The blue light receptor Phototropin 1 suppresses lateral root growth by controlling cell elongation.

We investigated the relationship between the blue light receptor phototropin 1 (phot1) and lateral root growth in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Fluorescence and confocal microscopy images, as well as PHOT1 mRNA expression studies provide evidence that it is highly expressed in the elongation zone of lateral roots where auxin is accumulating. However, treatment with the auxin transport inhibitor N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid significantly reduced PHOT1 expression in this zone. In addition, PHOT1 expression was higher in darkness than in light. The total number of lateral roots was higher in the phot1 mutant than in wild-type Arabidopsis. Cells in the elongation zone of lateral roots of the phot1 mutant were longer than those of wild-type lateral roots. These findings suggest that PHOT1 plays a role(s) in elongation of lateral roots through the control of an auxin-related signalling pathway.

Allergenicity of Recombinant Profilins From Japanese Hop, Humulus japonicus

Antecedentes y objetivo: El polen de Humulus japonicus constituye la causa mayor de polinosis en Corea. La profilina (15 kDa) de H. scandens ha mostrado ser fuertemente alergénica en los pacientes chinos. También la profilina se ha detectado en extractos de polen del H. japonicus mediante análisis de proteómica e inmunoblotting. Sin embargo la alergenicidad de los alérgenos aislados no ha sido investigada en los pacientes de Corea. En este estudio, se produce la profilina recombinante del polen de H. japonicus y se evalúa su alergenicidad. Métodos: Las secuencias de cDNA que codifican dos isoalérgenos fueron clonadas mediante RT-PCR y las proteína recombinantes se expresaron en Escherichia coli. Las reactividades de IgE para los alérgenos recombinantes fueron analizadas mediante ELISA. Resultados: Se comprobó que las secuencias de aminoácidos deducidas de la profilina de H. japonicus mostraban una homología del 68.7-80.2% con las profilinas de Artemisia (Art v 4), Ambrosia (Amb a 14) y abedul (Bet v 2). Los dos isoalérgenos de la profilina de H. japonicus mostraron una identidad del 78.2%. Las secuencias de cDNA de estos dos isoalérgenos mostraron una identidad del 98.5 (AY268422) y 98.7% (AY268424) con los de H. scandens. Muestras de suero de los pacientes sensibilizados a H. japonicus mostraron una reactividad de IgE en el 12.9% de los casos. La reactividad de IgE frente a ambos isoalérgenos recombinantes de la profilina de H. japonicus indica que dicha profilina puede no ser un componente alergénicamente dominante en este tipo de polinosis. Las profilinas recombinantes mostraron una leve inhibición del 0-9.3% sobre el extracto crudo de polen de H. japonicus. Conclusiones: Los dos isoalérgenos aislados de la profilina de H. japonicus están altamente conservados y muestran homología con la de Artemisia, Ambrosía y abedul, y juegan un papel menor en la polinosis más frecuente de Corea (AU)

Background and objective: Pollen from Japanese hop, Humulus japonicus, is a major cause of pollinosis in Korea. Profilin (15 kDa) from Humulus scandens has been associated with strong allergenicity in allergic Chinese patients. Profilin has also been detected in pollen extract from Korean Japanese hop by proteomic analysis and immunoglobulin (Ig) E immunoblotting. However, the allergenicity of allergens isolated from Japanese hop has not been investigated in Korean individuals. This study was undertaken to produce recombinant profilin from Japanese hop and evaluate its allergenicity. Methods: Complementary DNA sequences encoding 2 isoallergens were cloned by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and their recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli. The IgE-binding reactivities of the recombinant allergens were assessed by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. Results: The deduced amino acid sequences of the H japonicus profilins were 68.7% to 80.2% homologous with profilins from mugwort (Art v 4), ragweed (Amb a 14), and birch (Bet v 2). Two isoallergens of profilin from H japonicus were 78.2% identical. Notably, the cDNA sequences of these 2 isoallergens were 98.5% (AY268422) and 98.7% (AY268424) identical to those of H scandens. Serum samples from Japanese hop–sensitized individuals showed 12.9% IgE reactivity to both of the recombinant profilin isoallergens from H japonicus, indicating that profilin may not be an allergenically dominant component of Japanese hop pollen. The recombinant profilins showed only 0% to 9.3% inhibition of the crude extract. Conclusions: Two isoallergens of profilin that are highly conserved with those of mugwort, ragweed, and birch were identified in H japonicus. Profilins from Japanese hop pollen may play a minor role in the pathogenesis of pollinosis in Koreans (AU)

Electrochemical sensors for polyionic macromolecules: development and applications in pharmaceutical research.

The first electrochemical sensors responsive towards polyionic heparin and protamine - two clinically important polymeric drugs - have been fully developed. The response mechanism of these sensors has been completely elucidated. As well as their significance in measuring blood heparin levels in clinically relevant concentration ranges, these polyion sensors could also find broad applications in pharmaceutical research, such as in the study of the binding events between heparin (or protamine) and other polycationic (or polyanionic) macromolecules. In addition, the sensors could be employed in the design of blood assays for a range of clinically important proteases and their inhibitors by utilizing either protamine or specially designed synthetic polypeptides as the substrates