Real-time PCR assay for the discrimination and quantification of wheat and barley strains of Wheat dwarf virus.

A rapid method for detection, discrimination and quantification of wheat and barley strains of wheat dwarf virus (WDV) was successfully developed. The sensitivity of quantification of the wheat and barley strains of WDV ranged from an average of 1.2 × 10(7)-1.2 × 10(2) and from an average of 1.4 × 10(7)-1.4 × 10(4) copies of viral genome, respectively. These standard serial dilutions were applied to plant and vector tissues for virus titer calculations. Both strains of WDV were clearly discriminated by specific probes and melting curve analysis. Both TaqMan(®) and SYBR(®) Green technologies provided accurate and reliable methods for monitoring, detection, discrimination, and quantification of WDV.

Discrimination and genetic diversity of Wheat dwarf virus in the Czech Republic.

Cereal-infecting Mastreviruses are one of the most ubiquitous of viruses, having caused huge yield losses during the last decade in the Czech Republic. The presence of two strains of Wheat dwarf virus (WDV), one of which is wheat adapted and one barley adapted, have been confirmed from among field samples of wheat and barley plants. The virus typing was conducted by both PCR-RFLP and sequencing-based methods. The Czech WDV isolates of the barley strain are more variable than the isolates of the wheat strain, separating them into two clades, one representing a pool of divergent isolates. The RFLP analysis confirmed the separation of the Czech isolates into two strains and highlights a powerful method for the rapid diagnosis of both the wheat and barley strains. Additionally, both RFLP and sequence analysis have shown that the barley strain is restricted to the barley host, while the wheat strain is present in both wheat and barley plants.

First Report of Barley yellow dwarf virus-MAV in Oat, Wheat, and Barley Grown in the Czech Republic.

Barley yellow dwarf disease, a ubiquitous virus disease of cereal crops worldwide, is caused by a group of related, single-stranded RNA viruses assigned to Luteovirus (Barley yellow dwarf virus [BYDV] spp. PAV, PAS, MAV, and GAV) or Polerovirus (Cereal yellow dwarf virus-RPV) genera or unassigned to a genera (BYDV-SGV, BYDV-RMV, and BYDV-GPV) in the family Luteoviridae (1). Incidence of BYDV in cereal crops (e.g., barley, wheat, and oats) was high, and in recent years, reached epidemic levels in many regions of the Czech Republic. BYDV-PAV and BYDV-PAS have been identified in Czech cereal crops (2,4). Surveys of the incidence of BYDV were carried out using ELISA (SEDIAG SAS, Longvic, France) and one-step reverse transcription (RT)-PCR (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) (2) during 2007 and 2008. Samples (125) were collected from different fields around the Czech Republic and 96 were BYDV positive. Three of the field isolates, CZ-6815, CZ-1561, and CZ-10844, from oat (Avena sativa; cv. Auron), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum; cv. Apache), and winter barley (Hordeum vulgare; cv. Merlot), respectively, were identified as BYDV-MAV by sequencing of the RT-PCR product (641-bp fragment) used to identify BYDV, which spanned 2839-3479 of the BYDV genome (GenBank Accession Nos. EF043235 and NC_002160) (2). The partial coat protein gene sequence of 483 nt was compared with the available sequences of 12 BYDV-PAV isolates (PAV-JP, PAV-NY, PAV-ILL, PAV-AUS, PAV-WG2, PAV-whG4y3, PAV-on21-4, Tahoe1, CA-PAV, HB3, FH3, and MA9501); nine BYDV-PAS isolates (PAS-129, PAS-64, WS6603, WG13, PAS-Tcb4-1, PASwaw5-9, FL2, PAS-Vd29, and PAS-MA9516); and six BYDV-MAV isolates (MAV-CA, MAV-PS1X1, MAV-Alameds268, LMB2a, SI-o4, and MAV-CN) by MEGA4 (3). Nucleotide and amino acid sequence identities for the three isolates ranged from 92.9 to 99.4% and 88.0 to 95.8%, respectively, for available BYDV-MAV isolates; 76.8 to 78.2% and 62.7 to 67.6%, respectively, for available BYDV-PAS isolates; and 77.6 to 79.3% and 65.5 to 70.4%, respectively, for available PAV isolates. The sequence data indicates that these isolates (CZ-6815, CZ-1561, and CZ10844; GenBank Accession Nos. FJ645747, FJ645758, and FJ645746, respectively) are BYDV-MAV. To my knowledge, this is the first record of BYDV-MAV in the Czech Republic. References: (1) C. J. D'Arcy and L. L. Domier. Page 891 in: Virus Taxonomy-8th Report of the ICTV. C. M. Fauquet et al., eds. Springer-Verlag, NY, 2005. (2) J. K. Kundu. Plant Dis. 92:1587, 2008. (3) K. Tamura et al. Mol. Biol. Evol. 24:1596, 2007. (4) J. Vacke. Page 100 in: Sbornik Referatu z Odborneho Seminare, Aktualni Problemy Ochrany Polnich Plodin, Praha, 1991.

First Report of Barley yellow dwarf virus-PAS in Wheat and Barley Grown in the Czech Republic.

Barley yellow dwarf disease, an important, ubiquitous virus disease of cereal crops worldwide, is caused by a group of related single-stranded RNA viruses assigned to luteovirus (Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) spp. PAV, PAS, MAV, and GAV) or polerovirus (Cereal yellow dwarf virus-RPV) genera or unassigned to a genera (BYDV-SGV, BYDV-RMV, and BYDV-GPV) in the family Luteoviridae (2). Incidence of BYDV in cereal crops (e.g., barley, wheat, and oats) was high and reached epidemic levels in recent years in many regions of the Czech Republic. Previously, only PAV isolates have been identified here on the basis of serological detection (4), although antibodies to differentiate between PAV, PAS, and MAV are not widely available. Field samples of cereal crops were routinely tested in 2006 and 2007 and BYDVs were detected by ELISA. One-step-reverse transcription (RT)-PCR (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) was adapted for BYDV detection using primer pairs BYcpF (5'-CCACTAGAGAGGTGGTGAATG-3') and BYcpR (5'-CCGGTGTTGAGGAGTCTACC-3') designed from conserved sequences identified by aligning multiple BYDV sequences available in public databases. These primers amplify a 641-bp fragment spanning nucleotides 2839-3479 from PAV (GenBank Accession No. EF043235) or PAS (GenBank Accession No. NC_002160) that includes a region of the coat protein gene and the intergenic region. RT-PCR amplicons were generated from two field isolates, PS-RuJK (spring wheat isolate, cv. Granny, collected in July 2007 from experimental plots at the CRI in Prague) and JE-120JK (winter barley isolate, cv. Merlot, collected in January 2008 from a barley field in Rychnov), both of which induced severe BYD symptoms. Amplicons were sequenced in both directions in a CEQ2000XL sequencer (Beckman Coulter, Fullerton, CA). The partial coat protein gene sequence of 483 nt of PS-RuJK and JE-120JK was analyzed and compared with available sequences of 26 PAV, 17 PAS, and 13 MAV isolates by MEGA4 (3). PS-RuJK (GenBank Accession No. EU863652) nucleotide and amino acid sequence identities ranged from 96.3 to 99.2% and 93.7 to 98.7%, respectively, for available PAS isolates, and 89.9 to 90.5% and 85.5 to 86.9%, respectively, for available PAV isolates, and 78.3 to 79.5% and 70.0 to 72.5%, respectively, for available MAV isolates. Similarly, nucleotide and amino acid sequence identities JE-120JK (GenBank Accession No. EU863653) ranged from 95.2 to 98.6% and 90.6 to 96.9%, respectively, for PAS isolates, 88.8 to 90.1% and 83.1 to 84.4%, respectively, for PAV isolates, and 77.6 to 78.7% and 67.5 to 70.0%, respectively, for MAV isolates. Also, both of these isolates have the conserved amino acid motif "SIPGS" that is usually present in a variable region of the coat protein gene on the surface of virion (1) at position 52 to 56 of amino acid sequences of all published PAS-like isolates, including Vd29:AY167109, FH1:AJ223588, MA9516:AJ007926, FL2:AJ223586, ASL-1:AJ810418, and WS6603:DQ285680, contrary to "PVFRP" or "LISGP" motif in PAV or MAV, respectively. Therefore, the sequence data clearly confirm that these two isolates belong to the PAS species. To our knowledge, this is the first record of PAS detected in the Czech Republic. References: (1) C. A. Chay et al. Phytopathology 86:370, 1996. (2) C. J. D'Arcy and L. L. Domier. Page 891 in: Virus Taxonomy-8th Report of the ICTV. C. M. Fauquet et al., eds. Springer-Verlag, NY, 2005. (3) K. Tamura et al. Mol. Biol. Evol. 24:1596, 2007. (4) J. Vacke. Page 100 in: Sbornik Referatu z Odborneho Seminare, Aktualni Problemy Ochrany Polnich Plodin. Praha, 1991.

Variation in lipid and fatty acid uptake among nematode and cestode parasites and their host, domestic fowl: host-parasite interaction.

Lipid synthesis is an important process in most organisms as well as in helminths. The present observation shows the variation of lipid and fatty acid uptake among cestode, Raillietina (Fuhrmannetta) echinobothrida; nematode, Ascaridia galli and their host, Gallus domesticus, the common country fowl. Total lipid (TL), neutral lipid (NL), glycolipid (GL), phospholipid (PL) and their fatty acid of cestode, nematode and liver and intestinal fluid of the host were analyzed by thin layer chromatography and gas liquid chromatography respectively. The result shows that liver take more TL, PL and GL except NL. Utilization of lipid from intestinal fluid when compare between the parasites, it is found that TL and PL content of cestode are higher than nematode, whereas, nematode absorbs more NL and GL than cestode. The percent of cholesterol is more in cestode than nematode. Palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic are the predominant fatty acids among all the samples. The present study reveals that the cestode having large surface area is more opportunistic in the resource utilization over the nematode as well as the host.

Antitumor activity of epifriedelanol from Vitis trifolia.

The isolation and NMR spectral data of epifriedelanol from Vitis trifolia are reported. It demonstrated antitumor activity in a potato disc bioassay.

A rapid and effective RNA release procedure for virus detection in woody plants by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

A rapid and effective RNA release procedure (RNA-RP) for detection of the Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV) and the Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV) in woody plants by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was developed. RNA-RP released RNA into crude homogenate. RNA-RP was compared with classical phenol/chlorophorm extraction of RNA. The RT-PCR detection of ASPV and ASGV was shown to be similar by both the RNA preparation procedures. RNA-RP in contrast to the classical phenol/chloroform procedure represents a reliable and easy-to hand protocol convenient for routine virus detection. Leaf tissues, especially dormant bud leaves and leaves during blossom, were shown to be the most optimal material for detection of these viruses, irrespective of the used RNA preparation procedure.

Polymerase chain reaction assay for Cydia pomonella granulovirus detection in Cydia pomonella population.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was successfully used to identify Cydia pomonella granulovirus (CpGV) in larvae of Cydia pomonella L. (codling moth). PCR with the primers CpGV-2A/CpGV-2B and CpGV-3A/CpGV-3B was found suitable for detection of CpGV. The primers Cp-I/Cp-II and Cp-III/Cp-IV were able to identify the transposable element TCp3.2 in C. pomonella larvae. The presence of CpGV in the larvae from orchards,which had been infected with CpGV was tested during 2 years post infection. (p.i.). CpGV was found in as many as 15% of the surviving larvae 1 year p.i. in one location. The virus was not detected in CpGV-infected orchards 2 years p.i. or in natural C. pomonella populations. This result suggests a poor persistence of CpGV in surviving C. pomonella individuals and its slow spread in a natural host population. One the other hand, the presence of a transposable element, transposon TCp3.2 may correlate with virus redistribution in this insect population.

Analgesic, antiinflammatory and CNS depressant activities of sesquiterpenes and a flavonoid glycoside from Polygonum viscosum.

Analgesic, antiinflammatory and CNS depressant activities of four sesquiterpenes, viscosumic acid, viscozulenic acid, viscoazucine and viscoazulone, and a flavonoid glycoside, quercetin-3-O-(6''-feruloyl)-beta-D-galactopyranoside isolated form the aerial parts of Polygonum viscosum (Polygonaceae) have been assessed. All test compounds exhibited CNS depressant activity in open field test, all but viscoazulone showed analgesic activity in Eddy's hot plate test, all sesquiterpenes inhibited acetic acid induced abdominal writhing in mice, and all but viscoazucine and the flavonoid glycoside exhibited mild to moderate antiinflammatory effect on carrageenan induced rat paw edema.

Isolation and structure elucidation of viscoazucine, a novel sesquiterpene from Polygonum viscosum.

A new sesquiterpene, 1,4-dimethoxycarbonyl-7-(1-methylethyl)- 3,3a,6,7,8,8a-hexahydroazulene (viscoazucine) (1), and a known flavone, 3',5,7-trihydoxy-3,4',5'-trimethoxyflavone (4), have been isolated from Polygonum viscosum. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, notably UV, MS and NMR.

Generation of ROS by CAY10598 leads to inactivation of STAT3 signaling and induction of apoptosis in human colon cancer HCT116 cells.

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) has been reported to play critical roles in cell fate decision by interacting with four types of prostanoid receptors such as EP1, EP2, EP3 and EP4. The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of the EP4-specific agonist CAY10598 in human colon cancer HCT116 cells. Our study revealed that treatment with CAY10598 significantly reduced the cell viability and induced apoptosis in HCT116 cells, as evidenced by the induction of p53 and Bax, release of cytochrome c, cleavage of caspase-9, -7, and -3, and PARP, and the inhibition of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and survivin expression. Moreover, treatment with CAY10598 diminished the phosphorylation of JAK2, leading to the attenuation of STAT3 activation in HCT116 cells. CAY10598-induced apoptosis in cells which were transiently transfected with EP4 siRNA or treated with an EP4 antagonist prior to incubation with the compound remained unaffected, suggesting an EP4-independent mechanism of apoptosis induction by CAY10598. We found that treatment with CAY10598 generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and pretreatment of cells with N-acetyl cysteine rescued cells from apoptosis by abrogating the inhibitory effect of CAY10598 on the activation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling. In conclusion, CAY10598 induced apoptosis in HCT116 cells in an EP4-independent manner, but through the generation of ROS and inactivation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling.

Evaluation of Reference Genes for the Relative Quantification of Apple stem grooving virus and Apple mosaic virus in Apple Trees.

A SYBR Green(®)-based one step RT-qPCR assay was developed for the detection and quantification of Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV) and Apple mosaic virus (ApMV). The RT-qPCR assay employed seven plant-expressed genes-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), 18S ribosomal RNA, ubiquitin, ribosomal protein S19, Rubisco, RNA polymerase subunit II and ß-actin-as internal reference housekeeping genes in a relative quantification system in three apple cultivars (i.e. Idared, Champion, Fragrance). The average expression stability (M) found by GeNorm software suggest that GAPDH and S19 were the most stable reference genes. We propose employing GAPDH and S19 as housekeeping genes for accurate quantification of ASGV and ApMV in apple leaf samples. The detection limit for both viruses was found around 70 copies of viral genome by one-step RT-qPCR.

Detection of Prune dwarf virus by one-step RT-PCR and its quantitation by real-time PCR.

A quantitative PCR, real-time RT-PCR, and one-step real-time RT-PCR using SYBR Green-based tools for reliable detection and relative quantitation of Prune dwarf virus (PDV) in stone fruits are described. The assay reliability was tested on 55 samples from different hosts and regions. The sensitivity of the assay was also compared with other assays with different primers. Two plant-expressed genes, actin and 18S rRNA, were used as housekeeping genes for accurate quantitation of PDV in stone fruit trees. The expression of the gene for actin and the 18S ribosomal RNA gene corresponded with each other accurately, with standard deviation values of 1.905 cycles on average, 1.36 for Prunus persica, and 2.45 for other Prunus species tested. The results of this study support the need to use more than one housekeeping gene as an internal control to avoid possible errors caused by unstable internal control gene mRNA expression when quantifying the extent of PDV infection.

Runx3 is required for the differentiation of lung epithelial cells and suppression of lung cancer.

Human lung adenocarcinoma, the most prevalent form of lung cancer, is characterized by many molecular abnormalities. K-ras mutations are associated with the initiation of lung adenocarcinomas, but K-ras-independent mechanisms may also initiate lung tumors. Here, we find that the runt-related transcription factor Runx3 is essential for normal murine lung development and is a tumor suppressor that prevents lung adenocarcinoma. Runx3-/- mice, which die soon after birth, exhibit alveolar hyperplasia. Importantly, Runx3-/- bronchioli exhibit impaired differentiation, as evidenced by the accumulation of epithelial cells containing specific markers for both alveolar (that is SP-B) and bronchiolar (that is CC10) lineages. Runx3-/- epithelial cells also express Bmi1, which supports self-renewal of stem cells. Lung adenomas spontaneously develop in aging Runx3+/- mice ( approximately 18 months after birth) and invariably exhibit reduced levels of Runx3. As K-ras mutations are very rare in these adenomas, Runx3+/- mice provide an animal model for lung tumorigenesis that recapitulates the preneoplastic stage of human lung adenocarcinoma development, which is independent of K-Ras mutation. We conclude that Runx3 is essential for lung epithelial cell differentiation, and that downregulation of Runx3 is causally linked to the preneoplastic stage of lung adenocarcinoma.