A previously published working model for the regulation of chlorophyll formation has been tested studying early steps of chlorophyll and porphyrin biosynthesis in developing cotyledons of Helianthus annuus. The activities of delta-aminolevulinate synthetase (ALAS), delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase (ALAD), and the porphobilinogenase complex (PBGase) at any given time have been found to be stron...

Abstract Background Dirigent (DIR) proteins mediate regioselectivity and stereoselectivity during lignan biosynthesis are also involved in lignin, gossypol pterocarpan biosynthesis. This gene family plays a vital role enhancing stress resistance secondary cell-wall development, but systematical understanding is lacking cotton. Results In this study, 107 GbDIRs GhDIRs were identified Gossypium b...

The EARLY MATURITY 8 (EAM8) gene of barley is homologous to the FLOWERING 3 (ELF3) in Arabidopsis, as loss-of-function mutations this circadian clock promote rapid flowering. A previous study demonstrated that early flowering phenotype a hulless barley, Lalu, was due allele eam8.l carrying an alternative splicing mutation intron led retention. In present study, we verified encoded truncated pro...

BACKGROUND Defects in the biosynthesis of N-glycans may be found by isoelectric focusing (IEF) of plasma transferrin. No test is available to demonstrate O-glycan biosynthesis defects. METHODS We used isoforms of apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III) as a marker for the biosynthesis of core 1 mucin type O-glycans. Plasma samples from patients with primary defects and secondary alterations in N-glyc...

Gentiana macrophylla, a medicinal plant with significant pharmacological properties, contains the bioactive compound gentiopicroside. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is an effective elicitor for enhancing the production of such compounds. However, little is known about MeJA-mediated biosynthesis of gentiopicroside. We investigated this phenomenon as well as gene expression profiles to determine the mol...

The auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) has been shown to promote the biosynthesis of the active gibberellin (GA(1)) in shoots of pea (Pisum sativum). We used northern analysis to investigate the timing of IAA-induced changes in transcript levels of PsGA3ox1 (Mendel's LE), PsGA2ox1, PsGA2ox2, and PsGA20ox1, key genes for the later stages of GA(1) biosynthesis and metabolism in pea. Rapid (2-4 h) c...

Neurosteroids can modulate the activity of the GABAA receptors, and thus affect anxiety-like behaviors. The non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic compound etifoxine has been shown to increase neurosteroid concentrations in brain tissue but the mode of action of etifoxine on neurosteroid formation has not yet been elucidated. In the present study, we have thus investigated the effect and the mechanism o...

LpxC, the deacetylase that catalyzes the second and committed step of lipid A biosynthesis in Escherichia coli, is an essential enzyme in virtually all gram-negative bacteria and is one of the most promising antibiotic targets for treatment of multidrug-resistant gram-negative infections. Despite the rapid development of LpxC-targeting antibiotics, the potential mechanisms of bacterial resistan...