Ectopic Expression of the Pttknl Gene Induces Alterations in the Morphology of the Leaves and Flowers in Petunia hybrida Vilm.

A novel knottedl-like homeobox （knox） gene, Pttknl （Populus tremulaxtremuloides knottedl）, isolated from the cambial region of hybrid aspen, was introduced into Petunia hybrida Vilm. using the leafdisc method mediated by Agrobacterium. A series of novel phenotypes was observed in transgenic petunia plants, including the formation of ectopic spikes on the adaxial surface of corollas and small petals on the abaxial surface of corollas, fusion of floral organs, shortening of corolla midribs, the formation of tumor-like knots along the midrib on the abaxial surface and serrated lobs of corolla margins, and alterations in petal color; except for changes in the leaves and plant architecture, RT-PCR showed that the Pttknl gene was expressed in the leaves of different petunia transgenic plants, whereas no signal was detected in wild-type plants. The possible function of Pttknl in leaf and flower development is discussed.     

Changes in abscisic acid and flower pigments during floral senescence of petunia

The present work was focused on abscisic acid (ABA) changes in three differently coloured petunias during flower development and senescence. The ABA content was studied in correlation with changes of flower pigments and other phytohormones. The variations of anthocyanins and endogenous hormones were induced by treatments with 1 or 2 mM amino-oxyacetic acid (AOA), 50, 100 μM thidiazuron (TDZ) and 50 μM 6-benzyladenine (BA). ABA content decreased during bud development and increased during senescence. The AOA reduced the anthocyanins content and avoided ABA increase, while the cytokinins (BA and TDZ) did not significantly affected anthocyanin contents but increased ABA content. TDZ doubled the ABA content compared to the control. However, the treatments did not affected flower life, confirming the secondary role of ABA during flower senescence.     

Acid-stable α-Amylase of Black Aspergilli

Some general properties of the acid-stable dextrinizing amylase of black Aspergillus were investigated comparing with those of Taka-amylase A. The mode of action on starch of this amylase was quite similar to that of Taka-amylase A. Saccharifying degree at red point in starch-iodine color reaction was 5.1% and the limit of starch saccharification was a little over 40 per cent calculated as glucose with both amylases. Maltase activity was absent. Degradation products in the course of starch hydrolysis were also quite similar and they mutarotated downward. So this amylase was decided to be α-type. Thermal stability of the acid-stable α-amylase was higher than that of Taka-amylase A. Its acid stability was much higher than that of Taka-amylase A. Taka-amylase A was inactivated completely at pH 2.2, 37°C, for 30 min, but the acid-stable α-amylase retained 87% of its original activity.

From the amylase preparation of black Aspergillus acid-stable α-amylase and acidunstable α-amylase were separated by gel filtration on sephadex G-100 column. From the acid-unstable α-amylase fraction this enzyme was purified by fractionations with rivanol and acetone, and finally obtained as a homogeneous protein after gel filtration with sephadex G-50. Comparison of some general properties between the two α-amylases was carried out. Catalytic action was quite similar with both enzymes, but dextrinizing unit per mg enzyme protein of the acid-unstable α-amylase was about 5.6 times as large as that of the acid-stable α-amylase. The acid-unstable α-amylase was less heat-stable than the acid-stable α-amylase. Acid stability and pH-activity curve were compared with both α-amylases. High stability of the acid-stable α-amylase in acidic condition was observed, but, in alkaline range, it was more sensitive than the acid-unstable α-amylase.     

矮牵牛花红色素的研究

研究了矮牵牛花红色素的提取方法,并对色素的性质和稳定性进行了测试。结果表明：0．1mol／L HCI对矮牵牛花红色素的浸出效果最佳;矮牵牛化色素在酸性条件下较为稳定,在碱性溶液中不稳定,并生成不可逆的黄色;同时还讨论了温度、光照、溶剂及Vc对色素稳定性的影响。     

Multifaceted plant responses to circumvent Phe hyperaccumulation by downregulation of flux through the shikimate pathway and by vacuolar Phe sequestration

Detrimental effects of hyperaccumulation of the aromatic amino acid phenylalanine (Phe) in animals, known as phenylketonuria, are mitigated by excretion of Phe derivatives; however, how plants endure Phe accumulating conditions in the absence of an excretion system is currently unknown. To achieve Phe hyperaccumulation in a plant system, we simultaneously decreased in petunia flowers expression of all three Phe ammonia lyase (PAL) isoforms that catalyze the non‐oxidative deamination of Phe to trans‐cinnamic acid, the committed step for the major pathway of Phe metabolism. A total decrease in PAL activity by 81–94% led to an 18‐fold expansion of the internal Phe pool. Phe accumulation had multifaceted intercompartmental effects on aromatic amino acid metabolism. It resulted in a decrease in the overall flux through the shikimate pathway, and a redirection of carbon flux toward the shikimate‐derived aromatic amino acids tyrosine and tryptophan. Accumulation of Phe did not lead to an increase in flux toward phenylacetaldehyde, for which Phe is a direct precursor. Metabolic flux analysis revealed this to be due to the presence of a distinct metabolically inactive pool of Phe, likely localized in the vacuole. We have identified a vacuolar cationic amino acid transporter (PhCAT2) that contributes to sequestering excess of Phe in the vacuole. In vitro assays confirmed PhCAT2 can transport Phe, and decreased PhCAT2 expression in PAL‐RNAi transgenic plants resulted in 1.6‐fold increase in phenylacetaldehyde emission. These results demonstrate mechanisms by which plants maintain intercompartmental aromatic amino acid homeostasis, and provide critical insight for future phenylpropanoid metabolic engineering strategies.     

Ectopic Expression of the Pttkn1 Gene Induces Alterations in the Morphology of the Leaves and Flowers in Petunia hybrida Vilm

A novel knottedl-like homeobox (knox) gene, Pttknl (Populus tremula×tremuloides knotted1), isolated from the cambial region of hybrid aspen, was introduced into Petunia hybrida Vilm. using the leafdisc method mediated by Agrobacterium. A series of novel phenotypes was observed in transgenic petunia plants, including the formation of ectopic spikes on the adaxial surface of corollas and small petals on theabaxial surface of corollas, fusion of floral organs, shortening of corolla midribs, the formation of tumor-like knots along the midrib on the abaxial surface and serrated lobs of corolla margins, and alterations in petal color; except for changes in the leaves and plant architecture, RT-PCR showed that the Pttknl gene was expressed in the leaves of different petunia transgenic plants, whereas no signal was detected in wild-type plants. The possible function of Pttknl in leaf and flower development is discussed.     

矮牵牛花药培养及植株再生研究

采用花粉发育双核期的矮牵牛花药,研究不同浓度植物生长调节剂配比及不同浓度蔗糖和麦芽糖对花药诱导率的影响。结果表明,采用6-BA和IBA组合诱导效果较好;NH+6-BA 1.5mg/L+IBA 1.5mg/L花药诱导率较高;麦芽糖诱导效果明显比蔗糖好。     

Galactose metabolism in cell walls of opening and senescing petunia petals

Galactose was the major non-cellulosic neutral sugar present in the cell walls of ‘Mitchell’ petunia (Petunia axillaris × P. axillaris × P. hybrida) flower petals. Over the 24 h period associated with flower opening, there was a doubling of the galactose content of polymers strongly associated with cellulose and insoluble in strong alkali (‘residual’ fraction). By two days after flower opening, the galactose content of both the residual fraction and a Na₂CO₃-soluble pectin-rich cell wall fraction had sharply decreased, and continued to decline as flowers began to wilt. In contrast, amounts of other neutral sugars showed little change over this time, and depolymerisation of pectins and hemicelluloses was barely detectable throughout petal development. Size exclusion chromatography of Na₂CO₃-soluble pectins showed that there was a loss of neutral sugar relative to uronic acid content, consistent with a substantial loss of galactose from rhamnogalacturonan-I-type pectin. β-Galactosidase activity (EC 3.2.1.23) increased at bud opening, and remained high through to petal senescence. Two cDNAs encoding β-galactosidase were isolated from a mixed stage petal library. Both deduced proteins are β-galactosidases of Glycosyl Hydrolase Family 35, possessing lectin-like sugar-binding domains at their carboxyl terminus. PhBGAL1 was expressed at relatively high levels only during flower opening, while PhBGAL2 mRNA accumulation occurred at lower levels in mature and senescent petals. The data suggest that metabolism of cell wall-associated polymeric galactose is the major feature of both the opening and senescence of ‘Mitchell’ petunia flower petals.     

矮牵牛中查尔酮合成酶基因A (chsA) 2个启动子的克隆和分析

查尔酮合成酶(chalcone synthase,CHS)是类黄酮类物质生物合成途径中的第一个关键酶,其控制基因chs为超家族基因.根据前人报道的矮牵牛查尔酮合成酶基因A(chsA)启动子的保守序列设计1对特异性引物,从矮牵牛基因组DNA中通过1次PCR同时扩增出长为550 bp和354 bp的启动子(分别命名为PchsA-L和PchsA-S,GenBank登录号:EF199747和EF199748),其中PchsA-L与PchsA-S相比,除个别碱基有差异外,在88～269 bp多出一段182 bp的序列,其中103～201 bp含有典型的内含子特征.应用DNAStar软件分析表明2条序列均含有普通启动子的保守序列TATA box、CCAAT box、capsite(CCATAA),并含有花中特异表达启动子的特征序列TACPyAT box、anther box(TAGAAGTGACAGAAAT)、G-box(CACGTG)、box1元件(ATGTCACGTGCCATC)和box2元件(TGTGTTGAAGGTTTGCTA).对克隆启动子所用的矮牵牛后代群体进行分析,130个单株中只含有PchsA-S的有13株,只含有PchsA-L的有20株,同时含有2个启动子的有97株.2个启动子在后代中发生了分离,但其分离比并不符合1∶2∶1.克隆启动子所用的矮牵牛有14条染色体,为二倍体.DNA印迹表明2个启动子在基因组中均是多拷贝.qRT-PCR分析显示:未经过紫外光处理的花中以及经过紫外光处理的花中,PchsA-L启动子驱动的chsA基因与PchsA-S启动子驱动的chsA基因表达都未见明显差异;在紫外光处理的幼苗叶片中表达量相应地比紫外光处理的花中的表达量增高;在紫外光处理的幼苗叶片中,PchsA-L启动子驱动的chsA基因比PchsA-S启动子驱动的chsA基因表达量显著增高;而未经过紫外光处理的幼苗叶片中,PchsA-L启动子驱动的chsA基因、PchsA-S启动子驱动的chsA基因都没有检测到明显的表达信号.结果表明:在矮牵牛中chsA基因存在2个独立的启动子PchsA-L和PchsA-S;启动子PchsA-L中182 bp类内含子特征的序列具有显著提高chsA基因在紫外光处理的幼苗叶片中表达量的功能.     

Influence of plant preservative mixture (PPM)TM on adventitious organogenesis in melon, petunia, and tobacco

Summary The influence of PPM^TM on somatic embryogenesis in melon, adventitious shoot organogenesis in petunia, and androgenesis in tobacco was studied by culturing explants in regeneration media supplemented with 0, 2, 5 or 10 ml l⁻¹ PPM for 8–12 wk. The percentage of melon cotyledon explants that produced callus and somatic embryos and the number of embryos per explant were reduced when incubated in embryo initiation and embryo development media containing more than 5 ml l⁻¹ PPM. Less PPM was required to inhibit petunia shoot organogenesis. The number of shoots and number of buds per Petri dish were reduced 3–6.9-fold when leaf explants were incubated in shoot regeneration medium containing more than 2 ml l⁻¹ PPM. In contrast, the addition of up to 10 ml l⁻¹ PPM to tobacco anther culture medium had no effect on androgenesis. Our results suggest that the influence of PPM on plant regeneration depends on the plant species. We recommend that experimenters examine a range of PPM concentrations when using it for the first time on an untested plant species.