Postglacial range expansion and the role of ecological factors in driving adaptive evolution of Musa basjoo var. formosana.[Pubmed: 28706224]

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The well-designed hierarchical structure of Musa basjoo for supercapacitors.[Pubmed: 26842714]

Application of biological structure is one of the hottest topics in the field of science and technology. The unimaginable and excellent architectures of living beings supporting their vital activities have attracted the interests of worldwide researchers. An intriguing example is Musa basjoo which belongs to the herb, while appears like a tree. The profound mystery of structure and potential application of Musa basjoo have not been probed. Here we show the finding of the hierarchical structure of Musa basjoo and the outstanding electrochemical performance of the super-capacitors fabricated through the simple carbonization of Musa basjoo followed by KOH activation. Musa basjoo has three layers of structure: nanometer-level, micrometer-level and millimeter-level. The nanometer-level structure constructs the micrometer-level structure, while the micrometer-level structure constructs the millimeter-level structure. Based on this hierarchical structure, Musa basjoo reduces the unnecessary weight and therefore supports its huge body. The super-capacitors derived from Musa basjoo display a high specific capacitance and a good cycling stability. This enlightening work opens a window for the applications of the natural structure and we hope that more and more people could pay attention to the bio-inspired materials.

[Active compounds from rhizomes of Musa basjoo].[Pubmed: 21141492]

To study the active compounds from the rhizomes of Musa basjoo.

Evidence for the involvement of Globosa-like gene duplications and expression divergence in the evolution of floral morphology in the Zingiberales.[Pubmed: 20456055]

*The MADS box transcription factor family has long been identified as an important contributor to the control of floral development. It is often hypothesized that the evolution of floral development across angiosperms and within specific lineages may occur as a result of duplication, functional diversification, and changes in regulation of MADS box genes. Here we examine the role of Globosa (GLO)-like genes, members of the B-class MADS box gene lineage, in the evolution of floral development within the monocot order Zingiberales. *We assessed changes in perianth and stamen whorl morphology in a phylogenetic framework. We identified GLO homologs (ZinGLO1-4) from 50 Zingiberales species and investigated the evolution of this gene lineage. Expression of two GLO homologs was assessed in Costus spicatus and Musa basjoo. *Based on the phylogenetic data and expression results, we propose several family-specific losses and gains of GLO homologs that appear to be associated with key morphological changes. The GLO-like gene lineage has diversified concomitant with the evolution of the dimorphic perianth and the staminodial labellum. *Duplications and expression divergence within the GLO-like gene lineage may have played a role in floral diversification in the Zingiberales.

Epi-illumination microscopy coupled to in situ hybridization and its utility in the study of evolution and development in non-model species.[Pubmed: 18299889]

Evolutionary developmental biology often combines methods for examining morphology (e.g., scanning electron microscopy, SEM) with analyses of gene expression (e.g., RNA in situ hybridization). Due to differences in tissue preparation for SEM and gene expression analyses, the same specimen cannot be used for both sets of techniques. To aid in the understanding of morphological variation, it would be particularly useful to have a high-magnification image of the very same sample in which gene expression is subsequently analyzed. To address this need, we developed a method that couples extended depth of field (EDF) epi-illumination microscopy to in situ hybridization in a sequential format, enabling both surface microscopy and gene expression analyses to be carried out on the same specimen. We first created a digital image of inflorescence apices using epi-illumination microscopy and commercially available EDF software. We then performed RNA in situ hybridizations on photographed apices to assess the expression of two developmental genes: Knotted1 (Kn1) in Zea mays (Poaceae) and a PISTILLATA (PI) homolog in Musa basjoo (Musaceae). We demonstrate that expression signal is neither altered nor reduced in the imaged apices as compared with the unphotographed controls. The demonstrated method reduces the amount of sample material necessary for developmental research, and enables individual floral development to be placed in the context of the entire inflorescence. While the technique presented here is particularly relevant to floral developmental biology, it is applicable to any research where observation and description of external features can be fruitfully linked with analyses of gene expression.

A thaumatin-like antifungal protein from the emperor banana.[Pubmed: 17306420]

A 20-kDa protein with substantial N-terminal sequence homology to thaumatin-like proteins was isolated from ripe fruits of the emperor banana, Musa basjoo cv. 'emperor banana'. The isolation procedure entailed (NH(4))(2)SO(4) precipitation, ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, and affinity chromatography on Affi-gel blue gel. The thaumatin-like protein inhibited mycelial growth in Fusarium oxysporum and Mycosphaerella arachidicola. However, it did not affect the mitogenic response of murine splenocytes or [methyl-(3)H] thymidine incorporation by tumor cells. The activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase was slightly inhibited.

Isolation and characterization of a glucose/mannose-specific lectin with stimulatory effect on nitric oxide production by macrophages from the emperor banana.[Pubmed: 16226049]

Emperor banana (Musa basjoo cv. 'Emperor Banana') is a banana cultivar that has not been studied previously. In this study, a glucose/mannose-specific lectin has been purified from the emperor banana by affinity chromatography on Affi-gel blue gel, ion exchange chromatography on Mono S and gel filtration by fast protein liquid chromatography on Superdex 75. This lectin was composed of two identical 15-kDa subunits with N-terminal amino acid sequence similarity to other lectins from other Musa species. Emperor banana lectin stimulated [3H-methyl]-thymidine uptake by mouse splenocytes and nitric oxide production by mouse macrophages. In contrast to Con A, the mitogenic activity of emperor banana lectin toward mouse splenocytes but not its stimulatory effect on nitric oxide production by mouse macrophages could be abrogated by 200 mM glucose. Emperor banana lectin also inhibited proliferation of leukemia cell (L1210) and the activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. In summary, this is the first report of the macrophage-stimulating, antiproliferative and HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibiting activities of a banana lectin.