Cloning and Characterization of an Arabidopsis thaliana Topoisomerase I Gene

cDNA and genomic clones encoding DNA topoisomerase I were isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana λgt11 and λFix libraries by low stringency hybridization with a Saccharomyces cerevisiae TOP1 probe. The cDNA clones include a 2748-base pair open reading frame predicting an amino acid sequence that is highly homologous to sequences encoded by TOP1 from yeast and human sources. The sequence of the upstream genomic region reveals two putative TATA-like elements and a purine-rich region, but no other obvious controlling elements. Southern blot analysis shows that the gene is present as a single copy in the Arabidopsis genome. When expressed in a S. cerevisiae top1 mutant under the control of the GAL1 promoter, the gene complements the phenotype caused by loss of topoisomerase activity and directs the expression of a protein that cross-reacts with a human anti-topoisomerase I antibody.     

Isolation and Characterization of a Ferredoxin Gene from Arabidopsis thaliana

We report the cloning and characterization of an Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. (Columbia ecotype) ferredoxin gene (Fed A). Sequence analysis of a genomic clone shows an intron-free, 444-base pair open reading frame which encodes a 96 amino acid mature ferredoxin polypeptide preceded by a 52 amino acid transit peptide. Comparison with other plant ferredoxin proteins suggests that Fed A encodes a leaf ferredoxin. Genomic Southern blot analysis indicates the presence of a second, weakly related gene, consistent with other reports of at least two ferredoxins in plants. The Fed A gene promoter contains two regions, ACGCCACGTGGTAGATAGGATT (G-I box) and CCACGCCATTTCCACAAGC (CCAC box), which are strongly conserved in both sequence and position between the Arabidopsis and pea ferredoxin genes. Similarities with other better characterized plant promoter elements are also discussed.     

拟南芥abi5基因的分子克隆及其在原核细胞中的表达和纯化

拟南芥abi5基因编码了一个碱性亮氨酸拉链类转录因子,它在ABA信号转导过程中发挥着关键调控作用。本文以拟南芥为材料,通过RT-PCR扩增、克隆了包含abi5基因编码区的片段。核苷酸序列分析表明,所克隆的基因与NCBI数据库收录的abi5基因（GenBank登录号NM129185.3）有99.0%的一致性;氨基酸序列存在4个残基差异。所克隆的abi5基因被进一步亚克隆至pET-32a表达载体。序列测定核实构建正确的重组质粒（pET32a-ABI5）转化入大肠杆菌BL21 Star（DE3）中诱导表达。表达产物经Ni-NTA亲和层析柱分离纯化、SDS-PAGE分析和质谱鉴定。结果表明,重组abi5基因在大肠杆菌表达的较适宜条件为：异丙基-β-D-硫代半乳糖苷（IPTG）终浓度为0.3 mmol L-1、30℃下诱导4 h,可达到细菌裂解液上清蛋白的29.1%。经Ni-NTA亲和层析柱纯化后的ABI5融合蛋白在SDS-PAGE电泳分析时呈现一条蛋白带。该条带经串联质谱分析证明为重组ABI5融合蛋白。     

拟南芥AtJ3基因的克隆和分析

克隆并分析了拟南芥（Ａｒａｂｉｄｏｐｓｉｓｔｈａｌｉａｎａ（Ｌ．）Ｈｅｙｎｈ．）ＡｔＪ３的ｃＤＮＡ核苷酸序列,并证明其翻译产物与Ｅ．ｃｏｌｉ的ＤｎａＪ蛋白高度同源。ＡｔＪ３蛋白分子中具有全部这类蛋白的典型特征包括Ｊ结构域（ｄｏｍａｉｎ）、Ｇ或ＧＦ结构域、富含半胱氨酸的锌指结构域,Ｃ末端的ＣＡＱＱ是一个蛋白法尼基化信号。用ＡｔＪ３的ｃＤＮＡ序列末端非翻译区作探针,从拟南芥基因组文库中分离获得ＡｔＪ３基因。基因序列分析表明该基因是由被５个内含子分隔的６个外显子组成。根据Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ杂交分析,ＡｔＪ３基因为单拷贝基因。Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ分析结果表明,ＡｔＪ３在子叶、叶、根、花及长角果中都表达。３５℃的热激能增加叶中ＡｔＪ３的ｍＲＮＡ表达     

Characterization of a sulfurtransferase from Arabidopsis thaliana.

A database search for similarities between sequenced parts of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome with known sulfurtransferase sequences from Escherichia coli and mammals was undertaken to obtain information about plant sulfurtransferase-like proteins. One gene and several homologous EST clones were identified. One of the EST clones was used for screening an Arabidopsis cDNA library. The isolated full-length clone consists of 1134 bp and encodes a 42.6 kDa protein that includes a putative transit peptide sequence of about 7.1 kDa. Sequence comparisons with known sulfurtransferases from different organisms confirmed high homology between them and the existence of several highly conserved regions. Results of a Southern blot performed with genomic Arabidopsis DNA showed the occurrence of at least two sulfurtransferase-like isozymes in Arabidopsis. Recombinant proteins with and without the putative transit peptide were expressed in E. coli with an N-terminal His6-tag, purified by affinity chromatography and tested for enzyme activity using different sulfur donors and acceptors. Both recombinant proteins catalyzed the formation of SCN- from thiosulfate and cyanide as a rhodanese per definition; however, both recombinant proteins preferred 3-mercaptopyruvate to thiosulfate. A monospecific antibody produced by using the mature recombinant protein as an antigen recognized a single protein band in total extracts of Arabidopsis plants equating to the full-length protein size. A single band equating to the size of the mature protein was detected from purified Arabidopsis mitochondria, but there was no antigenic reaction with any protein from chloroplasts. The function of the protein is still speculative. Now tools are available to elucidate the roles and substrates of this sulfurtransferase in higher plants.     

拟南芥AtNCED2基因启动子区域序列克隆及其活性分析

目的:克隆拟南芥AtNCED2基因启动子区域序列,并分析其组织器官特异性及对外界刺激的响应.方法:通过PCR从拟南芥基因组中克隆AtNCED2基因5'侧翼2295bp启动子区域序列(AtNCED2p),并进行生物信息学分析.构建AtNCED2p驱动GUS的植物双元表达载体pAtNCED2p::GUS,通过根癌农杆菌介导法将其转化野生型拟南芥,检测转基因植侏中GUS表达的组织器官特异性.结果:该启动子序列中存在TATA-box、CAAT-box、根器官特异性元件、ABA响应元件、低温响应元件、昼夜节律响应元件等顺式作用元件.GUS活性主要集中在转基因拟南芥根尖及侧根发生部位.外源ABA处理的转基因植株根中GUS活性为174.8nmol 4-MU min-1 mg-1蛋白,明显高于对照值91.7nmol 4-MU min-1mg-1蛋白.结论:AtNCED2基因可能在根的生长和发育中起作用,且外源ABA处理增强其在根中的表达.     

Molecular Cloning and Characterization of a Novel Dehydrin Gene from Ginkgo biloba

A full-length cDNA encoding a dehydrin was cloned from the living fossil plant Ginkgo biloba by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The cDNA, designated as GbDHN, was 813 bp long containing an open reading frame of 489 bp. The deduced GbDHN protein had 163 amino acid residues, which formed a 17 kDa polypeptide with a predicted isoelectric point (pI) of 5.75. GbDHN had an S-segment and a K-segment, indicative of dehydrins, but no Y-segments. Homology analysis indicated that the S-segment and K-segment of GbDHN shared identity with those of other reported dehydrins, indicating that GbDHN belonged to dehydrin superfamily. Genomic sequence of GbDHN was also cloned using genomic walker technology. By comparing genomic DNA with the cDNA, it was found that there was a 257-bp intron in this gene. Promoter analysis indicated that it contained six CAAT boxes, one TATA box, one ABRE box and one GC-motif in the 5′-flanking region. Southern blot analysis revealed that GbDHN belonged to a single copy gene family. RT-PCR analysis revealed that GbDHN constitutively expressed in stems and roots. The increased expression of GbDHN was detected when G. biloba seedlings were treated with exogenous abscisic acid (ABA), salt stress and drought stress. These results indicate that the GbDHN has the potential to play a role in response to ABA and environmental stresses that can cause plant dehydration.     

Molecular Cloning and Characterization of a Mannose-binding Lectin Gene from Dendrobium officinale

Using RNA extracted from Dendrobium officinale young leaves and primers designed according to the conservative regions of Orchidaceae lectins, the full-length cDNA of Dendrobium officinale agglutinin (DOA) was cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The full-length cDNA of doa was 768 bp and contained a 498 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a lectin precursor of 165 amino acids. Through comparative analysis of doa gene and its deduced amino acid sequence with those of other Orchidaceae species, it was found that doa encoded a precursor lectin with signal peptide. DOA was a mannose-binding lectin with three mannose-binding sites. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that doa mRNA expression was detected in all tested tissues including root, stem and leaf, however, the expression was higher in stem, lower in leaf. As the doa mRNA was detected in all the tested plant tissues, the doa was considered to be a constitutively expressed gene.     

Cloning and Functional Expression of a Novel Geranylgeranyl Pyrophosphate Synthase Gene from Arabidopsis thaliana in Escherichia coli

A gene encoding a novel geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP)synthase from Arabidopsis thaliana has been identified and termedGGPS5. The gene has been sequenced and expressed in Escherichiacoli. The deduced amino acid sequence showed 64.5% and 57.5%identity with a putative GGPP synthase from Arabidopsis andCapsicum annuum, respectively. GGPP enzymatic activity was detectedin E. coli cells expressing the GGPS5 gene in two differentways. One was the direct measurement of GGPP synthase activityin cell extracts and the other was the yellow color productionof cells when the GGPS5 gene was co-expressed with crtB, crtI,crtX, crtY and crtZ genes derived from Erwinia uredovora. (Received May 20, 1996; Accepted December 14, 1996)     

Cloning and characterization of rac-like cDNAs from Arabidopsis thaliana

The Rho family of GTPases are in higher eukaryotes divided into 3 major subfamilies; the Rho, Rac and Cdc42 proteins. In plants, however, the Rho family is restricted to one large family of Rac-like proteins. From work with mammalian phagocytes the Rac proteins are known to activate a multicomponent NADPH-dependent oxidase which results in accumulation of H₂O₂, a process termed oxidative burst. In plants a similar oxidative burst is observed and plays an important role in its defence against pathogen infections, suggesting a similar role for the plant Rac-like proteins. The Rho family of GTPases proteins are also involved in control of cell morphology, and are also thought to mediate signals from cell membrane receptors.In a broad search for members of the Ras superfamily in plants, several new small GTP-binding proteins were found. We report here the identification and molecular cloning of 5 rac-like cDNAs from Arabidopsis thaliana, Arac1–5. The Rac-like proteins deduced from the cDNA sequences all share 80–95% homology, but show considerably more diversity on the nucleotide level, indicating that this is an ancient gene family. Four of the rac genes were found to be expressed in all tissues examined, but one gene, Arac2, was expressed exclusively in the root, hypocotyl and stem. Our results show that the rac gene family in A. thaliana consists of at least 10 different genes.     

Col生态型拟南芥AP3基因启动子克隆及植物表达载体构建

隶属于MADS-Box基因家族的拟南芥花器官B类特征基因APETALA3 (AP3)在花瓣和雄蕊中特异性地表达;AP3基因编码转录因子,与A类和C类特征基因协同作用控制双子叶植物花瓣和雄蕊的发育.研究表明AP3基因启动子为花特异表达启动子.因此,AP3基因启动子的克隆及功能鉴定对于园林植物与花相关的商业性状的定向改良具有重要作用.本文根据GenBank数据库报道的Ler生态型拟南芥(Arabido-psis thaliana) AP3基因启动子序列(U30729)设计了一对特异性扩增引物,基于PCR技术,用高保真的KOD-plus DNA聚合酶扩增了长度为1 767 bp的Col生态型拟南芥AP3基因启动子,并命名为pAtAP3,其GenBank登录号为FJ619533.Bl2seq在线分析表明pAtAP3与U30729序列的相似性达98%,与Col生态型拟南芥BAC克隆T12E18 (AL132971) 9 264～11 030之间的碱基序列相似性达100%,且该段序列的下游基因编码AP3蛋白(CAB81799),说明克隆序列为Col生态型拟南芥AP3基因的启动子.PLACE在线分析表明pAtAP3具有基本的启动子元件TATA-box和CAAT-box,还包含大量与花特异表达相关的顺式元件CArG1、CArG2、CArG3和anther-box等.本试验进一步构建了植物表达载体pAtAP3::GUS,为该启动子的功能鉴定奠定了基础.     

荠菜CRABS CLAW的克隆与拟南芥遗传转化

根据GenBank收录的CRC基因cDNA序列设计引物,以短角果荠菜(Capsella bursa-pastoris)为材料,通过RT-PCR扩增出与拟南芥CRC基因同源的全长cDNA,进行测序、比对及同源性分析.结果显示,克隆的该基因cDNA序列与报道的拟南芥CRC序列一致性达到93%,可以推断其为荠菜CRC基因的cDNA(cbCRC).以Ti质粒pWM101为载体,构建了由CaMV35S启动子调控的cbCRC基因植物表达载体pWM101-cbCRC, 采用根癌农杆菌滴注柱头法转化拟南芥,获得了转cbCRC基因的拟南芥植株.转基因拟南芥心皮果荚形态大小发生了一定的变化,说明荠菜cbCRC基因在拟南芥中的表达对拟南芥心皮形态和大小都产生了一定影响,但其并没有使拟南芥表现出荠菜短角果的形态.