Manipulation of Catalase Levels Produces Altered Photosynthesis in Transgenic Tobacco Plants

Constructs containing the cDNAs encoding the primary leaf catalase in Nicotiana or subunit 1 of cottonseed (Gossypium hirsutum) catalase were introduced in the sense and antisense orientation into the Nicotiana tabacum genome. The N. tabacum leaf cDNA specifically overexpressed CAT-1, the high catalytic form, activity. Antisense constructs reduced leaf catalase specific activities from 0.20 to 0.75 times those of wild type (WT), and overexpression constructs increased catalase specific activities from 1.25 to more than 2.0 times those of WT. The NADH-hydroxypyruvate reductase specific activity in transgenic plants was similar to that in WT. The effect of antisense constructs on photorespiration was studied in transgenic plants by measuring the CO₂ compensation point (Γ) at a leaf temperature of 38°C. A significant linear increase was observed in Γ with decreasing catalase (at 50% lower catalase activity Γ increased 39%). There was a significant temperature-dependent linear decrease in Γ in transgenic leaves with elevated catalase compared with WT leaves (at 50% higher catalase Γ decreased 17%). At 29°C, Γ also decreased with increasing catalase in transgenic leaves compared with WT leaves, but the trend was not statistically significant. Rates of dark respiration were the same in WT and transgenic leaves. Thus, photorespiratory losses of CO₂ were significantly reduced with increasing catalase activities at 38°C, indicating that the stoichiometry of photorespiratory CO₂ formation per glycolate oxidized normally increases at higher temperatures because of enhanced peroxidation.     

Activation of a Bean Chitinase Promoter in Transgenic Tobacco Plants by Phytopathogenic Fungi

The temporal and spatial expression of a bean chitinase promoter has been investigated in response to fungal attack. Analysis of transgenic tobacco plants containing a chimeric gene composed of a 1.7-kilobase fragment carrying the chitinase 5B gene promoter fused to the coding region of the gus A gene indicated that the chitinase promoter is activated during attack by the fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea, Rhizoctonia solani, and Sclerotium rolfsii. Although induction of [beta]-glucuronidase activity was observed in tissues that had not been exposed to these phytopathogens, the greatest induction occurred in and around the site of fungal infection. The increase in [beta]-glucuronidase activity closely paralleled the increase in endogenous tobacco chitinase activity produced in response to fungal infection. Thus, the chitinase 5B-gus A fusion gene may be used to analyze the cellular and molecular details of the activation of the host defense system during pathogen attack.     

麻疯树curcin启动子的分离及其在转基因烟草中的功能分析

核糖体失活蛋白是一类可以使核糖体28S rRNA的保守α茎环结构域脱嘌呤的蛋白质。麻疯树毒蛋白（curcin）前体基因编码麻疯树胚乳I型核糖体失活蛋白。从麻疯树基因组中克隆得到其5＇侧翼区0.6 kb长的片段,将该片段插入pBI121载体置换其中的CaMV 35S启动子并在相应的转基因烟草中检测报告基因GUS的表达情况。经过GUS活性检测分析发现,该0.6 kb长的片段能够启动报告基因在种子中的表达,并且其在种子不同发育阶段的表达活性存在差异。同时,GUS组织化学染色定位分析表明,在双子叶植物中该启动子片段是胚乳特异性表达的,它从心形胚时期开始持续地在烟草的胚乳中发挥启动活性。     

The Expression of a Cytosolic Cyclophilin Promoter from Periwinkle in Transgenic Tobacco Plants

The cloning of a 465 bp fragment from the 5-flanking region of the gene encoding a cytosolic cyclophilin from periwinkle was achieved through inverse polymerase chain reaction. The DNA fragment was fused to a gusA-intron marker then introduced into tobacco by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Histochemical analysis of the transgenic shoot cultures demonstrated that the construct was able to drive GUS expression in stomata guard cells, but not in mesophyll cells when shoots were still attached to the callus from which they were initiated. In separated transgenic shoots and in seedlings, GUS was expressed in external and internal phloem and root hairs, respectively. GUS activity in transgenic tobacco seedlings was also investigated by fluorimetric assays. Treatments with NaCl or ABA decreased promoter activity whereas treatment with yeast extracts increased it.     

麻疯树curcin 启动子的分离及其在转基因烟草中的功能分析

核糖体失活蛋白是一类可以使核糖体28S rRNA的保守a茎环结构域脱嘌呤的蛋白质。麻疯树毒蛋白(curcin)前体基因编码麻疯树胚乳I 型核糖体失活蛋白。从麻疯树基因组中克隆得到其5'侧翼区0.6 kb长的片段, 将该片段插入pBI121载体置换其中的CaMV 35S启动子并在相应的转基因烟草中检测报告基因GUS的表达情况。经过GUS活性检测分析发现, 该0.6 kb长的片段能够启动报告基因在种子中的表达, 并且其在种子不同发育阶段的表达活性存在差异。同时, GUS组织化学染色定位分析表明, 在双子叶植物中该启动子片段是胚乳特异性表达的, 它从心形胚时期开始持续地在烟草的胚乳中发挥启动活性。     

Functional Analysis of Nodulin-like Promoter in Transgenic Cotton Plants

For the first time, a nodulin-like gene promoter was isolated from Gossypium hirsutum L. Guo Y18 by means of inverse PCR. Three plant expression vectors were constructed for functional identification of the promoter. These vectors were different only in promoter regions; three truncations of the nodulinlike promoter took the place of the CaMV35S promoter in the pBI121 plant expression vector. Then, the three vectors were introduced into cotton plants via the pollen tube pathway. The expression patterns of the gus gene driven by nodulin-like promoter truncations were investigated in the offspring of transgenic cotton plants. Histochemical GUS staining and fluorescence quantitative analysis were performed to achieve this goal. The results showed that the nodulin-like promoter was a strong, highly reproductive organspecific promoter, which demonstrated a much higher driver activity than the CaMV35S promoter did in cotton reproductive organs, but relatively lower activity in vegetation. Identification of the speciality and strength-determining regions of the nodulin-like promoter was also undertaken.     

植物花色素苷生物合成的转录调控

转录调节是植物花色素苷生物合成途径中调节其结构基因表达的重要环节之一。近十多年来,通过调节转录因子的表达激活或抑制有效地调控植物中花色素苷的合成成了众多植物学家研究的重点。现简要介绍了花色素苷的合成运输过程与液泡的沉积扣押、转录因子与调控及转录调节在遗传改良中的应用等方面的研究进展。     

Hormonal Characterization of Transgenic Tobacco Plants Expressing the rolC Gene of Agrobacterium rhizogenes TL-DNA

Transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv Wisconsin 38) plants expressing the Agrobacterium rhizogenes rolC gene under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S RNA promoter were constructed. These plants displayed several morphological alterations reminiscent of changes in indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), cytokinin, and gibberellin (GA) content. However, investigations showed that neither the IAA pool size nor its rate of turnover were altered significantly in the rolC plants. The biggest difference between rolC and wild-type plants was in the concentrations of the cytokinin, isopentenyladenosine (iPA) and the gibberellin GA19. Radio-immunoassay and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry measurements revealed a drastic reduction in rolC plants of iPA as well as in several other cytokinins tested, suggesting a possible reduction in the synthesis rate of cytokinins. Furthermore, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry quantifications of GA19 showed a 5- to 6-fold increase in rolC plants compared with wild-type plants, indicating a reduced activity of the GA19 oxidase, a proposed regulatory step in the gibberellin biosynthesis. Thus, we conclude that RolC activity in transgenic plants leads to major alterations in the metabolism of cytokinins and gibberellins.     

The Promoter of the Gene for Glutamine Synthetase from Rice Shows Organ-Specific and Substrate-Induced Expression in Transgenic Tobacco Plants

A 2-kb fragment from the 5'-flanking region of the RGS-28 gene,which encodes the cytosolic glutamine synthetase in Oryza sativaL., was fused to a ß-glucuronidase (GUS) reportergene and introduced into Nicotiana tabacum by Agrobacterium-mediatedtransformation. The promoter was predominantly active in theleaves of transgenic plants, as it is in authentic rice plants.The promoter also responded to externally applied ammonium ions.It is suggested that the cis-acting regulatory elements responsiblefor the recognition of the leaf as a site of synthesis and ofammonia, a substrate for glutamine synthetase, are located withina 2-kb region of the promoter. (Received October 15, 1990; Accepted January 11, 1991)     

Isolation and Characterization of a Curcin Promoter from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Jatropha curcas</Emphasis> L. and Its Regulation of Gene Expression in Transgenic Tobacco Plants

Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) represent those proteins that universally depurinate conserved α-sarcin loops of large rRNAs. In this study, a 0.6-kb fragment of a 5′ flanking region preceding a curcin gene, encoding a type I RIP curcin, of Jatropha curcas L. endosperm was cloned, and its regulation of expression of the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene was investigated in transgenic tobacco. Analysis of GUS activities showed that the 0.6-kb flanking fragment of the curcin gene was sufficient to drive the GUS reporter gene expression in tobacco seed. The activity of this flanking fragment was analyzed at different stages of seed development. Histochemical localization of GUS activity indicated that the promoter was specifically active in the endosperm tissue of the dicotyledonous tobacco embryo. Moreover, this activity was first initiated at the heart-shaped embryonic stage during seed development.     

Characterization of Transgenic Tobacco Plants Containing Bacterial bphc Gene and Study of Their Phytoremediation Ability

Genetically modified plants can serve as an efficient tool for remediation of diverse dangerous pollutants of the environment such as pesticides, heavy metals, explosives and persistent organic compounds. Transgenic lines of Nicotiana tabacum containing bacterial bphC gene from the degradation pathway of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were tested. The product of the bphC gene – enzyme 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl-1,2-dioxygenase is responsible for cleaving of the biphenyl ring. The presence of bphC gene in transgenic plants was detected on DNA, RNA and protein level. The expression of the bphC/His gene was verified after purification of the enzyme from plants by affinity chromatography followed by a Western blot and immunochemical assay. The enzyme activity of isolated protein was detected.Efficient transformation of 2,3-DHB by transgenic plants was achieved and the lines also exhibited high production of biomass. The transgenic plants were more tolerant to the commercial PCBs mixture Delor 103 than non-transgenic tobacco. And finally, the higher decrease of total PCB content and especially congener 28 in real contaminated soil from a dumpsite was determined after cultivation of transgenic plant in comparison with non-transgenic tobacco. The substrate specificity of transgenic plants was the same as substrate specificity of BphC enzyme.     

植物细胞自噬基因的功能与转录调控机制

自噬(autophagy)是真核生物长期进化形成的一种高度保守的细胞内物质降解和周转途径,通过形成双层膜结构的自噬体将包裹其中的待降解大分子物质,如受损伤的蛋白质、蛋白质复合物和细胞器,运送至液泡或溶酶体进行降解并产生可循环利用的降解产物。细胞自噬在植物生长发育和环境应答等过程中发挥重要作用。在拟南芥(Arabidop...     

LE-ACS6启动子在LE-ACS6::GUS转基因拟南芥中的特异性

通过对不同发育时期LE-ACS6::GUS转基因拟南芥中GUS表达特异性的研究,证明LE-ACS6基因的启动子在拟南芥中也表现启动参与第一系统乙烯合成的关键酶基因的活性.在转基因拟南芥中,LE-ACS6启动子还表现响应外源生长素处理、伤害处理等多种刺激因子的特点.     

种子特异性启动子（napinB promoter）分离，表达载体构建及转基因植物获得

利用PCR技术从油菜Brassica napus H165基因组DNA中分离了napinB启动子,序列分析表明,扩增片段（nap300)与文献报道的napinB启动子相应区域的同源性为97％,将其与gus连接构建种子特异性表达载体,农杆菌介导转化烟草,PCR,Southern结果显示,nap300已整合到烟草基因组DNA,获得了转基因植株。     

Regulation by Cytokinins of Endogenous Levels of Jasmonic and Salicylic Acids in Mechanically Wounded Tobacco Plants

Plants respond differentially to wounding and pathogens usingdistinct signaling pathways, so that wound signals are transmittedto jasmonic acid (JA) which induces basic pathogenesis-related(PR) proteins, whereas pathogenic signals cause, in additionto JA, accumulation of salicylic acid (SA) which stimulatesproduction of acidic PR proteins. Transgenic tobacco plantsexpressing a gene for a small GTP binding protein respond abnormallyto mechanical wounding to produce SA and consequently acidicPR proteins, suggesting that wound signals cross with pathogensignaling pathways [Sano et al. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.USA 91: 10556]. This unusual signal crossing is associated witha highly sensitive wound-response of transgenic plants which,upon wounding, produce JA at least eighteen hours earlier thanwild-type plants. When wildtype plants are wounded in the presenceof the synthetic cytokinin, benzylaminopurine, production ofJA begins six hours earlier than in untreated samples, and alsoSA begins to accumulate. The cytokinin antagonist, 2-chloro-4-cyclohexylamino-6-ethylamino-s-triazine,erases these effects. Because transgenic plants constitutivelyproduce four-to six-fold higher amounts of endogenous cytokininsthan wild-type plants, it is concluded that cytokinins are indispensablefor control of endogenous levels of SA and JA. (Received April 23, 1996; Accepted June 10, 1996)