植物根的发育

介绍了目前通过模式植物拟南芥的研究,对胚胎时期胚根的起源、侧根的起源以及原后根的生长发育等问题一些有意义的研究成果,阐述了根结构与发育的控制机制,指出位置信息、静止中心、基因在根生长发育中的作用和影响。分析了根的结构与根端分生组织的关系。     

RNA干扰技术及应用的研究进展

RNA干扰(RNAi)是由双链RNA(dsRNA)介导的序列特异的基因沉默现象,RNAi效应具有高特异性和高效性的显著特征,能够在细胞和子代间传递.除诱导同源序列mRNA降解或阻止其翻译而使目的基因表达受阻的转录后基因沉默外,RNA干扰可通过组蛋白甲基化影响染色质结构、通过DNA甲基化在转录水平调节基因表达,在翻译水平调节机体发育,并作为基因组的免疫系统,使转座因子或重复序列区域异染色质化,有效抑制了转座子和重复序列之间的同源重组对基因组可能造成的破坏,使生物基因组在长期进化过程中能保持结构的完整性和遗传的连续性. RNA干扰以阻抑基因的表达来模拟基因敲除技术,为反向遗传学研究基因功能提供了一种快速和简便的方法.RNA干扰技术日趋成熟和完善,为人们迅速准确地分析基因功能提供了极为有用的工具,同时在临床应用和治疗肿瘤和癌症等方面也有着巨大的应用前景.     

RNA 干扰技术抑制病毒复制的研究进展

RNA干扰是指dsRNA抑制细胞内同源基因表达的现象,RNA干扰现象自发现以来在短短的几年里,已成功地用于不同种属的生物研究。dsRNA不仅参与内源基因表达调控,而且能够抑制宿主内病原微生物基因的表达,参与构筑生物体的防御机制。近年来,运用RNAi技术在哺乳动物中的研究不断深入,尤其是抑制病毒复制的研究成果令人欣喜,这为人类动物抗病毒治疗提供了新的思路。     

硫化寡聚核苷酸作为基因表达抑制剂的研究进展

1983年Light等人在原核生物中发现了一种新的基因表达调控系统——反义RNA参与调控。经过近九年来的发展,反义RNA概念的覆盖面变得更广了,即能通过互补到靶基因链上并干扰或抑制靶基因表达RNA片段通称反义RNA。这样就提供了用人工方法来干扰或抑制基因表达的新机会,使反义RNA作为基因表达的抑制剂得到蓬勃发展。由于反义RNA在医学临床上有着重要的应用前景,因此国外许多生物工程公司、许多大制药公司和研究所都纷纷投入大量人力物力来开发这些新一代的药物。     

石斛小菇促进天麻种子萌发的转录组研究

天麻Gastrodia elata种子细小而无胚乳,自然条件下需要石斛小菇Mycena dendrobii等真菌共生来完成种子萌发和生长。为了探讨天麻种子接菌萌发过程中的基因表达变化,本研究利用高通量RNA测序技术,对共生真菌石斛小菇、天麻成熟种子以及接菌萌发后的天麻原球茎进行比较分析,共获得42 263条注释unigenes,并筛选到5 409条差异表达基因。GO分析表明,差异表达基因主要参与代谢、离子结合等生物学通路中。KEGG功能富集分析结果表明,差异基因参与了植物激素信号传导、碳代谢、苯丙素生物合成、淀粉与蔗糖代谢以及氨基酸生物合成中。真菌和植物细胞壁多糖经降解产生的寡糖激发子,可以诱导宿主产生多种防御反应,参与到宿主与真菌互作中。在共生萌发过程中,真菌细胞壁降解相关基因的表达显著提高,如几丁质酶和β-1,3-葡聚糖酶基因表达甚至上调了20倍之多。此外,植物细胞壁木聚糖酶和果胶酶基因表达显著升高。这类基因表达可释放寡糖激发子,在天麻种子对石斛小菇的防御过程中起到重要的作用。本文全面分析天麻种子接菌萌发前后基因表达变化,为进一步研究天麻重要功能基因的功能鉴定提供基础。     

RNA干扰分子的制作

小干扰RNA是一种能够在各种生物体和细胞(包括蠕虫、果蝇、植物、哺乳动物)中减弱基因表达的有效工具。在哺乳动物中转染的siRNA能够抑制特殊基因的表达,这已经证明是探索基因功能、基因敲除、抗病毒研究、基因治疗的有效方法。简单、有效、特异性地抑制基因的表达具有巨大的科学、商业和医学治疗价值。如何设计和制作siRNA是影响RNA干扰效率的一个很重要的方面。本文就siRNA的设计和制作等方面作扼要的介绍。     

RNA干扰技术的原理与应用

RNA干扰(RNA interference,RNAi)是由双链RNA(double-stranded RNA,dsRNA)所引起的序列特异性基因沉默,是真核生物中一种非常保守的机制,它与协同抑制(cosuppression)、转座子沉默(transposon silencing)以及发育等许多重要的生物学过程密切相关。RNA干扰依赖于小干扰RNA(Small interference RNA,siRNA)与靶序列之间严格的碱基配对,具有很强的特异性,涉及众多基因和蛋白复合物,构成了一个以小RNA为核心的真核基因表达调控系统,它可以在染色质水平、转录水平、转录后水平和翻译水平参与基因表达的调节。RNA干扰技术为人们迅速、准确的剖析基因的功能,分析基因之间错综复杂的联系和相互作用提供了极为有用的工具,同时也为人们预防和治疗癌症和病毒疾病提供了新的思路。     

基因敲除动物的研究和应用

目的基因敲除动物是近十几年来发展起来的在个体水平上研究基因功能的一类实验动物,它以基因敲除技术和胚胎干细胞技术为基础,在生命科学研究的各个领域得到了广泛应用。最近两年发展起来的RNA干扰技术仍然不能代替它。本文综述了基因敲除动物在各医学生物领域的研究与应用、浅谈其与RNA干扰技术的比较及其发展前景。     

丝状真菌中的RNA干扰及其应用技术

RNA干扰是真核生物中相对保守的一种基因特录后表达调控机制,它通过双链RNA介导细胞内mRNA发生特异性降解或翻译抑制,从而调控靶基因的表达.对丝状真菌中RNA压制和减数分裂沉默等现象的研究表明,与动、植物一样,丝状真菌中也存在RNA干扰现象.通过对RNA压制缺失突变株和减教分裂沉默缺失突变株的一系列分子生物学研究,获得了与之密切相关的一系列蛋白,而这些蛋白在结构和功能上与动、植物RNA干扰途径的蛋白高度相似,这些结果证明了丝状真菌中的RNA存在干扰现象.RNA干扰技术作为丝状真菌分子生物学研究或遗传改造的工具具有特殊的意义,因为丝状真菌具有多核和发生非同源重组频率高的特点,难以用基因敲除手段进行改造.系统地介绍丝状真菌中的RNA干扰途径以及使用RNA干扰对真菌进行遗传改造的方法.     

RNAi作用机制与抗病毒研究

RNA干扰是指导入针对特异靶基因产物的同源双链RNA可导致细胞特定基因缺失或减退的显型,是体内抵御外源感染的一种重要保护机制。目前,RNA干扰作为一种简单、有效的代替基因敲除的遗传工具,正在被用于功能基因组学、基因治疗、基因表达调控等多个研究领域。本文主要综述了RNA干扰发生的机制,并兼述其在抗病毒方面的应用。     

Arabidopsis glucan synthase-like 10 functions in male gametogenesis

Callose or beta-1,3-glucan performs multiple functions during male and female gametophyte development. Callose is synthesized by 12 members of the glucan synthase-like (GSL) gene family in Arabidopsis thaliana. To elucidate the biological roles of Arabidopsis GSL family members during sexual development, we initiated a reverse genetic approach with T-DNA insertional mutagenesis lines. We screened T-DNA insertion lines for all members of the GSL gene family and detected homozygous mutant seedlings for all members except GSL10. Three independent alleles in GSL10, gsl10-1, gsl10-3 and gsl10-4 showed distorted segregation (1:1:0) of T-DNA inserts rather than Mendelian segregation (1:2:1). By genetic analysis through reciprocal cross, we determined that gsl10 pollen could not be transmitted to descendent. The mutant pollen of GSL10/gsl10 plants at tetrad and microspore stages were not different from that of wild type, suggesting that GSL10 is not essential for normal microspore growth. Analysis of GSL10/gsl10 hemizygous pollen during development revealed abnormal function in asymmetric microspore division. gsl10 mutant microspores failed to enter into mitosis. Unlike the previously described functions of GSL1, GSL2 and GSL5, GSL10 involves an independent process of pollen development at the mitotic division stage.     

MODELING OF MERISTEMATIC GROWTH OF ROOT APICES IN A NATURAL COORDINATE SYSTEM

A curvilinear, orthogonal coordinate system, which resembles the pattern of periclines and anticlines in the cellular network of root apices, is presented. The system makes possible an analysis of the dynamics of apical growth: the relationship between growth rates and tensile stresses in cell walls. In this paper the coordinate system is used in modeling the growth and cell partitioning in the apical domes. The symplastic growth is described by means of the growth tensor which is assumed to have diagonal form in the system, so its coordinate lines represent the principal directions of growth rate. The coordinate system and the growth tensor in diagonal form assure temporal stability of form and cellular structure of the modeled apex including transition from the dome to the cylindrical part of the apex. The spatial and temporal aspects of the dome part of two types of root apices—one with maximum of volumetric relative growth rate at the center region of the apex, and another with minimum of the rate (quiescent center)—are described. The maximum of the rate at the center results in the cellular pattern with an apical cell and merophytes, the minimum results in ribs of cells (inside the root proper) converging toward the quiescent center.     

Origin of the quiescent center in the root of Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik

The origin of the quiescent center in the embryonic radicle of Capsella bursa-pastoris was investigated by in-situ hybridization to cellular polyadenylic-acid-containing RNA using [³H]polyuridylic acid as a probe. In the globular embryo, autoradiographic silver grains were localized in all cells of the presumptive root apex except in the hypophysis. As the inner cell formed by a transverse division of the hypophysis cut off new cells toward the central procambial cylinder of the embryo, these cells remained characteristically unlabeled, in contrast to the labeled cells of the rest of the embryo. In the embryonic radicles of mature seeds and of seedlings, cells derived from the hypophysis appeared as a nonmeristematic, unlabeled, hemispherical group, bounded by the procambium to the inside and the root epidermis to the outside. When root tips excised from 2-d-old seedlings were incubated in [methyl-³H]thymidine, sectioned, and autoradiographed, cells derived from the inner cell of the hypophysis were found to be unlabeled, thus showing that they constitute the specific cells of the quiescent center. These results present evidence for the single-cell origin of the quiescent center in an angiosperm root and a role for the hypophysis in it.Abbreviations poly(A)⁺RNA polyadenylicacid-containing RNA - [³H]poly(U) [³H]polyuridylic acid - QC quiescent center This work was supported in part by National Science Foundation grants PCM-7902898 and DCB-8709092.     

An Arabidopsis Callose Synthase, GSL5, Is Required for Wound and Papillary Callose Formation

Arabidopsis was transformed with double-stranded RNA interference (dsRNAi) constructs designed to silence three putative callose synthase genes: GLUCAN SYNTHASE-LIKE5 (GSL5), GSL6, and GSL11. Both wound callose and papillary callose were absent in lines transformed with GSL5 dsRNAi and in a corresponding sequence-indexed GSL5 T-DNA insertion line but were unaffected in GSL6 and GSL11 dsRNAi lines. These data provide strong genetic evidence that the GSL genes of higher plants encode proteins that are essential for callose formation. Deposition of callosic plugs, or papillae, at sites of fungal penetration is a widely recognized early response of host plants to microbial attack and has been implicated in impeding entry of the fungus. Depletion of callose from papillae in gsl5 plants marginally enhanced the penetration of the grass powdery mildew fungus Blumeria graminis on the nonhost Arabidopsis. Paradoxically, the absence of callose in papillae or haustorial complexes correlated with the effective growth cessation of several normally virulent powdery mildew species and of Peronospora parasitica.     

Activation of cell division in the quiescent center of excised maize root tip

The phenomenon of activation of cell proliferation in the quiescent center of excised maize roots is described. The root tips were grown on wet filter paper in Petri dishes. This phenomenon was observed in 8 to 14 maize cultivars and was absent in excised Arabidopsis root tips. The distribution of mitoses in meristems greatly varied in roots of individual seedlings from the same seed lot and seedlings of different cultivars. Meristem opening was observed after the removal of small root tips not longer than 3 mm and intact seminal roots. Sucrose (2%) and 10(-6)-10(-8) M indole-3-acetic acid did not prevent meristem opening. These findings indicate that the state of quiescent center is maintained by a system of intercellular and interorgan relations, which are to be clarified.     

低氮下拟南芥叶酰聚谷氨酸合成酶突变体atdfb根发育研究

利用叶酰聚谷氨酸合成酶功能缺失突变体atdfb解析叶酸在拟南芥根发育过程中的生物学功能。纯合T-DNA插入功能缺失突变体atdfb 在土壤培养条件下生长3周,与野生型表型无明显差异。在氮源充足的1/2MS培养基上,atdfb的主根显著短于野生型,互补植株的主根长度恢复到野生型水平,说明主根缩短的表型是由AtDFB基因功能缺失造成的。在1/2MS培养基生长11 d的突变体主根长度只有野生型的23%。在低氮条件下,突变体的生长发育几乎停滞,培养11 d的突变体主根长度只有野生型的4%;5-甲酰四氢叶酸(5-F-THF)可以恢复低氮条件下atdfb-3的表型,其主根长度、根毛长度及静止中心的细胞排列均得到恢复。进一步分析发现,低氮条件下培养少于3 d的atdfb-3补充充足的5-F-THF,3 d后能像野生型一样适应低氮环境。由此说明叶酸对拟南芥根部发育及对低氮环境的适应是必需的。     

Cell division activation in the quiescent center of excised maize root tip

The phenomenon of activating cell proliferation in the quiescent center of excised maize roots is described. The root tips were grown on wet filter paper in Petri dishes. This phenomenon was observed in 8 to 14 maize cultivars and was absent in excised Arabidopsis root tips. The distribution of mitoses in meristems greatly varied in individual seedlings roots from the same seed lot and seedlings of different cultivars. Meristem opening was observed after the removal of small root tips not longer than 3 mm and intact seminal roots. Sucrose (2%) and 10⁻⁶–10⁻⁸ M indole-3-acetic acid did not prevent meristem opening. These findings indicate that the state of quiescent center is maintained by a system of intercellular and interorgan relations, which are to be clarified.     

Aluminum-Induced Changes in Cell-Wall Glycoproteins in the Root Tips of Al-Tolerant and Al-Sensitive Wheat Lines

To investigate wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) responses to Al stress, KCl- and SDS-extracted glycoproteins (covalently bound proteins isolated by cell-wall digestion by cellulysine–pectolase mixture) and extensins (hydroxyproline-containing glycoproteins, HRGPs) were isolated from cell-wall preparations purified from the root apices of Al-sensitive and Al-tolerant near-isogenic lines ES8 and ET8. Under Al stress conditions, two lines differed mostly in their extensins. The untreated plants of two lines were low in covalently bound extensins, although the content of this protein fraction in ES8 was higher than in ET8. When the seedlings were treated with Al, the extensin content increased in both wheat lines and especially in the Al-tolerant ET8 plants. Using two-dimensional electrophoresis, the authors demonstrated the accumulation of polypeptides with mol wts of 22.2 kD (pI 5.5–6.5), 24.5 kD (pI 5.8–6.0), and 33.1 kD (pI 5.25) and polypeptides of 22.2 kD (pI 6.8–7.6) and 40.5 kD (pI 7.6) in the extensin fraction from the cell walls of the Al-sensitive plants. The regulation of cell responses to Al stress may involve extensin expression.     

RNA Interference. An Approach to Produce Knockout Organisms and Cell Lines

In various eucaryotic organisms double-stranded RNA causes effective degradation of homologous mRNA molecules by a process called RNA interference. RNA interference is a phenomenon associated with gene suppression via regulatory RNA molecules, which are common in plants, animals, and fungi. The discovery of RNA interference stimulated the development of new approaches for suppression of target gene expression, production of stable knockout cell lines and organisms, and also stimulated studies on possible intracellular functions of this phenomenon.