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Virus‐induced systemic necrosis accounts for great yield losses in potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivars susceptible to the necrotic strain of potato virus Y (PVYNTN). To extend understanding of systemic necrosis, the tissue of healthy and PVYNTN‐infected potato tubers (necrotic and non‐necrotic) during storage was profiled for host gene expression using microarrays while virus concentration was determined using RT‐qPCR. Comparison of non‐necrotic tissue types revealed minor transcriptional differences, while tuber necrosis was characterized by high virus concentration and pronounced expression of defence response‐associated genes. Creation of programmed cell death‐associated gene ontology enabled assessment of expression and regulation of relevant differentially expressed genes implicated in the execution of plant programmed cell death. Vacuolar cell death and unfolded protein response to viral infection were implicated in the necrotic tuber tissue by transcriptional induction of genes possessing caspase‐like activity and genes coding for endoplasmic reticulum chaperones and folding proteins. A meta‐analysis, including all relevant publicly available gene expression datasets differing in genotype, pathogen interaction type and potato organ, revealed common defence responses associated with cell wall fortification, oxidative and biotic stress. The response in necrotic tissues of susceptible tubers resembled the hypersensitive response of resistant primary infected plants, but with hormonal signalling as an important differentiating factor. This study will be useful for in‐depth analysis of programmed cell death regulation in plants by providing gene ontology. It specifically addresses the issue of systemic necrosis formation in PVYNTN‐infected potato tubers during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteases and their specific inhibitors are ubiquitously distributed and play a key regulatory role in many biological processes. Gene expression and activity of certain proteases has been shown to increase in Triticum aestivum L. leaves under drought, with a major contribution of cysteine proteases, especially in sensitive wheat varieties. However, little is known about the stress response of protease inhibitors (PIs) and their role in the regulation of intracellular proteolysis. In this study the changes in transcript abundance of some protease inhibitors (belonging to cystatin and serpin classes) were evaluated by semi-quantitative RT-PCR in leaves and roots of winter wheat seedlings from two varieties with differing tolerance. The expression of two cysteine proteases in the same samples was also assessed. The expression of the studied genes was compared in the tolerant variety "Katya" and the more susceptible to water deprivation variety "Sadovo", applying severe but recoverable soil drought. Growth inhibition and stress related parameters confirmed the relatively higher drought sensitivity of variety "Sadovo". Serpin transcript abundance in control roots was higher than in the leaves. An opposite trend was documented for cystatins - the level of their expression was stronger in the non-treated leaves compared to roots. Drought stress inhibited PI expression in roots, while varying effects on the transcript levels were detected in the leaves of water deprived plants. The levels of the two cysteine protease transcripts under drought exhibited organ-specific response - they declined in roots, and increased in leaves. Further detailed studies using more sensitive methods are necessary to evaluate the potential of protease inhibitors as biochemical markers for drought tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) was used to evaluate the genetic variability and relationship of 65 hop cultivars from all the major hop-growing regions in the world. Twenty-eight selected random primers used in the RAPD reaction generated an average of 38.6% polymorphic fragments, which was sufficient to produce 47 different RAPD profiles among the cultivars examined. The level of genetic variability was much higher than previously reported. Genetic similarity was estimated and upgma cluster analysis was performed using the RAPD data. Cluster analysis separated the cultivars into genetically related RAPD groups which were compared with pedigree data and grouping of the hop cultivars by essential oil type. The RAPD groups, strongly supported by pedigree data, gave more precise information on the level and distribution of genetic variability within hop cultivars than characterization by essential oils. Cultivars were divided into American and European groups, supporting the distinction between two geographically distinct hop germplasms. Five genetically distinct groups revealed differences within the European germplasm, reflecting past hop breeding practices which have been adopted in different regions. The use of RAPD markers for hop germplasm characterization and genetic diversity study is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the major cell organelles, whose functions are affected during drought stress are chloroplasts. In this study, chloroplast proteome under drought was studied in two cultivars of common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L), Tiber and more sensitive to drought, Starozagorski čern, which were subjected to drought for 6 and 13 days. A comparative proteomic analysis with 2D-DIGE was performed on the isolated chloroplast proteins from leaves. Together, 44 proteins with changed abundance between control and stressed plants were identified with LC-MS/MS from both cultivars. The majority of the identified proteins were involved in photosynthetic processes. The results showed a decrease in abundance in different structure components of photosystem I and II, and ATP synthase, which may indicate a suppression of light-dependent reactions by drought stress. Similar proteomic response for both cultivars after 6 and 13 days of drought was observed. Proteins with contrasting abundance patterns between the cultivars or proteins specific for only one cultivar, such as ferredoxin-NADP reductase, photosystem II stability/assembly factor HCF136, curvature thylakoid protein 1B, and plastidial membrane protein porin were pointed out as major identified proteins revealing differential abundance between the cultivars. Taken together, our results provide insight into the molecular response of chloroplasts in common bean under drought stress, whereas conclusions about the tolerance mechanisms require further studies., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare no conflict of interest.

Drought is one of the major abiotic stress conditions limiting crop growth and productivity. Glycosylation of proteins is very important post-translational modification that is involved in many physiological functions and biological pathways. To understand the involvement of N-glycoproteins in the mechanism of drought response in leaves of common bean, a proteomic approach using lectin affinity chromatography, SDS-PAGE and LC-MS/MS was applied. Quantification of N-glycoproteins was performed using MaxQuant with a label free quantification approach. Thirty five glycoproteins were changed in abundance in leaves of common bean under drought. The majority of these proteins were classified into functional groups that include cell wall processes, defence/stress related proteins and proteins related to proteolysis. Beta-glucosidase showed the highest increase in abundance among proteins involved in cell wall metabolism, suggesting its role in cell wall modification under drought stress. These results fit with the general concept of the stress response in plants and suggest that drought stress might affect biochemical metabolism in the cell wall. The structures of N-glycans were determined manually from spectra, where structures of high mannose, complex and hybrid types of N-glycans were found. The present study provided an insight into the glycoproteins related to drought stress in common bean at the proteome level, which is important for further understanding of molecular mechanisms of drought response in this important legume., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Drought is an abiotic stress that strongly influences plant growth, development and productivity. Proteome changes in the stem of the drought-tolerant common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar Tiber have were when the plants were exposed to drought. Five-week-old plants were subjected to water deficit by withholding irrigation for 7, 12 and 17days, whereas control plants were regularly irrigated. Relative water content (RWC) of leaves, as an indicator of the degree of cell and tissue hydration, showed the highest statistically significant differences between control and drought-stressed plants after 17days of treatment, where RWC remained at 90% for control and declined to 45% for stressed plants. Plants exposed to drought for 17days and control plants at the same developmental stage were included in quantitative proteomic analysis using in-gel stable isotope labeling of proteins in combination with mass spectrometry. The quantified proteins were grouped into several functional groups, mainly into energy metabolism, photosynthesis, proteolysis, protein synthesis and proteins related to defense and stress. 70kDa heat shock protein showed the greatest increase in abundance under drought of all the proteins, suggesting its role in protecting plants against stress by re-establishing normal protein conformations and thus cellular homeostasis. The abundance of proteins involved in protein synthesis also increased under drought stress, important for recovery of damaged proteins involved in the plant cell's metabolic activities. Other important proteins in this study were related to proteolysis and folding, which are necessary for maintaining proper cellular protein homeostasis. Taken together, these results reveal the complexity of pathways involved in the drought stress response in common bean stems and enable comparison with the results of proteomic analysis of leaves, thus providing important information to further understand the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of drought response in this important legume., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

The majority of common bean plants are cultivated under drought conditions. Maintaining crop yields under drought stress is thus one of the biggest challenges facing bean production. In order to improve our understanding of the complex mechanisms involved in the response of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) to drought stress, a proteomic approach was used to identify drought-responsive proteins in leaves of two cultivars differing in their response to drought, Tiber and more sensitive Starozagorski čern. 2D-DIGE was used to compare differences in protein abundance between control and stressed plants. Fifty-eight proteins whose abundance changed significantly were identified by LC-MS/MS in Tiber and 64 in Starozagorski čern. The majority of identified proteins were classified into functional categories that include energy metabolism, photosynthesis, ATP interconversion, protein synthesis and proteolysis, stress and defence related proteins. Details of the function of the identified proteins and their abundance profiles in Tiber and Starozagorski are discussed. Interactions between identified proteins were demonstrated by bioinformatics analysis, enabling a more complete insight into biological pathways and molecular functions affected by drought stress. The results form the basis for a further understanding of the biochemical mechanisms of drought response in common bean., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In order to study the possibility that high-resolution flow cytometry can be used for determination of aneuploids, different genotypes of Humulus lupulus were analyzed. Triploid cultivars are bred by hybridization between diploid and tetraploid lines, and as the result of this process, some aneuploids are occasionally also formed. We analyzed eight triploid cultivars and seven putative aneuploids. Triploid cultivars Cerera, Cicero, Celeia, Cekin, Blisk, Mt. Hood, Huller Bit. and Willamette (3x = 30) were measured for nuclear DNA content using Trifolium repens as reference. No significant differences among peak positions of triploid cultivars (having an average CV value per peak of 1.94%) were found. Measurement of nuclear DNA content was also performed for seven lines: 175/75, 89/113, 89/154, 91/215, 175/17, 89/87 and 91/74 previously determined by chromosome counting to be aneuploids (CV per peak was 1.41%). A statistically lower DNA content was found for line 175/75 and higher values were measured for lines 89/154, 89/113 and 91/215. Repeated chromosome counting revealed that the number of chromosomes in line 175/75 was 29, while lines 89/154, 89/113 and 91/215 possessed 31 chromosomes. The other lines were identified as triploids. We conclude that flow cytometry can be efficiently used for determination of aneuploidy in Humulus lupulus.