Influence of affinity tags and tobacco PR1a signal peptide on detection, purification and bioactivity analyses of the small oomycete apoplastic effectors.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the influence of widely used protein affinity tags and the tobacco PR1a signal peptide (SP) on detection, purification and bioactivity analyses of the small oomycete apoplastic effector SCR96 in planta. RESULTS: Through agroinfiltration, the phytotoxic effector SCR96 of Phytophthora cactorum was expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana leaf apoplast as a fusion protein carrying single affinity tag (His, HA or FLAG) at either C- or N-terminus. Leaf necrosis caused by different affinity-tagged SCR96 varied among tags and replicates. All of tagged proteins can be detected by antibodies against SCR96. All of SCR96 fusions except N-terminally fused 6His-tagged protein were detected using tag antibodies, indicating that 6His tag may be degraded when fused at N-terminus. Interestingly, C-terminal His- and FLAG-tagged SCR96 maintained the biological activity after purification. In the substitution assay of SCR96 SP, we observed that PR1a SP can lead chimeric SCR96 expression in N. benthamiana, but the replacement totally disrupted its bioactivity. CONCLUSION: C-terminal His or FLAG tag, along with its original SP, is efficient enough to enable detection and purification of functional SCR96 from N. benthamiana leaf apoplast, which would facilitate plant-pathogen interaction studies.

A Small Cysteine-Rich Phytotoxic Protein of Phytophthora capsici Functions as Both Plant Defense Elicitor and Virulence Factor.

Small cysteine-rich (SCR) proteins, including fungal avirulence proteins, play important roles in pathogen-plant interactions. SCR protein-encoding genes have been discovered in the genomes of Phytophthora pathogens but their functions during pathogenesis remain obscure. Here, we report the characterization of one Phytophthora capsici SCR protein (namely, SCR82) with similarity to Phytophthora cactorum phytotoxic protein PcF. The scr82 gene has 10 allelic sequences in the P. capsici population. Homologs of SCR82 were not identified in fungi or other organisms but in Phytophthora relative species. Initially, scr82 was weakly expressed during the mycelium, sporangium, and zoospore stages but quickly upregulated when the infection initiated. Both ectopic expression of SCR82 and recombinant yeast-expressed protein (rSCR82) caused cell death on tomato leaves. Upon treatment, rSCR82 induced plant defense responses, including the induction of defense gene expression, reactive oxygen species burst, and callose deposition. Knockout of scr82 in P. capsici by CRISPR/Cas9 severely impaired its virulence on host plants and significantly reduced its resistance against oxidative stress. Inversely, its overexpression increased the pathogen's virulence and tolerance to oxidative stress. Our results collectively demonstrate that SCR82 functions as both an important virulence factor and plant defense elicitor, which is conserved across Phytophthora spp.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Expression of the small cysteine-rich protein SCR96 from Phytophthora cactorum in mammalian cells: phytotoxicity and exploitation of its polyclonal antibody.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the expression of a novel small cysteine-rich (SCR) effector protein SCR96 from the phytopathogenic oomycete Phytophthora cactorum in mammalian cells, its bioactivity and to exploit its polyclonal antibody. RESULTS: The gene encoding the SCR effector protein SCR96 was codon-optimized, custom-synthesized, cloned into pcDNA3.1(-) and overexpressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293-6E cells. The recombinant protein SCR96 was prone to aggregation and purified with its monomer to homogeneity with a predicted molecular weight of 8.9 kDa. SCR96 exhibited strong phytotoxic activity on tomato seedlings at 24 h post treatment with 4.2 µg of the purified protein. An anti-SCR96 polyclonal antibody was prepared by immunization of New Zealand white rabbits. The good-titer antibody had a detection sensitivity at 6.25-ng level and could specifically detect the SCR96 protein expressed either in yeast, or in tomato leaves. CONCLUSIONS: Transient production of the SCR effector protein SCR96 in mammalian cells is reliable, providing sufficient recombinant protein that can be utilized for analysis of its phytotoxic activity and preparation of its polyclonal antibody.

The RXLR Effector PcAvh1 Is Required for Full Virulence of Phytophthora capsici.

Plant pathogens employ diverse secreted effector proteins to manipulate host physiology and defense in order to foster diseases. The destructive Phytophthora pathogens encode hundreds of cytoplasmic effectors, which are believed to function inside the plant cells. Many of these cytoplasmic effectors contain the conserved N-terminal RXLR motif. Understanding the virulence function of RXLR effectors will provide important knowledge of Phytophthora pathogenesis. Here, we report the characterization of RXLR effector PcAvh1 from the broad-host range pathogen Phytophthora capsici. Only expressed during infection, PcAvh1 is quickly induced at the early infection stages. CRISPR/Cas9-knockout of PcAvh1 in P. capsici severely impairs virulence while overexpression enhances disease development in Nicotiana benthamiana and bell pepper, demonstrating that PcAvh1 is an essential virulence factor. Ectopic expression of PcAvh1 induces cell death in N. benthamiana, tomato, and bell pepper. Using yeast two-hybrid screening, we found that PcAvh1 interacts with the scaffolding subunit of the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2Aa) in plant cells. Virus-induced gene silencing of PP2Aa in N. benthamiana attenuates resistance to P. capsici and results in dwarfism, suggesting that PP2Aa regulates plant immunity and growth. Collectively, these results suggest that PcAvh1 contributes to P. capsici infection, probably through its interaction with host PP2Aa.

Identification and functional analysis of the NLP-encoding genes from the phytopathogenic oomycete Phytophthora capsici.

Phytophthora capsici is a hemibiotrophic, phytopathogenic oomycete that infects a wide range of crops, resulting in significant economic losses worldwide. By means of a diverse arsenal of secreted effector proteins, hemibiotrophic pathogens may manipulate plant cell death to establish a successful infection and colonization. In this study, we described the analysis of the gene family encoding necrosis- and ethylene-inducing peptide 1 (Nep1)-like proteins (NLPs) in P. capsici, and identified 39 real NLP genes and 26 NLP pseudogenes. Out of the 65 predicted NLP genes, 48 occur in groups with two or more genes, whereas the remainder appears to be singletons distributed randomly among the genome. Phylogenetic analysis of the 39 real NLPs delineated three groups. Key residues/motif important for the effector activities are degenerated in most NLPs, including the nlp24 peptide consisting of the conserved region I (11-aa immunogenic part) and conserved region II (the heptapeptide GHRHDWE motif) that is important for phytotoxic activity. Transcriptional profiling of eight selected NLP genes indicated that they were differentially expressed during the developmental and plant infection phases of P. capsici. Functional analysis of ten cloned NLPs demonstrated that Pc11951, Pc107869, Pc109174 and Pc118548 were capable of inducing cell death in the Solanaceae, including Nicotiana benthamiana and hot pepper. This study provides an overview of the P. capsici NLP gene family, laying a foundation for further elucidating the pathogenicity mechanism of this devastating pathogen.

Transcription profiling and identification of infection-related genes in Phytophthora cactorum.

Phytophthora cactorum, an oomycete pathogen, infects more than 200 plant species within several plant families. To gain insight into the repertoire of the infection-related genes of P. cactorum, Illumina RNA-Seq was used to perform a global transcriptome analysis of three life cycle stages of the pathogen, mycelia (MY), zoospores (ZO) and germinating cysts with germ tubes (GC). From over 9.8 million Illumina reads for each library, 18,402, 18,569 and 19,443 distinct genes were identified for MY, ZO and GC libraries, respectively. Furthermore, the transcriptome difference among MY, ZO and GC stages was investigated. Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses revealed diverse biological functions and processes. Comparative analysis identified a large number of genes that are associated with specific stages and pathogenicity, including 166 effector genes. Of them, most of RXLR and NLP genes showed induction while the majority of CRN genes were down-regulated in GC, the important pre-infection stage, compared to either MY or ZO. And 14 genes encoding small cysteine-rich (SCR) secretory proteins showed differential expression during the developmental stages and in planta. Ectopic expression in the Solanaceae indicated that SCR113 and one elicitin PcINF1 can trigger cell death on Nicotiana benthamiana, tobacco (N. tabacum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) leaves. Neither conserved domain nor homologues of SCR113 in other organisms can be identified. Collectively, our study provides a comprehensive examination of gene expression across three P. cactorum developmental stages and describes pathogenicity-related genes, all of which will help elucidate the pathogenicity mechanism of this destructive pathogen.

Expression of resistance gene analogs in woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) during infection with Phytophthora cactorum.

Important losses in strawberry production are often caused by the oomycete Phytophthora cactorum, the causal agent of crown rot. However, very limited studies at molecular levels exist of the mechanisms related to strawberry resistance against this pathogen. To begin to rectify this situation, a PCR-based approach (NBS profiling) was used to isolate strawberry resistance gene analogs (RGAs) with altered expression in response to P. cactorum during a time course (2, 4, 6, 24, 48, 96 and 192 h post-infection). Twenty-three distinct RGA fragments of the NB-LRR type were identified from a resistance genotype (Bukammen) of the wild species Fragaria vesca. The gene transcriptional profiles after infection showed that the response of most RGAs was quicker and stronger in the resistance genotype (Bukammen) than in the susceptible one (FDP821) during the early infection stage. The transcriptional patterns of one RGA (RGA109) were further monitored and compared during the P. cactorum infection of two pairs of resistant and susceptible genotype combinations (Bukammen/FDP821 and FDR1218/1603). The 5' end sequence was cloned, and its putative protein was characteristic of NBS-LRR R protein. Our results yielded a first insight into the strawberry RGAs responding to P. cactorum infection at molecular level.

Biological and Molecular Characterization of Five Phomopsis Species Associated with Pear Shoot Canker in China.

In recent years, a widespread canker disease that infects the branches of pear trees has been observed in many provinces in China; it kills the branches and results in high losses in fruit production. Symptomatic branches were collected for etiological isolation from 11 varieties of three pear species and from Malus pumila. Samples were collected from six provinces in China. In total, 143 Phomopsis isolates were obtained from 181 samples and these were identified as belonging to five species: Phomopsis fukushii (n = 69 isolates), Diaporthe eres (n = 31), P. amygdali (n = 22), P. longicolla (n = 13), and D. neotheicola (n = 8). Pathogenicity tests showed that only the first three species induced lesions on nonwounded branches of Pyrus pyrifolia var. Cuiguan. All the fungal species induced branch cankers following wound inoculations, and tests with additional pear varieties showed significantly higher virulence levels for the first three species than the latter two. A host range evaluation suggested that the five species could infect most fruit trees belonging to the Rosaceae family as well as some non-Rosaceous species. Virulence varied depending on the species of both host and pathogen. Isolates of Phomopsis amygdali had significantly higher virulence in all the tested Rosaceae plants. Correlations among the host, pathogen, and sampling regions were noted, and the morphology, growth rate, and sporulation of these species in varied media were also characterized. This study presents the first attempt to perform a broad survey and characterization of the Phomopsis spp. associated with the pear shoot cankers in China. This study shows that D. eres and P. amygdali are just as responsible for the pear shoot canker diseases as P. fukushii, and it expands the host and geographic ranges of the five species. This report provides useful information for understanding and improving management strategies for controlling this economically important disease.

Transcriptomic analysis of the phytopathogenic oomycete Phytophthora cactorum provides insights into infection-related effectors.

BACKGROUND: Phytophthora cactorum, a hemibiotrophic oomycete pathogen, can cause destructive diseases on numerous crops worldwide, leading to essential economic losses every year. However, little has been known about its molecular pathogenicity mechanisms. To gain insight into its repertoire of effectors, the P. cactorum transcriptome was investigated using Illumina RNA-seq. RESULTS: We first demonstrated an in vitro inoculation method that can be used to mimic natural cyst germination on host plants. Over 28 million cDNA reads were obtained for five life cycle stages (mycelium, sporangium, zoospore, cyst and germinating cyst) and de novo assembled into 21,662 unique genes. By comparisons with 11 public databases, 88.99% of the unique genes were annotated, including 15,845 mapped to the gene models of the annotated relative Phytophthora infestans. Using TribeMCL, 5,538 gene families conserved across P. cactorum and other three completely sequenced Phytophthora pathogen species were determined. In silico analyses revealed that 620 P. cactorum effector homologues including 94 RXLR effector candidates matched known or putative virulence genes in other oomycetes. About half of the RXLR effector candidates were predicted to share a conserved structure unit, termed the WY-domain fold. A subset of the effector genes were checked and validated by PCR amplification. Transcriptional experiments indicated that effector genes were differentially expressed during the life cycle and host infection stages of P. cactorum. Ectopic expression in Nicotiana benthamiana revealed that RXLR, elicitin and NLP effectors can trigger plant cell death. These effectors are highly conserved across oomycete species. Single nucleotide polymorphisms for RXLR effectors were detected in a collection of P. cactorum isolates from different countries and hosts. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the comprehensive sequencing, de novo assembly, and analyses of the transcriptome of P. cactorum life cycle stages. In the absence of genome sequence, transcriptome data is important for infection-related gene discovery in P. cactorum, as demonstrated here for the effector genes. The first look at the transcriptome and effector arsenal of P. cactorum provides valuable data to elucidate the pathogenicity basis of this broad-host-range pathogen.

Biological and Molecular Characterization of Four Botryosphaeria Species Isolated from Pear Plants Showing Stem Wart and Stem Canker in China.

Pear stem wart and pear stem canker, which have been considered as two different fungal diseases caused by pathogens belonging to Botryosphaeria spp., commonly occur and cause serious damage in the main pear-producing areas in China. To identify the species of this genus infecting pear in China, 131 Botryosphaeria isolates were recovered from pear samples exhibiting symptoms collected from 20 different provinces and areas. Morphological characterization and phylogenetic analyses of the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region and the ß-tubulin and EF1-α genes revealed that Botryosphaeria dothidea, B. rhodina, B. obtusa, and B. parva were associated with different pear stem wart and stem canker symptoms. Remarkably, all isolates of B. dothidea were obtained from the samples showing either stem wart or stem canker lesions; however, the isolates of the other three species were obtained only from the samples showing stem canker. Pathogenicity tests on the pear shoots showed that B. dothidea isolates could induce stem wart or stem canker lesions but all the isolates of the other three species could only induce stem cankers. However, the isolates of B. parva, B. rhodina, and B. obtusa exhibited higher virulence than that of the B. dothidea isolates on the pear fruit. Our results suggest that B. dothidea is the common causal agent for these two diseases (a pear stem wart and a pear-related stem canker), whereas B. parva, B. rhodina, and B. obtusa only cause pear stem canker diseases. To our knowledge, this study represents the first report for biological and molecular characterization of four Botryosphaeria spp. isolated from pear plants showing stem wart and stem canker in China.

Validation of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Clinical Insights Using a Generalized Oncology Natural Language Processing Model.

PURPOSE: Limited studies have used natural language processing (NLP) in the context of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to validate the application of an NLP model to an NSCLC cohort by extracting NSCLC concepts from free-text medical notes and converting them to structured, interpretable data. METHODS: Patients with a lung neoplasm, NSCLC histology, and treatment information in their notes were selected from a repository of over 27 million patients. From these, 200 were randomly selected for this study with the longest and the most recent note included for each patient. An NLP model developed and validated on a large solid and blood cancer oncology cohort was applied to this NSCLC cohort. Two certified tumor registrars and a curator abstracted concepts from the notes: neoplasm, histology, stage, TNM values, and metastasis sites. This manually abstracted gold standard was compared with the NLP model output. Precision and recall scores were calculated. RESULTS: The NLP model extracted the NSCLC concepts with excellent precision and recall with the following scores, respectively: Lung neoplasm 100% and 100%, NSCLC histology 99% and 88%, histology correctly linked to neoplasm 98% and 79%, stage value 98.8% and 92%, stage TNM value 93% and 98%, and metastasis site 97% and 89%. High precision is related to a low number of false positives, and therefore, extracted concepts are likely accurate. High recall indicates that the model captured most of the desired concepts. CONCLUSION: This study validates that Optum's oncology NLP model has high precision and recall with clinical real-world data and is a reliable model to support research studies and clinical trials. This validation study shows that our nonspecific solid tumor and blood cancer oncology model is generalizable to successfully extract clinical information from specific cancer cohorts.

The use of selenium for controlling plant fungal diseases and insect pests.

The selenium (Se) applications in biomedicine, agriculture, and environmental health have become great research interest in recent decades. As an essential nutrient for humans and animals, beneficial effects of Se on human health have been well documented. Although Se is not an essential element for plants, it does play important roles in improving plants' resistances to a broad of biotic and abiotic stresses. This review is focused on recent findings from studies on effects and mechanisms of Se on plant fungal diseases and insect pests. Se affects the plant resistance to fungal diseases by preventing the invasion of fungal pathogen through positively affecting plant defense to pathogens; and through negative effects on pathogen by destroying the cell membrane and cellular extensions of pathogen inside plant tissues after invasion; and changing the soil microbial community to safeguard plant cells against invading fungi. Plants, grown under Se enriched soils or treated with Se through foliar and soil applications, can metabolize Se into dimethyl selenide or dimethyl diselenide, which acts as an insect repellent compound to deter foraging and landing pests, thus providing plant mediated resistance to insect pests; moreover, Se can also lead to poisoning to some pests if toxic amounts of Se are fed, resulting in steady pest mortality, lower reproduction rate, negative effects on growth and development, thus shortening the life span of many insect pests. In present manuscript, reports are reviewed on Se-mediated plant resistance to fungal pathogens and insect pests. The future perspective of Se is also discussed on preventing the disease and pest control to protect plants from economic injuries and damages.

Time-Course Transcriptome Profiling Reveals Differential Resistance Responses of Tomato to a Phytotoxic Effector of the Pathogenic Oomycete Phytophthora cactorum.

Blight caused by Phytophthora pathogens has a devastating impact on crop production. Phytophthora species secrete an array of effectors, such as Phytophthora cactorum-Fragaria (PcF)/small cysteine-rich (SCR) phytotoxic proteins, to facilitate their infections. Understanding host responses to such proteins is essential to developing next-generation crop resistance. Our previous work identified a small, 8.1 kDa protein, SCR96, as an important virulence factor in Phytophthora cactorum. Host responses to SCR96 remain obscure. Here, we analyzed the effect of SCR96 on the resistance of tomato treated with this recombinant protein purified from yeast cells. A temporal transcriptome analysis of tomato leaves infiltrated with 500 nM SCR96 for 0, 3, 6, and 12 h was performed using RNA-Seq. In total, 36,779 genes, including 2704 novel ones, were detected, of which 32,640 (88.7%) were annotated. As a whole, 5929 non-redundant genes were found to be significantly co-upregulated in SCR96-treated leaves (3, 6, 12 h) compared to the control (0 h). The combination of annotation, enrichment, and clustering analyses showed significant changes in expression beginning at 3 h after treatment in genes associated with defense and metabolism pathways, as well as temporal transcriptional accumulation patterns. Noticeably, the expression levels of resistance-related genes encoding receptor-like kinases/proteins, resistance proteins, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), transcription factors, pathogenesis-related proteins, and transport proteins were significantly affected by SCR96. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) validated the transcript changes in the 12 selected genes. Our analysis provides novel information that can help delineate the molecular mechanism and components of plant responses to effectors, which will be useful for the development of resistant crops.

The devastating oomycete phytopathogen Phytophthora cactorum: Insights into its biology and molecular features.

Phytophthora cactorum is one of the most economically important soilborne oomycete pathogens in the world. It infects more than 200 plant species spanning 54 families, most of which are herbaceous and woody species. Although traditionally considered to be a generalist, marked differences of P. cactorum isolates occur in degree of pathogenicity to different hosts. As the impact of crop loss caused by this species has increased recently, there has been a tremendous increase in the development of new tools, resources, and management strategies to study and combat this devastating pathogen. This review aims to integrate recent molecular biology analyses of P. cactorum with the current knowledge of the cellular and genetic basis of its growth, development, and host infection. The goal is to provide a framework for further studies of P. cactorum by highlighting important biological and molecular features, shedding light on the functions of pathogenicity factors, and developing effective control measures. TAXONOMY: P. cactorum (Leb. & Cohn) Schröeter: kingdom Chromista; phylum Oomycota; class Oomycetes; order Peronosporales; family Peronosporaceae; genus Phytophthora. HOST RANGE: Infects about 200 plant species in 154 genera representing 54 families. Economically important host plants include strawberry, apple, pear, Panax spp., and walnut. DISEASE SYMPTOMS: The soilborne pathogen often causes root, stem, collar, crown, and fruit rots, as well as foliar infection, stem canker, and seedling damping off.

Identification and analysis of Phytophthora cactorum genes up-regulated during cyst germination and strawberry infection.

The oomycete Phytophthora cactorum can cause economically important diseases on numerous host plants worldwide, such as crown rot on strawberry. To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenicity of P. cactorum on strawberry, transcriptional analysis of P. cactorum during strawberry infection and cyst germination was performed by applying suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) and effector-specific differential display (ESDD) techniques. Two SSH cDNA libraries were generated, enriched for P. cactorum genes expressed during infection or during cyst germination, respectively, and 137 unique differentially expressed genes were identified. To specifically select RxLR effector genes from P. cactorum, ESDD was performed using RxLR and EER motif-based degenerate primers. Eight RxLR effector candidate genes as well as 67 other genes were identified out of 124 selected fragments. The expression levels of 20 putatively up-regulated genes were further analyzed using real-time RT-PCR, showing that, indeed 19 of these 20 genes were up-regulated during at least one of the studied developmental stages or during strawberry crown invasion, relative to the mycelium. This study provides a first overview of P. cactorum genes that are up-regulated immediately prior to or during strawberry infection and also provides a novel method for selecting RxLR effector genes from the unsequenced genome of P. cactorum.

IRF-4 functions as a tumor suppressor in early B-cell development.

Interferon regulatory factor-4 (IRF-4) is a hematopoietic cell-restricted transcription factor important for hematopoietic development and immune response regulation. It was also originally identified as the product of a proto-oncogene involved in chromosomal translocations in multiple myeloma. In contrast to its oncogenic function in late stages of B lymphopoiesis, expression of IRF-4 is down-regulated in certain myeloid and early B-lymphoid malignancies. In this study, we found that the IRF-4 protein levels are increased in lymphoblastic cells transformed by the BCR/ABL oncogene in response to BCR/ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib. We further found that IRF-4 deficiency enhances BCR/ABL transformation of B-lymphoid progenitors in vitro and accelerates disease progression of BCR/ABL-induced acute B-lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in mice, whereas forced expression of IRF-4 potently suppresses BCR/ABL transformation of B-lymphoid progenitors in vitro and BCR/ABL-induced B-ALL in vivo. Further analysis showed that IRF-4 inhibits growth of BCR/ABL+ B lymphoblasts primarily through negative regulation of cell-cycle progression. These results demonstrate that IRF-4 functions as tumor suppressor in early B-cell development and may allow elucidation of new molecular pathways significant to the lymphoid leukemogenesis by BCR/ABL. The context dependent roles of IRF-4 in oncogenesis should be an important consideration in developing cancer therapies targeting IRF-4.

The PsCZF1 gene encoding a C2H2 zinc finger protein is required for growth, development and pathogenesis in Phytophthora sojae.

The C(2)H(2) zinc finger proteins form one of the largest families of transcriptional regulators in eukaryotes. We identified a Phytophthora sojae C(2)H(2) zinc finger (PsCZF1), that is highly conserved in sequenced oomycete pathogens. In transformants of P. sojae containing the PsCZF1 promoter fused to the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene, GUS activity was highly induced in the P. sojae oospore stage and upregulated after infection. To elucidate the function of PsCZF1, its expression was silenced by introducing anti-sense constructs into P sojae. PsCZF1-silenced transformants did not exhibit altered cell size or morphology of sporangia and hyphae; however, hyphal growth rate was reduced by around 50% in the mutants. PsCZF1-deficient mutants were also impaired in production of oospores, swimming zoospores and germinating cysts, indicating that the gene is involved in various stages of the life cycle. Furthermore, we found that PsCZF1-deficient mutants lost virulence on host soybean cultivars. Our results suggest that this oomycete-specific C(2)H(2)-type zinc finger protein plays an important role in growth, development, and pathogenesis; therefore, PsCZF1 might be an attractive oomycete-specific target for chemical fungicide screening.

Dual roles for Prox1 in the regulation of the chicken betaB1-crystallin promoter.

PURPOSE: Lens fiber cell differentiation is marked by the onset of betaB1-crystallin expression and is controlled by the cooperative action of a set of transcription factors including Prox1, an atypical homeodomain protein. Previously, the authors reported that Prox1 directly interacts with the OL2 element found in the chicken betaB1-crystallin basal promoter to activate the expression of this gene. Here they mapped the location of activating and repressing sequences of the full-length chicken betaB1-crystallin promoter (-432/+30) in lens epithelial cells, annular pad cells, and intact lens and characterized Prox1-binding sites found in this region. METHODS: Transfection analysis and transgenic mice were used to characterize upstream regions of the chicken betaB1-crystallin gene. DNaseI footprinting and chromatin immunoprecipitation was performed to identify Prox1-binding sites, and transfection analyses were used to characterize these sites functionally. RESULTS: Sequences between -152 and -432 of the chicken betaB1-crystallin promoter mediated either promoter activation or repression, depending on the stage of lens differentiation tested. Two new Prox1-binding sites were found in this region that bound Prox1 more avidly than the OL2 element. However, neither binding site conferred Prox1-mediated activation on a heterologous promoter; instead, each allowed Prox1 to repress promoter function. CONCLUSIONS: The function of the upstream region of the chicken betaB1-crystallin promoter changes depending on cellular context. These data suggest that Prox1 function as a transcriptional activator could be regulated at the DNA level based on the characteristics of the responsive elements.

PCNA interacts with Prox1 and represses its transcriptional activity.

PURPOSE: Prox1 is a transcription factor which can function either as a transcriptional activator, transcriptional repressor or a transcriptional corepressor. This paper seeks to better understand the role of protein-protein interactions in this multitude of functions. METHODS: We performed a yeast two-hybrid screen of an 11.5 day post coitum (dpc) mouse embryo cDNA library using the homeo-Prospero domain of Prox1 as bait. Computer modeling, cotransfection analysis and confocal immunolocalization were used to investigate the significance of one of the identified interactions. RESULTS: Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was identified as a Prox1 interacting protein. Prox1 interactions with PCNA require the PCNA interacting protein motif (PIP box), located in the Prospero domain of Prox1. Computer modeling of this interaction identified the apparent geometry of this interface which maintains the accessibility of Prox1 to DNA. Prox1 activated the chicken betaB1-crystallin promoter in cotransfection tests as previously reported, while PCNA squelched this transcriptional activation. CONCLUSIONS: Since PCNA is expressed in the lens epithelium where Prox1 levels are low, while chicken betaB1-crystallin expression activates in lens fibers where Prox1 expression is high and PCNA levels are low, these data suggest that Prox1-PCNA interactions may in part prevent the activation of betaB1-crystallin expression in the lens epithelium.

The Plant Ribosome-Inactivating Proteins Play Important Roles in Defense against Pathogens and Insect Pest Attacks.

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are toxic N-glycosidases that depurinate eukaryotic and prokaryotic rRNAs, thereby arresting protein synthesis during translation. RIPs are widely found in various plant species and within different tissues. It is demonstrated in vitro and in transgenic plants that RIPs have been connected to defense by antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, and insecticidal activities. However, the mechanism of these effects is still not completely clear. There are a number of reviews of RIPs. However, there are no reviews on the biological functions of RIPs in defense against pathogens and insect pests. Therefore, in this report, we focused on the effect of RIPs from plants in defense against pathogens and insect pest attacks. First, we summarize the three different types of RIPs based on their physical properties. RIPs are generally distributed in plants. Then, we discuss the distribution of RIPs that are found in various plant species and in fungi, bacteria, algae, and animals. Various RIPs have shown unique bioactive properties including antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and insecticidal activity. Finally, we divided the discussion into the biological roles of RIPs in defense against bacteria, fungi, viruses, and insects. This review is focused on the role of plant RIPs in defense against bacteria, fungi, viruses, and insect attacks. The role of plant RIPs in defense against pathogens and insects is being comprehended currently. Future study utilizing transgenic technology approaches to study the mechanisms of RIPs will undoubtedly generate a better comprehending of the role of plant RIPs in defense against pathogens and insects. Discovering additional crosstalk mechanisms between RIPs and phytohormones or reactive oxygen species (ROS) against pathogen and insect infections will be a significant subject in the field of biotic stress study. These studies are helpful in revealing significance of genetic control that can be beneficial to engineer crops tolerance to biotic stress.