Effects of Nitrogen Fertigation Rate on Protein Components in Grains and Processing Quality of Different Wheat Varieties

[Objective] This study aimed to explore the effects of nitrogen fertigation rate on the protein components in grains and processing quality of different wheat varieties. [Method] Under the condition of higher soil fertility, different amounts of N-fertilizer were applied in the plots, and then the contents of total protein and its components, percentage of the component content to total protein content as well as the processing quality of grains of two strong-gluten wheat varieties （Linyou145 and Zhengmai9023） and two weak-gluten wheat varieties （Ningmai9 and Baofeng949） were determined. [Result] The contents of total protein and globulin, gliadin and glutenin were improved significantly with the increase of the N-fertilizer amount; but the content of albumin did not show remarkable increase; in addition, the percentage of each protein component was relative stable and did not increase significantly. Increase in the amount of N-fertilizer improved the sedimentation value, wet gluten content, loaf volume and loaf score, decreased the volume weight of grain. [Conclusion] This study provideed theoretical support for high-quality wheat production.

High Temperature During Rice Grain Filling Enhances Aspartate Metabolism in Grains and Results in Accumulation of AspartateFamily Amino Acids and Protein Components

Global warming causes the exacerbation of rice growing environment, which seriously affects rice growth and reproduction, and finally results in the decrease of rice yield and quality. We investigated the activities of aspartate metabolism enzymes in grains, and the contents of Aspartate-family amino acids and protein components to further understand the effects of high temperature （HT） on rice nutritional quality during rice grain filling. Under HT, the average activities of aspartate aminotransferase （AAT） and aspartokinase （AK） in grains significantly increased, the amino acid contents of aspartate （Asp）, lysine （Lys）, threonine （Thr）, methionine （Met） and isoleucine （lie） and the protein contents of albumin, globulin, prolamin and glutelin also significantly increased. The results indicated that HT enhanced Asp metabolism during rice grain filling and the enhancement of Asp metabolism might play an important role in the increase of Asp-family amino acids and protein components in grains. In case of the partial appraisal of the change of Asp-family amino acids and protein components under HT, we introduced eight indicators （amino acid or protein content, ratio of amino acid or protein, amino acid or protein content per grain and amino acid or protein content per panicle） to estimate the effects of HT. It is suggested that HT during rice grain filling was benefit for the accumulation of Asp-family amino acids and protein components. Combined with the improvement of Asp-family amino acid ratio in grains under HT, it is suggested that HT during grain filling may improve the rice nutritional quality. However, the yields of parts of Asp-family amino acids and protein components were decreased under HT during rice grain filling.

Agronomic Trait and Protein Component of F_2 Hybrid Originated from Intergeneric Somatic Hybridization Between Triticum aestivum and Agropyron elongatum

Protoplasts derived from common wheat (Triticum aestivum L,. cv. Jinan 177) were fused with UV-treated protoplasts of Agropyron elongatum. (Host) Nevski by PEG method, and fertile asymmetric somatic hybrid plants resembling wheat morphology were obtained. The F-2 hybrid plants could be divided into 3 types according to their morphology. Type I hybrids had high and loosely standing stalks with big spikes and grains. Type ii hybrids were dwarf and compact in shape with high tillering ability and smaller spikes. Type III hybrids were similar to type I as a whole but had more compact and erect spikes. All the F-2 hybrid lines were superior to wheat in seed protein content, although some difference existed between themselves. Protein analysis of immature embryos and flag leaves from hybrids by two-dimensional electrophoresis showed that they possessed characteristic proteins of both parents and some new proteins. There existed also some different kinds of proteins in different lines.

AMPK-mTOR pathway is involved in glucose-modulated amino acid sensing and utilization in the mammary glands of lactating goats

Background:The local supply of energy-yielding nutrients such as glucose seems to affect the synthesis of milk components in the mammary gland(MG).Thus,our study was conducted to investigate the effects of locally available MG glucose supply(LMGS)on amino acid(AA)sensing and utilization in the MG of lactating dairy goats.Six dosages of glucose(0,20,40,60,80,and 100 g/d)were infused into the MG through the external pudendal artery to investigate the dose-dependent changes in mammary AA uptake and utilization(Exp.1)and the changes in mRNA and protein expression of the AMPK-mTOR pathway(Expt.2).Results:In Exp.1,total milk AA concentration was highest when goats were infused with 60 g/d glucose,but lower when goats were infused with 0 and 100 g/d glucose.Increasing LMGS quadratically changed the percentages ofαS2-casein andα-lactalbumin in milk protein,which increased with infusions from 0 to 60 g/d glucose and then decreased with infusions between 60 and 100 g/d glucose.The LMGS changed the AA availability and intramammary gland AA utilization,as reflected by the mammary AA flux indexes.In Exp.2,the mRNA expression of LALBA in the MG increased quadratically with increasing LMGS,with the highest expression at dose of 60 g/d glucose.A high glucose dosage(100 g/d)activated the general control nonderepressible 2 kinase,an intracellular sensor of AA status,resulting in a reduced total milk AA concentration.Conclusions:Our new findings suggest that the lactating MG in dairy goats may be affected by LMGS through regulation of the AA sensory pathway,AA utilization and protein synthesis,all being driven by the AMPK-mTOR pathway.

MCM3AP,a Novel HBV Integration Site in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Its Implication in Hepatocarcinogenesis

A novel HBV integration site involved in hepatocarcinogenesis was investigated. The HBV DNA integration sites were detected by Alu-PCR in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues, matched surrounding liver tissues in 30 patients with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 3 cases of normal liver tissues. The integration sites and flanking sequences in human genome were sequenced and blasted, and the expression of integrated HBV genes was determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The influence of the up-regulated expression of integrated genes on hepatocarcinogenesis was analyzed. Nineteen integration sites of HBV DNA into HCC tissues were obtained by RT-PCR and sequencing. These genes encoding proteins were: LOC51030, LOC157777, minichromosome maintenance complex component 3 associated protein (MCM3AP), MCTP1, SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 2 isoform 2, CCDC40, similar to HCG2033532, mitochondrial ribosomal S5 pseudogene 4. One of them was integrated into the intron of MCM3AP. RT-PCR demonstrated that the expression levels of MCM3AP mRNA in HCC tissues, matched surrounding liver tissues and normal liver tissues were in a descendent order. The ratio of MCM3AP mRNA to the GAPDH mRNA in these three tissues was 1.07375, 0.21573, 0.06747 respectively, with the difference being statistically significant among them (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the expression levels of MCM3AP mRNA from HCC tissues in which HBV DNA integrated into MCM3AP were still significantly higher than those without HBV DNA integrated into MCM3AP. It was concluded that the HBV DNA integration sites into human genome were random, and MCM3AP was a new site. The up-regulated MCM3AP mRNA may affect flanking sequences which promote the hepatocarcinogenesis.

Effect of salvianolic acid A and C compatibility on inflammatory cytokines in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of salvianolic acid A and C component molecules,which are involved in drug compatibility,on inflammatory cytokine expression that affects human chemokine ligand 5(CCL5) and chemokine ligand 10(CXCL10)levels in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO).METHODS:Fifty Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups:normal,model,salvianolic acid A,salvianolic acid C and salvianolic acid A and C groups.The normal group was used as the control,and the other groups of rats had a UUO model established.The control group had free access to food and water,and the other groups received the corresponding drugs for 2 weeks.After the last administration,urine β_2-microglobulin(β_2-MG) and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase(NAG) levels were analyzed.After 24 h,all rats were sacrificed and the serum was analyzed for creatinine(Cr) and blood urea nitrogen(BUN) levels.Rat kidneys were removed,and CCL5 and CXCL10 inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression was measured using real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Kidney fibrosis was observed using hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and Masson trichrome staining.RESULTS:In the salvianolic acid A and salvianolic acid C treatment groups,serum Cr and urine NAG levels were significantly lower than in the model group(both P < 0.05).In all treatment groups,urine pYMG levels were significantly lower than in the model group(all P < 0.05).Compared with model group,the pathological changes and collagen deposition improved to varying degrees(both P <0.05).CCL5 and CXCL10 mRNA expression decreased to different degrees compared with the model group(both P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:Salvianolic acid A and C are component molecules of drug compatibility,and they may protect renal function and improve tubular function and renal pathology to a certain degree in UUO.This improvement may be related to a reduction in inflammatory cytokines CCL5 and CXCL10 secretion in the UUO rat kidney.

Ginseng-Derived Panaxadiol Saponins Promote Hematopoiesis Recovery in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Myelosuppressive Mice:Potential Novel Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Cytopenias

Objective：To investigate the potential efficacy of panaxadiol saponins component（PDS-C）,a biologically active fraction isolated from total ginsenosides,to reverse chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression and pancytopenia caused by cyclophamide（CTX）.Methods：Mice with myelosuppression induced by CTX were treated with PDS-C at a low-（20 mg/kg）,moderate-（40 mg/kg）,or high-dose（80 mg/kg） for 7 consecutive days.The level of peripheral white blood cell（WBC）,neutrophil（NEU） and platelet（PLT） were measured,the histopathology and colony formation were observed,the protein kinase and transcription factors in hematopoietic cells were determined by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot.Results：In response to PDS-C therapy,the peripheral WBC,NEU and PLT counts of CTX-induced myelosuppressed mice were significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner.Similarly,bone marrow histopathology examination showed reversal of CTX-induced myelosuppression with increase in overall bone marrow cellularity and the number of hematopoietic cells（P〈0.01）.PDS-C also promoted proliferation of granulocytic and megakaryocyte progenitor cells in CTX-treated mice,as evidenced by significantly increase in colony formation units-granulocytes/monocytes and-megakaryocytes（P〈0.01）.The enhancement of hematopoiesis by PDS-C appears to be mediated by an intracellular signaling pathway,this was evidenced by the up-regulation of phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase（p-MEK） and extracellular signal-regulated kinases（p-ERK）,and receptor tyrosine kinase（C-kit） and globin transcription factor 1（GATA-1） in hematopoietic cells of CTX-treated mice（P〈0.05）.Conclusions：PDS-C possesses hematopoietic growth factor-like activities that promote proliferation and also possibly differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells in myelosuppressed mice,probably mediated by a mechanism involving MEK and ERK protein kinases,and C-kit and GATA-1 transcription factors.PDS-C may potentially be a novel treatment of myelosuppression and pancytopenia caused by chemotherapy.