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A novel MYB-like gene (AtMYB103) was isolated from a genomic library of Arabidopsis. Plants transgenic for chimeric AtMYB103 promoter/GUS genes expressed the enzyme in early anthers. In situ hybridization of flower sections showed a high level of AtMYB103 mRNA in the tapetum and middle layer of developing anthers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess surgical outcomes of a novel method of transscleral drainage of subretinal fluid using a 25-gauge trocar-cannula with a self-closing valve (DTV) in patients with severe exudative retinal detachment (ERD) in Coats disease., Methods: Retrospective consecutive cases of 20 patients (20 eyes) of severe ERD due to Coats disease (stage 3B) in total 156 Coats patients between June 2015 and April 2019 were included in this study. The participants were aged 1 to 10y with a mean age of 3.50±1.79y. The mean follow-up time were 11.9mo. Subretinal fluid was drained transsclerally using a novel method of DTV. The height of the retinal detachment and the regression of abnormal vessels including telangiectasias and aneurysms were observed. Complications including vitreoretinal fibrosis, tractional retinal detachments (TRD), endophthalmitis, retinal holes, and hemorrhages were evaluated., Results: Following surgeries, the patients showed the replacement of ERD and regression of telangiectatic retinal vessels observed with binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy. Six patients received retinal cryotherapies and 12 patients received laser photocoagulations following first external subretinal fluid drainage using DTV. All patients underwent intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapies to induce residual subretinal fluid absorption. During follow-ups, 8 patients underwent a second drainage operation, 17 patients received retinal laser photocoagulations and 7 patients received cryotherapies. Vitreoretinal fibrosis was found in 7 patients and 6 patients underwent micro-invasive vitrectomies during the follow-up period. Severe TRD, iatrogenic retinal holes, and hemorrhages were not found., Conclusion: The authors present a new therapeutic approach that successfully drains subretinal fluid in advanced stage 3B Coats disease with severe ERD. This is a simple, safe and less invasive approach when compared with traditional managements. However, it should be strictly selected for patients with high bullous ERD close to the central axis of the eye in order to avoid the complication of retinal holes.

Aim: To evaluate the surgical results of sulcus intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in children with unilateral anterior persistent fetal vasculature (PFV) underwent primary vitrectomy combined with lensectomy and preservation of the peripheral anterior capsule., Methods: Twenty-two eyes of 22 children with unilateral anterior PFV who underwent sulcus secondary IOL implantation were analyzed. Main outcome measures were preoperative and postoperative visual acuity, and complications both intraoperatively and postoperatively., Results: Review of 22 consecutive patients identified best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improvement from 1.37±0.84 to 0.73±0.57 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) after IOL implantation ( P <0.001) with a mean follow-up was 16.55±5.86mo. Average age at secondary IOL implantation was 41.05±15.41mo. Three eyes (13.64%) achieved BCVA of 0.3 logMAR at the final visit. Transient intraocular pressure rise (4 eyes; 18.18%), postoperative increased inflammation (3 eyes; 13.64%) and postoperative hypotony (2 eyes; 9.09%) were common complications., Conclusion: Properly preservation of the anterior lens capsule during the primary surgery facilitated secondary sulcus IOL implantation in pediatric patients with anterior PFV, with favorable postoperative visual outcomes and compatible percentage of complications.

Aim: To evaluate the surgical outcomes in eyes with persistent fetal vasculatures (PFV) managed by small gauge pars plicata vitrectomy., Methods: Consecutive patients with PFV treated by small gauge pars plicata vitrectomy at Beijing Tongren Eye Center between January 2010 and January 2013 were retrospectively reviewed., Results: A total of 118 eyes of 105 patients with PFV were included and undergone small gauge pars plicata vitrectomy, of which 84 (71.2%) eyes had lensectomy and 16 (13.6%) eyes had lens aspiration and immediate intraocular lens implantation. The percentage of sutured scleral incision of 23 gauge vitrectomy (71.7%, 33/46) was higher than that of the 25 gauge vitrectomy (18.1%, 13/72). At last follow-up, visual acuity remained stable in 34 eyes (28.8%) and improved in 84 eyes (71.2%). Age at surgery (less than 2y), anterior type of PFV, and immediate IOL implantation were associated with postoperative improved visual acuity. Sixty five (55.1%) eyes had retinal detachment preoperatively, among which 33 (50.8%, 33/65) eyes had retinal reattachment or partial retinal reattachment., Conclusion: The results suggest that cases with PFV have a potential for developing good visual acuity after small gauge pars plicata vitrectomy with favorable anatomic outcomes and acceptable rate of serious surgical complications.

Targeted gene manipulation is a central strategy for studying gene function and identifying related biological processes. However, a methodology for manipulating the regulatory motifs of transcription factors is lacking as these factors commonly possess multiple motifs (e.g. repression and activation motifs) which collaborate with each other to regulate multiple biological processes. We describe a novel approach designated conserved sequence-guided repressor inhibition (CoSRI) that can specifically reduce or abolish the repressive activities of transcription factors in vivo. The technology was evaluated using the chimeric MYB80-EAR transcription factor and subsequently the endogenous WUS transcription factor. The technology was employed to develop a reversible male sterility system applicable to hybrid seed production. In order to determine the capacity of the technology to regulate the activity of endogenous transcription factors, the WUS repressor was chosen. The WUS repression motif could be inhibited in vivo and the transformed plants exhibited the wus-1 phenotype. Consequently, the technology can be used to manipulate the activities of transcriptional repressor motifs regulating beneficial traits in crop plants and other eukaryotic organisms., (© 2016 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aim: To investigate the relationship between choroidal thickness and anterior chamber segment in subjects with eyes with narrow or open-angle., Methods: The subfoveal choroidal thickness was measured with enhanced depth-imaging optical coherence tomography and anterior chamber parameters were measured with ultrasound biomicroscopy in one eye of 23 subjects with open-angle eyes and 38 subjects with narrow-angle eyes. The mean age was 59.52±7.04y for narrow-angle subjects and 60.76±7.23y for open-angle subjects (P=0.514). Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to assess the association between choroidal thickness and narrow-angle parameters., Results: There were no differences in subfoveal choroidal thickness between open- and narrow-angle subjects (P=0.231). Anterior chamber parameters, including central anterior chamber depth, trabecular iris angle, iris thickness 500 µm from the scleral spur (IT500), and ciliary body thickness at 1 mm and 2 mm from the scleral spur (CBT1, CBT2) showed significant differences between the two groups (P<0.05). Subfoveal choroidal thickness showed negative correlation (β=-0.496, P=0.016) only with anterior chamber depth in the open-angle group and with age (β=-0.442, P=0.003) and IT500 (β=-0.399, P=0.008) in the narrow-angle group. However, subfoveal choroidal thickness was not correlated with trabecular iris angle, anterior chamber depth, ciliary body thickness, or central corneal thickness in the narrow-angle group., Conclusion: Choroidal thickness does not differ in the two groups and has not correlated with anterior chamber parameters in narrow-angle subjects, suggesting a lack of relationship between choroidal thickness and primary angle-closure glaucoma.

To characterize the distributions and subtypes of the spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) in Guangxi region, the SCAl, SCA2, SCA3/MJD, SCA6, SCA7 and SCA12 (CAG)n mutations were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and capillary electrophoresis (CE). The SCA3/MJD mutation was detected in a total of 21 SCA patients and 19 presymptomatic individuals from 6 SCA families and their CAG repeat numbers were 59-70 and 60-73, respectively. No (CAG)n mutations of SCA1, SCA2, SCA6, SCA7 and SCA12 were detected. This study showed that SCA in Guangxi region is mostly SCA3/MJD subtype and the CAG repeats are smaller than those reported in other regions previously.

Objective: To study the genetic polymorphism of 15 short tandem repeats (STR)(D2S1338, D3S1358, D5S818, D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, D19S433, D21S11, CSF1PO, TPOX, TH01, vWA, FGA) in Mulao nationality of Guangxi province, and to explore genetic relationship between Mulao nationality and other 10 nationalities., Methods: The allelic frequencies and the genotype of 15 STR loci were generated from 183 unrelated individuals in Mulao nationality and other 10 nationalities of Guangxi by PCR-STR and genescan. Phylogenetic tree were constracted neighbor-Joining method., Results: There were 136 STR alleles and 422 genotypes in the 15 STR of Mulao nationality, with its allele frequencies ranging from 0.0027 to 0.5243. The average heterozygosity was 0.7632, the accumulative discrimination power was more than 0.999 999 999 9, and the probability of paternity exclusion was more than 0.999 998 469 8. The genetic distances between Mulao nationality and other minority of Guangxi were much closer than those between Mulao nationality and Han nationality and Uighur nationlity., Conclusion: The 15 STR loci of Mulao nationality in Guangxi possesses the characteristics of high genetic diversity, except the TPOX locus. They can be employed in group genetic investigation, individual and paternity test in forensic medicine. The genetic distances between Mulao nationality and other minority of Guangxi are more closer than those between Mulao nationality and Han nationality and Uighur nationality.

Objective: To study the genetic polymorphism of 15 short tandem repeat (STR) (D2S1338ì D3S1358ì D5S818ì D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, D19S433, D21S11, CSF1PO, TPOX, TH01, vWA, FGA) in Maonan minority of Guangxi province., Methods: The allele frequencies and the genotype of 15 STR loci were analyzed in 143 unrelated individuals in Maonan minority of Guangxi by PCR-STR and genescan., Results: There were 130 STR alleles and 390 genotypes in the 15 STR of Maonan minority, with allele frequencies ranging from 0.0035 to 0.5385. The average heterozygosity was 0.7697, the discrimination power was higher than 0.8 except for that of TPOX, the accumulative discrimination power was more than 0.999999999, and the probability of paternity exclusion was more than 0.99999918., Conclusion: The 15 STR loci of Maonan minority in Guangxi possesses the characteristics of high genetic diversity, except for the TPOX locus. They can be employed in minority genetics investigation, individual and paternity test in forensic medicine.

Objective: To investigate the distributions of six short-tandem repeat (STR) loci, namely D7S820, D13S317, D16S539, HUMCSF1PO, HUMTPOX and HUMTH01, in Miao minority group at Rongshui county in Guangxi province and construct the relevant genetic database., Methods: Sodium-citrated blood specimens were collected from 208 healthy unrelated Miao individuals in Rongshui county. The DNAs from the specimens were extracted with phenol-chloroform method; AmplFSTR Identifier PCR Amplification Kit was used to amplify the extracted DNAs, and 3100 Genetic Analyzer was used to analyze and screen the amplified products., Results: In this study, 7, 8, 6, 7, 5, 7 alleles were observed at the 6 STR loci respectively. The expected distribution of genotype accorded with Hardy-Weinbery equilibrium. The total discrimination power, cumulative paternity exclusion power and total polymorphism information were 0.999995, 0.9959 and 0.9987 respectively., Conclusion: The results demonstrate that these 6 STR loci are of high polymorphism and hereditary stability and are in accord with Mendel's law. The data obtained are valuable in population genetics research, forensic application, and individual identifications.