Development of a microtargeting device for particle bombardment of plant meristems

A gene transfer system for meristem cells was developed on the basis of a ballistic approach. In order to meet some important prerequisites for an efficient transfer system, such as for example aiming at small tissues and control of penetration of the microprojectiles, we developed an acceleration system fundamentally different from the usual macroprojectile driven approach. Instead of a macroprojectile, microtargeting uses the law of Bernoulli for accleration of highly uniform-sized gold particles. The system is able to deliver 80% of the particles to an area as small as 150 micron in diameter, which corresponds to the size of a meristem. Microtargeting yields gene delivery (measured as number of transiently GUS expressing cells to up to 3% of the cells exposed in the target area or up to 35 × 10³ cells per cm². Stable transformation of tobacco microcolonies with the microtargeting device was shown to have an efficiency up to one stable transformant per 1000 cells exposed to the shot, or up to one transformant per shot. We perform 4 or 5 shots per min. After 30 to 40 shots, reloading can take up to 2 min. Microtargeting is very flexible and allows for the adjustment of the important parameters to fit the requirements of the respective tissue.     

Sugar determination in ulvans by a chemical-enzymatic method coupled to high performance anion exchange chromatography

The sugar determination of ulvans, the water-soluble polysaccharides from Ulva sp. and Enteromorpha sp., was optimized by combining partial acid prehydrolysis (2 mol L-1 trifluoroacetic acid, 120°C) with enzymic hydrolysis (with β-D-glucuronidase). The different constitutive sugars (rhamnose, galactose, glucose, xylose, glucuronic acid), released after hydrolysis, were separated by high performance anion-exchange chromatography and determined by pulsed amperometric detection. The ulvanobiouronic acid, β-D-GlcA-(1,4)-L-Rha, which is the main constituent of ulvans was always present after 3 h of trifluoroacetic acid hydrolysis (approx. 2% D.M.) when acid hydrolysis was performed alone but the xylose amount fell to 75% of its maximum value at this time. The optimal duration of 2 mol L⁻¹ trifluoroacetic acid hydrolysis of ulvans (i.e. without any degradation of xylose, rhamnose and glucuronic acid) was 45 min. Additionnal treatment of the partial acid hydrolysate by purified β-D-glucuronidase allowed the hydrolysis of the residual ulvanobiouronic acid in rhamnose and glucuronic acid. High performance anion exchange chromatography coupled to this chemical-enzymic hydrolysis revealed to be a high resolution chromatographic technique for monitoring the hydrolysis of the aldobiouronic acid by β-D-glucuronidase. This method allowed the simultaneous quantitative determination of neutral and acidic sugars and revealed the presence of iduronic acid inulvans. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Inheritance in mice of the membrane anchor protein egasyn: The Eg locus determines egasyn levels

Previous studies have suggested that the binding of mouse glucuronidase to endoplasmic reticulum membrane is stabilized by the membrane protein egasyn. Using a radioimmunoassay for egasyn, we have now examined the inheritance of egasyn levels in mice. Mice of the ibred strain C57BL/6J, which have normal levels of microsomal glucuronidase, contained 56±10 g egasyn per gram of liver. Mice of the inbred strain YBR, which carry the Eg ⁰ mutation resulting in the absence of microsomal glucuronidase, did not contain detectable levels of egasyn. The F₁ progeny of these two strains contained intermediate levels of egasyn, 25±4 g egasyn per gram of liver. Progeny from the backcross of these F₁ animals to YBR were distributed equally into two discrete phenotypic classes. One class lacked both egasyn and microsomal glucuronidase, while the other class contained 25±3 g egasyn per gram of liver and contained normal levels of microsomal glucuronidase. Thus egasyn levels are determined by the Eg locus and show additive inheritance. These results suggest that the Eg gene codes for egasyn and that it is the inability to produce egasyn that results in a deficiency of microsomal glucuronidase in the Eg ⁰ mutant.This work was supported in part by USPHS Grant GM-19521.     

Host selection as a downstream strategy: polyelectrolyte precipitation of beta-glucuronidase from plant extracts.

Host selection can be a strategy to simplify downstream processing for protein recovery. Advancing capabilities for using plants as hosts offers new host opportunities that have received only limited attention from a downstream processing perspective. Here, we investigated the potential of using a polycationic precipitating agent (polyethylenimine; PEI) to precipitate an acidic model protein (beta-glucuronidase; GUS) from aqueous plant extracts. To assess the potential of host selection to enhance the ease of recovery, the same procedure was applied to oilseed extracts of canola, corn (germ), and soy. For comparison, PEI precipitation of GUS was also evaluated from a crude bacterial fermentation broth. Two versions of the target protein were investigated--the wild-type enzyme (WTGUS) and a genetically engineered version containing 10 additional aspartates on each of the enzyme's four homologous subunits (GUSD10). It was found that canola was the most compatible expression host for use with this purification technique. GUS was completely precipitated from canola with the lowest dosage of PEI (30 mg PEI/g total protein), and over 80% of the initial WTGUS activity was recovered with 18-fold purification. Precipitation from soy gave yields over 90% for WTGUS but only 1.3-fold enrichment. Corn, although requiring the most PEI relative to total protein to precipitate (210 mg PEI/g total protein for 100% precipitation), gave intermediate results, with 81% recovery of WTGUS activity and a purification factor of 2.6. The addition of aspartate residues to the target protein did not enhance the selectivity of PEI precipitation in any of the systems tested. In fact, the additional charge reduced the ability to recover GUSD10 from the precipitate, resulting in lower yields and enrichment ratios compared to WTGUS. Compared to the bacterial host, plant systems provided lower polymer dosage requirements, higher yields of recoverable activity and greater purification factors.     

Overlapping expression patterns among the genes encoding Arabidopsis chromosomal high mobility group (HMG) proteins

High mobility group (HMG) proteins are usually considered ubiquitous components of the eukaryotic chromatin. Using HMG gene promoter-GUS reporter gene fusions we have examined the expression of the reporter gene in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. These experiments have revealed that the different HMGA and HMGB promoters display overlapping patterns of activity, but they also show tissue- and developmental stage-specific differences. Moreover, leader introns that are present in some of the HMGB genes can modulate reporter gene expression. The differential HMG gene expression supports the view that the various HMG proteins serve partially different architectural functions in plant chromatin.     

Experimental researches on the role of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C in 4-hydroxynonenal induced exocytosis

The action of 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), a chemotactic aldehyde produced by lipid peroxidation, was analysed on exocytosis in parallel with its effects on phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) both in undifferentiated HL-60 cells and in cells induced to differentiate toward the granulocytic cell line by 1.25% DMSO. Exocytosis was evaluated by the secretion of beta-glucuronidase from cells incubated at 37 degrees C for 10 min in the presence of various aldehyde concentrations. HNE action was more pronounced in DMSO-differentiated cells, where concentrations between 10(-8) and 10(-6) m were able both to trigger exocytosis and to strongly activate PLC; in both processes maximal stimulation was given by 10(-7) m. HNE-induced exocytosis was completely prevented by pertussis toxin and by the PLC inhibitor U73122. The comparison between HNE and formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), used as a positive control, showed that the tripeptide produced an higher stimulation of exocytosis than the aldehyde; by contrast HNE induced a stronger increase of PLC activity. Wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), strongly inhibited the exocytosis induced by fMLP, while it failed to induce a statistically significant inhibition of HNE action. We conclude that both compounds trigger exocytosis through a Ptx-sensitive G protein; the present data support the hypothesis that the lower ability of the aldehyde to trigger exocytosis as compared to fMLP might depend upon a low ability to activate PI3K, while PLC activation appears to play a key role in HNE-induced exocytosis.     

含离子液体体系中固定化细胞转化甘草酸生成单葡萄糖醛酸基甘草次酸

研究疏水性离子液体1-丁基-3-甲基咪唑六氟磷酸盐([BMIM]PF6)与醋酸-醋酸钠缓冲液两相体系中,固定化产紫青霉Penicillium purpurogenum Li-3细胞转化甘草酸(GL)生成单葡萄糖醛酸基甘草次酸(GAMG)的反应,并与缓冲液单相体系作为对照.确定了在[BMIM]PF6/缓冲液两相体系中,最适离子液体加入比例、缓冲液pH、反应温度、底物浓度分别为10%、5.8、35℃和6.0mmol/L,在此条件下反应58h,甘草酸转化率为87.03%,比缓冲液单相体系提高了15.02%.离子液体循环使用8次后,回收利用率维持在85.28%.主产物GAMG和副产物甘草次酸(GA)在两相体系中得到有效分离,为后续产物分离带来便利.     

Using a competent tissue for efficient transformation of sugarbeet (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Beta vulgaris</Emphasis> L.)

Summary Despite intensive efforts, a reproducible and reliable method for transformation of sugarbeet plants is still lacking. Having examined several explants, we found that cells around the main vein of leaves of plantlets reared from tissue-cultured apical meristems are sufficiently competent for transformation and subsequent regeneration. A transformation protocol was designed by evaluating alterations in several parameters such as plant genotype, Agrobacterium strain, antibiotics, darkness and duration of co-culture period. An average transformation rate of 6.2% transformed shoots per explant was achieved as judged by Southern blotting. Consistent inactivation of reporter genes was correlated to multiple copies of transgenes present in some transformants. The necessary steps for rooting and planting of transformed shoots were also established.     

Evaluation of the tetracycline promoter system for regulated gene expression in Kluyveromyces marxianus

A tetracycline repressible promoter system designed for Saccharomyces cerevisiae was evaluated for use in Kluyveromyces marxianus. A plasmid was constructed containing the Escherichia coli beta-glucuronidase (gus) gene cloned downstream of the yeast tet-off promoter, the tetR-VP16 activator protein gene, and the URA3 gene for selection. The tet-off promoter-gus construct was integrated into the chromosomal DNA and tested under varying growth conditions in complex medium. The repressors tetracycline and doxycycline were both found to be effective for inhibiting gene expression. Doxycycline levels of 0.5 microg/mL or greater were sufficient to nearly completely suppress Gus synthesis. For most transformants, the induction ratio was approximately 2,000-fold. The tet-off promoter was effective at 30, 37, and 42 degrees C, although the overall Gus activity was highest at 37 degrees C. During exponential growth, little product was formed; expression increased dramatically in late exponential and early stationary phase. The promoter thus shows promise for protein synthesis following cell growth. No inducer is required and the repressor is only needed to prevent expression during the seed culture.     

Evaluation of novel fluorogenic substrates for the detection of glycosidases in Escherichia coli and enterococci

AIMS: Enzyme substrates based on 4-methylumbelliferone are widely used for the detection of Escherichia coli and enterococci in water, by detection of beta-glucuronidase and beta-glucosidase activity respectively. This study aimed to synthesize and evaluate novel umbelliferone-based substrates with improved sensitivity for these two enzymes. METHODS AND RESULTS: A novel beta-glucuronide derivative based on 6-chloro-4-methylumbelliferone (CMUG) was synthesized and compared with 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucuronide (MUG) using 42 strains of E. coli in a modified membrane lauryl sulfate broth. Over 7 h of incubation, the fluorescence generated from the hydrolysis of CMUG by E. coli was over twice that from MUG, and all of the 38 glucuronidase-positive strains generated a higher fluorescence with CMUG compared with MUG. Neither substrate caused inhibition of bacterial growth in any of the tested strains. Four beta-glucosidase substrates were also synthesized and evaluated in comparison with 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucoside (MU-GLU) using 42 strains of enterococci in glucose azide broth. The four substrates comprised beta-glucoside derivatives of umbelliferone-3-carboxylic acid and its methyl, ethyl and benzyl esters. Glucosides of the methyl, ethyl and benzyl esters of umbelliferone-3-carboxylic acid, were found to be superior to MU-GLU for the detection of enterococci, especially after 18 h of incubation, while umbelliferone-3-carboxylic acid-beta-D-glucoside was inferior. However, the variability in detectable beta-glucosidase activity among the different strains of enterococci in short-term assays using the three carboxylate esters (7 h incubation) may compromise their use for rapid detection and enumeration of these faecal indicator bacteria. CONCLUSIONS: The beta-glucuronidase substrate CMUG appears to be a more promising detection system than the various beta-glucosidase substrates tested. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The novel substrate CMUG showed enhanced sensitivity for the detection of beta-glucuronidase-producing bacteria such as E. coli, with a clear potential for application in rapid assays for the detection of this indicator organism in natural water and other environmental samples.