regulated pathogenicity, conidial germination and conidiation in YT broth, and negatively regulated conidiation on YT medium and tolerance to oxidative and osmotic stresses. The results enhance our understanding of the regulatory mechanism of pathogenicity of U. virens, and present a potential molecular target for blocking rice infection by U. virens.     

甘蔗线条花叶病毒RNA沉默抑制子的寄主互作蛋白鉴定

甘蔗线条花叶病毒（Sugarcane streak mosaic virus, SCSMV）是引起甘蔗花叶病的一种主要病原。SCSMV编码的P1蛋白是RNA沉默抑制子,在SCSMV抑制寄主的RNA沉默防御中发挥关键作用,但其作用机制尚未清楚。与寄主蛋白互作是RNA沉默抑制子发挥其抑制作用的主要途径之一,因此鉴定与病毒RNA沉默抑制子互作的寄主蛋白是研究抑制子作用机制的一个重要方法。为探究SCSMV P1抑制寄主RNA沉默的机制,本研究首先将SCSMV P1基因连接到质粒pGBKT7上构建诱饵质粒pGBKT7-P1,然后对pGBKT7-P1进行毒性和自激活检测,最后以pGBKT7-P1为诱饵,采用酵母双杂交技术从甘蔗cDNA文库中筛选与P1互作的寄主蛋白。结果显示,成功构建pGBKT7-P1诱饵质粒。将pGBKT7-P1诱饵质粒转入Y2H Gold酵母菌株后,酵母菌株在SD/-Trp平板及液体培养基中生长良好,表明pGBKT7-P1诱饵质粒对Y2H Gold酵母菌株无毒性。含pGBKT7-P1诱饵质粒的酵母菌株在SD/-Trp/X-α-Gal平板上长出白色菌落未变蓝,在SD/-Trp/X-α-Gal/AbA和SD/-Trp/-Leu/X-α-Gal/AbA平板上无菌落生长,表明pGBKT7-P1诱饵质粒无自激活活性。用pGBKT7-P1诱饵质粒对甘蔗cDNA文库进行筛选,经SD/-Trp/-Leu/X-α-Gal/AbA平板筛选1次及SD/-Trp/-Leu/-His/-Ade/X-α-Gal/AbA平板筛选3次后,获得42个阳性酵母克隆,提取阳性酵母质粒并导入大肠杆菌中扩大培养,经测序及blastx比对分析,获得13个可能与SCSMV P1互作的寄主甘蔗蛋白,分别是生长素应答蛋白IAA1、IAA15,转录因子NAC、GATA4、OFP4,真核翻译起始因子eIF5A,分子伴侣DnaJ,辅分子伴侣SBA1,重金属相关异戊二烯化植物蛋白HIPP35,mec-8和unc-52蛋白同系物抑制子SMU2,外膜孔蛋白OEP24,及2个未表征蛋白。基于这些蛋白的功能,推测P1可能通过与寄主蛋白互作来调控寄主防御反应相关基因的表达,和/或通过与寄主蛋白互作来影响寄主RNA沉默相关蛋白的合成、加工或转运,从而发挥其RNA沉默抑制子的功能。研究结果为后续深入解析P1抑制RNA沉默的作用机制奠定了重要基础。     

Characterization of HOX gene expression in canine mammary tumour cell lines from spontaneous tumours

Spatial/temporal controls of development are regulated by the homeotic (HOX) gene complex and require integration with oncogenes and tumour suppressors regulating cell cycle exit. Spontaneously derived neoplastic canine mammary carcinoma cell models were investigated to determine if HOX expression profiles were associated with neoplasia as HOX genes promote neoplastic potential in human cancers. Comparative assessment of human and canine breast cancer expression profiles revealed remarkable similarity for all four paralogous HOX gene clusters and several unlinked HOX genes. Five canine HOX genes were overexpressed with expression profiles consistent with oncogene‐like character (HOXA1, HOXA13, HOXD4, HOXD9 and SIX1) and three HOX genes with underexpressed profiles (HOXA11, HOXC8 and HOXC9) were also identified as was an apparent nonsense mutation in HOXC6. This data, as well as a comparative analysis of similar data from human breast cancers suggested expression of selected HOX genes in canine mammary carcinoma could be contributing to the neoplastic phenotype.     

Biochemical and functional characterization of lymphocytes from a horse with lymphosarcoma and IgM deficiency

Neoplastic lymphocytes from a horse with lymphosarcoma and IgM deficiency were analyzed for ability to grow in culture; surface and cytoplasmic IgM; functional activity in blastogenesis, cytoxicity, and suppressor assays; and activities of six enzymes involved in purine and pyrimidine metabolism. The cells lacked surface and cytoplasmic IgM. They had elevated activity of adenosine deaminase and reduced activity of purine nucleoside phosphorylase. Neoplastic cells were nonresponsive in blastogenesis assay and did not kill allogeneic lymphocyte target cells or YAC-1 targets in a lectin-dependent cytotoxicity assay, however, the cells were active in a suppressor assay. They were grown for 16 weeks in cultures supplemented with interleukin 2, during which time the cells retained suppressive activity. These results are consistent with a T cell lymphoma of suppressor cell origin, and may explain the deficiency of IgM observed in some horses with lymphoreticular neoplasms.     

Ia determinants on macrophages

It is well established that T cells cannot be activated by antigen alone but only if antigen is presented in context with I region associated (Ia) determinants. As a matter of fact, antigen-presenting cells or accessory cells, which are obligatory for the induction of any type of immune response, all share the same major characteristic of Ia expression. Thus, there seems to be a direct correlation between accessory cell function and Ia expression. Originally, Ia determinants were only detected on a few cell types, B cells and macrophages being the first. However, during the course of time, more and more cells were found to be Ia positive (Ia +) and it is possible that most cells can express Ia, if appropriately induced. The regulation of Ia expression has been best studied in macrophages, where it has been found that positive induction elements include phagocytosis and gamma-interferon, while prostaglandin E and alpha-fetoprotein tend to down-regulate the expression of Ia. The regulation of Ia expression on accessory cells is thus an integrated part of immune regulation. It is highly likely, although not yet directly proven, that the Ia molecules are the products of the immune response (Ir) genes located within the major histocompatibility complex. They may even be the mediators of the Ir genes which determine whether an immune response can take place at all and/or the extent of the response. Recently, it has been shown that not all Ia + cells are able to activate every known T cell function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Inhibition of p16 tumor suppressor gene expression via promoter hypermethylation in canine lymphoid tumor cells

To investigate the epigenetic regulation of the p16 gene in canine lymphoid tumor cells, its methylation status was examined in four canine lymphoid tumor cell lines. In three canine lymphoid tumor cell lines (CLBL-1, GL-1, and UL-1) with low-level p16 mRNA expression, 20 CpG sites in the promoter region of p16 gene were consistently methylated although all of the CpG sites were not methylated in another cell line (CL-1) and normal lymph node cells. The expression level of p16 mRNA in these three cell lines was restored after cultivation in the presence of a methylation inhibitor, 5-Aza-2′-deoxycitidine, indicating inactivation of p16 gene via hypermethylation. This study revealed the inactivation of p16 gene through hypermethylation of its CpG island in a fraction of canine lymphoid tumor cells.