Two Plant Puroindolines Colocalize in Wheat Seed and <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> Synergistically Fight Against Pathogens

Puroindolines, for years largely investigated for their involvement in wheat kernel hardness, have recently attracted attention thanks to their possible role as antimicrobial proteins. With the aim to enhance our knowledge of these proteins we studied their localization in the kernel, and their antimicrobial activity in vitro against six different bacterial strains. Immunolocalization showed that both the PINs are strongly concentrated in the aleurone layer, but also highly present in the endosperm. Interestingly we observed that puroindolines not only have the same spatial distribution in the kernel, they are also always found co-localized. Their co-localization suggests that they could cooperate in defending the plant against pathogens. We therefore tested antimicrobial activity of PINA and PINB, and a putative synergism between these proteins. The results showed that the two polypeptides can in vitro inhibit growth of all the bacteria tested; furthermore when combined together they are able to enhance each other’s toxicity. In view of their antimicrobial activity and of their natural presence in Triticum aestivum wheat flour, puroindolines look promising antibacterial agents and thus deserve further studies aimed at establishing their possible future applications in fields of food and health care. Since PINs were still detectable in bakery products, these proteins may be promising tools in investigating natural ways of food preservation.     

农杆菌介导抗储粮害虫转基因小麦(Triticum aestivum L.)的获得及分析

以本实验室选育的小麦优良品系的胚性愈伤组织为材料,采用农杆菌介导将抗虫基因豇豆胰蛋白酶抑制剂基因CpTI转入小麦培养细胞,经筛选获得抗卡那霉素的愈伤组织并再生植株。经PCR和实时PCR检测、PCR-Southern和Southernblot验证,确定了3株独立再生植株为含有CpTI的转基因植株。农杆菌菌浓度、侵染时间及转化处理方式对小麦转化率均有明显影响。3株转基因植株正常可育并结籽,形成转基因株系。外源基因在转基因植株T1代中的分离呈多样性,部分株系(转基因株系T-Ⅰ、T-Ⅲ)表现出孟德尔遗传规律。抗虫试验表明,3株转基因植株T2代籽粒对储粮害虫麦蛾具有一定的抗性,转基因株系T-Ⅰ、T-Ⅱ、T-Ⅲ及非转基因植株的T2代籽粒虫蛀率分别为19·8%、21·9%、32·9%和58·3%。转基因植株T1代群体农艺性状调查显示,3个株系具有良好的农艺性状,为小麦的遗传改良提供了新的种质抗虫材料。     

反义trxs基因对转基因小麦种子内源trxh基因表达的影响

以转反义硫氧还蛋白基因(anti-trxs)株系01TY70-1-17-5及其对照小麦品种‘豫麦70’为试验材料,以小麦中稳定表达的肌动蛋白基因actin为内标,用半定量反转录聚合酶链式反应(semi-QRT-PCR)方法,对转基因株系及其对照种子中trxh基因时空表达情况进行了检测。检测结果表明,花后15~30d转基因株系trxh基因转录量平均比对照下降了20.1%,花后25d显著低于对照(P<0.05);胚乳trxh基因转录量最低,平均比对照低19.4%;种子吸涨24h时间内,转基因株系trxh基因转录量较对照均略低,但差异不显著。表明,外源trxs基因的导入直接干扰了内源基因的表达。     

转双价水解酶基因番茄植株对枯萎病抗性的提高

利用根癌农杆菌(Agrobacterium tumefaciens)介导,首次将莱豆几丁质酶和烟草β-1,3-葡聚糖酶双价水解酶基因导入番茄品种A53(Lycopersicon esculentum cv.A53)中,获得批量转基因再生植株。对外源基因的PCR和Southern杂交结果表明,外源基因已经整合到番茄基因组中,其拷贝数1-8个不等。Northern杂交和卡那霉素喷施表明目的基因和标记基因均已得到表达,抗病性鉴定初步表明转基因植株对枯萎病的抗性显著提高。     

反义trxs基因导入对小麦籽粒脱支酶活性的影响

以转反义硫氧还蛋白基因株系01TY34-73-9及其对照品种‘豫麦34’为材料,运用PCR检测和酶活性测定的方法,对转基因株系遗传稳定性以及转基因与对照种子中脱支酶活性进行测定。结果显示:(1)外源基因已经稳定遗传至后代;(2)转基因种子在不同成熟时期和不同萌发过程中的脱支酶活性与对照相比均有不同程度的降低平均降低10.3%,但仅花后25 d到收获后5 d脱支酶活性显著低于对照,其中最低值出现在花后30 d,平均比对照下降了12.0%;(3)在花后30 d和后熟5 d萌发过程中,转基因种子脱支酶活性始终低于对照,平均下降6.2%和22.2%。表明反义trxs基因的导入干扰了小麦trxh基因的表达,使trxh转录量减少,小麦籽粒中脱支酶的活性受抑。     

转病毒来源发夹RNA小麦表现对大麦黄矮病毒的抗性

将大麦黄矮病毒GPV株系的复制酶基因片段和CP基因片段构建成可在植物细胞内表达含有双链复制酶RNA(茎)和反义CP RNA(环)的复合发夹RNA结构, 希望能够诱发植物体针对病毒的RNA干扰作用, 从而达到抗病毒目的。利用基因枪法将该结构导入小麦幼胚愈伤组织细胞后, 通过在幼苗再生阶段进行以叶片为模板的快速PCR来加速阳性植株的筛选过程, 最终共获得基因组整合有外源基因的小麦再生植株21株。对再生植株接种不同剂量的病毒, 其中9株对BYDV-GPV有低度抗性, 表现在低接毒量时无症状, 接毒量提高时发病且严重; 6株具中度抗性, 表现在低接毒量时无症状, 接毒量提高时局部有不严重症状; 6株具高度抗性, 两种情况下均无症状。抗性实验结果表明, hpRNA介导对BYDV的抗性可能受到BYDV含量的影响, 具有剂量效应的特点。     

小麦种质对茎基腐病抗性评价及优异种质筛选

小麦茎基腐病是由镰孢菌侵染引起的一种世界性土传病害,近年来已严重威胁到我国小麦的安全生产。为筛选具有茎基腐病抗性的小麦种质资源,本研究采用孢子悬浮液浸种法,分别以国外抗病材料Sunco和中国品种陕253为抗病和感病对照,对670份我国小麦品种(系)进行了茎基腐病温室苗期抗性鉴定。结果发现,我国供试品种(系)感病材料(病情指数>30)所占比例达到84%,且包含多个近年来小麦生产中的主推品种,表明我国小麦品种总体抗性水平低是导致茎基腐病近年来发病频率与程度不断增加的重要原因之一。经多轮筛选,发掘获得15份抗病表现稳定、抗性水平与抗病对照Sunco相仿的材料。15份材料平均病情指数在10.9~19.4之间,其株高、抽穗期等农艺性状表现出较为丰富的变异,为我国小麦抗茎基腐病品种选育和抗性遗传研究提供了种质资源。     

SDS-PAGE分析转基因小麦与主栽小麦杂交后代的高分子量麦谷蛋白亚基

目的:高分子量麦谷蛋白亚基(HMW-GS)1Ax1、1Dx5是对小麦面包烘烤品质有重要影响的优质亚基。将转基因小麦株系与普通小麦栽培品种常规杂交并快速筛选后代,以选育含有外源优质亚基的主栽小麦品系。方法:将分别含有1Ax1、1Dx5亚基的转基因小麦株系B102-1-2、B73-6-1与3种普通小麦主栽品种鄂恩1号、鄂麦12号、日喀则8号常规杂交,用不连续SDS-PAGE方法鉴定12组杂交组合(正反交)F1代311颗籽粒的HMW-GS。结果:不连续SDS-PAGE分析大量子代带型,能够快速鉴定筛选出具有优质亚基的株系,转基因获得的外源优质HMW-GS基因在大部分F1子代中能够共显性遗传。结论:常规杂交育种能使外源基因有效地整合进主栽小麦的基因组中,进一步分析后代遗传的稳定性和遗传规律就可以培育出优质的新品种;不连续SDS-PAGE快速筛选优质亚基的株系具有可操作性和实用性。     

一种检测转1Dx5基因小麦植株的新方法

目的:建立一种有效区分Glu-1D等位基因的Multiplex-PCR体系,快速检测转1Dx5小麦植株。方法:根据1Dx5和1Dx2亚基基因的区别设计特异的PCR引物,通过多重PCR技术检测花粉管通道法转化1Dx5核心片段的转基因T1代植株。结果:Multiplex-PCR能够在转基因T1代材料中扩增Glu-1D等位基因的特征条带,分别为343bp、320bp的1Dx5基因特异片段以及361bp的1Dx2基因特异片段,与预期结果一致。结论:该技术能够检测多个靶基因,有效地区分转基因Glu-1D上的等位基因,证实外源1Dx5基因已整合到受体基因组中,对检测基因组庞大、外源基因序列GC含量高且与内源基因同源性高的转基因小麦十分有效。     

Constitutive Expression of Soybean Ferritin cDNA Intransgenic Wheat and Rice Results in Increased Iron Levels in Vegetative Tissues but not in Seeds

We used particle bombardment to produce transgenic wheat and rice plants expressing recombinant soybean ferritin, a protein that can store large amounts of iron. The cDNA sequence was isolated from soybean by RT-PCR and expressed using the constitutive maize ubiquitin-1 promoter. The presence of ferritin mRNA and protein was confirmed in the vegetative tissues and seeds of transgenic wheat and rice plants by northern and western blot analysis, respectively. The levels of ferritin mRNA were similar in the vegetative tissues of both species, but ferritin protein levels were higher in rice. Both ferritin mRNA and protein levels were lower in wheat and rice seeds. ICAP spectrometry showed that iron levels increased only in vegetative tissues of transgenic plants, and not in the seeds. These data indicate that recombinant ferritin expression under the control of the maize ubiquitin promoter significantly increases iron levels invegetative tissues, but that the levels of recombinant ferritin in seeds are not sufficient to increase iron levels significantly over those in the seeds of non-transgenic plants.     

Accumulation of Barley Stripe Mosaic Virus is Significantly Reduced in Transgenic Wheat Plants Expressing a Bacterial Ribonuclease

An rnc70 gene encoding a mutant bacterial ribonuclease III (RNase III) was introduced into wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Bobwhite) by microprojectile bombardment. T1, T2, and T3 plants regenerated from three transgenic callus lines were challenged with barley stripe mosaic virus. Plants expressing RNase III exhibited a high level of resistance to the virus infection. This resistance was evidenced by the absence of virus symptoms and reduced accumulation of virions in these plants. The result demonstrates that this pathogen-targeted resistance strategy can be effectively employed in conferring resistance to viral diseases of cereal crops.     

农杆菌介导的大麦Mlo反义基因转化小麦获得抗白粉病后代

从大麦‘斯特林’幼叶总RNA中分离Mlo基因cDNA完整编码区,反向连接到植物双元载体（pBI-121.2）35S启动子下游,通过农杆菌介导的苗端转化法获得两种小麦基因型（‘烟优2801’和‘烟优361’）的转基因小麦。T0代405株中有55株PCR检测阳性,平均转化率达到13.58%,T0和T1基因组DNA Southern杂交可以证明大麦Mlo基因片段已整合到小麦基因组中并可传递到后代。两种基因型的转基因小麦T0和T1植株在温室及大田中均表现出对白粉病抗性的提高。农杆菌介导的苗端转化法可以简单、快速、高效地获得转基因株系;排除体细胞变异对转基因植株的影响;克服基因型对农杆菌转化的限制,是小麦遗传转化的一种实用方法。     

转基因小麦株系后代遗传稳定性的快速确证

转基因材料的遗传稳定性是基因工程成败的关键内容之一,快速确证其多代遗传特性是进行大量后代材料分析的技术保证。该文主要研究了从半粒转基因小麦B73-6-1种子中提取小麦基因组DNA的方法,并利用多重PCR技术以提取出的DNA作为模板对外源基因进行扩增,从而鉴定外源基因的遗传特性。对提取出的DNA进行琼脂糖凝胶电泳分析,实验结果表明,提取出的DNA产量和质量较高,而PCR的结果表明,所研究的方法可以同时扩增出两个外源基因,并利用该方法快速确证了转基因小麦B73—6—1外源udiA基因和bar基因的遗传稳定性。     

转叶片衰老延缓基因PSAG12-IPT小麦株系光合性能的研究

以导入叶片衰老延缓基因PSAG12-IPT小麦西农1376的T5代株系为材料,于灌浆期测定了它们功能叶片的净光合速率和叶绿体色素含量.结果表明:经过早代鉴定的转PSAG12-IPT基因小麦株系的净光合速率均高于受体对照西农1376,部分株系达到极显著水平;转基因株系叶绿体色素含量的平均值也显著高于对照.可见,转叶片衰老延缓基因PSAG12-IPT小麦株系灌浆期功能叶片的光合性能得到显著改善.     

Resistance against Fusarium Head Blight in Transgenic Wheat Plants Expressing the ScNPR1 gene

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a severe global wheat disease that may cause severe yield losses, especially during epidemic years. Transforming the regulatory genes in the metabolic pathways of disease resistance into wheat via transgenic methods is one way to improve resistance to FHB. ScNPR1 (Secale cereale‐NPR1), a regulatory gene for systemic acquired resistance (SAR), was isolated from S. cereale cv Jingzhouheimai and transformed into the moderately FHB‐susceptible wheat variety Ningmai 13. RT‐PCR analysis indicated that the ScNPR1 gene was stably expressed in transgenic plants. An evaluation of the resistance to FHB revealed that six ScNPR1 transgenic lines (NP1, NP2, NP3, NP4, NP5 and NP6) exhibited significantly higher FHB resistance than the wild‐type wheat Ningmai 13 and the null‐segregated plants. The expression of pathogenesis‐related (PR) genes after Fusarium graminearum inoculation was earlier or higher than those in the wild‐type variety Ningmai 13. The high expression in the early stages of PR genes should account for the enhanced FHB resistance in the transgenic lines. Our results suggest that overexpression of ScNPR1 could be used to improve FHB resistance in wheat.     

A Microarray-Based Comparative Analysis of Gene Expression Profiles During Grain Development in Transgenic and Wild Type Wheat

Global, comparative gene expression analysis is potentially a very powerful tool in the safety assessment of transgenic plants since it allows for the detection of differences in gene expression patterns between a transgenic line and the mother variety. In the present study, we compared the gene expression profile in developing seeds of wild type wheat and wheat transformed for endosperm-specific expression of an Aspergillus fumigatus phytase. High-level expression of the phytase gene was ensured by codon modification towards the prevalent codon usage of wheat genes and by using the wheat 1DX5HMW glutenin promoter for driving transgene expression. A 9K wheat unigene cDNA microarray was produced from cDNA libraries prepared mainly from developing wheat seed. The arrays were hybridised to flourescently labelled cDNA prepared from developing seeds of the transgenic wheat line and the mother variety, Bobwhite, at three developmental stages. Comparisons and statistical analyses of the gene expression profiles of the transgenic line vs. that of the mother line revealed only slight differences at the three developmental stages. In the few cases where differential expression was indicated by the statistical analysis it was primarily genes that were strongly expressed over a shorter interval of seed development such as genes encoding storage proteins. Accordingly, we interpret these differences in gene expression levels to result from minor asynchrony in seed development between the transgenic line and the mother line. In support of this, real time PCR validation of results from selected genes at the late developmental stage could not confirm differential expression of these genes. We conclude that the expression of the codon-modified A.␣fumigatus phytase gene in the wheat seed had no significant effects on the overall gene expression patterns in the developing seed.     

转基因植物中RNA介导的病毒抗性机制

介绍了近年来转基因植物中RNA介导的抗性特征和解释这种抗性机制的两种模型,一种是阈值模型,一种是质量模型,并对这两种模型的优缺点进行了讨论.     

Transgenic cotton expressing CYP392A4 double‐stranded RNA decreases the reproductive ability of Tetranychus cinnabarinus

As a polyphagous pest, Tetranychus cinnabarinus has the ability to overcome the defense of various hosts, and causes severe losses to various economically important crops. Since the interaction between pest and host plants is a valuable clue to investigate potential ways for pest management, we intend to identify the key genes of T. cinnabarinus for its adaption on cotton, then, with RNA interference (RNAi) and transgenic technology, construct a transgenic cotton strain to interfere with this process, and evaluate the effect of this method on the management of the mites. The difference of gene expression of T. cinnabarinus was analyzed when it was transferred to a new host (from cowpea to cotton) through high‐throughput sequencing, and a number of differentially expressed genes involved in detoxification, digestion and specific processes during the development were classified. From them, a P450 gene CYP392A4 with high abundance and prominent over‐expression on the cotton was selected as a candidate. With transgenic technology, cotton plants expressing double‐stranded RNA of CYP392A4 were constructed. Feeding experiments showed that it can decrease the expression of the target gene, result in the reduction of reproductive ability of the mites, and the population of T. cinnabarinus showed an apparent fitness cost on the transgenic cotton. These results provide a new approach to restrict the development of mite population on the host. It is also a useful attempt to control piercing sucking pests through RNAi and transgenic technology.     

Transgenic zebrafish expressing fluorescent proteins in central nervous system neurons

Zebrafish is a powerful model system for investigations of vertebrate neural development. The animal has also become an important model for studies of neuronal function. Both in developmental and functional studies, transgenic zebrafish expressing fluorescent proteins in central nervous system neurons have been playing important roles. We review here the methods for producing transgenic zebrafish. Recent advances in transposon- or bacterial artificial chromosome-based transgenesis greatly facilitate the creation of useful lines. We also present our study on alx -positive neurons to reveal how transgenic zebrafish expressing fluorescent proteins in a specific class of neurons can be used to investigate their development and function.     

Resistance to Wheat streak mosaic virus generated by expression of an artificial polycistronic microRNA in wheat

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) is a persistent threat to wheat production, necessitating novel approaches for protection. We developed an artificial miRNA strategy against WSMV, incorporating five amiRNAs within one polycistronic amiRNA precursor. Using miRNA sequence and folding rules, we chose five amiRNAs targeting conserved regions of WSMV but avoiding off-targets in wheat. These replaced the natural miRNA in each of five arms of the polycistronic rice miR395, producing amiRNA precursor, FanGuard (FGmiR395), which was transformed into wheat behind a constitutive promoter. Splinted ligation detected all five amiRNAs being processed in transgenic leaves. Resistance was assessed over two generations. Three types of response were observed in T(1) plants of different transgenic families: completely immune; initially resistant with resistance breaking down over time; and initially susceptible followed by plant recovery. Deep sequencing of small RNAs from inoculated leaves allowed the virus sequence to be assembled from an immune transgenic, susceptible transgenic, and susceptible non-transgenic plant; the amiRNA targets were fully conserved in all three isolates, indicating virus replication on some transgenics was not a result of mutational escape by the virus. For resistant families, the resistance segregated with the transgene. Analysis in the T(2) generation confirmed the inheritance of immunity and gave further insights into the other phenotypes. Stable resistant lines developed no symptoms and no virus by ELISA; this resistance was classified as immunity when extracts failed to transmit from inoculated leaves to test plants. This study demonstrates the utility of a polycistronic amiRNA strategy in wheat against WSMV.