Cloning, subcellular localization and expression analysis of squalene epoxidase gene BsSE1 from Bletilla striata.

Squalene epoxidase catalyzes the oxidation of squalene to 2,3-oxo-squalene (BsSE1), and is the key rate limiting enzyme in the synthesis of triterpenoids and sterols in plants. This study focused on the basic aspects of BsSE1 including the sequence information, sub-cellular localization expression patterns of BsSE1. Using to the sequence information of Bletilla striata transcriptome, the full-length CDS of BsSE1 gene was amplified. The physicochemical properties and structural characteristics of BsSE1 protein were analyzed by bioinformatics analysis software, and vector was constructed to analyze the protein locations and expression patterns. The results showed that the CDS of BsSE1 gene was 1542 bp, encoding 513 amino acids. BsSE1 protein is a hydrophobic protein with two transmembrane domains but no signal peptides. It is localied in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane and belongs to the typical squalene epoxidase gene. BsSE1 has the closest genetic relationship with SE protein of Dendrobium officinale and Phalaenopsis equestris. The expression level of BsSE1 was higher in pseudobulblet of Bletilla striata seedlings, followed by roots, and lower in seedling stems. After SA induction, the expression of BsSE1 in Bletilla striata showed significant changes, increased first, then decreased, finally increase again. The results provide a basis for further study of this gene family in plants.

Determination, risk assessment and processing factors for pyridaben in field-incurred kiwifruit samples.

Field trials in six agricultural sites were carried out to investigate the dissipation and residue levels of pyridaben in kiwifruit. Each sample was extracted with acetonitrile, purified with octadecylsilane and analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The method had good linearity (R2 > 0.99), accuracy (recoveries of 78.53-98.00%) and precision (relative standard deviation of 0.86-6.11%). The dissipation of pyrdaben in kiwifruit followed first-order kinetics with a half-life < 8 d, and terminal residues in kiwifruit were lower than 0.5 mg/kg after 14 d of application. Risk assessment indicated that both chronic and acute dietary intake risk values were far below 100%, suggesting that pyridaben residues in kiwifruit were relatively safe to humans. Moreover, the effects of traditional household processes on kiwifruit were investigated. The processing factors (PFs) indicated that peeling and peeling-juicing processes could remove pyridaben residues from kiwifruit, and the former was more effective than the latter (PF at 0.15 vs. 0.51). Nevertheless, drying kiwifruit with an oven increased the amount of pyridaben (PF at 1.05). These results could provide guidance for the safe and reasonable use of pyridaben in agriculture and may be helpful for the Chinese government to determine maximum residue limit of pyridaben in kiwifruit.

Degradation and residues of indoxacarb enantiomers in rice plants, rice hulls and brown rice using enriched S-indoxacarb formulation and enantiopure formulation.

A chiral liquid chromatography-tandem high resolution mass spectroscopic method was developed for the analysis of indoxacarb enantiomers in rice plants, rice hulls and brown rice. Chiral separation of two enantiomers was carried out on a Superchiral S-OD column maintained at 20°C and eluted with 0.3 mL/min methanol. Samples were extracted by acetonitrile solution with ultrasound and cleansed by dispersive solid-phase extraction of 50 mg of primary secondary amine and 50 mg of C18 . This method was successfully used to study the degradation and residues of two enantiomers with enriched S-indoxacarb (2.33S/1R) and pure S-indoxacarb in rice plants. The half-lives of R-indoxacarb and S-indoxacarb were 4.20-4.33 and 3.45-3.57 days in rice plants during the degradation of enriched S-indoxacarb in Guizhou and Hunan, respectively, whereas the half-lives of pure S-indoxacarb were 2.68 and 3.69 days in Guizhou and Hunan, respectively. The results indicated that preferential S-indoxacarb degradation occurred and that enantiomeric transformation was absent in the total experiment periods of pure S-indoxacarb in rice plants. The final residue concentrations of indoxacarb enantiomers in brown rice were significantly less than those in rice plants and rice hulls in the same rice field after applying indoxacarb SC and indoxacarb EC.