Project description:Phalaenopsis aprodite subsp. formosana is one of the most important species for Phalaenopsis breeding. A mutant line with variegated leaf is found in this species. The green leaves bear unstable yellow sectors. In order to investigate the molecular mechanism of the variegated mutant line, we sequenced the transcriptome of variegated mutant by Illumina's Solexa sequencing technology. The sequence analysis results showed 22,598 unigenes by de novo assembly method, and the average unigene length was 1,286 bp. The bioinformatics tools were used to screen the differential expression between green and yellow sectors of leaves. There were 389 differentially expressed unigenes were identified. In addition, Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway analyses revealed diverse biological functions and processes from differentially expressed genes. In transcriptome analysis, seven differential expression gene between the green and yellow sectors of leaves can be identified as CHLM, CRD1, POR, CLH, SGR, psbA and Lhcb6 by RNA deep sequencing. The expression of candidate genes was confirmed using semi-quantitative reverse transcription (RT) PCR and real-time RT PCR. The result showed that the significantly differential expression of CLH and SGR between green and yellow sectors was confirmed. It is suggested that the overexpressed SGR gene promotes the function of chlorophyllase, leading to the rapid degradation of chlorophyll in yellow sector. It causes the chlorophyll to not accumulate in the yellow sector, as a result, the variegated leaves are shown.
Project description:In the seabed, chemical defences mediate inter- and intraspecific interactions and may determine organisms’ success, shaping the diversity and function of benthic communities. Sponges represent a prominent example of chemically-defended marine organisms with great ecological success. The ecological factors controlling the production of their defensive compounds and the evolutionary forces that select for these defences remain little understood. Each sponge species produces a specific and diverse chemical arsenal with fish-deterrent, antifouling and antimicrobial properties. However, some small animals (mesograzers), mainly sea slugs, have specialized in living and feeding on sponges. Feeding on chemically-defended organisms provides a strategy to avoid predators, albeit the poor nutritional value of sponges. In order to investigate the mechanisms that control sponge chemical defence, with particular focus on the response to specialist grazers, we investigated the interaction between the sponge Aplysina aerophoba and the sea slug Tylodina perversa. Here we performed controlled experiments and collected sponge samples at different time points (3h, 1d and 6d after treatment). To further elucidate if the sponge response is specific to grazing by T. perversa, we also included a treatment in which sponges were mechanically damaged with a scalpel. We compared gene expression between treatments based on RNA-Seq data.
Project description:Monitor changes in the proteome of senescing leaves, using protein MS data obtained from the same leaf groups used for imaging. Arabidopsis thaliana mature leaves were grouped according to their chlorophyll content: Dark Green (DG), Green (G), Light Green (LG) and Yellow (Y), containing 100, 45, 25 and 6.5% chlorophyll relative to DG, respectivelyArabidopsis thaliana mature leaves were grouped according to their chlorophyll content: Dark Green (DG), Green (G), Light Green (LG) and Yellow (Y), containing 100, 45, 25 and 6.5% chlorophyll relative to DG, respectively
Project description:The iconic giant panda is an endangered species known worldwide for its peculiar dietary habits. While retaining the digestive system of a carnivore, the giant panda successfully moved into a diet almost exclusively based on bamboo. Digestion of lignocellulose is believed to be conducted solely by its gut microbiome, provided that no lignocellulose-degrading enzyme was found in the giant panda’s genome. Many reports focused on which lignocellulose component feeds the giant panda, while little effort was made to link the products of bamboo fermentation to the panda’s dietary choices. In the present study, fermentation of either green leaves or yellow pith was conducted in the laboratory using gut microbiomes derived from either green or yellow stools, respectively. Green leaves were fermented to ethanol, lactate and acetate, while yellow pith to lactate resembling, respectively, hetero/homo-fermentation patterns. Several microbial pathways (assessed by metaproteomics) related to hemicellulose rather than cellulose degradation. However, alpha-amylases (E.C. 3.2.1.1) from the giant panda itself were the most predominant enzyme (up to 60% of all metaproteins), indicating that they have a primary role in bamboo digestion. The distinct fermentation profiles resulting from digestion of selected portions of bamboo may be part of the feeding strategy of giant pandas.
Project description:The prevention or delay of brain senescence would enhance the quality of life for older persons. We investigated the effects of soybean extracts in senescence-accelerated (SAMP10) mice. This mouse is a model of brain senescence with a short life span, cerebral atrophy and cognitive dysfunction. Mice were fed a diet containing soybean extracts from 1 to 12 months of age. The effects of green and yellow soybean extracts were compared with a control diet without soybean extracts. Cognitive functions were higher in aged mice fed green soybean than age-matched control mice and mice fed yellow soybean. We further investigated transcriptome of the SAMP10 hippocampus indicated that expression levels of 36 genes were significantly higher and 19 genes were lower in mice that ingested green soybean than in mice that ingested yellow soybean. Some of the evidences were reconfirmed by real time PCR analysis; the levels of Cdh1 and Ptgds mRNA were significantly higher and that the level of Aplp1 was significantly lower in aged SAMP10 mice fed green soybean than mice ingested yellow soybean and control mice. Additionally, the amount of amyloid beta 40 and 42 was lower in the insoluble fraction of aged SAMP10 mice fed green soybean than control mice and mice fed yellow soybean, although the levels of amyloid beta 40 and 42 in the soluble fraction were not different. Lipocalin-type prostaglandin D2 synthase (L-PGDS) has been proposed as the endogenous amyloid beta - chaperone, suggesting that amyloid aggregation was lower in mice fed green soybean than control mice and mice fed yellow soybean. These results indicate that the intake of green soybean improved cognitive function in aged mice, and suppressed amyloid beta accumulation. Green soybean might help healthy aging of the brain in older persons.