Pod dehiscence (shattering) is essential for the propagation of wild plant species bearing seeds in pods but is a major cause of yield loss in legume and crucifer crops. Although natural genetic variation in pod dehiscence has been, and will be, useful for plant breeding, little is known about the molecular genetic basis of shattering resistance in crops. Therefore, we performed map-based cloning to unveil a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) controlling pod dehiscence in soybean. Fine mapping and complementation testing revealed that the QTL encodes a dirigent-like protein, designated as Pdh1. The gene for the shattering-resistant genotype, pdh1, was defective, having a premature stop codon. The functional gene, Pdh1, was highly expressed in the lignin-rich inner sclerenchyma of pod walls, especially at the stage of initiation in lignin deposition. Comparisons of near-isogenic lines indicated that Pdh1 promotes pod dehiscence by increasing the torsion of dried pod walls, which serves as a driving force for pod dehiscence under low humidity. A survey of soybean germplasm revealed that pdh1 was frequently detected in landraces from semiarid regions and has been extensively used for breeding in North America, the world's leading soybean producer. These findings point to a new mechanism for pod dehiscence involving the dirigent protein family and suggest that pdh1 has played a crucial role in the global expansion of soybean cultivation. Furthermore, the orthologs of pdh1, or genes with the same role, will possibly be useful for crop improvement.

A polyquinoxaline-based helical polymer ligand bearing both helical-sense-determining chiral side chains and coordinating diarylphosphino side chains exhibits solvent-dependent formation of P- or M-helical structures, with which either the S- or R-hydrosilylation product was obtained with high (>93% enantiomeric excess) enantioselectivities.

Dry seeds contain translatable, long-lived mRNAs that are stored during seed maturation. Early studies using transcriptional inhibitors supported the view that protein synthesis during the initial phase of germination occurs on long-lived mRNA templates. Rice seeds were treated with the transcriptional inhibitor actinomycin D (Act D), and the embryonic proteins translated from long-lived mRNAs during germination were identified using a proteomic analysis. De novo transcription was not required for germination of rice seeds, since >80% of seeds germinated when transcription was prevented by treatment with Act D. In contrast, germination was completely inhibited in the presence of cycloheximide, an inhibitor of translation. Thus, de novo protein synthesis is necessary for germination of rice seeds. The proteomic analysis revealed that 20 proteins are up-regulated during germination, even after Act D treatment. Many of the up-regulated proteins are involved in carbohydrate metabolism and cytoskeleton formation. These results indicate that some of the germination-specific proteins involved in energy production and maintenance of cell structure in rice seeds are synthesized from long-lived mRNAs. The timing of translation of eight up-regulated proteins was clearly later than that of the other up-regulated proteins under conditions in which transcription was inhibited by Act D, suggesting that translation of long-lived mRNAs in rice seeds is regulated according to the germination phase.

We have previously shown that administration of platelet-rich plasma-impregnated gelatin hydrogel microspheres (PRP-GHMs) into a degenerated intervertebral disc (IVD) markedly suppresses progression of IVD degeneration. In the current study, we characterized the in vivo effects of PRP-GHM treatment in a degenerated IVD model in rabbit. On magnetic resonance images, the IVD height was significantly greater after treatment with PRP-GHMs compared with phosphate-buffered saline-impregnated GHMs, PRP without GHMs, and needle puncture only. Water content was also preserved in PRP-GHM-treated IVDs. Consistent with this observation, the mRNA expression of proteoglycan core protein and type II collagen was significantly higher after PRP-GHM treatment compared with other treatment groups. No proliferating cells were found in the nucleus pulposus and inner annulus fibrosus in any groups, but the number of apoptotic cells in the nucleus pulposus after PRP-GHM treatment was significantly lower than that after other treatments. These results provide an improved understanding of the therapeutic effects of PRP-GHM treatment of degenerated IVDs.