The FUSCA genes of Arabidopsis: negative regulators of light responses

More than 200 fusca mutants of Arabidopsis have been isolated and characterised, defining 14 complementation groups. Mutations in at least nine FUSCA genes cause light-dependent phenotypic changes in the absence of light: high levels of anthocyanin accumulation in both the embryo and the seedling, inhibition of hypocotyl elongation, apical hook opening, and unfolding of cotyledons. In double mutants, the fusca phenotype is epistatic to the hy phytochromedeficiency phenotype, indicating that the FUSCA genes act downstream of phytochrome. By contrast, the accumulation of anthocyanin is suppressed by mutations in TT and TTG genes, which affect the biosynthesis of anthocyanin, placing the FUSCA genes upstream of those genes. Regardless of the presence or absence of anthocyanin, fusca mutations limit cell expansion and cause seedling lethality. In somatic sectors, mutant fus1 cells are viable; expressing tissue-specific phenotypes: reduced cell expansion and accumulation of anthocyanin in subepidermal tissue, formation of ectopic trichomes but no reduced cell expansion in epidermal tissue. Our results suggest a model of FUSCA gene action in light-induced signal transduction.     

拟南芥ABA敏感突变体asm1的分离与鉴定

以拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)为研究材料,从T-DNA突变体库中筛选分离得到1株脱落酸(ABA)敏感突变体asm1(ABA sensitive mutant 1,asm1),在含有ABA的培养基中,与野生型相比,asm1突变体的根伸长明显受到抑制,且其种子萌发结果显示asm1对ABA同样表现出敏感特性。在生长发育方面,asm1突变体抽苔时间提前,植株矮化,并且荚果长度明显小于野生型。利用远红外成像系统分析发现,在干旱胁迫下asm1突变体叶面温度高于野生型;失水率分析显示突变体失水率降低以及水分散失减少。遗传学分析表明,asm1是单基因隐性突变且与一个T-DNA插入共分离;通过图位克隆成功获得候选基因ASM1。RT-PCR结果显示,在突变体中ASM1的表达受到抑制,并且能够调控多种ABA信号通路和胁迫应答基因的表达水平。研究结果表明,ASM1可能参与调控ABA信号转导并应答干旱胁迫。     

罗汉果色氨酸转氨酶基因SgTAR2的克隆及表达分析

色氨酸转氨酶基因家族,是直接参与植物生长素生物合成途径的关键酶基因。该研究在罗汉果转录组测序的基础上,结合RACE技术克隆罗汉果色氨酸转氨酶基因SgTAR2的全长cDNA序列和DNA序列;并对其进行生物信息学分析和时空表达分析。结果表明:克隆所得SgTAR2的cDNA全长序列2078bp,最长ORF为1332bp,编码443个氨基酸,Gen Bank登录号为KU949381,其编码蛋白具有2个蒜氨酸酶保守结构域和多个5'-PLP结合位点,推测其可能参与催化色氨酸转氨基作用、化学防御作用、生长素生物合成等生物学过程;SgTAR2基因DNA长为4103bp,含有4个内含子和5个外显子,其内含子具有多个高水平转录调控因子和多个与激素、环境等胁迫响应相关的作用元件,暗示SgTAR2基因内含子协同调控罗汉果生长素合成、抗胁迫反应、形态发育等生物学过程。实时荧光定量结果显示,SgTAR2基因在罗汉果各组织器官均有表达,在雌蕊和15d幼果期表达量较高,暗示该基因参与罗汉果果实早期发育。该研究结果表明SgTAR2参与了生长素介导的罗汉果不同生长发育过程,特别对幼果及花的起始发育和器官形态建成等具有重要意义。     

Temperature-dependent increase in the DNA-binding activity of a heat shock factor in an extract of tobacco cultured cells

The DNA-binding activity of a tobacco heat shock factor (HSF) was induced by heat treatment (37–40 °C) of a cell-free extract that contained extra-nuclear fraction, but not in an extract of isolated nuclei. These observations suggest that an inactive form of HSF can directly recognize and transduce the heat shock signal and that such transduction requires components of the extranuclear fraction. Addition of ATP or of most other nucleoside triphosphates reduced the binding of the HSF to the heat shock element (HSE) in the same extract, and removal of ATP by dialysis from the extract restored the ability of the HSF to bind to DNA. The restored activity of the HSF could be eliminated again by a second addition of ATP. Our observations provide the first example of the involvement of ATP in the regulation of the reversible changes in HSF that control its ability to bind to HSEs in a cell-free extract.Abbreviations AMP-PNP adenylyl imidodiphosphate - GUS -glucuronidase - HSE heat shock element - HSF heat shock factor     

Tissue-specific and constitutive expression of a hypothetical gene At2g37610 in transgenic Arabidopsis

Hypothetical genes should play important roles in plant growth and development, although their biological functions await elucidation. One of these genes, namely At2g37610, caught our attention during the gene cloning of several salt-tolerant mutants. Promoter-GUS fusion analysis indicated a unique tissue-specific expression pattern of At2g37610 in Arabidopsis. Constitutive expression of the gene under 35S promoter caused obvious morphological changes in transgenic Arabidopsis plants, such as curled rosette leaves and bushy phenotype at maturity. Phenotypic characterization revealed that the cause of the bushy phenotype was the enhanced lateral bud outgrowth at the bottom region of the primary inflorescence, which is different from that of reported mutant plants (bushy or branched) such as max, axr1, and bus mutants. Together, these data suggest that At2g37610 is a possible novel gene related to the regulation of leaf development and shoot patterning.     

拟南芥多聚ADP核糖聚合酶Ⅰ的原核表达与活性检测

采用RT-PCR技术获得了拟南芥多聚ADP核糖聚合酶[poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase,PARP]PARP1基因的全长cDNA,转入原核表达载体pET32a并转化宿主菌Origami(DE3),加入终浓度为0.3mmol/L IPTG,在16℃下诱导可获得较多的可溶重组蛋白。纯化TRX-PARP1,在反应液中加入NAD+和断裂DNA,通过SDS-PAGE凝胶电泳和Western blotting分析,TRX-PARP1分子量可随着时间的延长逐渐增大,产生向上的弥散,表明蛋白质连上了ADP核糖分子;与此对比,作为参照的标签蛋白TRX无此现象。实验结果显示原核表达拟南芥PARP1能够催化自身多聚ADP核糖化修饰,为深入研究植物多聚ADP核糖聚合酶的功能奠定了基础。     

拟南芥LFR原核重组蛋白纯化和多克隆抗体制备

拟南芥中有一类含ARM结构域的蛋白质,研究表明它们中的一些在植物的生长发育和激素应答等方面发挥着重要的作用.在拟南芥突变体筛选中,获得了一个推测编码蛋白含ARM重复序列的新基因突变体lfr(leaf and flower related mumnt),它在叶子和花的发育过程中表现出较明显的表型.为进一步研究该基因编码蛋白的生物学功能及其分子作用机制,构建了pGEX-2TGST:LFR融合蛋白重组表达载体,将重组质粒转化到工程菌中诱导表达菌体蛋白,经SDS.聚内烯酰胺凝胶电泳检测,结果表明,融合重组蛋白成功获得了高效表达,分子质量在77 ku左右.重组蛋白经谷胱甘肽S.转移酶(GST)标签蛋白亲和层析法纯化,SDS-PAGE制备胶割胶富集,电洗脱法纯化后得到纯度较高的抗原.经对新西兰兔进行5次免疫,获得了多克隆抗血清.采用免疫吸附方法对抗血清进行了纯化,结果得到只识别LFR重组蛋白的抗血清.进一步提取拟南芥野生型及突变体的核蛋白,经蛋白质印迹检测,结果显示,在分子质量50ku左右处出现特异的蛋白质条带,证明所制备的抗血清可以与拟南芥LFR蛋白特异性结合.     

拟南芥bso-1突变体的基因定位及表型分析

通过EMS化学诱变在拟南芥Columbia(Col-0)野生型突变体库中筛选获得1株器官显著增大的突变体,命名为big size organ1(bso-1)。遗传分析表明,bso-1受单个隐性核基因控制。表型观察发现,突变体植株的幼苗、花、果荚及种子与野生型相比都表现出明显的增大。组织切片结果显示,突变体种子的增大主要由胚细胞个体增大导致胚体积增大而实现,因此突变体种子的重量也较野生型有明显增加。利用图位克隆方法将相关基因初步定位在4号染色体上SSLP标记T5L19与F28M11之间58kb区间内,生物信息学分析显示此区间内未见调控植物器官大小发育相关的已知基因的报道。该研究结果为进一步克隆bso-1突变体相关基因及探讨其在控制植物器官发育尤其是种子发育过程中的作用奠定了基础。     

An Arabidopsis gene homologous to mammalian and insect genes encoding the largest proteasome subunit

A gene encoding a protein with extensive homology to the largest subunit of the multicatalytic proteinase complex (proteasome) has been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana. This gene, referred to as AtPSM30, is entirely encompassed within a previously characterized radiation-induced deletion, which may thus provide the first example of a proteasome null mutation in a higher eukaryote. However, the growth rate and fertility of Arabidopsis plants do not appear to be significantly affected by this mutation, even though disruption experiments in yeast have shown that most proteasome subunits are essential. Analysis of mRNA levels in developing seedlings and mature plants indicates that expression of AtPSM30 is differentially regulated during development and is slightly induced in response to stress, as has been observed for proteasome genes in yeast, Drosophila, and mammals. Southern blot analysis indicates that the Arabidopsis genome contains numerous sequences closely related to AtPSM30, consistent with recent reports of at least two other proteasome genes in Arabidopsis. A comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences for all proteasome genes reported to date suggests that multiple proteasome subunits evolved in eukaryotes prior to the divergence of plants and animals.GenBank accession number: M98495     

CRISPR/Cas9介导靶向敲除拟南芥GGB基因突变体的鉴定

GGB是抗旱负调控基因。为了获得拟南芥ggb突变体材料,构建了以拟南芥U6启动子驱动GGB sgRNA的CRISPR/Cas9基因组编辑载体。将构建好的编辑载体利用农杆菌介导的浸花法转化野生型拟南芥。对转基因后代GGB基因的测序结果分析发现,在靶位点处有缺失4个碱基和增加1个T碱基的2种突变体产生。分别对野生型拟南芥和上述2种ggb突变体进行半定量RT PCR分析结果显示,突变体材料中几乎检测不到GGB基因表达,说明获得了GGB基因敲除突变体。对野生型和ggb突变体叶片失水率、耐旱表型及单株种子量的测定结果表明,与野生型相比,拟南芥GGB基因突变后,叶片失水率显著减少,抗旱性明显增强,而单株种子量却并没有改变。研究表明,GGB是一种理想的作物分子育种的候选靶基因,获得的突变体为今后从农作物中克隆的GGB同源基因进行功能互补验证提供了有用的遗传材料。     

二氧化硫增强拟南芥植株对干旱的适应性

以模式植物拟南芥为材料,研究SO_2对植物干旱适应性的影响。采用分光光度法检测植物干旱生理指标的变化,并用半定量RT-PCR技术分析了拟南芥热激基因和干旱响应基因的转录水平。研究发现:4周龄拟南芥植株暴露于30mg/m3的SO_2后,6—72h间叶面气孔开度显著低于对照并逐渐减小,在暴露48h和72h时,热激转录因子HsfA2和热激基因Hsp17.7、Hsp17.6B、Hsp17.6C转录上调,干旱响应基因DREB2A、DREB2B和RD29A表达增强;在SO_2熏气72h后进行干旱胁迫,干旱期间SO_2预暴露植株的叶片相对含水量高于非熏气干旱处理组,植株萎蔫程度比后者明显减轻,且SO_2预暴露植株的地上组织中可溶性糖和脯氨酸含量升高,超氧化物歧化酶活性提高,丙二醛含量降低。结果表明:SO_2能降低气孔开度、提高抗氧化能力、上调热激基因和干旱响应基因转录,并能促进干旱期间植物细胞内渗透调节物质的合成和积累,促使抗氧化酶活性提高,从而降低干旱胁迫对植株造成的氧化损伤,增强拟南芥对干旱的适应性。植物通过基因转录应答、酶活性改变、渗透调节物质积累等,在适应环境高浓度SO_2的同时,提高了对干旱的适应性。     

Leishmania amazonensis META2 protein confers protection against heat shock and oxidative stress

The META cluster of Leishmania amazonensis contains both META1 and META2 genes, which are upregulated in metacyclic promastigotes and encode proteins containing the META domain. Previous studies defined META2 as a 48.0-kDa protein, which is conserved in other Leishmania species and in Trypanosoma brucei. In this work, we demonstrate that META2 protein expression is regulated during the Leishmania life cycle but constitutive in T. brucei. META2 protein is present in the cytoplasm and flagellum of L. amazonensis promastigotes. Leishmania META2-null replacement mutants are more sensitive to oxidative stress and, upon heat shock, assume rounded morphology with shortened flagella. The increased susceptibility of null parasites to heat shock is reversed by extra-chromosomal expression of the META2 gene. Defective Leishmania promastigotes exhibit decreased ability to survive in macrophages. By contrast, META2 expression is decreased by 80% in RNAi-induced T. brucei bloodstream forms with no measurable effect on survival or resistance to heat shock.     

Intragenic recombination in the CSR1 locus of Arabidopsis

Four classes of herbicides are known to inhibit plant acetolactate synthase (ALS). In Arabidopsis, ALS is encoded by a single gene, CSR1. The dominant csr1-1 allele encodes an ALS resistant to chlorsulfuron and triazolopyrimidine sulfonamide while the dominant csr1-2 allele encodes an ALS resistant to imazapyr and pyrimidyl-oxy-benzoate. The molecular distance between the point mutations in csr1-1 and csr1-2 is 1369 bp. Here we used multiherbicide resistance as a stringent selection to measure the intragenic recombination frequency between these two point mutations. We found this frequency to be 0.008 ± 0.0028. The recombinant multiherbicide-resistant allele, csr1-4, provides an ideal marker for plant genetic transformation.