The expression of the CRF1 gene in mouse embryonic development

A mouse gene cloned in the laboratory of James and Olivia Smith at Baylor College of Medicine was found to be involved in motor function. This gene was named CRFl for Clq-Related Factor 1, and using in situ hybridization, it was found to be expressed mainly in the brainstem of adult mice. There is a gene similar to the CRFl gene in humans. By determining this gene\u27s role in mouse development, more will be known about the development of human motor function. To determine the stage of embryonic development at which the expression of this gene begins, a series of in situ hybridization experiments were performed on saggital sections of embryos at 11.5, 12.5, 13.5, 14.5, and 16.5 days of development using a diglabeled riboprobe made from CRF template DNA. Two types of substrate detection, NBT/BCIP and fluorescence, were used to visualize the probe. In several experiments, no specific hybridization occurred. In the remainder of the experiments, the hybridization that occurred in specific tissues was not repeatable and therefore unreliable

Hairy Canola (Brasssica napus) re-visited: Down-regulating TTG1 in an AtGL3-enhanced hairy leaf background improves growth, leaf trichome coverage, and metabolite gene expression diversity

Primer sequences used in the construction and analysis of B. napus transgenic lines. Table S1B. Blast of batch leaf Q-PCR primers to the B. rapa, B. oleracea, and B. napus genomes for five trichome regulatory genes and two control genes in B. napus. Table S1C. “Detectable” B. napus homologues of five trichome regulatory genes in first true leaves (from RNA sequencing). Table S1D. BlastP for five Arabidopsis trichome regulatory genes against the Brassica napus genome in NCBI. Table S2A. Differentially expressed leaf trichome ESTs (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy line K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S2B. Leaf trichome genes with no significant expression differences (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy line K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S3. Differentially expressed leaf flavonoid ESTs (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S4. Differentially expressed leaf phenylpropanoid and lignin ESTs (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S5. Differentially expressed leaf phenolic ESTs (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S6. Differentially expressed leaf shikimate ESTs (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S7. Differentially expressed leaf isoprenoid and terpene ESTs (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S8. Differentially expressed leaf glucosinolate-related and miscellaneous sulphur-related ESTs (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S9. Differentially expressed leaf alkaloid-related and miscellaneous N-metabolizing ESTs (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S10. Differentially expressed leaf cell wall structural carbohydrate ESTs ((p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S11. Differentially expressed leaf mucilage ESTs (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S12. Differentially expressed leaf wax ESTs (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S13. Differentially expressed leaf hormone ESTs (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S14. Differentially expressed leaf secondary metabolism ESTs (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S15. Differentially expressed leaf redox-related ESTs (p < 0.05)) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S16. Differentially expressed leaf protein modification ESTs (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S17. Differentially expressed leaf protein degradation ESTs (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. Table S18. Differentially expressed leaf transcription factor ESTs (p < 0.05) in hairy AtGL3+ B. napus or ultra-hairy K-5-8 relative to semi-glabrous cv. Westar. (XLSX 400 kb

Iron and phosphorus co-limit nitrogen fixation in the eastern tropical North Atlantic

The role of iron in enhancing phytoplankton productivity in high nutrient, low chlorophyll oceanic regions was demonstrated first through iron-addition bioassay experiments1 and subsequently confirmed by large-scale iron fertilization experiments2. Iron supply has been hypothesized to limit nitrogen fixation and hence oceanic primary productivity on geological timescales3, providing an alternative to phosphorus as the ultimate limiting nutrient4. Oceanographic observations have been interpreted both to confirm and refute this hypothesis5, 6, but direct experimental evidence is lacking7. We conducted experiments to test this hypothesis during the Meteor 55 cruise to the tropical North Atlantic. This region is rich in diazotrophs8 and strongly impacted by Saharan dust input9. Here we show that community primary productivity was nitrogen-limited, and that nitrogen fixation was co-limited by iron and phosphorus. Saharan dust addition stimulated nitrogen fixation, presumably by supplying both iron and phosphorus10, 11. Our results support the hypothesis that aeolian mineral dust deposition promotes nitrogen fixation in the eastern tropical North Atlantic

Impact of Zinc Excess on Germination, Growth Parameters and Oxidative Stress of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

In the present study, the effects of elevated zinc concentrations on germination, physiological and biochemical parameters were investigated in basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). Results indicate that zinc excess (1–5 mM ZnSO4) did not affect germination process, but it drastically reduced vigor index and radicle elongation, and induced oxidative stress. Exposure of basil plants to 400 and 800 µM Zn decreased aerial parts and roots dry biomass, root length and leaf number. Under these conditions, the reduction of plant growth was associated with the formation of branched and abnormally shaped brown roots. Translocation factor \u3c 1 and bioconcentration factor \u3e 1 was observed for 100 µM Zn suggested the possible use of basil as a phytostabiliser. Excess of Zn supply (\u3e 100 µM) decreased chlorophyll content, total phenol and total flavonoid contents. Additionally, an increased TBARS levels reflecting an oxidative burst was observed in Zn-treated plants. These findings suggest that excess Zn adversely affects plant growth, photosynthetic pigments, phenolic and flavonoid contents, and enhances oxidative stress in basil plants

Corrigendum: miR156/SPL10 Modulates Lateral Root Development, Branching and Leaf Morphology in Arabidopsis by Silencing AGAMOUS-LIKE 79

The developmental functions of miR156-SPL regulatory network have been extensively studied in Arabidopsis, but the downstream genes regulated by each SPL have not been well characterized. In this study, Next Generation Sequencing-based transcriptome analysis was performed on roots of wild type (WT) and miR156 overexpression (miR156OE) plants. One of the SPL genes, SPL10, which represses lateral root growth in Arabidopsis, was significantly downregulated in miR156OE plants. A transcription factor, AGAMOUS-like MADS box protein 79 (AGL79), was also significantly downregulated in the miR156OE plants, but was upregulated in the SPL10 overexpression (SPL10OE) Arabidopsis plants. In addition, SPL10 was found to bind to the core consensus SPL binding sequences in AGL79 gene. Moreover, analyses of complementation lines revealed a linear relationship between SPL10 and AGL79 in regulating Arabidopsis plant development. In addition, it was observed that plant phenotypes are AGL79 dose-dependent, with higher expression causing narrow leaf shape, less number of leaves and early flowering time, whereas relatively lower AGL79 overexpression produce plants with more rosette leaves and more lateral branches. Our findings revealed direct binding of SPL10 to AGL79 promoter, which further suggests a role for miR156/SPL10 module in plant lateral root growth by directly regulating AGL79

Human subcortical brain asymmetries in 15,847 people worldwide reveal effects of age and sex

The two hemispheres of the human brain differ functionally and structurally. Despite over a century of research, the extent to which brain asymmetry is influenced by sex, handedness, age, and genetic factors is still controversial. Here we present the largest ever analysis of subcortical brain asymmetries, in a harmonized multi-site study using meta-analysis methods. Volumetric asymmetry of seven subcortical structures was assessed in 15,847 MRI scans from 52 datasets worldwide. There were sex differences in the asymmetry of the globus pallidus and putamen. Heritability estimates, derived from 1170 subjects belonging to 71 extended pedigrees, revealed that additive genetic factors influenced the asymmetry of these two structures and that of the hippocampus and thalamus. Handedness had no detectable effect on subcortical asymmetries, even in this unprecedented sample size, but the asymmetry of the putamen varied with age. Genetic drivers of asymmetry in the hippocampus, thalamus and basal ganglia may affect variability in human cognition, including susceptibility to psychiatric disorders

Hairy Canola (Brasssica napus) re-visited: Down-regulating TTG1 in an AtGL3-enhanced hairy leaf background improves growth, leaf trichome coverage, and metabolite gene expression diversity

Background Through evolution, some plants have developed natural resistance to insects by having hairs (trichomes) on leaves and other tissues. The hairy trait has been neglected in Brassica breeding programs, which mainly focus on disease resistance, yield, and overall crop productivity. In Arabidopsis, a network of three classes of proteins consisting of TTG1 (a WD40 repeat protein), GL3 (a bHLH factor) and GL1 (a MYB transcription factor), activates trichome initiation and patterning. Introduction of a trichome regulatory gene AtGL3 from Arabidopsis into semi-glabrous Brassica napus resulted in hairy canola plants which showed tolerance to flea beetles and diamondback moths; however plant growth was negatively affected. In addition, the role of BnTTG1 transcription in the new germplasm was not understood. Results Here, we show that two ultra-hairy lines (K-5-8 and K-6-3) with BnTTG1 knock-down in the hairy AtGL3+ B. napus background showed stable enhancement of trichome coverage, density, and length and restored wild type growth similar to growth of the semi-glabrous Westar plant. In contrast, over-expression of BnTTG1 in the hairy AtGL3+ B. napus background gave consistently glabrous plants of very low fertility and poor stability, with only one glabrous plant (O-3-7) surviving to the T3 generation. Q-PCR trichome gene expression data in leaf samples combining several leaf stages for these lines suggested that BnGL2 controlled B. napus trichome length and out-growth and that strong BnTTG1 transcription together with strong GL3 expression inhibited this process. Weak expression of BnTRY in both glabrous and trichome-bearing leaves of B. napus in the latter Q-PCR experiment suggested that TRY may have functions other than as an inhibitor of trichome initiation in the Brassicas. A role for BnTTG1 in the lateral inhibition of trichome formation in neighbouring cells was also proposed for B. napus. RNA sequencing of first leaves identified a much larger array of genes with altered expression patterns in the K-5-8 line compared to the hairy AtGL3+ B. napus background (relative to the Westar control plant). These genes particularly included transcription factors, protein degradation and modification genes, but also included pathways that coded for anthocyanins, flavonols, terpenes, glucosinolates, alkaloids, shikimates, cell wall biosynthesis, and hormones. A 2nd Q-PCR experiment was conducted on redox, cell wall carbohydrate, lignin, and trichome genes using young first leaves, including T4 O-3-7-5 plants that had partially reverted to yield two linked growth and trichome phenotypes. Most of the trichome genes tested showed to be consistant with leaf trichome phenotypes and with RNA sequencing data in three of the lines. Two redox genes showed highest overall expression in K-5-8 leaves and lowest in O-3-7-5 leaves, while one redox gene and three cell wall genes were consistently higher in the two less robust lines compared with the two robust lines. Conclusion The data support the strong impact of BnTTG1 knockdown (in the presence of strong AtGL3 expression) at restoring growth, enhancing trichome coverage and length, and enhancing expression and diversity of growth, metabolic, and anti-oxidant genes important for stress tolerance and plant health in B. napus. Our data also suggests that the combination of strong (up-regulated) BnTTG1 expression in concert with strong AtGL3 expression is unstable and lethal to the plant

Novel genetic loci associated with hippocampal volume

The hippocampal formation is a brain structure integrally involved in episodic memory, spatial navigation, cognition and stress responsiveness. Structural abnormalities in hippocampal volume and shape are found in several common neuropsychiatric disorders. To identify the genetic underpinnings of hippocampal structure here we perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 33,536 individuals and discover six independent loci significantly associated with hippocampal volume, four of them novel. Of the novel loci, three lie within genes (ASTN2, DPP4 and MAST4) and one is found 200 kb upstream of SHH. A hippocampal subfield analysis shows that a locus within the MSRB3 gene shows evidence of a localized effect along the dentate gyrus, subiculum, CA1 and fissure. Further, we show that genetic variants associated with decreased hippocampal volume are also associated with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (rg =-0.155). Our findings suggest novel biological pathways through which human genetic variation influences hippocampal volume and risk for neuropsychiatric illness

Diet and Toenail Arsenic Concentrations in a New Hampshire Population with Arsenic-Containing Water

Background: Limited data exist on the contribution of dietary sources of arsenic to an individual\u27s total exposure, particularly in populations with exposure via drinking water. Here, the association between diet and toenail arsenic concentrations (a long-term biomarker of exposure) was evaluated for individuals with measured household tap water arsenic. Foods known to be high in arsenic, including rice and seafood, were of particular interest. Methods: Associations between toenail arsenic and consumption of 120 individual diet items were quantified using general linear models that also accounted for household tap water arsenic and potentially confounding factors (e.g., age, caloric intake, sex, smoking) (n = 852). As part of the analysis, we assessed whether associations between log-transformed toenail arsenic and each diet item differed between subjects with household drinking water arsenic concentrations \u3c1 μg/L versus ≥1 μg/L