ECHIDNA protein impacts on male fertility in Arabidopsis by mediating trans-Golgi network secretory trafficking during anther and pollen development.

The trans-Golgi network (TGN) plays a central role in cellular secretion and has been implicated in sorting cargo destined for the plasma membrane. Previously, the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) echidna (ech) mutant was shown to exhibit a dwarf phenotype due to impaired cell expansion. However, ech also has a previously uncharacterized phenotype of reduced male fertility. This semisterility is due to decreased anther size and reduced amounts of pollen but also to decreased pollen viability, impaired anther opening, and pollen tube growth. An ECH translational fusion (ECHPro:ECH-yellow fluorescent protein) revealed developmentally regulated tissue-specific expression, with expression in the tapetum during early anther development and microspore release and subsequent expression in the pollen, pollen tube, and stylar tissues. Pollen viability and production, along with germination and pollen tube growth, were all impaired. The ech anther endothecium secondary wall thickening also appeared reduced and disorganized, resulting in incomplete anther opening. This did not appear to be due to anther secondary thickening regulatory genes but perhaps to altered secretion of wall materials through the TGN as a consequence of the absence of the ECH protein. ECH expression is critical for a variety of aspects of male reproduction, including the production of functional pollen grains, their effective release, germination, and tube formation. These stages of pollen development are fundamentally influenced by TGN trafficking of hormones and wall components. Overall, this suggests that the fertility defect is multifaceted, with the TGN trafficking playing a significant role in the process of both pollen formation and subsequent fertilization.

Chemical characterization of the avenanthramide-rich extract from oat and its effect on D-galactose-induced oxidative stress in mice.

The present study was to characterize the avenanthramide-rich extract (ARE) from oat bran and assess its effect on activity and gene expression of antioxidant enzymes in D-galactose-induced oxidative-stressed mice. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis found that ARE had 6.07% N-(3',4'-dihydroxycinnamoyl)-5-hydroxyanthranilic acid (Bc), 4.37% N-(4'-hydroxycinnamoyl)-5-hydroxyanthranilic acid (Bp), and 5.36% N-(4'-hydroxy-3'-methoxycinnamoyl)-5-hydroxyanthranilic acid (Bf). In addition, ARE was also rich in vanillic acid (0.60%), caffeic acid (0.50%), syringic acid (0.54%), p-coumaric acid (0.16%), ferulic acid (0.08%), and sinapic acid (0.03%). Administration of D-galactose markedly lowered not only the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) but also the gene expression of manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD), copper-zinc SOD, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) mRNA in mice. Administration of ARE significantly reversed the D-galactose-induced oxidative stress by increasing the activity of the antioxidant enzymes and upregulating their gene expression. This was accompanied by a significant decrease in the malondialdehyde (MDA) level in mice given ARE compared to the control. The results demonstrated that ARE possessed the antioxidant activity and was effective against D-galactose-induced oxidative stress.

Ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology of the genus Caragana used in traditional Chinese medicine.

The genus Caragana is a member of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae and is native to arid and semi-arid areas of the temperate zones of Asia and Eastern Europe. Many species are cultured for dune-fixation, livestock forage and biological resources for fuel energy and fiber production. More than 10 species in this genus have a long history of use in traditional Chinese, Mongolian and Tibetan medicines and are believed to "nourish yin, invigorate the spleen, temper the blood and promote blood flow". They have been used for the treatment of a wide range of ailments including fevers, inflammation, wounds and infections, dizziness, headache, hypertension, female disorders, arthritis and cancer. Over 100 phytochemicals have been identified with flavonoids and stilbenoids being the major constituents of this genus. Clinical studies have demonstrated the pharmacological activities of different Caraganum species, e.g. Caragana sinica for the treatment of hypertension, and in vivo and/or in vitro studies have provided some support for other traditional uses, e.g. anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, phytoestrogenic, immunostimulant and immunosuppressant activities. However, further studies to identify the active components and further verify the pharmacological activities are warranted. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of the ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology of the genus Caragana.