反义RNA 技术在花色育种中的应用

反义RNA技术是用反义RNA链去抑制靶基因的活性, 从而达到对目的基因调控的一项分子生物学技术。该项技术应用于观赏植物的花色育种已有16年的历史并且取得了一定的成就。到目前为止, 已经利用该技术对14种花卉花色形成过程中的3大类基因进行了正义和反义导入, 获得了花色改变的转基因植株。本文简要回顾了反义RNA技术的产生与发展, 并在介绍花色形成的分子生物学的基础上, 综述 了国际园艺育种中利用反义RNA技术调控花色基因表达的研究进展, 以期为花色改良的分子育种提供参考资料。     

反义RNA及其在植物基因工程领域的应用

随着反义RNA的发现及对其研究的深入,反义RNA技术已被广泛应用于基因调控的研究中。本介绍了反义RNA的概念,并就反义RNA的作用机理和在植物基因工程领域的应用进行了综述。其作用机理包括：在原核生物中反义RNA与引物RNA前体及mRNA分子5′的不同区域进行互补,从而抑制其复制、转录和翻译;在其核生物中反义RNA影响mRNA前体拼接、转移及mRNA分子5′和3′正常修饰。在植物基因工程领域,反义RNA主要应用于抑制果实成熟、抗病、作为反向筛选标记基因、控制花色、控制淀粉合成、控制油料种子中脂肪酸的合成、控制雄性不育等方面。     

反义基因技术及其在植物研究上的应用

介绍了反义基因的概念、分子生物学基础以及作用原理,对反义基因技术及其在现代植物研究中的应用进行了概述.反义基因在调控果实成熟、改良作物品质、获得作物雄性不育系、改变植物花色、增强植物抗病性和研究未知基因的功能等方面具有重要的作用.并对反义基因技术的应用进行了展望.     

真核基因反义RNA研究进展

反义RNA是指能与特定mRNA互补的RNA片段。本文介绍了近年来真核基因反义RNA研究的一些进展,包括不同基因反义RNA的作用,反义RNA抑制作用的特点,以及反义RNA的抑制机理。反义RNA对基因表达具有高度专一性的调控作用,因此可利用它研究特定基因在细胞生长、分化中的作用,同时,反义RNA系统也可用于抑制有害基因的表达,从而为治疗提供新的途径。     

反义技术应用在细菌代谢调控中的研究进展

随着基因工程技术的蓬勃发展和代谢调控研究的深入,反义技术作为一种温和调控的基因工程技术,开始向世人展示其无穷的魅力.与基因敲除等功能缺失性研究方法相比,反义技术具有投入少、周期短、操作简单等优点,受到广泛的关注,成为细菌代谢调控的有力工具.以下对反义RNA、反义寡核苷酸,核酶这几种反义技术在细菌代谢工程操作中的研究进展及存在的问题进行了概述.     

反义RNA技术在丝状真菌代谢工程中的应用

丝状真菌作为一种重要的工业微生物,采用各种表达调控技术对其代谢途径进行改造以便适应生产需求成为当前的研究热点之一。反义RNA技术是代谢工程中调控基因表达的一种重要手段,且由于其操作简单避免了基因敲除技术的复杂性,在丝状真菌体系中有着良好的应用前景。本综述中,从反义RNA的作用机理、真菌体系的基因工程技术以及目前反义RNA技术的应用等方面,对反义RNA技术在丝状真菌代谢工程中的应用进行了概述。     

拟南芥ASK1与COI1形成蛋白复合体并调控雄性不育

茉莉素(茉莉酸及其衍生物)是一类新的植物激素, 对植物的生长发育以及调控植物抗性起重要作用. COI1基因已被证明介导茉莉素所调控的植物育性和抗性. 用生物化学和分子生物学手段, 证明了ASK1与F-box蛋白COI1发生相互作用, 并在植物体内形成蛋白复合体. 利用反义RNA策略进行功能分析, 表明ASK1调控植物的雄性不育. 这为阐明茉莉素调控植物生长发育的分子机理提供了重要线索.     

蓝色花形成的基因工程进展与育种策略

蓝色花观赏价值高,花色成因复杂。目前,在蓝色花色形成机理和基因工程育种研究方面取得了大量的研究进展。综述了蓝色花形成的化学、生理学和分子生物学机理,利用基因工程技术培育蓝色花的育种实践:包括转入花青素苷合成途径上的关键酶基因,抑制内源竞争酶基因,转入液泡pH值调节基因和金属离子转运蛋白基因等。在此基础上总结出几种蓝色花基因工程育种的基本策略,以期为蓝色花基因工程育种提供参考。     

反义技术及其在肿瘤研究中的应用

反义技术(antisense technology)是近几年发展起来的一种分子生物学新技术,研究表明,它是分析基因结构、功能及表达调控的有效方法,为了解肿瘤的发生机制并从基因水平根治肿瘤提供了一种可能的途径。 1 反义技术的发展历史及基本概念 80年代初,人们发现原核生物中存在着反义现象,如细菌可以通过一些小的互补RNA分子来调节     

花色改造基因工程

自1987年世界首例成功运用转基因技术改造矮牵牛花色以来,花色改造基因工程技术不断展现它在培育新花色品系上的无穷魅力。介绍了近年来运用基因工程技术成功改造花色的3种主要策略:(1)采用反义RNA及共抑制的方法来改变花颜色的深浅;(2)通过导入新基因产生新奇花色;(3)利用转座子构建特殊表达载体,随机激活花色合成的基因来产生嵌合花色。此外,还对转基因株花色不稳定原因进行了讨论。     

Flower color modulations of Torenia hybrida by downregulation of chalcone synthase genes with RNA interference

Suppression of biosynthetic genes involved in flower color formation is an important approach for obtaining target flower colors. Here we report that flower color of the garden plant Torenia hybrida was successfully modulated by RNA interference (RNAi) against a gene of chalcone synthase (CHS), a key enzyme for anthocyanin and flavonoid biosynthesis. By using each of the coding region and the 3'-untranslated region of the CHS mRNA as an RNAi target, exhaustive and gene-specific gene silencing were successfully induced, and the original blue flower color was modulated to white and pale colors, respectively. Our results indicate that RNAi is quite useful for modulations of flower colors of commercially important garden plants.     

花色素苷生物合成及花色的调控

近年来,花色研究工作备受关注。对于园艺学来说,要培育出自然界中原本没有的新颖花色,很有必要弄清控制花色形成的各种因素。随着分子生物学技术的迅速发展,对花色形成机制的研究已经深入到分子水平,本文主要介绍了花色素的合成与转运、液泡pH值、辅助色素和金属离子对花色的调控。     

Flower Color Modification by Engineering of the Flavonoid Biosynthetic Pathway: Practical Perspectives

The status quo of flavonoid biosynthesis as it relates to flower color is reviewed together with a success in modifying flower color by genetic engineering. Flavonoids and their colored class compounds, anthocyanins, are major contributors to flower color. Many plant species synthesize limited kinds of flavonoids, and thus exhibit a limited range of flower color. Since genes regulating flavonoid biosynthesis are available, it is possible to alter flower color by overexpressing heterologous genes and/or down regulating endogenous genes. Transgenic carnations and a transgenic rose that accumulate delphinidin as a result of expressing a flavonoid 3′,5′-hydroxylase gene and have novel blue hued flowers have been commercialized. Transgenic Nierembergia accumulating pelargonidin, with novel pink flowers, has also been developed. Although it is possible to generate white, yellow, and pink-flowered torenia plants from blue cultivars by genetic engineering, field trial observations indicate difficulty in obtaining stable phenotypes.     

Variation in context‐dependent foraging behavior across pollinators

Pollinator foraging behavior has direct consequences for plant reproduction and has been implicated in driving floral trait evolution. Exploring the degree to which pollinators exhibit flexibility in foraging behavior will add to a mechanistic understanding of how pollinators can impose selection on plant traits. Although plants have evolved suites of floral traits to attract pollinators, flower color is a particularly important aspect of the floral display. Some pollinators show strong innate color preference, but many pollinators display flexibility in preference due to learning associations between rewards and color, or due to variable perception of color in different environments or plant communities. This study examines the flexibility in flower color preference of two groups of native butterfly pollinators under natural field conditions. We find that pipevine swallowtails (Battus philenor) and skippers (family Hesperiidae), the predominate pollinators of the two native Texas Phlox species, Phlox cuspidata and Phlox drummondii, display distinct patterns of color preferences across different contexts. Pipevine swallowtails exhibit highly flexible color preferences and likely utilize other floral traits to make foraging decisions. In contrast, skippers have consistent color preferences and likely use flower color as a primary cue for foraging. As a result of this variation in color preference flexibility, the two pollinator groups impose concordant selection on flower color in some contexts but discordant selection in other contexts. This variability could have profound implications for how flower traits respond to pollinator‐mediated selection. Our findings suggest that studying dynamics of behavior in natural field conditions is important for understanding plant–pollinator interactions.     

Genetic engineering of flavonoid pigments to modify flower color in floricultural plants

Recent advances in genetic transformation techniques enable the production of desirable and novel flower colors in some important floricultural plants. Genetic engineering of novel flower colors is now a practical technology as typified by commercialization of a transgenic blue rose and blue carnation. Many researchers exploit knowledge of flavonoid biosynthesis effectively to obtain unique flower colors. So far, the main pigments targeted for flower color modification are anthocyanins that contribute to a variety of colors such as red, pink and blue, but recent studies have also utilized colorless or faint-colored compounds. For example, chalcones and aurones have been successfully engineered to produce yellow flowers, and flavones and flavonols used to change flower color hues. In this review, we summarize examples of successful flower color modification in floricultural plants focusing on recent advances in techniques.     

观赏植物花色基因工程研究进展

花色是观赏植物的重要性状,创造新花色是花卉育种的主要目标之一。基因工程技术在观赏植物花色育种上可弥补传统育种技术的缺陷,因此它在花色育种方面的研究和应用发展迅速。本文从花的成色作用和花色素种类人手,介绍了花色苷的生物合成,并从花色基因的种类和克隆、花色基因工程操作的策略和方法等角度综述了近年来观赏植物花色基因工程的研究进展。同时对我国观赏植物花色基因工程的前景作一展望。     

观赏植物花色基因工程研究进展

花色是观赏植物的重要性状,创造新花色是花卉育种的主要目标之一。基因工程技术 在观赏植物花色育种上可弥补传统育种技术的缺陷,因此它在花色育种方面的研究和应用发 展迅速。本文从花的成色作用和花色素种类入手,介绍了花色苷的生物合成,并从花色基因 的种类和克隆、花色基因工程操作的策略和方法等角度综述了近年来观赏植物花色基因工程 的研究进展。同时对我国观赏植物花色基因工程的前景作一展望。     

Hummingbird color preference within a natural hybrid population of Mimulus aurantiacus (Phrymaceae)

Hummingbird flowers are typically red in color but the reasons for this are not well understood. Relatively few studies have examined hummingbird flower color preferences under natural conditions in which flower color varies within a species. We recorded hummingbird visitation rates to flowers that vary in color from yellow to red in a natural hybrid population between red‐ and yellow‐flowered Mimulus aurantiacus subspecies. We also examined whether there were any correlations between color and flower size or nectar content. Finally, we reviewed the literature on hummingbird color choice tests using feeders and flowers. There were no correlations in this population between flower color and flower size, nectar volume, or sugar concentration. Nevertheless, hummingbirds undervisited the two most yellow color classes, overvisited orange flowers, and visited the two most red color classes in proportion to their frequency in the population. While Hummingbirds preferred flowers expressing red pigments to those that did not, the flowers with the most red hue were not the most attractive, as has been observed in similar studies with other species of Mimulus. While feeder studies generally fail to show hummingbird preference for red, all studies using flowers, including those that control all floral traits other than color, find consistent preference for red. Experiments are suggested that might help disentangle hypotheses for why hummingbirds exhibit this preference.     

Pollinator preference and pollen viability mediated by flower color synergistically determine seed set in an Alpine annual herb

Gentiana leucomelaena manifests dramatic flower color polymorphism, with both blue‐ and white‐flowered individuals (pollinated by flies and bees) both within a population and on an individual plant. Previous studies of this species have shown that pollinator preference and flower temperature change as a function of flower color throughout the flowering season. However, few if any studies have explored the effects of flower color on both pollen viability (mediated by anther temperature) and pollinator preference on reproductive success (seed set) in a population or on individual plants over the course of the entire flowering season. Based on prior observations, we hypothesized that flower color affects both pollen viability (as a function of anther temperature) and pollen deposition (as a function of pollinator preference) to synergistically determine reproductive success during the peak of the flowering season. This hypothesis was tested by field observations and hand pollination experiments in a Tibetan alpine meadow. Generalized linear model and path analyses showed that pollen viability was determined by flower color, flowering season, and anther temperature. Anther temperature correlated positively with pollen viability during the peak of the early flowering season, but negatively affected pollen viability during the peak of the mid‐ to late flowering season. Pollen deposition was determined by flower color, flowering season (early, or mid‐ to late season), and pollen viability. Pollen viability and pollen deposition were affected by flower color that in turn affected seed set across the peak of the flowering season (i.e., when the greatest number of flowers were being pollinated). Hand pollination experiments showed that pollen viability and pollen deposition directly influenced seed set. These data collectively indicate that the preference of pollinators for flower color and pollen viability changed during the flowering season in a manner that optimizes successful reproduction in G. leucomelaena. This study is one of a few that have simultaneously considered the effects of both pollen viability and pollen deposition on reproductive success in the same population and on individual plants.