Variation of female frequency and cytoplasmic male-sterility gene frequency among natural gynodioecious populations of wild radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

In gynodioecious plant populations, sex determination often involves both cytoplasmic male-sterility (CMS) genes and specific nuclear genes that restore male function. How gynodioecy is maintained under the joint dynamics of CMS and restorer genes remains controversial. Although many theoretical models deal with interactions between CMS genes and restorer genes with sexual phenotypes and predict changes in their frequencies, it is difficult to observe the frequencies because no molecular markers have been established for either CMS or restorer genes in well-studied gynodioecious plants. This is the first report of the frequency of a CMS gene determined using a molecular marker in natural populations of a gynodioecious plant. Using a set of CMS gene-specific polymerase chain reaction primers, we compared female and CMS gene frequencies in 18 natural populations of Raphanus sativus. Female frequency was relatively low, ranging from 0 to 0.21. In contrast, the CMS gene frequency was highly variable among populations, ranging from 0 to 1. Estimated restorer gene frequency seemed less variable than observed CMS gene frequency, probably due to higher gene flow than in the CMS gene. Genetic drift may play a role in maintaining high variability of the CMS gene, although other possibilities are not excluded.     

Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in tissue cultures of radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

Hypocotyl segments of 2- to 3-week-old radish (Raphanus sativus L. cv. F₁ Handsome Fall) seedlings produced yellowish compact calli when cultured on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with 1 mgl^-1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Upon transfer onto medium containing 6-benzyladenine and -naphthaleneacetic acid, up to 5.3% of the calli gave rise to a few somatic embryos. When subcultured for 3 to 6 months, 7% of the yellowish, compact calli produced white, compact calli which formed numerous embryos. These calli maintained their embryogenic capacity for over 18 months. When cultured on medium containing 0.1 to 3 mgl^-1 2,4-D, up to 90% of longitudinally sliced somatic embryo halves produced calli with numerous secondary embryos. Embryos were transferred onto medium containing 0.1 mgl^-1 2,4-D and 1 mgl^-1 abscisic acid where they developed into the cotyledonary stage. Upon transfer onto half-strength MS basal medium, approximately 90% of the embryos developed into plantlets. These plantlets were successfully transplanted in potting soil and after cold treatment they were grown to maturity in a phytotron.Abbreviation 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - BA 6-benzyladenine - GA₃ gibberellin A₃ - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - MS Murashige and Skoog - NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid     

萝卜CMS不育系与保持系小孢子发生的细胞学研究

研究了萝卜胞质雄性不育系A2、A4及其相应保持系B2、B4的小孢子发生与花药壁发育的细胞学特征.结果表明,不育系A2的绒毡层细胞在四分体时期出现异常,小液泡增多,至单核期汇合形成大液泡,绒毡层细胞异常膨大;小孢子外壁染色浅,细胞壁受到破坏,最后与绒毡层一同降解.不育系A4在减数分裂期即表现出异常,绒毡层异常肥大;花药发育后期,小孢子外壁亦染色较浅;绒毡层细胞融合形成细胞团块侵入药室挤压小孢子,两者一同降解.     

Cloning and characterization of a novel sulfate transporter gene from radish (Raphanus sativus L.).

A putative sulfate transporter gene, RSultr3.2A, was identified from radish (Raphanus sativus L.). The RSultr3.2A gene encodes a polypeptide of 651 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 71701 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence preserves the common motifs of the sulfate transporters and exhibits a high degree of homology to other plant sulfate transporters. RSultr3.2A was not induced by sulfur starvation and was expressed in roots, stems, leaves, flowers and young pods, suggesting a possible need for the nonregulated and constitutive sulfate transport system of the plant. The RSultr3.2A is a single copy gene in the radish genome. A genomic sequence information corresponding to RSultr3.2A cDNA was found by PCR and sequencing. Comparison of cDNA and genomic sequences revealed that the coding sequence of RSultr3.2A consisted of 12 exons. In addition, another cDNA (RSultr3.2B) from radish young pods was found. As compared with RSultr3.2A, RSultr3.2B encodes a 499 amino acid protein with modifications in the carboxy-terminus. Sequence analysis suggested an occasional donor splicing site mutation (GT to TT) in the RSultr3.2A gene from radish young pods leading to the truncated cDNA RSultr3.2B.     

Subcellular localization and possible functions of gamma-glutamyltransferase in the radish (Raphanus sativus L.) plant

Previously we reported the purification of soluble gamma-glutamyltransferases (GGTs) from radish cotyledon. Subcellular fractionation of radish cells revealed that soluble GGT is a vacuolar enzyme. Acivicin, a GGT inhibitor, mediated the in vivo catabolism inhibition of the glutathione S-conjugate generated from endogenous glutathione and exogenously supplied monochlorobimane. Thus soluble GGT is possibly involved in the catabolism of glutathione S-conjugates.     

Effects of ageing on peroxidase activity and localization in radish (Raphanus sativus L.) seeds

Peroxidase activity was assayed in crude extracts of integument, cotyledons and embryo axis of radish seeds, deteriorated under accelerated ageing conditions. Over five days of ageing, in which germination decreased from 100 to 52%, the enzyme activity in integument was higher than that in other seed parts, increasing in the first days of ageing and then decreasing sharply in extremely aged seeds. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis showed four peroxidase isoenzymes with MM of 98, 52.5, 32.8 and 29.5 kDa in the embryo axis of unaged seeds, and only the 32.8 and 29.5 kDa MM isoforms in the integument and cotyledons. In these parts of the seed, only the 29.5 kDa MM isoenzyme increased in activity in early days of ageing and decreased there-after. In the embryo axis, the 29.5 kDa MM isoenzyme activity increased slowly in the first day of ageing, while the 98 and 52.5 kDa MM isoenzyme activities disappeared. A cytochemical localization of peroxidase activity in the various tissues showed that main differences between unaged and extremely aged seeds occurred in the embryo axis.     

The role of malate in ammonia assimilation in cotyledons of radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

The relationships between the metabolism of malate, nitrogen assimilation and biosynthesis of amino acids in response to different nitrogen sources (nitrate and ammonium) have been examined in cotyledons of radish (Raphanus sativus L.). Measurements of the activities of some key enzymes and pulse-chase experiments with [¹⁴C]malate indicate the operation of an anaplerotic pathway for malate, which is involved in the synthesis of glutamine during increased ammonia assimilation. It is most likely that the tricarboxylicacid cycle is supplied with carbon through entry of malate, formed via the phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-carboxylation pathway, when 2-oxoglutarate leaves the cycle to serve as precursor for an increased synthesis of glutamine via glutamate. This might occur predominantly in the cytosol via the activity of the glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase (GS/GOGAT) cycle, the NADH-dependent GOGAT being the rate-limiting activity.Abbreviations DTT dithiothreitol - EDTA ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid - GDH glutamate dehydrogenase - GOGAT glutamate synthase (glutamine: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase) - GOT aspartate aminotransferase (glutamate: oxaloacetate transaminase) - GS glutamine synthetase - HPLC high-performance liquid chromatography - MCF extraction medium of methanol: chloroform: 7M formic acid, 12:5:3, by vol. - MDH malate dehydrogenase - MSO L-methionine, sulfoximine - PEPCase phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase - TLC thin-layer chromatography     

Transformation of radish (Raphanus sativus L.) via sonication and vacuum infiltration of germinated seeds with Agrobacterium harboring a group 3 LEA gene from B. napus

A protocol for producing transgenic radish (Raphanus sativus) was obtained by using both ultrasonic and vacuum infiltration assisted, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The Agrobacterium strain LBA4404 contained the binary vector pBI121-LEA (late embyogenesis abundant), which carried a Group 3 LEA gene, from Brassica napus. Among six combinations, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation assisted by a combination of 5-min sonication with 5-min vacuum infiltration resulted in the highest transformation frequency. The existence, integration and expression of transferred LEA gene in transgenic T₁ plants were confirmed by PCR, genomic Southern and Western blot analysis. Transgenic radish demonstrated better growth performance than non-transformed control plants under osmotic and salt stress conditions. Accumulation of Group 3 LEA protein in the vegetative tissue of transgenic radish conferred increased tolerance to water deficit and salt stress.     

Development of a molecular marker specific to a novel CMS line in radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

In this study, we have investigated the cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) of a novel male sterile radish line, designated NWB CMS. The NWB CMS was crossed with 16 fertile breeding lines, and all the progenies were completely male sterile. The degree of male sterility exhibited by NWB CMS is more than Ogura CMS from the Cruciferae family. The NWB CMS was found to induce 100% male sterility when crossed with all the tested breeding lines, whereas the Ogura CMS did not induce male sterility with any of the breeding lines. PCR analysis revealed that the molecular factor that influenced Ogura CMS, the orf138 gene, was absent in the NWB CMS line, and that the orf138 gene was not also expressed in this CMS line. In order to identify the cytoplasmic factors that confer male sterility in the NWB CMS line, we carried out RFLP analyses with 32 mitochondrial genes, all of which were used as probes. Fourteen genes exhibited polymorphisms between the NWB CMS line and other radish cultivars. Based on these RFLP data, intergenic primers were developed in order to amplify the intergenic regions between the polymorphic genes. Among these, a primer pair at the 3′ region of the atp6 gene (5′-cgcttggactatgctatgtatga-3′) and the 5′ region of the nad3 gene (5′-tcatagagaaatccaatcgtcaa-3′) produced a 2 kbp DNA fragment as a result of PCR. This DNA fragment was found to be specific to NWB CMS and was not present in other CMS types. It appears that this fragment could be used as a DNA marker to select NWB CMS line in a radish-breeding program.     

Genetic linkage map construction and QTL mapping of cadmium accumulation in radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

Cadmium (Cd) is a widespread soil pollutant and poses a significant threat to human health via the food chain. Large phenotypic variations in Cd concentration of radish roots and shoots have been observed. However, the genetic and molecular mechanisms of Cd accumulation in radish remain to be elucidated. In this study, a genetic linkage map was constructed using an F(2) mapping population derived from a cross between a high Cd-accumulating cultivar NAU-Dysx and a low Cd-accumulating cultivar NAU-Yh. The linkage map consisted of 523 SRAP, RAPD, SSR, ISSR, RAMP, and RGA markers and had a total length of 1,678.2 cM with a mean distance of 3.4 cM between two markers. All mapped markers distributed on nine linkage groups (LGs) having sizes between 134.7 and 236.8 cM. Four quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for root Cd accumulation were mapped on LGs 1, 4, 6, and 9, which accounted for 9.86 to 48.64 % of all phenotypic variance. Two QTLs associated with shoot Cd accumulation were detected on LG1 and 3, which accounted for 17.08 and 29.53 % of phenotypic variance, respectively. A major-effect QTL, qRCd9 (QTL for root Cd accumulation on LG9), was identified on LG 9 flanked by NAUrp011_754 and EM5me6_286 markers with a high LOD value of 23.6, which accounted for 48.64 % of the total phenotypic variance in Cd accumulation of F(2) lines. The results indicated that qRCd9 is a novel QTL responsible for controlling root Cd accumulation in radish, and the identification of specific molecular markers tightly linked to the major QTL could be further applied for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in low-Cd content radish breeding program.     

Evidence for a relationship between malate metabolism and activity of 1-sinapoylglucose: L-malate sinapoyltransferase in radish (Raphanus sativus L.) cotyledons

The control of malate metabolism and stimulation of 1-sinapolyglucose: L-malate sinapoyltransferase (SMT) activity in radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. sativus) cotyledons has been studied. The light-induced and nitrate-dependent activity of SMT catalyzes the formation of O-sinapoly-L-malate via 1-O-sinapoyl--D-glucose. When dark-grown radish seedlings, cultivated in quartz sand with nutrient solution containing NO ₃ ^- as the sole N source, were treated with light, SMT activity increased concomitantly with free malate in the cotyledons. This light effect was suppressed in seedlings grown in a culture medium which contained in addition to NO ₃ ^- also NH ₄ ⁺ . However, treatment with methionine sulfoximine neutralized this ammonium effect, resulting again in both rapid accumulation of malate and rapid increase in SMT activity. When seedlings grown on NO ₃ ^- nitrogen were subsequently supplied with NH ₄ ⁺ nitrogen, the accumulated level of L-malate rapidly dropped and the SMT increase ceased. The enzyme activity decreased later on, reaching the low activity level of plants which were grown permanently on NO ₃ ^- /NH ₄ ⁺ -nitrogen. An external supply (vacuum infiltration) of malate to excised cotyledons and intact seedings, grown on NO ₃ ^- /NH ₄ ⁺ -nitrogen medium, specifically promoted a dose-dependent increase in the activity of SMT. In summary these results provide evidence indicating that the SMT activity in cotyledons of Raphanus sativus might be related to the metabolism of malic acid.Abbreviation MSO L-methionine sulfoximine - SinGlc 1-O-sinapoyl--D-glucose - SinMal O-sinapoyl-L-malate - SMT 1-O-sinapoyl--D-glucose:L-malate sinapolytransferase     

Delimitation of the fertility restorer locus Rfk1 to a 43-kb contig in Kosena radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

We are pursuing a positional cloning strategy to isolate the fertility restoration gene Rfk1 from radish. Random polymorphic DNA-sequence-tagged site (RAPD-STS) markers tightly linked to the gene in radish were isolated, and a RAPD map surrounding the Rfk1 locus was constructed. We surveyed 948 F2 plants with adjacent RAPD-STS markers to isolate recombinants for bulk segregant analysis. This analysis was effective in isolating tightly linked amplification fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers surrounding the gene of interest. Ten tightly linked AFLP markers were obtained and used to construct a high-resolution map of the region. The closest AFLP-STS markers flanking Rfk1 were 0.1 cM and 0.2 cM away. Using the four adjacent AFLP markers, we screened lambda and cosmid libraries. The lambda and cosmid clones were aligned by examination of end sequences and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns for each clone, and by hybridization to the DNA isolated from recombinants. Finally, we constructed a 198-kb contig encompassing the Rfk1 gene and comprising 20 lambda and two cosmid clones. By analysis of the breakpoints in recombinants with the rfk1/rfk1 or Rfk1/- genotype, the Rfk1 locus could be assigned to a 43-kb region comprising four lambda clones and one cosmid clone. This pinpoint localization in the radish genome has made it possible for us to identify the gene by sequence analysis and genetic transformation of cytoplasmic male-sterile Brassica napus plants.     

Molecular evolution and functional divergence of HAK potassium transporter gene family in rice （Oryza sativa L.）

The high-affinity K＋ （HAK） transporter gene family is the largest family in plant that functions as potassium transporter and is important for various aspects of plant life. In the present study, we identified 27 members of this family in rice genome. The phylogenetic tree divided the land plant HAK transporter proteins into 6 distinct groups. Although the main characteristic of this family was established before the origin of seed plants, they also showed some differences between the members of non-seed and seed plants. The HAK genes in rice were found to have expanded in lineage-specific manner after the split of monocots and dicots, and both segmental duplication events and tandem duplication events contributed to the expansion of this family. Functional divergence analysis for this family provided statistical evidence for shifted evolutionary rate after gene duplication. Further analysis indicated that both point mutant with positive selection and gene conversion events contributed to the evolution of this family in rice.