• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.95-103
• /
• 2012

The cell surface sculpture of the plant epidermis has received great interest recently. It has also been an active area of research, as the biological microstructures of the surface, such as papillae and waxes, exhibit several unique properties, including self-cleaning character; namely the "Lotus effect" first described in the leaves of the lotus, Nelumbo nucifera. The Lotus effect is the phenomenon in which the super-hydrophobic and water-repellent nature of lotus leaves allow water drops to run off easily on the surface in a rolling and sliding motion thereby facilitating the removal of dirt particles. It is well-known that surface roughness on the micro- and nanoscale is a primary characteristic allowing for the Lotus effect. This effect is common among plants and is of great technological importance, since it can be applied industrially in numerous fields. In the present study, Nelumbo nucifera leaf and stem epidermal surfaces have been examined with a focus on the features of papillae and wax crystalloids. Both young and mature Nelumbo nucifera leaf epidermis demonstrated the Lotus effect on their entire epidermal surface. The central area of the upper epidermis, in particular, formed extremely papillose surfaces, with an additional wax layer, enabling greater water repellency. Despite the presence of wax crystalloids, epidermal surfaces of the lower leaf and stem lacking papillae, were much more easily wetted.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.210-218
• /
• 2005

The rice genome contains at least 28 EXPA (${\alpha}$-expansin) genes. We have obtained near full-length cDNAs from the previously uncharacterized genes. Analysis of these newly identified clones together with the 12 identified earlier showed that the EXPA genes contain up to two introns and encode proteins of 240 to 291 amino acid residues. The EXPA proteins contain three conserved motifs: eight cysteine residues at the N-terminus, four tryptophan residues at the C-terminus, and a histidine-phenylalanine-aspartate motif in the central region. EXPA proteins could be divided into six groups based on their sequence similarity. Most were strongly induced in two-day-old seedlings and in the roots of one-week-old plants. However, only 14 genes were expressed in the aboveground organs, and their patterns were quite diverse. Transcript levels of EXPA7, 14, 15, 18, 21, and 29 were greater in stems, while EXPA2, 4, 5, 6, and 16 were highly expressed in both stem and sheath but not in leaf blade. EXPA1 is leaf blade-preferential, and EXP9 is leaf sheath-preferential. Most of the root-expressed genes were more strongly expressed in the dividing zone. However, the Group 2 EXPA genes were also strongly expressed in both mature and dividing zones, while EXPA9 was preferentially expressed in the elongation zone. Fourteen EXPA genes were expressed in developing panicles, with some being expressed during most developmental stages, others only as the panicles matured. These diverse expression patterns of EXPA genes suggest that in general they have distinct roles in plant growth and development.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.388-395
• /
• 2016

The most serious aerial disease of garlic is leaf blight caused by Stemphylium spp. Geographical variation in the causal agent of this disease is indicated. Stemphylium vesicarium has been reported in Spain, whereas S. solani is the most prevalent species recorded in China. In this study, Stemphylium isolates were obtained from symptomatic garlic plants sampled from the main Spanish production areas. Sequence data for the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region enabled assignation of the isolates to the Pleospora herbarum complex and clearly distinguished the isolates from S. solani. Conidial morphology of the isolates corresponded to that of S. vesicarium and clearly discriminated them from S. alfalfae and S. herbarum on the basis of the size and septation pattern of mature conidia. Conidial morphology as well as conidial length, width and length:width ratio also allowed the Spanish isolates to be distinguished from S. botryosum and S. herbarum. Control of leaf blight of garlic is not well established. Few studies are available regarding the effectiveness of chemical treatments to reduce Stemphylium spp. incidence on garlic. The effectiveness of nine fungicides of different chemical groups to reduce Stemphylium mycelial growth in vitro was tested. Boscalid + pyraclostrobin (group name, succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors + quinone outside inhibitors), iprodione (dicar-boximide), and prochloraz (demethylation inhibitors) were highly effective at reducing mycelial growth in S. vesicarium with $EC_{50}$ values less than 5 ppm. In general, the effectiveness of the fungicide was enhanced with increasing dosage.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.7-11
• /
• 2008

A simple, high-frequency and reproducible protocol for induction of adventitious shoot buds and plant regeneration from leaf-disc cultures of Jatropha curcas L. has been developed. Adventitious shoot buds were induced from very young leaf explants of in vitro germinated seedlings as well as mature field-grown plants cultured on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with thidiazuron (TDZ) ($2.27{\mu}M$), 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) ($2.22{\mu}M$) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) ($0.49{\mu}M$). The presence of TDZ in the induction medium has greater influence on the induction of adventitious shoot buds, whereas BA in the absence of TDZ promoted callus induction rather than shoot buds. Induced shoot buds were multiplied and elongated into shoots following transfer to the MS medium supplemented with BA ($4.44{\mu}M$), kinetin (Kn) ($2.33{\mu}M$), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) ($1.43{\mu}M$), and gibberellic acid ($GA_3$) ($0.72{\mu}M$). Well-developed shoots were rooted on MS medium supplemented with IBA ($0.5{\mu}M$) after 30 days. Regenerated plants after 2 months of acclimatization were successfully transferred to the field without visible morphological variation. This protocol might find use in mass production of true-to-type plants and in production of transgenic plants through Agrobacterium/biolistic-mediated transformation.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.568-578
• /
• 2021

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Psidium guajava L. (guava) leaves have been shown to exhibit hypoglycemic and antidiabetic effects in rodents. This study investigated the effects of guava leaf extract on adipogenesis, glucose uptake, and lipolysis of adipocytes to examine whether the antidiabetic properties are mediated through direct effects on adipocytes. MATERIALS/METHODS: 3T3-L1 cells were treated with 25, 50, 100 ㎍/mL of methanol extract from guava leaf extract (GLE) or 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide as a control. Lipid accumulation was evaluated with Oil Red O Staining and AdipoRed assay. Immunoblotting was performed to measure the expression of adipogenic transcription factors, fatty acid synthase (FAS), and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Glucose uptake under basal or insulin-stimulated condition was measured using a glucose analog 2-[N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl) amino]-2-deoxy-D-glucose. Lipolysis from fully differentiated adipocytes was measured by free fatty acids release into the culture medium in the presence or absence of epinephrine. RESULTS: Oil Red O staining and AdipoRed assay have shown that GLE treatment reduced lipid accumulation during adipocyte differentiation. Mitotic clonal expansion, an early essential event for adipocyte differentiation, was inhibited by GLE treatment. GLE inhibited the expression of transcription factors involved in adipocyte differentiation, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor 𝛄 (PPAR𝛄), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα), and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c). FAS expression was also decreased while the phosphorylation of AMPK was increased by GLE treatment. In addition, GLE increased insulin-induced glucose uptake into adipocytes. In lipid-filled mature adipocytes, GLE enhanced epinephrine-induced lipolysis but reduced basal lipolysis dose-dependently. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that GLE inhibits adipogenesis and improves adipocyte function by reducing basal lipolysis and increasing insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in adipocytes, which can be partly associated with antidiabetic effects of guava leaves.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.49 no.2
• /
• pp.139-144
• /
• 2022

The genus Prunus (family: Rosaceae) consists of over 400 plant species and exhibits vast biodiversity worldwide. Given the wide distribution of this genus, its taxonomic classification is important. Anatomical characteristics are conserved and stable and can therefore be used as an important tool for the taxonomic characterization of plants. Therefore, this study aimed to assess and document the anatomical characteristics of the leaf, stem, and seed of P. africana using micrographs and photographs for possible use in the identification, quality control, and phylogenetic analysis of the species. The anatomical sections of a young stem revealed a cortex consisting of isodiametric parenchyma cells, druse crystals, primary vascular bundles, and pith. The mature stem bark majorly consisted of the rhytidome, with the periderm densely arranged in multiple layers; a cluster of stone cells; and sclerenchyma. The leaf sections were hypostomatic, with stomata sizes ranging from 18.90-(22.34)-26.90 × 15.41-(18.40)-21.22 ㎛. The leaf sections showed the presence of characteristic druse crystals, vascular bundles, and mesophyll layers. The pericarp contained the epicarp, mesocarp, and endocarp, with their thickness being approximately 350-400, 300-350, and 30-50 ㎛, respectively. In addition, it contained a seed testa with a thickness of approximately 50-60 ㎛. The morphological and anatomical characteristics observed in P. africana leaves, stems, and seeds in this study could serve as useful data for the taxonomic identification of this species.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.16 no.4 s.33
• /
• pp.209-210
• /
• 1977

Early in the growing season of 1976, rain and cool weather favored the blighting of leaves of young plants of barley by Fusarium nivale. The fungus was recovered in culture from infected foliage, and the perithecia of Calonectria nivalis were demonstrated to be present as well as the Fusarium state. On 22 April 1976, in Suweon, plants pulled at random revealed stem lesions from which F. nivale was cultured. On S May 1976 near Kwangju. Perithecia were found embedded within leaf sheaths and blades of mature wheat and barley plants. It was evident in the 1976, 1977 season that Fusarium(Calonectria) nivale was common but unrecognized as an early season pathogen of barley in Korea. The probable source of primary inoculum was the infected refuse from the previous season's barlry and wheat crops. Stem lesions caused by this fungus were considered to he detrimental to the maximum yield of barley or wheat.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.147-151
• /
• 2001

Explants of Lactuce sativa cultivar, chungchima, were co-cultivated with Agrobacterium tumefaciences LBA4404, EHA101 strains containing nptll gene and ferritin gene encoding iron storage protein from soybean for transformation. Through initial selection of regenerated explants by culturing on a kanamycin and carbenicillin containing MS medium, multiple shoots were obtained after 2 months of culture. For a complementary step of selection, putative transgenic shoots were transferred to 1/2 MS basal medium supplemented with 100 mg/L kanamycin and 500 mg/L carbenicillin. The selected shoots were tested with PCR analysis using nptll, ferritin specific primers whether ferritin gene was introduced to genome of the plants. These results confirmed that produced the specific PCR bands in the putative transgenic lines. Additionally the Northern blot showed that transcripts of ferritin gene were detected in mature leaf of the transgenic lines. These results suggest that ferritin gene be successfully integrated and transcribed in the putative transgenic lettuce plants.

• Journal of Plant Biology
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.6-10
• /
• 1962

Leaf samples, raised on the N-deficient and N-abundant sand and sprayed with varying concentration of urea, were analized for their total chlorophyll concentration. It was observed that the depression periods of the chlorophyll content appeared at first by spraying with urea; it appeared on the 3rd day in the N-deficient plots and on the 6th day in the N-abundant plots. Causes of the depression of chlorophyll may be assumed to be in an excessive urea, an accumulation of ammonia from urea absorbed, and depression of water content owing to urea application. The maximum content of the chlorophyll was shown on the 6th day in N-deficient and on the 12th day in the N-abundant plots. The young leaves activity formed the chlorophyll by urea foliar spray, compared with the mature ones. This result was consistent with previous paper.

• Korean Journal of Breeding Science
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.603-606
• /
• 2009

Lipoxygenase and Kunitz trypsin inhibitor protein of mature soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed are main anti-nutritional factors in soybean seed. A new soybean cultivar, "Gaechuck#1" with the traits of black seed coat, green cotyledon, lipoxygenase2,3 and Kunitz trypsin inhibitor protein free was developed. It was selected from the population derived the cross of "Gyeongsang#1" and C242. Plants of "Gaechuck#1" have a determinate growth habit with purple flowers, brown pubescence, black seed coat, black hilum, oval leaflet shape and brown pods at maturity. Seed protein and oil content on dry weight basis have averaged 39.1% and 16.2%, respectively. It has shown resistant reaction to soybean necrosis, soybean mosaic virus, Cercospora leaf spot and blight, black root rot, pod and stem blight, and soybean pod borer. "Gaechuck#1" matured on 5-10 October with a plant height of 50 cm. The 100-seed weight of "Gaechuck#1" was 23.2g. Yield of "Gaechuck#1" was averaged 2.2 ton/ha from 2005 to 2007.