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Sanghuangporus baumii, an edible fungus rich in heteropolysaccharides, has been found to have some anti-cervical cancer effects.

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MI/RI), a complication of myocardial injury, is associated with high rates of mortality and disability. We aimed to explore the effect of nicorandil™ against MI/RI and investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms. In this in vitro study, hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) processing of H9c2 cells significantly suppressed the expressions of IL33 and ST2, reduced cell viability, increased production of reactive oxygen species, downregulated protein expression of Bcl-2, upregulated protein expressions of Bax, cleaved caspase3, and cleaved PARP, increased intracellular calcium overload, and induced cell apoptosis. Nicorandil processing reduced H/R-induced H9c2 cell damage. Nicorandil processing ameliorated the H/R-induced inhibition of the IL33 and ST2 expression in H9c2 cells. 5-Hydroxydecanoate blocked the effects of nicorandil on H9c2 cell viability, ROS production, and apoptosis and inhibited both IL33 and ST2. Similarly, the protective effect of nicorandil was restrained after inhibition of the IL33/ST2 pathway. Our findings suggest that the protective effect of nicorandil against H/R-induced H9c2 cell apoptosis was mediated through IL33/ST2 signaling pathway.

Folates content in foxtail millet (Setaria italica) are higher than that in major crops. Polyglutamylation of folates could enhance their compartmentalization, reducing their transport, increase their affinities with enzymes and increase the stability of the folates pool in Arabidopsis. The polyglutamylation reaction are catalyzed by folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS). But FPGS function in foxtail millet is still elusive. In this study we identified Setaria italica FPGS2 (SiFPGS2) genes in foxtail millet by blast analysis with AtFPGS1/2/3 protein sequences. The phylogenetic tree analysis, protein function domain analysis and docking analysis results showed that SiFPGS2 belong to FPGS subfamily, possessed the tetrahydrofolypolyglutamate synthase domain, could bind tetrahydrofolate (THF) as substrate. Subcellular localization predicted that SiFPGS2 localized in the chloroplast. Cis-acting elements prediction analysis indicated that there were meristem expression motif and root specific motif in SiFPGS2 promoter. Over-expressed SiFPGS2 in Arabidopsis not only increased the folates content, but also increased the root length, and further propidium iodide staining result suggested that the increased root length was owning to the promotion of cell division in root apical meristem zone. SiFPGS2 catalyzed the polyglutamylation of THF and lead to the increase of folates content and root length by promotion of root apical meristem zone cell division. SiFPGS2 can be used as a candidate gene for biofortification of folates in Gramineae crops via genetic engineering.

Background Hemicellulose acts as one factor contributing to the recalcitrance of lignocellulose that prevents cellulases to degrade the cellulose efficiently even in low quantities. Supplement of hemicellulases can enhance the performance of commercial cellulases in the enzymatic hydrolyses of lignocellulose. Kluyveromyce marxianus is an attractive yeast for cellulosic ethanol fermentation, as well as a promising host for heterologous protein production, since it has remarkable thermotolerance, high growth rate, and broad substrate spectrum etc. In this study, we attempted to coordinately express multiple hemicellulases in K.marxianus through a 2A-mediated ribosome skipping to self-cleave polyproteins, and investigated their capabilities for saccharification and ethanol production from corncobs. Results Two polycistronic genes IMPX and IMPαX were constructed to test the self-cleavage of P2A sequence from the Foot-and-Mouth Disease virus (FMDV) in K.marxianus. The IMPX gene consisted of a β-mannanase gene M330 (without the stop codon), a P2A sequence and a β-xylanase gene Xyn-CDBFV in turn. In the IMPαX gene, there was an additional α-factor signal sequence in frame with the N-terminus of Xyn-CDBFV. The extracellular β-mannanase activities of the IMPX and IMPαX strains were 21.34 and 15.50 U/mL, respectively, but the extracellular β-xylanase activity of IMPαX strain was much higher than that of the IMPX strain, which was 136.17 and 42.07 U/mL, respectively. Subsequently, two recombinant strains, the IXPαR and IMPαXPαR, were constructed to coordinately and secretorily express two xylantic enzymes, Xyn-CDBFV and β-D-xylosidase RuXyn1, or three hemicellulolytic enzymes including M330, Xyn-CDBFV and RuXyn1. In fed-batch fermentation, extracellular activities of β-xylanase and β-xylosidase in the IXPαR strain were 1664.2 and 0.90 U/mL. Similarly, the IMPαXPαR strain secreted the three enzymes, β-mannanase, β-xylanase, and β-xylosidase, with the activities of 159.8, 2210.5, and 1.25 U/mL, respectively. Hemicellulolases of both strains enhanced the yields of glucose and xylose from diluted acid pretreated (DAP) corncobs when acted synergistically with commercial cellulases. In hybrid saccharification and fermentation (HSF) of DAP corncobs, hemicellulases of the IMPαXPαR strain increased the ethanol yield by 8.7% at 144 h compared with the control. However, both ethanol and xylose yields were increased by 12.7 and 18.2%, respectively, at 120 h in HSF of aqueous ammonia pretreated (AAP) corncobs with this strain. Our results indicated that coordinate expression of hemicellulolytic enzymes in K. marxianus promoted the saccharification and ethanol production from corncobs. Conclusions The FMDV P2A sequence showed high efficiency in self-cleavage of polyproteins in K. marxianus and could be used for secretory expression of multiple enzymes in the presence of their signal sequences. The IMPαXPαR strain coexpressed three hemicellulolytic enzymes improved the saccharification and ethanol production from corncobs, and could be used as a promising strain for ethanol production from lignocelluloses.

IntroductionThe mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and the effective approaches to treat this disease still remain vague and absent. Proteinases of ADAMTS family play important roles in embryonic growth and development. Our previous study suggest a role of ADAMTS13 during pregnancy. Current Study was to determine the expression of ADAMTS13 in human endometrium and its association with RPL.Material and methodsThe spatiotemporal expression of ADAMTS13 in human endometrium was examined by immunohistochemistry. real-time PCR sand western blot were then employed to determine the mRNA and protein expression levels of ADAMTS13 in human endometrium. Proteolytic cleavage of FRETS-VWF73 were performed to determine the activity of ADAMTS13 in plasma and that secreted by human endometrium. ELISA was carried out to measure plasma VWF antigen.ResultsWe show that proteolytically active ADAMTS13 is expressed in human endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. The decidual expression levels of mRNA and protein in women with RPL were significantly lower compared with women with uncomplicated pregnancies (PConclusionsThese findings suggest that ADAMTS13 may play a role in embryo implantation and the pathogenesis of recurrent pregnancy loss. Further investigation on ADAMTS13 gene knockout animal models is necessary for understanding the molecular mechanisms of the biological roles of ADAMTS13 during gestation.

This prospective study was conducted to assess the rate of resolution of second trimester placenta previa in women with anterior placenta and posterior placenta, and that in women with and without previous cesarean section. In this study, placenta previa was defined as a placenta lying within 20 mm of the internal cervical os or overlapping it. We recruited 183 women diagnosed with previa between 20+0 weeks and 25+6 weeks. They were grouped according to their placenta location (anterior or posterior) and history of cesarean section. Comparative analysis was performed on demographic data, resolution rate of previa and pregnancy outcomes between anterior group and posterior group, and on those between cesarean section group and non-cesarean section group. Women with an anterior placenta tended to be advanced in parity (P=0.040) and have increased number of dilatation and curettage (P=0.044). The women in cesarean section group were significantly older (P=0.000) and had more parity (P=0.000), gravidity (P=0.000), and dilatation and curettage (P=0.048) than in non-cesarean section group. Resolution of previa at delivery occurred in 87.43% women in this study. Women with a posterior placenta had a higher rate of resolution (P=0.030), while history of cesarean section made no difference. Gestational age at resolution was earlier in posterior group (P=0.002) and non-cesarean section group (P=0.008) than in anterior group and cesarean section group correspondingly. Placenta location and prior cesarean section did not influence obstetric outcomes and neonatal outcomes. This study indicates that it is more likely to have subsequent resolution of the previa when the placenta is posteriorly located for women who are diagnosed with placenta previa in the second trimester.

Objectives: This study was carried out to evaluate outcomes of pregnancies with complete placenta previa diagnosed in mid-pregnancy, and evaluate whether a history of caesarean section and placenta location effect the resolution of placenta previa. Material and methods: A prospective observational study was conducted on patients diagnosed with complete placenta previa by ultrasound examination between 20+0 weeks and 25+6 weeks of gestation. Patients were grouped in terms of placenta location (anteriorly or posteriorly located) and presence/absence of prior caesarean section. Maternal demographics, ultrasound findings and pregnancy outcomes were subsequently compared between these groups. Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS version 16.0. Results: 70 patients with the above characteristics were recruited in our study. Of the 70 patients, 21 (30%) had prior caesarean section, and 41 (58.6%) had an anteriorly located placenta. Patients with prior cesarean delivery delivered earlier (36.9 ± 2.2 weeks versus 38.0 ± 1.8 weeks, P = 0.039). Furthermore, 74.3% of the placenta previa resolved by delivery. Prior caesarean section (RR 2.941, 95% CI 0.938–9.216, P 0.024) and anterior placenta (RR 3.805, 95% CI 1.126–12.855, P 0.031) were related to greater risk of persistence of placenta previa to term. Conclusions: Prior caesarean section and anteriorly located placenta are important factors that modify the risk that previa will complicate delivery. Our findings may be useful for patient counselling and future management of the condition.

To retrospectively analyze the injury characteristics of victims and treatment strategies in the explosion accident on the 17th May 2018 in Xixia county (Xixia "May 17th" explosion accident).Completion the Level Three treatment on time, which was depended on the leading role played by the regional trauma centers was the main rescuing mode of the work in Xixia county, where the primary and secondary treatments were the key parts. The three-level treatment model includes: the local hospital acts as a level-one emergency medical institution, county hospitals function as secondary emergency medical institutions, and other higher medical institutions are the tertiary first aid medical institutions. The pre-hospital and in-hospital emergency procedures were initiated immediately after the large-scale explosive burn being identified, the key to the successfully rescue was to set up a comprehensive treatment team for burns and trauma. Rescue team should involve burn department and other related departments, including the departments of emergency, general surgery, orthopedic, thoracic surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, intensive care unit, blood transfusion unit, anesthesiology, and interventional radiology, etc. All the thirteen burned patients were male, with inhalation injury, blast injury, hemopneumothorax, brain injury, bone fractures, and etc. Eight of them (61.54%) had multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). MODS mainly involved respiratory, circulatory, liver, gastrointestinal tract, kidney and coagulation function. With the multi-discipline treatment, the wound of 6 severely-burned patients started healing and can be discharged after keeping the patency of airway, applying resuscitation fluid and comprehensive treatments such as debridement and dressing change. Among 7 patients with extensive deep burns, one case with skull-based fracture, open craniocerebral, extensive intracranial hemorrhage and hemopneumothorax, died 9 hours later. Another case died within 24 hours after injury due to obvious exudation on the site of early incision and relaxation of wound. The escharotomy, micro-dermis and allograft skin transplantation were carried out for five cases with extensive deep burns from the 4th day after the recovery of shock. One week later, the second stage of microsphere skin transplantation was performed. But all died of sepsis or fungal infection.(1) A total of 113 elderly patients with sepsis were enrolled in the final analysis, including 67 patients in sepsis group and 46 patients in septic shock group. Thirty-two patients were enrolled as healthy controls and 31 elderly patients with CAP as elderly pneumonia group. The PCT, CRP, Lac, APACHE II and SOFA scores of the patients in the three groups were higher than those of the healthy control group, and they were gradually increased with the severity of infection. There was no significant difference in gender or age among the groups. Compared with the healthy control group, the other three groups had higher LL-37 level after admission, the LL-37 levels in the sepsis group and the septic shock group were decreased with the prolongation of the hospitalization time, and they were lower than the pneumonia group at 7 days after admission [LL-37 (μg/L): 1 403.9±501.9, 1 517.1±676.4 vs. 1 608.4±816.2, both P0.05]. It was shown by correlation analysis that the LL-37 level in peripheral blood of elderly patients with sepsis was significantly negatively correlated with APACHE II score (r = -0.329, P = 0.007) and SOFA score (r = -0.344, P = 0.005), but no significant correlation with Lac was found (r = -0.128, P = 0.311). (2) The 28-day survival analysis revealed that of the 113 elderly patients with sepsis, 54 (47.8%) survived at 28 days and 59 (52.2%) died. There was no significant difference in gender, age, PCT or CRP levels at 1 day after admission between the two groups. The 1-day Lac, APACHE II and SOFA scores of the patients in the non-survival group were significantly higher than those in the survival group, they were gradually increased with the prolongation of the hospitalization time, and they were significantly higher than those in the survival group at 7 days after admission [Lac (mmol/L): 2.4 (1.4, 4.4) vs. 1.0 (0.8, 1.7), APACHE II score: 21.77±5.85 vs. 13.74±4.99, SOFA score: 9.62±4.78 vs. 3.18±2.71, all P0.01]. With the prolongation of admission, there was no significant change in LL-37 level of peripheral blood in the survival group. The LL-37 level in the non-survival group showed a downward tendency, and it was significantly lower than that in the survival group at 7 days after admission (μg/L: 1 277.8±642.6 vs. 1 620.6±461.6, P0.05). It was shown by ROC curve analysis that the LL-37 in peripheral blood, Lac, APACHE II score and SOFA score at 7-day of admission of elderly patients with sepsis had predictive value for prognosis, and LL-37 had the best predicted effect for 28-day death, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of LL-37 was 0.670, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 0.513-0.757, when the optimal cut-off value was 1 283.0 μg/L, the sensitivity was 75.7%, and the specificity was 61.5%.MODS and infection often occur during the course especially for patients with extensive and deep burns due to the great explosion in Xixia county, most of whom were accompanied with MODS and infection. Therefore, assembling multi-discipline team for treating the group of explosively-burned patients can increase the survival rate and reduce the possibility of disability.

During the service life of subgrade, the moisture content increase on compacted subgrade soil can lead to bearing capacity serious degradation of the soil and exaggerated deformation. Electro-osmosis drainage is an effective method in reducing the moisture content of soil, which also serves to improve the subgrade. However, in practice, the low corrosion resistance and poor contact condition of conventional electrode materials make their energy inefficient. And the insufficient understanding of unsaturated soil electro-osmosis also limits the further application of this method. In this paper, a new type of electro kinetic geosynthetics (EKG) electrode was designed and used in electro-osmosis tests on unsaturated soil which was sampled from a reconstruction field in comparison with graphite and iron electrodes. The energy consumption, effective voltage variations, current variations and change in moisture contents under different voltage gradients were analyzed. A one-month field mesoscale test was conducted to verify the feasibility and efficiency of the new EKG electrode. Test results indicated that electro-osmosis drainage performed well with three kinds of electrode materials and the moisture reduction had reached 8.5–15.4%. The contact resistance of iron electrode would reach 1.8–4.1 times that of the EKG and graphite electrodes due to material corrosion. The newly-designed EKG electrode could reduce contact resistance by 19.7–40.8% for the layered fiber structure could enlarge the contact area between soil and electrodes.

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays crucial roles in adaptive responses of plants to abiotic stresses. ABA-responsive element binding proteins (AREBs) are basic leucine zipper transcription factors that regulate the expression of downstream genes containing ABA-responsive elements (ABREs) in promoter regions. A novel ABI-like (ABA-insensitive) transcription factor gene, named TaABL1, containing a conserved basic leucine zipper (bZIP) domain was cloned from wheat. Southern blotting showed that three copies were present in the wheat genome. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that TaABL1 belonged to the AREB subfamily of the bZIP transcription factor family and was most closely related to ZmABI5 in maize and OsAREB2 in rice. Expression of TaABL1 was highly induced in wheat roots, stems, and leaves by ABA, drought, high salt, and low temperature stresses. TaABL1 was localized inside the nuclei of transformed wheat mesophyll protoplast. Overexpression of TaABL1 enhanced responses of transgenic plants to ABA and hastened stomatal closure under stress, thereby improving tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses. Furthermore, overexpression of TaABL1 upregulated or downregulated the expression of some stress-related genes controlling stomatal closure in transgenic plants under ABA and drought stress conditions, suggesting that TaABL1 might be a valuable genetic resource for transgenic molecular breeding.

This prospective study was conducted to compare risk factors and pregnancy outcomes between women with complete placenta previa and those with incomplete placenta previa diagnosed in mid-pregnancy. The study was carried out from April 2014 to December 2015, during which 70 patients with complete previa and 113 with incomplete previa between 20+0 weeks and 25+6 weeks of gestation were included. Maternal demographics and pregnancy outcomes were compared between the two groups. Comparisons between categorical variables were tested by chi-squared test and those between continuous variables by Student t test. Resolution of previa occurred in 87.43% of the studied women. The mean gestational age at resolution was 32.1±4.4 weeks. Incidence of maternal age ≥35 years and incidence of prior uterine operation ≥3 were high in women with complete previa (28.6% vs 8.8%, P=0.003; 28.6% vs. 8.8%, P=0.003). Resolution of previa occurred less often in complete previa group (74.3% vs. 95.6%, P=0.001). Women with complete previa admitted earlier (37.3±2.0 weeks 38.1±1.4 weeks, P=0.011) and delivered earlier (37.7±1.2 weeks vs. 38.3±1.4 weeks, P=0.025). Maternal age ≥35 years and prior uterine operation ≥3 increase the risk of complete previa in mid-pregnancy. Placenta previa is more likely to persist in women with complete previa than those with incomplete previa diagnosed in midpregnancy. What is more, women with complete previa in mid-pregnancy delivers earlier.

Objective— ADAMTS13 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type 1 repeats, member 13) is primarily synthesized in liver. The biosynthesis of ADAMTS13 and its physiological role in placenta are not known. Approach and Results— We used real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting analyses, as well as proteolytic cleavage of FRETS (fluorescent resonance energy transfers)-VWF73, to determine ADAMTS13 expression in placenta and trophoblasts obtained from individuals with normal pregnancy and patients with severe preeclampsia. We also determined the role of ADAMTS13 in extravillous trophoblasts using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, wound scratch assay, transwell migration assay, tube formation assay, and tissue outgrowth assays. We showed that full-length and proteolytically active ADAMTS13 was expressed in normal human placenta, primarily in the trophoblasts and villous core fetal vessel endothelium during pregnancy. Placental expression of ADAMTS13 mRNA, protein, and proteolytic activity was at the highest levels during the first trimester and significantly reduced at the term of gestation. Additionally, significantly reduced levels of placental ADAMTS13 expression was detected under hypoxic conditions and in patients with preeclampsia. In addition, recombinant ADAMTS13 protease stimulated proliferation, migration, invasion, and network formation of trophoblastic cells in culture. Finally, knockdown of ADAMTS13 expression attenuated the ability of tube formation in trophoblast (HTR-8/SVNEO) cells and the extravillous trophoblast outgrowth in placental explants. Conclusions— Our results demonstrate for the first time the expression of ADAMTS13 mRNA and protein in normal and abnormal placental tissues and its role in promoting angiogenesis and trophoblastic cell development. The findings support the potential role of the ADAMTS13–von Willebrand factor pathway in normal pregnancy and pathogenesis of preeclampsia.

Phylogenetic analysis of annexin protein sequences from three monocots (wheat, barely and rice) and two dicots (Arabidopsis thaliana and Glycine max). (PDF 65Â kb)

Multiple sequence alignment of deduced amino acid sequences of 25 wheat annexin genes with rice annexin OsAnn2 (Os05g31760) obtained by ClustalW. (PDF 212Â kb)

Gene Structure analysis of Arabidopsis, rice, barley and wheat annexin genes. (PDF 65Â kb)

Sequence aligment and logos of four annexin domains in the dicots and monocots. (PDF 1110Â kb)

Orthologous groups of annexin genes in T.aestivuma, T.urartu, A.tauschii, H. vulgare, O.sativa and B.distachyon. (PDF 115Â kb)

Phylogenetic analysis and predicted structure of annexin proteins of 9 monocots plant and 7 discots plant. (PDF 484Â kb)

Orthologous groups of annexin genes in T.aestivuma, T.urartu, A.tauschii, H. vulgare, O.sativa and B.distachyon. (PDF 101Â kb)

Description of T.aestivum, T.urartu, A.tauschii and H.vulgare annexin genes. (PDF 46Â kb)

Putative cis-elements in the 2Â kb upstream promoter region of translation start site in wheat annexin genes. (PDF 13Â kb)

Conserved sequence motifs identified in the amino acid sequences of in wheat, T.urartu, A.tauschii, barley and rice as analyzed by MEME tools. (PDF 7Â kb)

Full set of annexin sequences from wheat (T. aestivum), barely (H.vulgare), T.urartu and A.tauschii. (PDF 208Â kb)

ADAMTS13, a plasma reprolysin-like metalloprotease, proteolyzes von Willebrand factor (VWF). ADAMTS13 is primarily synthesized by hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and mainly regulates thrombogenesis by cleaving VWF. Recent studies demonstrate that ADAMTS13 also plays a role in the down-regulation of inflammation, regulation angiogenesis, and degradation of extracellular matrix. The purpose of this review is to introduce the state of progress with respect to some of the theorized roles of ADAMTS13.

Background Among the largest and most diverse transcription factor families in plants, basic leucine zipper (bZIP) family participate in regulating various processes, including floral induction and development, stress and hormone signaling, photomorphogenesis, seed maturation and germination, and pathogen defense. Although common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most widely cultivated and consumed food crops in the world, there is no comprehensive analysis of bZIPs in wheat, especially those involved in anther development. Previous studies have demonstrated wheat, T. urartu, Ae. tauschii, barley and Brachypodium are evolutionarily close in Gramineae family, however, the real evolutionary relationship still remains mysterious. Results In this study, 187 bZIP family genes were comprehensively identified from current wheat genome. 98, 96 and 107 members of bZIP family were also identified from the genomes of T.urartu, Ae.tauschii and barley, respectively. Orthology analyses suggested 69.4 % of TubZIPs were orthologous to 68.8 % of AetbZIPs and wheat had many more in-paralogs in the bZIP family than its relatives. It was deduced wheat had a closer phylogenetic relationship with barley and Brachypodium than T.urartu and Ae.tauschii. bZIP proteins in wheat, T.urartu and Ae.tauschii were divided into 14 subgroups based on phylogenetic analyses. Using Affymetrix microarray data, 48 differentially expressed TabZIP genes were identified to be related to anther development from comparison between the male sterility line and the restorer line. Genes with close evolutionary relationship tended to share similar gene structures. 15 of 23 selected TabZIP genes contained LTR elements in their promoter regions. Expression of 21 among these 23 TabZIP genes were obviously responsive to low temperature. These 23 TabZIP genes all exhibited distinct tissue-specific expression pattern. Among them, 11 TabZIP genes were predominantly expressed in anther and most of them showed over-dominance expression mode in the cross combination TY806 × BS366. Conclusions The genome-wide identification provided an overall insight of bZIP gene family in wheat and its relatives. The evolutionary relationship of wheat and its relatives was proposed based on orthology analyses. Microarray and expression analyses suggested the potential involvement of bZIP genes in anther development and facilitated selection of anther development related gene for further functional characterization. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-2196-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Annexins are an evolutionarily conserved multigene family of calcium-dependent phospholipid binding proteins that play important roles in stress resistance and plant development. They have been relatively well characterized in model plants Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa), but nothing has been reported in hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) and barely (Hordeum vulgare), which are the two most economically important plants. Results Based on available genomic and transcriptomic data, 25 and 11 putative annexin genes were found through in silico analysis in wheat and barley, respectively. Additionally, eight and 11 annexin genes were identified from the draft genome sequences of Triticum urartu and Aegilops tauschii, progenitor for the A and D genome of wheat, respectively. By phylogenetic analysis, annexins in these four species together with other monocots and eudicots were classified into six different orthologous groups. Pi values of each of Ann1–12 genes among T. aestivum, T. urartu, A. tauschii and H. vulgare species was very low, with the exception of Ann2 and Ann5 genes. Ann2 gene has been under positive selection, but Ann6 and Ann7 have been under purifying selection among the four species in their evolutionary histories. The nucleotide diversities of Ann1–12 genes in the four species were 0.52065, 0.59239, 0.60691 and 0.53421, respectively. No selective pressure was operated on annexin genes in the same species. Gene expression patterns obtained by real-time PCR and re-analyzing the public microarray data revealed differential temporal and spatial regulation of annexin genes in wheat under different abiotic stress conditions such as salinity, drought, cold and abscisic acid. Among those genes, TaAnn10 is specifically expressed in the anther but fails to be induced by low temperature in thermosensitive genic male sterile lines, suggesting that specific down-regulation of TaAnn10 is associated with conditional male sterility in wheat. Conclusions This study analyzed the size and composition of the annexin gene family in wheat and barley, and investigated differential tissue-specific and stress responsive expression profiles of the gene family in wheat. These results provided significant information for understanding the diverse roles of plant annexins and opened a new avenue for functional studies of cold induced male sterility in wheat. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2750-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.