Plants control CO2 uptake and water loss by modulating the aperture of stomata located in the epidermis. Stomatal opening is initiated by the activation of H+-ATPases in the guard-cell plasma membrane. In contrast to regulation of H+-ATPase activity, little is known about the translocation of the guard cell H+-ATPase to the plasma membrane. Here we describe the isolation of an Arabidopsis gene, PATROL1, that controls the translocation of a major H+-ATPase, AHA1, to the plasma membrane. PATROL1 encodes a protein with a MUN domain, known to mediate synaptic priming in neuronal exocytosis in animals. Environmental stimuli change the localization of plasma membrane-associated PATROL1 to an intracellular compartment. Plasma membrane localization of AHA1 and stomatal opening require the association of PATROL1 with AHA1. Increased stomatal opening responses in plants overexpressing PATROL1 enhance the CO2 assimilation rate, promoting plant growth.

To evaluate the health benefits of Chinese quince and quince phenolics, their antioxidant properties and antiulcerative activity were investigated in comparison with apple phenolics as a reference. The strength of antioxidant activity and DPPH radical scavenging activity of these fruit phenolics varied according to different in vitro evaluation systems, whereas the antioxidative property of rat blood increased in all rats orally administered phenolics. Ferulic acid and isoferulic acid were detected as major metabolites in rats given apple phenolics, quince phenolics, and 5-caffeoylquinic acid standard. (-)-Epicatechin and its 3'-O-methyl ether could be detected in rats administered apple phenolics and (-)-epicatechin standard. In the ethanol-induced gastric ulcer, pre-administration of Chinese quince and quince phenolics suppressed the occurrence of gastric lesions in rats, whereas apple phenolics seemed to promote ulceration. The trend of myeloperoxidase activity was similar to that of the ulcer index. The results showed that Chinese quince and quince phenolics might have health benefits by acting both in blood vessels and on the gastrointestinal tract.

Spatiotemporal information about biomolecules is indispensable for precise pathological analysis, but it remains largely unclear. Here we show a novel analytical platform combing mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) with its complementary technique, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS), to elucidate more comprehensive metabolic behaviors, with spatiotemporal information, in tissues. Analysis of a rat transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) brain tissue after ischemia–reperfusion was performed to characterize the detailed metabolomic response to pathological alterations. To compare the spatially resolved metabolic state between ischemic and contralateral hemispheres of the MCAO brain, coronally sliced tissues were subjected to MSI. We also measured the metabolites extracted from three different cerebral regions, including whole cortex (CTX), hippocampus (HI) and corpus striatum (CPu), by LC–MS. In the ischemic hemisphere, significant metabolic changes at the CTX and CPu were observed after reperfusion, while not at the HI. A region-specific metabolic behavior was observed in amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, as well as in the TCA cycle. Correlation between MSI and LC–MS data was relatively high in the CTX and CPu. Combination of both MS platforms visualized the diverse spatiotemporal metabolic dynamics during pathological progress. Thus, our proposed strategy will contribute to the understanding of the complex pathogenesis of ischemia–reperfusion.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11306-013-0588-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Effects of Chinese quince extract, apple juice, semi-purified phenolics and soluble pectin from these fruits on ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in rats were investigated. In rats given Chinese quince extract or apple juice, ulcer induction was strongly suppressed, and the effect was stronger for Chinese quince extract than for apple juice. Myeloperoxidase activity in gastric mucosa showed a similar tendency. The DPPH radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content were 4 times higher in Chinese quince extract than in apple juice. Semi-purified phenolics from both fruits strongly suppressed ulcer induction at doses of 5-10 mg; however, a 20-mg dose of apple phenolics showed a pro-ulcerative effect. The soluble pectin fraction also showed moderate activity. These results suggest that phenolic compounds are responsible for antiulcerative activity of Chinese quince extract and apple juice, and that concentration may be an important factor in the case of apple phenolics.

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