Gene silencing in Xenopus laevis by DNA vector-based RNA interference and transgenesis

A vector-based RNAi expression system was developed using the Xenopus tropicalis U6 promoter, which transcribes small RNA genes by RNA polymerase Ⅲ. The system was first validated in a Xenopus laevis cell line, designing a short hairpin DNA specific for the GFP gene. Co-transfection of the vector-based RNAi and the GFP gene into Xenopus XR1 cells significantly decreased the number of GFP-expressing cells and overall GFP fluorescence. Vector-based RNAi was subsequently validated in GFP transgenic Xenopus embryos. Sperm nuclei from GFP transgenic males and RNAi construct-incubated-sperm nuclei were used for fertilization, respectively. GFP mRNA and protein were reduced by -60% by RNAi in these transgenic embryos compared with the control. This transgene-driven RNAi is specific and stable in inhibiting GFP expression in the Xenopus laevis transgenic line. Gene silencing by vector-based RNAi and Xenopus transgenesis may provide an alternative for ＇repression of gene function＇ studies in vertebrate model systems.     

DNA Polymorphism Among Yewei B, V20B, and Oryza minuta J. S. Presl. ex C. B. Presl

The new cytoplasmic male sterile （CMS） line Yewei A and its maintainer line Yewei B, with better agronomic characteristics, have been developed from a mutant of V20B （a rice maintainer line） through transformation of genomic DNA of wild rice （Oryza minuta J. S. Presl. ex C. B. Presl.）. Analysis of molecular markers, DNA sequences, and Southern blot revealed that high DNA polymorphism exists between the mutant and its receptor, indicating that the special DNA fragment from O. minuta may be integrated into the genome of Yewei B. Therefore, transformation of genomic DNA from distant relatives to the plant of a target receptor may open an avenue for creating a new rice germplasm.     

RNA-Guided Genome Editing in Plants Using a CRISPR-Cas System

Precise and straightforward methods to edit the plant genome are much needed for functional genomics and crop improvement. Recently, RNA-guided genome editing using bacterial Type II cluster regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats （CRISPR）-associated nuclease （Cas） is emerging as an efficient tool for genome editing in microbial and animal systems. Here, we report the genome editing and targeted gene mutation in plants via the CRISPR-Cas9 sys- tem. Three guide RNAs （gRNAs） with a 20-22-nt seed region were designed to pair with distinct rice genomic sites which are followed by the protospacer-adjacent motif （PAM）. The engineered gRNAs were shown to direct the Cas9 nuclease for precise cleavage at the desired sites and introduce mutation （insertion or deletion） by error-prone non-homologous end joining DNA repairing. By analyzing the RNA-guided genome-editing events, the mutation efficiency at these target sites was estimated to be 3-8%. In addition, the off-target effect of an engineered gRNA-Cas9 was found on an imper- fectly paired genomic site, but it had lower genome-editing efficiency than the perfectly matched site. Further analysis suggests that mismatch position between gRNA seed and target DNA is an important determinant of the gRNA-Cas9 tar- geting specificity, and specific gRNAs could be designed to target more than 90% of rice genes. Our results demonstrate that the CRISPR-Cas system can be exploited as a powerful tool for gene targeting and precise genome editing in plants.     

Effect of Development Stage on the Artemisinin Content and the Sequence Characterized Amplified Region （SCAR） Marker of High-Artemisinin Yielding Strains of Artemisia annua L.

The effects of development states on the artemisinin content of clone S1 of Artemisia anuua L. grown in a greenhouse were investigated in the present study. The artemisinin content increased gradually during the phase of vegetative growth and reached its highest level at 8-9 mg/g dry weight （DW） when the S1 was 6 months old on a long day （LD） photoperiod. Treatment with 9-18 d of short day （SD） photoperiod resulted in the artemisinin content reaching and being maintained at a higher level （2.059-2.289 mg/g DW）, twofold that of control plants and plants of S1 presented at the pro-flower budding and flower-budding stages. The artemisinin content varied in different parts of the plant. The artemisinin content of leaves was higher than that of florets and branches. The artemisinin content in middle leaves was higher than that of bottom leaves, and then top leaves. Different densities of capitate glands （the storage organ of artemisinin） located on the surface of leaves, florets, and branches explained the variations in artemisinin content in these parts of the plant. The correlation coefficient between artemisinin content and density of capitate glands on the surface of different organs was 0.987. The genetic marker for artemisinin content was screened using random amplified polymorphic DNA （RAPD） and sequence characterized amplified region （SCAR） techniques. The random primer OPAl5 （5＇-TTCCGAACCC-3＇） could amplify a specific band of approximately 1 000 bp that was present in all high-artemisinin yielding strains, but absent in all low-yielding strains in three independent replications. This specific band was cloned and its sequence was analyzed. This RAPD marker was converted into a SCAR marker to obtain a more stable marker.     

Molecular markers of nuclear restoration gene Rf1 in sunflower using bulked segregant analysis-RAPD

Restoration of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in sunflower was demonstrated to be controlled by polygenes by analysing 982 effective crosses among 109 self-crossed lines and 16 CMS lines. Two self-crossed lines and one CMS line with distinct genotypes were applied to creation of segregating populations for DNA bulks of the target gene Rfl. Bulked DNA was prepared in order to investigate single gene Rfl and its gene marker among polygenic characters at the same genetic background. Using 80 10-mer operon primers, 620 RAPD reactions were carried out between fertile and sterile DNA bulks. In about 800 loci, primary results showed that 8 were related to the restoration genes. Furthermore. 2 were confirmed as RAPD markers for gene Rfl by examining 9 maintenance and 7 restoration lines. This method is the improvement for bulked segregant analysis[1] with which markers of single gene of target can be identified rapidly among polygenic characters.     

紫稻(Oryza sativa L.)线粒体ATP酶atp9基因转录本RNA编辑

紫稻(Oryza sativa L.)细胞质雄性不育系是本实验室新构建的新型细胞质雄性不育系。本研究使用PCR、RT-PCR等技术,得到了紫稻不育系(樱香A)及其保持系(樱香B)线粒体atp9基因的基因组序列和cDNA序列。通过对这些序列的分析发现:樱香A atp9 cDNA序列中,没有发生RNA编辑;而樱香Batp9 cDNA序列中有2个编辑位点,在樱香B cDNA序列2个编辑位点中,223位点由C替换为T,导致原来编码精氨酸密码子成为终止密码子,保证atp9 mRNA编码一个"正常长度"的ATP9多肽。而由于没有终止密码子,樱香A mRNA就不能翻译成正常的多肽。上述研究表明,RNA编辑在生成正常的ATP9多肽的过程中发挥了重要作用,同时也说明RNA编辑可能与细胞质雄性不育相关。     

Analysis of genetic diversity in cytoplasmic male sterility,and association of mitochondrial genes with petaloid-type cytoplasmic male sterility in tuber mustard (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica juncea</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">tumida</Emphasis> Tsen et Lee)

In our previous study, we bred a stable cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) line of tuber mustard by using distant hybridization and subsequent backcrosses. In this CMS plants, all floral organs are normal except the anthers, which are transformed into petals or tubular structures. Recently, 2 mitochondrial genes—atpA and orf220—that are distinctively present in the CMS line of tuber mustard were cloned and partially characterized. In our study of genetic diversity analysis of CMS, 7 species of Brassica and Raphanus crops, which included 5 CMS lines and their respective maintainer lines, were used to compare the constitution of protein-coding genes in the mitochondrial genomes. In 4 of the 43 mitochondrial genes, namely, atpA, orf220, orf256, and orf305/orf324, polymorphisms were detected among the tuber mustard CMS line and its maintainer line. The results of a cluster analysis indicate that petaloid CMS phenotype of tuber mustard is a novel CMS type and is nearer to the nap CMS in Brassica napus at the phylogenetic level. The results of individual amplifications of these genes indicate the presence of 4 sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers, which enable rapid and reliable identification of this CMS. Expressions of the orf220 and orf256 genes were detected only in the CMS line, while expression of the orf305 gene was detected in the maintainer line. The different expression patterns of different mitochondrial-specific marker genes indicate that the quantity of mitochondrial proteins is differentially regulated during organ/tissue development in tuber mustard. The results of this study suggest that the above mentioned 4 mitochondrial genes are associated with the petaloid CMS phenotype in tuber mustard.     

基因加倍对棉花线粒体atpA基因RNA编辑率的影响

植物线粒体基因组中存在RNA编辑（C-U）现象,且有完全编辑和部分编辑之分。棉花细胞质雄性不育（cytoplasmic male sterile,CMS）系和保持系线粒体基因组中atpA基因各有两个拷贝,存在基因加倍现象,但atpA基因加倍对其RNA编辑率的影响尚不清楚。通过Southern blot、染色体步移技术确定出该基因每个拷贝具体的DNA序列,发现一个拷贝是完整的,一个拷贝是截短的。用RT-PCR、环化RT-PCR方法扩增出每个拷贝相应的cDNA,结果表明：棉花CMS系和保持系atpA基因完整拷贝和截短型拷贝都转录。完整拷贝、截短型拷贝中分别存在6、4个RNA编辑位点。完整拷贝6个RNA编辑位点在保持系中的编辑率都是100%;在CMS系中编辑率分别是100%、85%、100%、92%、100%、100%。截短型拷贝4个位点在保持系中的编辑率分别是55%、37%、55%、27%;在CMS系中编辑率分别是100%、90%、100%、100%。据此推测截短型拷贝在保持系中承受选择压较小,很可能已失去功能;而在CMS系中仍承受较大选择压,很可能具有新的功能。     

红莲型细胞质雄性不育水稻线粒体atp6基因转录本的编辑位点研究

以红莲（HL）型水稻细胞质雄性不育系A、保持系B及杂种一代F₁为材料,首次比较研究了红莲型水稻线粒体atp6基因转录本的编辑位点及各位点的编辑频率.结果表明atp6基因的转录本有18个编辑位点,其中有15个发生在密码子的第一和第二位点上,这些位点的编辑最终会导致氨基酸种类的变化.18个编辑位点在A、B和F₁中没有差异,但各位点的编辑频率在引入了核恢复基因的条件下发生了较大的变化,完全编辑的比例增加.这些结果首次证明HL型细胞质雄性不育与线粒体atp6转录本的编辑有一定相关性,编辑不充分的转录产物最终会干扰线粒体功能的正常发挥.     

紫稻(Oryza sativa L.)线粒体ATP合成酶 atp6 基因转录本 RNA 编辑

紫稻（Oryza sativa L.）细胞质雄性不育系紫稻A是本实验室构建的新型细胞质雄性不育系。本研究使用PCR、RT-PCR、DNA测序等技术,得到了紫稻细胞质雄性不育水稻不育系（樱香A）及其保持系（樱香B）线粒体atp6基因转录本cDNA序列。通过与基因组序列比对发现：樱香Aatp6cDNA序列中,没有发生RNA编辑;而樱香Batp6 cDNA序列中有16个编辑位点,在樱香B cDNA序列16个编辑位点位于15个密码子中,所编码的氨基酸均发生改变：在1003位点由C替换为T,导致原来编码谷氨酰胺密码子（CAA）成为终止密码子（TAA）,保证atp6 mRNA编码一个正常的ATP6多肽;而由于没有发生RNA编辑,樱香A mRNA就不能翻译成正常的多肽。研究表明,RNA编辑在合成正常的ATP6多肽的过程中具有至关重要的作用,同时也说明RNA编辑可能与细胞质雄性不育相关。     

Mitochondrial <Emphasis Type="Italic">atpA</Emphasis> gene is altered in a new <Emphasis Type="Italic">orf220</Emphasis>-type cytoplasmic male-sterile line of stem mustard (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica juncea</Emphasis>)

The purpose of this research is to identify the probable mitochondrial factor associated with cytoplasmic male sterility (cms) by comparative analysis of cms and its isogenic maintainer lines in stem mustards. Dramatic variations in the morphology of floral organs were observed in cms stem mustard. Mitochondrial atpA gene was shown to be altered in cms compared with that in its maintainer line, of which mitochondrial atpA gene from its maintainer line was sequenced to encode 507 amino acids. It was indicative of high homology with mitochondrial atpA genes from other species, even as high as 94% in similarity with Oryza sativa in terms of amino acid constituents. However, only 429 amino acids were deduced in cms showing 83% similarity with atpA gene from its maintainer line. Two copies were observed in its maintainer line, but only one was found in cms. Such numerous differences of mitochondrial atpA gene between cms and its maintainer lines may not be the results of evolutionary divergence but the rearrangements of mitochondria. Expression of mitochondrial atpA gene was shown to be down-regulated in cms by using Northern blot. Consequently, mitochondrial ATP synthesis was severely decreased more than one fold in cms stem mustard indicating deficiency in mitochondrial ATP synthesis in this type of cms. Therefore, we deduced that mitochondrial atpA gene altered in cms could be associated with male-sterility in this type of cms. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Jing-Hua Yang and Yan Huai contributed equally to this work.