Mutagenesis of Embryogenic Cultures of Soybean and Detecting Polymorphisms Using RAPD Markers

Embryogenic suspension cultures of soybean (Glycine max L. cv. Iroquois) were subjected to mutagenesis using varying concentrations (1, 3, 10, and 30 mM) of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS). Depending on the concentration of EMS used, the mean survival rate of embryogenic cultures decreased from 74 % (1 mM EMS) to 43 % after 30 mM EMS treatment. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was used to determine whether induction of genetic variability in embryogenic cultures in response to the different EMS treatments may result in identification of polymorphic markers. Two of 35 ‘core’ primers tested revealed polymorphisms. One of the primers, OPO-01/1150, revealed polymorphism in tissue treated with 10 mM EMS, while the other primer, OPO-05/1200, revealed polymorphism in tissue treated with either 1 or 30 mM EMS. These results suggest that RAPD markers are useful in detecting mutations in embryogenic cultures of soybean. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Rapid,High Quality DNA Isolation from Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L.) Needles and Optimization of the RAPD Marker Technique

A protocol for extracting high quality DNA from cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L.), a gymnosperm of economic and ecological importance to the Mediterranean, is presented using the commercially supplied DNeasy^TM Plant Mini Kit (QIAGEN GmbH, Germany). Additional steps were introduced in the QIAGEN protocol to significantly enhance DNA quantity and quality. For one sample, the procedure can be completed in less than one hour, and more than 10 samples can be processed in a day. DNA yield and purity were monitored by gel electrophoresis and by determining absorbance at UV (A₂₆₀/A₂₈₀ and A₂₆₀/A₂₃₀). Both ratios were between 1.7 and 2.0, indicating that the presence of contaminating metabolites was minimal. The average DNA yield obtained from 100 mg starting material was around 22 g, which compares very favorably with numbers indicated by the manufacturer. Additionally, restriction and PCR analyses of the extracted DNA showed its compatibility with downstream applications. Using this DNA, the parameters for the randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) protocol were optimized based on the use of (1) an AmpliTaq^® DNA Polymerase, Stoffel fragment (Perkin-Elmer), and (2) a high initial denaturation temperature (97.5 °C). Reproducible amplification products were achieved in all PCR reactions. Seven to eight bands per primer were obtained with most individuals. This represents a number at the high end of published results with other plant species.     

Developmental Changes of CuZn- and Mn-Superoxide Dismutase Isozymes in Seedlings and Needles of Norway Spruce (Picea abies L.)

Changes in superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.15.1.1 [EC] ) activityand isozymes were investigated in different developmental stagesof Norway spruce (Picea abies L.). Spruce seeds, seedlings grownin a climate chamber and foliar buds from field-grown treescontained two CuZn-SODs comigrating with SODs I and II previouslyidentified as the chloroplastic and cytosolic SODs in spruceneedles [Krniger et al. (1992) Plant Physiol. 100: 334]. Inaddition one Mn-SOD (SOD III) was identified by insensitivityto cyanide and H₂O₂. Highest total SOD activities were detectedin buds before bud break and in germinating seeds. In seedsand foliar buds SOD II was the major isozyme, whereas SOD Iwas dominant in mature needles. SOD III was present in all developmentalstages of the seedlings, but disappeared in field-grown treesduring bud break and reappeared at the end of summer in matureneedles. These results indicate that the activities of SODsI, II and III in Norway spruce are under independent developmentalcontrol. (Received March 1, 1993; Accepted July 16, 1993)     

盐藻RAPD反应条件的优化

从盐藻中提取基因组DNA作为模板进行RAPD反应的优化试验 ,获得PCR扩增反应的最佳条件 :随机引物为CPS32 0 (5′ GGCTCATGTG 3′) ;2 0 μl体系中Mg2 2 .0mmol/L ,退火温度 35℃ ;Taq酶活性值 0 .8U。     

金银花五个品系的RAPD分析及DNA指纹图谱的建立

运用RAPD技术,对5个金银花品系进行遗传多样性研究并构建这5个金银花品系的DNA指纹图谱。从80个引物中筛选出25个带纹清晰,多态性好的引物用于实验。其中,引物SBSD06的扩增条带可以清楚明确区分5个品系,建立其DNA指纹图谱。在清晰、稳定出现的170条带中,153条带具有多态性。按UPGMA法进行聚类分析,计算其遗传相似系数,结果显示,金银花5个品系聚为两类,与其形态学分类结果相符。     

金龟甲基因组DNA RAPD反应条件的优化

以华北大黑鳃金龟[Holotrichia oblita (Faldermann)]和矮臀鳃金龟(H.ernesti Reitter)为供试材料,对DNA模板、Mg2+、dNTPs浓度、淬火和循环内延伸时间及循环数进行优化.提出了金龟甲RAPD分析的最佳反应体系,即25 μL体系中含DNA模板1.2 ng·μL-1、Mg2+ 2. 5 mmol·L-1、dNTPs 0. 25 mmol·L-1;并确定最适淬火时间为40 s,循环内延伸时间为2 min;最佳循环数为40.     

金弹总DNA提取及RAPD体系优化

以金弹叶片为材料,研究其总DNA提取方法及RAPD-PCR条件。结果表明,用改良CTAB法Ⅱ提取的DNA适于RAPD分析;优化的金弹RAPD-PCR体系为:反应体积20μl,Mg²⁺2.5 mmol/L、dNTP 0.25 mmol/L、引物0.20μmol/L、模板DNA 1.0 ng/μl和1 U Taq DNA聚合酶。相应的扩增程序为:94℃预变性3 min;94℃变性45 s,37℃复性60 s,72℃延伸120 s,循环45次;72℃延伸10 min,4℃结束。     

The Transpiration Rate of Unhardened, Hardened, and Dehardened Seedlings of Spruce and Pine

Tissue injuries in winter are sometimes interpreted as caused by drought damages. The possibility that the tolerance of conifers of winter and spring conditions is increased through decrease in transpiration rate has been little investigated. The transpiration rate of 3 or 6 months old unhardened, hardened, and dehardened seedlings of Pinns silvestris L. and Picea abies (L.) Karst. was assessed gravimetrically, at 20°C. The transpiration rates of seedlings of spruce and pine which had been hardened for 3 months were about ¹/₂ the rates of dehardened seedlings. Transpiration during a dehardening period increased at different rates in pine and spruce. After a dehardening period of 3–5 days the transpiration rate of spruce reached a maximum, whereas pine reached the maximum transpiration rate after a dehardening period of 10–14 days. Transpiration of seedlings of spruce and pine hardened for 3 months showed only a very slight reaction to light and darkness. This indicated that stomata of hardened seedlings remained closed. The results are discussed in connection with frost and drought injuries in pine and spruce during early spring.     

Coarse and Fine Control and Annual Changes of Sucrose-Phosphate Synthase in Norway Spruce Needles

Annual changes of activity of sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS) from spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) needles were studied with respect to three regulatory levels: metabolic fine control, covalent modification (phosphorylation), and protein amount. Glucose-6-phosphate served as an allosteric activator of spruce SPS by shifting the Michaelis constant for the substrate fructose-6-phosphate from 4.2 to 0.59 mM, whereas inorganic phosphate competitively inhibited this activation. The affinity for the other substrate, UDP-glucose, was unaffected. Incubation of the crude extract with ATP resulted in a time- and concentration-dependent decrease of the maximal velocity of SPS. This inactivation was sensitive to staurosporine, a potent protein kinase inhibitor, indicating the participation of a protein kinase. Probing SPS protein with heterologous antibodies showed that the subunit of spruce SPS is an approximately 139-kD protein and that changes in the extractable activity during the course of a year were correlated with the amount of SPS protein. High SPS activities in winter were paralleled by increased levels of the activator glucose-6-phosphate and the substrate fructose-6-phosphate, indicating a high capacity for sucrose synthesis that may be necessary to maintain photosynthetic CO2 fixation in cold-hardened spruce needles.     

Apoplastic Peroxidases and Lignification in Needles of Norway Spruce (Picea abies L.)

The objective of the present study was to investigate the correlation of soluble apoplastic peroxidase activity with lignification in needles of field-grown Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) trees. Apoplastic peroxidases (EC 1.11.1.7) were obtained by vacuum infiltration of needles. The lignin content of isolated cell walls was determined by the acetyl bromide method. Accumulation of lignin and seasonal variations of apoplastic peroxidase activities were studied in the first year of needle development. The major phase of lignification started after bud break and was terminated about 4 weeks later. This phase correlated with a transient increase in apoplastic guaiacol and coniferyl alcohol peroxidase activity. NADH oxidase activity, which is thought to sustain peroxidase activity by production of H2O2, peaked sharply after bud break and decreased during the lignification period. Histochemical localization of peroxidase with guaiacol indicated that high activities were present in lignifying cell walls. In mature needles, lignin was localized in walls of most needle tissues including mesophyll cells, and corresponded to 80 to 130 [mu]mol lignin monomers/g needle dry weight. Isoelectric focusing of apoplastic washing fluids and activity staining with guaiacol showed the presence of strongly alkaline peroxidases (isoelectric point [greater than or equal to] 9) in all developmental stages investigated. New isozymes with isoelectric points of 7.1 and 8.1 appeared during the major phase of lignification. These isozymes disappeared after lignification was terminated. A strong increase in peroxidase activity in autumn was associated with the appearance of acidic peroxidases (isoelectric point [less than or equal to] 3). These results suggest that soluble alkaline apoplastic peroxidases participate in lignin formation. Soluble acidic apoplastic peroxidases were apparently unrelated to developmentally regulated lignification in spruce needles.     

Inheritance Patterns and Stability of DNA Methylation Variation in Maize Near-Isogenic Lines

DNA methylation is a chromatin modification that contributes to epigenetic regulation of gene expression. The inheritance patterns and trans-generational stability of 962 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were assessed in a panel of 71 near-isogenic lines (NILs) derived from maize (Zea mays) inbred lines B73 and Mo17. The majority of DMRs exhibit inheritance patterns that would be expected for local (cis) inheritance of DNA methylation variation such that DNA methylation level was coupled to local genotype. There are few examples of DNA methylation that exhibit trans-acting control or paramutation-like patterns. The cis-inherited DMRs provide an opportunity to study the stability of inheritance for DNA methylation variation. There was very little evidence for alterations of DNA methylation levels at these DMRs during the generations of the NIL population development. DNA methylation level was associated with local genotypes in nearly all of the >30,000 potential cases of inheritance. The majority of the DMRs were not associated with small RNAs. Together, our results suggest that a significant portion of DNA methylation variation in maize exhibits locally (cis) inherited patterns, is highly stable, and does not require active programming by small RNAs for maintenance.DNA methylation may contribute to heritable epigenetic information in many eukaryotic genomes. In this study, we have documented the inheritance patterns and trans-generational stability for nearly 1000 DNA methylation variants in a segregating maize population. At most loci studied, the DNA methylation differences are locally inherited and are not influenced by the other allele or other genomic regions. The inheritance of DNA methylation levels across generations is quite robust with almost no examples of unstable inheritance, suggesting that DNA methylation differences can be quite stably inherited, even in segregating populations.     

Phospholipids of Embryogenic and Non-embryogenic Cell Lines of Larixsibirica Ledeb.

Russian Journal of Plant Physiology - Composition of phospholipids was examined in embryogenic and non-embryogenic cell lines of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.). Significant differences in...     

冬瓜和节瓜DNA提取及RAPD反应体系优化

以8份冬瓜和节瓜为材料,采用改良CTAB法提取基因组DNA,采用正交试验设计,对冬瓜和节瓜RAPD条件进行了优化,建立了最佳反应体系:25μL反应体系中含1×buffer,模板DNA、Mg2+、dNTPs、引物和Taq酶的浓度分别为20 ng、2.0mmol/L、0.24 mmol/L、0.3μmol/L和1.0 U。PCR扩增程序为:94℃预变性5 min;94℃变性45 s,36.9℃退火45 s,72℃延伸1.5min,共40个循环;72℃延伸10 min,12℃保存。     

Responses of Photosynthesis,Carbohydrates and Antioxidants in Needles of Norway Spruce to Slow and Rapid Changes in Ozone

The goal of the present study was to examine the effects of slow and rapid changes of ozone (O₃) concentrations on the physiological behaviour of current-year needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). For this purpose five-year-old spruce seedlings were exposed in growth chambers for 49 days to either charcoal-filtered air, slowly increasing O₃ concentrations from zero up to 100 nl I^?1 in weekly steps of 25 nl I^?1, or immediately to 100 nl I^?1 of O₃. During the investigation period gas exchange, carbohydrate and antioxidant contents of the current flush were measured. In needles which experienced slowly increasing O₃ concentrations, cumulative O₃ uptake was approximately 30 % lower than in needles continuously fumigated with 100 nl I^?1 of O₃. The higher 0₃ uptake in the permanent 100 nl I^?1 O₃ treatment caused a pronounced decline in net photosynthesis, in the efficiency of CO₂ uptake and in the starch content of the seedlings. Initially the ascorbate pool increased, but after 5 weeks of exposure ascorbate concentrations declined and were comparable to values obtained in charcoal-filtered controls, while the thiol contents were enhanced during fumigation with permanent 100 nl I-^?1 O₃. On the contrary, slowly increasing O₃ caused a significant increase in total needle ascorbate throughout the fumigation period, which probably prevented an O₃-induced decline in the photosynthetic machinery as photosynthesis was not affected although the thiol contents were not enhanced. Furthermore, starch content was slightly higher than in O₃-free controls. These results suggest that seedlings of Norway spruce have the possibility to acclimate to O₃ stress, as slowly increasing O₃ concentrations seemed to increase resistance and the seedlings were able to compensate.     

米心水青冈基因组DNA提取及RAPD反应体系优化

采用4种方法对米心水青冈基因组DNA进行提取,通过比较得出改良CTAB法提出的DNA纯度较高,能够达到扩增要求,因此采用此方法用于正式DNA的提取。适合米心水青冈的RAPD反应体系为：反应体积为25 μL,模板DNA40 ng,引物0.8 μmol·L^-1,Taq聚合酶1.25 U,Mg²⁺浓度2.0 mmol·L^-1,dNTP浓度0.16 mmol·L^-1。适合米心水青冈RAPD扩增程序： 94℃预变性3 min,一个循环,94℃变性30 s,37℃退火1 min,72℃延伸2 min,45个循环。     

Fine Structure of Acid Mist Treated Sitka Spruce Needles: Open-top Chamber and Field Experiments

Sitka spruce grafts (clones DF and 141) grown in open-top chambers(OTC) and ‘mature ’, 6 –8m tall Sitka spruce(clone DF) grown in the field were exposed to acid mist containingan equimolar ion mixture of H₂SO₄and NH₄NO₃at pH2.5. Mist wasapplied 4 times a week (4 x1mm) in the OTC experiment and twicea week (2 x2mm) on average in the field experiment, betweenMay and Oct. 1991. Samples for light and electron microscopywere collected in Nov. and Jan. following acid mist treatment.Acid mist significantly decreased the amount of calcium depositedin the outer epidermal cell walls, the reduction being mostpronounced in the OTCs. Ultrastructurally, acid mist causeda significant increase in chloroplast and grana width. Othersymptoms associated with acid mist included swelling of chloroplastthylakoids, chloroplast protrusions, cytoplasm vacuolization,increase in large lipid accumulations and sickle-shaped chloroplastthylakoids. In the OTCs, acid mist hastened the acquisitionof frost hardening in both clones. In the field, the controltrees exhibited more frost injury than the acid mist treatedtrees suggesting, again, that acid mist had either hastenedor enhanced the stage of frost hardiness of treated trees. Ingeneral, acid mist induced changes were more pronounced in theOTCs than in the field. Picea sitchensis; Sitka spruce; acid mist; fine structure; calcium oxalate; frost hardening     

Antioxidants and Manganese Deficiency in Needles of Norway Spruce (Picea abies L.) Trees

Chlorotic and green needles from Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) trees were sampled in the Calcareous Bavarian Alps in winter. The needles were used for analysis of the mineral and pigment contents, the levels of antioxidants (ascorbate, glutathione), and the activities of protective enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, monodehydroascorbate radical reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase). In addition, the activities of two respiratory enzymes (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, NAD-malate dehydrogenase), which might provide the NADPH necessary for functioning of the antioxidative system, were determined. We found that chlorotic needles were severely manganese deficient (3 to 6 micrograms Mn per gram dry weight as compared with up to 190 micrograms Mn per gram dry weight in green needles) but had a similar dry weight to fresh weight ratio, had a similar protein content, and showed no evidence for enhanced lipid peroxidation as compared with green needles. In chlorotic needles, the level of total ascorbate and the activities of superoxide dismutase, monodehydroascorbate radical reductase, NAD-malate dehydrogenase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were significantly increased, whereas the levels of ascorbate peroxidase, dehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione were not affected. The ratio of ascorbate to dehydroascorbate was similar in both green and chlorotic needles. These results suggest that in spruce needles monodehydroascorbate radical reductase is the key enzyme involved in maintaining ascorbate in its reduced state. The reductant necessary for this process may have been supplied at the expense of photosynthate.     

Variation and Patterns of DNA Methylation in Maize C-type CMS Lines and their Maintainers

DNA methylation plays an important role in gene expression regulation during biological development in plants. This study adopted methylation sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) to compare the levels and patterns of cytosine methylation at CCGG sites in maize genome. The tissues assayed included seedlings and tassels of C-type cytoplasmic male sterility (C Huang Zao Si, C 48-2) and its maintainer lines. For each tissue, both C Huang Zao Si and C 48-2 were more methylated than their corresponding maintainers not only on MSAP ratios, but also on the full methylation levels. In different nuclear backgrounds, the two tissues were more methylated in Huang Zao Si than in 48-2, although the two lines shared the same cytoplasm. Full methylation of internal cytosine was the dominant type in the maize genome. In addition, four different classes of methylation patterns were identified in tassels between C-CMS lines and their maintainer lines; these were specific-methylation, demethylation, hypo-methylation, and hyper-methylation. The results obtained demonstrated the power of the MSAP technique for large-scale DNA methylation detection in the maize genome, and suggested the possible association between DNA methylation polymorphism and C-type cytoplasmic male sterility.     

Nitrate Uptake and Reduction of Aseptically Cultivated Spruce Seedlings, Picea abies (L.) Karst

Spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) seedlings were asepticallycultivated and the effects of different N-nutrition on net uptakeand reduction of nitrate were investigated. The characteristicsof nitrate uptake were calculated, K_s as 0?2 mol m^–3 andV_max as 18 µmol g^–1 d^–1. Low pH, and Al³⁺ in the medium caused adecrease in nitrate uptake rate. An in vivo assay was set upwhich allowed the measurement of NRA in both roots and needlesof spruce seedlings. The in vivo nitrate reductase activitywas repressed by ammonium and stimulated by nitrate. Nitratereduction was similar to nitrate uptake, negatively affectedby low pH and ammonium. Therefore, a limited N-supply to spruceseemed to occur when pH was low in the rhizosphere combinedwith the presence of Al³⁺ and . Key words: Spruce, nitrate uptake, nitrate reduction