Design Synthesis of Low-Silica SAPO-34 Nanocrystals by Constructing Isomorphous Core-Shell Structure: An Effective Catalyst for Improving Catalytic Performances in Methanol-to-Olefins Reaction.

It is well known that low-silica SAPO-34, with an extra porosity (meso- and/or macropores) system, affords excellent catalytic performance in the methanol-to-olefins (MTO) reaction, while the direct synthesis of low-silica SAPO-34 with a hierarchical structure is difficult to achieve, principally because the crystal impurities are usually formed under a low silica content in a gel precursor. Herein, low-silica SAPO-34 nanocrystals were successfully fabricated for the first time by constructing an isomorphous core-shell structure in an epitaxial growth manner. In which, low-silica, ultrasmall nanosquare-shaped SAPO-34 crystals with the same growth orientation along the (100) crystal plane compactly grow on the monocrystal SAPO-34 cores. Crucially, the external surface acid properties of the core SAPO-34 with the Si-rich outer layer are effectively modified by the low-silica SAPO-34 shell. Furthermore, the growth process and Si-substitution mechanism of the shell zeolite were comprehensively investigated. It was found that with the prolonged crystallization time, more and more coordinated Si(4Al) and Si(3Al) structures via two substitution mechanisms (SM2 and SM3) are generated in the nanocrystalline SAPO-34 shell, which endow moderate acidity of the core-shell SAPO-34. Compared to the uncoated SAPO-34, the core-shell SAPO-34 performs a longer lifespan and a higher average selectivity of light olefins (ethylene plus propylene) when applied to the MTO reaction, which is attributed to the positive effects of the luxuriant interstitial pores offering a fast diffusion channel and the moderate acid density depressing the hydrogen transfer reaction of light olefins. This work provides new insights into the fabrication of low-silica SAPO-34 nanocrystals, which are based on the rational design of the isomorphous core-shell zeolite.

Temporal phenotypic variation of spinach root traits and its relation to shoot performance.

The root system is important for the growth and development of spinach. To reveal the temporal variability of the spinach root system, root traits of 40 spinach accessions were measured at three imaging times (20, 30, and 43 days after transplanting) in this study using a non-destructive and non-invasive root analysis system. Results showed that five root traits were reliably measured by this system (RootViz FS), and two of which were highly correlated with manually measured traits. Root traits had higher variations than shoot traits among spinach accessions, and the trait of mean growth rate of total root length had the largest coefficients of variation across the three imaging times. During the early stage, only tap root length was weakly correlated with shoot traits (plant height, leaf width, and object area (equivalent to plant surface area)), whereas in the third imaging, root fresh weight, total root length, and root area were strongly correlated with shoot biomass-related traits. Five root traits (total root length, tap root length, total root area, root tissue density, and maximal root width) showed high variations with coefficients of variation values (CV ≥ 0.3, except maximal root width) and high heritability (H2 > 0.6) among the three stages. The 40 spinach accessions were classified into five subgroups with different growth dynamics of the primary and lateral roots by cluster analysis. Our results demonstrated the potential of in-situ phenotyping to assess dynamic root growth in spinach and provide new perspectives for biomass breeding based on root system ideotypes.

Genome-Wide Analyses of SlFWL Family Genes and Their Expression Profiles under Cold, Heat, Salt and Drought Stress in Tomato.

PLAC8 is a cysteine-rich protein that serves as a central mediator of tumor evolution in mammals. PLAC8 motif-containing proteins widely distribute in fungi, algae, higher plants and animals that have been described to be implicated in fruit size, cell number and the transport of heavy metals such as cadmium or zinc. In tomatoes, FW2.2 is a PLAC8 motif-containing gene that negatively controls fruit size by regulating cell division and expansion in the carpel ovary during fruit development. However, despite FW2.2, other FWL (FW2.2-Like) genes in tomatoes have not been investigated. In this study, we identified the 21 SlFWL genes, including FW2.2, examined their expression profiles under various abiotic adversity-related conditions. The SlFWL gene structures and motif compositions are conserved, indicating that tomato SlFWL genes may have similar roles. Cis-acting element analysis revealed that the SlFWL genes may participate in light and abiotic stress responses, and they also interacted with a variety of phytohormone-responsive proteins and plant development elements. Phylogenetic analyses were performed on five additional plant species, including Arabidopsis, pepper, soybean, rice and maize, these genes were classified into five subfamilies. Based on the results of collinearity analyses, the SlFWL genes have a tighter homologous evolutionary relationship with soybean, and these orthologous FWL gene pairs might have the common ancestor. Expression profiling of SlFWL genes show that they were all responsive to abiotic stresses, each subgroup of genes exhibited a different expression trend. Our findings provide a strong foundation for investigating the function and abiotic stress responses of the SlFWL family genes.

Effect of Exogenous Glycine Betaine on the Germination of Tomato Seeds under Cold Stress.

Cold stress is known to influence tomato growth, development, and yield. In this study, we analyzed the germination of tomato seeds treated with exogenous glycine betaine (GB) at a low temperature (14 °C). The results showed that cold stress inhibited tomato seed germination, and pretreatment with exogenous GB reduced this inhibition and enhanced the germination rate (GR), germination index (GI), and viability of tomato seeds at low temperatures. Analysis of gene expression and metabolism revealed that GB positively regulated endogenous hormone gibberellin (GA) content and negatively regulated abscisic acid (ABA) content, while GB reduced the starch content in the seeds by up-regulating the amylase gene expression. Gene expression analysis showed that the key genes (SlSOD, SlPOD, and SlchlAPX) involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging systems were up-regulated in GB-pretreated tomato seeds compared with the control. At the same time, levels of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide were significantly lower, while the proline content and peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) levels were elevated compared with those in the control. These results demonstrate that exogenous GB as a positive regulator effectively alleviated the inhibition of tomato seed germination under cold stress by different signal pathways.

Effects of straw returning combined with earthworm addition on nitrification and ammonia oxidizers in paddy soil.

Introduction: Soil ammonia oxidation, which acts as the first and rate-limiting step of nitrification, is driven by ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and complete ammonia oxidizer (comammox, amoA gene of clade-A and clade-B). Straw returning, widely used ecological technology in China, is an effective measure for promoting straw decomposition and soil nutrient cycling when combined with earthworm addition. However, the effects of straw returning combined with earthworm addition on soil ammonia oxidizers remain poorly understood. Methods: A 2-year plot experiment was conducted with 5 treatments: no fertilizer (CK); regular fertilization (RT); straw returning (SR); earthworm addition (W); straw returning + earthworm addition (SRW). The AOA, AOB, comammox clade-A and clade-B community microbial diversities and structures were investigated by high-throughput sequencing. Results: The results showed that (1) compared to RT treatment, W, SR, and SRW treatments all significantly increased the richness of AOA and comammox clade-A and clade-B (p < 0.05), and the richness of AOB was only significantly promoted by SRW treatment (p < 0.05). However, only SRW had a higher comammox clade-B diversity index than RT. (2) The ammonia oxidizer community structures were altered by both straw returning and earthworm addition. Soil NH4 +-N was the critical environmental driver for altering the ammonia oxidizer community structure. (3) Compared with RT treatment, the soil potential nitrification rate (PNR) of W and SRW treatments increased by 1.19 and 1.20 times, respectively. The PNR was significantly positively correlated with AOB abundance (path coefficient = 0.712, p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with clade-B abundance (path coefficient = -0.106, p < 0.05). Discussion: This study provides scientific support for the application of straw returning combined with earthworm addition to improve soil nitrification with respect to soil ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms.

Genomic analyses provide insights into spinach domestication and the genetic basis of agronomic traits.

Spinach is a nutritious leafy vegetable belonging to the family Chenopodiaceae. Here we report a high-quality chromosome-scale reference genome assembly of spinach and genome resequencing of 305 cultivated and wild spinach accessions. Reconstruction of ancestral Chenopodiaceae karyotype indicates substantial genome rearrangements in spinach after its divergence from ancestral Chenopodiaceae, coinciding with high repeat content in the spinach genome. Population genomic analyses provide insights into spinach genetic diversity and population differentiation. Genome-wide association studies of 20 agronomical traits identify numerous significantly associated regions and candidate genes for these traits. Domestication sweeps in the spinach genome are identified, some of which are associated with important traits (e.g., leaf phenotype, bolting and flowering), demonstrating the role of artificial selection in shaping spinach phenotypic evolution. This study provides not only insights into the spinach evolution and domestication but also valuable resources for facilitating spinach breeding.

Selection and Validation of Reference Genes for RT-qPCR Analysis in Spinacia oleracea under Abiotic Stress.

Reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is an accurate and convenient method for mRNA quantification. Selection of optimal reference gene(s) is an important step in RT-qPCR experiments. However, the stability of housekeeping genes in spinach (Spinacia oleracea) under various abiotic stresses is unclear. Evaluating the stability of candidate genes and determining the optimal gene(s) for normalization of gene expression in spinach are necessary to investigate the gene expression patterns during development and stress response. In this study, ten housekeeping genes, 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA), actin, ADP ribosylation factor (ARF), cytochrome c oxidase subunit 5C (COX), cyclophilin (CYP), elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1α), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), histone H3 (H3), 50S ribosomal protein L2 (RPL2), and tubulin alpha chain (TUBα) from spinach, were selected as candidates in roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seedlings in response to high temperature, CdCl2, NaCl, NaHCO3, and Na2CO3 stresses. The expression of these genes was quantified by RT-qPCR and evaluated by NormFinder, BestKeeper, and geNorm. 18S rRNA, actin, ARF, COX, CYP, EF1α, GAPDH, H3, and RPL2 were detected as optimal reference genes for gene expression analysis of different organs and stress responses. The results were further confirmed by the expression pattern normalized with different reference genes of two heat-responsive genes. Here, we optimized the detection method of the gene expression pattern in spinach. Our results provide the optimal candidate reference genes which were crucial for RT-qPCR analysis.

Fruit size control by a zinc finger protein regulating pericarp cell size in tomato.

Fruit size is largely defined by the number and size of cells in the fruit. Endoreduplication - a specialized cell cycle - is highly associated with cell expansion during tomato fruit growth. However, how endoreduplication coupled with cell size is regulated remains poorly understood. In this study, we identified a zinc finger gene SlPZF1 (Solanum lycopersicum PERICARP-ASSOCIATED ZINC FINGER PROTEIN 1) that was highly expressed in the pericarp of developing fruits. Plants with altered SlPZF1 expression produced smaller fruits due to the reduction in cell size associated with weakened endoreduplication. Overexpressing SlPZF1 delayed cell division phase by enhancing early expression of several key cell cycle regulators including SlCYCD3;1 and two plant specific mitotic cyclin-dependent protein kinase (SlCDKB1 and SlCDKB2) in the pericarp tissue. Furthermore, we identified 14 putative SlPZF1 interacting proteins (PZFIs) via yeast two hybrid screening. Several PZFIs, including Pre-mRNA-splicing factor (SlSMP1/PZFI4), PAPA-1-like conserved region family protein (PZFI6), Fanconi anemia complex components (PZFI3 and PZFI10) and bHLH transcription factor LONESOME HIGHWAY (SlLHW/PZFI14), are putatively involved in cell cycle regulation. Our results demonstrate that fruit growth in tomato requires balanced expression of the novel cell size regulator SlPZF1.

Identification and characterization of the NPF, NRT2 and NRT3 in spinach.

Nitrate transporters (NRTs) participate in nitrate uptake, transport and allocation within the plant. However, this gene family has not been studied thoroughly in spinach. This study provided the general information about spinach SoNRTs and their transcriptional and functional responses to different levels of nitrate supplies. Resultes showed that fifty-seven NPF (also known as NRT1), nine NRT2 and one NRT3 were identified in spinach homologous to characterized Arabidopsis NRT genes. Phylogenetic analysis organized the SoNRT family into three clades: NPF with three subclades, NRT2, and NRT3. The tested SoNRT genes showed the various expression profiles in relation to tissue specificity and nitrate supply, indicating their functional diversity in response to external nitrate supply. Among them, transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing SoNPF30 showed improved biomass, decreased shoot nitrate contents but no significant difference of 15NO3- uptake rates when compared with those of the wild type in response to high N treatment. Under low N treatment, overexpressing of SoNRT3 significantly increased whole plant biomass, root nitrate contents and 15NO3- uptake rates. These demonstrated that SoNPF30 and SoNRT3 confer greater capacity for nitrate translocation or nitrate uptake, and could help to improve the ability of plant nitrogen utilization under those conditions. Our findings provide a valuable basis for future research on this family of genes in spinach.

Heat-Responsive Proteomics of a Heat-Sensitive Spinach Variety.

High temperatures seriously limit plant growth and productivity. Investigating heat-responsive molecular mechanisms is important for breeding heat-tolerant crops. In this study, heat-responsive mechanisms in leaves from a heat-sensitive spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) variety Sp73 were investigated using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE)-based and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ)-based proteomics approaches. In total, 257 heat-responsive proteins were identified in the spinach leaves. The abundance patterns of these proteins indicated that the photosynthesis process was inhibited, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging pathways were initiated, and protein synthesis and turnover, carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism were promoted in the spinach Sp73 in response to high temperature. By comparing this with our previous results in the heat-tolerant spinach variety Sp75, we found that heat inhibited photosynthesis, as well as heat-enhanced ROS scavenging, stress defense pathways, carbohydrate and energy metabolism, and protein folding and turnover constituting a conservative strategy for spinach in response to heat stress. However, the heat-decreased biosynthesis of chlorophyll and carotenoid as well as soluble sugar content in the variety Sp73 was quite different from that in the variety Sp75, leading to a lower capability for photosynthetic adaptation and osmotic homeostasis in Sp73 under heat stress. Moreover, the heat-reduced activities of SOD and other heat-activated antioxidant enzymes in the heat-sensitive variety Sp73 were also different from the heat-tolerant variety Sp75, implying that the ROS scavenging strategy is critical for heat tolerance.

SpinachBase: a central portal for spinach genomics.

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is a nutritious vegetable enriched with many essential minerals and vitamins. A reference spinach genome has been recently released, and additional spinach genomic resources are being rapidly developed. Therefore, there is an urgent need of a central database to store, query, analyze and integrate various resources of spinach genomic data. To this end, we developed SpinachBase (http://spinachbase.org), which provides centralized public accesses to genomic data as well as analytical tools to assist research and breeding in spinach. The database currently stores the spinach reference genome sequence, and sequences and comprehensive functional annotations of protein-coding genes predicted from the genome. The database also contains gene expression profiles derived from RNA-Seq experiments as well as highly co-expressed genes and genetic variants called from transcriptome sequences of 120 cultivated and wild Spinacia accessions. Biochemical pathways have been predicted from spinach protein-coding genes and are available through a pathway database (SpinachCyc) within SpinachBase. SpinachBase provides a suite of analysis and visualization tools including a genome browser, sequence similarity searches with BLAST, functional enrichment and functional classification analyses and functions to query and retrieve gene sequences and annotations.

Nitrate Accumulation and Expression Patterns of Genes Involved in Nitrate Transport and Assimilation in Spinach.

Excessive accumulation of nitrate in spinach is not only harmful to human beings, but also limits the efficiency of nitrogen usage. However, the underlying mechanism of nitrate accumulation in plants remains unclear. This study analyzed the physiological and molecular characteristics of nitrate uptake and assimilation in the spinach varieties with high or low nitrate accumulation. Our results showed that the variety of spinach with a high nitrate content (So18) had higher nitrate uptake compared to the variety with a low nitrate content (So10). However, the nitrate reductase activities of both varieties were similar, which suggests that the differential capacity to uptake and transport nitrate may account for the differences in nitrate accumulation. The quantitative PCR analysis showed that there was a higher level of expression of spinach nitrate transporter (SoNRT) genes in So18 compared to those in So10. Based on the function of Arabidopsis homologs AtNRTs, the role of spinach SoNRTs in nitrate accumulation is discussed. It is concluded that further work focusing on the expression of SoNRTs (especially for SoNRT1.4, SoNRT1.5 and SoNRT1.3) may help us to elucidate the molecular mechanism of nitrate accumulation in spinach.

Proteomics and Phosphoproteomics of Heat Stress-Responsive Mechanisms in Spinach.

Elevated temperatures limit plant growth and reproduction and pose a growing threat to agriculture. Plant heat stress response is highly conserved and fine-tuned in multiple pathways. Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is a cold tolerant but heat sensitive green leafy vegetable. In this study, heat adaptation mechanisms in a spinach sibling inbred heat-tolerant line Sp75 were investigated using physiological, proteomic, and phosphoproteomic approaches. The abundance patterns of 911 heat stress-responsive proteins, and phosphorylation level changes of 45 phosphoproteins indicated heat-induced calcium-mediated signaling, ROS homeostasis, endomembrane trafficking, and cross-membrane transport pathways, as well as more than 15 transcription regulation factors. Although photosynthesis was inhibited, diverse primary and secondary metabolic pathways were employed for defense against heat stress, such as glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, vitamin metabolism, and isoprenoid biosynthesis. These data constitute a heat stress-responsive metabolic atlas in spinach, which will springboard further investigations into the sophisticated molecular mechanisms of plant heat adaptation and inform spinach molecular breeding initiatives.

Expression Analysis of Oxalate Metabolic Pathway Genes Reveals Oxalate Regulation Patterns in Spinach.

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is one of most important leafy vegetables because of its high nutritional value and high oxalate content, which can be toxic with negative effects on human nutrition. Ammonium and nitrate can effectively regulate oxalate accumulation, although the mechanisms underlying the oxalate biosynthesis and regulation are still undetermined in plants. In the present study, we identified 25 putative genes that are involved in the oxalate biosynthetic and degradation pathway, before analyzing the oxalate content and the expression levels of the corresponding proteins under normal growth conditions, with or without ammonium and nitrate treatments, using high and low oxalate-accumulated spinach genotypes. The two cultivars exhibited different profiles of total oxalate and soluble oxalate accumulation. The high oxalate concentrations in spinach were as a result of the high transcription levels of the genes that are involved in oxalate biosynthesis under normal growth conditions, such as SoGLO2, SoGLO3, three SoOXACs, SoMLS, SoMDH1, SoMDH2, and SoMDH4. The results revealed that the ammonium and nitrate were able to control the oxalate content in leaves, possibly because of the different transcription levels of the genes. The oxalate content is regulated by complex regulatory mechanisms and is varied in the different varieties of spinach. The results from this research may be used to assist the investigation of the mechanism of oxalate regulation and breeding for reduced oxalate content in spinach.

Higher anthocyanin accumulation associated with higher transcription levels of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes in spinach.

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is widely cultivated as an economically important green leafy vegetable crop for fresh and processing consumption. The red-purple spinach shows abundant anthocyanin accumulation in the leaf and leaf petiole. However, the molecular mechanisms of anthocyanin synthesis in this species are still undetermined. In the present study, we investigated pigment formation and identified anthocyanin biosynthetic genes in spinach. We also analyzed the expression of these genes in purple and green cultivars by quantitative PCR. The accumulation of anthocyanin showed that it was the dominant pigment resulting in the red coloration in spinach. In total, 22 biosynthesis genes and 25 regulatory genes were identified in spinach, based on the spinach genomic and transcriptomic database. Furthermore, the expression patterns of genes encoding enzymes indicated that SoPAL, SoUFGT3, and SoUFGT4 were possible candidate genes for anthocyanin biosynthesis in red-purple spinach. The expression patterns of transcription factors indicated that two SoMYB genes, three SobHLH genes, and one SoWD40 gene were drastically up-regulated and co-expression in red-purple spinach, suggesting an essential role of regulatory genes in the anthocyanin biosynthesis of spinach. These results will enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of anthocyanin biosynthesis in purple spinach.

Heat-Responsive Photosynthetic and Signaling Pathways in Plants: Insight from Proteomics.

Heat stress is a major abiotic stress posing a serious threat to plants. Heat-responsive mechanisms in plants are complicated and fine-tuned. Heat signaling transduction and photosynthesis are highly sensitive. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the molecular mechanism in heat stressed-signaling transduction and photosynthesis is necessary to protect crop yield. Current high-throughput proteomics investigations provide more useful information for underlying heat-responsive signaling pathways and photosynthesis modulation in plants. Several signaling components, such as guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding protein, nucleoside diphosphate kinase, annexin, and brassinosteroid-insensitive I-kinase domain interacting protein 114, were proposed to be important in heat signaling transduction. Moreover, diverse protein patterns of photosynthetic proteins imply that the modulations of stomatal CO2 exchange, photosystem II, Calvin cycle, ATP synthesis, and chlorophyll biosynthesis are crucial for plant heat tolerance.

Draft genome of spinach and transcriptome diversity of 120 Spinacia accessions.

Spinach is an important leafy vegetable enriched with multiple necessary nutrients. Here we report the draft genome sequence of spinach (Spinacia oleracea, 2n=12), which contains 25,495 protein-coding genes. The spinach genome is highly repetitive with 74.4% of its content in the form of transposable elements. No recent whole genome duplication events are observed in spinach. Genome syntenic analysis between spinach and sugar beet suggests substantial inter- and intra-chromosome rearrangements during the Caryophyllales genome evolution. Transcriptome sequencing of 120 cultivated and wild spinach accessions reveals more than 420 K variants. Our data suggests that S. turkestanica is likely the direct progenitor of cultivated spinach and spinach domestication has a weak bottleneck. We identify 93 domestication sweeps in the spinach genome, some of which are associated with important agronomic traits including bolting, flowering and leaf numbers. This study offers insights into spinach evolution and domestication and provides resources for spinach research and improvement.

Diversity, Distribution, and Evolution of Tomato Viruses in China Uncovered by Small RNA Sequencing.

Tomato is a major vegetable crop that has tremendous popularity. However, viral disease is still a major factor limiting tomato production. Here, we report the tomato virome identified through sequencing small RNAs of 170 field-grown samples collected in China. A total of 22 viruses were identified, including both well-documented and newly detected viruses. The tomato viral community is dominated by a few species, and they exhibit polymorphisms and recombination in the genomes with cold spots and hot spots. Most samples were coinfected by multiple viruses, and the majority of identified viruses are positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses. Evolutionary analysis of one of the most dominant tomato viruses, Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), predicts its origin and the time back to its most recent common ancestor. The broadly sampled data have enabled us to identify several unreported viruses in tomato, including a completely new virus, which has a genome of ∼13.4 kb and groups with aphid-transmitted viruses in the genus Cytorhabdovirus Although both DNA and RNA viruses can trigger the biogenesis of virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs), we show that features such as length distribution, paired distance, and base selection bias of vsiRNA sequences reflect different plant Dicer-like proteins and Argonautes involved in vsiRNA biogenesis. Collectively, this study offers insights into host-virus interaction in tomato and provides valuable information to facilitate the management of viral diseases.IMPORTANCE Tomato is an important source of micronutrients in the human diet and is extensively consumed around the world. Virus is among the major constraints on tomato production. Categorizing virus species that are capable of infecting tomato and understanding their diversity and evolution are challenging due to difficulties in detecting such fast-evolving biological entities. Here, we report the landscape of the tomato virome in China, the leading country in tomato production. We identified dozens of viruses present in tomato, including both well-documented and completely new viruses. Some newly emerged viruses in tomato were found to spread fast, and therefore, prompt attention is needed to control them. Moreover, we show that the virus genomes exhibit considerable degree of polymorphisms and recombination, and the virus-derived small interfering RNA (vsiRNA) sequences indicate distinct vsiRNA biogenesis mechanisms for different viruses. The Chinese tomato virome that we developed provides valuable information to facilitate the management of tomato viral diseases.

Effect of berberine on PPARα-NO signalling pathway in vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation induced by angiotensin IV.

CONTEXT: The available treatments for the abnormal proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are still dismal. Berberine has been demonstrated to possess extensive medicine activity, yet relatively little is known about its effect on VSMCs proliferation. Many studies showed that PPARα and NO participated in the process of VSMCs proliferation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of berberine and its possible influence on PPARα-NO pathway in angiotensin IV-stimulated VSMCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The primary VSMCs were cultured with the tissue explants method, and the proliferation was characterized by MTT and protein content. Protein and mRNA expression were measured by Western blot and real-time RT-PCR, respectively. NO synthase (NOS) activity was measured using a spectrophotometric assay, and NO concentration was measured using the Griess assay. RESULTS: Angiotensin IV (0.1 nmol/L)-induced VSMCs proliferation was evidenced by increasing the optical density at A490 and total protein content (p < 0.01), which was inhibited by berberine (10, 30 and 100 µmol/L) in a concentration-dependent manner (p < 0.05). Angiotensin IV decreased the expression of PPARα at mRNA and protein level (p < 0.05), which occurred in parallel with declining eNOS mRNA expression, NOS activity and NO concentration (p < 0.01). Berberine at 30 µmol/L reversed the effects of angiotensin IV in VSMCs (p < 0.05), which were abolished by MK 886 (0.3 µmol/L) (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results support the therapeutic effects of berberine on angiotensin IV-induced proliferation in cultured VSMCs at least partially through targeting the PPARα-NO signalling pathway.