Gene cloning and expression of aminopeptidase N and cadherin from midgut of the rice stem borer,Chilo suppressalis

The rice stem borer,Chilo suppressalis Walker is one of the most importantinsect pests on rice in Asia,north Africa and southern Europe.Transgenic Bt rice has beendeveloped in the laboratory with good resistance to this pest and other Lepidopteran insects,which will provide a possible alternative tool for this pest control.The full-length cDNAsencoding an aminopeptidase N (CsAPN) and a cadherin (CsCad) were cloned from C.suppressalis.CsAPN showed common features of,and high identities to,other insect AP...     

Interaction between Rice stripe virus Disease- Specific Protein and Host PsbP Enhances Virus Symptoms

Rice stripe virus （RSV） causes severe diseases in Oryza sativa （rice） in many Eastern Asian countries. Diseasespecific protein （SP） of RSV is a non-structural protein and its accumulation level in rice plant was shown to determine the severity of RSV symptoms. Here, we present evidence that expression of RSV SP alone in rice or Nicotiana benthamiana did not produce visible symptoms. Expression of SP in these two plants, however, enhanced RSV- or Potato virus X （PVX）- induced symptoms. Through yeast two-hybrid screening, GST pull-down, and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays, we demonstrated that RSV SP interacted with PsbP, a 23-kDa oxygen-evolving complex protein, in both rice and N. benthamiana. Furthermore, our investigation showed that silencing of PsbP expression in both plants increased disease symptom severity and virus accumulation. Confocal microscopy using N, benthamiana protoplast showed that PsbP accu- mulated predominantly in chloroplast in wild-type N. benthamiana cells. In the presence of RSV SP, most PsbP was recruited into cytoplasm of the assayed cells. In addition, accumulation of SP during RSV infection resulted in alterations of chloroplast structure and function. Our findings shed light on the molecular mechanism underlying RSV disease symptom development.     

RNA-binding domain of the key structural protein P7 for the Rice dwarf virus particle assembly

The Rice dwarf virus (RDV) P7 structural protein is the key protein in the RDV particle assembly. The P7 protein was digested partially or completely by Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease and/or Pseudomonasfragi Asp-N protease. The molecular mass and the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the polypeptide fragments of the P7 protein were determined by SDS-PAGE and the Edman degradation method, respectively. Then the polypeptides were located in the deduced amino acid sequence of the RDV P7 protein based on the nucleotide sequence information, with the knowledge of the specific cleavage sites of the Staphylococcus aureus V8 and Pseudomonasfragi Asp-N protease, and the two RNA-binding domains in the P7 protein were identified. Domain 1 was located in the residue 128-249 containing 122 amino acids and domain 2 was located in the residue 325-355 containing 31 amino acids. Thus, these two domains may play an important role in the virus particle assembly by contributing to the packaging of viral dsRNAs inside the particles. The two domains may be novel RNA-binding domains, because no amino acid sequences highly similar to the conservative sequences of known dsRNA-binding domains reported so far. The similarity between the motif of domain 1 and the motif of the DNA-binding protein suggests that the DNA-binding activity of the RDV P7 protein may be due to this sequence. The similarity between the motif of domain 1 and the motif of the RNA polymerase domain suggests that the P7 protein may also play a role in RNA synthesis, besides its function in the assembly and subsequent packaging of viral dsRNA into core particles.     

Creation of Transgenic Bananas Expressing Human Lysozyme Gene for Panama Wilt Resistance

Human lysozyme （HL） inhibits Fusarium oxysporum （FocR4） growth in vitro. To obtain transgenic bananas （Musa spp.） that are resistant to Panama wilt （F. oxysporum）, we introduced an HL gene that is driven by a constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter into the banana via Agrobacteriummediated transformation. PCR confirmed that 51 transgenic plants were obtained. The development of Panama wilt symptoms were examined after the plants had been grown in pots. The non-transgenic plants developed typical fusarium symptoms 60 d after FocR4 inoculation, whereas 24 of 51 transgenic plants remained healthy. The transgenic banana plants that showed resistance to FocR4 in the pots were then planted in a field that was heavily infected with FocR4 for further investigation. Eleven of 24 plants devel- oped symptoms before bud emergence; another 11 plants showed symptoms after bud emergence and the remaining two plants, H-67 and H-144, remained healthy and were able to fruit. Northern blotting analysis demonstrated that H-67 and H-144, bearing the strongest resistance to Panama wilt, had the highest level of HL expression and that the expression of HL was well correlated with the FocR4 resistance of transgenic plants. We conclude that Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, with the assistance of particle bombardment, is a powerful approach for banana transformation and that a transgenic HL gene can cause resistance of the crop to FocR4 in the field.     

Expression of rice dwarf phytoreovirus Pns6 and the specificity analysis of its monoclonal antibodies

The genome of rice dwarf phytoreovirus (RDV) is composed of 12 double-stranded RNA segments, of which segment S6 encodes a non-structural protein Pns6 identified as the movement protein. In this report, Pns6 with a 6-histidine tag at the N-terminal was expressed in E. coli after induction under low temperature (18℃) and low concentration (0.4 mmol/L and 0.2 mmol/L) of IPTG, and then purified by Ni-chelated affinity chromatography. Stability analysis indicated that the expressed HisPns6 protein was stable at 37℃ after 24 h treatment. This recombinant protein was then used to make monoclonal antibody. Total 18 hybridoma clones were obtained. The specificity of antibodies was tested by Western blot using native Pns6 extracted from RDV-infected rice leaves, and 15 positive clones were confirmed. Mapping of the antigenic sites of Pns6 using antibodies showed that the most sensitive antigen determinant is located in the C-terminal region (the 296th—509th amino acids) of Pns6, which is confirms bioinformatics analysis.     

OsRFPH2-10, a RING-H2 Finger E3 Ubiquitin Ligase,Is Involved in Rice Antiviral Defense in the Early Stages of Rice dwarf virus Infection

Dear Editor, Rice dwarf virus （RDV）, a member of the Phytoreoviurs genus, is transmitted to rice （Oryza sativa） plants by leaf- hopper （Nephotettix cincticeps） in a propagative manner. Infection by RDV results in severe stunting growth pheno- types and a dramatic reduction in grain yield. The genome of RDV is composed of 12-segmented double-stranded RNAs （S1-S12 based on their migration rates in agarose gel electro- phoresis）. The 12 segments encode seven structural proteins （P1, P2, P3, P5, P7, P8, and P9 as the products of Sl, S2, S3, S5, S7, S8, and S9, respectively） and five nonstructural proteins （Pns4, Pns6, Pnsl0, Pns11, and Pns12 as the products of S4, S6, S10, S11, and S12, respectively）. The outer capsid protein P2 is essential for RDV infection of insects and thus influences transmission of RDV by the insect vector （Omura et al., 1998; Zhou et al., 2007）. P2 also contributes to the dwarf phenotype of infected rice by interfering with gibberellic acid synthesis （Zhu et al., 2005）. When RDV-infected rice plants were main- tained via vegetative propagation for several years without insect transmission, they regained normal growth height due to loss of RDV P2 and Pnsl0 proteins （Pu et al., 2011）.     

Sequence Analysis of Segment 8 of Five Chinese Isolates of Rice Gall Dwarf Virus and Expression of a Main Outer Capsid Protein in Escherichia coli

The rice gall dwarf disease, caused by the Rice gall dwarf virus (RGDV) is a serious disease occurring in rice in many regions of Guangdong province. As a basis to control the disease we have studied the genomic diversity of a variety of isolates from different locations. Genome segment 8(S8), encoding a main outer capsid protein (Pns8) of RGDV five isolates (BL, CH, DQ, GZ, XY) from Guangdong province was cloned and sequenced. The results revealed that all the S8 segments of the five isolates consisted of 1 578 nucleotides and had a single open reading frame (ORF) extending for 1 301 nucleotides from nucleotide 21 which encoded a polypeptide of 426 amino acids with an estimated molecular weight of 47.4 kDa. The S8 full-length sequence and the ORF sequence shared 97.3%-98.8% and 97.3%-99.1% nucleotide sequence identities within the five Chinese isolates, and shared 94.8%-95.6% and 95.0%-96.0% identities with those of the Thailand isolate respectively. The deduced amino acid sequence of Pns8 in GZ isolate was identical to that in the Thailand isolate, while the amino acid sequence variability of Pns8 within five Chinese isolates ranged from 0.5% to 2.1%. These results indicate that the S8 segment of RGDV is highly conserved in different isolates from different locations. The S8 cDNA from the XY isolate was cloned into the plasmid vector pET-28b( ) and a fused expression protein with an apparent molecular mass of 51kDa was specifically detected in an analysis of Escherichia coli Rossetta(DE3)Ⅱcells. To our knowledge, this is the first report on analysis of the RGDV segment 8 sequence and genetic comparison of different RGDV isolates and their protein expression.     

Three-dimensional structure of the inner core of rice dwarf virus

Rice dwarf virus (RDV) is a double-shelled icosahedral virus. Using electron cryomicro-scopy and computer reconstruction techniques, we have determined a 3.3 nm resolution three-dimensional (3D) structure of the inner shell capsid without the outer shell and viral RNA. The results show that the inner shell is a thin, densely packed, smooth structure, which provides a scaffold for the full virus. A total of 120 copies of the major inner shell capsid protein P3 forms 60 dimers arranged in a T=1 icosahedral lattice. A close examination on the subunit packing of the T=1 inner core P3 with that of the T=13/ outer shell P8 indicated that P8 trimers connect with P3 through completely non-equivalent, yet highly specific, intermolecular interactions.     

Recent Advances in Cloning and Characterization of Disease Resistance Genes in Rice

Rice diseases caused by fungi, bacteria and viruses are one of the major constraints for sustainable rice （Oryza sativa L.） production worldwide. The use of resistant cultivars is considered the most economical and effective method to control rice diseases. In the last decade, a dozen resistance genes against the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe grisea and the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae have been cloned. Approximately half of them encode nuclear binding site （NBS） and leucine rich repeat （LRR）-containing proteins, the most common type of cloned plant resistance genes. Interestingly, four of them encode novel proteins which have not been identified in other plant species, suggesting that unique mechanisms might be involved in rice defense responses. This review summarizes the recent advances in cloning and characterization of disease resistance genes in rice and presents future perspectives for in-depth molecular analysis of the function and evolution of rice resistance genes and their interaction with avirulence genes in pathogens.     

利用转hpRNA基因水稻抗水稻矮缩病毒

具有发夹结构的双链RNA(hairpin RNA,hpRNA)能高效诱导转录后基因沉默的发生.以水稻(Oryza sativaL.)矮缩病毒(RDV)基因组中第八片段编码区128～754 bp的序列为臂构建hpRNA,并克隆到植物表达载体pROK-2上.通过农杆菌介导的方法转化水稻"中花11".Southern blot分析表明,共获得12株阳性转化体.用带有RDV的叶蝉(Nephotettix cincticeps)接种Tl代转hpRNA水稻,结果表明转基因水稻对RDV具有高抗性或表现为症状延迟.而相同序列的有义链的转基因水稻和空载体的转基因水稻表现为典型的RDV侵染症状.HpRNA在转基因水稻中对RDV高抗性发挥重要作用.     

表达反义核酶RNA的转基因水稻对矮缩病毒复制和症状的抑制作用

用基因枪法将含有ＲＤＶ第五片段反义核酶序列基因的植物表达载体ｐＲＯＫＩＩ转化水稻幼胚,在Ｇ４１８存在的条件下,约２～３个月可筛选出抗性愈伤,转入分化培养基中培养可分化出幼苗。经Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ杂交法检测为阳性的水稻幼苗进行抗病性测定显示,转ＲＤＶ反义核酶基因的水稻植株对ＲＤＶ的复制和症状有显著抑制作用。转基因植株发病较轻,并能部分结实,而对照植株则明显矮化且大多不能抽穗。     

转病毒来源发夹RNA小麦表现对大麦黄矮病毒的抗性

将大麦黄矮病毒GPV株系的复制酶基因片段和CP基因片段构建成可在植物细胞内表达含有双链复制酶RNA(茎)和反义CP RNA(环)的复合发夹RNA结构, 希望能够诱发植物体针对病毒的RNA干扰作用, 从而达到抗病毒目的。利用基因枪法将该结构导入小麦幼胚愈伤组织细胞后, 通过在幼苗再生阶段进行以叶片为模板的快速PCR来加速阳性植株的筛选过程, 最终共获得基因组整合有外源基因的小麦再生植株21株。对再生植株接种不同剂量的病毒, 其中9株对BYDV-GPV有低度抗性, 表现在低接毒量时无症状, 接毒量提高时发病且严重; 6株具中度抗性, 表现在低接毒量时无症状, 接毒量提高时局部有不严重症状; 6株具高度抗性, 两种情况下均无症状。抗性实验结果表明, hpRNA介导对BYDV的抗性可能受到BYDV含量的影响, 具有剂量效应的特点。     

Disruption of a novel gene for a NAC-domain protein in rice confers resistance to Rice dwarf virus

Rice dwarf virus (RDV) is a serious viral pest that is transmitted to rice plants ( Oryza sativa L.) by leafhoppers and causes a dwarfism in infected plants. To identify host factors involved in the multiplication of RDV, we screened Tos17 insertion mutant lines of rice for mutants with reduced susceptibility to RDV. One mutant, designated rim1-1 , did not show typical disease symptoms upon infection with RDV. The accumulation of RDV capsid proteins was also drastically reduced in inoculated rim1-1 mutant plants. Co-segregation and complementation analyses revealed that the rim1-1 mutation had been caused by insertion of Tos17 in an intron of a novel NAC gene. The rim1-1 mutant remained susceptible to the two other viruses tested, one of which is also transmitted by leafhoppers, suggesting that the multiplication rather than transmission of RDV is specifically impaired in this mutant. We propose that RIM1 functions as a host factor that is required for multiplication of RDV in rice.     

Partial cDNA Cloning and Nucleotide Sequence of Rice Dwarf Virus Genome

Rice dwarf virus (RDV) was isolated and purified from infected rice leaves with chloro form extraction, PEG precipitation and sucrose gradient centrifugation. Total RDV RNA ge nome was separated in the agarose gel and segments of RDV RNA genome were purified. The cDNAs of several segments were synthesized with oligo dT as primer. Through cDNA mapping, subcloning and sequencing, we have obtained partial DNA sequence of those segments. Here we report the cloning and partial DNA sequence of segment 8 from RDV RNA genome.     

Assembly of double-shelled, virus-like particles in transgenic rice plants expressing two major structural proteins of rice dwarf virus

Rice dwarf virus (RDV) is a double-shelled particle that contains a major capsid protein (P8), a major core protein (P3), several minor core proteins, and viral genomic double-stranded RNA. Coexpression of P8 and P3 in transgenic rice plants resulted in formation of double-shelled, virus-like particles (VLPs) similar to the authentic RDV particles. The VLPs were not detected in transgenic rice plant cells expressing P8 alone. This in vivo result suggests that P8 interacted with P3 and that these two proteins provide the structural integrity required for the formation of VLPs in rice cells independently of other structural proteins, nonstructural proteins, or viral genomic double-stranded RNAs.     

Viral infection induces expression of novel phased microRNAs from conserved cellular microRNA precursors

RNA silencing, mediated by small RNAs including microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), is a potent antiviral or antibacterial mechanism, besides regulating normal cellular gene expression critical for development and physiology. To gain insights into host small RNA metabolism under infections by different viruses, we used Solexa/Illumina deep sequencing to characterize the small RNA profiles of rice plants infected by two distinct viruses, Rice dwarf virus (RDV, dsRNA virus) and Rice stripe virus (RSV, a negative sense and ambisense RNA virus), respectively, as compared with those from non-infected plants. Our analyses showed that RSV infection enhanced the accumulation of some rice miRNA*s, but not their corresponding miRNAs, as well as accumulation of phased siRNAs from a particular precursor. Furthermore, RSV infection also induced the expression of novel miRNAs in a phased pattern from several conserved miRNA precursors. In comparison, no such changes in host small RNA expression was observed in RDV-infected rice plants. Significantly RSV infection elevated the expression levels of selective OsDCLs and OsAGOs, whereas RDV infection only affected the expression of certain OsRDRs. Our results provide a comparative analysis, via deep sequencing, of changes in the small RNA profiles and in the genes of RNA silencing machinery induced by different viruses in a natural and economically important crop host plant. They uncover new mechanisms and complexity of virus-host interactions that may have important implications for further studies on the evolution of cellular small RNA biogenesis that impact pathogen infection, pathogenesis, as well as organismal development.     

Relationship between symptoms and gene expression induced by the infection of three strains of Rice dwarf virus

Background

Rice dwarf virus (RDV) is the causal agent of rice dwarf disease, which often results in severe yield losses of rice in East Asian countries. The disease symptoms are stunted growth, chlorotic specks on leaves, and delayed and incomplete panicle exsertion. Three RDV strains, O, D84, and S, were reported. RDV-S causes the most severe symptoms, whereas RDV-O causes the mildest. Twenty amino acid substitutions were found in 10 of 12 virus proteins among three RDV strains.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We analyzed the gene expression of rice in response to infection with the three RDV strains using a 60-mer oligonucleotide microarray to examine the relationship between symptom severity and gene responses. The number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) upon the infection of RDV-O, -D84, and -S was 1985, 3782, and 6726, respectively, showing a correlation between the number of DEGs and symptom severity. Many DEGs were related to defense, stress response, and development and morphogenesis processes. For defense and stress response processes, gene silencing-related genes were activated by RDV infection and the degree of activation was similar among plants infected with the three RDV strains. Genes for hormone-regulated defense systems were also activated by RDV infection, and the degree of activation seemed to be correlated with the concentration of RDV in plants. Some development and morphogenesis processes were suppressed by RDV infection, but the degree of suppression was not correlated well with the RDV concentration.

Conclusions/Significance

Gene responses to RDV infection were regulated differently depending on the gene groups regulated and the strains infecting. It seems that symptom severity is associated with the degree of gene response in defense-related and development- and morphogenesis-related processes. The titer levels of RDV in plants and the amino acid substitutions in RDV proteins could be involved in regulating such gene responses.     

Rice dwarf viruses with dysfunctional genomes generated in plants are filtered out in vector insects: implications for the origin of the virus

Rice dwarf virus (RDV), with 12 double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) genome segments (S1 to S12), replicates in and is transmitted by vector insects. The RDV-plant host-vector insect system allows us to examine the evolution, adaptation, and population genetics of a plant virus. We compared the effects of long-term maintenance of RDV on population structures in its two hosts. The maintenance of RDV in rice plants for several years resulted in gradual accumulation of nonsense mutations in S2 and S10, absence of expression of the encoded proteins, and complete loss of transmissibility. RDV maintained in cultured insect cells for 6 years retained an intact protein-encoding genome. Thus, the structural P2 protein encoded by S2 and the nonstructural Pns10 protein encoded by S10 of RDV are subject to different selective pressures in the two hosts, and mutations accumulating in the host plant are detrimental in vector insects. However, one round of propagation in insect cells or individuals purged the populations of RDV that had accumulated deleterious mutations in host plants, with exclusive survival of fully competent RDV. Our results suggest that during the course of evolution, an ancestral form of RDV, of insect virus origin, might have acquired the ability to replicate in a host plant, given its reproducible mutations in the host plant that abolish vector transmissibility and viability in nature.