Transcriptome Analysis of the Effects of Grafting Interstocks on Apple Rootstocks and Scions.

Apples are a major horticultural crop worldwide. Grafting techniques are widely utilized in apple production to keep the varieties pure. Interstocks are frequently used in Northern China to achieve intensive apple dwarfing cultivation. High-throughput sequencing was used to investigate differentially expressed genes in the phloem tissues of two different xenograft systems, M ('Gala'/'Mac 9'/Malus baccata (L.) Borkh.) and B ('Gala'/Malus baccata (L.) Borkh.). The results showed that dwarfing interstocks could significantly reduce the height and diameters of apple trees while have few effects on the growth of annual branches. The interstocks were found to regulate the expression of genes related to hormone metabolism and tree body control (GH3.9, PIN1, CKI1, ARP1, GA2ox1 and GA20ox1), these effects may attribute the dwarf characters for apple trees with interstocks. Besides, the interstocks reduce photosynthesis-related genes (MADH-ME4 and GAPC), promote carbon (C) metabolism gene expression (AATP1, GDH and PFK3), promote the expression of nitrogen (N)-metabolism-related genes (NRT2.7, NADH and GDH) in rootstocks, and improve the expression of genes related to secondary metabolism in scions (DX5, FPS1, TPS21 and SRG1). We also concluded that the interstocks acquired early blooming traits due to promotion of the expression of flowering genes in the scion (MOF1, FTIP7, AGL12 and AGL24). This study is a valuable resource regarding the molecular mechanisms of dwarf interstocks' influence on various biological processes and transplantation systems in both scions and rootstocks.

Biochemical and structural characterization of the cyanophage-encoded phosphate-binding protein: implications for enhanced phosphate uptake of infected cyanobacteria.

To acquire phosphorus, cyanobacteria use the typical bacterial ABC-type phosphate transporter, which is composed of a periplasmic high-affinity phosphate-binding protein PstS and a channel formed by two transmembrane proteins PstC and PstA. A putative pstS gene was identified in the genomes of cyanophages that infect the unicellular marine cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus. However, it has not been determined whether the cyanophage PstS protein is functional during infection to enhance the phosphate uptake rate of host cells. Here we showed that the cyanophage P-SSM2 PstS protein was abundant in the infected Prochlorococcus NATL2A cells and the host phosphate uptake rate was enhanced after infection. This is consistent with our biochemical and structural analyses showing that the phage PstS protein is indeed a high-affinity phosphate-binding protein. We further modelled the complex structure of phage PstS with host PstCA and revealed three putative interfaces that may facilitate the formation of a chimeric ABC transporter. Our results provide insights into the molecular mechanism by which cyanophages enhance the phosphate uptake rate of cyanobacteria. Phosphate acquisition by infected bacteria can increase the phosphorus contents of released cellular debris and virus particles, which together constitute a significant proportion of the marine dissolved organic phosphorus pool.

Biological Functions of Hydrogen Sulfide in Plants.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which is a gasotransmitter, can be biosynthesized and participates in various physiological and biochemical processes in plants. H2S also positively affects plants' adaptation to abiotic stresses. Here, we summarize the specific ways in which H2S is endogenously synthesized and metabolized in plants, along with the agents and methods used for H2S research, and outline the progress of research on the regulation of H2S on plant metabolism and morphogenesis, abiotic stress tolerance, and the series of different post-translational modifications (PTMs) in which H2S is involved, to provide a reference for future research on the mechanism of H2S action.

Regulation of the biosynthesis of endogenous nitric oxide and abscisic acid in stored peaches by exogenous nitric oxide and abscisic acid.

BACKGROUND: Nitric oxide (NO) and abscisic acid (ABA) are important regulators of plant response to cold stress, and they interact in response to cold signals. The primary goal of this study was to determine the roles of exogenous NO and ABA on the synthesis of endogenous NO and ABA in cold-stored peach fruit. RESULTS: Exogenous NO and ABA maintained a relatively high content of NO, increased nitrate reductase (NR) activity, and inhibited the activity of NO synthase (NOS)-like and the levels of polyamine biosynthesis in peaches during cold storage. Treatments of potassium 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (c-PTIO), NO, N-nitro-l-Arg-methyl ester (L -NAME), and sodium tungstate did not influence ABA content. Exogenous ABA increased the content of carotenoids and the activities of aldehyde oxidase (AO), 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED), and zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP) of ABA synthesis in peaches during cold storage, and upregulated the gene expression of PpAO1, PpNCED1, PpNCED2, and PpZEP. The production of endogenous NO was differentially inhibited by NO scavengers, ABA inhibitors, and NR inhibitors, but not affected by NOS-like inhibitors during cold storage. CONCLUSION: Exogenous NO and ABA can induce endogenous NO synthesis in cold-stored peaches by the nitrate reductase pathway, and ABA can mediate endogenous ABA synthesis by the autocatalytic reaction. NO does not regulate ABA synthesis. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Interactive effects of abscisic acid and nitric oxide on chilling resistance and active oxygen metabolism in peach fruit during cold storage.

BACKGROUND: Cold conditions can accelerate the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and excessive ROS may attack biological macromolecules, disrupt related signal pathways, induce oxidative stress and influence plant metabolism. The cross-talk between nitric oxide (NO) and abscisic acid (ABA) and the inhibitions by NO or ABA on oxidative damage have been reported in fruits. However, there are few reports about the roles of NO-ABA interactions in chilling stress and antioxidant defense in fruits during cold storage. This study was conducted to investigate the roles of NO, ABA and interactions between NO and ABA in response to chilling stress on peach fruit (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, cv. 'Xintaihong'). RESULTS: Treatments with 15 µmol L-1 NO, 100 µmol L-1 ABA and 15 µmol L-1 NO + 5 mmol L-1 sodium tungstate solution could reduce ROS content, alleviate lipid peroxidation and enhance antioxidant enzyme activities and antioxidant capacities. However, treatments with 5 µmol L-1 potassium 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (c-PTIO), 5 mmol L-1 sodium tungstate and 100 µmol L-1 ABA + 5 µmol L-1 c-PTIO differentially blocked these protective effects and significantly increased ROS content and lipid peroxidation of peaches under low-temperature conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Application of exogenous ABA could increase the resistance to cold-induced oxidative stress by enhancing the efficiency of enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems, which were partially mediated by NO. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Structural and mechanistic insights into MICU1 regulation of mitochondrial calcium uptake.

Mitochondrial calcium uptake is a critical event in various cellular activities. Two recently identified proteins, the mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter (MCU), which is the pore-forming subunit of a Ca(2+) channel, and mitochondrial calcium uptake 1 (MICU1), which is the regulator of MCU, are essential in this event. However, the molecular mechanism by which MICU1 regulates MCU remains elusive. In this study, we report the crystal structures of Ca(2+)-free and Ca(2+)-bound human MICU1. Our studies reveal that Ca(2+)-free MICU1 forms a hexamer that binds and inhibits MCU. Upon Ca(2+) binding, MICU1 undergoes large conformational changes, resulting in the formation of multiple oligomers to activate MCU. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the affinity of MICU1 for Ca(2+) is approximately 15-20 µM. Collectively, our results provide valuable details to decipher the molecular mechanism of MICU1 regulation of mitochondrial calcium uptake.

Analysis of Aroma Characteristics of 'Binzi' and 'Xiangguo' Apple-Ancient Cultivars in China.

'Binzi' (BZ) (Malus domestica subsp. chinensis var. binzi Li Y.N.) and 'Xiangguo' (XG) (Malus domestica subsp. chinensis var. xiangguo Li Y.N.) are the ancient cultivars in China. The BZ fruits have a low-fragrant flavor on harvest day but a high-fragrant flavor after storage at room temperature, while the XG fruits have a stronger flavor when mature. 'Starking' (SK) and 'Golden Delicious' (GD) fruits have a rich flavor and are recognized by all countries in the world. However, information on the differences between ancient Chinese cultivars and Western apple cultivars in aroma compounds remains unknown. The apple fruits were collected for continuous two years. Aroma compounds in the skin and pulp of the fruits were detected at room temperature (20 ± 1 °C) during storage. The dynamics of VOCs in BZ and SK fruits were more similarly reflected in esters, while those of XG and GD fruits were reflected in aldehydes and alcohols. Ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, with an extremely low odor threshold, was the main source of typical apple flavor in SK, BZ, and XG fruits, while hexyl acetate was the source of the banana flavor in GD fruits. 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one and ß-damascenone were the important ketones produced in the later stage of storage, derived from the carotenoid metabolism pathway and providing a citrus and rose flavor to the four apple cultivars. SK had the highest number of characteristic aroma components, which were mainly derived from the amino acid metabolism pathway, providing fruits with a sweet and fruity flavor. Although the characteristic aroma components of GD were derived from the fatty acid metabolic pathway, the number of volatile esters was lower. Ethyl butyrate, derived from the saturated fatty acid metabolism, had the highest content in BZ, providing a pineapple flavor; the flavor of XG was mainly derived from ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, and ß-damascenone. Therefore, we suggest BZ and XG apples as the aroma-breeding material with which to enrich new cultivars' aroma components, derived from the fatty acid metabolism and carotenoid metabolism pathways, respectively.

Nitric oxide-mediated DNA methylation enhances cold resistance in postharvest peach fruit.

Low temperature can affect DNA methylation. Since exogenous use of NO can reduce cold damage in peach fruit during cold storage, this study investigated the roles of NO on DNA methylation of peaches suffering cold stress. The results showed that exogenous NO effectively alleviated the decrease in total DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity and transcript levels induced by cold stress, whereas c-PTIO exacerbated the decrease in total DNMT activity and transcript levels. Further BSP analysis of the promoter regions of four cold resistance genes (PpCBF5-IS2, PpICE1-IS, PpMYC2-IS, PpCOR-IS1) in peaches showed that in peaches treated with exogenous NO, PpCBF5-IS2 and PpICE1-IS were modified by hypermethylation, PpMYC2-IS was modified by methylation, PpCOR-IS1 was modified by demethylation and insensitive to NO. It was suggested that NO could enhance the cold resistance of postharvest peaches by mediating DNA methylation.

Nitric oxide modulates folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism and mitochondrial energy levels of peaches during cold storage.

Folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism (FOCM) is closely associated with postharvest preservation. This study investigated the effects of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) on FOCM, storage quality, energy metabolism, and mitochondrial membrane integrity in cold-storage peach fruit. In this experiment, peaches were soaked with 1.5 mmol L-1S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) as NO donor, and the negative treatment (NT) solution containing 5 µmol L-1 carboxy-PTIO (c-PTIO, NO scavenger), 200 µmol L-1 NG-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, NO synthase-like enzyme inhibitor), and 200 µmol L-1 sodium tungstate dihydrate (nitrate reductase inhibitor) and stored at 0°C. The results showed that NO decreased the activity of S-adenosylmethionine synthase and S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase and increased the activity of methionine sulfoxide reductase A, as well as the content of N5-methyl-THF, the ratio of tetrahydrofolate (THF), homocysteine, methionine, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), and SAM to S-adenosylhomocysteine compared with the control, indicating that NO effectively increased FOCM flux by affecting the activity of FOCM enzymes. Meanwhile, NO increased the activities of H+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase, cytochrome c oxidase, succinate dehydrogenase, and the contents of adenosine triphosphate and adenosine diphosphate, and maintained high energy charge in peaches during storage. NO retarded the increase in mitochondrial permeability transition, reactive oxygen species content, and the decrease in mitochondrial membrane fluidity, membrane potential, and swelling. NT treatment exhibited the opposite results. In conclusion, these results suggested that NO could induce the accumulation of folate and FOCM flux and maintain mitochondrial energy levels, which might be responsible for maintaining the quality of peaches during cold storage.

Synergism between CMG helicase and leading strand DNA polymerase at replication fork.

The replisome that replicates the eukaryotic genome consists of at least three engines: the Cdc45-MCM-GINS (CMG) helicase that separates duplex DNA at the replication fork and two DNA polymerases, one on each strand, that replicate the unwound DNA. Here, we determined a series of cryo-electron microscopy structures of a yeast replisome comprising CMG, leading-strand polymerase Polε and three accessory factors on a forked DNA. In these structures, Polε engages or disengages with the motor domains of the CMG by occupying two alternative positions, which closely correlate with the rotational movement of the single-stranded DNA around the MCM pore. During this process, the polymerase remains stably coupled to the helicase using Psf1 as a hinge. This synergism is modulated by a concerted rearrangement of ATPase sites to drive DNA translocation. The Polε-MCM coupling is not only required for CMG formation to initiate DNA replication but also facilitates the leading-strand DNA synthesis mediated by Polε. Our study elucidates a mechanism intrinsic to the replisome that coordinates the activities of CMG and Polε to negotiate any roadblocks, DNA damage, and epigenetic marks encountered during translocation along replication forks.

Structural insight into SSE15206 in complex with tubulin provides a rational design for pyrazolinethioamides as tubulin polymerization inhibitors.

Background: Tubulin protein is a promising target for antitumor drugs. Some tubulin inhibitors targeting the colchicine binding site are not substrates of the multidrug-resistance efflux pump, which can overcome the mechanism of drug resistance mediated by P-glycoprotein. Methodology/results: SSE15206 is a colchicine binding site inhibitor with antiproliferative activity against different drug-resistant cell lines. Unfortunately, the lack of detailed interaction information about SSE15206 in complex with tubulin impeded the development of potent drugs that possess similar scaffolds. Herein, the authors report the crystal structure of the tubulin-SSE15206 complex at a resolution of 2.8 Å. Conclusion: The complex structure reveals the intermolecular interactions between SSE15206 and tubulin, providing a rationale for the development of pyrazolinethioamides as tubulin polymerization inhibitors and to overcome multidrug resistance.

Aloe vera mitigates dextran sulfate sodium-induced rat ulcerative colitis by potentiating colon mucus barrier.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. (Aloe vera) is a medicinal herb that used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practice for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases such as constipation and colitis. Recent studies also reported its beneficial effect in mitigating ulcerative colitis (UC). Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms of Aloe vera against UC remain largely unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to explore a relation between the therapeutical effects of Aloe vera in UC and colonic mucus secretion, and further investigate the underlying pathways through which Aloe vera regulates colon mucus as well as preliminarily studied the main active constitute of Aloe vera to alleviate UC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: UPLC-MS/MS were employed to analyze the Aloe vera extract. The rat models of UC were induced by free subjected to fresh 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) solution for 8 days and then accessed to tap water for 2 days. Aloe vera extract (18 mg/kg and 72 mg/kg) or 5-ASA (400 mg/kg) was administered orally from day 1-10. At the end of experiment, rats were sacrificed and the colon tissues were harvested for analysis. UC symptoms was evaluated by disease activity index (DAI), colon length and H&E staining. The Alcian blue stain were determined colon mucus layer. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, mucin and inflammatory cytokines in colon tissues were determined by ELISA. The expression of related proteins on PI3K/AKT and PKC/ERK signaling pathway was analyzed by Western blot. We then evaluated the effects of three main components of Aloe vera (Aloe-emodin, aloin A and B) on mucin secretion and cytokine expression in vitro by ELISA. RESULTS: Oral supplement with Aloe vera extract resulted in a significantly decreased DSS-induced UC symptoms, including decreased DAI, prevention of the colon length shortening, and alleviation of the pathological changes occurring in colon. The expression of colonic pro-inflammatory mediators, including IL-6, IL-1ß and TNF-α were suppressed, yet the expression of IL-10 was up-regulated by Aloe vera treatment. Moreover, Aloe vera significantly up-regulated the expressions of mucin proteins (e.g., MUC2 and MUC5AC) and increased the thickness of mucus layer in the colon. Further, we revealed that Aloe vera significantly upregulated p-PKC and p-ERK expression and downregulated p-PI3K and p-AKT expression. Finally, we discovered that treat with aloin A markedly decreased IL-6 levels and increased MUC2 expression in LPS-stimulated LS174T cell. CONCLUSION: These results support that Aloe vera improved UC by enhancing colon mucus barrier functions in addition to reducing inflammation. Moreover, aloin A might be a main active components of Aloe vera to ameliorate UC.

Increased Organic Fertilizer and Reduced Chemical Fertilizer Increased Fungal Diversity and the Abundance of Beneficial Fungi on the Grape Berry Surface in Arid Areas.

Fertilizer practices can significantly impact the fruit quality and microbial diversity of the orchards. The fungi on the surface of fruits are essential for fruit storability and safety. However, it is not clear whether fertilization affects the fungal diversity and community structure on the surface of grape berries. Here, grape quality and the fungal diversity on the surface of grapes harvested from three fertilizer treatments were analyzed shortly after grape picking (T0) and following 8 days of storage (T1). The study involved three treatments: (1) common chemical fertilizer for 2 years (CH); (2) increased organic fertilizer and reduced chemical fertilizer for 1 year (A.O); and (3) increased organic fertilizer and reduced chemical fertilizer for 2 years (B.O). The application of increased organic fertilizer and reduced chemical fertilizer increased the soluble solids content (SSC) of the grape berries and decreased the pH of the grape juice. A total of 827,947 high-quality fungal sequences were recovered and assigned to 527 operational taxonomic units. Members of the Ascomycota phylum were dominant in all samples and accounted for 94.41% of the total number of detected sequences, followed by the Basidiomycota (5.05%), and unidentified fungi (0.54%). Alpha and beta diversity analyses revealed significantly different fungal populations in the three fertilizer treatments over the two time periods. The fungal diversity and richness on the grape berry surface in the B.O and A.O treatments were higher than those in the CH treatment. Among the detected fungi, the B.O treatments were mainly Pichia, Aureobasidium, and Candida genera, while the CH treatments were Botrytis, Aspergillus, and Penicillium. Moreover, significant differences were revealed between the two assessment times (T0 and T1). The samples from the T0 timepoint had higher fungal richness and diversity than the samples from T1 timepoint. Increasing organic fertilizer usage in grape management could improve grape quality and went on to increase the fungal diversity, as well as the relative abundance (RA) of beneficial fungi on grape berry surfaces. The correlation analysis suggested that the pH of the grape juice was significantly negatively correlated with fungal diversity parameters.

Interaction between nitric oxide and storage temperature on sphingolipid metabolism of postharvest peach fruit.

Both nitric oxide (NO) and cold storage have positive effects on the maintenance of fruit quality during storage. However, the roles of NO and storage temperatures in regulating the responses of sphingolipids metabolism to chilling injury of peach fruit during storage remain unknown. Peaches were treated by immersion in distilled water and 15 µmol L-1 NO solution, then stored at 25 °C and 0 °C, respectively. The effects of NO-treatment and storage temperature on the activities of enzymes in sphingolipid metabolism and the contents of sphingolipids in peach fruits were studied. NO maintained higher activities of acid phosphatase (AP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in peach fruits at 25 °C, but promoted the decrease in the activities of AP and ALP at 0 °C, suggesting the regulation by NO on AP and ALP could be modulated by temperature. Compared with the storage at 25 °C, cold storage at 0 °C decreased the activities of phospholipase A (PLA), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), 3-ketodihydrosphingosine reductase (KDSR), sphingosine kinase (SPHK), ceramide synthase (CERS), ceramide kinase (CERK), and the contents of sphingosine (SPH), ceramide (CER), sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P), sphingomyelin (SM), and increased the activities of phospholipase C (PLC), phospholipase D (PLD), sphingomyelin synthase (SMS). NO significantly increased the contents of sphingolipid metabolites, and the activities of PLA, KDSR, SPHK, CERS, CERK, but decreased the activities of PLC, PLD, SMS of peaches. The results suggested that NO could maintain sphingolipid metabolism to relieve the response of the postharvest fruit to low temperature.

Regulation by nitric oxide on mitochondrial permeability transition of peaches during storage.

Mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pores (MPTP) play important roles in mitochondrial function. There are many chemicals in the mitochondria that can act as signal molecules to affect the membrane permeability of mitochondria and mediate to release various enzymes. As a signaling molecule, nitric oxide (NO) is a key player in fruit growth and development. However, the specific mechanism through NO regulates MPTP, and how exogenous NO prolongs fruit storage time are both unclear. In this study, Feicheng peaches were treated with different concentrations of exogenous NO (5, 15 and 30 µmol L-1) and c-PTIO to determine the changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), hexokinase II activity, the contents of cytochrome C and Ca2+ in mitochondria, as well as the effects of voltage-dependent anion channels (VDAC) and phosphate carrier (PiC) proteins on MPTP during storage. The results showed that NO could form a 1:1 complex either with VDAC or PiC, which proved that NO could react with the protein of PiC or VDAC. Treatment with 15 µmol L-1 NO maintained stable mitochondrial Ca2+ content, and high potential and permeability of the mitochondrial membrane, while decreased cytochrome C content and increased hexokinase activity. When NO was removed, the opposite result appeared. These results indicated that exogenous NO could stabilize MMP and participate in MPTP regulation of peaches during storage.

Ethylene Response of Plum ACC Synthase 1 (ACS1) Promoter is Mediated through the Binding Site of Abscisic Acid Insensitive 5 (ABI5).

The enzyme 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase (ACS) participates in the ethylene biosynthesis pathways and it is tightly regulated transcriptionally and post-translationally. Notwithstanding its major role in climacteric fruit ripening, the transcriptional regulation of ACS during ripening is not fully understood. We studied fruit ripening in two Japanese plum cultivars, the climacteric Santa Rosa (SR) and its non-climacteric bud sport mutant, Sweet Miriam (SM). As the two cultivars show considerable difference in ACS expression, they provide a good system for the study of the transcriptional regulation of the gene. To investigate the differential transcriptional regulation of ACS1 genes in the SR and SM, their promoter region, which showed only minor sequence differences, was isolated and used to identify the binding of transcription factors interacting with specific ACS1 cis-acting elements. Three transcription factors (TFs), abscisic acid-insensitive 5 (ABI5), GLABRA 2 (GL2), and TCP2, showed specific binding to the ACS1 promoter. Synthetic DNA fragments containing multiple cis-acting elements of these TFs fused to ß-glucuronidase (GUS), showed the ABI5 binding site mediated ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA) responses of the promoter. While TCP2 and GL2 showed constant and similar expression levels in SM and SR fruit during ripening, ABI5 expression in SM fruits was lower than in SR fruits during advanced fruit ripening states. Overall, the work demonstrates the complex transcriptional regulation of ACS1.

Proteome comparison following self- and across-pollination in self-incompatible apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.).

The study compared the protein differences between self- and across-pollinated self-incompatible (SI) apricots by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography-electrospray ion trap tandem mass spectrometry, the results showed that nine protein spots were expressed in self-pollinated pistil and only one was expressed in cross-pollinated pistils. Sixteen and three protein spots were up- and down-regulated in cross-pollinated pistils, respectively, compared with self-pollinated pistils. Seven protein spots were identified unambiguously by SEQUEST in NCBI protein database: Actin-12, enolase, MYB transcription-factor-like protein, heat-shock protein 70 were upregulated in cross-pollinated pistils compared with self-pollinated pistils; and actin-7, actin-8 and fructose bisphosphate aldolase-like protein were detected only in self-pollinated pistils.

Structural insight into the central element assembly of the synaptonemal complex.

The key step in meiosis is synaptonemal complex formation, which mediates homologous chromosome alignment and synapsis. False pairing between homologous chromosomes produces infertility. Here, we present a crystal structure of the mouse meiosis-specific protein SYCE3, which is a component of the synaptonemal complex central element. Our studies show that functional SYCE3 most likely forms a dimer or higher order oligomer in cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the SYCE3 N-helix interacts with the SYCE1 C-helix, which is another central element component. Our results suggest that helical packing may mediate intra- or inter-association of each central element protein component, thereby playing an essential role in forming the synaptonemal complex central elements.

Primary style protein expression in the self-incompatible/compatible apricot by the 2D-DIGE technique.

In order to explore the molecular mechanism underlying self-incompatibility (SI) in the apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) at the proteome level, we examined the style proteomes at different stages of flower development: small bud, big bud, 24h after self-pollination and 24h after cross-pollination with cultivar Badanshui in the SI apricot cultivar Xinshiji and the self-compatible (SC) apricot cultivar Katy by 2D fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and mass spectrometry (MS). About 1500 style protein spots were detected; 66 were expressed differently in the four stages in Xinshiji. About 1600 style protein spots were detected; 143 were expressed differently in the four stages of flower development in Katy. In Xinshiji, one protein was expressed specifically, four proteins showed up-regulated expression and twenty-nine proteins showed down-regulated expression in the cross-pollinated style compared to the self-pollinated style. Thirteen proteins were identified unambiguously. In Katy, three proteins were expressed specifically, five proteins showed up-regulated expression and thirteen proteins showed down-regulated expression in the cross-pollinated style compared to self-pollinated style. Seven proteins were identified unambiguously. The different reactions of the style at the proteomic level were triggered in Xinshiji and Katy by self pollen and non-self pollen.