Genome structure and variability of Fijiviruses

The Fijivirus [Fiji disease virus, rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV), maize rough dwarf virus (MRDV), and pangola stunt virus (PaSV), the mal de Rio Cuarto virus (MRCV) strain of MRDV, and oat sterile dwarf virus] are distributed worldwide except for north America, and some of them cause serious disease. However, their genomes have not been extensively studied, and limited molecular data are available only for RBSDV, MRDV, PaSV and MRCV. ALl Fijiviruses have 10 segments, with an aggregate genome size larger than in other plant reovirus genera. All viruses analysed possess the same terminal conserved sequences, which differ from those of the phytoreoviruses and oryzaviruses. There are also sequence-specific inverted repeats adjacent to the terminal sequence. With MRDV and RBSDV, at least two of the segments are bicistronic. Homology studies suggest that MRDV and RBSDV, although known as separate viruses, should be considered as geographical races of the same virus. In contrast, limited data suggest that PaSV and MRCV are less close to each other and to MRDV/RBSDV. Electropherotyping has revealed variation among field isolates, with RBSDV, MRDV and MRCV.     

Transgenic rice plants expressing the α-L-arabinofuranosidase of Coprinopsis cinerea exhibit strong dwarfism and markedly enhanced tillering

Lignocellulosic materials are potential renewable sources of fermentable sugars for bioethanol production. In this study, we used the CcAbf62A gene encoding CcAbf62A, a putative extracellular α-L-arabinofuranosidase, cloned from the mycotrophic basidiomycete Coprinopsis cinerea. CcAbf62A acts on arabinoxylan, the major hemicellulose of grasses, releasing arabinose. CcAbf62A was introduced into rice with the aim of enhancing delignification efficiency and the availability of lignocellulosic materials without reducing lignin content. Among the 32 lines of regenerated transgenic rice, 13 exhibited markedly disrupted elongation growth and excessive tillering (dwarf), seven showed delayed elongation growth (retarded-growth), and 12 showed phenotypes similar to those of control plants (normal). Additionally, the dwarf lines showed reduced acclimation. RT-PCR analysis revealed that dwarf lines had higher levels of CcAbf62A expression than retarded-growth and normal lines. Although the lignin content of transgenic rice plants expressing CcAbf62A did not differ significantly from that of control rice plants, dwarf lines were characterized by delayed deposition of lignin in the culms compared with the controls. The reduced acclimation ability of dwarf lines is believed to be associated with increased water loss and reduced water conductivity concomitant with delayed lignin deposition. Contrary to expectations, the alkaline delignification rates of dwarf and retarded-growth Abf lines were slightly lower than those of control rice plants. Our findings indicate that CcAbf62A reduces ferulate-lignin cross-links by detaching arabinose side chains from arabinoxylan and increases the relative abundance of alkaline-resistant benzyl ether cross-links. CcAbf62A is anticipated to provide new approaches for breeding plants containing altered lignocellulosic materials or lodging-resistant crops.     

Evaluation of reference genes and expression of key genes involved in the isoprenoid metabolic pathway of rice leaves after infection by the Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus

Molecular Biology Reports - The Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV), a novel Fijivirus, poses a major threat to rice production in East Asia. Analysis of the gene expression of...     

Biological activity of gibberellin analogues

In order to determine the significance of the C-6 carboxyl group for the biological activity gibberellin A₃, 6-epigibberellin A₃, 7-norgibberellin A₃, 6-methyl-7-norgibberellin A₃, and 7-homogibberellin A₃ were studied using dwarf pea, dwarf maize, dwarf rice, dwarf barley and -amylase bioassays. All gibberellin A₃(GA₃)derivatives tested were considerably less active than GA₃. In all biossays, 6-epi-GA₃ showed a low activity of the same order, whereas 6-methyl-7-nor-GA₃ was inactive. Surprisingly, 7-nor-GA₃ had some activity in the dwarf rice (root application), dwarf barley, and -amylase bioassay, in contrary to its low potency in the dwarf pea, dwarf maize, and dwarf rice (micro drop) bioassay. 7-Homo-GA₃ was primarily active in the dwarf maize, dwarf barley and dwarf rice bioassay. It also caused antigibberellin effects in dwarf rice. The results demonstrate that the C-6 carboxyl group is not absolutely essential for biological activity of gibberellins. The different activities of 7-nor-GA₃ observed in the various test systems may indicate that the C-6 carboxyl group is a structural requirement more for uptake and/or transport processes than for receptor affinity.Abbreviation GA₃ gibberellic acid     

水稻矮缩病毒昆明分离物抗血清制备及免疫捕捉PCR检测

由水稻矮缩病毒(Rice dwarf virus,RDV)引起的水稻矮缩病害,最早由日本报道,随后在东南亚等国以及我国的福建、云南等南方稻区普遍发生,云南主要发生于中部及南部地区[1]。水稻在苗期至分蘖期感病后,植株矮缩,分蘖增多,叶片浓绿,僵直,出现白斑,生长后期病稻不能抽穗结实,在暴发流行年份可以引起水稻的严重减产。RDV在分类上属于呼肠孤病毒科(Reoviridae)植物呼肠孤病毒属(Phytoreovirus)成员,病毒粒子为正十二面体球形结构,直径约为69.3nm,无刺突,无脂蛋白外膜包被,具有双层的蛋白衣壳[2]。病毒基因组由12条双链RNA片段组成,其中S8编…     

Tyramine accumulation in rice cells caused a dwarf phenotype via reduced cell division

Transgenic rice plants overexpressing a rice tyrosine decarboxylase (TyDC) exhibited a dwarf phenotype with a high level of tyramine accumulation. The height of transgenic rice was reduced on average to 35% of the wild-type height, whereas the number of tillers increased to 190% that of wild type. When judged by cellular distribution of tyramine and tyramine derivatives, the level of tyramine in soluble and insoluble fractions was higher than that of tyramine derivatives such as 4-coumaroyltyramine (CT) in the transgenic rice plants, suggesting that tyramine rather than its derivatives was a causative compound triggering the dwarf phenotype. Microscopic observation revealed that cell size in the transgenic lines was maintained, with a slightly irregular arrangement in the leaf mesophyll cells. When wild-type rice seeds were grown in the presence of tyramine, rice seedlings also showed stunted phenotypes in a dose-dependent manner. When these stunted seedlings were employed to measure the degree of cellular proliferation by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, only small numbers of cells were found to retain labeled nuclei in shoot tips compared with the untreated control. These results show that the dwarf phenotype associated with tyramine accumulation in transgenic rice plants is attributable to a reduction in cell number rather than cell size. In addition, our dwarf phenotype caused by tyramine was not closely associated with known dwarf genes such as D88.     

Analysis of the rice mutant dwarf and gladius leaf 1. Aberrant katanin-mediated microtubule organization causes up-regulation of gibberellin biosynthetic genes independently of gibberellin signaling

Molecular genetic studies of plant dwarf mutants have indicated that gibberellin (GA) and brassinosteroid (BR) are two major factors that determine plant height; dwarf mutants that are caused by other defects are relatively rare, especially in monocot species. Here, we report a rice (Oryza sativa) dwarf mutant, dwarf and gladius leaf 1 (dgl1), which exhibits only minimal response to GA and BR. In addition to the dwarf phenotype, dgl1 produces leaves with abnormally rounded tip regions. Positional cloning of DGL1 revealed that it encodes a 60-kD microtubule-severing katanin-like protein. The protein was found to be important in cell elongation and division, based on the observed cell phenotypes. GA biosynthetic genes are up-regulated in dgl1, but the expression of BR biosynthetic genes is not enhanced. The enhanced expression of GA biosynthetic genes in dgl1 is not caused by inappropriate GA signaling because the expression of these genes was repressed by GA3 treatment, and degradation of the rice DELLA protein SLR1 was triggered by GA3 in this mutant. Instead, aberrant microtubule organization caused by the loss of the microtubule-severing function of DGL1 may result in enhanced expression of GA biosynthetic genes in that enhanced expression was also observed in a BR-deficient mutant with aberrant microtubule organization. These results suggest that the function of DGL1 is important for cell and organ elongation in rice, and aberrant DGL1-mediated microtubule organization causes up-regulation of gibberellin biosynthetic genes independently of gibberellin signaling.     

应用SSR分子标记比较佳禾早占水稻组培苗与种植苗的性状差异

株高是水稻重要的农艺形状之一,植株过高将导致倒伏和减产,目前,很多新的技术究被用来鉴定,图位克隆与水稻株高相关的基因及机理的研究,本实验选择优质早籼稻佳禾早占种植苗和经过组培获得的矮化突变水稻为材料,为研究比较它们间的遗传物质上差异,根据康耐尔大学的资料设计了311对SSR引物对佳禾早占种植材料和组培材料进行分析,对两种材料进行PCR多态性扩增,结果发现两者间存在多态性的引物有88对,多态性比例达到30.3%。在矮杆材料中不但验证了已报道的11个与调控株高性状基因相连锁的标记连锁群,同时在第3号染色体和第9号染色体上还获得了两个以前基本未有报道的标记集中分布区域。结果说明,该培养基培育出的佳禾早占水稻后代所表现出的矮杆性状与亲本在遗传物质上确有明显差别。该结果有助于挖掘和定位新的矮杆基因,并有利于今后在水稻育种中进行水稻株高性状的控制,同时也为开展矮化性状机理的研究提供有利的实验材料。     

一份水稻矮杆小粒突变体的形态特征和基因定位

从水稻T-DNA插入突变体库中鉴定出一个矮杆小粒突变体t129,该突变体与野生型植株相比,植株明显矮化,籽粒粒长明显缩短,千粒重下降。遗传分析表明,t129的突变性状由一对隐性核基因控制,该基因(T129)经图位克隆定位于水稻第5染色体长臂上,引物InDel43和InDel57之间,物理距离为430 kb,并与标记InDel51共分离。本研究明确了该矮杆小粒突变体的表型特征及遗传规律,为进一步研究调控水稻株高和粒型基因奠定基础。     

一个新的水稻矮秆突变体的遗传分析和基因定位

新的水稻矮秆基因的发掘,对深入研究植物株高的调控途径及株型育种有非常重要的作用。我们报道了从日本特早熟粳稻品种Kitaake的组织培养后代获得的一个矮秆突变体dm,该突变体植株细小,紧凑,机械强度降低,结实率下降,籽粒变窄,千粒重降低等。利用分离群体中的矮秆株,最终将目标基因定位在第4染色体长臂末端InDel标记EL-72和L-1之间,物理距离为168 Kb的区间内,该区间内无已报道的水稻矮秆基因,该基因可能是一个尚未被克隆的新的株高决定基因。     

Biological activities of gibberellins and their glucosides in Pharbitis nil

Growth-promoting effects of gibberellins and their glucosides isolated from immature seeds of Japanese morning glory (Pharbitis nil) were compared in six bioassay systems. GA₃ glucoside exhibited much less activity than GA₃ in the dwarf rice (under aseptic conditions), dwarf maize (d₁, d₂ and d₅), cucumber and dwarf pea assays. GA₈, GA₂₆, GA₂₇ and GA₂₉ showed low activities in all the bioassay systems, while their glucosides were even less active. Thus gibberellin glucosides do not appear to be active in growth regulation.     

A novel cytochrome P450 is implicated in brassinosteroid biosynthesis via the characterization of a rice dwarf mutant, dwarf11, with reduced seed length

We have characterized a rice (Oryza sativa) dwarf mutant, dwarf11 (d11), that bears seeds of reduced length. To understand the mechanism by which seed length is regulated, the D11 gene was isolated by a map-based cloning method. The gene was found to encode a novel cytochrome P450 (CYP724B1), which showed homology to enzymes involved in brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis. The dwarf phenotype of d11 mutants was restored by the application of the brassinolide (BL). Compared with wild-type plants, the aberrant D11 mRNA accumulated at higher levels in d11 mutants and was dramatically reduced by treatment with BL, implying that the gene is feedback-regulated by BL. Precise determination of the defective step(s) in BR synthesis in d11 mutants proved intractable because of tissue specificity and the complex control of BR accumulation in plants. However, 6-deoxotyphasterol (6-DeoxoTY) and typhasterol (TY), but not any upstream intermediates before these compounds, effectively restored BR response in d11 mutants in a lamina joint bending assay. Multiple lines of evidence together suggest that the D11/CYP724B1 gene plays a role in BR synthesis and may be involved in the supply of 6-DeoxoTY and TY in the BR biosynthesis network in rice.     

一个水稻矮秆突变体的遗传分析及基因定位

水稻（Oryza sativa）是我国重要的粮食作物之一。水稻矮秆材料的引入掀起了第1次＂绿色革命＂。但近年来,在水稻育种中矮生基因遗传单一的问题越来越突出,已经严重影响到水稻产量的持续提高。利用60Co-γ射线辐照籼稻亲本材料M804获得了一个性状能够稳定遗传的矮秆突变体MU101。对该矮秆突变体和台粳16号杂交获得的F2代的遗传分析表明,该矮秆性状受1对隐性单基因控制,并暂命名为ds1。利用已有的SSR分子标记将DS1基因定位在水稻第5号染色体上,通过扩大群体和开发新的Indel标记,进一步将DS1基因定位在2个Indel标记之间,两者间的物理距离大约为384kb。该研究为DS1基因的克隆及其在生产中的应用奠定了基础。     

一个新的水稻小粒矮秆基因的分子标记定位及效应分析

从水稻(Oryza safjva L．)半矮秆品种蜀恢I62中发现一份小粒矮秆突变体“I62d”。对I62d与4个半矮秆品种杂交F1和F2代的遗传分析表明,I62d的矮生性由一对隐性基因控制。以II-32B／162d F2代作定位群体,用分子标记将I62d突变基凶定位丁水稻第3染色体短臂,该基因与微卫星标记RM218和RMI57之间的遗传距离分别为3．5cM和10．0cM。同时,利用近等基因系分析了该基因的表型效应,结果表明它可使株高降为正常高度的1／4左右,籽粒降为正常大小的1／4左右,并使叶片显著缩短、加宽,结实率显著降低。我们认为162d突变基因是一个新的水稻小粒矮秆某因,暂命名为dI62(t）。     

GID2, an F-box subunit of the SCF E3 complex, specifically interacts with phosphorylated SLR1 protein and regulates the gibberellin-dependent degradation of SLR1 in rice

The phytohormone gibberellin (GA) controls growth and development in plants. Previously, we identified a rice F-box protein, gibberellin-insensitive dwarf2 (GID2), which is essential for GA-mediated DELLA protein degradation. In this study, we analyzed the biological and molecular biological properties of GID2. Expression of GID2 preferentially occurred in rice organs actively synthesizing GA. Domain analysis of GID2 revealed that the C-terminal regions were essential for the GID2 function, but not the N-terminal region. Yeast two-hybrid assay and immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that GID2 is a component of the SCF complex through an interaction with a rice ASK1 homolog, OsSkp15. Furthermore, an in vitro pull-down assay revealed that GID2 specifically interacted with the phosphorylated Slender Rice 1 (SLR1). Taken these results together, we conclude that the phosphorylated SLR1 is caught by the SCFGID2 complex through an interacting affinity between GID2 and phosphorylated SLR1, triggering the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of SLR1.     

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.     

Branching in rice

Rice branching, including the formation of tillers and panicle branches, has been well investigated over the past several years because of its agronomic importance. A major breakthrough in elucidating rice tillering in the recent years was the discovery of strigolactones, a specific group of terpenoid lactones that can inhibit axillary bud outgrowth. Since that discovery, new tillering mutants, that is, dwarf 27 (d27) or dwarf14 (d14, also reported as d88 or htd2), have been identified with reduced strigolactone levels or strigolactone response. DWARF27 (D27) and DWARF14 (D14) probably act on strigolactone biosynthesis and signal transduction, respectively. Additionally, several genes controlling panicle branches have been identified recently. DEP1 and IPA1/WFP are essential dominant/semidominant regulators that determine rice panicle branches and thus affect the grain yields. More importantly, dep1 and ipa1 alleles have been shown to be applicable for the improvement of rice grain yields in molecular breeding.