转反义Wx基因水稻颖果中与淀粉合成和积累相关酶活性的变化

将反义Wx基因转入水稻,导致Wx蛋白不同程度减少,颖果中的直链淀粉含量不同程度下降,总淀粉含量显著降低,直链淀粉与总淀粉的比值极显著降低。在水稻颖果发育过程中,ADPG-PPase、GBSS、SSS和SBE的活性在灌浆前期迅速升高,达最大值后很快下降,在灌浆中后期下降趋缓。Wx蛋白减少后的转基因水稻颖果中的GBSS活性明显下降,下降幅度与直链淀粉含量相一致,而且活性高峰期比其亲本有所提前。转基因水稻颖果中ADPG-PPase和SSS的活性在颖果发育的前中期,SBE则在中后期高于相应的亲本。     

复合调控Wx与SBE3基因对水稻籽粒直链淀粉含量的影响

颗粒淀粉合成酶（GBSS）和淀粉分支酶3（SBE3）是淀粉合成过程中的两个关键酶,这两个酶主要由耽和SBE3两个基因分别控制,它们的表达量直接影响直链淀粉和支链淀粉的含量比例。为了探讨水稻淀粉关键酶基因耽过量与SBE3干涉复合表达对直链淀粉含量的影响,构建了Wx过量表达与SBE3干涉结合的多基因表达载体,并通过农杆菌介导的方法将其导入日本晴水稻中。经过PCR检测分析获得了65株转基因阳性植株,半定量RT—PCR检测表明转基因株系中Wx基因表达量明显增加,而SBE3基因表达量显著减少。转基因株系籽粒透明度明显降低,直链淀粉含量比野生型的平均高45％,但是千粒重变化不大,与野生型相当。遗传分析表明这些转基因株系多数可稳定遗传。     

Field Performance of Transgenic indica Hybrid Rice with Improved Cooking and Eating Quality by Down-regulation of Wx Gene Expression

High amylose content (AC) in rice endosperm is correlated with poor grain quality, particularly in indica hybrid rice. We have generated several homozygous transgenic parent lines of indica hybrid rice carrying an antisense Waxy (Wx) gene and demonstrated that the AC in seeds of these lines decreased dramatically. Two transgenic maintainer lines (L25B and L18B), derived from one of the key maintainer parents of an indica hybrid rice in China, Long-te-fu B (LTF-B), were selected and the antisense Wx gene was subsequently introgressed into the male-sterile counterpart, LTF-A, with the aim to generate improved indica hybrids. The indica hybrids derived from the selected transgenic male-sterile lines and restorer lines were tested for quality and agronomic performance under normal field conditions. Our results demonstrated that the reduction of AC in the homozygous transgenic maintainer lines stably passed down in five successive generations and the improved quality was also found in their relevant transgenic hybrids produced. The other two key characters of rice cooking and eating quality, the gel consistence (GC) and gelatinization temperature (GT), were also improved in the grains of both the transgenic maintainer lines and their relevant hybrids. In addition, no change was observed for most of the agronomic characters of the transgenic maintainer lines and the relevant transgenic hybrids. Although the grain weight of the transgenic line was reduced, the grain yield of the homozygous transgenic parent lines and the transgenic hybrids was similar when compared with that of the wild-type controls. These results suggest that transgenic approaches are an effective way to obtain rice lines with both improved qualities and high yield, especially for indica hybrid rice.     

籼稻转反义蜡质基因后代的直链淀粉含量测定和纯系选育

通过根癌农杆菌介导将反义蜡质基因导入籼型雄性不育保持系龙特甫B中,获得30个PCR检测为阳性的转基因植株,其中,28个为Southern检测阳性。T1种子直链淀粉含量测定结果表明,有21个转基因植株比龙特甫B明显下降,下降幅度为3％-13％,并在部分转基因植株的种子中观察到蜡质状籽粒;对6个转基因植株进行了不同世代的直链淀粉含量测定,在L3和L5的T4代中,选择到直链淀粉含量分别为15．9％和8．4％的纯合株系,经凝胶电泳测定,WX蛋白量明显降低,并与直链淀粉含量下降表现一致。以L3-1-1-1(15．9％)和L5-8-2-1(8．4％)纯合株系为亲本,分别与龙特甫A进行成对杂交和回交,并测定了F1和B1F1种子直链淀粉含量,以L3-1-1-1作亲本的F1为21．4％,B1F1为17．1％;以L5-8-2-1作亲本的F1为13．6％,B1F1为9．3％,结果表明：在不育系的转育过程中,以中低直链淀粉含量的转基因纯合株系为亲本,能有效降低F1和B1F1的种子直链淀粉含量。     

Suppression of OsMADS7 in rice endosperm stabilizes amylose content under high temperature stress

High temperature significantly alters the amylose content of rice, resulting in mature grains with poor eating quality. However, only few genes and/or quantitative trait loci involved in this process have been isolated and the molecular mechanisms of this effect remain unclear. Here, we describe a floral organ identity gene, OsMADS7, involved in stabilizing rice amylose content at high temperature. OsMADS7 is greatly induced by high temperature at the early filling stage. Constitutive suppression of OsMADS7 stabilizes amylose content under high temperature stress but results in low spikelet fertility. However, rice plants with both stable amylose content at high temperature and normal spikelet fertility can be obtained by specifically suppressing OsMADS7 in endosperm. GBSSI is the major enzyme responsible for amylose biosynthesis. A low filling rate and high expression of GBSSI were detected in OsMADS7 RNAi plants at high temperature, which may be correlated with stabilized amylose content in these transgenic seeds under high temperature. Thus, specific suppression of OsMADS7 in endosperm could improve the stability of rice amylose content at high temperature, and such transgenic materials may be a valuable genetic resource for breeding rice with elite thermal resilience.     

籼稻和粳稻中蜡质基因座位上微卫星标记的多态性及其与直链淀粉含量的关系

稻米直链淀粉是在由蜡质基因Wx编码的颗粒结合淀粉合成酶（GBSS）的催化下合成的。最近,在Wx基因的区段内发现了一段多态性微卫星序列（CT）n。对74个非糯籼稻和粳稻材料的（CT）n多态性进行了分析,并探讨了其与直链淀粉含量之间的关系。在74个品种（系）中共发现7种（CT）n片段（Wx等位基因）,即（CT）8,（CF）10,（CT）11,（CT）16,（CT）17,（CT）18,（Ch）19。在籼粳亚种间,不同（CT）n的分布存在差异较大：在籼稻中,以（CT）11和（CT）18为主,占92．6％,另有（CT）10和（CT）8各2份,（CT）17型1份;在粳稻中,以（CT）16、（CT）17为主,共占20份材料中的90．0％。在上述74个品种（系）中,以（CT）n表示的Wx基因型对稻米直链淀粉含量的决定系数R2达0．912,也即Wx基因型差异可解释这些材料直链淀粉含量变异的91．2％。还发现6份籼稻材料Wx座位上为杂合的（CT）18／（CT）11,其中2份为推广早籼优质品种浙9248和舟优903,并对其在遗传和育种研究中的意义作了探讨。     

Introduction of Wx transgene into rice wx mutants leads to both high- and low-amylose rice

The Waxy (Wx) gene encodes a granule-bound starch synthase (GBSS) that plays a key role in the amylose synthesis of rice and other plant species. Two functional Wx alleles of rice exist: Wx(a), which produces a large amount of amylose, and Wx(b), which produces a smaller amount of amylose because of the mutation at the 5' splice site of intron 1. Wx(b) is largely distributed in Japonica cultivars, and high amylose cultivars do not exist in Japonica cultivars. We introduced the cloned Wx(a) cDNA into null-mutant Japonica rice (wx). The amylose contents of these transgenic plants were 6-11% higher than that of the original cultivar, Labelle, which carries the Wx(a) allele, although the levels of the Wx protein in the transgenic rice were equal to those of cv. Labelle. We also observed a gene-dosage effect of the Wx(a) transgene on Wx protein expression, but a smaller dosage effect was observed in amylose production with over 40% of amylose content in transgenic rice. Moreover, one transgenic line carrying eleven copies of the transgene showed low levels of Wx expression and amylose in the endosperm. This suggested that the integration of excessive copies of the transgene might lead to gene silencing.     

Granule-bound starch synthase I is responsible for biosynthesis of extra-long unit chains of amylopectin in rice

A rice Wx gene encoding a granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI) was introduced into the null-mutant waxy (wx) rice, and its effect on endosperm starches was examined. The apparent amylose content was increased from undetectable amounts for the non-transgenic wx cultivars to 21.6-22.2% of starch weight for the transgenic lines. The increase was in part due to a significant amount of extra-long unit chains (ELCs) of amylopectin (7.5-8.4% of amylopectin weight), that were absent in the non-transgenic wx cultivars. Thus, actual amylose content was calculated to be 14.9-16.0% for the transgenic lines. Only slight differences were found in chain-length distribution for the chains other than ELCs, indicating that the major effect of the Wx transgene on amylopectin structure was ELC formation. ELCs isolated from debranched amylopectin exhibited structures distinct from amylose. Structures of amylose from the transgenic lines were slightly different from those of cv. Labelle (Wx(a)) in terms of a higher degree of branching and size distribution. The amylose and ELC content of starches of the transgenic lines resulted in the elevation of pasting temperature, a 50% decrease in peak viscosity, a large decrease in breakdown and an increase in setback. As yet undetermined factors other than the GBSSI activity are thought to be involved in the control of formation and/or the amount of ELCs. Structural analysis of the Wx gene suggested that the presence of a tyrosine residue at position 224 of GBSSI correlates with the formation of large amounts of ELCs in cultivars carrying Wx(a).     

Waxy基因的RNA沉默使转基因小麦种子中直链淀粉含量下降

通过RNAi策略转化小麦,以降低小麦种子中直链淀粉的含量。小麦中直链淀粉合成的关键酶是颗粒结合型淀粉合成酶（Granule—bound starch synthase l,GBSSI,即WAXY蛋白）,通过RT—PCR方法从小麦种子中分离出Waxy基因。Southern杂交分析表明,在基因组中存在3个Waxy基因。Northern杂交分析显示出在授粉后的小麦种子中检测到Waxy mRNA。利用RNA沉默策略,将Waxy编码区683bp的正向和反向片段以及150bp内含子,连接于表达载体pCAMBIA3300中玉米ubil启动子下游。以扬麦10号授粉后15d的幼胚为外植体,利用农杆菌介导的方法进行转化。通过PCR、RT-PCR和叶片离体褪绿实验鉴定出4株转基因植株。小麦胚乳I2-KI染色和直链淀粉含量测定表明这4株转基因植株直链淀粉含量明显下降。研究结果表明Waxy基因的RNA沉默使转基因小麦种子直链淀粉的含量下降。     

同源四倍体水稻籼型突变体Wx基因序列分析及特异识别分子标记的建立

同源四倍体水稻突变株D4063-1直链淀粉含量比来源二倍体明恢63下降一半,即其直链淀粉含量为5.23%。为研究其直链淀粉含量下降的原因, 根据普通水稻Wx基因设计引物, 扩增测序获得了D4063-1Wx基因的全序列, 并与已报道的Wx基因进行比对分析; 同源四倍体水稻D4063-1Wx基因最显著变化为在外显子序列中发生碱基缺失, 导致移码突变, 在第9外显子终止密码子提前出现。D4063-1Wx基因碱基位点的变化还导致其序列上酶切位点的变化,对常用限制性内切酶位点分析结果表明, 同源四倍体水稻相对于籼稻和粳稻多了2个sphⅠ酶切位点, 相对于粳稻减少了6个AccⅠ, 增加了4个XbaⅠ, 1个XhoⅠ, 1个PstⅠ和1个SalⅠ酶切位点。聚类分析表明D4063-1Wx基因序列与籼稻亲源关系较近, 由此推测D4063-1Wx基因来源于籼稻的Wxa基因型。另外, 根据D4063-1Wx基因的碱基差异, 推测D4063-1Wx基因外显子碱基变化导致的RNA加工障碍是其直链淀粉降低的主要原因, 并可能与其米饭较软等品质相关。本研究还根据D4063-1和籼稻、粳稻的序列差异及D4063-1在该片段上的特征序列位点设计了用于识别D4063-1的寡核苷酸片段,并作为PCR反应的引物命名为AUT4063-1,将该引物与作者设计的扩增普通籼稻、粳稻Wx基因的引物F5配合使用, 建立了识别D4063-1的显性和共显性两种检测方式的分子标记, 为快速、准确鉴别低直链淀粉含量突变体D4063-1创造了条件。     

通过共转化和花药培养快速获得直链淀粉含量降低且无抗性标记的转基因水稻

用根癌农杆菌共转化的方法将p13W8质粒(含反义蜡质基因)和pCAMBIA1300质粒(含潮霉素抗性基因)导入水稻.经PCR检测,发现在29个T1群体中发生抗潮霉素抗性基因和反义蜡质基因的分离;从1 264个T1单株中筛选到183个只带反义蜡质基因片段的转基因植株.选择了4个直链淀粉含量降低的T1单株进行花药培养,获得正常结实的花培苗34株;经PCR检测,有23株为只含反义蜡质基因而无潮霉素抗性基因的植株.从转化到获得直链淀粉含量降低、遗传稳定的转基因植株仅用了一年半时间.     

籼－粳杂种稻米品质性状的遗传控制

研究了４０个籼－粳正、反交杂种稻米有关外观和蒸煮食用品质性状的遗传控制。结果表明：杂种稻米粒长和粒宽的遗传表达决定于二倍体的母体基因型,而糊化温度和直链淀粉含量的遗传表达则主要受三倍体的胚乳基因型控制。细胞质效应一般不存在,但ＰＣ３１１（粳）的细胞质对粒长和粒宽,明恢６３（籼）的细胞质对直链淀粉含量有着一定作用。     

分子标记辅助改良杂交稻协优57及其父母本的蒸煮食味品质

协优57是一个产量高和适应性强的杂交中籼组合,但由于其父母本直链淀粉含量（AC）高,导致杂交稻米的AC较高、蒸煮食味品质较差。先前利用PCR-AccⅠ分子标记辅助选择对协优57的亲本057[恢复系,记作057（GG）]和协青早A[不育系,记作协A（GG）]的W x基因进行改良。利用改良前、后的各亲本分别配组,分析不同组合的AC、食味品质和颗粒性淀粉结合酶（GBSS）活性。结果表明,改良单亲的GT型组合协A（GG）×057（TT）、协A（TT）×057（GG）杂交稻米的AC由原组合协A（GG）×057（GG）的28%分别降到19.9%和19.3%,但均一性较差。改良双亲的TT纯合型组合协A（TT）×057（TT）的杂交稻米,不仅AC降到中等偏低水平（13.1%）,而且AC的均一性也有了很大的提高,蒸煮食味品质明显改善。GBSS活性分析表明：三种W x基因型的GBSS活性总体表现为GG〉GT〉TT。     

Bioengineered 'golden' indica rice cultivars with beta-carotene metabolism in the endosperm with hygromycin and mannose selection systems

Vitamin-A deficiency (VAD) is a major malnutrition problem in South Asia, where indica rice is the staple food. Indica-type rice varieties feed more than 2 billion people. Hence, we introduced a combination of transgenes using the biolistic system of transformation enabling biosynthesis of provitamin A in the endosperm of several indica rice cultivars adapted to diverse ecosystems of different countries. The rice seed-specific glutelin promoter (Gt-1 P) was used to drive the expression of phytoene synthase (psy), while lycopene beta-cyclase (lcy) and phytoene desaturase (crtI), fused to the transit peptide sequence of the pea-Rubisco small subunit, were driven by the constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus promoter (CaMV35S P). Transgenic plants were recovered through selection with either CaMV35S P driven hph (hygromycin phosphotransferase) gene or cestrum yellow leaf curling virus promoter (CMP) driven pmi (phophomannose isomerase) gene. Molecular and biochemical analyses demonstrated stable integration and expression of the transgenes. The yellow colour of the polished rice grain evidenced the carotenoid accumulation in the endosperm. The colour intensity correlated with the estimated carotenoid content by spectrophotometric and HPLC analysis. Carotenoid level in cooked polished seeds was comparable (with minor loss of xanthophylls) to that in non-cooked seeds of the same transgenic line. The variable segregation pattern in T1 selfing generation indicated single to multiple loci insertion of the transgenes in the genome. This is the first report of using nonantibiotic pmi driven by a novel promoter in generating transgenic indica rice for possible future use in human nutrition.     

转反义蜡质基因水稻亲本后代性状分析

以单质粒转化的粳稻广粳一号和双质粒共转化的籼稻01早5202所获得的转反义蜡质基因水稻后代为供试材料, 通过潮霉素抗性、PCR检测等手段分析了外源基因的遗传分离特性, 同时, 还分析了转基因材料的直链淀粉含量、waxy蛋白含量的变化特性。结果表明, 无论是采用标记基因(hpt)与目的基因(Anti-sense waxy)连锁的单质粒转化, 还是采用双质粒共转化, 其供试的后代植株材料都发生了外源基因分离现象, 且转基因植株材料的直链淀粉含量都有所下降, 有些单株的直链淀粉含量已降至10%(质量百分比)以下, 远低于对照(其直链淀粉含量为22.04%); SDS-PAGE检测结果显示, 供试的转基因材料的waxy蛋白的含量与对应的直链淀粉含量呈正相关性。     

Antisense regulation of the rice waxy gene expression using a PCR-amplified fragment of the rice genome reduces the amylose content in grain starch

The waxy gene encodes a granule-bound starch synthase. A 1.0-kb portion of the sequence of the rice waxy gene, which includes the region between exon 4 and exon 9, was inserted in an antisense orientation between the 35 S promoter and the GUS gene of pBI221. The resultant plasmid, pWXA23, was introduced into rice protoplasts by electroporation. GUS activity was clearly detected in derived callus lines, suggesting that the antisense component of the fusion gene was also expressed. Transgenic rice plants were regenerated from these callus lines and their GUS activity was confirmed. Some of the rice seeds from these transformants showed a significant reduction in the amylose content of grain starch, even though they had become polyploid. These results suggest that even when intron sequences are included, antisense constructs can bring about a reduced level of expression of a target gene. The utility of GUS, included as a reporter gene, for the simple detection of expression of an antisense gene, was apparent from these results.