Identification and genetic regulation of the chalcone synthase multigene family in pea.

Chalcone synthase (CHS) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of diverse flavonoids involved in disease resistance, nodulation, and pigmentation in pea. We describe a multigene family encoding CHS and the effects of two regulatory loci, a and a2, on the pattern of expression of three of its member genes. Two of the genes, CHS1 and CHS3, are expressed in both petal and root tissue, whereas expression of a third gene, CHS2, is detected only in roots. The products encoded by the a and a2 loci are required for the expression of the CHS1 gene and for wild-type levels of expression of the CHS3 gene in petal tissue. In root tissue, all three CHS genes are expressed and induced by CuCl2 regardless of the genotype at the a and a2 loci. These results show that the various members of the CHS multigene family interact in diverse ways with multiple genetic signals in the plant, providing a basis for the differential expression of these genes. Spatially specific genetic regulation of distinct members of a multigene family has been clearly demonstrated.     

大豆籽粒发育过程中异黄酮合成相关酶基因的表达模式与异黄酮积累的相关分析

利用高效液相色谱法和实时定量PCR方法,分别测定了2个异黄酮含量显著差异的大豆品种鲁黑豆2号(LHD2)和南汇早黑豆(NHZ)在子粒发育过程中的异黄酮含量变化以及异黄酮合成相关酶基因的表达模式变化,试图分析异黄酮积累与各基因表达量变化的相关关系。结果表明在大豆子粒发育过程中,异黄酮含量逐渐升高,而不同异黄酮合成相关酶基因的表达趋势不同,CHS7、CHS8、CHR、CHI1A和IFS2的表达趋势与异黄酮积累模式基本一致,而IFS1和CHI1B1的表达趋势与异黄酮积累模式相反。IFR的表达模式在2个大豆品种中存在相反的趋势,在LHD2中与异黄酮组分积累趋势相反,而在NHZ中与异黄酮组分积累趋势相同。结果还表明,同一基因家族中不同基因在子粒发育过程中的表达量也存在差异。查尔酮合酶基因家族中CHS7和CHS8以及查尔酮异构酶基因家族的CHI1A的表达水平相对其他成员较高,异黄酮合酶基因家族中IFS2的表达量显著高于IFS1的表达量,预示这些基因家族在大豆子粒异黄酮积累过程中存在功能分化。此外,各基因表达模式与异黄酮积累的相关分析结果表明,不同基因表达模式与异黄酮积累的相关性在2个品种中也不尽相同。LHD2中CHS7、CHS8和IFS2在子粒发育过程中的表达量变化与不同异黄酮组分呈显著正相关,CHI1B1基因的表达量变化与不同异黄酮组分呈显著负相关。而在NHZ中,IFR在子粒发育过程中的表达量变化与多个异黄酮组分呈显著正相关。这预示了不同大豆品种异黄酮含量差异的潜在遗传基础。各异黄酮合成相关酶基因表达量变化的相关分析表明,在2个品种中,苯丙氨酸水解酶PAL1与4CL,4CL与CHS2以及CHS1与IFS2基因的表达量均呈现显著正相关。表明这些基因可能通过协同作用共同调控异黄酮的合成与积累。这些结果为今后利用基因工程提高大豆异黄酮含量奠定了基础。     

Inhibition of flower pigmentation by antisense CHS genes: promoter and minimal sequence requirements for the antisense effect

Introduction of a constitutive antisense full-length chalcone synthase (CHS) cDNA gene in petunia can result in an inhibition of flower pigmentation. We have evaluated some of the factors which may be important for the effectiveness of an antisense CHS gene.Antisense CHS genes encoding half-length or quarter-length RNA complementary to the 3 half of CHS mRNA are able to affect flower pigmentation, while a gene encoding RNA complementary to the 5 half of CHS mRNA did not show phenotypic effects in transgenic petunia plants. We demonstrate that the RNA encoded by the latter gene has a much lower average steady-state level in leaf tissue than the RNAs encoded by the other antisense gene constructs. We have compared the CaMV 35S and endogenous CHS promoter strengths and intrinsic stabilities of sense and antisense CHS RNAs. From the data we conclude that the constitutive antisense CHS genes are not likely to provide an excess of antisense RNA compared to the CHS mRNA derived from the endogenous genes.Effective inhibition of flower pigmentation is also observed when the antisense CHS gene is under control of the homologous CHS promoter. The results indicate that the mechanism of antisense inhibition cannot solely operate via RNA duplex formation between sense and antisense RNA.