Functional characterization and expression analysis of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) hexose transporters, involving carbohydrate partitioning and phloem unloading in sink tissues.

Many hexose transporters (HTs) have been reported to play roles in sucrose-transporting plants. However, little information about roles of HTs in RFOs (raffinose family oligosaccharides)-transporting plants has been reported. Here, three hexose transporters (CsHT2, CsHT3, and CsHT4) were cloned from Cucumis sativus L. Heterologous expression in yeast demonstrated that CsHT3 transported glucose, galactose and mannose, with a K(m) of 131.9 µM for glucose, and CsHT4 only transported galactose, while CsHT2 was non-functional. Both CsHT3 and CsHT4 were targeted to the plasma membrane of cucumber protoplasts. Spatio-temporal expression indicated that transcript level of CsHT3 was much higher than that of CsHT2 and CsHT4 in most tissues, especially in peduncles and fruit tissues containing vascular bundles. GUS staining of CsHT3-promoter-ß-glucuronidase (GUS) transgenic Arabidopsis plants revealed CsHT3 expression in tissues with high metabolic turnover, suggesting that CsHT3 is involved in sugar competition among different sink organs during plant development. The transcript levels of CsHT3 and cell wall invertase genes increased in peduncles and fruit tissues along with cucumber fruit enlargement, and CsHT3 localized to phloem tissues by immunohistochemical localization; These results suggest that CsHT3 probably plays an important role in apoplastic phloem unloading of cucumber fruit.

Glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) null genotype and coronary artery disease risk: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The Glutathione S-Transferase M1 (GSTM1) null genotype has been indicated to be correlated with coronary artery disease (CAD) susceptibility, but study results are still debatable. Thus, a meta-analysis was conducted. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched. Data were extracted and pooled odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies with 10595 cases and 13782 controls were included in this meta-analysis. The association between GSTM1 null genotype and CAD risk was significant (OR = 1.35; 95% CI, 1.09 - 1.67; P < 0.01). When stratified by ethnicity, the significantly elevated risk were observed in Caucasians (OR = 1.39; 95% CI, 1.07 - 1.81; P = 0.01) but not in Asians (OR = 1.27; 95% CI, 0.87 - 1.86; P = 0.22). No significantly increased myocardial infarction risk was observed (OR = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.78 - 1.18; P = 0.68). Subgroup analysis on the smoking status showed that the increased risk was found in smokers (OR = 1.66; 95% CI, 1.14 - 2.42; P < 0.01) but not in non-smokers (OR = 1.30; 95% CI, 1.74 - 2.28; P = 0.37). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggested that GSTM1 null genotype was a risk factor for CAD, especially in Caucasians and smokers.

Molecular cloning, characteristics and low temperature response of raffinose synthase gene in Cucumis sativus L.

Raffinose synthase (RS, EC2.4.1.82) is one of the key enzymes that channels sucrose into the raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) biosynthetic pathway. However, the gene encoding RS is poorly characterized in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), which is a typical RFOs-translocating plant species. Here we isolated the gene encoding RS (CsRS) from the leaves of cucumber plants. The complete cDNA of CsRS consisted of 2552 nucleotides with an open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 784 amino acid residues. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and RNA hybridization analysis revealed that expression of CsRS was the highest in leaves followed by roots, fruits, and stems. The RS activity was up-regulated and the raffinose content was high in the leaves of transgenic tobacco with over-expression of CsRS, while both the RS activity and the raffinose content decreased in the transgenic cucumber plants with anti-sense expression of CsRS. The expression of CsRS could be induced by low temperature and exogenous phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). In cucumber growing under low temperature stress, CsRS expression, RS activity and raffinose content increased gradually in the leaves, the fruits, the stems and the roots. The most notable increase was observed in the leaves. Similarly, the expression of CsRS was induced in cucumber leaves and fruits with 200 µM and 150 µM ABA treatments, respectively.

[Effects of alternative furrow irrigation and nitrogen application rate on photosynthesis, growth, and yield of cucumber in solar greenhouse].

This paper studied the effects of alternative furrow irrigation and nitrogen (N) application rate (no N, optimal N, and conventional N) on the photosynthesis, growth characteristics, yield formation, and fruit quality of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) cultivar Jinyu No. 5 in a solar greenhouse in winter-spring growth season and autumn-winter season. Under alternative furrow irrigation, the net photosynthetic rate of upper, middle, eand lower leaves was appreciably lower and the transpiration rate decreased significantly, and the transient water use efficiency of upper and middle leaves improved, as compared with those under conventional irrigation. Stomatal factor was the limiting factor of photosynthesis under alternative furrow irrigation. The photosynthesis and transient water use efficiency of functional leaves under alternative furrow irrigation increased with increasing N application rate. Comparing with conventional irrigation, alternative furrow irrigation decreased leaf chlorophyll content and plant biomass, but increased root biomass, root/shoot ratio, and dry matter allocation in root and fruit. The economic output under alternative furrow irrigation was nearly the same as that under conventional irrigation, whereas the water use efficiency for economic yield increased significantly, suggesting the beneficial effects of alternative furrow irrigation on root development and fruit formation. With the increase of N application rate, the leaf chlorophyll content, chlorophyll a/b, specific leaf mass, plant biomass, economic yield, and fruit Vc and soluble sugar contents under alternative furrow irrigation increased, but no significant difference was observed between the treatments optimal N and conventional N. N application had little effects on the water use efficiency for economic yield. The economic yield and biomass production of the cucumber were significantly higher in winter-spring growth season than in autumn-winter growth season.

[Effect of lixu jieyu recipe in treating 75 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effective Chinese medicine treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). METHODS: Seventy-five CFS patients meeting the inclusive criteria were enrolled from March 2007 to April 2008 and randomized into two groups. The 40 patients in the treated group were orally treated with Lixu Jieyu Recipe (LJR, consisted of milkvetch root 30 g, kudzuvine root 30 g, asiabell root 15 g, red sage root 10 g, aizoon stonecrop 15 g, epimeddium herb 10 g, curcuma root 10 g, and grassleaved sweetflag rhizome 10 g, made into 200 mL of decoction), for 100 mL twice a day. The 35 patients in the control group were treated with vitamin B tablets (10 mg twice a day), adenosine triphsphate (ATP, 20 mg, thrice a day) and Oryzanol tablets (20 mg thrice a day). The laboratory indicators including serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE), blood immune cells, as T-cells (Th and Ts), B-cells, natural killer cells, as well as CD4/CD8 ratio were measured before and after 3-month treatment. RESULTS: After treatment the difference in scores of fatigue symptoms between the two groups was significant (P < 0.01), the scores of various SCL-90 factors and the total score significantly reduced in the treated group after treatment (P < 0.01). Levels of the immunoglobulins measured before treatment were in an equilibrium state, they all were unchanged after treatment in both groups (P > 0.05), and showed no significant difference between groups either before or after treatment. As for the immune cells, significant increase of the lowered Th, Ts cells, and decrease of CD4/CD8 ratio were found in both groups after treatment (P < 0.05), but the improvement was more significant in the treated group, so the difference between groups in these indices after treatment also showed statistical significance (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: LJR shows superiority in treating CFS.

[Effects of temperature regime on low-light tolerance of Cucumis sativus seedling leaves in their photosynthesis].

In a phytotron, the effects of three temperature regimes (day/night 25 degrees C/18 degrees C, optimal temperature; 15 degrees C/9 degrees C, suboptimal temperature; and 9 degrees C/7 degrees C, low temperature) on the low-light (75-85 micromol x m(-2) x s(-1)) tolerance of two Cucumis sativus cultivars (shade-susceptible Jinyan 2 and shade-tolerant Deltastar) seedling leaves in their photosynthesis were studied. The results showed that under low light, the SPAD, net photosynthesis rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), water use efficiency (WUE), actual photochemical efficiency of PS II in the light (phi(PS II)), and photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence (q(p)) of cucumber leaves decreased, with the decrement getting more with decreasing temperature, while the superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities were in adverse. During the recovery process after low-light stress relieved, the parameters of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence of the leaves recovered gradually, and the recovery of some gas exchange parameters lagged to that of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. Under low light, the lower the temperature, the more damage the photosynthesis apparatus suffered, and the lesser tolerance to low light the cucumber leaves had in their photosynthesis. During the low temperature and low light treatment period, the decrease of Pn, phi(PS II), and q(p) was more obvious for Jinyan 2 than for Deltastar; and during the relief period, the recovery of these parameters was slower for Jinyan 2 than for Deltastar. It was indicated that Jinyan 2 had weaker tolerance to low temperature and/or low light in its photosynthesis than Deltastar.

[Clinical observation on effect of tiaozhi jiangtang tablet on patients with diabetes of blood stasis syndrome: a report of 30 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of Tiaozhi Jiangtang Tablet (TZJT) on patients suffering from diabetes mellitus with blood stasis syndrome. METHODS: Sixty patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups, the TZJT group (n = 30) treated with TZJT tablet and asprin, the control group (n = 30) treated with asprin alone. RESULTS: The improvement of symptoms was more significant in the TZJT group than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Levels of serum endothelin (ET), nitric oxide (NO) content and blood viscosity were decreased in both groups after treatment, and the effect of TZJT plus asprin was superior to that of asprin alone. CONCLUSION: TZJT combined with asprin is effective in improving the serum content of ET and NO and reducing blood viscosity.