木葡聚糖及其在植物抗逆过程中的功能研究进展

木葡聚糖(XyG)是一种存在于所有陆生植物细胞壁中的基质多糖, 是双子叶植物初生细胞壁中含量(20%-25%, w/w)最丰富的半纤维素成分。作为细胞壁的组分, XyG不仅与植物的生长发育密切相关, 还在植物抵抗各种生物和非生物逆境过程中发挥重要作用。XyG代谢相关基因主要通过改变植物细胞壁的组成以及对细胞壁进行重排进而改变细胞壁的弹性/硬度等特性, 影响植物的抗逆性。XyG及其寡糖也可能作为信号分子, 或与其它信号分子协同作用应对逆境胁迫。该文概述了XyG的结构与类型及参与XyG生物合成与降解的相关基因, 重点阐述XyG相关基因应答生物和非生物胁迫的作用机制。     

拟南芥CBF1与植物对低温和干旱的抗性

对冷驯化过程中基因表达差异的认识,使抗冻基因(COR)的克隆及其功能的分析成为研究冷驯化过程的主要目标。在拟南芥和其他抗冻植物中,分离了许多COR基因,这些基因对植物抗冻起着非常重要的作用。在拟南芥COR调控的研究中,发现了CBF转录因子的基因家族,其中CBF1能调控一组COR基因的表达。近年来,在冷敏植物如番茄和玉米中也发现了CBF类似基因,拟南芥CBF1基因在转基因番茄中的过量表达提高了植株的抗寒和抗旱性。这一研究结果展示了拟南芥CBF1类似基因的应用可能为冷敏植物抗寒和抗旱性的品种改良提供一条新的途径。     

钙依赖的蛋白激酶与植物抗逆性

植物钙依赖的蛋白激酶(Calcium-dependent protein kinases,CDPKs)是细胞Ca2 信号的受体,同时具有Ca2 受体蛋白和Ser/Thr蛋白激酶的功能。许多植物CDPKs基因受环境胁迫刺激发生表达水平的改变,这些基因在植物逆境胁迫的Ca2 信号转导中起着十分重要的作用,为植物CDPKs抗逆功能的研究和植物的抗逆遗传改良提供了理论基础和基因资源。     

脯氨酸在植物生长和非生物胁迫耐受中的作用

脯氨酸是生物界分布最广的渗透保护物质之一,干旱、高盐、高温及重金属等非生物胁迫条件都会导致植物体内脯氨酸含量的增加,其作用是防止渗透胁迫对植物造成的伤害、清除自由基,还可以作为氮、碳以及NADPH的重要来源。近年来,在转化脯氨酸代谢相关基因提高植物胁迫抗性方面也取得了很大进展。本文概要介绍了脯氨酸在植物生长和耐受非生物胁迫中的作用、与植物脯氨酸累积有关的信号转导、胁迫条件下脯氨酸的吸收和器官间的运输途径,以及通过转基因技术过量表达脯氨酸提高植物胁迫耐性的代谢工程的进展。     

Metabolism of 2,4-dinitrotoluene by Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA98NR and TA98/1,8-DNP6, and mutagenicity of the metabolites of 2,4-dinitrotoluene and related compounds to strains TA98 and TA100

The products detected in the incubation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) with Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA98/1,8-DNP6 were nitrosonitrotoluenes, hydroxylaminonitrotoluenes, aminonitrotoluenes and dimethyl dinitroazoxybenzene. The capacity of TA98NR to reduce 2,4-DNT was much lower than that of TA98 and TA98/1,8-DNP6. The bacterial products showed no mutagenic activity in the Ames assay using TA98 and TA100. These results indicate that the lack of mutagenic activity of 2,4-DNT is not due to low reductive metabolism of 2,4-DNT by the bacteria, but to the lack of mutagenic activity of the bacterial reductive products of 2,4-DNT, including dimethyl dinitroazoxybenzene.     

ERF转录因子及其在烟草抗逆性改良中的应用

转录因子调控的基因表达是植物逆境应答反应的关键环节。乙烯反应因子(ERF:ethylene responsive factor)在植物抗逆反应中发挥重要的调控作用,并成为近年来植物分子生物学领域的研究前沿。本文综述目前ERF及其对烟草抗逆遗传改良的相关研究进展。     

拟南芥转录因子GRAS 家族基因群响应渗透和干旱胁迫的初步探索

GRAS家族是一类植物特有的转录调控因子, 已有报道表明该家族基因在植物生长发育和光信号转导过程中具有重要作用。目前在拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)基因组中已鉴定了33个GRAS家族基因。利用功能基因组学和生物信息学手段,通过基因芯片数据挖掘和基因功能预测, 对拟南芥GRAS家族基因在渗透和干旱胁迫过程中的应答模式进行了初步探索, 提出了一类响应渗透胁迫和干旱胁迫的拟南芥GRAS家族基因。以SCL13为例, 利用基因芯片相关性和GO分析, 对其在渗透胁迫信号转导过程中可能的调控机制进行了预测和分析。这一研究将为阐明GRAS家族基因参与水分胁迫的分子机制提供新的思路, 同时也为植物抗逆分子育种提供候选基因。     

拟南芥转录因子GRAS家族基因群响应渗透和干旱胁迫的初步探索

GRAS家族是一类植物特有的转录调控因子,已有报道表明该家族基因在植物生长发育和光信号转导过程中具有重要作用.目前在拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)基因组中已鉴定了33个GRAS家族基因.利用功能基因组学和生物信息学手段,通过基因芯片数据挖掘和基因功能预测,对拟南芥GRAS家族基因在渗透和干旱胁迫过程中的应答模式进行了初步探索,提出了一类响应渗透胁迫和干旱胁迫的拟南芥GRAS家族基因.以SCL13为例,利用基因芯片相关性和GO分析,对其在渗透胁迫信号转导过程中可能的调控机制进行了预测和分析.这一研究将为阐明GRAS家族基因参与水分胁迫的分子机制提供新的思路,同时也为植物抗逆分子育种提供候选基因.     

High Tolerance to Salinity and Herbivory Stresses May Explain the Expansion of Ipomoea Cairica to Salt Marshes

Background

Invasive plants are often confronted with heterogeneous environments and various stress factors during their secondary phase of invasion into more stressful habitats. A high tolerance to stress factors may allow exotics to successfully invade stressful environments. Ipomoea cairica, a vigorous invader in South China, has recently been expanding into salt marshes.

Methodology/Principal Findings

To examine why this liana species is able to invade a stressful saline environment, we utilized I. cairica and 3 non-invasive species for a greenhouse experiment. The plants were subjected to three levels of salinity (i.e., watered with 0, 4 and 8 g L⁻¹ NaCl solutions) and simulated herbivory (0, 25 and 50% of the leaf area excised) treatments. The relative growth rate (RGR) of I. cairica was significantly higher than the RGR of non-invasive species under both stress treatments. The growth performance of I. cairica was not significantly affected by either stress factor, while that of the non-invasive species was significantly inhibited. The leaf condensed tannin content was generally lower in I. cairica than in the non-invasive I. triloba and Paederia foetida. Ipomoea cairica exhibited a relatively low resistance to herbivory, however, its tolerance to stress factors was significantly higher than either of the non-invasive species.

Conclusions/Significance

This is the first study examining the expansion of I. cairica to salt marshes in its introduced range. Our results suggest that the high tolerance of I. cairica to key stress factors (e.g., salinity and herbivory) contributes to its invasion into salt marshes. For I. cairica, a trade-off in resource reallocation may allow increased resources to be allocated to tolerance and growth. This may contribute to a secondary invasion into stressful habitats. Finally, we suggest that I. cairica could spread further and successfully occupy salt marshes, and countermeasures based on herbivory could be ineffective for controlling this invasion.     

The Responses of Wheat Autophagy and ATG8 Family Genes to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Autophagy is a conserved self-degradation process in eukaryotic cells. The execution of autophagy relies on a number of AuTophaGy-related (ATG) factors...     

Selenium inhibition of benzo[a]pyrene, 3-methylcholanthrene, and 3-methylcholanthrylene mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100

Selenium (Se) decreased the mutagenicity of benzo[a]pyrene (BP), 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC), and 3-methylcholanthrylene (3MCE) in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100. Metabolism of BP, 3MC and 3MCE to mutagens was accomplished with the liver S9 fraction from Aroclor 1254-treated male Sprague-Dawley rats. Exposure of the bacteria to 4 nmoles BP, 10 nmoles 3MC, or 10 nmoles 3MCE in the presence of S9, and up to 200 nmoles Se as Na2SeO3 resulted in decreased mutagenicities up to 39, 66 and 60% of their respective control activities without Se in TA98 and up to 46, 52 and 64% of their respective control activities without Se in TA100. Se (200 nmoles) alone was not mutagenic in strains TA98 or TA100 with or without S9. BP, 3MC and 3MCE were not mutagenic in either strain without S9. None of the tested concentrations of BP, 3MC, 3MCE and Se were cytotoxic. Assays of the aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) activity in the S9 preparation revealed decreased AHH activity with increase in Se concentration. The decreased mutagenicity and AHH activity were Se (as Na2SeO3) dependent and could not be duplicated by sulfur (S as Na2SO3). Inhibition of AHH activity by Se provides an explanation of the mechanism of Se inhibition of BP, 3MC and 3MCE mutagenicities in S. typhimurium TA98 and TA100.     

Ectopic Expression of a Bacterium NhaD-type Na~+/H~+ Antiporter Leads to Increased Tolerance to Combined Salt/Alkali Stresses

AaNhaD,a gene isolated from the soda lake alkaliphile Alkalimonas amylolytica,encodes a Na+/H+ antiporter crucial for the bacterium’s resistance to salt/alkali stresses.However,it remains unknown whether this type of bacterial gene may be able to increase the tolerance of flowering plants to salt/alkali stresses.To investigate the use of extremophile genetic resources in higher plants,transgenic tobacco BY-2 cells and plants harboring AaNhaD were generated and their stress tolerance was evaluated.Ectopic expression of AaNhaD enhanced the salt tolerance of the transgenic BY-2 cells in a pH-dependent manner.Compared to wild-type controls,the transgenic cells exhibited increased Na+concentrations and pH levels in the vacuoles.Subcellular localization analysis indicated that AaNhaD-GFP fusion proteins were primarily localized in the tonoplasts.Similar to the transgenic BY-2 cells,AaNhaD-overexpressing tobacco plants displayed enhanced stress tolerance when grown in saline-alkali soil.These results indicate that AaNhaD functions as a pH-dependent tonoplast Na+/H+antiporter in plant cells,thus presenting a new avenue for the genetic improvement of salinity/alkalinity tolerance.     

1-Nitrosopyrene: an intermediate in the metabolic activation of 1-nitropyrene to a mutagen in Salmonella typhimurium TA1538

Incubation of Salmonella typhimurium TA1538, in suspension culture, with 1.5 or 23 microM 1-nitropyrene resulted in a time-dependent increase in reversions for up to 7 h. In contrast, when the bacteria were exposed to 1.5 microM 1-nitrosopyrene, a reduction product of 1-nitropyrene, maximum reversion induction occurred after 1 h and a much higher mutation frequency was detected. Examination of DNA isolated from Salmonella typhimurium incubated with 4.1 microM [4,5,9,10-3H]1-nitrosopyrene indicated the presence of one major adduct, N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-1-aminopyrene, the same adduct observed previously when the bacteria were exposed to 1-nitropyrene. When calf thymus DNA was treated with 1-nitrosopyrene in the presence of ascorbic acid, 1-aminopyrene was formed concomitant with the production of N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-1-aminopyrene. In the absence of ascorbic acid, a 20-fold reduction in DNA binding was observed and 1-aminopyrene was not detected. The observations that 1-nitrosopyrene forms the same DNA adduct and is more mutagenic than 1-nitropyrene, suggest that 1-nitrosopyrene is an intermediate in the mutagenic activation of 1-nitropyrene in Salmonella typhimurium TA1538. Since reduction of 1-nitrosopyrene was necessary to get appreciable DNA binding in vitro, further reduction of 1-nitrosopyrene to N-hydroxy-1-aminopyrene is probably required in the activation pathway.     

Effect of Epinephrine,Norepinephrine, and Estradiol on Persister Formation in the Cultures of Staphylococci from the Human Microbiota and Their Resistance to Starvation and New Medium Stresses

Microbiology - Effects of the human hormones and human microbiota on the growth of symbiotrophic and saprotrophic bacteria are well-known. However, no information is available on the effects of...