Unusual sequence of an abscisic acid-inducible mRNA which accumulates late in Brassica napus seed development

We have analyzed the nucleotide sequence and accumulation of an mRNA which is prevalent in seeds of Brassica napus L. During normal development, the mRNA begins to accumulate during late embryogeny, is stored in dry seeds, and becomes undetectable in seedlings within 24 hours after imbibition. Moreover, abscisic acid treatment of embryos precociously induces or enhances accumulation of the mRNA. Nucleotide sequencing studies show that the deduced 30 kDa polypeptide has an unusual primary structure; the polypeptide possesses direct amino acid sequence repeats and is virtually entirely hydrophilic with the exception of a hydrophobic carboxyl-terminal region. Based upon the expression pattern and predicted polypeptide sequence, we conclude that the mRNA is encoded by a late embryogenesis-abundant (Lea) gene in B. napus.Abbreviations ABA abscisic acid - bp base pairs - DAF days after flowering - HAI hours after the start of imbibition - kb kilobase (pairs)     

高效液相色谱法同时测定银凤桃中的赤霉素和脱落酸

赤霉素(GA3)和脱落酸(ABA)是果实组织中的两个重要激素,本试验用SymmetryC18色谱柱(4.6mm×150mm),以乙腈和1.8%乙酸[V(CH3CN)∶V(1.8%CH3COOH)=1∶1]为流动相,流速为0.5mL·min-1,Wa-ters2487UV-检测器,在检测波长254nm,柱温25℃的条件下,同时分离并测定了银凤桃中的GA3和ABA。GA3和ABA的分离效果理想,回收率分别达到100.1%和99.8%,该方法测量灵敏度达10-2ng·g-1,精密度RSD%<0.1。     

种子特异表达异源DGAT1基因提高大豆种子含油量和营养品质

为提高大豆Glycine max种子含油量和营养品质,文中以二酰甘油酰基转移酶1(Diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1,DGAT1)基因为遗传修饰靶标。将来自高油植物斑鸠菊Vernonia galamensis L.编码DGAT1酶蛋白的c DNA克隆Vg DGAT1A在大豆种子特异超表达。连续选择获得高代(T7)Vg DGAT1A转基因大豆株系。转基因株系表型鉴定显示,在大豆种子发育中期(30–45 DAF),Vg DGAT1A高表达,相应地DGAT酶活性是非转基因野生型和空载体转化对照的7.8倍。转基因成熟种子含油量比对照提高了5.1%,淀粉含量比对照减少2%–3%,蛋白质含量与对照无显著差异。此外,转基因大豆种子百粒重(14.5 g)和种子萌发率(95.6%)与对照亦无明显差异。种子油脂脂肪酸成分分析显示,转基因大豆种子油中抗氧化的油酸(C18:1Δ9)含量比对照提高8.2%,相应地易氧化的亚油酸(C18:2Δ9,12)和亚麻酸(C18:3Δ9,12,15)分别减少6%和2%。这些数据表明,种子特异超表达外源Vg DGAT1A基因,打破了大豆种子含油量和蛋白质含量的负连锁,显著提高种子含油量且未导致蛋白含量降低。转基因大豆种子重量和萌发率亦未显负效应,而且种子油脂抗氧化性和营养品质得以改善。研究表明应用这一高酶活性Vg DGAT1A的基因工程是提高种子含油量和改善油脂品质的一条有效途径。     

热胁迫对不同发育阶段大豆生长素和脱落酸含量的影响(英文)

大豆等植物体内细胞受热或受其它理化因素（如：重金属离子、乙醇、氨基酸类似物）、以及缺氧、DNA损伤、病毒感染等病理因素刺激后,促发应激反应,启动某些基因表达,能产生各种生理活性物质以及各种酶类,共同调控代谢过程和某些激素的活动,如：吲哚乙酸（IAA）、脱落酸（ABA）等。这些内源IAA和ABA共同作用,调节着大豆的抗逆性,从而影响着大豆的农艺性状。本试验对华北生态型的六个大豆栽培种,进行热激处理;取其第三片展开叶,测其内源IAA和ABA含量。这些品种分别是：早熟17,诱处4号,诱变31,耐阴黑豆、科丰6号和科丰34（Tan．1）。初花期,第一天热激（43～45℃,4h）后,它们的IAA和ABA水平均显著高于对照（30～33℃）（Fig．1）。然而,在连续一天热激后（43～45℃,4h／d）,大多数品种的IAA和ABA比第一天减少（Fig．2）。盛花期连续热激处理二天（43～45℃,4h／d）,IAA水平一般低于对照（3～33℃）,半数品种ABA水平也低于对照（Fig．3）。结荚期连续两天热激后（45℃,4h／d）,IAA和ABA含量均显著高于对照（30～33℃）（Fig．4）。     

Stress memory in plants: a negative regulation of stomatal response and transient induction of rd22 gene to light in abscisic acid-entrained Arabidopsis plants

All organisms, including plants, perceive environmental stress, and they use this information to modify their behavior or development. Here, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis plants have memory functions related to repeated exposure to stressful concentrations of the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA), which acts as a chemical signal. Repeated exposure of plants to ABA (40 micro m for 2 h) impaired light-induced stomatal opening or inhibited the response to a light stimulus after ABA-entrainment under both dark/light cycle and continuous light. Moreover, there were transient expressions of the rd22 gene during the same periods under both the growing conditions. Such acquired information in ABA-entrained plants produced a long-term sensitization. When the time of light application was changed, a transient induction of the rd22 gene in plants after ABA-entrainment indicated that these were light-associated responses. These transient effects were also observed in kin1, rab18, and rd29B. The transient expression of AtNCED3, causing the accumulation of endogenous ABA, indicated a possible regulation by ABA-dependent pathways in ABA-entrained plants. An ABA immunoassay supported this hypothesis: ABA-entrained plants showed a transient increase in endogenous ABA level from 220 to 250 pmol g-1 fresh mass at 1-2 h of the training period, whereas ABA-deficient (aba2) mutants did not. Taking into account these results, we propose that plants have the ability to memorize stressful environmental experiences, and discuss the molecular events in ABA-entrained plants.     

Endogenous levels of abscisic acid and indole-3-acetic acid during in vitro rooting of Wild Cherry explants produced by micropropagation

Levels of endogenous ABA and IAA were quantified during the first week of in vitro rooting of Wild Cherry (Prunus avium L.) using IBA in the culture medium. Hormones were measured in the apical, median and basal parts of the explants using an avidin-biotin based enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), after a purification of the methanolic extracts by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).Root primordia started to differentiate from day 5 at the basal part of the explants. ABA and IAA showed considerable changes and high levels were detected during the first week of culture. ABA levels increased transiently mainly in the apical part during root formation. Exogenous IBA was possibly transformed into IAA mainly in the basal part of the explants.     

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase in developing seeds of Vicia faba L.: gene expression and metabolic regulation

To analyze the role of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPCase, EC 4.1.1.31) during seed development, two cDNA clones encoding two isoforms of PEPCase were isolated from a seed-specific library of Vicia faba. The two sequences (VfPEPCase1 and VfPEPCase2) have a sequence identity of 82 and 89% on the nucleotide and amino acid levels. The VfPEPCase1 mRNA was found to be predominantly expressed in roots and developing cotyledons whereas the VfPEPCase2 mRNA was more abundant in green and maternal tissues. In the cotyledons, PEPCase mRNAs accumulated from early to mid cotyledon stage and decreased thereafter. The PEPCase activity increased continuously during cotyledon development. The enzyme was strongly activated by glucose-6-phosphate, but not by glucose, fructose or sucrose. Asparagine was weakly activating whereas malate, aspartate and glutamate were inhibitory. The inhibitors became less effective with increasing pH. Aspartate was a much stronger inhibitor of cotyledonary PEPCase than glutamate at both pH 7.0 and 7.5. The sensitivity of PEPCase to malate inhibition decreased from early to mid cotyledon stage at a time when storage proteins are synthesized. This indicates activation on the protein level, possibly by protein phosphorylation. Nitrogen starvation in the presence of hexoses but not sucrose decreased mRNA levels of VfPEPCase1 and enzyme activity, indicating control on the mRNA level by both carbon and nitrogen. It is concluded that in developing cotyledons PEPCase is probably important for the synthesis of organic acids to provide carbon skeletons for amino acid synthesis. Received: 15 July 1998 / Accepted: 10 October 1998