高等植物6-磷酸海藻糖信号调控研究进展

6-磷酸海藻糖(T6P)在植物体内广泛分布,对植物的生长发育起着重要的调节作用,其信号途径伴随植物胚胎发育直至衰老的整个过程。T6P是海藻糖的代谢前体物质,其主要通过抑制蔗糖非酵解相关激酶1(SnRK1)的催化活性,进而调控植物生长代谢,故称为T6P/SnRK1信号。在T6P/SnRK1信号调控植物代谢过程中,转录因子b ZIP11、己糖激酶HXK及PIF信号途径也参与到植物T6P/SnRK1信号调控路径。     

昆虫海藻糖代谢及其影响因素的研究进展

海藻糖广泛存在于细菌、真菌、动物和植物中。它不仅作为能量储备物质,在外界环境胁迫或内部代谢紊乱时,也可作为保护因子,保护其生命体度过逆境。昆虫海藻糖合成酶与海藻糖酶分别是海藻糖合成与分解的关键酶,合成的海藻糖在海藻糖转运蛋白的帮助下由胞内进入胞外。胰岛素与脂动激素直接参与昆虫糖代谢,保幼激素与蜕皮激素通过和胰岛素与脂动激素通路偶联,间接参与调控昆虫海藻糖代谢。海藻糖代谢途径和昆虫生长发育密切相关,昆虫海藻糖代谢信号通路为开发害虫控制的新靶标提供理论依据。     

垫状卷柏海藻糖-6-磷酸合成酶基因的克隆及功能分析

海藻糖-6-磷酸合成酶(Trehalose-6-phosphate synthse, TPS)是植物海藻糖合成途径的关键酶, 在旱生卷柏等复苏植物对逆境胁迫应答中起重要作用。文章以我国特有旱生植物垫状卷柏(Selaginella pulvinata)为材料, 采用同源扩增与RACE技术相结合的方法克隆了海藻糖-6-磷酸合成酶基因SpTPS1, cDNA全长3 223 bp, 包括一个2 790 bp的开放阅读框, 推导的氨基酸序列与模式物种的海藻糖-6-磷酸合成酶具有较高的序列相似性, 催化活性中心保守位点基本一致。酵母功能互补实验证明, 用SpTPS1基因开放阅读框转化的海藻糖合成酶基因突变(tps1△)酵母菌株, 可恢复在以葡萄糖作为唯一碳源培养基上的生长, 说明垫状卷柏海藻糖-6-磷酸合成酶基因SpTPS1的编码蛋白具有生物活性, 可应用于植物抗逆性的转基因改良。     

胰岛素受体基因InR调控褐飞虱海藻糖代谢研究

在昆虫中已发现成熟的典型胰岛素信号通路,但是其调控海藻糖代谢途径的机制还未清晰。为探讨胰岛素受体基因在褐飞虱海藻糖代谢平衡及其发育的调控作用,本文采用RNAi技术抑制胰岛素受体(InR)基因的表达,测定处理后海藻糖、糖原和葡萄糖含量及海藻糖酶活变化,并检测InR、类胰岛素多肽(Ilp)、海藻糖代谢途径中关键基因的表达。研究结果表明dsRNA注射后能够显著抑制Ilp和InR基因的表达;InR1低表达后72 h能够显著抑制3种糖类物质的含量;InR表达抑制后72 h可溶性海藻糖酶活性上升,而膜结合型海藻糖酶活性下降;当InR表达受抑制后3个海藻糖酶和2个海藻糖合成酶基因的表达都显著下降。这些结果说明InR能够影响海藻糖等糖类物质的平衡。从而为将来通过调控昆虫血糖平衡来控制害虫提供理论依据。     

植物3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A还原酶基因研究进展

细胞分裂素、赤霉素、脱落酸、叶绿素、萜类等类异戊二烯物质,是植物中广泛存在的一类代谢产物,在植物生长发育过程中起着非常重要的作用。一些萜类化合物作为药物的合成前体或有效的药用成分在工农业及医药生产上具有重要的经济价值。类异戊二烯物质主要通过甲羟戊酸代谢途径中的一系列酶催化合成,其中,3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A还原酶(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, HMGR)是该代谢途径中的第一个关键限速酶,能够将3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A转化成中间代谢产物甲羟戊酸。对植物HMGR基因的克隆、酶结构和功能分析、基因组织表达及调控等方面进行了综述,旨在为其在重要农作物的遗传改良、代谢产物工程植物创制以及植物亲缘关系分析中的应用等研究提供理论依据。     

14-3-3蛋白与植物细胞信号转导

14-3-3蛋白通过直接蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用对植物代谢关键酶、质膜H^＋ -ATP酶等发挥广泛调节作用。越来越多证据显示14-3-3蛋白通过与转录因子和其他信号分子结合参与调控植物细胞信号转导。对植物细胞中14-3-3蛋白调控信号转导途径,尤其是植物细胞对胁迫响应的调控机制进行了综述。     

昆虫海藻糖及其合成酶基因的特性与功能研究进展

海藻糖广泛存在于细菌、真菌、昆虫、无脊椎动物和植物等大量生物中。它不仅可以作为昆虫的能量来源,而且在抗逆等方面起着重要作用。海藻糖合成酶(Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase,TPS)是海藻糖合成过程中的一个关键酶。目前细菌、真菌和植物中都已经被发现和克隆,但其不存在于哺乳动物中。海藻糖是昆虫的"血糖",主要通过海藻糖合成酶和海藻糖-6-磷酸脂酶(Trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase,TPP)在脂肪体中催化合成。TPS基因所编码的蛋白序列一般都包含两个保守的结构域:TPS和TPP,分别对应着酵母中的Ots A和Ots B基因。昆虫海藻糖合成酶的基因表达和酶活性的变化与昆虫的多项生理过程有着密切的关系,海藻糖合成酶有可能成为控制害虫的新靶标。     

ABA分解代谢及其代谢关键酶——8''-羟化酶

脱落酸(ABA)在植物的生长发育和环境胁迫响应等过程中具有重要作用。ABA合成与分解代谢的动态平衡共同调控植物内源ABA水平。ABA8′位甲基羟基化途径是高等植物内源ABA代谢的主要途径;8′-羟化酶是该代谢途径的关键酶,属于P450酶系。生物化学和基因组学研究表明,拟南芥CYP707A家族基因编码8′-羟化酶,该基因家族广泛存在于高等植物中,调控植物内源ABA代谢,介导ABA相关的生理生化过程。本文综述了ABA分解代谢的基本途径,详细概述了ABA8′位甲基羟基化途径及该代谢途径的关键酶8′-羟化酶。同时介绍了8′-羟化酶编码基因-CYP707A家族基因的生物学特征和功能。     

高等植物赤霉素2-氧化酶基因的克隆、表达及其调控

赤霉素(GA)是一类重要的植物激素,对高等植物整个生命周期的生长发育起关键作用。调控赤霉素生物合成和代谢途径中的关键酶基因的表达可以控制植物体内赤霉素的含量。GA2-氧化酶是调节赤霉素合成和代谢的关键酶之一,使活性GA失活。本文主要对GA2-氧化酶基因的克隆、表达调控及其在植物基因工程中的应用等方面进行综述,为通过基因工程技术调控植物体内活性赤霉素的含量从而得到改良品种提供思路。     

Metabolism control over growth: a case for trehalose-6-phosphate in plants

How plants relate their requirements for energy with the reducing power necessary to fuel growth is not understood. The activated glucose forms and NADPH are key precursors in pathways yielding, respectively, energy and reducing power for anabolic metabolism. Moreover, they are substrates or allosteric regulators of trehalose-phosphate synthase (TPS1) in fungi and probably also in plants. TPS1 synthesizes the signalling metabolite trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) and, therefore, has the potential to relate reducing power with energy metabolism to fuel growth. A working model is discussed where trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) inhibition of SnRK1 is part of a growth-regulating loop in young and metabolically active heterotrophic plant tissues. SnRK1 is the Snf1 Related Kinase 1 and the plant homologue of the AMP-dependent protein kinase of animals, a central energy gauge. T6P accumulation in response to high sucrose levels in a cell inhibits SnRK1 activity, thus promoting anabolic processes and growth. When T6P levels drop due to low glucose-6-phosphate, uridine-diphosphoglucose, and altered NADPH or due to restricted TPS1 activity, active SnRK1 promotes catabolic processes required to respond to energy and carbon deprivation. The model explains why too little or too much T6P has been found to be growth inhibitory: Arabidopsis thaliana embryos and seedlings without TPS1 are growth arrested and Arabidopsis seedlings accumulating T6P on a trehalose medium are growth arrested. Finally, the insight gained with respect to the possible role of T6P metabolism, where it is known to alter developmental and environmental responses of plants, is discussed.     

Regulation of growth by the trehalose pathway: Relationship to temperature and sucrose

Carbon signaling can override carbon supply in the regulation of growth. At least some of this regulation is imparted by the sugar signal trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P) through the protein kinase, SnRK1. This signaling pathway regulates biosynthetic processes involved in growth under optimal growing conditions. Recently, using a seedling system we showed that under sub-optimal conditions, such as cold, carbon signaling by T6P/ SnRK1 enables recovery of growth following relief of the stress. The T6P/ SnRK1 mechanism thus could be selected as a means of improving low temperature tolerance. High-throughput automated Fv/Fm measurements provide a potential means to screen for T6P/ SnRK1, and here we confirm through measurements of Fv/Fm in rosettes that T6P promotes low temperature tolerance and recovery during cold to warm transfer. Further, to better understand the coordination between sugars, trehalose pathway, and temperature-dependent growth, we examine the interrelationship between sugars, trehalose phosphate synthase (TPS), and trehalose phosphate phosphatase (TPP) gene expression and T6P content in seedlings. Sucrose, particularly when fed exogenously, correlated well with TPS1 and TPPB gene expression, suggesting that these enzymes are involved in maintaining carbon flux through the pathway in relation to sucrose supply. However, when sucrose accumulated to higher levels under low temperature and low N, TPS1 and TPPB expression were less directly related to sucrose; other factors may also contribute to regulation of TPS1 and TPPB expression under these conditions. TPPA expression was not related to sucrose content and all genes were not well correlated with endogenous glucose. Our work has implications for understanding acclimation to sink-limited growth conditions such as low temperature and for screening cold-tolerant genotypes with altered T6P/ SnRK1 signaling.     

Trehalose 6-phosphate

Trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P) is a sugar signal of emerging significance. It is an essential component of the mechanisms that coordinate metabolism with plant growth adaptation and development. Its significance began to dawn when genetic modification of the trehalose pathway produced dramatic phenotypes, before the genetic proliferation of the trehalose pathway in plants was fully realised. T6P regulates sugar utilization and starch metabolism and interacts with other signalling pathways, including those mediated by plant hormones. Trehalose phosphate synthases (TPSs) and trehalose phosphate phosphatases are regulated at the gene level by sugars, nitrate, cytokinin and abscisic acid. TPSs are also regulated post-translationally. Mechanistic details of how T6P signals are emerging, but still sparse. Nevertheless, even at this stage, targeting central regulators such as T6P offers promise in crop improvement.     

Effect of catalytic subunit phosphorylation on the properties of SnRK1 from Phaseolus vulgaris embryos

Legume seed development represents a high demand for energy and metabolic resources to support the massive synthesis of starch and proteins. However, embryo growth occurs in an environment with reduced O₂ that forces the plant to adapt its metabolic activities to maximize efficient energy use. SNF1‐related protein kinase1 (SnRK1) is a master metabolic regulator needed for cells adaptation to conditions that reduce energy availability, and its activity is needed for the successful development of seeds. In bean embryo extracts, SnRK1 can be separated by anion exchange chromatography into two pools: one where the catalytic subunit is phosphorylated (SnRK1‐p) and another with reduced phosphorylation (SnRK1‐np). The phosphorylation of the catalytic subunit produces a large increase in SnRK1 activity but has a minor effect in determining its sensitivity to metabolic inhibitors such as trehalose 6‐P (T6P), ADP‐glucose (ADPG), glucose 1‐P (G1P) and glucose 6‐P (G6P). In Arabidopsis thaliana, upstream activating kinases (SnAK) phosphorylate the SnRK1 catalytic subunit at T175/176, promoting and enhancing its activity. Recombinant Phaseolus vulgaris homologous to SnAK proteins (PvSnAK), can phosphorylate and activate the catalytic domains of the α‐ subunits of Arabidopsis, as well as the SnRK1‐np pool purified from bean embryos. While the phosphorylation process is extremely efficient for catalytic domains, the phosphorylation of the SnRK1‐np complex was less effective but produced a significant increase in activity. The presence of SnRK1‐np could contribute to a quick response to unexpected adverse conditions. However, in addition to PvSnAK kinases, other factors might contribute to regulating the activation of SnRK1.