In Arabidopsis, this response (shade avoidance syndrome, SAS) is controlled by phytochromes (particularly phyB), and is dependent on the TAA1 pathway of auxin biosynthesis. However, when grown in real canopies, we found that phyB mutants and mutants deficient in TAAI (sav3) still display robust SAS responses to increased planting density and leaf shading. The SAS morphology (leaf hyponasty and reduced lamina/petiole ratio) could be phenocopied by exposing plants to blue light attenuation. These responses GS-9973 supplier to blue light attenuation required

the UV-A/blue light photoreceptor cry1. Moreover, they were mediated through mechanisms that showed only limited overlap with the pathways recruited by phyB inactivation. In particular, pathways for polar auxin transport, auxin biosynthesis and gibberellin signaling that are involved in SAS responses to low R: FR were not required for the SAS responses to blue light depletion. By contrast, the brassinosteroid response appeared to be required for the full expression of the SAS phenotype under

low blue light. The phyB and cry1 inactivation pathways appeared to converge in their requirement for the basic/helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTORs 4 and 5 (PIF4 and PIF5) to elicit the SAS phenotype. Our PF-03084014 nmr results suggest that blue light is an important control of SAS responses, and that PIF4 and PIF5 are critical hubs for a diverse array of signaling routes that control plant architecture in canopies.”
“Antioxidant activity and the composition of antioxidatively active constituents in swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum lutea L) were investigated in order to assess the prospects for future studies and applications of this plant in the preparation of bioactive functional ingredients. Total extract yield obtained from V. lutea by subsequent extraction with

acetone and methanol was 33.34%; acetone soluble fraction constituted 24.19% while Apoptosis inhibitor methanol additionally extracted 9.24% of more polar substances. The radical scavenging capacity of the acetone fraction was higher than that of the methanol fraction; total content of phenolics in acetone and methanol extracts was 131.8 +/- 11.6 and 86.0 +/- 8.6 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) in 1 g of dry extract, respectively. The composition was studied by HPLC and HPTLC methods by using UV and MS detectors and 8 compounds were identified. One of the major antioxidants in V. lutea extracts was chlorogenic acid. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Background: A seventh order of methanogens, the Methanomassiliicoccales, has been identified in diverse anaerobic environments including the gastrointestinal tracts (GIT) of humans and other animals and may contribute significantly to methane emission and global warming.