植物基因起源进化研究取得新进展

动物基因中有很多逆转座基因,但长期以来,由于在拟南芥菜中发现很少的逆转座基因,因而形成了一种认为逆转座在植物基因和基因组进化中并不重要的观念。     

同源异型基因在花发育和进化中的作用

该文对植物发育和进化中同源异型基因的调控作用进行了综述,并介绍了金鱼草和拟南芥菜中几个同源异型基因对花器官变异的调控。     

拟南芥中RING型E3泛素连接酶基因AtGW2的克隆和功能分析

水稻RING型E3泛素连接酶基因OsGW2在调控水稻产量性状方面起着十分重要的作用.根据OsGW2的cDNA序列,通过RT-PCR方法从拟南芥中克隆了一个与OsGW2同源的基因,命名为AtGW2.序列分析表明,该基因编码一个RING-C2型E3泛素连接酶蛋白,含有401个氨基酸.通过构建AtGW2 RNA干扰植物表达栽体并转化拟南芥,结果表明,获得的转基因后代植株的子粒较野生型大,并且转基因拟南芥子粒千粒重高于野生型,这表明AtGW2负调控拟南芥子粒大小及粒重.     

胰腺组织表达Cre重组酶转基因小鼠的建立及鉴定

组织特异性表达Cre重组酶的转基因小鼠是进行组织特异性基因剔除研究的重要工具。为了建立胰腺组织特异性Cre转基因小鼠,我们通过PCR克隆了大鼠胰岛素基因启动子,并用它指导Cre基因在胰岛细胞中的特异性表达。在Cre重组酶基因5′端添加了真核核糖体结合序列和核定位序列以使Cre重组酶能穿越核膜在细胞核中发挥功能;同时,在Cre基因3′端添加了含内含子的3′端人生长激素基因。表达载体经显微注射导入小鼠受精卵以建立转基因小鼠。PCR检测显示共获得7只Cre整合阳性的转基因首建者小鼠;RTPCR结果表明其中1只首建者小鼠的子代鼠在胰腺中转录了外源基因,进一步的Southern杂交结果表明,该转基因小鼠能够在胰腺中表达有功能的Cre重组酶。      

甘油-3磷酸转酰酶氨基酸与植物抗冷性关系初探

甘油 - 3磷酸转酰酶 (GPAT)与植物抗冷性密切相关。南瓜 (Cucurbitamoschata)与黑子南瓜 (Cucurbitaficifolia)同属不同种 ,亲缘关系较近 ,但却存在显著的抗冷性差异。南瓜及黑子南瓜GPAT基因的克隆 ,可以使我们从二者推导的有限氨基酸的差异中对GPAT氨基酸组成及其与植物抗冷性作一定的探讨。发现在南瓜与黑子南瓜 13个不同的氨基酸残基中有 3个与抗冷性植物拟南芥菜 (Arabidopsisthaliana)、豌豆 (Pisumsativum)、红花 (Carthamustincto rius)和菠菜 (Spinaciaoleracea)等相同 ,可能与黑子南瓜比南瓜更具抗冷性的原因有关。比较南瓜、黑子南瓜、豌豆、红花、拟南芥菜和菠菜等植物中GPAT基因推导的氨基酸序列发现 ,在比较抗冷的拟南芥菜、红花、豌豆和菠菜等植物中 ,虽然它们之间的亲缘关系都比较远 ,但某些位点上的氨基酸残基却完全相同 ,而与南瓜等抗冷性较差的植物不同 ,这些位点的氨基酸残基可能也与GPAT对底物酰基的选择性有关。     

卡那霉素在转基因芥菜中的应用

为了找出芥菜 (Brassica juncea Coss.) 遗传转化中最佳的卡那霉素(Kan)筛选浓度, 将芥菜的子叶接种于含有不同浓度Kan的分化培养基中, 当Kan浓度达到 30 mg/L时, 外植体的分化完全受到抑制。将芥菜种子播种于含有不同浓度Kan的培养基中, 当Kan浓度达到200 mg/L时, 长出的幼苗完全白化; 利用叶片涂抹方法, 将不同浓度的Kan涂抹于田间生长的植株叶片上, 当Kan浓度达到200 mg/L时, 被处理的叶片完全变白。为了对转基因芥菜后代中外源基因的分离情况进行遗传学分析, 分别用200 mg/L的Kan处理以npt-Ⅱ基因为选择标记基因的转基因芥菜的种子和转基因芥菜后代植株的叶片, 利用χ2测验分析试验结果, 4个含有单拷贝外源基因的转基因株系后代, 对Kan的抗感分离都符合3︰1的分离规律; 而2个含有双拷贝外源基因的转基因株系, 其中一个对Kan的抗感分离符合3︰1而不符合15︰1, 另一个对Kan的抗感分离既符合3︰1也符合 15︰1, 双拷贝外源基因在转基因芥菜中的整合方式有待进一步的研究。最后, 用PCR分析证实了该方法的准确性, 因此, 利用Kan对转基因芥菜后代进行筛选是可行的。     

豇豆胰蛋白酶抑制剂基因转化芥菜及抗虫鉴定

用农杆菌介导将豇豆胰蛋白酶抑制剂 (CpTI)基因导入芥菜 ,获得了Kan抗性植株 .经PCR扩增、PCR Southern印迹和Northern印迹分析 ,转化再生植株大部分呈阳性 ,而非转化的再生植株均为阴性 ,证明CpTI基因已存在于芥菜基因组中 .在室内进行了喂虫试验 ,结果表明转基因芥菜抗虫性明显高于对照 ,转基因植株之间存在抗虫性差异     

特异性检测胰腺组织表达Cre重组酶转基因小鼠的方法

利用组织特异性分子标志物启动子调控Cre重组酶,研制了6种在不同组织中特异性表达Cre重组酶的转基因小鼠.这些转基因小鼠的基因型鉴定均使用设计在Cre基因编码区的通用引物.为了特异性检测胰腺组织表达Cre重组酶的转基因小鼠,在大鼠胰岛素RIP启动子上和Cre基因上设计1对引物进行PCR扩增,并通过凝胶电泳进行分析.PCR结果显示,设计在Cre基因上的通用引物可以从6种不同组织特异性Cre重组酶转基因小鼠基因组DNA中扩增获得480 bp产物;利用本研究设计的特异性引物可以从胰腺组织表达Cre重组酶转基因小鼠基因组DNA中扩增200 bp的目的条带.这一结果表明,利用特异性引物进行PCR反应,可有效地将胰腺组织表达Cre重组酶转基因小鼠与其他多种组织的Cm重组酶转基因小鼠鉴别开来.     

石防风原生质体遗传转化及抗除草剂植株的再生

以石防风（Ｐｅｕｃｅｄａｎｕｍｔｅｒｅｂｉｎｔｈａｃｅｕｍ（Ｆｉｓｃｈ．）Ｆｉｓｃｈ．ｅｘＴｕｒｃｚ．）叶柄愈伤组织为材料建立以致密细胞团为主的悬浮培养物,用酶解法获得原生质体。用ＰＥＧ法将拟南芥菜（Ａｒａｂｉｄｏｐｓｉｓｔｈａｌｉａｎａ（Ｌ．）Ｈｅｙｎｈ．）抗除草剂基因导入原生质体后进行液体浅层培养。转化细胞经除草剂ｃｈｌｏｒｓｕｌｆｕｒｏｎ筛选,通过胚状体途径产生抗性小植株。转化处理１０６个原生质体,以加入４０～５０μｇ／ｍＬ质粒ＤＮＡ,ＰＥＧ终浓度为１０％,于１ｍＬ转化介质中,２６℃黑暗下处理２０ｍｉｎ的效果最好。ｃｔＤＮＡ的加入对转化结果无明显影响。分子杂交试验表明,突变的ａｌｓ基因已整合进转化植株的基因组中。转基因植株的细胞在脱分化过程中仍具有抗ｃｈｌｏｒｓｕｌｆｕｒｏｎ的能力;移栽成活的转基因小苗仍表现出抗除草剂特性,而未转化的植株在低浓度除草剂下即逐渐死亡。表明转入的ａｌｓ基因在石防风细胞内能够稳定表达。     

转Bt基因植物中外源基因时空动态表达的研究现状

在转Bt基因植株中 ,外源基因的时空动态表达对于害虫的防治和转基因安全评价管理具有重要意义。利用生物测定法和酶联免疫吸附测定法 (ELISA) ,对植物不同组织在同一发育阶段、同一组织在不同的发育阶段以及不同转基因植株的外源基因的时空动态表达进行研究。本文综述了转基因植物中外源基因时空动态表达的研究进展和现状。     

Degradation of 1,2-dichloroethane by Ancylobacter aquaticus and other facultative methylotrophs.

Cultures of the newly isolated bacterial strains AD20, AD25, and AD27, identified as strains of Ancylobacter aquaticus, were capable of growth on 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) as the sole carbon and energy source. These strains, as well as two other new DCE utilizers, were facultative methylotrophs and were also able to grow on 2-chloroethanol, chloroacetate, and 2-chloropropionate. In all strains tested, DCE was degraded by initial hydrolytic dehalogenation to 2-chloroethanol, followed by oxidation by a phenazine methosulfate-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase and an NAD-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase. The resulting chloroacetic acid was converted to glycolate by chloroacetate dehalogenase. The alcohol dehydrogenase was induced during growth on methanol or DCE in strain AD20, but no activity was found during growth on glucose. However, in strain AD25 the enzyme was synthesized to a higher level during growth on glucose than on methanol, and it reached levels of around 2 U/mg of protein in late-exponential-phase cultures growing on glucose. The haloalkane dehalogenase was constitutively produced in all strains tested, but strain AD25 synthesized the enzyme at a level of 30 to 40% of the total cellular protein, which is much higher than that found in other DCE degraders. The nucleotide sequences of the haloalkane dehalogenase (dhlA) genes of strains AD20 and AD25 were the same as the sequence of dhlA from Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 and GJ11. Hybridization experiments showed that the dhlA genes of six different DCE utilizers were all located on an 8.3-kb EcoRI restriction fragment, indicating that the organisms may have obtained the dhlA gene by horizontal gene transmission.     

Degradation of 1,2-dichloroethane by Ancylobacter aquaticus and other facultative methylotrophs.

Cultures of the newly isolated bacterial strains AD20, AD25, and AD27, identified as strains of Ancylobacter aquaticus, were capable of growth on 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) as the sole carbon and energy source. These strains, as well as two other new DCE utilizers, were facultative methylotrophs and were also able to grow on 2-chloroethanol, chloroacetate, and 2-chloropropionate. In all strains tested, DCE was degraded by initial hydrolytic dehalogenation to 2-chloroethanol, followed by oxidation by a phenazine methosulfate-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase and an NAD-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase. The resulting chloroacetic acid was converted to glycolate by chloroacetate dehalogenase. The alcohol dehydrogenase was induced during growth on methanol or DCE in strain AD20, but no activity was found during growth on glucose. However, in strain AD25 the enzyme was synthesized to a higher level during growth on glucose than on methanol, and it reached levels of around 2 U/mg of protein in late-exponential-phase cultures growing on glucose. The haloalkane dehalogenase was constitutively produced in all strains tested, but strain AD25 synthesized the enzyme at a level of 30 to 40% of the total cellular protein, which is much higher than that found in other DCE degraders. The nucleotide sequences of the haloalkane dehalogenase (dhlA) genes of strains AD20 and AD25 were the same as the sequence of dhlA from Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 and GJ11. Hybridization experiments showed that the dhlA genes of six different DCE utilizers were all located on an 8.3-kb EcoRI restriction fragment, indicating that the organisms may have obtained the dhlA gene by horizontal gene transmission.     

Genetic organization of the dhlA gene encoding 1,2-dichloroethane dechlorinase from Xanthobacter flavus UE15

Xanthobacter flavus strain UE15 was isolated in wastewater obtained from the Ulsan industrial complex, Korea. This strain functions as a 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) degrader, via a mechanism of hydrolytic dechlorination, under aerobic conditions. The UE15 strain was also capable of dechlorinating other chloroaliphatics, such as 2-chloroacetic acid and 2-chloropropionic acid. The dhlA gene encoding 1,2-DCA dechlorinase was cloned from the genomic DNA of the UE15 strain, and its nucleotide sequence was determined to consist of 933 base pairs. The deduced amino acid sequence of the DhlA dechlorinase exhibited 100% homology with the corresponding enzyme from X. autotrophicus GJ10, but only 27 to 29% homology with the corresponding enzymes from Rhodococcus rhodochrous, Pseudomonas pavonaceae, and Mycobacterium sp. strain GP1, which all dechlorinate haloalkane compounds. The UE15 strain has an ORF1 (1,356 bp) downstream from the dhlA gene. The OFR1 shows 99% amino acid sequence homology with the transposase reported from X. autotrophicus GJ10. The transposase gene was not found in the vicinity of the dhlA in the GJ10 strain, but rather beside the dhlB gene coding for haloacid dechlorinase. The dhlA and dhlB genes were confirmed to be located at separate chromosomal loci in the Xanthobacter flavus UE15 strain as well as in X. autotrophicus GJ10. The dhlA and transposase genes of the UE15 strain were found to be parenthesized by a pair of insertion sequences, IS1247, which were also found on both sides of the transposase gene in the GJ10 strain. This unique structure of the dhlA gene organization in X. flavus strain UE15 suggested that the dechlorinase gene, dhlA, is transferred with the help of the transposase gene.     

卤代烷烃脱卤酶基因在拟南芥中反式失活系统的建立

以细菌Xanthobacter autotrophicus卤代烷烃脱卤酶基因为遗传负选择标记,建立了该基因在拟南芥中反式失活的实验系统,在卤代[烷烃脱卤酶转基因的拟南芥中,有1株表现为转基因失活,离体核run-off转录实验表明为基因转录后沉默（这里特指沉默位点）,用这一转基因沉墨植株与同源转基因高效表达植株（这里特指同源转基因位点）杂交,结果96％的F1代植表现为同源基因反式失活,将F1代植株自交,使部分沉默位点与反式失活的同源转基因位点分离,结果200株子代中有42株表现DhlA活性,158株无DhlA活性,即 dhlA沉默植株与表达植株之比为3．76：1,表明沉默位点是以孟德尔显性因子方式使同源转基因位点反式失活的。     

Cloning of 1,2-dichloroethane degradation genes of Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 and expression and sequencing of the dhlA gene.

A gene bank from the chlorinated hydrocarbon-degrading bacterium Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 was prepared in the broad-host-range cosmid vector pLAFR1. By using mutants impaired in dichloroethane utilization and strains lacking dehalogenase activities, several genes involved in 1,2-dichloroethane metabolism were isolated. The haloalkane dehalogenase gene dhlA was subcloned, and it was efficiently expressed from its own constitutive promoter in strains of a Pseudomonas sp., Escherichia coli, and a Xanthobacter sp. at levels up to 30% of the total soluble cellular protein. A 3-kilobase-pair BamHI DNA fragment on which the dhlA gene is localized was sequenced. The haloalkane dehalogenase gene was identified by the known N-terminal amino acid sequence of its product and found to encode a 310-amino-acid protein of molecular weight 35,143. Upstream of the dehalogenase gene, a good ribosome-binding site and two consensus E. coli promoter sequences were present.     

Utilization of trihalogenated propanes by Agrobacterium radiobacter AD1 through heterologous expression of the haloalkane dehalogenase from Rhodococcus sp. strain M15-3.

Trihalogenated propanes are toxic and recalcitrant organic compounds. Attempts to obtain pure bacterial cultures able to use these compounds as sole carbon and energy sources were unsuccessful. Both the haloalkane dehalogenase from Xanthobacter autotrophicus GJ10 (DhlA) and that from Rhodococcus sp. strain m15-3 (DhaA) were found to dehalogenate trihalopropanes to 2,3-dihalogenated propanols, but the kinetic properties of the latter enzyme are much better. Broad-host-range dehalogenase expression plasmids, based on RSF1010 derivatives, were constructed with the haloalkane dehalogenase from Rhodococcus sp. strain m15-3 under the control of the heterologous promoters P(lac), P(dhlA), and P(trc). The resulting plasmids yielded functional expression in several gram-negative bacteria. A catabolic pathway for trihalopropanes was designed by introducing these broad-host-range dehalogenase expression plasmids into Agrobacterium radiobacter AD1, which has the ability to utilize dihalogenated propanols for growth. The recombinant strain AD1(pTB3), expressing the haloalkane dehalogenase gene under the control of the dhlA promoter, was able to utilize both 1,2,3-tribromopropane and 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane as sole carbon sources. Moreover, increased expression of the haloalkane dehalogenase resulted in elevated resistance to trihalopropanes.     

N-acetyl glutamate kinase from Daucus carota suspension cultures: embryogenic expression profile, purification and characterization.

In Daucus carota, N-acetylglutamate-5-phosphotransferase (NAGK; E.C. 2.7.2.8) specific activity was shown to correlate with the progression of somatic embryogenesis and was highest in the latter stages, where growth was most rapid. The enzyme was subsequently purified greater than 1200-fold using heat treatment, ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration, anion exchange and dye ligand chromatography. Carrot NAGK was shown to have a subunit molecular weight of 31 kDa and form a hexamer. The Kms for NAG and ATP are 5.24 and 2.11 mM, respectively. Arginine (Arg) is a K-type allosteric inhibitor of the enzyme, and Hill coefficients in the order of 5 in the presence of Arg suggest that the enzyme is highly cooperative. D. carota NAGK does not bind to Arabidopsis thaliana PII affinity columns, nor does the A. thaliana PII increase NAGK specific activity, indicating its cellular location is probably different.     

Cloning and characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana pyridoxal kinase

Pyridoxal kinase (PK; EC 2.7.1.35), a key enzyme in vitamin B(6) metabolism, was cloned from Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. and characterized. The amino acid sequence of the A. thaliana PK was found to be similar to the mammalian enzyme, with a homology of more than 40%. Characterization studies showed that the kinase is a dimeric molecule consisting of two identical subunits, each subunit having a molecular mass of approximately 35 kDa. The enzyme exhibited maximal activity at pH 6.0. Similar to the mammalian enzyme, the enzyme from A. thaliana preferred Zn(2+) instead of the commonly used Mg(2+) as the divalent cation for catalysis. Under optimal conditions, the V(max) of the enzyme was 604 nmol pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) mg(-1) min(-1), and the K(m) values for pyridoxal and ATP were 688 micro M and 98 micro M, respectively. Examination of levels of enzyme expression showed that leaves, stems, roots and flowers can generate PLP independently at similar levels. Furthermore, expression of the PK gene in A. thaliana seeds was found to start 60 h after imbibition. Results from the present study suggest that plant tissues depend on PK for the production of PLP.     

Molecular cloning and functional expression of beta1, 2-xylosyltransferase cDNA from Arabidopsis thaliana

The transfer of xylose from UDP-xylose to the core beta-linked mannose of N-linked oligosaccharides by beta1,2-xylosyltransferase (XylT) is a widespread feature of plant glycoproteins which renders them immunogenic and allergenic in man. Here, we report the isolation of the Arabidopsis thaliana XylT gene, which contains two introns and encodes a 60.2 kDa protein with a predicted type II transmembrane protein topology typical for Golgi glycosyltransferases. Upon expression of A. thaliana XylT cDNA in the baculovirus/insect cell system, a recombinant protein was produced that exhibited XylT activity in vitro. Furthermore, the recombinant enzyme displayed XylT activity in vivo in the insect cells, as judged by the acquired cross-reaction of cellular glycoproteins with antibodies against the beta1,2-xylose epitope. The cloned XylT cDNA as well as the recombinant enzyme are essential tools to study the role of beta1,2-xylose in the immunogenicity and allergenicity of plant glycoproteins at the molecular level.