Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg

About: Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg is a education organization based out in Halle, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Liquid crystal. The organization has 20232 authors who have published 38773 publications receiving 965004 citations. The organization is also known as: MLU & University of Wittenberg.

Molecular interactions of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and its biological and toxicological relevance for reproduction

Abstract: The dioxin/aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor responsive to both natural and man-made environmental compounds. AhR and its nuclear partner ARNT are expressed in the female reproductive tract in a variety of species and several indications suggest that the AhR might play a pivotal role in the physiology of reproduction. Furthermore, it appears to be the mediator of most, if not all, the adverse effects on reproduction of a group of highly potent environmental pollutants collectively called aryl hydrocarbons (AHs), including the highly toxic compound 2,3,7,8-tetrachlor-odibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Although a large body of recent literature has implicated AhR in multiple signal transduction pathways, the mechanisms of action resulting in a wide spectrum of effects on female reproduction are largely unknown. Here we summarize the major types of molecular cross-talks that have been identified for the AhR and linked cell signaling pathways and that are relevant for the understanding of the role of this transcription factor in female reproduction.

Two Novel Type III-Secreted Proteins of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria Are Encoded within the hrp Pathogenicity Island

Abstract: The Hrp type III protein secretion system (TTSS) is essential for pathogenicity of gram-negative plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria. cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism and reverse transcription-PCR analyses identified new genes, regulated by key hrp regulator HrpG, in the regions flanking the hrp gene cluster. Sequence analysis revealed genes encoding HpaG, a predicted leucine-rich repeat-containing protein, the lysozyme-like HpaH protein, and XopA and XopD, which are similar in sequence to Hpa1 from Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and PsvA from Pseudomonas syringae, respectively. XopA and XopD (Xanthomonas outer proteins) are secreted by the Xanthomonas Hrp TTSS and thus represent putative effector proteins. Mutations in xopA, but not in xopD, resulted in reduced bacterial growth in planta and delayed plant reactions in susceptible and resistant host plants. Since the xopD promoter contains a putative hrp box, which is characteristic of hrpL-regulated genes in P. syringae and Erwinia spp., the gene was probably acquired by horizontal gene transfer. Interestingly, the regions flanking the hrp gene cluster also contain insertion sequences and genes for a putative transposase and a tRNAArg. These features suggest that the hrp gene cluster of X. campestris pv. vesicatoria is part of a pathogenicity island.

Oil content, tocopherol composition and fatty acid patterns of the seeds of 51 Cannabis sativa L. genotypes

Abstract: The oil content, the tocopherol composition, the plastochromanol-8 (P-8) content and the fatty acid composition (19 fatty acids) of the seed of 51 hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) genotypes were studied in the 2000 and 2001 seasons. The oil content of the hemp seed ranged from 26.25% (w/w) to 37.50%. Analysis of variance revealed significant effects of genotype, year and of the interaction (genotype × year) on the oil content. The oil contents of the 51 genotypes in 2000 and 2001 were correlated (r = 0.37**) and averaged 33.19 ± 1.45% in 2000 and 31.21 ± 0.96% in 2001. The γ-tocopherol, α-tocopherol, δ-tocopherol, P-8- and β-tocopherol contents of the 51 genotypes averaged 21.68 ± 3.19, 1.82 ± 0.49, 1.20 ± 0.40, 0.18 ± 0.07 and 0.16 ± 0.04 mg 100g−1 of seeds, respectively (2000 and 2001 data pooled). Hierarchical clustering of the fatty acid data did not group the hemp genotypes according to their geographic origin. The γ-linolenic acid yield of hemp (3–30 kg ha−1) was similar to the γ-linolenic acid yield of plant species that are currently used as sources of γ-linolenic acid (borage (19–30 kg ha−1), evening primrose (7–30 kg ha−1)). The linoleic acid yield of hemp (129–326 kg ha−1) was similar to flax (102–250 kg ha−1), but less than in sunflower (868–1320 kg ha−1). Significant positive correlations were detected between some fatty acids and some tocopherols. Even though the average content of P-8 in hemp seeds was only 1/120th of the average γ-tocopherol content, P-8 content was more closely correlated with the unsaturated fatty acid content than γ-tocopherol or any other tocopherol fraction. The average broad-sense heritabilities of the oil content, the antioxidants (tocopherols and P-8) and the fatty acids were 0.53, 0.14 and 0.23, respectively. The genotypes Fibrimon 56, P57, Juso 31, GB29, Beniko, P60, FxT, Felina 34, Ramo and GB18 were capable of producing the largest amounts of high quality hemp oil.