烟草乙烯受体类似物NTHK2全长基因的克隆及其激酶结构域生化特性

应用5＇-RACE方法克隆到烟草NTHK2的全长cDNA.其全长cDNA共有3 216bp,其中5'非编码区为509bp,3＇非编码区为427bp,编码区为2 280bp,编码产物为760个氨基酸.NTHK2氨基酸序列与植物中的许多杂合型的两组分乙烯受体基因有较高的同源性,具有推测的组氨酸激酶结构域和接受域;但是,在激酶结构域中没有保守的组氨酸,而是被一个天冬氨酸残基所替代.为了研究其生化特性,在酵母中以融合蛋白的形式表达了激酶结构域.体外激酶分析表明,当有Mg2+存在的情况下NTHK2能够自我磷酸化.进一步的研究应阐明NTHK2在植物体内是否能够作为乙烯受体,参与乙烯的信号传导过程.     

烟草乙烯受体类似物NTHK2全长基因的克隆及其激酶结构域生化特性

应用5′-ARCE方法克隆到烟草NTHK2的全长cDNA。其全长cDNA共有3216bp,其中5′非编码区为509bp,3′非编码区为427bp,编码区为2280bp,编码产物为760个氨基酸。NTHK2氨基酸序列与植物中的许多杂合型的两组分乙烯受体基因有较高的同源性,具有推测的组氨酸激酶结构域和接受域。但是,在激酶结构域中没有保守的组氨酸,而是被一个天冬氨酸残基所替代。为了研究其生化特性,在酵母中以融合蛋白的形式表达了激酶结构域,体外激酶分析表明,当有Mg^2 存在的情况下NTHK2能够自我磷酸化。进一步的研究应阐明NTHK2在植物体内是否能够作为乙烯受体。参与乙烯的信号传导过程。     

番茄乙烯受体结构和功能研究进展

综述了近年来番茄乙烯受体研究方面的最新进展。以拟南芥的乙类受体为探针,从番茄加筛选得到Le-ETR1、Le-ETR2、Le-ETR3、Le-ETR4、Le-ETR55个有功能的乙烯受体基因。番茄乙类受体与细菌的双组分感受系统高度相似,同乙烯结合需要铜离子的协同作用。植物株发育期间通过激活某些受体基因的表达和（或）控制铜离子的转运调节乙烯敏感性。调节乙烯受体表达的基因工程显示了广阔的前景。但各个受体的功能及基因分析与活体标记的关系还需进一步研究。     

芍药乙烯受体PlETR1基因过表达载体的构建及烟草转化

芍药是乙烯敏感型花卉,乙烯受体感知并传导乙烯信号,在乙烯信号转导途径中发挥重要作用。芍药PlETR1基因cDNA全长序列已分离,为了鉴定芍药PlETR1基因的功能,本研究基于PlETR1基因和表达载体序列,应用Primer Premier 5.0软件设计了一对特异性PCR引物,采用RT-PCR技术扩增出了PlETR1编码区片段,进一步构建了芍药PlETR1基因过表达载体。基于优化的模式植物烟草的组培体系和筛选出的潮霉素抗性浓度,应用农杆菌介导的叶盘法开展了芍药PlETR1基因转化烟草的研究,对转基因抗性烟草植株进行了PCR检测,结果表明HPT基因和芍药PlETR1基因已导入到烟草基因组中,且芍药PlETR1基因转录表达成功,为下一步鉴定芍药PlETR1基因的功能提供科学依据。     

水稻乙烯受体类似物基因的克隆及其表达特性

乙烯在植物的生长发育以及对逆境的反应中起着重要作用. 乙烯受体基因在拟南芥、 烟草和番茄等双子叶植物中已有一些研究, 但到目前为止还没有见到关于单子叶植物乙烯受体研究的报道. 我们从水稻中克隆了一个乙烯受体基因OSPK2, 发现它所编码的蛋白与双子叶植物的乙烯受体有所不同. OSPK2的N端较长, 其后是3个跨膜区、一个GAF结构域、一个推测的激酶结构域和接受器结构域. 虽然大多数的结构域都是保守的, 但预期的磷酸化位点His和磷酸基团接受位点Asp在OSPK2中分别被Gln和Asn取代. 这一事实说明, OSPK2可能不是以组氨酸激酶的磷酸转移方式进行作用, 而是以其他的机制, 如具有丝/苏激酶的活性. 应用RT-PCR方法对不同条件下OSPK2基因的表达进行了研究, 结果表明, OSPK2受伤害和PEG处理诱导, 但盐及ABA处理对其没有显著影响. OSPK2基因的差异表达可能反映了它在介导不同非生物逆境反应中的作用, 这与我们以前关于烟草乙烯受体的研究结果是一致的.     

秀珍菇乙烯受体基因克隆及其在1-MCP保鲜处理下的表达

本研究通过生物信息与分子生物学手段,对秀珍菇乙烯受体基因进行克隆,并用荧光定量PCR检测1-MCP处理前后秀珍菇乙烯受体基因的表达情况。本研究克隆到1个秀珍菇可靠的乙烯受体基因PpuETR1,该基因编码的氨基酸序列含有保守的组氨酸激酶结构域,与双孢蘑菇的组氨酸蛋白激酶感应蛋白和植物的同源乙烯受体同源。该基因在1-MCP处理后表达量受到了明显的抑制,在贮藏期间均呈下调表达,这从分子水平上说明1-MCP抑制了乙烯受体基因的表达,从而减缓了乙烯信号通路对秀珍菇成熟衰老作用。实验结果为1-MCP对秀珍菇的保鲜作用机理研究提供了一定的数据支持。     

甜瓜乙烯受体基因Cm-ETR1 cDNA的克隆及表达特性分析

乙烯感知和信号转导的初始成分是乙烯受体,为探明甜瓜乙烯受体基因Cm-ETR1在甜瓜果实成熟过程中的作用,以甜瓜品种河套蜜瓜为材料,根据GenBank中登录的甜瓜乙烯受体基因Cm-ETR1的cDNA序列(登录号为AF054806),设计合成特异性引物,采用RT-PCR技术克隆得到Cm-ETR1基因全长cDNA序列,提交到GenBank中(登录号为EF495185)。序列分析表明,序列长度为2 256 bp,编码区为2 223 bp,编码740个氨基酸,与已报道的cantalupenis甜瓜ETR1基因的cDNA序列完全一致。Cm-ETR1蛋白的系统进化树分析结果表明,该乙烯受体蛋白在各物种间高度保守,与黄瓜乙烯受体蛋白相似性最高,一致性为99%,与龙眼乙烯受体蛋白相似性最低,一致性为86%。定量PCR分析结果显示,随着甜瓜果实内源乙烯合成量和成熟程度的增加,Cm-ETR1基因的表达量同步增加,在果实乙烯跃变期,Cm-ETR1的表达量也达到最高值,内源乙烯合成量与Cm-ETR1基因表达量间呈显著正相关,表明Cm-ETR1基因在甜瓜果实成熟过程中可能具有重要的作用。     

乙烯对蜡梅切花开放衰老及乙烯受体基因表达的影响

为探索乙烯是否参与蜡梅花朵开放衰老进程的调控,利用气相色谱法测定分析不同发育阶段花朵的乙烯释放情况,同时分析乙烯、1-甲基环丙烯(1-MCP)处理对切花开放衰老进程和乙烯受体基因表达的影响。结果表明:蜡梅花朵开放衰老过程中有微量乙烯的产生,在盛开期出现峰值;外源乙烯显著加快了花朵开放衰老进程,缩短切花瓶插寿命1.9 d,而1-MCP处理则延长瓶插寿命2.4 d;存在受乙烯和1-MCP影响其在蜡梅花朵中表达的乙烯受体基因成员CpETR-1、CpETR-2、CpETR-3,且3个基因的转录水平变化与开放衰老进程关联较为紧密。说明蜡梅乙烯释放量虽然很低,但乙烯参与了蜡梅花朵开放和衰老的调控,影响其进程和相关乙烯受体基因的表达。     

水杨酸和乙烯对依赖于Cf基因的过敏坏死的调控作用

通过农杆菌(Agrobacterium tumefaciens)介导的方法将互补Aνr/Cf基因对同时在烟草叶片中表达,可以导致过敏性坏死反应。以水杨酸积累缸失型nahC和乙烯不应型etr1-1转基因烟草植株为材料,对水杨酸和乙烯在依赖于番茄Cf-4和Cf—9基因的过敏坏死中的调控作用进行了比较研究。结果表明,nahG植株产生的依赖于Cf-4的过敏坏死反应强度与野生型相似,依赖于Cf—9的坏死反应则明显轻于野生型。转etr1—1基因植株产生的依赖于Cf-4和Cf—9的坏死反应均轻于野生型,与依赖于Cf-4的坏死反应相比,转基因植株中依赖于Cf—9的坏死反应比野生型的减轻程度更显著。这些结果说明水杨酸可能对依赖于Cf—9的过敏坏死起重要调控作用,但对依赖于Cf-4的无此作用;而乙烯则对两者依赖性过敏坏死均起调控作用。     

乙烯受体在果实成熟及花衰老中的研究进展

乙烯受体是乙烯信号转导网络的第一个转导元件,通过调控受体基因的表达,可以调节植物对乙烯的敏感性,以调控果实的成熟及花衰老进程的响应。随着人们对乙烯受体研究的深入,乙烯受体突变体及受体抑制剂在采后果实和切花保鲜上的应用已受到广泛关注。就近年来关于乙烯受体的相关研究进展进行综述,重点介绍了乙烯受体的分子调控机制及乙烯受体在果实成熟和花衰老中的应用,并对今后乙烯受体的研究方向作了展望,以期为进一步研究提供参考。     

Evidence for serine/threonine and histidine kinase activity in the tobacco ethylene receptor protein NTHK2

Ethylene plays important roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. Two ethylene receptors, ETR1 from Arabidopsis and NTHK1 from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), have been found to have His kinase (HK) activity and Ser/Thr kinase activity, respectively, although both show similarity to bacterial two-component HK. Here, we report the characterization of another ethylene receptor homolog gene, NTHK2, from tobacco. This gene also encodes a HK-like protein and is induced by dehydration and CaCl(2) but not significantly affected by NaCl and abscisic acid treatments. The biochemical properties of the yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe)-expressed NTHK2 domains were further characterized. We found that NTHK2 possessed Ser/Thr kinase activity in the presence of Mn(2+) and had HK activity in the presence of Ca(2+). Several lines of evidence supported this conclusion, including hydrolytic stability, phosphoamino acid analysis, mutation, deletion, and substrate analysis. These properties have implications in elucidation of the complexity of the ethylene signal transduction pathway and understanding of ethylene functions in plants.     

Expression of tobacco ethylene receptor NTHK1 alters plant responses to salt stress

Ethylene has been regarded as a stress hormone involved in many stress responses. However, ethylene receptors have not been studied for the roles they played under salt stress condition. Previously, we characterized an ethylene receptor gene NTHK1 from tobacco, and found that NTHK1 is salt-inducible. Here, we report a further investigation towards the function of NTHK1 in response to salt stress by using a transgenic approach. We found that NTHK1 promotes leaf growth in the transgenic tobacco seedlings but affects salt sensitivity in these transgenic seedlings under salt stress condition. Differential Na+/K+ ratio was observed in the control Xanthi and NTHK1-transgenic plants after salt stress treatment. We further found that the NTHK1 transgene is also salt-inducible in the transgenic plants, and the higher NTHK1 expression results in early inductions of the ACC (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid) oxidase gene NtACO3 and ethylene responsive factor (ERF) genes NtERF1 and NtERF4 under salt stress. However, NTHK1 suppresses the salt-inducible expression of the ACC synthase gene NtACS1. These results indicate that NTHK1 regulates salt stress responses by affecting ion accumulation and related gene expressions, and hence have significance in elucidation of ethylene receptor functions during stress signal transduction.     

Serine/threonine kinase activity in the putative histidine kinase-like ethylene receptor NTHK1 from tobacco

A histidine kinase-based signaling system has been proposed to function in ethylene signal transduction pathway of plants and one ethylene receptor has been found to possess His kinase activity. Here we demonstrate that a His kinase-like ethylene receptor homologue NTHK1 from tobacco has serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) kinase activity, but no His kinase activity. Evidence obtained by analyzing acid/base stability, phosphoamino acid and substrate specificity of the phosphorylated kinase domain, supports this conclusion. In addition, mutation of the presumptive phosphorylation site His (H378) to Gln did not affect the kinase activity whereas deletion of the ATP-binding domain eliminated it, indicating that the conserved His (H378) is not required for the kinase activity and this activity is intrinsic to the NTHK1-KD. Moreover, confocal analysis of NTHK1 expression in insect cells and plant cells suggested the plasma membrane localization of the NTHK1 protein. Thus, NTHK1 may represent a distinct Ser/Thr kinase-type ethylene receptor and function in an alternative mechanism for ethylene signal transduction.     

Roles of ethylene receptor NTHK1 domains in plant growth, stress response and protein phosphorylation

Ethylene receptors sense ethylene and regulate downstream signaling events. Tobacco ethylene receptor NTHK1, possessing Ser/Thr kinase activity, has been found to function in plant growth and salt-stress responses. NTHK1 contains transmembrane domains, a GAF domain, a kinase domain and a receiver domain. We examined roles of these domains in regulation of plant leaf growth, salt-stress responses and salt-responsive gene expressions using an overexpression approach. We found that the transgenic Arabidopsis plants harboring the transmembrane domain plus kinase domain exhibited large rosettes, had reduction in ethylene sensitivity, and showed enhanced salt sensitivity. The transgenic plants harboring the transmembrane domain plus GAF domain also showed larger rosettes. Truncations of NTHK1 affected salt-induced gene expressions. Transmembrane domain plus kinase domain promoted RD21A and VSP2 expression but decreased salt-induction of AtNAC2. The kinase domain itself promoted AtERF4 gene expression. The GAF domain itself enhanced Cor6.6 induction. Moreover, the NTHK1 functional kinase domain phosphorylated the HIS and ATP subdomains, and five putative phosphorylation sites were identified in these two subdomains. In addition, the salt-responsive element of the NTHK1 gene was in the transmembrane-coding region but not in the promoter region. These results indicate that NTHK1 domains or combination of them have specific functions in plant leaf growth, salt-stress response, gene expression and protein phosphorylation.     

Spatial expression and characterization of a putative ethylene receptor protein NTHK1 in tobacco

A putative ethylene receptor gene NTHK1 encodes a protein with a putative signal peptide, three transmembrane segments, a putative histidine kinase domain and a putative receiver domain. The receiver domain was expressed in an Escherichia coli expression system, purified and used to generate polyclonal antibodies for immunohistochemistry analysis. The spatial expression of the NTHK1 protein was then investigated. We found that NTHK1 was abundant during flower and ovule development. It was also expressed in glandular hairs, stem, and in leaves that had been wounded. The NTHK1 gene was further introduced into the tobacco plant and we found that, in different transgenic lines, the NTHK1 gene was transcribed to various degrees. Upon ACC treatment, the etiolated transgenic seedlings showed reduced ethylene sensitivity when compared with the control, indicating that NTHK1 is a functional ethylene receptor in plants.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of a cDNA for a novel ethylene receptor, NT-ERS1, of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)

The cDNA encoding a novel member (NT-ERS1) of ethylene receptor family of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) was obtained by a combination of RT-PCR and 5'-/3'-RACE cloning. The cDNA was 2,092 nucleotides long and had an open reading frame of 1,911 bp encoding 637 amino acids. The deduced polypeptide lacked a response regulator domain, indicating that the ethylene receptor belongs to an ERS-group. The amino acid sequence was similar to respective members of the tobacco ethylene receptor family: 67.8% to NT-ETR1, 39.1% to NTHK1 and 31.1% to NTHK2. Comparison of amino acid sequence suggested that NT-ERS1 is the counterpart of Nr in the ethylene receptor family of tomato, which belongs to Solanaceae as does tobacco. Northern blot analysis showed that mRNA of NT-ERS1 was present in leaf, shoot and root tissues, and accumulated in leaves treated with exogenous ethylene. A mutated NT-ERS1 cDNA transgene, obtained by introducing one nucleotide substitution into NT-ETR1 cDNA, conferred ethylene insensitivity in tobacco plants, indicating that the translation product of the cDNA actually functioned in the plants.