Molecular cloning and expression analysis of jasmonic acid dependent but salicylic acid independent LeWRKY1

Various plant genes can be activated or inhibited by phytohormones under conditions of biotic and abiotic stress, especially in response to jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA). Interactions between JA and SA may be synergistic or antagonistic, depending on the stress condition. In this study, we cloned a full-length cDNA (LeWRKY1, GenBank accession No. FJ654265) from Lycopersicon esculentum by rapid amplification of cDNA ends. Sequence analysis showed that this gene is a group II WRKY transcription factor. Analysis of LeWRKY1 mRNA expression in various tissues by qRT-PCR showed that the highest and lowest expression occurred in the leaves and stems, respectively. In addition, LeWRKY1 expression was induced by JA and Botrytis cinerea Pers., but not by SA.

Micropolar continuum modelling of bi-dimensional tetrachiral lattices

The in-plane behaviour of tetrachiral lattices should be characterized by bi-dimensional orthotropic material owing to the existence of two orthogonal axes of rotational symmetry. Moreover, the constitutive model must also represent the chirality inherent in the lattices. To this end, a bi-dimensional orthotropic chiral micropolar model is developed based on the theory of irreducible orthogonal tensor decomposition. The obtained constitutive tensors display a hierarchy structure depending on the symmetry of the underlying microstructure. Eight additional material constants, in addition to five for the hemitropic case, are introduced to characterize the anisotropy under Z₂ invariance. The developed continuum model is then applied to a tetrachiral lattice, and the material constants of the continuum model are analytically derived by a homogenization process. By comparing with numerical simulations for the discrete lattice, it is found that the proposed continuum model can correctly characterize the static and wave properties of the tetrachiral lattice.

Computational identification of miRNAs and their targets in Phaseolus vulgaris

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding small RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Although thousands of miRNAs have been identified in plants, limited information is available about miRNAs in Phaseolus vulgaris, despite it being an important food legume worldwide. The high conservation of plant miRNAs enables the identification of new miRNAs in P. vulgaris by homology analysis. Here, 1804 known and unique plant miRNAs from 37 plant species were blast-searched against expressed sequence tag and genomic survey sequence databases to identify novel miRNAs in P. vulgaris. All candidate sequences were screened by a series of miRNA filtering criteria. Finally, we identified 27 conserved miRNAs, belonging to 24 miRNA families. When compared against known miRNAs in P. vulgaris, we found that 24 of the 27 miRNAs were newly discovered. Further, we identified 92 potential target genes with known functions for these novel miRNAs. Most of these target genes were predicted to be involved in plant development, signal transduction, metabolic pathways, disease resistance, and environmental stress response. The identification of the novel miRNAs in P. vulgaris is anticipated to provide baseline information for further research about the biological functions and evolution of miRNAs in P. vulgaris.

Identification of miRNAs and their targets in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by EST analysis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a newly discovered class of noncoding small RNAs that regulate gene expression by directing target mRNA cleavage or translational inhibition. A large number of miRNAs have been identified in plants. Increasing evidence has shown that miRNAs play multiple roles in plant biological processes. So far, identification of miRNAs has been limited to a few model plant species, whose genomes have been sequenced. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important cereal crops worldwide. To date, only a few conserved miRNAs have been predicted in wheat. Here, we showed the conserved miRNAs identified in wheat by expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis. All previously known miRNAs from Arabidopsis, rice, and other plant species were used in a BLAST search against the wheat EST database to identify novel wheat miRNAs by a series of filtering criteria. By this strategy, we identified 62 conserved miRNAs, belonging to 30 miRNA families, 48 of which were newly discovered in wheat. These newly identified wheat miRNAs may regulate 287 potential targets, which are involved in development, signal transduction, metabolic pathways, disease resistance, ion transportation, and environmental stress response.

Prospective evaluation of pentafecta outcomes at 5 years after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: results of 170 patients at a single center

A new and more comprehensive methodology for reporting outcomes after radical prostatectomy (RP) has been proposed: the so-called pentafecta. However, no prior studies reported intermediate- and long-term pentafecta outcomes after laparoscopic RP. We collected prospectively the clinical data of 170 consecutive patients with a minimum 60-month follow-up undergoing laparoscopic RP for clinically localized prostate cancer. International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form and the Sexual Health Inventory for Men score were used to evaluate the functional outcomes. Logistic regression was used to perform univariable and multivariable analyses. Sixty months after surgery, a pentafecta outcome was achieved by 124 patients (72.9%). On univariable regression analysis, patient age at surgery (P<0.001), body mass index (P=0.031), pathological T stage (P<0.001) and prostate volume (P=0.003) were significantly associated with pentafecta rates. On multivariable analysis, only patient age at surgery (odds ratio 0.95; P=0.006) and pathological T stage (odds ratio 0.82; P<0.001) were independent predictors of pentafecta rates. Using validated questionnaires to assess functional outcomes, for the first time, we evaluated pentafecta outcomes at 5 years after laparoscopic RP. This approach may be beneficial and could be used when counseling patients with clinically localized prostate cancer.