Protein phosphatases of type 2C (PP2Cs) play important roles in eukaryotic signal transduction. In contrast to other eukaryotes, plants such as Arabidopsis have an unusually large group of 69 different PP2C genes. At present, little is known about the functions and substrates of plant PP2Cs. We have previously shown that MP2C, a wound-induced alfalfa PP2C, is a negative regulator of mitogen-act...

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are involved in stress signaling to the actin cytoskeleton in yeast and animals. We have analyzed the function of the stress-activated alfalfa MAP kinase SIMK in root hairs. In epidermal cells, SIMK is predominantly nuclear. During root hair formation, SIMK was activated and redistributed from the nucleus into growing tips of root hairs possessing dense...

In eukaryotes, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play key roles in the transmission of external signals, such as mitogens, hormones, and different stresses. MAPKs are activated by MAPK kinases through phosphorylation of MAPKs at both the threonine and tyrosine residues of the conserved TXY activation motif. In plants, several MAPKs are involved in signaling of hormones, stresses, cell c...

Plants respond to biotic and abiotic stresses by inducing overlapping sets of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and response genes. To define the mechanisms of how different signals can activate a common signaling pathway, upstream activators of SIMK, a salt stress- and pathogen-induced alfalfa MAPK, were identified. Here, we compare the properties of SIMKK, a MAPK kinase (MAPKK) that m...

Plant growth is severely affected by hyper-osmotic salt conditions. Although a number of salt-induced genes have been isolated, the sensing and signal transduction of salt stress is little understood. We provide evidence that alfalfa cells have two osmo-sensing protein kinase pathways that are able to distinguish between moderate and extreme hyper-osmotic conditions. A 46 kDa protein kinase was...

BACKGROUND To evaluate and compare the astigmatism prediction errors taken with the Pentacam measurements, Baylor nomogram, and Barrett formula for toric intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. METHODS Phacoemulsification with toric Precizon IOL implantation was performed in 41 eyes with corneal astigmatism (range, 1 to 5 diopters (D)) determined by IOLMaster and SimK on Pentacam. Preoperative c...

Aim: To investigate and compare the effects of pterygium surgery on mean anterior surface Simulated Keratometry (SimK) Holladay Equivalent Readings-65 (EKR65) detail report.
 Methods: Patients who underwent between August 2022 January 2023 were examined. All surgeries performed under local anesthesia with conjunctival autograft method. Pentacam topography was after detailed ophthalmologica...

Dual-specificity mitogen-activated protein kinases kinases (MAPKKs) are the immediate upstream activators of MAPKs. They simultaneously phosphorylate the TXY motif within the activation loop of MAPKs, allowing them to interact with and regulate multiple substrates. Often, the activation of MAPKs triggers their nuclear translocation. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics and the physiological con...

AIM: To analyze the differences, agreements, and correlation among total corneal power parameters generated by different instruments after myopic keratorefractive surgery. METHODS: The prospective cross-sectional study included patients who underwent surgery received measurements of 3mo Automated keratometer was used for measurement simulated keratometry (SimK), swept-source optical coherence t...

Excessive amounts of heavy metals adversely affect plant growth and development. Whereas some regions naturally contain high levels of heavy metals, anthropogenic release of heavy metals into the environment continuously increases soil contamination. The presence of elevated levels of heavy metal ions triggers a wide range of cellular responses including changes in gene expression and synthesis...