CO2 Exchange and Chlorophyll Fluorescence of Phospho-enolpyruvate Carboxylase Transgenic Rice Pollen Lines

To elucidate the photosynthetic physiological characteristics and the physiological inherited traits of rice （Oryza sativa L.） hybrids and their parents, physiological indices of photosynthetic CO2 exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were measured in leaves of the maize phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase （PEPC） transgenic rice as the male parent, sp. japonica rice cv. 9516 as the female parent, and the stable JAAS45 pollen line. The results revealed that the PEPC gene could be stably inherited and trans- ferred from the male parent to the JAAS45 pollen line. Moreover, the JAAS45 pollen line exhibited high levels of PEPC activity, manifesting higher saturated photosynthetic rates, photosynthetic apparent quantum yield （AQY）, photochemical efficiency of photosystem II and photochemical and non-photochemical quenching, which indicated that the JAAS45 pollen line has a high tolerance to photo-inhibition/photooxidation under strong light and high temperature. Furthermore, JAAS45 was confirmed to still be a C3 plant by δ^13C carbon isotope determination and was demonstrated to have a limited photosynthetic C4 microcycle by feeding with exogenous C4 primary products, such as oxaloacetate or malate, or phosphoenolpyruvate. The present study explains the physiological inherited properties of PEPC transgenic rice and provides an expectation for the integration of traditional breeding and biological technology.     

Laser-induced tobacco protoplast fusion

Laser tweezers can manipulate small particles, such as cells and organdies. When coupling them with laser microbeam selective fusion of two tobacco protoplasts containing some chloroplast was achieved. Physical and biological variables that affect laser trapping and laser-induced fusion were also discussed. The results show that the effect of chloroplast content and distribution on the yield of cell fusion is remarkable.     

Asymmetric somatic hybridization between wheat (Triticum aestivum) and Avena sativa L.

Protoplasts from cell suspensions of young-embryo-derived calli, which were nonregenerable for long-term subculture and protoplasts from embryogenic calli with the regeneration capacity of 75% of the same wheat Jinan 177, were mixed as recipient. Protoplasts from embryogenic calli of Avena sativa (with the regeneration capacity of less than 10%) irradiated with UV at an intensity of 300 μW/cm² for 30 s, 1 min, 2 min, 3 min, 5 min were used as the donor. Protoplasts of the recipient and the donor were fused by PEG method. Many calli and normal green plants were regenerated at high frequency, and were verified as somatic hybrids by chromosome counting, isozyme, 5S rDNA spacer sequence analysis and GISH (genomic in situ hybridization). Fusion combination between protoplasts either from the cell suspensions or from the calli and UV-treated Avena sativa protoplasts could not regenerate green plants.     

Analysis of QTLs for yield-related traits in Yuanjiang common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.)

Using an accession of common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) collected from Yuanjiang County, Yunnan Province, China, as the donor and an elite cultivar 93-11, widely used in two-line indica hybrid rice production in China, as the recurrent parent, an advanced backcross populations were developed. Through genotyping of 187 SSR markers and investigation of six yield-related traits of two gen- erations (BC4F2 and BC4F4), a total of 26 QTLs were detected by employing single point analysis and inte...     

Nuclear phylogenomics of angiosperms and insights into their relationships and evolution

Angiosperms(flowering plants) are by far the most diverse land plant group with over 300,000 species. The sudden appearance of diverse angiosperms in the fossil record was referred to by Darwin as the “abominable mystery,”hence contributing to the heightened interest in angiosperm evolution. Angiosperms display wide ranges of morphological, physiological,and ecological characters, some of which have probably influenced their species richness. The evolutionary analyses of these characteristics he...     

Formation and Growth of Bryopsis hypnoides Lamouroux Regenerated from Its Protoplasts

Tissue culture, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and spectra analysis were used for studying the aggregation mechanism of protoplasts from Bryopsis hypnoides Lamouroux and the discrepancy between the protoplast-regenerated plants and the wild type. The aggregation of protoplasts from B. hypnoides was observed in natural seawater and artificial seawater with different pH values, and the location and mechanism of the materials causing the aggregation were also studied. Results showed that the protoplasts could aggregate into some viable spheres in natural seawater and subsequently grow into mature individuals. Aggregation of the protoplasts depended exclusively upon the pH value (6-11), and the protoplasts aggregated best at pH 8-9. Some of the extruded protoplasts were separated into two parts by centrifugation: the pellet (PO) and the supernatant (PL). The PO could aggregate in artificial seawater (pH8.3) but not in PL. No aggregation was found in PO cultured in natural seawater containing nigericin, which can dissipate the proton gradients across the membrane. These experiments suggest that the aggregation of protoplasts is proton-gradient dependent and the materials causing the aggregation were not in the vacuolar sap, but located on the surface or inside the organelles. Furthermore, the transfer of the materials across the membrane was similar to △pH-based translocafion (△pH/TAT) pathway that occurs in the chloroplasts of higher plants and bacteria. Obvious discrepancies in both the total soluble proteins and the ratio of chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b between the regenerated B. hypnoides and the wild type were found, which may be related to the exchange of genetic material during aggregation of the organelles. In the process of development, diatom Amphora coffeaeformis Agardh attached to the protoplast aggregations, retarding their further development, and once they were removed, the aggregations immediately germinated, which showed that diatoms can affect the development of other algae.     

Assessing the Suitability of Various Physiological Traits to Screen Wheat Genotypes for Salt Tolerance

Success of improving the salt tolerance of genotypes requires effective and reliable screening traits in breeding programs. The objective was to assess the suitability of various physiological traits to screen wheat genotypes for salt tolerance. Thirteen wheat genotypes from Egypt, Germany, Australia and India were grown in soil with two salinity levels （control and 150 mmol/L NaCI） in a greenhouse. The physiological traits （ion contents in leaves and stems, i.e. Na^＋, Cl^-, K^＋, Ca^2＋）, the ratios of K^＋/Na^＋ and Ca^＋/Na^＋ in the leaves and stems, net photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, chlorophyll content （SPAD value）, and leaf water relations, were measured at different growth stages. The physiological traits except for Na^＋ and Cl^- in stems and the leaf transpiration rate at 150 mmol/L NaCI showed a significant genotypic variation, indicating that the traits that have a significant genotypic variation may be possibly used as screening criteria. According to the analysis of linear regression of the scores of the physiological traits against those of grain yield, however, the physiological traits of Ca^2＋ and Ca2^＋/Na^＋ at 45 d and final harvest with the greatest genotypic variation were ranked at the top. From a practical and economic point of view, SPAD value should be considered to be used as screening criteria and/or there is a need to develop a quick and practical approach to determine Ca^2＋ in plant tissues.     

Assessing the Suitability of Various Physiological Traits to Screen Wheat Genotypes for Salt Tolerance

Success of improving the salt tolerance of genotypes requires effective and reliable screening traits in breeding programs.The objective was to assess the suitability of various physiological traits to screen wheat genotypes for salt tolerance.Thirteen wheat genotypes from Egypt,Germany,Australia and India were grown in soil with two salinity levels(control and150mmol/L NaCl)in a greenhouse.The physiological traits(ion contents in leaves and stems,i.e.Na~ ,Cl~-,K~ ,Ca~(2 )),theratios of K~ /Na~ and Ca~ /Na~ in the leaves and stems,net photosynthesis rate,stomatal conductance,transpiration rate,chlorophyll content(SPAD value),and leaf water relations,were measured at different growth stages.The physiologicaltraits except for Na~ and Cl~-in stems and the leaf transpiration rate at 150 mmol/L NaCI showed a significant genotypicvariation,indicating that the traits that have a significant genotypic variation may be possibly used as screening criteria.According to the analysis of linear regression of the scores of the physiological traits against those of grain yield,however,the physiological traits of Ca~(2 )and Ca~(2 )/Na~ at 45 d and final harvest with the greatest genotypic variation were ranked atthe top.From a practical and economic point of view,SPAD value should be considered to be used as screening criteriaand/or there is a need to develop a quick and practical approach to determine Ca~(2 )in plant tissues.     

Kaede for Detection of Protein Oligomerization

Photoconvertible fluorescent proteins such as Kaede are routinely used for tracking proteins, organelles, and whole cells. Kaede was the first identified photoconvertible fluorescent protein and has since become the most commonly used photoconvertible fluorescent protein in vertebrates. Kaede can be irreversibly converted from a green to a red fluo- rescent form upon UV/blue light irradiation and fluorescence of each form can be isolated separately by appropriate filter sets. Spectral properties of the Kaede forms allow F6rster resonance energy transfer （FRET） from the green form as donor to the red form as acceptor. As a sample containing oligomerized Kaede-containing proteins is exposed to UV or blue light, FRET first increases as green Kaede is converted to red and then decreases as the green donor becomes depleted. Thus, FRET information is potentially obtained from a number of independent measurements taken as photoconversion proceeds. We demonstrate here the application of this approach to detect homo-aggregation and conformational dynamics of plant pro- tein constructs. Structural alterations of 2-cys peroxiredoxin-Kaede were successfully detected depending on the redox state in living plant cells. Photoconversion was performed gradually and donor emission, acceptor emission, and FRET-derived sensitized acceptor emission were measured at each step of conversion. Since photoconvertible proteins have not been rou- tinely used in plants, two plasmids have been designed to facilitate plant applications. The plasmids allow either transient expression of Kaede-containing protein constructs in plant cells or Gateway cloning and stable transformation of plants.     

甘蓝型油菜叶柄原生质体培养再生植株

Two cultivars of Brassica napus,Altex and Canadian twins,were used as materials.Protoplasts isolated from petioles of plants grown in vitro were cultured in Nitsch mediumsupplemented with 0.5mg/L BA,0.5mg/L NAA,1mg/L 2,4-D,100mg/L serine,800mg/Lglutamine,4% sucrose and 0.4mol/L mannitol.After 2 days of culture,the first division wasobserved.The division frequency estimated after 10 days of culture was 30—60%.One weekafter transferring onto MS medium containing 6mg/L GA_3 and 3mg/L BA,protoplast-derivedcalli regenerated into shoots.The regeneration frequency of the two cultivars was 24% and31% respectively.It was found that the protoplasts isolated from petioles could float on thesurface of the 3% sucrose contained solution which was very favourable both to purificationand culture of the protoplasts.     

凤尾菇和裂褶菌原生质体非对称融合研究

具有双重营养缺陷型的裂褶菌单核体突变菌株的原生质体经过灭活处理后作为供体与同样带有营养缺陷型标记的风尾菇单核体原生质体融合,得到大量生长速度和菌落形态差异较大的多核体和双核体融合子．这些融合子主要显示了供体菌株的特性,数次转接后,有的融合子从多核体转变成双核体,有的融合子完全恢复了供体亲本双核体的遗传特性,同时获得了一些有意义值得继续探讨的新的生理特性,如菌丝体在木屑 皮以及废棉培养料上生长速度较快,在平板培养基和木屑培养料上均较早较快地形成原基和子实体等．结果表明原生质体非对称融合是一种效率较高的融合方式,可以作为食用菌育种的一种有效途经．     

凤尾菇和盖囊侧耳原生质体非对称融合的研究

盖囊侧耳的双核体原生质体经过灭活处理作为供体与带有营养缺陷型标记的凤尾菇单核体原生质体受体融合,得到大量生长速度和菌落形态差异较大的融合子,这些融合子主要显示了供体菌株的特性,数次转接和进行原生质体再分离后,有的融合子再生菌株恢复了供体亲本的遗传特性,同时获得了一些新的生理特证。结果表明原生质体非对称融合可以作为食用菌原生质体融合育种的一种有效方式。     

草木樨状黄芪和木本霸王的科间体细胞杂交

在成功培养原生质体的基础上, 用改进的PEG-高pH高钙法诱导草木樨状黄芪(Astragalus melilotoides)和木本霸王(Zygophyllum xanthoxylum)原生质体融合, 得到了科间体细胞杂种融合细胞。采用罗丹明-6G预处理草木樨状黄芪原生质体以及UV-B辐照霸王原生质体, 使双亲原生质体及其同源融合产物均不能持续分裂而死亡, 融合后的杂种细胞由于生理互补可恢复持续分裂能力而被筛选出来。融合产物经培养分裂获得了2个杂种细胞系, 其中1个分化出芽。染色体计数和分子鉴定证明了杂种的真实性。初步比较了杂种细胞系及亲本对盐分和水分胁迫的耐受性, 结果表明杂种细胞系对盐分和水分胁迫的耐受性介于两个亲本之间。     

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.     

Parameters governing bacterial regeneration and genetic recombination after fusion of Bacillus subtilis protoplasts.

Bacterial protoplast fusion, induced by polyethylene glycol, has been made more regular and convenient by further specification and improvement of various steps in the previously used procedure. These have made it possible to obtain regularly 100% regeneration of Bacillus subtilis cells from protoplasts before treatment with polyethylene glycol and yields of 10 to 75% from polyethylene glycol-treated protoplasts. Genetic recombination frequencies do not increase correspondingly. Also, when regeneration is reduced by various experimental conditions, recombination does not decrease in proportion. It is concluded that regeneration of recombinant-forming cells is independently determined and not closely related to the average regeneration for the population. Kinetic studies with varying individual parental or total protoplast concentrations strongly indicate that protoplast collision and contact is not the limiting factor determining the number of genetic recombinants obtained. Recombination approximates a linear, rather than quadratic, function of the total or of the majority protoplast population present, from which it is concluded that fusion events are always adequate to produce substantially more potential recombinants than are registered. The strong effect of the majority/minority ratio upon the number of minority cells that become recombinant is independent of which parent is in excess. This shows in a direct and physiological way that both parents are equivalent partners in their genetic contributions.     

草木樨状黄芪和木本霸王的科间体细胞杂交

在成功培养原生质体的基础上,用改进的PEG-高pH高钙法诱导草木樨状黄（Astragalus melilotoides）和木本霸王（Zygophyllum xanthoxylum）原生质体融合,得到了科间体细胞杂种融合细胞。采用罗丹明-6G预处理草木樨状黄芪原生质体以及UV-B辐照霸王原生质体,使双亲原生质体及其同源融合产物均不能持续分裂而死亡,融合后的杂种细胞由于生理互补可恢复持续分裂能力而被筛选出来。融合产物经培养分裂获得了2个杂种细胞系,其中1个分化出芽。染色体计数和分子鉴定证明了杂种的真实性。初步比较了杂种细胞系及亲本对盐分和水分胁迫的耐受性,结果表明杂种细胞系对盐分和水分胁迫的耐受性介于两个亲本之间。     

Culture of Cotyledon and Hypocotyl Protoplasts from True Potato Seedlings in Solanum tuberosum L.

Culture of protoplast using cotyledon and hypocotyl as the donor tissue from true potato seedlings (TPSs) of 3 breeding lines (DTO-33, ND 860-2 and BN 9815-3) of Solanum tuberosum L. was studied. The cotyledons and hypocotyls of TPSs just extended were excised and digested in an enzyme solution containing 1 % cellulase and 0. 5 % macerozyme for 17—20 h after vacuum infiltration of the tissue in the solution. The protoplasts were cultured in an improved liquid medium and transferred onto solid media for callus culture and shoot regeneration. Some factors affecting the efficiency of cotyledon and hypocotyl protoplast culture were studied. The results showed that using the cotyledons and hypocotyls as donor tissues for protoplast isolation and culture in potato, the division frequency of protoplast derived cells was significantly higher than that using the leaves and shoot-tips of the test-tube plantlets: the yield and quality of the protoplast from TPSs cultured under continuous high light intensity (3000 Ix) were much higher than the TPSs cultured under low light intensity (1000 Ix), and no intact protoplast was ever obtained from the TPSs cultured in continuous dark condition. Vacuum infiltration of the cotyledon and hypocotyl segments in enzyme solution before digestion increased protoplast yield. The yield of protoplasts from hypocotyl tissue was significantly higher than from the cotyledon, but there was no significant difference in quality between the protoplast derived from the two tissues. The significance, advantages and shortcomings of using the cotyledons and hypocotyls as the donor tissues for isolation and culture of potato protoplasts are dicussed.     

普通小麦与玉米不对称体细胞杂交的研究

以长期继代培养,经分化实验证明无分化能力的普通小麦（Triticum aestivum L.)济南177原生质体为受体,以经380uW/cm^2紫外线处理的继代第3－5天的墨西哥黑甜玉米（Zea mays L.cv.Sccharina F.Nigera)胚性悬浮组织原生质体为供体,使用PEG的方法诱导融合。融合再生的18个单细胞克隆的愈伤组织经形态学比较、染色体检查、同工酶分析、5S rRNA间隔序列分析,确认克隆1为杂种愈伤组织,杂种愈伤组织再生出来的白化苗未进行杂种鉴定。同时,初步探讨了紫外线对玉米原生质体的影响。     

Formation and regeneration of protoplasts of Sclerotium glucanicum

Summary Protoplast yields from Sclerotium glucanicum using Novozym 234 as the lytic enzyme were affected by the osmotic stabilizers selected, the incubation conditions used for wall degradation, and culture age. Scanning electron microscopic observations revealed that protoplast release from all hyphal regions gradually followed random wall attack, and nuclear staining showed that some protoplasts contained as many as eight nuclei. Their regeneration involved germ tube production on solid media, but formation of chains of buds and possibly cytoplasmic cleavage in liquid medium. Regenerated protoplasts gave similar exopolysaccharide yields to those of the parent culture.     

Response of Nicotiana mesophyll protoplasts of normal and tumorous origin to indoleacetic Acid in vitro

Enzymatically isolated mesophyll protoplasts of the two normal, nontumor-forming parent species Nicotiana glauca and N. langsdorffii and two of their tumor-prone interspecific hybrids were maintained in a 0.5 m mannitol solution supplemented with various concentrations of auxin (indoleacetic acid) and the growth inhibitor abscisic acid. The bursting response of protoplasts in medium containing indoleacetic acid in physiological concentrations showed that protoplasts from the tumorous hybrids tolerate auxin in up to 30 times higher concentrations than protoplasts from parent plants. The “survival” of all protoplast preparations in comparable abscisic acid containing media was significantly greater than that in the indoleacetic acid supplemented solutions. Protoplasts in vitro respond with bursting only after the external indoleacetic acid concentrations reach levels comparable to those of endogenous auxins present in these cells. The data are discussed in conjunction with previous observations on uptake and maintenance of indoleacetic acid levels in tumorous Nicotiana tissues.