禾本科植物单锌指家族基因对逆境应答的研究进展

转录调控是植物生长发育、逆境反应、信号转导、抗病性等一系列基因表达的最主要调控形式,转录因子是参与基因转录水平调控过程的重要反式因子。单锌指(DNA binding with one finger,DOF)转录因子是植物特有的一类转录因子,包含一个C_2-C_2锌指结构,其N-末端保守的DOF结构域是能与DNA和蛋白相互作用的双重功能域,在植物生长发育过程中参与多种生物学过程。尽管已有研究报道DOF家族基因参与植物抗逆响应,但其在禾谷类重要粮食作物中的作用机制还极不明确。本文通过对禾本科植物DOF家族基因系统进化分析及组织表达和诱导表达分析,综述了DOF家族基因参与植物胁迫应答方面的相关研究进展,为进一步深入了解禾本科植物抗逆机制提供重要参考。     

植物NAC转录因子的研究进展

NAC(NAM、ATAF1/2、CUC2)蛋白家族是植物特异性转录因子超家族,广泛存在于多样的植物中。大多数NAC蛋白具有保守的DNA结合结构域,其大约150个氨基酸位于蛋白质的N末端,并且在C末端区域具有高度可变的转录调节区域。该类家族基因在多个生物过程中发挥关键作用,如植物生长、发育和应激反应网络。因此,NAC转录因子被持续关注。近年来,尤其是近5年来对NAC的家族成员的功能研究获取了突破性的发现。总结NAC转录因子的最新研究进展,旨在为植物的遗传改良和育种提供参考。     

TRAF4的结构与生物学功能

TRAF(TNF receptor associated factor)家族蛋白是一类具有相同C末端保守结构域的细胞内接头蛋白,能够与包括TNF受体在内的多种受体蛋白相互作用传递信号并因此得名,目前已经发现了7种TRAF家族蛋白。TRAF4是TRAF家族蛋白中最古老的成员之一,最早在乳腺癌的转移淋巴结中发现,在多种实体肿瘤组织中存在高表达和亚细胞定位的异常。与其他TRAF家族蛋白主要参与免疫和炎症反应不同,TRAF4在免疫中的作用非常有限,目前其已知功能主要体现在胚胎发育、细胞极性、凋亡以及活性氧生成调节等方面。     

植物PDR型ABC转运蛋白的结构及功能

ATP-结合盒(ATP-binding cassette,ABC)转运蛋白是目前已知最大、功能最广泛的蛋白质家族。多向耐药性(pleiotropic drug resistance,PDR)蛋白是该家族中仅存于植物和真菌中的一个亚族,结构域与其他亚族相反,即核苷酸结合域(nucleotide-binding domain,NBD)位于跨膜结构域(trans-membrane domain,TMD)的N端。目前已发现PDR型转运蛋白具有转运次生代谢产物和参与胁迫反应等方面的功能。植物PDR基因分为5个亚族:I族基因涉及多种生物和非生物胁迫反应,II￣V族基因功能研究甚少。植物PDR基因在器官水平、化学及环境因素影响下具有特异性较好的表达谱。本文系统阐述了植物PDR型转运蛋白基因的进化、结构及其功能,为理解植物PDR型转运蛋白在生物分子转运和复杂生理功能方面提供一个基础框架。     

水稻锌指蛋白基因OsBBX6的克隆、表达及生物信息学分析

锌指蛋白作为植物体内一类重要的转录因子,对植物生长发育、基因调控以及响应外界环境变化方面发挥重要作用。Os BBX6基因属于水稻锌指蛋白B-Box基因家族成员,启动子元件分析发现其含有高温应答元件(HSE)、干旱应答元件(MBS)及非生物胁迫响应元件(TC-rich repeats)等逆境相关元件。组织特异性定量表达分析表明,Os BBX6在叶片中表达最高,根其次,茎和幼穗中表达最低。胁迫处理后的荧光定量PCR发现其受低温诱导上调,受高温、干旱、盐胁迫等抑制表达,表明其正向响应低温胁迫,负向响应高温、干旱、盐胁迫等。另外,本研究还克隆了OsBBX6基因,并对其进行了系统进化、蛋白跨膜、蛋白亚细胞定位及OsBBX6基因共表达等分析,为进一步研究其生物学功能奠定基础。     

脯氨酸转运相关基因的研究进展

作为植物中普遍存在的一种逆境适应机制, 脯氨酸积累一直被认为是其合成和降解调控的结果。然而越来越多的研究表明, 脯氨酸转运也可能在其积累过程中起重要作用。在植物中, 有多个氨基酸转运蛋白家族, 如氨基酸通透酶家族(AAPs)、赖氨酸组氨酸转运蛋白家族(LHTs)和脯氨酸转运蛋白家族(ProTs)参与脯氨酸在各个器官间的运输。该文对参与脯氨酸运输的基因家族成员的表达模式、生理功能及表达调控进行了综述, 以期为脯氨酸运输与积累在植物抗逆方面的研究提供参考。     

植物多药和有毒化合物排出转运蛋白研究进展

植物在生长及适应环境的过程中会吸收很多有益或有害的物质,自身也会产生大量代谢物,植物对这些物质的转运是植物生长发育及适应环境的重要环节,有多种转运蛋白家族参与其中。多药和有毒化合物排出转运蛋白(MATEs)是生物体中重要的转运蛋白家族之一,而植物中MATE基因的丰富程度要远远高于其他生物。根据植物MATEs的蛋白结构,这些基因被分为4个主要的亚家族,即MATE I,MATEⅡ,MATEⅢ和MATE IV。同一亚家族或同一MATE基因簇的基因还具有相同或相似的功能。植物MATEs定位于细胞的各种生物膜上,如细胞质膜、液泡膜、高尔基膜及囊泡膜等。此外,一些MATEs的表达还具有组织特异性,它们转运的底物也具有多样性和特异性,使得MATEs呈现出多种生物学功能。它们在外源性物质的排出、次生代谢产物的转运和累积、铁转运、铝脱毒和植物激素信号传递及植物的抗病性等方面都起着重要作用。该文对MATEs的发现、基因分类、亚细胞定位及生理功能等方面进行了概述,对深入研究该基因家族提供了思路,对该基因家族的应用进行了展望。     

茉莉酸信号受体COI蛋白家族的分子进化与基因表达分析

茉莉酸(Jasmonic acid,JA)存在于所有高等植物中,是植物对病原微生物和虫害防御反应的关键激素。在茉莉酸信号转导中,COI1(COR-insensitive 1)作为茉莉酸信号受体蛋白在其中发挥关键作用。本研究采用生物信息学方法,从藻类、苔藓类、蕨类、裸子及单、双子叶植物多谱系对COI蛋白家族进行比较基因组学研究,并取得以下结果:(1)同源基因鉴定结果发现,在所选的7种陆生植物中一共鉴定了55个COIs同源基因,然而,在低等的水生植物包括绿藻类(Chlorophytes)、红藻类(Rhodophytes)、硅藻类(Bacillariophytes)、灰胞藻类(Glaucophytes)及褐藻类(Phaeophytes)等基因组中均未发现其同源基因;(2)系统进化树分析表明,植物COI蛋白家族可以分为4个保守的亚家族,且在陆生植物扩增的同时可能已发生功能分化;(3)基因结构分析显示,植物COI家族基因结构表现多样性,主要体现在内含子的数目和长度上;(4)基因表达数据提示,COI基因家族成员参与植物生长发育的多个时期,且在不同组织器官以及不同的胁迫应答反应中发挥不同的作用。以上结果将为植物COI基因家族的深入研究提供参考。     

拟南芥Rboh基因家族成员的分子和功能学比较（英文）

活性氧(reactive oxygen species,ROS)在植物的信号转导中起着重要的作用。它们参与了植物的生长发育,生物及非生物胁迫和细胞死亡等过程。最近的研究发现呼吸爆发氧化酶(Respiratory burst oxidase homologues,Rboh)是植物ROS的主要生产者。拟南芥Rboh基因家族由10个成员组成,他们编码的蛋白包含6个跨膜结构域、以及C末端的FAD与NADPH亲水结构域和N末端的2个Ca2+结合EF手性结构。本文通过聚类分析发现拟南芥Rboh基因家族成员的三个分枝具有高度的同源性,这说明拟南芥Rboh家族成员间可能存在功能冗余。利用RT-PCR分析了各基因成员的时空表达特性,并对整个家族成员的缺失突变体进行表型分析发现,除了rboh C外,都没有明显的表型变化,这说明拟南芥Rboh C可能在植物发育过程中具有特殊的功能。     

植物ASR蛋白的研究进展

ASR(abscisic acid,stress,ripening)蛋白是植物特有的一类蛋白质家族。ASR基因在成熟果实中表达,也受脱落酸和胁迫诱导在营养组织中表达。现对ASR基因家族的发现和进化、时空表达和ASR蛋白的特性及亚细胞定位等进行综述,特别对ASR蛋白抗非生物胁迫功能及其可能的分子机制进行了总结,旨在为ASR蛋白的农业应用提供新思路。     

Myb Genes in Ciliates: A Common Origin with the myb Protooncogene?

In animals, the protooncogene myb family is characterized by a DNA-binding domain (so-called MYB domain), which consists of 3 imperfect tandem repeats of a helix-turn-helix motif. Homologous genes have been characterized in plants and also in Dictyostelium discoideum. However, in plants, the myb family is more diverse and displays 2 types of MYB domains: the animal-like 3 repeats (MYB-3R) and the 2 repeats (MYB-2R) domains. The question is therefore raised as to the putative existence of genes with MYB-3R and/or MYB-2R domains in their last common unicellular ancestor. Here, we present evidence that in ciliates like in plants, both types of domain exist. A gene having a MYB-3R domain has been identified in the oxytrichid Sterkiella histriomuscorum and a gene having a MYB-2R domain has been identified in the euplotid Euplotes aediculatus. Both genes are expressed during the vegetative growth of the cells. A conserved intron exists in the gene of Sterkiella and phylogenetical analyses show that the 2 ciliate genes belong to the myb protooncogene family as deeply split lineages. This is the first report of a myb homolog in a ciliated protist, thus, confirming its origin in strict unicellular eukaryotes.     

Expression and genome-wide analysis of the xylogen-type gene family

In higher plants, many extracellular proteins are involved in developmental processes, including cell-cell signaling and cell wall construction. Xylogen is an extracellular arabinogalactan protein (AGP) isolated from Zinnia elegans xylogenic culture medium, which promotes xylem cell differentiation. Xylogen has a unique structure, containing a non-specific lipid transfer protein (nsLTP) domain and AGP domains. We searched for xylogen-type genes in the genomes of land plants, including Arabidopsis thaliana, to further our knowledge of xylogen-type genes as functional extracellular proteins in plants. We found that many xylogen-type genes, including 13 Arabidopsis genes, comprise a gene family in land plants, including Populus trichocarpa, Vitis vinifera, Lotus japonicus, Oryza sativa, Selaginella moellendorffii and Physcomitrella patens. The genes shared an N-terminal signal peptide sequence, a distinct nsLTP domain, one or more AGP domains and a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored sequence. We analyzed transgenic plants harboring promoter::GUS (β-glucuronidase) constructs to test expression of the 13 Arabidopsis xylogen-type genes, and detected a diversity of gene family members with related expression patterns. AtXYP2 was the best candidate as the Arabidopsis counterpart of the Zinnia xylogen gene. We observed two distinct expression patterns for several genes, with some anther specific and others preferentially expressed in the endodermis/pericycle. We conclude that xylogen-type genes, which may have diverse functions, form a novel chimeric AGP gene family with a distinct nsLTP domain.     

Genomewide comparative phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary analysis of tubby-like protein family in Arabidopsis, rice, and poplar

Tubby-like proteins, which are characterized by a highly conserved tubby domain, play an important role in the maintenance and function of neuronal cells during postdifferentiation and development in mammals. In additional to the tubby domain, most tubby-like proteins in plants also possess an F-box domain. Plants also appear to harbor a large number of TLP genes. To gain insight into how TLP genes evolved in plants, we conducted a comparative phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary analysis of the tubby-like protein gene family in Arabidopsis, rice, and poplar. Genomewide screening identified 11 TLP genes in Arabidopsis, 14 in rice, and 11 in poplar. Phylogenetic trees, domain organizations, and intron/exon structures classified this family into three subfamilies and indicated that species-specific expansion contributed to the evolution of this family in plants. We determined that in rice and poplar, the tubby-like protein family had expanded mainly through segmental duplication events. Tissue-specific expression analysis indicated that functional diversification of the duplicated TLP genes was a major feature of long-term evolution. Our results also demonstrated that the tubby and F-box domains had co-evolved during the evolution of proteins containing both domains.     

High-multiplicity of chitinase genes in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).

Six different genes for chitinase from ordered cosmids of the chromosome of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) were identified by hybridization, using the chitinase genes from other Streptomyces spp. as probes, and cloned. The genes were sequenced and analyzed. The genes, together with an additional chitinase gene obtained from the data bank, can be classified into either family 18 or family 19 of the glycosyl hydrolase classification. The five chitinases that fall into family 18 show diversity in their multiple domain structures as well as in the amino acid sequences of their catalytic domains. The remaining two chitinases are members of family 19 chitinases, since their C-terminus shares more than 70% identity with the catalytic domain of ChiC of Streptomyces griseus, the sole gene for family 19 chitinase so far found in an organism other than higher plants.