Asr genes belong to a gene family comprising at least three closely linked loci on chromosome 4 in tomato

Asr1, Asr2 andAsr3 are three homologous clones isolated from tomato whose expression is believed to be regulated by abscisic acid (ABA); the corresponding genes thus participate in physiological and developmental processes such as responses of leaf and root to water stress, and fruit ripening. In this report, results obtained with Near Isogenic Lines reveal thatAsr1, Asr2 andAsr3 represent three different loci. In addition, we map these genes on the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) map of the tomato genome by using an F₂ population derived from an interspecific hybrid crossL. esculentum × L. penelli. RFLP data allow us to map these genes on chromosome 4, suggesting that they belong to a gene family. The elucidation of the genomic organization of theAsr gene family may help in understanding the role of its members in the response to osmotic stress, as well as in fruit ripening, at the molecular level.     

西葫芦CCD基因家族鉴定及其在果实发育中的表达北大核心CSCD

类胡萝卜素裂解双加氧酶(carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase,CCD)是类胡萝卜素氧化裂解途径中的关键酶,在植物生长发育、香气形成及胁迫响应等过程中均发挥着重要作用。该研究运用生物信息学方法从西葫芦全基因组中鉴定出13条具有完整RPE65保守结构域的CCD基因,为进一步解析CCD基因家族在西葫芦中的功能奠定基础。结果表明:(1)聚类分析显示,13个西葫芦CCD基因编码的蛋白可分为CCD1、CCD4、CCD7、CCD8、NCED、CCD1-like共6个亚组,且CCD8和CCD7亚组与其他家族成员的遗传距离较远。(2)顺式作用元件预测分析发现,CCD基因启动子中含有光信号、激素、环境胁迫和生长发育响应元件。(3)转录组数据分析显示,CCD家族基因具有组织表达特异性,其中3个CCD基因在组织中不表达,CpCCD1基因在叶和果实中显著高表达。(4)在果实发育过程中,8个CCD基因呈现上调表达,2个CCD基因呈现下调表达,其中CpCCD1、CpCCD4a、CpCCD4b、CpCCD8a这4个CCD基因在果实膨大生长期或成熟期出现显著高表达,推测它们可能在西葫芦果实发育过程中具有重要的调控作用。     

Two highly divergent alcohol dehydrogenases of melon exhibit fruit ripening-specific expression and distinct biochemical characteristics

Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) participate in the biosynthetic pathway of aroma volatiles in fruit by interconverting aldehydes to alcohols and providing substrates for the formation of esters. Two highly divergent ADH genes (15% identity at the amino acid level) of Cantaloupe Charentais melon (Cucumis melo var. Cantalupensis) have been isolated. Cm-ADH1 belongs to the medium-chain zinc-binding type of ADHs and is highly similar to all ADH genes expressed in fruit isolated so far. Cm-ADH2 belongs to the short-chain type of ADHs. The two encoded proteins are enzymatically active upon expression in yeast. Cm-ADH1 has strong preference for NAPDH as a co-factor, whereas Cm-ADH2 preferentially uses NADH. Both Cm-ADH proteins are much more active as reductases with K _ms 10–20 times lower for the conversion of aldehydes to alcohols than for the dehydrogenation of alcohols to aldehydes. They both show strong preference for aliphatic aldehydes but Cm-ADH1 is capable of reducing branched aldehydes such as 3-methylbutyraldehyde, whereas Cm-ADH2 cannot. Both Cm-ADH genes are expressed specifically in fruit and up-regulated during ripening. Gene expression as well as total ADH activity are strongly inhibited in antisense ACC oxidase melons and in melon fruit treated with the ethylene antagonist 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), indicating a positive regulation by ethylene. These data suggest that each of the Cm-ADH protein plays a specific role in the regulation of aroma biosynthesis in melon fruit. Daniel Manríquez and Islam El-Sharkawy contributed equally to the work. Accession numbers for Cm-ADH1 (ABC02081), and Cm-ADH2 (ABC02082).     

甜瓜乙烯应答因子基因在果实发育成熟过程中的表达特性

根据已报道的甜瓜CMe-ERF1和CMe-ERF2基因cDNA序列设计合成特异性引物,应用RT-PCR技术从甜瓜品种‘河套蜜瓜’成熟果实中克隆得到CMe-ERF1和CMe-ERF2基因cDNA全长编码区序列,分别为498bp和822bp.序列比对分析表明,得到的cDNA序列与已报道的Andes甜瓜相应基因的cDNA序列完全一致.果实不同发育时期实时定量PCR检测结果表明,CMe-ERF1、CMe-ERF2基因表达与甜瓜果实成熟及乙烯生成量显著相关,表明该基因可能对果实成熟起重要作用.     

Transformation of a marker-free and vector-free antisense ACC oxidase gene cassette into melon via the pollen-tube pathway

Purpose of work  

Melons have short shelf-lives due to fruit ripening caused by ethylene production. The 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) oxidase gene is essential for ethylene biosynthesis. As fruit ripening in other fruit crops can be deterred by down-regulation of ACC oxidase expression, we have carried out similar work to improve fruit quality and shelf-life of the melon Cucumis melo.     

苹果SRS基因家族的鉴定与功能分析北大核心CSCD

SHI-related sequence(SRS)基因家族通过介导激素变化以调控植物成花及生长发育,并且在适应环境胁迫中起重要调控作用。该研究基于苹果(Malus domestica Borkh.)基因组数据,通过生物信息学手段鉴定苹果SRS基因家族成员,并分析SRS基因家族特点与功能及表达情况。结果表明:(1)苹果MdSRS基因家族共包含11个成员,分别命名为MdSRS1-MdSRS11,不均匀地分布在苹果的9条染色体上。(2)MdSRS蛋白包含229~414个不等的氨基酸残基,等电点分布在6.38~9.36之间;亚细胞定位结果表明,MdSRS蛋白大多分布于细胞膜,在细胞核、叶绿体中也有分布。(3)通过引入拟南芥、水稻、番茄及杨树的SRS基因进行系统发育分析表明,将11个MdSRSs分成5个亚族(A-A),在A4中分布最多。(4)顺式作用元件分析表明,11个MdSRSs启动子上游2 000 bp序列分布有激素、环境适应性和逆境诱导等响应元件。(5)荧光定量PCR结果显示,苹果MdSRS基因家族在盐胁迫和干旱胁迫下总体呈下调表达,在ABA胁迫后大多呈上调表达,是具有很大潜力的抗性候选基因,说明SRS家族对ABA调节等非生物胁迫具有调控作用。研究认为,SRS家族的11个成员均参与了调控干旱、盐及ABA胁迫多种逆境的响应,推测在实际苹果生产中对抵御不良环境具有重要作用。     

玉米KNOX基因家族鉴定及组织和逆境表达分析

为揭示玉米转录因子KNOX家族基因功能,采用生物信息学手段在玉米基因组水平鉴定KNOX家族成员,并对家族基因逆境和组织表达谱进行分析。结果显示:(1)玉米基因组有22个ZmKNOX基因,根据其在染色体上的位置依次命名为ZmKNOX1-ZmKNOX22;编码蛋白质亚细胞定位预测发现,除ZmKNOX5、ZmKNOX11、ZmKNOX12和ZmKNOX15定位于线粒体以及ZmKNOX7定位于细胞质外,其余家族蛋白质均定位于细胞核;进化树分析表明,大多数ZmKNOX与高粱聚在一个分支,表明两物种系统发育关系较近,且基因结构与蛋白进化分类存在一定关联性。(2)全生育期组织表达分析发现,ZmKNOX具有不同的表达模式,且基因的生育期表达模式与蛋白进化分类具有一定相关性。其中ZmKNOX13、ZmKNOX20、ZmKNOX1和ZmKNOX21属全生育期组成型高表达,ZmKNOX3、ZmKNOX5、ZmKNOX6和ZmKNOX14为全生育期组成型低表达,而ZmKNOX4、ZmKNOX8、ZmKNOX9和ZmKNOX17-19的表达具有阶段性和组织特异性,并在胚胎、种子萌发时期、胚芽鞘、茎尖、茎节间、顶端分生组织和花序中较高表达;进一步对生育期数据进行共表达分析发现,ZmKNOX13所在的与根分生发育期相关性最高的模块,与蛋白质泛素化生物学过程密切相关。(3)在盐、冷、热和UV处理下,有8个ZmKNOX家族基因表现出不同的响应模式,但基因表达量变化不大。其中冷处理下ZmKNOX6表达明显上调,热处理下ZmKNOX14明显下调表达,盐胁迫下ZmKNOX13明显上调表达而ZmKNOX13和ZmKNOX14却明显下调,上述3个基因(除ZmKNOX13)均具有生育期低表达的特点。(4)测序数据分析发现,盐处理下叶片中上调的ZmKNOX3和ZmKNOX13基因,根系中下调的ZmKNOX3、ZmKNOX6和ZmKNOX17基因的表达模式基本一致,在不同处理时间ZmKNOX3在叶片和根中均稳定表达,但表达方式相反。研究表明,玉米ZmKNOX家族基因在玉米生长发育和逆境响应过程中具有重要作用。     

Functional Characterization of a Melon Alcohol Acyl-transferase Gene Family Involved in the Biosynthesis of Ester Volatiles. Identification of the Crucial Role of a Threonine Residue for Enzyme Activity*

Volatile esters, a major class of compounds contributing to the aroma of many fruit, are synthesized by alcohol acyl-transferases (AAT). We demonstrate here that, in Charentais melon (Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis), AAT are encoded by a gene family of at least four members with amino acid identity ranging from 84% (Cm-AAT1/Cm-AAT2) and 58% (Cm-AAT1/Cm-AAT3) to only 22% (Cm-AAT1/Cm-AAT4). All encoded proteins, except Cm-AAT2, were enzymatically active upon expression in yeast and show differential substrate preferences. Cm-AAT1 protein produces a wide range of short and long-chain acyl esters but has strong preference for the formation of E-2-hexenyl acetate and hexyl hexanoate. Cm-AAT3 also accepts a wide range of substrates but with very strong preference for producing benzyl acetate. Cm-AAT4 is almost exclusively devoted to the formation of acetates, with strong preference for cinnamoyl acetate. Site directed mutagenesis demonstrated that the failure of Cm-AAT2 to produce volatile esters is related to the presence of a 268-alanine residue instead of threonine as in all active AAT proteins. Mutating 268-A into 268-T of Cm-AAT2 restored enzyme activity, while mutating 268-T into 268-A abolished activity of Cm-AAT1. Activities of all three proteins measured with the prefered substrates sharply increase during fruit ripening. The expression of all Cm-AAT genes is up-regulated during ripening and inhibited in antisense ACC oxidase melons and in fruit treated with the ethylene antagonist 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), indicating a positive regulation by ethylene. The data presented in this work suggest that the multiplicity of AAT genes accounts for the great diversity of esters formed in melon. *Accession numbers Cm-AAT1 (CAA94432), Cm-AAT2 (AAL77060), Cm-AAT3 (AAW51125), and Cm-AAT4 (AAW51126). Islam El-Sharkawy, Daniel Manriquez, Francisco B. Flores: These authors contributed equally to the work     

Molecular cloning and expression of an expansin-like gene in ‘Navel’ orange fruit during postharvest stresses

In a search for differentially expressed genes in peel pitting of ‘Navel’ orange fruit (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck), a cDNA subtraction library was constructed and a sequence encoding expansin-like gene was isolated and identified as pitting related gene. Based on sequence information derived from this fragment, a full-length cDNA (CsEXP, GenBank accession no. FJ769424) of 1,083 nucleotides encoding expansin was isolated from ‘Navel’ orange by RACE approaches. CsEXP encoded a protein of 254 amino acid residues with an open reading frame located in the region between 52 and 816 bp. The calculated molecular weight of the mature protein was 27.05 kDa and theoretical isoelectric point was 7.93. The deduced protein contained conserved domains of expansin: the histidine-phenylalanine-aspartate motif in central portion, cysteine residues in N-terminus, and tryptophan residues in C-terminal region. The expression of CsEXP was higher in pitting than the control. Exposure of fruit to stresses, including wounding, anoxia, low temperature (4°C), and treatment with ethylene, increased CsEXP mRNA levels in comparison with the control untreated fruit, whereas high temperature (40°C) decreased its mRNA levels. Since low temperature, low oxygen and wounding were suspected factors inducing peel pitting of citrus fruit. The present results provided us a clue that CsEXP may play a role in response to peel pitting related stresses.