高粱遗传转化研究进展

高粱是世界上仅次于小麦、水稻、玉米和大豆的重要作物之一,然而由于其高效、稳定的遗传转化体系的建立较难,限制了其转基因研究进程.近年来,随着转基因技术的不断发展和完善,高粱转基因研究也取得了飞速的发展.从高粱遗传转化再生系统中外植体的选择、转化方法、影响转化和基因表达效率的因素等几方面进行了综述,并总结转基因高粱研究进展.     

主要农作物转基因研究现状和展望

近15年来,大豆、水稻、玉米、小麦等主要农作物转基因研究取得了较大进展,几乎各种遗传转化方法在这些作物上都取得了成功,尤其是农杆菌介导法,不仅在难转化的双子叶作物大豆上取得了成功,而且在单子叶作物水稻、玉米、小麦上先后取得了突破。同时,将一些与重要性状改良有关的外源基因转入了主要农作物,包括抗虫、抗病、抗除草剂、抗逆、品质改良、发育调控、营养吸收等。转基因大豆、玉米、棉花、油菜在生产上得到了大面积种植,产生了极大的经济效益,2004年全球转基因作物的种植面积达到了8100万公顷。本文对大豆、玉米、水稻和小麦等主要农作物转基因研究历史和产业化现状进行了综述,并对主要农作物转基因研究中存在的问题进行了分析。     

重要禾谷类植物转基因研究

与双子叶植物相比,禾谷类植物的离体培养和再生主要采用一些胚性组织,对它们的转基因研究发展相对比较缓慢。90年代以来,离体培养方面的经验被有效地融入DNA转移技术;通过筛选和再生少量的转化细胞,已得到了不少可育的小麦、水稻、玉米、大麦等禾谷类转基因植物。本文着重综述了禾谷类植物转化方法和选择体系方面的研究现状,同时讨论了该研究方向的未来发展趋势。     

重要禾谷类植物转基因研究

与双子叶植物相比,禾谷类植物的离体培养和再生主要采用一些胚性组织,对它们的转基因研究发展相对比较缓慢,90年代以来,离体培养方面的经验被有效地融入DNA转移技术,通过筛选和再生少量的转化细胞,已得到了不少可育的小麦,水稻,玉米,大麦等禾谷类转基因植物,本文着重综述了禾谷类植物转化方法和选择体系方面的研究现状,同时讨论了该研究方向的未来发展趋势。     

离子束介导玉米全DNA导入转基因水稻遗传稳定性分析

利用早籼品系HZP145、 K17A、金23A为亲本,与离子束介导玉米全DNA导入的转基因水稻株系中的单株配制杂交组合.分析其杂种F1群体的主茎穗结实率、株高、单株有效穗的变异特点及抽穗整齐度状况,以此推断转基因水稻材料分离的形成原因.结果表明,转基因水稻材料分离的形成与其核基因组的遗传不稳定性有关,而与玉米基因片断导入受体细胞质以及环境因素的影响无关.文章还对转基因水稻材料在植物遗传育种中的意义及价值进行了讨论.     

转PvPGIP2基因小麦的获得与纹枯病抗性鉴定

多聚半乳糖醛酸酶抑制蛋白(PGIP)是一种植物防卫蛋白,可阻止一些病原真菌的侵害。本研究克隆出扁豆PvP-GIP2基因编码序列,构建了受玉米泛素(ubiquitin)启动子控制的PvPGIP2基因表达载体pA25-PvPGIP2;采用基因枪法将pA25-PvPGIP2转化小麦推广品种扬麦18幼胚愈伤组织4000块,获得了203株再生植株。PCR检测出阳性植株65株,转化率为1.625%。对转PvPGIP2基因小麦T1～T2植株,进行外源基因的PCR、RT-PCR、荧光定量RT-PCR(Q-RT-PCR)分析和小麦纹枯病抗性鉴定。结果表明,转入的PvPGIP2能够在转基因小麦中遗传、转录与表达;PvPGIP2基因的表达提高了转基因植株对小麦纹枯病的抗性。     

水稻遗传转化研究进展

水稻遗传转化的主要方法,包括农杆菌介导法,基因枪法,电激法,PEG法等,论述了用于水稻转化的各种外植体,影响水稻遗传转化和植株分化的各种因素,各种标记基因及相应的选择方法和外源基因在转基因水稻中的遗传规律,比较了常用启动子在水稻中的表达强度,一些已转移到优良水稻品种中的有益农艺性状基因,如抗病、抗虫、抗除草剂等,介绍了它们在水稻品种改良中所发挥的作用。     

hpt与bar基因作为水稻转基因筛选标记的比较研究

标记基因的选择是影响植物遗传转化和转基因后代筛选成败的关键因素。hpt与bar作为两种常用的水稻转化筛选标记被广泛应用于水稻的转化。为比较两者在实际应用中的效果, 文章首先对比了在潮霉素和除草剂(Bialaphos)两种筛选剂下水稻遗传转化的情况。研究表明, hpt基因的转化筛选体系相对于bar基因在转化效率上提高近两倍, 转化周期提前至少10 d, 且插入基因拷贝数更低。随后, 文章分析了利用潮霉素浸种法在田间筛选转基因水稻的可行性, 研究显示当潮霉素浓度大于167 mg/L时, 可以对以水稻品种kitaake为亲本的转基因材料进行有效筛选, 达到常规除草剂的筛选效果。但与除草剂相比较, 潮霉素的田间筛选成本却处于劣势。文章研究和讨论了hpt和bar基因在遗传转化和后代田间筛选中的优缺点, 并提供了一种利用潮霉素浸种法筛选转基因后代阳性植株的手段, 为将来在水稻转基因研究工作中根据实际需求选择合适的遗传转化、筛选体系提供参考。     

转基因水稻的研究和应用

植物基因工程的兴起,使特定的外源基因引入植物细胞成为可能。水稻转基因研究是国内外植物分子遗传学研究的热点之一。近十几年来,水稻转基因研究已取得显著进展。综述了水稻基因转化的方法、转基因技术在水稻上的应用及外源基因在转基因后代中的遗传表达的研究进展。     

农杆菌介导的玉米遗传转化研究进展

农杆菌介导的转基因法是目前玉米遗传转化的主流方法之一。目前,模式玉米种质幼胚的转化体系已程式化,且开发了新筛选基因和获得不含筛选基因转基因玉米的方法,但是大多数育种骨干自交系转化频率低和转化受体基本上是幼胚。从农杆菌、受体及培养条件多方面各种因素对问题进行分析,多数研究认为针对特定基因型和受体材料建立好的受体再生系统,结合高效率农杆菌转化体系,获得多目的基因聚合(无其它外源片段)的转基因玉米将是农杆菌介导玉米转化体系研究的最终目标。本文主要从农杆菌介导(转基因)法应用于玉米遗传转化的历史、现状、问题等方面进行综述,为同领域的研究者提供一定的参考。     

Progress in plant protoplast research

During the past years plant regeneration from protoplasts was achieved for a number of important crops (maize, sorghum, rice, wheat, sugar beet). The use of embryogenic tissue for protoplast isolation greatly contributed to this success. There was also some progress in woody plant species and ornamentals. Fusion of protoplasts resulted in may fertile hybrid plants, especially in the Brassicaceae and Solanaceae. These somatic hybridization studies led to introduction of new agronomical traits from sexually incompatible species into the cultivar gene pool and to new nucleus-organelle compositions. The limitations of somatic hybridization, mainly imposed by the taxonomic distance of the parents, and expressed as chromosome loss and reduced fertility, are more clearly recognized now. Asymmetric hybridization with irradiated donor protoplasts resulted in cybrids with new cytoplasmic traits (e. g. intraspecific fusions in Brassica ), as well as in the transfer of only a few donor choromosomes (e. g. intrageneric fusions in Nicotiana ). Most intrageneric fusions, however, resulted only in a limited elimination of donor chromosomes (e. g. in Lycopersicon ), and polyploidization occurred (e. g. in Nicotiana ). Also some success on protoplast transformation was obtained in both monocots and dicots. Fertile transgenic rice plants (Japonica, Indica) were produced after direct gene transfer into protoplasts derived from embryogenic cell suspensions. Particle gun experiments using embryogenic cell suspension of maize resulted in fertile transgenic plants. Transformation of citrus and lettuce by direct gene transfer was also reported.     

Expression of wheat puroindoline genes in transgenic rice enhances grain softness

The puroindoline genes (pinA and pinB) are believed to play critical roles in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain texture. Mutations in either gene are associated with hard wheat. No direct evidence exists for the ability of puroindolines to modify cereal grain texture. Interestingly, puroindolines appear to be absent in cereal species outside of the tribe Triticeae, in which the dominant form of grain texture is hard. To assess the ability of the puroindolines to modify cereal grain texture, the puroindolines were introduced into rice (Oryzae sativa L.) under the control of the maize ubiquitin promoter. Textural analysis of transgenic rice seeds indicated that expression of PINA and/or PINB reduced rice grain hardness. After milling, flour prepared from these softer seeds had reduced starch damage and an increased percentage of fine flour particles. Our data support the hypothesis that puroindolines play important roles in controlling wheat grain texture and may be useful in modifying grain texture of other cereals.     

Efficient regeneration of transgenic plants from rice protoplasts and correctly regulated expression of the foreign gene in the plants

Summary Rice is one of the most important crops in the world with 35% of the total population (over two billion people) depending on it as their source of food. It is therefore essential to develop efficient methods for the transformation and regeneration of rice plants in order to delineate the exact regulatory sequences responsible for gene expression and to transfer beneficial genes into this plant. Here, for the first time, we present definitive evidence for the regeneration of a large number of transgenic rice plants after introduction of the bacterial -glucuronidase gene into rice protoplasts. The presence of integrated copies of this gene was detected in the genome of transgenic plants by DNA hybridization analysis. Furthermore, under the control of regulatory regions from a maize alcohol dehydrogenase sequence, -glucuronidase gene expression was detected in the roots of transgenic plants. This expression was stimulated up to six fold under anaerobic conditions.     

Shoot apical meristem: A sustainable explant for genetic transformation of cereal crops

Summary Immature zygotic embryo has been the widely used explant source to develop embryogenic callus lines, cell suspensions and protoplasts for transformation of cereal crops including maize, wheat, rice, oat, barley, sorghum, and millet. However, the lack of competence of immature embryos in certain elite lines is still a barrier to rontine production of transgenic cereal crops in certain commercial cultivars. In addition, a great deal of effort is required to produce immature embryos, manipulate cultures, of immature embryos or their cell suspensions, and cryoperserve cultures for further use. In addition, undifferentiated cells may have reduced regenerability after a few months, of in vitro culture. Alternative explants and regeneration systems for efficient transformation of cereal crops are needed to avoid or reduce the above limitations. During the past decade, scientists have successfully manipulated the shoot apical meristerms from seedlings of maize oat, sorghum, millet, wheat, and barley in an effort to develop a less genetype-dependent and efficient cereal regneration system that can be maintained in vitro for long pertiods of time without the need for cryopreservation. Furthermore, apical mesistem regeneration systems were used to stably transform maize, wheat, rice, oat, barley, sorghum, and millet.     

Millets genetic engineering: the progress made and prospects for the future

Millets comprise a highly variable small-seeded group of Poaceae members that can grow in extreme environmental conditions of drought, high temperature and low soil fertility hence, recognized as climate-resilient. Among millets, the phylogenetic closeness of Setaria with other agronomically important grasses like maize, sugarcane, and sorghum helped in its adoption as a translational model plant. Established efficient gene transfer methodology is a prerequisite for embracing plant species as models. However, genetic engineering of some of the economically important millets has been started in the 1990s, but inadequate progress made this group lag behind other members of Poaceae as rice, maize and wheat. Genetic transformation in millets has generally been achieved by a physical method of microprojectile bombardment, recently Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer technique has also established in some of the millets but with very few reports. The central hindrance in millet transformation is its recalcitrant nature to regeneration through tissue culture techniques. Optimization of highly efficient regeneration procedure for each millet species is thus, necessary to establish advanced transformation system for them. The possibility of alternative transformation approaches is also discussed. The establishment of robust gene transfer methods whether it’s conventional in-vitro tissue culture dependent or in-planta are important for functional validation studies and would enable development of crop improvement strategies. This review presents the progress made on millet genetic transformation, discussing the major challenges that need to be overcome and future opportunities of transgenic techniques in various millets.

     

Overexpression of the maize Teosinte Branched1 gene in wheat suppresses tiller development

The number of viable shoots influences the overall architecture and productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The development of lateral branches, or tillers, largely determines the resultant canopy. Tillers develop from the outgrowth of axillary buds, which form in leaf axils at the crown of the plant. Tiller number can be reduced if axillary buds are not formed or if the outgrowth of these buds is restricted. The teosinte branched1 (tb1) gene in maize, and homologs in rice and Arabidopsis, genetically regulate vegetative branching. In maize, increased expression of the tb1 gene restricts the outgrowth of axillary buds into lateral branches. In this study, the maize tb1 gene was introduced through transformation into the wheat cultivar "Bobwhite" to determine the effect of tb1 overexpression on wheat shoot architecture. Examination of multiple generations of plants reveals that tb1 overexpression in wheat results in reduced tiller and spike number. In addition, the number of spikelets on the spike and leaf number were significantly greater in tb1-expressing plants, and the height of these plants was also reduced. These data reveal that the function of the tb1 gene and genetic regulation of lateral branching via the tb1 mode of action is conserved between wheat, rice, maize and Arabidopsis. Thus, the tb1 gene can be used to alter plant architecture in agriculturally important crops like wheat.     

Single-step transformation for generating marker-free transgenic rice using the ipt-type MAT vector system

The ipt-type MAT vector uses the ipt gene for regeneration of marker-free transgenic plants. However, it was pointed out that this system was not suitable for most economically important crops that regenerated through auxin-dependent embryogenesis. We report a single-step transformation system of rice using MAT vector. When we transformed scutellum tissues of 5 days pre-cultured rice seeds, marker-free transgenic rice plants directly regenerated from 25.5% infected scutellum tissues without forming ipt-intermediates within 4 weeks after an infection. Excision of the ipt gene caused the regeneration of marker-free transgenic rice plants through embryogenic tissues. Therefore, this system needs no selective agent and no sexual crossing for identification of transgenic plants not containing a selectable marker gene. This system is highly effective for generation of marker-free transgenic plants in economically important crops.