Soybean RVE8a confers salt and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Soybean is an economically important crop, which often suffers various abiotic stresses. REVEILLE (RVE) genes have been generally considered as circadian oscillators to mediate diverse developmental processes and plant response to environmental stresses. Addressing their roles is of significance for utilizing them to enhance agronomic traits in crops. However, our understanding of soybean RVEs is extremely limited. In the study, we investigated the expression patterns of soybean CCA1-like genes under salt stress using our RNA-Seq data. Subsequently, a salt stress-inducible gene, GmRVE8a, was chosen for further study. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that GmRVE8a is most closely related to Arabidopsis RVE4 and RVE8. Also, GmRVE8a showed circadian expression pattern with 24 h rhythmic period, suggesting that it might be a clock-regulated gene. Moreover, transgenic Arabidopsis lines over-expressing GmRVE8a were generated. It was observed that ectopic over-expression of GmRVE8a caused a significant delay in flowering. Further observation indicated that under salt and drought stress, transgenic seedlings were stronger than wild type. Consistently, three-week-old transgenic plants grew better than wild type under salt and drought conditions, and the MDA content in transgenic lines was significantly lower than wild type, suggesting that GmRVE8a might be a positive regulator in response to salt and drought stress. Intriguingly, Y2H assay indicated that GmRVE8a physically interacted with a drought-tolerant protein, GmNAC17. Overall, our findings provided preliminary information regarding the functional roles of GmRVE8a in response to salt and drought stress.

Genome-wide identification of BBX gene family and their expression patterns under salt stress in soybean.

BACKGROUND: BBX genes are key players in the regulation of various developmental processes and stress responses, which have been identified and functionally characterized in many plant species. However, our understanding of BBX family was greatly limited in soybean. RESULTS: In this study, 59 BBX genes were identified and characterized in soybean, which can be phylogenetically classified into 5 groups. GmBBXs showed diverse gene structures and motif compositions among the groups and similar within each group. Noticeably, synteny analysis suggested that segmental duplication contributed to the expansion of GmBBX family. Moreover, our RNA-Seq data indicated that 59 GmBBXs showed different transcript profiling under salt stress, and qRT-PCR analysis confirmed their expression patterns. Among them, 22 GmBBXs were transcriptionally altered with more than two-fold changes by salt stress, supporting that GmBBXs play important roles in soybean tolerance to salt stress. Additionally, Computational assay suggested that GmBBXs might potentially interact with GmGI3, GmTOE1b, GmCOP1, GmCHI and GmCRY, while eight types of transcription factors showed potentials to bind the promoter regions of GmBBX genes. CONCLUSIONS: Fifty-nine BBX genes were identified and characterized in soybean, and their expression patterns under salt stress and computational assays suggested their functional roles in response to salt stress. These findings will contribute to future research in regard to functions and regulatory mechanisms of soybean BBX genes in response to salt stress.

[Cochlear implant patients underwent successful MRI examination after local bandaging: a case report].

A female patient, now 6 years old, received cochlear implant in the right ear at the age of 2 (February, 2006). In August 16, 2010, a cervical spine MRI examination was required due to the cervical spine injury in order to confirm the diagnosis. Considering the cochlea coil may interfere with the MRI examination results, a local bandaging around the ear was given to isolate cochlear magnetic field. The results of cervical spine MRI examinations showed no obvious disturbance, which suggests that we could further explore this method clinically.

[One case report of Rosai-Dorfman disease in nasal cavity and nasal sinuses].

Rosai-Dorfman disease in nasal cavity and nasal sinuses is known as an idiopathic proliferative disease of histiocytes with a distinct morphologic feature and is very rare. It is easy to relapse and be misdiagnosed. In on case, the infiltrating histiocytes had large round or oval nuclei. The cytoplasm was abundant, granular or vacuolated and foamy. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the histiocytes were strongly reactive with antibodies against S100 and CD68. The diagnosis of extranodal RDD in the paranasal sinuses could be differentiated with rhinoscleroma, eosinophilic granuloma, plasmacytoma, or fibrous histiocytoma. It showed that the identification of the distinctive histiocytes which are typically immunoreactive to S100 and CD68 can be quite helpful for correct diagnosis.

[Screen for the position in influx of airflow of esophageal voice and the study of the new voice way].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the best position of the prosthesis after total laryngectomy and the possible way to improve. METHOD: Thirty-three patients with vocal prosthesis after total laryngectomy through April 1994 and July 2004 were selected. Among them, 10 cases were selected from 12 nonspeakers were defined as the experiment group; 10 cases with the same gender and nationality and closed occupation, age, the type of pathology,ways of the operation were selected from the rest cases who had got voice as the contrasted group. And intraesophageal pressure measurements, esophageal insufflation testing, esophageal barium solution x-ray, laryngofiberscopy were performed. Paired-samples t-test was adopted. RESULT: The distances from nostril to the entrance of esophagus, the best vocal position and the level of vocal prosthesis have no significant difference between two groups. The esophageal insufflation testing showed there was no one case got the voice in the experiment group and there were 7 cases got voice in the contrasted group. The best voice position of the experiment group were at 3.6 cm above the prosthesis, and the contrasted group were at 2 cm above the prosthesis. The pressure of superior esophagus suggested that the pressure of 1 cm below the entrance of esophagus and 2 cm below the prosthesis were lower and there were no significant difference (P > 0.05) between two groups, but the pressures of the level of prosthesis were higher and there were significant difference (P < 0.01) between them. CONCLUSION: The pressure at the level of the prosthesis in experiment group were more higher than the contrasted group was the main factors for failure to get voice. The best voice position could be found in both groups below the entrance of the esophagus, and below it was the level of the prosthesis with the highest pressure which could effectively prevent the air from flowing into the stomach. Allow the air flow into the position by operations and the reform of the prosthesis could solve the problem of could not get the voice and improve the rate of success to get voice.