Forsythoside A is a polyphenolic constituent of the fruits of Forsythia suspensa Vahl. which is widely used as an antiinflammatory agent in traditional Chinese medicine. In the present study, the effects of forsythoside A on cell infection by avian infectious bronchitis virus were assessed. A real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR assay was used to determine mRNA content of IBV N gene. The pretreatment of cells with forsythoside A, adding forsythoside A post infection of cells, and treatment of virus with forsythoside A were analysed. The inhibitory effect of forsythoside A was confirmed by infecting primary chicken embryo kidney cells. Infected cells were inhibited by forsythoside A treatment. The data indicated that forsythoside A has the potential to prevent IBV infection in vitro. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Aristolochic acid I (AAI) affects TGF-β1/Smad signaling, which causes AA nephropathy (AAN), but the mechanisms are not fully understood. We aimed to clarify whether Arkadia and UCH37 participate in TGF-β1/Smad signaling via Smad7, and the regulatory mechanisms of Smad7. One side, mice and cultured mouse renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) were treated with various AAI doses and concentrations, respectively; on the other side, RTECs were transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) expression vectors against Arkadia and UCH37 and then treated with 10 µg/ml AAI. And then detect the mRNA and protein levels of Smad7, UCH37, Arkadia and any other relative factors by RT-PCR and Western blotting. In kidney tissues and RTECs, the mRNA and protein levels of Smad7 decreased with increasing AAI doses concentrations by real-time PCR and Western blotting, whereas those of Arkadia, UCH37, Smad2, Smad3 and TβRI increased. Cells transfected with the Arkadia siRNA expression vector showed reduced mRNA and protein levels of vimentin, α-SMA, Smad2, Smad3 and TβRI after AAI treatment, while those of CK18 and Smad7 increased compared with those of untransfected RTECs. Conversely, cells transfected with the UCH37 siRNA expression vector showed the opposite effect on analyzed signaling molecules after AAI treatment. Arkadia and UCH37 participate in TGF-β1/Smad signaling-mediated renal fibrosis, and Smad7 blocks TGF-β1 signaling by inhibiting Smad2/Smad3 phosphorylation and enhancing the degradation of TβRI.

Glycosyl hydrolase family 9 (GH9) cellulases play a crucial role in both cellulose synthesis and hydrolysis during plant growth and development. Despite this importance, there is currently no study on the involvement of GH9-encoding genes, specifically VaGH9s, in abscission zone formation of rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei). In this study, we identified a total of 61 VaGH9s in the genome, which can be classified into three subclasses based on conserved motifs and domains, gene structures, and phylogenetic analyses. Our synteny analysis revealed that VaGH9s are more closely related to the GH9s of Populus L. than to those of Arabidopsis, Vitis vinifera, and Citrus sinensis. In-silico structural analysis predicted that most of VaGH9s are hydrophilic, and localized in cell membrane and/or cell wall, and the variable sets of cis-acting regulatory elements and functional diversity with four categories of stress response, hormone regulation, growth and development, and transcription factor-related elements are present in the promoter sequence of VaGH9s genes. Transcriptomic analysis showed that there were 22 differentially expressed VaGH9s in fruit abscission zone tissue at the veraison stage, and the expression of VaGH9B2 and VaGH9C10 was continuously increased during fruit maturation, which were in parallel with the increasing levels of cellulase activity and oxidative stress indicators, suggesting that they are involved in the separation stage of fruit abscission in Vaccinium ashei. Our work identified 22 VaGH9s potentially involved in different stages of fruit abscission and would aid further investigation into the molecular regulation of abscission in rabbiteye blueberries fruit.

Glycosyl hydrolase family 9 (GH9) cellulases play a crucial role in both cellulose synthesis and hydrolysis during plant growth and development. Despite this importance, there is currently no study on the involvement of GH9-encoding genes, speci cally VaGH9s, in abscission zone formation of rabbiteye blueberries (Vaccinium ashei). In this study, we identi ed a total of 61 VaGH9s in the genome, which can be classi ed into three subclasses based on conserved motifs and domains, gene structures, and phylogenetic analyses. Our synteny analysis revealed that VaGH9s are more closely related to the GH9s of Populus L. than to those of Arabidopsis, Vitis vinifera, and Citrus sinensis. In-silico structural analysis predicted that most of VaGH9s are hydrophilic, and localized in cell membrane and/or cell wall, and the variable sets of cis-acting regulatory elements and functional diversity with four categories of stress response, hormone regulation, growth and development, and transcription factor-related elements are present in the promoter sequence of VaGH9s genes. Transcriptomic analysis showed that there were 22 differentially expressed VaGH9s in fruit abscission zone tissue at the veraison stage, and the expression of VaGH9B2 and VaGH9C10 was continuously increased during fruit maturation, which were in parallel with the increasing levels of cellulase activity and oxidative stress indicators, suggesting that they are involved in the separation stage of fruit abscission in Vaccinium ashei. Our work identi ed 22 VaGH9s potentially involved in different stages of fruit abscission and would aid further investigation into the molecular regulation of abscission in rabbiteye blueberries fruit. Key messageThe genomic location and stage-speci c expression pattern of GH9 genes reveal their critical roles during fruit abscission zone formation in Vaccinium ashei.