<Emphasis Type="Italic">DORNRÖSCHEN-LIKE</Emphasis>, an AP2 gene,is necessary for stamen emergence in Arabidopsis

To identify novel genes in petal and stamen development, a genetic screen was carried out for enhancers of the unusual B class mutant pistillata-5 (pi-5). In pi-5 flowers, second whorl organs develop as sepals rather than petals, but third whorl stamens are normal. One pi-5 enhancer, dornröschen-like-2 (drnl-2), results in third whorl positions developing as filamentous organs. In addition to enhancing the pi-5 phenotype, drnl-2 mutants also exhibit a phenotype in a wild-type PI background. Although stamen primordia are morphologically visible during early stages of flower development, they fail to enlarge in drnl-2 mutants. DRNL, which encodes a single AP2 domain protein, is expressed in a dynamic pattern in the embryo, seedling, and flower. Analysis of both the drnl-2 mutant phenotype and the DRNL expression pattern in flowers suggests that DRNL plays a critical role in stamen emergence in Arabidopsis.     

甘蓝型油菜中一类AP2/ERF转录因子的克隆和生物信息学分析

AP2/ERF转录因子家族是植物中广泛存在的一类转录因子,AP2/ERF这类转录因子主要参与植物的细胞周期、生长发育以及生物和非生物胁迫相关基因的表达调控。由于拟南芥和油菜同属于芸薹属,具有相似的基因信息,利用油菜UniGene数据库,以拟南芥ERF转录因子保守序列为探针,通过电子克隆从一个UniGene Cluster中分离得到三个同类的AP2/ERF转录因子,从cDNA序列、氨基酸序列的相似性、组成成分、理化性质、疏水性/亲水性分析、序列比对、进化树、功能域、二级结构、三级结构、无序化特性进行了预测和较为全面的分析。结果显示油菜来源的BnaERF1、BnaERF2和BnaERF3属于AP2/ERF转录因子的B-2亚族,是亲水性蛋白,在蛋白质的三级结构上与AtERF1相似。蛋白质无序化分析发现,油菜BnaERF1、BnaERF2和BnaERF3无序化程度小于拟南芥AtERF1。设计引物通过PCR和RT-PCR方法分别从甘蓝型双低油菜沪油15幼苗的DNA和cDNA中扩增了上述基因,初步分析BnaERF2没有内含子,BnaERF1和BnaERF3有内含子。另外,通过EST丰度分析显示,该类转录因子的表达最高峰在种子中,其次为花,在芽、茎和分生组织中没有检测出表达的存在。     

胡萝卜AP2／ERF-B1亚族两个转录因子基因的克隆及其非生物胁迫响应分析

AP2／ERF是植物中普遍存在的一类重要转录因子,参与植物整个生命周期的生长发育和逆境信号转导。本研究以胡萝卜（Daucus carota）‘黑田五寸’为试验材料,基于其转录组和基因组数据,检索和拼接获得胡萝卜AP2／ERF家族2个转录因子基因序列g39811和g47170。采用RT-PCR方法,分别从‘黑田五寸’中克隆DcERF-B1-1（g39811）和DcERF-B1—2（g4717D）转录因子基因。序列分析显示,胡萝卜DcERF-B1-1和DcERF-B1-2转录因子基因分别含有630个和594个开放阅读框,分别编码209和197个氨基酸;均含有相对保守的AP2结合域,具有典型的植物AP2／ERF类转录因子特征。从氨基酸组成成分、理化性质、亲水性／疏水性和三级结构上分析显示,胡萝卜DcERF—B1-1和DcERF-B1-2转录因子亲水性大于疏水性,其氨基酸序列可能属于亲水性蛋白。空间结构分析显示,它们都具有1个α螺旋和3个β折叠。进化树分析显示,二者均属于AP2／ERF家族转录因子中ERF亚族的B1组。实时定量荧光PCR显示,在低温、干旱、盐胁迫的条件下,DcERF-B1-2转录因子比DcERF-B1-1转录因子对逆境的响应更大;在高温的条件下,DcERF-B1-1转录因子比DcERF-B1-2转录因子对逆境的响应更大。     

AP2/ERF转录因子调控植物非生物胁迫响应研究进展

低温、干旱、高盐和缺氧等多种不良环境影响植物的生长发育, 植物通过长期进化形成复杂的调节机制来适应这些不利条件。AP2/ERF是植物特有的转录因子, 在各种胁迫响应过程中发挥关键调控作用。近年来, 越来越多的研究表明, 植物激素介导的信号级联通路与逆境胁迫响应关系密切, AP2/ERF转录因子可与激素信号转导协同形成交叉调控网络。许多AP2/ERF转录因子通过响应植物激素脱落酸和乙烯, 激活依赖或不依赖于脱落酸和乙烯的胁迫响应基因的表达。此外, AP2/ERF转录因子参与赤霉素、细胞分裂素和油菜素内酯介导的生长发育和胁迫应答。该文简要综述了AP2/ERF转录因子的结构特征、转录调控、翻译后修饰、结合位点、协同互作蛋白及其参与调控依赖或不依赖激素信号转导途径的非生物胁迫响应研究进展, 为解析不同AP2/ERF转录因子在调控激素和胁迫响应网络中的作用提供理论依据。     

油橄榄AP2/ERF转录因子鉴定及水胁迫表达分析

为探究油橄榄AP2/ERF基因家族对水胁迫的响应机制,该研究对受干旱及水淹胁迫的‘佛奥’和‘TYZ-1号’2个品种的根和叶进行转录组测序,并对油橄榄中AP2/ERF转录因子的蛋白理化性质、基因结构及系统进化进行分析,同时分析与水胁迫相关的AP2/ERF转录因子在2个油橄榄品种中的基因表达差异且进行RT-qPCR验证。结果表明：(1)在油橄榄中鉴定得到110个AP2/ERF基因家族成员,该110个蛋白质所含氨基酸大小为173～717 bp,均不存在信号肽,为非分泌蛋白。将油橄榄AP2/ERF与模式植物拟南芥AP2/ERF蛋白构建进化树发现,油橄榄AP2/ERF蛋白分为AP2、RAV、ERF和Solosist 4大类,其中ERF分为ERF和DREB 2个亚类,ERF包含ERF B1～ERF B6 6个子亚类,DREB包含DREB A1～DREB A6 6个子亚类,这与模式植物拟南芥AP2/ERF的分类一致,每个亚家族同时包含了油橄榄和拟南芥AP2/ERF蛋白,说明拟南芥和油橄榄的AP2/ERF家族在进化水平上有一定的相似性。(2)油橄榄AP2/ERF同一亚家族蛋白具有相同的基因结构及保守元...     

小豆VaDREB1A基因克隆及其应答锈菌侵染的表达分析

为明确小豆VaDREB1A在抗锈菌侵染过程中的作用,本研究分别从小豆基因组DNA及cDNA中克隆了该基因,测序结果表明VaDREB1A无内含子,全长660 bp编码219个氨基酸,氨基酸序列包含1个AP2结构域,序列特征及系统发育分析表明VaDREB1A属于DREB/CBF亚家族A1亚类。启动子顺式元件分析发现,VaDREB1A启动子包含乙烯、水杨酸及生物和非生物胁迫等响应元件。对该基因响应豇豆单胞锈菌(Uromyces vignae)侵染的表达分析发现,与不接种对照相比,VaDREB1A在抗病品种中于接种后24 h和120 h显著下调,而在感病品种中于接种后120 h和192 h显著上调。在1-氨基环丙烷-1-羧酸(ACC)诱导小豆抗锈病过程中,VaDREB1A的表达与其在抗病品种中的表达相似,分别于ACC处理并接种后24 h和192 h显著下调。上述结果说明VaDREB1A可能参与小豆对锈病的抗性。     

Vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation as a therapeutic target. Part 1: molecular targets and pathways

Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of human death worldwide. Excessive proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells contributes to the etiology of such diseases, including atherosclerosis, restenosis, and pulmonary hypertension. The control of vascular cell proliferation is complex and encompasses interactions of many regulatory molecules and signaling pathways. Herein, we recapitulated the importance of signaling cascades relevant for the regulation of vascular cell proliferation. Detailed understanding of the mechanism underlying this process is essential for the identification of new lead compounds (e.g., natural products) for vascular therapies.     

The homeobox genes ATHB12 and ATHB7encode potential regulators of growth in response to water deficit in Arabidopsis

The Arabidopsis thaliana homeodomain leucine-zipper gene ATHB7, which is active specifically under water deficit conditions, is proposed to act as a negative regulator of growth (Söderman et al., 1996, Plant J. 10: 375 381; Hjellström et al., 2003, Plant Cell Environ 26: 1127 1136). In this report we demonstrate that the paralogous gene, ATHB12, has a similar expression pattern and function. ATHB12,like ATHB7,was up-regulated during water deficit conditions, the up-regulation being dependent on abscisic acid (ABA) and on the activity of the Ser/Thr phosphatases ABI1 and ABI2. Plants that are mutant for ATHB12, as a result of T-DNA insertions in the ATHB12 gene, showed a reduced sensitivity to ABA in root elongation assays, whereas transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing ATHB12 and/orATHB7 as driven by the CaMV 35S promoter were hypersensitive in this response compared to wild-type. High-level expression of either gene also resulted in a delay in inflorescence stem elongation growth and caused plants to develop rosette leaves with a more rounded shape, shorter petioles, and increased branching of the inflorescence stem. Transgenic Arabidopsisplants expressing the reporter geneuidA under the control of the ATHB12promoter showed marker gene activity in axillary shoot primordia, lateral root primordia, inflorescence stems and in flower organs. Treatment of plants with ABA or water deficit conditions caused the activity of ATHB12to increase in the inflorescence stem, the flower organs and the leaves, and to expand into the vasculature of roots and the differentiation/elongation zone of root tips. Taken together, these results indicate that ATHB12 and ATHB7 act to mediate a growth response to water deficit by similar mechanisms.