Aquaporins play a significant role in plant water relations. To further understand the aquaporin function in plants under water stress, the expression of a subgroup of aquaporins, plasma membrane intrinsic proteins （...Aquaporins play a significant role in plant water relations. To further understand the aquaporin function in plants under water stress, the expression of a subgroup of aquaporins, plasma membrane intrinsic proteins （PIPs）, was studied at both the protein and mRNA level in upland rice （Oryza sativa L. cv. Zhonghan 3） and lowland rice （Oryza sativa L. cv. Xiushui 63） when they were water stressed by treatment with 20% polyethylene glycol （PEG）. Plants responded differently to 20% PEG treatment. Leaf water content of upland rice leaves was reduced rapidly. PIP protein level increased markedly in roots of both types, but only in leaves of upland rice after 10 h of PEG treatment. At the mRNA level, OsPIP1,2, OsPIP1,3, OsPIP2;1 and OsPIP2;5 in roots as well as OsPIP1,2 and OsPIP1;3 in leaves were significantly up-regulated in upland rice, whereas the corresponding genes remained unchanged or down-regulated in lowland rice. Meanwhile, we observed a significant increase in the endogenous abscisic acid （ABA） level in upland rice but not in lowland rice under water deficit. Treatment with 60 μM ABA enhanced the expression of OsPIP1;2, OsPIP2;5 and OsPIP2;6 in roots and OsPIP1;2, OsPIP2;4 and OsPIP2;6 in leaves of upland rice. The responsiveness of PIP genes to water stress and ABA were different, implying that the regulation of PIP genes involves both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent signaling oathways during water deficit.展开更多
Guava leaf tea has been used as a folk medicine for treating hyperglycemic conditions in Asia and Africa. The hypoglycemic efficacy of guava leaf has been documented by many scientists in these regions, but the hypogl...Guava leaf tea has been used as a folk medicine for treating hyperglycemic conditions in Asia and Africa. The hypoglycemic efficacy of guava leaf has been documented by many scientists in these regions, but the hypoglycemic mechanism is poorly understood. Guava leaves were extracted with methanol and the crude extract was partitioned against hexane, ethyl acetate, and butanol in sequence. The leftover in water is defined as the aqueous partition. A second smaller batch was extracted with hot water directly. Oral glucose tolerance test was carried out on healthy mice instead of diabetic mice that lack endogenous insulin. Glucose uptake was examined with 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Oxidative effect on PTP1B （protein tyrosine phosphatase 1b） was carried out with real-time PTP1B enzymatic assay. The aqueous partition of guava leaf extract possesses a potent inhibitory effect on PTP1B enzymatic activity and this PTP1B inhibition is through a slow oxidative but reversible inactivation on the enzyme. The reversible inactivation would suggest guava leaf extract may augment PTP1B inhibition alongside the endogenous H2O2 which itself is induced by insulin. In addition, our study confirmed the hypoglycemic efficacy being associated with guava leaf and found the most effective molecules reside in the aqueous partition which is also less cytotoxic to Chinese hamster ovary cells when compared to other less polar partitions. The guava leaf extract can modulate insulin activity through a redox regulation on PP1B enzymatic activity. It is speculated that a compound similar to gallocatechin in the aqueous partition can reduce an oxygen molecule to hydrogen peroxide which in turn oxidizes the catalytic residue Cys in PTP1B. Therefore, the guava leaf tea can serve as a functional hypoglycemic drink that is suitable for either healthy or diabetic subjects.展开更多
文摘Aquaporins play a significant role in plant water relations. To further understand the aquaporin function in plants under water stress, the expression of a subgroup of aquaporins, plasma membrane intrinsic proteins （PIPs）, was studied at both the protein and mRNA level in upland rice （Oryza sativa L. cv. Zhonghan 3） and lowland rice （Oryza sativa L. cv. Xiushui 63） when they were water stressed by treatment with 20% polyethylene glycol （PEG）. Plants responded differently to 20% PEG treatment. Leaf water content of upland rice leaves was reduced rapidly. PIP protein level increased markedly in roots of both types, but only in leaves of upland rice after 10 h of PEG treatment. At the mRNA level, OsPIP1,2, OsPIP1,3, OsPIP2;1 and OsPIP2;5 in roots as well as OsPIP1,2 and OsPIP1;3 in leaves were significantly up-regulated in upland rice, whereas the corresponding genes remained unchanged or down-regulated in lowland rice. Meanwhile, we observed a significant increase in the endogenous abscisic acid （ABA） level in upland rice but not in lowland rice under water deficit. Treatment with 60 μM ABA enhanced the expression of OsPIP1;2, OsPIP2;5 and OsPIP2;6 in roots and OsPIP1;2, OsPIP2;4 and OsPIP2;6 in leaves of upland rice. The responsiveness of PIP genes to water stress and ABA were different, implying that the regulation of PIP genes involves both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent signaling oathways during water deficit.
文摘Guava leaf tea has been used as a folk medicine for treating hyperglycemic conditions in Asia and Africa. The hypoglycemic efficacy of guava leaf has been documented by many scientists in these regions, but the hypoglycemic mechanism is poorly understood. Guava leaves were extracted with methanol and the crude extract was partitioned against hexane, ethyl acetate, and butanol in sequence. The leftover in water is defined as the aqueous partition. A second smaller batch was extracted with hot water directly. Oral glucose tolerance test was carried out on healthy mice instead of diabetic mice that lack endogenous insulin. Glucose uptake was examined with 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Oxidative effect on PTP1B （protein tyrosine phosphatase 1b） was carried out with real-time PTP1B enzymatic assay. The aqueous partition of guava leaf extract possesses a potent inhibitory effect on PTP1B enzymatic activity and this PTP1B inhibition is through a slow oxidative but reversible inactivation on the enzyme. The reversible inactivation would suggest guava leaf extract may augment PTP1B inhibition alongside the endogenous H2O2 which itself is induced by insulin. In addition, our study confirmed the hypoglycemic efficacy being associated with guava leaf and found the most effective molecules reside in the aqueous partition which is also less cytotoxic to Chinese hamster ovary cells when compared to other less polar partitions. The guava leaf extract can modulate insulin activity through a redox regulation on PP1B enzymatic activity. It is speculated that a compound similar to gallocatechin in the aqueous partition can reduce an oxygen molecule to hydrogen peroxide which in turn oxidizes the catalytic residue Cys in PTP1B. Therefore, the guava leaf tea can serve as a functional hypoglycemic drink that is suitable for either healthy or diabetic subjects.
