Pre-eclampsia is a principal cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, affecting 5-10% of first pregnancies worldwide. Manifestations include increased blood pressure, proteinuria, coagulopathy and peripheral and cerebral oedema. Although the aetiology and pathogenesis remain to be elucidated, the placenta is undoubtedly involved, as termination of pregnancy eradicates the disease. Here we have cloned a complementary DNA from human placental messenger RNA encoding a precursor protein of 121 amino acids which gives rise to a mature peptide identical to the neuropeptide neurokinin B (NKB) of other mammalian species. In female rats, concentrations of NKB several-fold above that of an animal 20 days into pregnancy caused substantial pressor activity. In human pregnancy, the expression of NKB was confined to the outer syncytiotrophoblast of the placenta, significant concentrations of NKB could be detected in plasma as early as week 9, and plasma concentrations of NKB were grossly elevated in pregnancy-induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia. We conclude that elevated levels of NKB in early pregnancy may be an indicator of hypertension and pre-eclampsia, and that treatment with certain neurokinin receptor antagonists may be useful in alleviating the symptoms.

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The adrenal gland requires stimuli from peptides derived from the ACTH precursor, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), to maintain its tonic state. Studies have proposed that a specific postsecretional cleavage of the nonmitogenic N-terminal 16 kDa fragment, also known as pro-gamma-melanotropin (pro-gamma-MSH), is required, releasing shorter fragments that promote adrenal growth. Here, we provide evidence for this hypothesis by the cloning and characterization of a serine protease that is upregulated during growth of the adrenal cortex. It is expressed exclusively in the outer adrenal cortex, the site of cell proliferation, and in the Y1 adrenal cell line. We also show that it is required for growth of Y1 cells, remains bound to the cell surface, and cleaves its substrate, pro-gamma-MSH, at a specific bond.

Problem statement:The prime objective in breeding selection process of drought-tolerant sugarcane is to identify the correlating marker, which could lead to rapid screening for drought-tolerant cultivars. In this study, we have reported an unknown 18-kDa protein (p18) along with other stress-inducible proteins to be highly expressed in sugarcane leaves under drought stress condition. Approach: The 2D-PAGE patterns of proteins were compared between those expressed in drought-tolerance K86-161 and drought-susceptible Khon Kaen 1 cultivars. The interested proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. The correlation between p18 expression and drought tolerance was verified in additional 4 sugarcane cultivars using ELISA and western blotting. Two physiological indexes, Chlorophyll content and SOD activity were also evaluated. Results: Mass spectrometry and comparison with known sequences in the database reveal that the proteins expressed only in stressed K86-161 are serine protease inhibitor and the one similar to replication protein A1. A group of proteins up-regulated in K86-161 are SAdenosylmethionine decarboxylase proenzyme (SAM), ubiquitin and p18. From ELISA and western blotting analysis, we found that p18 expressed in drought-tolerant sugarcane cultivars had higher binding specificity to antibody than that in drought-susceptible sugarcane cultivars. Two physiological indexes showed higher levels in drought-tolerant than those in drought susceptible sugarcanes. Conclusion: These high levels of chlorophyll and SOD are in agreement with a high level of p18 expression in droughttolerant sugarcanes. It is likely that an accumulation of p18 is a response to water deficit. In conclusion, p18 might be a good candidate for development as a marker in drought-tolerant plants.

Information on phytochemicals in the cob and husk of field corn is important for the use of corn waste in the production of value-added corn products. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the variation in monomeric anthocyanin content (MAC), total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity, as determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) in 53 purple field corn genotypes, and to study the correlations of these traits with color parameters. Fifty-three corn genotypes were planted in a randomized complete block design with three replications in two locations in the dry season of 2015/2016. The effects of genotype, location, and the interaction between genotype and location were significant for most characters. Genotypic variation contributed to a large portion of the total variance for all traits, accounting for 63.9-86.9%. Corn genotypes were classified into six groups based on MAC, TPC, and antioxidant activity determined by the DPPH and the TEAC methods. The highest MAC, TPC, and antioxidant activity were obtained in TB/KND//PF3 and TB/KND//PF8 for husk, and only TB/KND//PF8 for cob. They should be used as parental lines to develop corn varieties with high phytochemicals. Chroma (C*) and hue (H • ) of color parameters could potentially be used as an indirect selection criterion for improving MAC, TPC, and antioxidant activity in cob. The information is useful for the improvement of phytochemicals in cob and husk of field corn.