Eureka lemon zinc finger protein ClDOF3.4 interacts with citrus yellow vein clearing virus coat protein to inhibit viral infection

Citrus yellow vein clearing virus(CYVCV)is a new citrus virus that has become an important factor restricting the development of China’s citrus industry,and the CYVCV coat protein(CP)is associated with viral pathogenicity.In this study,the Eureka lemon zinc finger protein(ZFP)ClDOF3.4 was shown to interact with CYVCV CP in vivo and in vitro.Transient expression of ClDOF3.4 in Eureka lemon induced the expression of salicylic acid(SA)-related and hypersensitive response marker genes,and triggered a reactive oxygen species burst,ion leakage necrosis,and the accumulation of free SA.Furthermore,the CYVCV titer in ClDOF3.4 transgenic Eureka lemon plants was approximately 69.4%that in control plants 6 mon after inoculation,with only mild leaf chlorotic spots observed in those transgenic plants.Taken together,the results indicate that ClDOF3.4 not only interacts with CP but also induces an immune response in Eureka lemon by inducing the SA pathways.This is the first report that ZFP is involved in the immune response of a citrus viral disease,which provides a basis for further study of the molecular mechanism of CYVCV infection.

Coated sodium butyrate ameliorates high‑energy and low‑protein diet induced hepatic dysfunction via modulating mitochondrial dynamics, autophagy and apoptosis in laying hens

Background Fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome(FLHS),a fatty liver disease in laying hens,poses a grave threat to the layer industry,stemming from its ability to trigger an alarming plummet in egg production and usher in acute mortality among laying hens.Increasing evidence suggests that the onset and progression of fatty liver was closely related to mitochondria dysfunction.Sodium butyrate was demonstrated to modulate hepatic lipid metabolism,alle-viate oxidative stress and improve mitochondrial dysfunction in vitro and mice models.Nevertheless,there is limited existing research on coated sodium butyrate(CSB)to prevent FLHS in laying hens,and whether and how CSB exerts the anti-FLHS effect still needs to be explored.In this experiment,the FLHS model was induced by administering a high-energy low-protein(HELP)diet in laying hens.The objective was to investigate the effects of CSB on alleviating FLHS with a focus on the role of CSB in modulating mitochondrial function.Methods A total of 288 healthy 28-week-old Huafeng laying hens were arbitrarily allocated into 4 groups with 6 replicates each,namely,the CON group(normal diet),HELP group(HELP diet),CH500 group(500 mg/kg CSB added to HELP diet)and CH750 group(750 mg/kg CSB added to HELP diet).The duration of the trial encompassed a period of 10 weeks.Results The result revealed that CSB ameliorated the HELP-induced FLHS by improving hepatic steatosis and patho-logical damage,reducing the gene levels of fatty acid synthesis,and promoting the mRNA levels of key enzymes of fatty acid catabolism.CSB reduced oxidative stress induced by the HELP diet,upregulated the activity of GSH-Px and SOD,and decreased the content of MDA and ROS.CSB also mitigated the HELP diet-induced inflammatory response by blocking TNF-α,IL-1β,and F4/80.In addition,dietary CSB supplementation attenuated HELP-induced activation of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response(UPRmt),mitochondrial damage,and decline of ATPase activity.HELP diet decreased the autophagosome formation,and downregulated LC3B but upregulated p62 protein expression,which CSB administration reversed.CSB reduced HELP-induced apoptosis,as indicated by decreases in the Bax/Bcl-2,Caspase-9,Caspase-3,and Cyt C expression levels.Conclusions Dietary CSB could ameliorate HELP diet-induced hepatic dysfunction via modulating mitochondrial dynamics,autophagy,and apoptosis in laying hens.Consequently,CSB,as a feed additive,exhibited the capacity to prevent FLHS by modulating autophagy and lipid metabolism.

Assessing the corrosion protection property of coatings loaded with corrosion inhibitors using the real-time atmospheric corrosion monitoring technique

The atmospheric corrosion monitoring(ACM)technique has been widely employed to track the real-time corrosion behavior of metal materials.However,limited studies have applied ACM to the corrosion protection properties of organic coatings.This study compared a bare epoxy coating with one containing zinc phosphate corrosion inhibitors,both applied on ACM sensors,to observe their corrosion protection properties over time.Coatings with artificial damage via scratches were exposed to immersion and alternating dry and wet environments,which allowed for monitoring galvanic corrosion currents in real-time.Throughout the corrosion tests,the ACM currents of the zinc phosphate/epoxy coating were considerably lower than those of the blank epoxy coating.The trend in ACM current variations closely matched the results obtained from regular electrochemical tests and surface analysis.This alignment highlights the potential of the ACM technique in evaluating the corrosion protection capabilities of organic coatings.Compared with the blank epoxy coating,the zinc phosphate/epoxy coating showed much-decreased ACM current values that confirmed the effective inhibition of zinc phosphate against steel corrosion beneath the damaged coating.

Protein arginine methyltransferase-6 regulates heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein-F expression and is a potential target for the treatment of neuropathic pain

Protein arginine methyltransferase-6 participates in a range of biological functions,particularly RNA processing,transcription,chromatin remodeling,and endosomal trafficking.However,it remains unclear whether protein arginine methyl transferase-6 modifies neuropathic pain and,if so,what the mechanisms of this effect.In this study,protein arginine methyltransferase-6 expression levels and its effect on neuropathic pain were investigated in the spared nerve injury model,chronic constriction injury model and bone cancer pain model,using immunohistochemistry,western blotting,immunoprecipitation,and label-free proteomic analysis.The results showed that protein arginine methyltransferase-6 mostly co-localized withβ-tubulinⅢin the dorsal root ganglion,and that its expression decreased following spared nerve injury,chronic constriction injury and bone cancer pain.In addition,PRMT6 knockout(Prmt6~(-/-))mice exhibited pain hypersensitivity.Furthermore,the development of spared nerve injury-induced hypersensitivity to mechanical pain was attenuated by blocking the decrease in protein arginine methyltransferase-6 expression.Moreover,when protein arginine methyltransferase-6 expression was downregulated in the dorsal root ganglion in mice without spared nerve injury,increased levels of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases were observed in the ipsilateral dorsal horn,and the response to mechanical stimuli was enhanced.Mechanistically,protein arginine methyltransferase-6 appeared to contribute to spared nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain by regulating the expression of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein-F.Additionally,protein arginine methyltransfe rase-6-mediated modulation of hete rogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein-F expression required amino atids 319 to 388,but not classical H3R2 methylation.These findings indicated that protein arginine methyltransferase-6 is a potential therapeutic target fo r the treatment of peripheral neuro pathic pain.

Spastin and alsin protein interactome analyses begin to reveal key canonical pathways and suggest novel druggable targets

Developing effective and long-term treatment strategies for rare and complex neurodegenerative diseases is challenging. One of the major roadblocks is the extensive heterogeneity among patients. This hinders understanding the underlying disease-causing mechanisms and building solutions that have implications for a broad spectrum of patients. One potential solution is to develop personalized medicine approaches based on strategies that target the most prevalent cellular events that are perturbed in patients. Especially in patients with a known genetic mutation, it may be possible to understand how these mutations contribute to problems that lead to neurodegeneration. Protein–protein interaction analyses offer great advantages for revealing how proteins interact, which cellular events are primarily involved in these interactions, and how they become affected when key genes are mutated in patients. This line of investigation also suggests novel druggable targets for patients with different mutations. Here, we focus on alsin and spastin, two proteins that are identified as “causative” for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and hereditary spastic paraplegia, respectively, when mutated. Our review analyzes the protein interactome for alsin and spastin, the canonical pathways that are primarily important for each protein domain, as well as compounds that are either Food and Drug Administration–approved or are in active clinical trials concerning the affected cellular pathways. This line of research begins to pave the way for personalized medicine approaches that are desperately needed for rare neurodegenerative diseases that are complex and heterogeneous.

AAV mediated carboxyl terminus of Hsp70 interacting protein overexpression mitigates the cognitive and pathological phenotypes of APP/PS1 mice

The E3 ubiquitin ligase,carboxyl terminus of heat shock protein 70(Hsp70)interacting protein(CHIP),also functions as a co-chaperone and plays a crucial role in the protein quality control system.In this study,we aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of overexpressed CHIP on Alzheimer’s disease.We used an adeno-associated virus vector that can cross the blood-brain barrier to mediate CHIP overexpression in APP/PS1 mouse brain.CHIP overexpression significantly ameliorated the performance of APP/PS1 mice in the Morris water maze and nest building tests,reduced amyloid-βplaques,and decreased the expression of both amyloid-βand phosphorylated tau.CHIP also alleviated the concentration of microglia and astrocytes around plaques.In APP/PS1 mice of a younger age,CHIP overexpression promoted an increase in ADAM10 expression and inhibitedβ-site APP cleaving enzyme 1,insulin degrading enzyme,and neprilysin expression.Levels of HSP70 and HSP40,which have functional relevance to CHIP,were also increased.Single nuclei transcriptome sequencing in the hippocampus of CHIP overexpressed mice showed that the lysosomal pathway and oligodendrocyte-related biological processes were up-regulated,which may also reflect a potential mechanism for the neuroprotective effect of CHIP.Our research shows that CHIP effectively reduces the behavior and pathological manifestations of APP/PS1 mice.Indeed,overexpression of CHIP could be a beneficial approach for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Regulator of G protein signaling 6 mediates exercise-induced recovery of hippocampal neurogenesis,learning,and memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease

Hippocampal neuronal loss causes cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease.Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is reduced in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.Exercise stimulates adult hippocampal neurogenesis in rodents and improves memory and slows cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.However,the molecular pathways for exercise-induced adult hippocampal neurogenesis and improved cognition in Alzheimer’s disease are poorly understood.Recently,regulator of G protein signaling 6(RGS6)was identified as the mediator of voluntary running-induced adult hippocampal neurogenesis in mice.Here,we generated novel RGS6fl/fl;APP_(SWE) mice and used retroviral approaches to examine the impact of RGS6 deletion from dentate gyrus neuronal progenitor cells on voluntary running-induced adult hippocampal neurogenesis and cognition in an amyloid-based Alzheimer’s disease mouse model.We found that voluntary running in APP_(SWE) mice restored their hippocampal cognitive impairments to that of control mice.This cognitive rescue was abolished by RGS6 deletion in dentate gyrus neuronal progenitor cells,which also abolished running-mediated increases in adult hippocampal neurogenesis.Adult hippocampal neurogenesis was reduced in sedentary APP_(SWE) mice versus control mice,with basal adult hippocampal neurogenesis reduced by RGS6 deletion in dentate gyrus neural precursor cells.RGS6 was expressed in neurons within the dentate gyrus of patients with Alzheimer’s disease with significant loss of these RGS6-expressing neurons.Thus,RGS6 mediated voluntary running-induced rescue of impaired cognition and adult hippocampal neurogenesis in APP_(SWE) mice,identifying RGS6 in dentate gyrus neural precursor cells as a possible therapeutic target in Alzheimer’s disease.

AAV-mediated expression of p65shRNA and bone morphogenetic protein 4 synergistically enhances chondrocyte regeneration

BACKGROUND:Adeno-associated virus(AAV)gene therapy has been proven to be reliable and safe for the treatment of osteoarthritis in recent years.However,given the complexity of osteoarthritis pathogenesis,single gene manipulation for the treatment of osteoarthritis may not produce satisfactory results.Previous studies have shown that nuclear factorκB could promote the inflammatory pathway in osteoarthritic chondrocytes,and bone morphogenetic protein 4(BMP4)could promote cartilage regeneration.OBJECTIVE:To test whether combined application of AAV-p65shRNA and AAV-BMP4 will yield the synergistic effect on chondrocytes regeneration and osteoarthritis treatment.METHODS:Viral particles containing AAV-p65-shRNA and AAV-BMP4 were prepared.Their efficacy in inhibiting inflammation in chondrocytes and promoting chondrogenesis was assessed in vitro and in vivo by transfecting AAV-p65-shRNA or AAV-BMP4 into cells.The experiments were divided into five groups:PBS group;osteoarthritis group;AAV-BMP4 group;AAV-p65shRNA group;and BMP4-p65shRNA 1:1 group.Samples were collected at 4,12,and 24 weeks postoperatively.Tissue staining,including safranin O and Alcian blue,was applied after collecting articular tissue.Then,the optimal ratio between the two types of transfected viral particles was further investigated to improve the chondrogenic potential of mixed cells in vivo.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The combined application of AAV-p65shRNA and AAV-BMP4 together showed a synergistic effect on cartilage regeneration and osteoarthritis treatment.Mixed cells transfected with AAV-p65shRNA and AAV-BMP4 at a 1:1 ratio produced the most extracellular matrix synthesis(P<0.05).In vivo results also revealed that the combination of the two viruses had the highest regenerative potential for osteoarthritic cartilage(P<0.05).In the present study,we also discovered that the combined therapy had the maximum effect when the two viruses were administered in equal proportions.Decreasing either p65shRNA or BMP4 transfected cells resulted in less collagen II synthesis.This implies that inhibiting inflammation by p65shRNA and promoting regeneration by BMP4 are equally important for osteoarthritis treatment.These findings provide a new strategy for the treatment of early osteoarthritis by simultaneously inhibiting cartilage inflammation and promoting cartilage repair.

线虫surface coat proteins提取方法的建立与双向电泳分析

目的:建立一套适用于蛋白质双向电泳体系的线虫surface coat proteins(SCPs)样品制备技术,为今后研究线虫surfacecoat蛋白质组学及线虫病理生理学奠定基础。方法:以秀丽隐杆线虫(Caenorhabditis elegans)为研究材料,对比和分析不同的蛋白提取沉淀方法,进而采用SDS-PAGE电泳技术和双向电泳技术对所提蛋白进行评价。结果:通过35%乙醇结合TCA-丙酮沉淀法获得的质量较好的线虫SCPs,在12%的SDS-PAGE分析中该法提取的蛋白背景浅,蛋白条带多且清晰尖锐,含有丰富的蛋白信息量。通过双向电泳分析,可从提取的蛋白中鉴定出清晰蛋白点400多个。随机选择5个蛋白斑点,进行基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱鉴定,鉴定得到高度匹配的已知线虫蛋白质2个。结论:所建立的方法可为今后研究线虫surface coat蛋白质组学及线虫病理生理学提供重要工具。

Capillary Zone Electrophoretic Separation of Proteins in Polymer Coated Capillaries

Fused-silica capillaries used in capillary zone electrophoresis were statically coated with γ- glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane and epoxy polymer in order to suppress wall adsorption in the separation of proteins. It has been shown that a significant decrease in adsorption was obtained and eletroosmotic flow was the diminished in the pH range 3-5. However with higher pH values, appreciable peak deformation and decreases in the resolving power were observed. Under pH 5, the epoxy polymer coating was shown to be quite stable and exhibited reproducible separations from run-to-run and day-to-day over a period of time.

P1 of strawberry vein banding virus, a multilocalized protein, functions as a movement protein and interacts with the coat protein

Although the complete nucleotide sequence of strawberry vein banding virus(SVBV) has been determined and bioinformatic analysis has revealed that the SVBV genome could encode seven proteins, the precise function of each protein is unclear. This study provided evidence that the P1 protein of SVBV(SVBV-P1) possesses the following features. Bioinformatic and subcellular localization analyses showed that SVBV-P1 is localized in the cytoplasm and cell walls of epidermal cells in Nicotiana benthamiana, and it forms inclusion bodies associated with microtubules and the endoplasmic reticulum. Dilution experiments demonstrated that SVBV-P1 could move from the original agro-infiltrated cells to adjacent cells in N. benthamiana leaves. Further trans-complementation experiments demonstrated that SVBV-P1 could facilitate the intercellular movement of a movement-deficient potato virus X mutant in N. benthamiana leaves. Finally, yeast twohybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays revealed that SVBV-P1 could interact with the SVBV coat protein, which is a major component of Caulimovirus virions. Results of the electrophoretic mobility shift assay indicated that SVBV-P1 lacks DNA-binding capability. In summary, the results suggest that SVBV-P1 is probably a movement protein of SVBV, providing new insights into the function of movement proteins of the Caulimovirus genus.

The Relationship of Color Formation with Related Enzymes and Protein Contents in the Seedcoat of Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus)

Three pairs of near-isogenic lines with different genetic backgrounds of yellow-seededand black-seeded rape (Brassica napus L.) were used as experiment materials to study therelationship of color formation in the seedcoat with enzyme activity and protein contentin it. The results showed that with similar genetic backgrounds, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and polyphenol oxidase(PPO) activities in the black-seeded lines were muchhigher than in their yellow-seeded counterparts and maximum PAL activity in the seedcoatoccurred comparatively late while no significant difference was present in glutaminesynthetase (GS) between the two types of rape. The plants were treated with red light,blue light, p-hydroxybenzoic acid (a PAL inhibitor), polyvinylpyridoxal (a PPO inhibitor),urea (a protein synthesis promoter) or chloramphenicol (CM, a plastid protein synthesisinhibitor) during seed development. It is speculated that PAL may be primarily responsiblefor coloration in the yellow seed; PPO may be the main factor contributing to thedarkness of the testa of the black genotypes; and nitrogen assimilation is, probably, notdirectly related to the difference in protein content observed between yellow- andblack-seeded genotypes, which may be induced mainly by PAL.

Transformation of Coat Protein Encoding Gene from Soil-Borne Mosaic Virus into Wheat

CWMV-CP1 target gene and bar selection gene were co-transferred into commercial wheat variety of Yangmai158 by particle bombardment. In total, 145 resistant plants to 3 -5 mg L-1 Bialaphos were obtained, 21 plants were identified to be positive in T0 generation by PCR-Southern test, and the transformation frequency had 0.99%. T1 plants were further tested by PCR and Southern hybridization. Results demonstrated that the alien resistance gene had been integrated into the wheat genome. The segregation ratio of CP1+ to CP1- in T1 generation was 1.0 to 1. 3, and didn't agree with Mendelian rule. RT-PCR result from T2 plants showed that the alien gene CWMV-CP1 had stable expression in wheat genetic background.

Interface Reversible Electric Field Regulated by Amphoteric Charged Protein-Based Coating Toward High-Rate and Robust Zn Anode

Metallic interface engineering is a promising strategy to stabilize Zn anode via promoting Zn^(2+) uniform deposition.However,strong interactions between the coating and Zn^(2+) and sluggish transport of Zn^(2+) lead to high anodic polarization.Here,we present a bio-inspired silk fibroin(SF)coating with amphoteric charges to construct an interface reversible electric field,which manipulates the transfer kinetics of Zn^(2+) and reduces anodic polarization.The alternating positively and negatively charged surface as a build-in driving force can expedite and homogenize Zn^(2+) flux via the inter-play between the charged coating and adsorbed ions,endowing the Zn-SF anode with low polarization voltage and stable plating/stripping.Experimental analyses with theo-retical calculations suggest that SF can facilitate the desolvation of[Zn(H_(2)O)_(6)]^(2+) and provide nucleation sites for uniform deposition.Consequently,the Zn-SF anode delivers a high-rate performance with low voltage polarization(83 mV at 20 mA cm^(−2)) and excellent stability(1500 h at 1 mA cm^(−2);500 h at 10 mA cm^(−2)),realizing exceptional cumulative capacity of 2.5 Ah cm^(−2).The full cell coupled with Zn_(x)V_(2)O_(5)·nH_(2)O(ZnVO)cathode achieves specific energy of~270.5/150.6 Wh kg^(−1)(at 0.5/10 A g^(−1))with-99.8% Coulombic efficiency and retains~80.3%(at 5.0 A g^(−1))after 3000 cycles.

Expression of Rice Gall Dwarf Virus Outer Coat Protein Gene (S8) in Insect Cells

To obtain the P8 protein of Rice gall dwarf virus (RGDV) with biological activity,its outer coat protein gene S8 was expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells using the baculovirus expression system.The S8 gene was subcloned into the pFastBacTM1 vector,to produce the recombinant baculovirus transfer vector pFB-S8.After transformation,pFB-S8 was introduced into the competent cells (E.coli DH10Bac) containing a shuttle vector,Bacmid,generating the recombinant bacmid rbpFB-S8.After being infected by recombinant baculovirus rvpFB-S8 at different multiplicities of infection,Sf9 cells were collected at different times and analyzed by SDS-PAGE,Western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopy.The expression level of the P8 protein was highest between 48-72 h after transfection of Sf9 cells.Immunofluorescence microscopy showed that P8 protein of RGDV formed punctate structures in the cytoplasm of Sf9 cells.

Mapping subgenomic promoter of coat protein gene of Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus

Many plant viruses utilize subgenomic RNA as gene expression strategy, therefore mapping subgenomic promoter(SGP) is extremely important for constructing viral vectors. Although Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus(CGMMV)-based virus vectors have been constructed, SGP of the coat protein(CP) has not yet mapped. To this end, we firstly presumed 13 nucleotides upstream of the start codon as the transcription starting site(TSS) as previous study identified by random amplification of c DNA ends(RACE). Secondly, the region from nucleotides –110 to +175 is the putative CP SGP, as predicted, a long stem loop structure by the secondary structure of RNA covering movement protein(MP) and CP. To map the CGMMV CP SGP, we further constructed a series of deletion mutants according to RNA secondary structure prediction. The deletion of TSS upstream significantly enhanced CP transcription when 105 nucleotides were retained before the CP TSS. For the downstream of CP TSS, we analyzed the expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein(EGFP) in a series of vectors with partial deletion of the CGMMV CP and found that the nucleotides from +71 to +91 played a key role in the EGFP expression at the transcription level, while EGFP showed the highest expression level when 160 nucleotides were retained downstream of the CP TSS. To confirm these results, we applied online software MEME to predict the motifs and cis-acting elements in the 466 nucleotides covering the sequences of deletion analysis. Conserved motifs and relative acting elements were in regions in which transcription levels were the highest or enhanced. To our best knowledge, this is the first mapping of CGMMV SGP.

Transgenic Tobacco Lines Expressing Yam Mosaic Virus Coat Protein-Derived dsRNA Are Resistant to Yam Mosaic Virus

Yam mosaic virus (YMV), a Potyvirus, is a highly destructive pathogen of yam accounting for yield losses up to 40%. Apart from causing significant reduction in tuber size and quality, it restricts international exchange of germplasms. It thus becomes crucial to get resistant or at least virus-free planting materials for farmers. This study was aimed at inducing resistance to YMV in tobacco by RNA silencing. An RNAi construct containing 161 bp fragment of YMV-coat protein (CP) gene was developed and used to produce transgenic tobacco lines expressing YMV-coat protein (CP) derived double stranded RNA (dsRNA) via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Of the eight T1 transgenic lines inoculated with YMV, six (L1, L2, L3, L5, L7 and L8) showed immunity to YMV as no symptoms were detected, whereas two (L4 and L10) exhibited high resistance with mild symptoms limited to inoculation portions. No virus could be detected in uninoculated new leaves of the transgenic lines after RT-PCR and qPCR analyses of YMV-coat protein (CP). The presence of small interfering RNAs in transgenic lines after virus challenge indicates that the resistance was acquired through RNA silencing.

Application of M13 Phage Coat Proteins

M13 phage＇is a filamentous bacteriophage containing a circular single-stranded DNA molecular, which is surrounded by approximately 2 800 copies of protein PVIII. In addition, there are five copies of each of proteins PVII and PXI in one end, and five copies of each of proteins PVI and PUI on the other. These coat proteins have play an important role in the infection and assembly of M13 phage. With the development of phage display technology, these five coat proteins all can be used in phage display, which plays an increasingly important role in molecular detection and treatment.

Sweet Potato Leaf Curl Virus: Coat Protein Gene Expression in <i>Escherichia coli</i>and Product Identification by Mass Spectrometry

Sweet potato is one of the first natural GMOs, genetically modified 8000 years ago by Agrobacterium rhizogenes as reported recently by Kyndt et al. A section of 10 kbp long DNA (Transferred- DNA or T-DNA) of the Ri (Root-inducing) plasmid was transferred to the plant genome by A. rhizo-genes and has been maintained in all 291 hexaploid sweet potato cultivars of the world. The maintenance in the sweet potato genome and expression of two T-DNA genes for tryptophan-2-monooxygenease (iaaM) and for indole-3-acetamide hydrolase (iaaH) are likely to be physiologically significant since these enzymes convert tryptophan to indole-3-acetic acid, a major plant growth hormone auxin. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) is ranked the third most important root crop after potato and cassava, and the seventh in global food crop production with more than 126 million metric tons. Although sweet potato originated in Central or South America, China currently produces over 86% of world production with 109 million metric tons. In the United States, North Carolina is the leading producer with 38.5% of the 2007 sweet potato production, followed by California, Mississippi, and Louisiana with 23%, 19%, and 15.9%, respectively. Leaf curl virus diseases have been reported in sweet potato throughout the world. One of the causal agents is Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV) belonging to the genus Begomovirus (family Geminiviridae). Although SPLCV does not cause symptoms on Beauregard, one of the most predominant sweet potato cultivars in the US, it can reduce the yield up to 26%. Serological detection of SPLCV is not currently available due to the difficulties in obtaining purified virions that can be used as antigen for antiserum production. In attempts to obtain the coat protein (CP) of SPLCV for antibody production, primers were designed to amplify the CP gene. This gene was cloned into the expression vector pMAL-c2E as a fusion protein with maltose-binding protein, and transformed into Escherichia coli strain XL1-Blue. After gene induction, a fusion protein of 72 kDa was purified by amylose affinity chromatography. The yield of the purified fusion protein was approximately 200 μg/liter of bacterial culture. Digestion with enterokinase cleaved the fusion protein into a 42.5 kDa maltosebinding protein and a 29.4 kDa protein. The latter protein was identified by mass spectrometry analysis as the coat protein of SPLCV based on the fact that the mass spectrometry elucidated the sequences corresponding to 37% of amino acid positions of the SPLCV coat protein.

Genetic Characteristics of <i>Citrus Tristeza Virus</i>Isolates from Cultivated Citrus in China Based on Coat Protein Gene

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) is an important citrus pathogen causing considerable economic loss to citrus production. Knowledge on genetic evolutionary of the CTV population in China remains limited. In this study, 1439 samples were collected from nine citrus-producing areas of China. The coat protein (CP) genes of CTV were amplified by RT-PCR, and sequenced to analyze the genetic evolution. Analysis of the base composition showed an AU preference pattern, with the GC content was lower than AU content. Nine CTV populations were clustered into one clade in neighbor-joining (NJ) tree, indicative of a close phylogenetic relationship among the populations in China. Analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA) revealed that 77.72% genetic variations of CTV populations were observed among populations, with an FST value of 0.223. The values of dN/dS and neutrality test of CP gene were ranged from 0.016 to 0.082 and -1.377 to 1.456, respectively, the results suggesting that all of nine CTV populations were relatively constantly maintained under purifying selection. Our study demonstrated the genetic characteristics and molecular evolution relationship of CTV populations in China, and provided a theoretical basis for scientific control of CTV.