Functional Characterization of Maize C<Subscript>2</Subscript>H<Subscript>2</Subscript> Zinc-Finger Gene Family

Plant C2H2-type zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) play essential roles in developmental control and stress responses. The whole complement of ZFP genes has been identified in Arabidopsis and rice, while the genome-scale identification and functional analysis of maize ZFPs is not yet reported. Hence, we performed a comprehensive analysis, including gene structure, chromosome location, duplicated event, selective pressure, phylogeny, gene ontology annotation, and expression profiling under developmental stages and abiotic stresses. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that the ZmZFP gene family can be grouped into three classes (A, B, and C). The analysis of differential gene expression in different developmental stages and stress treatments (drought, salt, and cold) was conducted based on microarray and RNA-seq data. A total of 99.05 % (209 genes) of the total ZmZFP genes (211 genes) were detected in 60 different tissues in microarray data. Under drought stress, 13 differentially expressed genes were found in leaf, of which 7 and 6 genes were up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively. For salt stress, crown root (CR), primary root (PR) and seed root (SR) each had one significantly elevated gene, while 2, 1, and 7 genes were obviously down-regulated in CR, PR and SR, respectively. Additionally, 8 and 3 genes were significantly up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively, in the cold-tolerant line ETH-DH7. This study will lay the foundation for understanding the roles of ZFPs in maize growth and stress resistance, contributing to the molecular breeding of maize for food.     

Selectivity of arsenite interaction with zinc finger proteins

Arsenic is a carcinogenic element also used for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. The reactivity of proteins to arsenic must be associated with the various biological functions of As. Here, we investigated the selectivity of arsenite to zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) with different zinc binding motifs (C2H2, C3H, and C4). Single ZFP domain proteins were used for the direct comparison of the reactivity of different ZFPs. The binding constants and the reaction rates have been studied quantitatively. Results show that both the binding affinity and reaction rates of single-domain ZFPs follow the trend of C4 > C3H ? C2H2. Compared with the C2H2 motif ZFPs, the binding affinities of C3H and C4 motif ZFPs are nearly two orders of magnitude higher and the reaction rates are approximately two-fold higher. The formation of multi-domain ZFPs significantly enhances the reactivity of C2H2 type ZFPs, but has negligible effects on C3H and C4 ZFPs. Consequently, the reactivities of the three types of multi-domain ZFPs are rather similar. The 2D NMR spectra indicate that the As(III)-bound ZFPs are also unfolded, suggesting that arsenic binding interferes with the function of ZFPs.     

GsZFP1, a new Cys2/His2-type zinc-finger protein, is a positive regulator of plant tolerance to cold and drought stress

Plant acclimation to environmental stress is controlled by a complex network of regulatory genes that compose distinct stress-response regulons. The C2H2-type zinc-finger proteins (ZFPs) have been implicated in different cellular processes involved in plant development and stress responses. Through microarray analysis, an alkaline (NaHCO(3))-responsive ZFP gene GsZFP1 was identified and subsequently cloned from Glyycine soja. GsZFP1 encodes a 35.14?kDa protein with one C2H2-type zinc-finger motif. The QALGGH domain, conserved in most plant C2H2-type ZFPs, is absent in the GsZFP1 protein sequence. A subcellular localization study using a GFP fusion protein indicated that GsZFP1 is localized to the nucleus. Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that GsZFP1 was induced in the leaf by ABA (100?μM), salt (200?mM NaCl), and cold (4°C), and in the root by ABA (100?μM), cold (4°C), and drought (30% PEG 6000). Over-expression of GsZFP1 in transgenic Arabidopsis resulted in a greater tolerance to cold and drought stress, a decreased water loss rate, and an increase in proline irrespective of environmental conditions. The over-expression of GsZFP1 also increased the expression of a number of stress-response marker genes, including CBF1, CBF2, CBF3, NCED3, COR47, and RD29A in response to cold stress and RAB18, NCED3, P5CS, RD22, and RD29A in response to drought stress, especially early during stress treatments. Our studies suggest that GsZFP1 plays a crucial role in the plant response to cold and drought stress.     

Rice <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">ZFP15</Emphasis> Gene Encoding for a Novel C2H2-type Zinc Finger Protein Lacking DLN box,is Regulated by Spike Development but not by Abiotic Stresses

A novel C2H2-type zinc finger protein gene, ZFP15, was cloned from rice by RT-PCR approach. The ZFP15 gene encodes a protein of 144 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 15 kDa. The ZFP15 protein comprises two C2H2-type zinc finger domains, a putative nuclear localization signal (NLS) at its N-terminus but the DLN-box identified in all reported plant C2H2-type zinc finger proteins was not found. A homology search revealed that ZFP15 gene was localized within a cluster of C2H2-type zinc finger genes in BAC clone OJ1754_E06 mapped on chromosome 3. All three members in the cluster encoded proteins showed high identities in amino acids and might contribute to a co-regulation. The RT-PCR assay revealed that ZFP15 mRNA was not regulated by cold, salt, drought and ABA stresses, though CRT/DRE and ABRE elements were found in the promoter region of ZFP15 gene. The expression profiling also showed that ZFP15 mRNA was expressed with a lower level in leaves and roots, but not detected in stems. Besides, ZFP15 was shown to accumulate much more in flowering spike than in immature spike. Thus, ZFP15, as the first characterized C2H2-type zinc finger protein in rice, might play a regulatory role on rice spike development.     

Pharmacological analysis of CCK2 receptors up-regulated using engineered transcription factors

Designed zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) regulate expression of target genes when coupled to activator or repressor domains. Transfection of ZFPs into cell lines can create expression systems where the targeted endogenous gene is transcribed and the protein of interest can be investigated in its own cellular context. Here we describe the pharmacological investigation of an expression system generated using CCK2 receptor-selective ZFPs transfected into human embryonic kidney cells (HEKZFP system). The receptors expressed in this system, in response to ZFP expression, were functional in calcium mobilization studies and the potency of the agonists investigated was consistent with their action at CCK2 receptors (CCK-8S pA50 = 9.05+/-0.11, pentagastrin pA50 = 9.11+/-0.13). In addition, binding studies were conducted using [125I]-BH-CCK-8S as radioligand. The saturation binding analysis of this radioligand was consistent with a single population of high affinity CCK receptors (pK(D) = 10.24). Competition studies were also conducted using a number of previously well-characterized CCK-receptor selective ligands; JB93182, YF476, PD-134,308, SR27897, dexloxiglumide, L-365,260 and L-364,718. Overall, the estimated affinity values for these ligands were consistent with their interaction at CCK2 receptors. Therefore, CCK2 receptors up-regulated using zinc finger protein technology can provide an alternative to standard transfection techniques for the pharmacological analysis of compounds.     

A novel rice C2H2-type zinc finger protein lacking DLN-box/EAR-motif plays a role in salt tolerance

A cDNA for the gene ZFP182, encoding a C2H2-type zinc finger protein, was cloned from rice by RT-PCR. ZFP182 codes an 18.2 kDa protein with two C2H2-type zinc finger motifs, one nuclear localization signal and one Leu-rich domain. The DLN-box/EAR-motif, which exists in most of plant C2H2-type zinc finger proteins, does not exist in ZFP182. The expression analysis showed that ZFP182 gene was constitutively expressed in leaves, culms, roots and spikes at the adult rice plants, and markedly induced in the seedlings by cold (4 degrees C), 150 mM NaCl and 0.1 mM ABA treatments. The approximate 1.4 kb promoter region of ZFP182 gene was fused into GUS reporter gene and transformed into tobacco. The histochemical analysis revealed that GUS expression could not be detected in transformed tobacco seedlings under normal conditions, but strongly observed in tobacco leaf discs and the vascular tissue of roots treated with NaCl or KCl. Expression of ZFP182 in transgenic tobacco and overexpression in rice increased plant tolerance to salt stress. These results demonstrated that ZFP182 might be involved in plant responses to salt stress.     

Evolution of the B7 family: co-evolution of B7H6 and NKp30, identification of a new B7 family member, B7H7, and of B7's historical relationship with the MHC

The B7 family of genes is essential in the regulation of the adaptive immune system. Most B7 family members contain both variable (V)- and constant (C)-type domains of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF). Through in silico screening of the Xenopus genome and subsequent phylogenetic analysis, we found novel genes belonging to the B7 family, one of which is the recently discovered B7H6. Humans and rats have a single B7H6 gene; however, many B7H6 genes were detected in a single large cluster in the Xenopus genome. The B7H6 expression patterns also varied in a species-specific manner. Human B7H6 binds to the activating natural killer receptor, NKp30. While the NKp30 gene is single-copy and maps to the MHC in most vertebrates, many Xenopus NKp30 genes were found in a cluster on a separate chromosome that does not harbor the MHC. Indeed, in all species so far analyzed from sharks to mammals, the number of NKp30 and B7H6 genes correlates well, suggestive of receptor-ligand co-evolution. Furthermore, we identified a Xenopus-specific B7 homolog (B7HXen) and revealed its close linkage to B2M, which we have demonstrated previously to have been originally encoded in the MHC. Thus, our study provides further proof that the B7 precursor was included in the proto MHC. Additionally, the comparative analysis revealed a new B7 family member, B7H7, which was previously designated in the literature as an unknown gene, HHLA2.     

对家蚕第18连锁群隐性基因elp、ch-2和mln测交系的分子定位分析

家蚕长形卵(elp)、第二隐性赤蚁(ch-2)、暗化型(mln)均为第18染色体上的隐性突变, 在经典连锁图谱上的顺序和遗传距离已经排定。文章采用正常卵、正常黑蚁及正常白蛾品种P50与包含此3个隐性突变的三隐性测交系W18组配正反交群体, F1回交W18后获得回交群体(P50×W18)♀×W18♂ 和W18♀×(P50×W18)♂, 分别记作BC1F和BC1M, 利用已构建的家蚕SSR分子连锁图谱和根据家蚕基因组精细图设计的STS标记, 对这3个突变基因elp、ch-2、mln进行了分子定位研究, 并根据家蚕基因组精细图, 将第18连锁群的经典遗传图、分子连锁图和基因组物理图进行了对应。整合后的图谱遗传距离为94.2 cM, 突变基因和分子标记的排列顺序分别与形态标记连锁图和基因组精细图相一致, 研究结果对家蚕第18 染色体上其他突变的定位与克隆有重要的借鉴作用。     

Expression analysis of rice A20/AN1-type zinc finger genes and characterization of ZFP177 that contributes to temperature stress tolerance

The A20/AN1-type zinc finger protein family is conserved in animals and plants. Using human AWP1 protein as a query, we identified twelve A20/AN1-type zinc finger proteins in japonica rice. Most of these genes were constitutively expressed in leaves, roots, culms and spikes. Through microarray analysis, it was found that four genes (ZFP177, ZFP181, ZFP176, ZFP173), two genes (ZFP181 and ZFP176) and one gene (ZFP157) were significantly induced by cold, drought and H(2)O(2) treatments, respectively. Further expression analysis showed that ZFP177 was responsive to both cold and heat stresses, but down-regulated by salt. The subcellular localization assay indicated that ZFP177 was localized in cytoplasm in tobacco leaf and root cells. Yeast-one hybrid assay showed that ZFP177 lacked trans-activation potential in yeast cells. Overexpression of ZFP177 in tobacco conferred tolerance of transgenic plants to both low and high temperature stresses, but increased sensitivity to salt and drought stresses. Further we found expression levels of some stress-related genes were inhibited in ZFP177 transgenic plants. These results suggested that ZFP177 might play crucial but differential roles in plant responses to various abiotic stresses.