Detection and characterization of a glutenin subunit with unusual high Mr at the Glu-A1 locus in hexaploid wheat

A hexaploid wheat landrace collected from the Baluchistan province of Pakistan was found to possess a novel high-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (HMW-GS). The subunit has a very slow electrophoretic mobility as revealed by SDS-PAGE, and its molecular weight is comparable to that of the highest molecular weight glutenin subunit (2.2 encoded in the D-genome) reported so far in hexaploid wheat varieties and landraces of Japanese origin. Evidence obtained from (PCR) gene amplification studies using the primers specific for Glu-1 loci proved that the gene coding for this novel subunit belongs to the Glu-A1 locus located on the long arm of chromosome 1A. Digestion of the amplified gene (PCR product) with restriction enzymes indicated that the novel gene differs from prevailing Glu-A1 alleles (null, 1 and 2^*) by an extra DNA fragment of approximately 600 base pairs. The results also indicated that the novel subunit is most probably a derivative of subunit 2^* that has very likely incorporated the 600-bp fragment following a process of unequal crossing over. The present findings were further substantiated by reserved phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) analysis.     

Development of a set of oligonucleotide primers specific for genes at the Glu-1 complex loci of wheat

Specific amplification of the complete coding region of all six high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenin genes present in hexaploid wheat was obtained by the polyerase chain reaction (PCR). Primers specific for the N-terminal region of the 1Dx gene and for the repetitive domain of the y-type HMW glutenin genes were also developed. Although the primers were constructed on the basis of the nucleotide sequences of HMW glutenin genes present in T. aestivum L. cv Cheyenne, they were very efficient in amplifying HMW glutenin genes of diploid and tetraploid wheat species. PCR analysis of HMW glutenin genes of T. urartu Tuman., T. longissimum (Schweinf. & Muschl.) Bowden and T. speltoides (Tausch) Gren. ex Richt, showed a high degree of length polymorphism, whereas a low degree of length variation was found in accessions of T. tauschii (Coss.) Schmal. Furthermore, using primers specific for the repetitive regions of HMW genes, we could demonstrate that the size variation observed was due to a different length of the central repetitive domain. The usefulness of the PCR-based approach to analyze the genetic polymorphism of HMW glutenin genes, to isolate new allelic variants, to estimate their molecular size and to verify the number of cysteine residues is discussed.     

Single-seed PCR of LMW glutenin genes to distinguish between durum wheat cultivars with good and poor technological properties

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify low-molecular-weight (LMW) glutenin sequences from genomic DNA extracted from a single germinating seed of several durum wheat genotypes. Electrophoretic analysis of PCR reactions showed the presence of amplified products characteristic of durum wheat cultivars with good and poor technological properties. This PCR-based approach is proposed as a very efficient and safe alternative to standard procedures for selecting durum wheat genotypes with good qualitative characteristics.     

PCR analysis of genes encoding allelic variants of high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits at the Glu-D1 locus

Genes encoding high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenin subunits, present in bread-wheat lines and cultivars, were studied by RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) analyses. In particular, allelic subunits of the x-or y-type, encoded at the Glu-D1 locus present on the long arm of chromosome 1D, were investigated. The variation in size, observed in different allelic subunits, is mainly due to variation in the length of the central repetitive domain, typical of these proteins. Deletions or duplications, probably caused by unequal crossingover, have given rise to the size heterogeneity currently observed. The possibility of using the PCR technique for a detailed analysis of HMW glutenin genes in order to obtain a more accurate estimation of the molecular weight of their encoded subunits, and the detection of unexpressed genes, is also described.     

Molecular characterisation of the inactive allele of the gene Glu-A1 and the development of a set of AS-PCR markers for HMW glutenins of wheat

The present work reports new PCR markers that amplify the complete coding sequence of the specific alleles of the high molecular weight (HMW) glutenin genes. A set of AS-PCR molecular markers was designed which use primers from nucleotide sequences of the Glu-A1 and Glu-D1 genes, making use of the minor diffeences between the sequences of the x1, x2* of Glu-A1, and the x5 and y10 of Glu-D1. These primers were able to distinguish between x2* and the x1 or xNull of Glu-A1. Also x5 was distinguishable from x2, and y10 from y12. The primers amplified the complete coding regions and corresponded to the upstream and downstream flanking positions of Glu-A1 and Glu-D1. Primers designed to amplify the Glu-A1 gene amplified a single product when used with genomic DNA of common wheats and the xNull allele of this gene. This work also describes the cloning and characterisation of the nucleotide sequence of this allele. It possesses the same general structure as x2* and x1 (previously determined) and differs from these alleles in the extension of the coding sequence for a presumptive mature protein with only 384 residues. This is due to the presence of a stop codon (TAA) 1215-bp downstream from the start codon. A further stop codon (TAG), 2280-bp downstream from the starting codon is also found. The open reading frame of xNull and x1 alleles has the same size in bp. Both are larger than x2* which shows two small deletions. The reduced size of the presumptive mature protein encoded by xNull could explain the negative effect of this allele on grain quality. Received: 16 May 1999 / Accepted: 16 September 1999     

A 1B-coded low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit associated with quality in durum wheats shows strong similarity to a subunit present in some bread wheat cultivars

Received: 25 May 1999 / Accepted: 22 June 1999     

Locus-specific primers for LMW glutenin genes on each of the group 1 chromosomes of hexaploid wheat

To reveal the chromosomal location of three known low-molecular-weight (LMW) glutenin genes in wheat, we designed and used three sets of sequence-specific primers in polymerase chain reactions (PCR) on Chinese Spring and its derived group 1 aneuploid nullisomic-tetrasomic stocks. Two sets proved to be chromosome specific and amplified sequences from the Glu-A3 and Glu-D3 loci, respectively. The third set was apparently composed of conserved sequences as it produced PCR products in each of the aneuploids. Two of these products were cloned, and their sequences differed from the known LMW glutenin genes at several positions. Again, primer sets specific for these sequences were designed. One set was directed to the Glu-A3 locus, the second set resulted in two PCR products differing in length, one of which was located on chromosome 1B and the other on 1D. Primer sets constructed for the latter two sequences were specific for the Glu-B3 and Glu-D3 loci, respectively. Hence, primer sets specific for each of the three homoeologous chromosomes of the group 1 (1A, 1B, 1D) are available. In addition, these locus-specific primers were assayed for their ability to distinguish among wheat cultivars. PCR products amplified with one of the Glu-A3-specific primer sets showed length polymorphisms in various wheat varieties. Varieties carrying the 1RS.1BL translocated chromosomes could be recognized by the absence of a PCR product when the Glu-B3 primer set was used. These results suggest that PCR with locus-specific primers can be useful in the molecular genetic analysis of hexaploid wheat.     

Molecular characterization of a LMW-GS gene located on chromosome 1B and the development of primers specific for the Glu-B3 complex locus in durum wheat

 Low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GS) represent a specific class of wheat storage proteins encoded at the Glu-3 loci. Particularly interesting are the LMW-GS encoded at the Glu-B3 locus because they have been shown to play an important role in determining the pasta-making properties of durum wheat. Genes encoding LMW-GS have been characterized but only a few of them have been assigned to specific loci. Notably, no complete LMW-GS gene encoded at the Glu-B3 locus has yet been described. The present paper reports the isolation and characterization of a lmw-gs gene located at the Glu-B3 locus. The clone involved, designated pLDNLMW1B, contains the entire coding region and 524 bp of the 5′ upstream region. A nucleotide comparison between the pLDNLMW1B clone and other LMW-GS genes showed the presence of some peculiar structural characteristics, such as short insertions in the promoter region, the presence of a cysteine codon in the repetitive domain, and a more regular structure of this region, which could be important for its tissue-specific expression and for the functional properties of the encoded protein, respectively. Received : 30 May 1997 / Accepted : 29 July 1997     

Sequence similarity between allelic Glu-B3 genes related to quality properties of durum wheat

 Low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GSs) are wheat endosperm proteins mostly encoded by genes located at the Glu-3 loci. These proteins are of particular interest in durum wheat because a correlation between LMW-GSs encoded by genes at the Glu-B3 locus and the pasta-making quality of durum wheat semolina has been shown. We isolated and characterized two allelic lmw-gs genes located at the Glu-B3 locus and present in durum wheat lines displaying different qualitative properties. The clones pLMW1CL and λLMW3.1 were found to contain allelic sequences encoding LMW-GSs belonging to the good and poor quality-related groups named LMW-2 and LMW-1, respectively. The LMW-GSs specified by these genes have very large repetitive domains which are composed of repeats regularly distributed along the domain. The main difference between these two proteins is an insertion of 13 amino acids within the repetitive domain which, by itself, seems insufficient to explain the qualitative differences between LMW-2 and LMW-1. These results further support the hypothesis that the greater amount of LMW-2, rather than sequence peculiarities, accounts for the better quality observed in durum wheat cultivars possessing these subunits. The characterization of the complete primary structure of these alleles, other than providing information for an understanding of the structure-function relationship among LMW-GSs and furnishing basic material for wheat engineering, should also assist in our understanding of the evolutionary relationship between the different lmw-gs genes. Received: 8 May 1998 / Accepted: 5 August 1998     

Molecular mapping of gibberellin-responsive dwarfing genes in bread wheat

Opportunities exist for replacing reduced height (Rht) genes Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b with alternative dwarfing genes for bread wheat improvement. In this study, the chromosomal locations of several height-reducing genes were determined by screening populations of recombinant inbred lines or doubled haploid lines varying for plant height with microsatellite markers. Linked markers were found for Rht5 (on chromosome 3BS), Rht12 (5AL) and Rht13 (7BS), which accounted for most of the phenotypic variance in height in the respective populations. Large height differences between genotypes (up to 43 cm) indicated linkage to major height-reducing genes. Rht4 was associated with molecular markers on chromosome 2BL, accounting for up to 30% of the variance in height. Confirming previous studies, Rht8 was linked to markers on chromosome 2DS, whereas a population varying for Rht9 revealed a region with a small but significant height effect on chromosome 5AL. The height-reducing effect of these dwarfing genes was repeatable across a range of environments. The molecular markers developed in this study will be useful for marker-assisted selection of alternative height-reducing genes, and to better understand the effects of different Rht genes on wheat growth and agronomic performance.     

Molecular Characterization of Two Silenced y-type Genes for Glu-B1 in Triticum aestivum ssp. yunnanese and ssp. tibetanum

The high molecular weight glutenln subunits (HMW-GSs) are a major class of common wheat storage proteins. The bread-making quality of common wheat flour is influenced by the composition of HMW-GSs. In the present study, two unexpressed 1By genes from Triticum aesitvum L.ssp.yunnanese AS332 and T. aesitvum sep.tibetanum AS908 were respectively cloned and characterized. The results indicated that both of the silenced 1By genes in AS332 and AS908 were 1By9. in contrast to previously reported mechanisms for silenced genes 1Ax and 1Ay, which was due to the insertion of transposon elements or the presence of premature stop codon via base substitution of C→T transition in tdnucleotides CAA or CAG, the silence of 1By9 genes was caused by premature stop codons via the deletion of base A in tdnucleotide CAA, which lead to frameshift mutation and indirectly produced several premature stop codons (TAG) downstream of the coding sequence.     

Molecular Characterization of Two Silenced y-type Genes for Glu-B1 in Triticum aestivum ssp. yunnanese and ssp. tibetanum

The high molecular weight glutenin subunits （HMW-GSs） are a major class of common wheat storage proteins. The breadmaking quality of common wheat flour is influenced by the composition of HMW-GSs. In the present study, two unexpressed 1 By genes from Triticum aesitvum L.ssp.yunnanese AS332 and T. aesitvum ssp.tibetanurn AS908 were respectively cloned and characterized. The results indicated that both of the silenced 1By genes in AS332 and AS908 were 1Byg. In contrast to previously reported mechanisms for silenced genes lAx and lay, which was due to the insertion of transposon elements or the presence of premature stop codon via base substitution of C→T transition in trinucleotides CAA or CAG, the silence of 1By9 genes was caused by premature stop codons via the deletion of base A in trinucleotide CA.A, which lead to frameshift mutation and indirectly produced several premature stop codons （TAG） downstream of the coding sequence.     

Characterization and organization of gene families at the Gli-1 loci of bread and durum wheats by restriction fragment analysis

Summary The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can be used to detect polymorphisms in the length of amplified sequences between the annealing sites of two synthetic DNA primers. When the distance varies between two individuals then the banding pattern generated by the PCR reaction is essentially a genetic polymorphism and can be mapped in the same way as other genetic markers. This procedure has been used in a number of eukaryotes. Here we report the use of PCR to detect genetic polymorphisms in cereals. Known gene sequences can be used to design primers and detect polymorphic PCR products. This is demonstrated with primers to the -amylase gene family. A second approach is to use semi-random primers to target diverse regions of the genome. For this purpose the consensus sequences at the intron-exon splice junctions were used. The targeting of the intronexon splice junctions in conjunction with primers of random and defined sequences, such as -amylase, provides a source of extensive variation in PCR products. These polymorphisms can be mapped as standard genetic markers.     

Differentiation of Bartonella species using restriction endonuclease analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes

Abstract Differentiation of the four Bartonella species which were formerly classified as Rochalimaea using restriction endonuclease analysis of PCR-amplified citrate synthase gene fragments has previously been described. However, attempts to extend this method to include all members of Bartonella were confounded when amplification of the gene fragment from strains of B. bacilliformis each yielded two products of differing sizes. An alternative differentiation scheme for Bartonella species was developed based on restriction endonuclease analysis of their 16S rRNA genes. As the complete 16S rRNA gene sequences of all extant Bartonella species are available, the usefulness of specific endonucleases could be theoretically predetermined rather than discovered empirically. The potential usefulness of the restriction enzymes Ddel and Mnll was established using this approach, and this potential was confirmed in practice as all eight species could be distinguished from each other.     

Conservation in wheat high-molecular-weight glutenin gene promoter sequences: comparisons among loci and among alleles of the GLU-B1-1 locus

 The high-molecular-weight glutenin (HMW) genes and encoded subunits are known to be critical for wheat quality characteristics and are among the best-studied cereal research subjects. Two lines of experiments were undertaken to further understand the structure and high expression levels of the HMW-glutenin gene promoters. Cross hybridizations of clones of the paralogous x-type and y-type HMW-glutenin genes to a complete set of six genes from a single cultivar showed that each type hybridizes best within that type. The extent of hybridization was relatively restricted to the coding and immediate flanking DNA sequences. Additional DNA sequences were determined for four published members of the HMW-glutenin gene family (encoding subunits Ax2^*, Bx7, Dx5, and Dy10) and showed that the flanking DNA of the examined genes diverge at approximately −1200 bp 5′ to the start codon and 200–400 bp 3′ to the stop codon. These divergence sites may indicate the boundaries of sequences important in gene expression. In addition, promoter sequences were determined for alleles of the Bx gene (Glu-B1-1), a gene reported to show higher levels of expression than other HMW-glutenin genes and with variation among cultivars. The sequences of Bx promoters from three cultivars and one wild tetraploid wheat indicated that all Bx alleles had few differences and contained a duplicated portion of the promoter sequence “cereal-box” previously suspected as a factor in higher levels of expression. Thus, the “cereal-box” duplication preceeded the origin of hexaploid wheat, and provides no evidence to explain the variations in Bx subunit synthesis levels. One active Bx allele contained a 185-bp insertion that evidently resulted from a transposition event. Received: 5 August 1997 / Accepted: 6 November 1997     

PCR Amplification and Sequencing of a Wheat rbc S Gene Promoter

The promoter region of the rbc S gene from Triticum aestivum L. FAN-61 was amplified by PCR. Two commonly used restriction enzyme sites, Barn HI and Sma Ⅰ, were respectively added to the 5′ and 3′ ends of the promoter fragment in order to make it easier for subsequent manipulation. The amplified fragment was cloned into pUC18/19 vectors and its sequence was determined. The 704 bp promoter fragment contained a TATA Box (TATATATA) and an Ⅰ Box (GATAAT). The sequence of CCAAC in it was similar to the sequence of CCAAT found upstream of other eukaryotic genes. Moreover, it also contained the consensus sequences of CCACA and GAACGTGAGCCA which were present in those of other monocot rbc S.     

Characterisation of two gene subunits on the 1R chromosome of rye as orthologs of each of the Glu-1 genes of hexaploid wheat

The visco-elastic properties of bread flour are firmly associated with the presence or absence of certain HMW subunits coded by the Glu-1 genes. Identifying allelic specific molecular markers (AS-PCR) associated with the presence of Glu-1 genes can serve as a valuable tool for the selection of useful genotypes. This paper reports the use of primers designed from nucleotide sequences of the Glu-D1 gene of wheat (AS-PCR for Glu-D1y10) that recognise and amplify homologous sequences of the Glu-R1 gene subunits of rye. The primers amplify the complete coding regions and provided two products of different size in rye, in wheats carrying the substitution 1R(1D) and in rye-wheat aneuploid lines carrying the long arm of chromosome 1R. The location, the molecular characterisation of these sequences and their expression during grain ripening seem to demonstrate that the amplification products correspond to structural genes encoding the high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenins of rye. The homology of the rye gene to subunits encoding HMW glutenins in wheat was confirmed by Southern blots and sequencing. The amplification-products were cloned, sequenced and characterised, and the sequences compared with the main glutenin subunits of wheat and related species. Further, an RT-PCR experiment was performed using primers designed from the sequence of both amplified products. This assay demonstrated that both sequences are expressed in endosperm during grain ripening. The results of these analyses suggest that both gene subunits correspond to x- and y-type genes of the Glu-R1 locus of rye. Received: 11 December 2000 / Accepted: 17 April 2001     

用PCR技术克隆细小病毒H－1部分非结构蛋白基因

应用ＰＣＲ技术定向克隆了细小病毒Ｈ－１的非结构蛋白（ＮＳ）部分基因片段。自行设计并合成了ＰＣＲ引物△Ｐ３和△Ｐ４,在两个引物中分别引入两个突变碱基,使扩增后的ＤＮＡ片段的两端含有限制性核酸内切酶ＨｉｎｄⅢ或ＢａｍＨＩ的酶切位点,经双酿切法把该ＤＮＡ片段重组到ｐＵＣ１１８质粒中。对插入片段的ＤＮＡ序列测定和分析结果证实该片段为Ｈ－１ＮＳ－１基因序列。以此重组质粒为探针,采用分子杂交的方法,分别测定了Ｈ－１及ＭＶＭＤＮＡ在细胞内的复制水平。这一基因的克隆为制备Ｈ－１的质量监测、Ｈ－１及ＭＶＭＮＳ－１蛋白抑瘤作用机理及其在肿瘤细胞及正常组织中的转录表达等研究奠定了基础。     

猪链球菌荚膜多糖合成相关基因簇保守区的克隆与分析

【目的】为了解猪链球菌各血清型荚膜多糖合成相关基因保守区的功能与基因进化关系,【方法】在分析已知的猪链球菌1、2、7、9型荚膜多糖合成相关基因簇序列,及其各orf与猪链球菌33个血清型基因组DNA杂交结果的基础上,提出猪链球菌荚膜多糖合成相关基因簇具有与肺炎链球菌相似的盒样结构的假设。并采用PCR、测序和Southern印迹杂交等方法验证这些假设。【结果】结果显示,猪链球菌的荚膜多糖合成相关基因簇确存在与肺炎链球菌相似的盒样结构,5’端的前4个调节相关基因同源性极高,基因簇两端都有保守的侧翼基因,且在3’端的侧翼序列中找到了适于扩增荚膜多糖合成相关基因簇中血清型特异性区域的下游引物所在基因(aroA)。分析发现,各血清型的orfY、orfX、cpsA、cpsB、cpsC、cpsD和aroA的亲缘关系较近。     

Rapid typing of truffle mycorrhizal roots by PCR amplification of the ribosomal DNA spacers

DNA analyses were developed to type mycorrhizas of two Tuber species of commercial value (T. melanosporum, T. borchii) and a competitive fungus (Sphaerosporella brunnea) which forms ectomycorrhizas with plants usually considered hosts for truffles. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of DNA isolated from fruitbodies, mycelia, mycorrhizas and leaves of host plants, was performed with a primer pair for an internal transcribed spacer ITS1-4. ITS amplification followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the amplified products clearly distinguished the two Tuber species at the fruitbody, mycorrhiza and mycelium levels. Accepted: 6 September 1996