A Case of Buccal Pilomatricoma Removed Through Intraoral Incision

Pilomatricoma(or calcifying epithelioma) is a not common benign solitary tumor originated from outer root sheath cell of hair follicle or hair follicle of sebaceous glands. The tumor usually presents as an asymptomatic, hard, superficial located, and skin colored to reddish blue cutaneous mass. Most of the tumors are less than 10mm in diameter and adherent to the skin. Recently, 48-year-old man presented with cheek mass. The tumor was 2.6cm sized and located at the subcutaneous layer of cheek on CT scan. The tumor was clearly removed via transoral approach with buccal incision leaving no wound on face. The mass was confirmed as pilomatricoma on pathologic examination. Herein, we report our experience with literature review.

Activities of Antioxidant Enzymes in Mesophyll and Bundle Sheath Cell Chloroplasts of Maize Plants (Zea mays L.) Exposed to Salt Stress

Antioxidant defense systems have been studied in the mesophyll (MC) and bundle sheath cell (BSC) chloroplasts of maize (Zea mays L.) leaves cultivated in an artificial climate chamber under various concentrations (0%, 1%, 2%, 3%) of NaCl. The amounts of some of the main products of lipid peroxidation malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as well as activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APO) were determined in MC and BSC chloroplasts. BSC chloroplasts were found to be more tolerant to salt stress compared with MC chloroplasts. The MDA amount increased in both chloroplasts. H2O2 was found to be localized mainly in MC chloroplasts at various NaCl concentrations. The SOD and APO activities increased in both chloroplasts of the plants exposed to salt stress.

Evolutionary changes of phosphoenolpyruvate transporter (PPT) during the emergence of C4 photosynthesis

C4 photosynthesis is a complex trait, which evolved from its ancestral C3 photosynthesis by recruiting pre-existing genes. The evolutionary history of enzymes involved in the C4 shuttle has been extensively studied. Here we analyze the evolutionary changes of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) transporter (PPT) during its recruitment from C3 to C4 photosynthesis. Our analysis shows that 1) among the two PPT paralogs, i.e. PPT1 and PPT2, PPT1 is an ancestral copy while PPT2 is a derived copy; 2) during C4 evolution, PPT1 shifted its expression from predominantly in root to in leaf, and from bundle sheath cell to mesophyll cell, supporting that PPT1 was recruited into C4 photosynthesis; 3) PPT1 gained increased transcript abundance, gained more rapid and long-lasting responses to light during C3 to C4 evolution, while PPT2 lost its responsiveness to light; 4) PPT1 gained a number of new cis-elements during C4 evolution; 5) C4 PPT1 can complement the phenotype of Arabidopsis PPT1 loss-of-function mutant, suggesting that it is a bidirectional transporter and its transport direction did not alter during C4 evolution. We finally discuss mechanistic linkages between these observed changes in PPT1 and C4 photosynthesis evolution.High lightDuring the process of C4 photosynthesis evolution, PPT not only experienced changes in its expression location and transcript abundance, but also acquired new cis-elements in its promoter region and accumulated protein variations.