Summary Indole acetic acid (IAA/auxin) profoundly affects wood formation but the molecular mechanism of auxin action in this process remains poorly understood. We have cloned cDNAs for eight members of the Aux/IAA gene family from hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. × Populus tremuloides Michx.) that encode potential mediators of the auxin signal transduction pathway. These genes designated as PttIAA1‐PttIAA8 are auxin inducible but differ in their requirement of de novo protein synthesis for auxin induction. The auxin induction of the PttIAA genes is also developmentally controlled as evidenced by the loss of their auxin inducibility during leaf maturation. The PttIAA genes are differentially expressed in the cell types of a developmental gradient comprising the wood‐forming tissues. Interestingly, the expression of the PttIAA genes is downregulated during transition of the active cambium into dormancy, a process in which meristematic cells of the cambium lose their sensitivity to auxin. Auxin‐regulated developmental reprogramming of wood formation during the induction of tension wood is accompanied by changes in the expression of PttIAA genes. The distinct tissue‐specific expression patterns of the auxin inducible PttIAA genes in the cambial region together with the change in expression during dormancy transition and tension wood formation suggest a role for these genes in mediating cambial responses to auxin and xylem development.

z These authors contributed equally to this work. SummaryThe cambium of woody plants cycles between active and dormant states. Dormancy can be subdivided into eco-and endodormant stages. Ecodormant trees resume growth upon exposure to growth-promotive signals, while the establishment of endodormant state results in loss of the ability to respond to these signals. In this paper, we analysed the regulation of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) to understand the differential response of cell division machinery to growth-promotive signals during the distinct stages of dormancy in hybrid aspen. We show that 4 weeks of short-day (SD) treatment causes termination of the cambial cell division and establishment of the ecodormant state. This coincides with a steady decline in the histone H1 kinase activity of the PSTAIRE-type poplar CDKA (PttCDKA) and the PPTTLRE-type PttCDKB kinase complexes. However, neither the transcript nor the polypeptide levels of PttCDKA and PttCDKB are reduced during ecodormancy. In contrast, 6 weeks of SD treatment establishes endodormancy, which is marked by the reduction and disappearance of the PttCDKA and PttCDKB protein levels and the PttCDKB transcript levels. The transition to endodormancy is preceded by an elevated E2F (adenosine E2 promoter binding factor) phosphorylation activity of the PttCDKA kinase that reduces the DNA-binding activity of E2F in vitro. The transition to endodormancy is followed by a reduction of retinoblastoma (Rb) phosphorylation activity of PttCDKA protein complexes. Both phosphorylation events could contribute to block the G1 to S phase transition upon the establishment of endodormancy. Our results indicate that eco-and endodormant stages of cambial dormancy involve a stage-speci®c regulation of the cell cycle effectors at multiple levels.

The studies into the pathophysiology of viral miRNAs are still in infancy; the interspecies regulation at the miRNA level fuels the spark of the investigation into the repertoire of virus-host interactions. Reports pertaining to the viral miRNAs role in modulating/evading the host immune response are surging up; we initiated this in silico study to speculate the role of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV)-encoded miRNAs on human antiviral mechanisms such as apoptosis and autophagy. The results indicate that both the above mechanisms were targeted by the HCMV miRNAs, located in the unique long region of the HCMV genome. The proapoptotic genes MOAP1, PHAP, and ERN1 are identified to be the potential targets for the miR-UL70-3p and UL148D, respectively. The ERN1 gene plays a role in the initiation of Endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis as well as autophagosome formation. This study shows that HCMV employs its miRNA repertoire for countering the cellular apoptosis and autophagy, particularly the mitochondrial-dependent intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. In addition, the homology studies reveal no HCMV miRNA bears sequence homology with human miRNAs.

Constant removal of sugars from the site of synthesis (i.e., leaves), in response to elevated sink (culm) demand, may perhaps prevent damping of photosynthesis, by sugar, and hence promote further sucrose accumulation in the culm. In this study, gibberellic acid (GA) induced nearly 42.3% enlargement in cell size and about 39.3% increase in internodal length (sink capacity), 177% escalation in reducing sugar level (sink strength), amplified the expression of sucrose-metabolizing enzymes (sink demand), viz., 7.5-fold for SAI, 4.5-fold for CWI, sixfold for SPS, all demonstrating facilitation of augmented sucrose accumulation in the culm. The GA-treated BO 91 cane (late maturing sugarcane variety) exhibited an elevated final sucrose concentration (40.54-41.6%) as compared to control (30.44-38.8%). The GA-sprayed cane of early maturing Co J64 also showed such a boost, but it was lost by the end of maturity, perhaps due to inversion and/or the less effective GA treatment. Thus, results demonstrated the role of GA in augmenting sucrose content of cane culm, possibly by influencing source-sink dynamics in sugarcane.

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SUMMARYCoat protein gene, rep protein gene and intergenic region of the genome of a whitefly transmitted geminivirus (WTG) causing severe leaf curl in papaya plants were PCR amplified, cloned and sequenced. Comparison of the amino acid sequence of the putative coat protein product of papaya leaf curl virus (PLCV) with some other mono and bipartite WTGs revealed a maximum of 89.8% homology with Indian cassava mosaic virus. The genomic organization of PLCV-lndia is similar to other WTGs with bipartite genomes. Comparison of the coat protein N-terminal 70 amino acid sequence (and other biological features) of PLCV with other geminiviruses shows that PLCV is a distinct geminivirus from India and is related to WTGs from the old world.

Papaya has considerable economic importance to agriculture in India. Papaya leaf curl disease was first reported in 1939 by Thomas and Krishnaswamy (3). This disease is of moderate incidence and widely distributed in India. Recent observations of papaya fields in India indicated that there has been a continued increase in the incidence of papaya leaf curl disease (as shown by symptoms), resulting in severe economic losses. The disease is characterized by downward curling and cupping of leaves followed by vein clearing and thickening. Enations develop in the form of frills on green veins. The affected leaves become leathery and brittle and the petioles become twisted in a zig-zag manner. Diseased plants may bear a few small fruits, which are distorted in shape and tend to fall prematurely. The disease could be transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci Genn. Therefore, possible involvement of a geminivirus was suspected. Three different cloned geminiviral DNAs, Indian tomato leaf curl virus (ITLCV) (2), tomato yellow leaf curl virus from Sardinia (TYLCV Sar), and tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV), were used as probes (with radioactive labeling) to detect the presence of geminiviral DNA from infected papaya tissue in both slot-blot and Southern blot hybridization studies with high stringency washes. These DNA probes gave strong signals with DNA isolated from infected papaya tissue whereas they did not give any signals with DNA from healthy tissue. Further, successful polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based amplification of fragments from both DNA-A and DNA-B components with geminivirus degenerate primers (1) was accomplished only from the DNA of infected papaya plants. The PCR-amplified DNA fragments gave positive signals in Southern blot hybridization with the three geminiviral DNA probes. These results suggest that the causal agent of papaya leaf curl disease is a bipartite geminivirus that may be provisionally called papaya leaf curl virus (PLCV). References: (1) M. R. Rojas et al. Plant Dis. 77:340, 1993. (2) K. M. Srivastava et al. J. Virol. Methods 51:297, 1995. (3) K. M. Thomas and C. S. Krishnaswamy. Curr. Sci. 8:316, 1939.