拟南芥HyPRP蛋白AZI1在转基因烟草中的亚细胞定位及其对灰葡萄孢的抗性

通过农杆菌转化法得到了整合有拟南芥AZII基因的烟草植株,进一步利用转基因烟草分析了AZI1蛋白的亚细胞定位及其对真菌病原体的抗性特征。在上下游引物5’端分别引入NcoI和SpeI酶切位点,采用高保真耐热DNA聚合酶彤Pfu从拟南芥Co1-0生态型基因组DNA扩增AZII基因的编码序列,用NcoI和Spel对扩增片段和pCAMBIA1302质粒载体进行双酶切,通过T4DNA连接酶构建产生AZII-GFP融合表达载体。用包含融合表达载体的农杆菌细胞转化烟草叶片,经潮霉素选择获得了完整的再生植株,并收取了T。代种子。激光共聚焦显微观察发现,AZI1蛋白主要定位于细胞表面。病原体侵染结果显示,AZI1基因能够明显提高烟草对灰葡萄孢的抗性。说明AZI1蛋白通过分泌途径被定位到细胞表面后,能够抑制真菌病原体对植物组织的侵染过程。     

拟南芥血红蛋白1的亚细胞定位

为研究拟南芥的血红蛋白1(AtGLB1)基因的亚细胞定位,该实验构建了拟南芥血红蛋白1基因与绿色荧光蛋白基因融合的植物表达载体pUCGFP/ AtGLB1.利用基因枪转化法将重组载体转入洋葱表皮细胞瞬时表达,通过检测融合蛋白在洋葱表皮细胞中的分布来确定拟南芥血红蛋白1在细胞中的定位.荧光显微镜检测结果表明,AtGLB1基因表达产物主要定位在细胞核中,少量定位在细胞质中.     

利用转基因烟草确定AtELHYPRP2蛋白对赤霉菌的抗性及其亚细胞定位特征

采用遗传转化技术获得了整合有拟南芥AtELHYPRP2(EARLI1-LIKE HYBRID PROLINE-RICH PROTEIN 2,AT4G12500)基因的转基因烟草株系,研究了该基因编码蛋白对真菌病原体赤霉菌的抗性及其亚细胞定位特征。以拟南芥Col-0生态型基因组DNA为模板,通过聚合酶链反应扩增AtELHYPRP2基因编码序列,经限制性酶切后连接至pCAMBIA1302载体,构建产生pCAMBIA1302-AtELHYPRP2-GFP融合表达载体。进一步采用农杆菌LBA4404转化烟草叶片外植体,筛选得到转基因烟草植株。RT-PCR、Western blotting印迹分析结果显示,AtELHYPRP2基因在转化体中可以有效表达。激光共聚焦显微观察发现AtELHYPRP2-GFP融合蛋白产生的绿色荧光与碘化丙啶染色后产生的红色荧光能够重合,说明AtELHYPRP2蛋白定位于细胞表面。真菌侵染实验结果显示,组成性表达AtELHYPRP2基因能够增强烟草对赤霉菌的抗性,被侵染部位有明显的H2O2积累。转基因烟草植株中PR1基因的本底表达水平比野生型高,PR1和PR5基因的系统表达水平比野生型高,说明AtELHYPRP2基因可能在SAR反应中具有一定的作用。     

拟南芥血红蛋白3的亚细胞定位

拟南芥的血红蛋白3（AtGLB 3）属于截短的血红蛋白。与拟南芥血红蛋白1相比,拟南芥血红蛋白3具有不同的起源、不同的生化特性和结构;但其功能还不清楚。蛋白质的定位与蛋白质的功能息息相关。为深入研究该基因功能,构建了拟南芥血红蛋白3基因与绿色荧光蛋白融合的植物表达载体pUCGFP/AtGLB3。利用基因枪转化法将重组载体转入洋葱表皮细胞瞬时表达,通过检测融合蛋白在洋葱表皮细胞中的分布来确定拟南芥血红蛋白3在细胞中的定位。荧光显微镜检测结果表明,AtGLB3基因表达产物主要定位在细胞膜上。     

拟南芥AZI1基因对酿酒酵母细胞生长和蒜薹灰霉菌侵染的抑制作用

本工作采用酿酒酵母细胞表达载体pESC和植物细胞表达载体pPZP211分析了拟南芥AZI1基因对真菌的抗性功能。半乳糖诱导产生的AZI1蛋白可以使酵母细胞的生长能力明显降低。DAB和台酚蓝染色结果显示用蒜薹灰霉菌孢子处理Col-0野生型植株叶片后被侵染部位只能产生少量H2O2,病原体可以扩散,而AZI1基因过表达植株叶片在侵染部位有大量H2O2产生,着色较深,表明转化体能够以局部细胞的死亡来阻止病原体侵染周围的细胞。在Col-0野生型植株中,AZI1基因的表达受外源水杨酸诱导,24h后达到峰值。以上结果说明AZI1基因在拟南芥对生物胁迫因素的应答过程中具有重要作用。     

拟南芥磷酸酶基因亚细胞定位与组织表达

通过克隆拟南芥磷酸酶PP2C家族基因At3g51370,构建了绿色荧光蛋白融合表达载体,用基因枪将构建好的载体轰击洋葱表皮细胞进行瞬时表达分析,发现该At3g51370基因表达蛋白定位在细胞核中;用实时定量PCR方法分析At3g51370基因的组织表达特性,发现该基因在花器官中的表达量明显高于其它组织.进一步构建了含At3g51370基因的启动子和GUS报告基因的植物表达载体,经农杆菌介导转化拟南芥,对转基因拟南芥进行GUS组织化学染色,分析该启动子在不同生长时期与不同组织中的转录活性,结果发现,在幼苗期At3g51370基因主要集中在根尖分生组织和顶端分生组织表达,在成年植株中则集中在生殖器官如花和果荚柄等部位表达,在光照和黑暗条件下,At3g51370基因的表达特性没有明显差异.研究表明,At3g51370可能与其它核定位的PP2C磷酸酶一样参与了基因表达的调控,可能在拟南芥早期发育阶段的细胞增值分裂相关信号转导途径中发挥功能,并在花器官的发育过程中行使功能,且不参与光信号转导.     

拟南芥谷氨酸受体基因的亚细胞定位

为明确拟南芥谷氨酸受体1.3基因(AtGLR1.3)的亚细胞定位,该实验以拟南芥(Arabidopsis thalianaCo-lumbia ecotype)为材料,运用PCR方法从其基因组中扩增得到了AtGLR1.3的启动子和基因序列,将其连接到载体pBIsGFP上,构建成AtGLR1.3基因与绿色荧光蛋白基因融合的植物表达载体,通过农杆菌介导的花序浸润法将重组载体转化拟南芥野生型,转基因植株通过激光共聚焦扫描显微镜观察显示,GFP荧光信号存在于细胞质膜上,表明AtGLR1.3为细胞膜蛋白.该结果为进一步研究AtGLR1.3的作用机理奠定了基础.     

KKXX-motif对VKORC1亚细胞定位的影响

目的研究细胞内质网蛋白贮留信号KKXX-motif,对维生素K环氧化物还原酶复合物亚基1（VKORC1）的亚细胞定位的作用。方法利用点突变试剂盒构建VKORC1的KKXX突变体——VKORC1-SSXX;同时应用pEGFP载体构建VKORC1-SSXX和VKORC1-KKXX的绿色荧光融合蛋白表达质粒。瞬时转染HEK293s细胞,观察野生融合蛋白和突变融合蛋白的表达情况。结果野生型融合蛋白荧光分布在胞浆内,而突变型融合蛋白聚集表达。结论KKXX-motif影响了VKORC1的亚细胞定位。     

The BOS loci of Arabidopsis are required for resistance to Botrytis cinerea infection

Three Botrytis-susceptible mutants bos2, bos3, and bos4 which define independent and novel genetic loci required for Arabidopsis resistance to Botrytis cinerea were isolated. The bos2 mutant is susceptible to B. cinerea but retains wild-type levels of resistance to other pathogens tested, indicative of a defect in a response pathway more specific to B. cinerea. The bos3 and bos4 mutants also show increased susceptibility to Alternaria brassicicola, another necrotrophic pathogen, suggesting a broader role for these loci in resistance. bos4 shows the broadest range of effects on resistance, being more susceptible to avirulent strain of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. Interestingly, bos3 is more resistant than wild-type plants to virulent strains of the biotrophic pathogen Peronospora parasitica and the bacterial pathogen P. syringae pv. tomato. The Pathogenesis Related gene 1 (PR-1), a molecular marker of the salicylic acid (SA)-dependent resistance pathway, shows a wild-type pattern of expression in bos2, while in bos3 this gene was expressed at elevated levels, both constitutively and in response to pathogen challenge. In bos4 plants, PR-1 expression was reduced compared with wild type in response to B. cinerea and SA. In bos3, the mutant most susceptible to B. cinerea and with the highest expression of PR-1, removal of SA resulted in reduced PR-1 expression but no change to the B. cinerea response. Expression of the plant defensin gene PDF1-2 was generally lower in bos mutants compared with wild-type plants, with a particularly strong reduction in bos3. Production of the phytoalexin camalexin is another well-characterized plant defense response. The bos2 and bos4 mutants accumulate reduced levels of camalexin whereas bos3 accumulates significantly higher levels of camalexin than wild-type plants in response to B. cinerea. The BOS2, BOS3, and BOS4 loci may affect camalexin levels and responsiveness to ethylene and jasmonate. The three new mutants appear to mediate disease responses through mechanisms independent of the previously described BOS1 gene. Based on the differences in the phenotypes of the bos mutants, it appears that they affect different points in defense response pathways.     

AtPME17 is a functional Arabidopsis thaliana pectin methylesterase regulated by its PRO region that triggers PME activity in the resistance to Botrytis cinerea

Pectin is synthesized in a highly methylesterified form in the Golgi cisternae and partially de-methylesterified in muro by pectin methylesterases (PMEs). Arabidopsis thaliana produces a local and strong induction of PME activity during the infection of the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. AtPME17 is a putative A. thaliana PME highly induced in response to B. cinerea. Here, a fine tuning of AtPME17 expression by different defence hormones was identified. Our genetic evidence demonstrates that AtPME17 strongly contributes to the pathogen-induced PME activity and resistance against B. cinerea by triggering jasmonic acid–ethylene-dependent PDF1.2 expression. AtPME17 belongs to group 2 isoforms of PMEs characterized by a PME domain preceded by an N-terminal PRO region. However, the biochemical evidence for AtPME17 as a functional PME is still lacking and the role played by its PRO region is not known. Using the Pichia pastoris expression system, we demonstrate that AtPME17 is a functional PME with activity favoured by an increase in pH. AtPME17 performs a blockwise pattern of pectin de-methylesterification that favours the formation of egg-box structures between homogalacturonans. Recombinant AtPME17 expression in Escherichia coli reveals that the PRO region acts as an intramolecular inhibitor of AtPME17 activity.     

The role of phytohormones in basal resistance and Trichoderma-induced systemic resistance to Botrytis cinerea in Arabidopsis thaliana

Thirty-six phytohormone-affected mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. and their parental ecotypes were tested for resistance/susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea Pers.; Fr. and ability to develop Trichoderma-mediated induced systemic resistance (ISR). Ecotype Colombia-0 (Col-0) was relatively resistant to B. cinerea, and Trichoderma harzianum Rifai T39 application at sites spatially separated (roots) from the B. cinerea inoculation (leaves) resulted in reduction of grey mold symptoms. Ecotypes Wassilewskija-4, Nossen-0 and Landsberg-0 had low levels of basal resistance to B. cinerea and were unable to express ISR. Mutants derived from ISR-non-inducible ecotypes displayed ISR-non-inducible phenotypes, whereas the ISR inducibility of mutants derived from the ISR-inducible genotype Col-0 varied according to the type of mutant. Thus, salicylic acid (SA)-impaired mutants derived from Col-0 were ISR-inducible, while ethylene/jasmonic acid (ethylene/JA)-impaired mutants of the same origin were ISR-non-inducible. SA-impaired mutants retained basal level of resistance to B. cinerea, while most ethylene/JA-impaired mutants were highly susceptible. Abscisic acid- and gibberellin-impaired mutants were highly susceptible to B. cinerea and showed ISR-non-inducible phenotypes irrespective of their lines of origin. Auxin-resistant mutants derived from Col-0 were ISR-inducible; mutant originating from Landsberg-0 and mutants which were resistant to both auxin and ethylene were ISR-non-inducible. Most of the arabidopsis genotypes which were unable to express Trichoderma-mediated ISR against B. cinerea exhibited enhanced susceptibility to this pathogen. T. harzianum treatments enhanced the growth of arabidopsis plants regardless of genotype or ISR inducibility.     

The structure of "defective in induced resistance" protein of Arabidopsis thaliana, DIR1, reveals a new type of lipid transfer protein

Screening of transfer DNA (tDNA) tagged lines of Arabidopsis thaliana for mutants defective in systemic acquired resistance led to the characterization of dir1-1 (defective in induced resistance [systemic acquired resistance, SAR]) mutant. It has been suggested that the protein encoded by the dir1 gene, i.e., DIR1, is involved in the long distance signaling associated with SAR. DIR1 displays the cysteine signature of lipid transfer proteins, suggesting that the systemic signal could be lipid molecules. However, previous studies have shown that this signature is not sufficient to define a lipid transfer protein, i.e., a protein capable of binding lipids. In this context, the lipid binding properties and the structure of a DIR1-lipid complex were both determined by fluorescence and X-ray diffraction. DIR1 is able to bind with high affinity two monoacylated phospholipids (dissociation constant in the nanomolar range), mainly lysophosphatidyl cholines, side-by-side in a large internal tunnel. Although DIR1 shares some structural and lipid binding properties with plant LTP2, it displays some specific features that define DIR1 as a new type of plant lipid transfer protein. The signaling function associated with DIR1 may be related to a specific lipid transport that needs to be characterized and to an additional mechanism of recognition by a putative receptor, as the structure displays on the surface the characteristic PxxP structural motif reminiscent of SH3 domain signaling pathways.     

Disruption of the novel plant protein NEF1 affects lipid accumulation in the plastids of the tapetum and exine formation of pollen, resulting in male sterility in Arabidopsis thaliana

A novel male-sterile mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana was isolated by means of T-DNA tagging. Pollen abortion of the mutant was evident after microspore release, and pollen grains were completely absent at anthesis. Transmission electron microscope analysis revealed that primexine was coarsely developed, and that although sporopollenin was produced, it was not deposited onto the microspore plasma membrane. The sporopollenin that failed to be deposited aggregated and accumulated within the locule and on the locule wall. Finally, as no exine formation was observed, the mutant was named nef1. The plastoglobuli within the plastids of the tapetum were reduced, and lipid accumulation was considerably decreased. The mutant had a significantly altered leaf chloroplast ultrastructure and showed various growth defects. Lipid analysis revealed that the total lipid content in nef1 was lower than that in the wild type, which indicated that Nef1 was involved in lipid metabolism. Cloning of the full-length Nef1 indicated that the gene encodes a novel plant protein of 1123 amino acids with limited sequence similarities to membrane proteins or transporter-like proteins, and the NEF1 is predicted to be a plastid integral membrane protein. Motif analysis revealed that NEF1 contains prokaryotic membrane lipoprotein lipid attachment sites that are involved in maintaining cell envelope integrity. It is predicted that the Nef1 encodes a membrane protein that maintains the envelope integrity in the plastids.     

cDNA isolation, characterization, and protein intracellular localization of a katanin-like p60 subunit from Arabidopsis thaliana

Summary Katanin, a heterodimeric protein with ATP-dependent microtubule-severing activity, localizes to the centrosome in animal cells. Widespread occurrence is suspected as several species contain homologs to the katanin p60 subunit. Recently we isolated anArabidopsis thaliana cDNA with significant identity to the p60 subunit of sea urchin katanin. Like p60, the encoded protein is a member of the AAA superfamily of ATPases, containing the Walker ATP binding consensus and the signature AAA minimal consensus sequences within a single larger AAA/CAD amino acid motif. Phylogenetic analysis placed the encoded protein in the AAA subfamily of cytoskeleton-interactive proteins, where it formed a strongly supported clade with 4 other members identified as katanin p60 subunits. The clone was named AtKSSArabidopsis thaliana kataninlike protein small subunit). Western blots, performed using a polyclonal antibody raised against recombinant AtKSS, revealed AtKSS is present in protein extracts of all Arabidopsis organs examined. To evaluate potential interactions between AtKSS and the cytoskeleton, the intracellular localization of AtKSS was correlated with that of tubulin. AtKSS was found in perinuclear regions during interphase, surrounding the spindle poles during mitosis, but was absent from the preprophase band and phragmoplast microtubule arrays. These data support the thesis that AtKSS is an Arabidopsis homolog of the p60 subunit of katanin. Its cell cycle-dependent distribution is consistent with microtubule-severing activity, but additional studies will better define its role.