花色素苷生物合成及花色的调控

近年来,花色研究工作备受关注。对于园艺学来说,要培育出自然界中原本没有的新颖花色,很有必要弄清控制花色形成的各种因素。随着分子生物学技术的迅速发展,对花色形成机制的研究已经深入到分子水平,本文主要介绍了花色素的合成与转运、液泡pH值、辅助色素和金属离子对花色的调控。     

蝴蝶兰花发育的分子生物学研究进展

蝴蝶兰花非常独特且高度进化,如萼片瓣化、瓣片特化为唇瓣、雌雄蕊合生成合蕊柱及子房发育须由授粉启动等,是单子叶植物花发育研究的理想材料。近年来蝴蝶兰花发育分子生物学取得了重要进展。该文就近年来国内外有关蝴蝶兰开花转换及花器官发育相关基因研究以及B类基因与兰花花被的进化发育关系方面的研究进展进行综述。研究表明:MADS基因在蝴蝶兰开花转换及花器官发育过程中起重要作用,推测其中的DEF(DE-FICIENS)-like基因早期经过2轮复制,形成了4类不同的DEF-like基因,进而决定兰花花被属性。蝴蝶兰花发育分子生物学的深入研究,将极大地利于通过基因工程手段提高蝴蝶兰花品质如花色改良及花期调控等,推动分子育种进程。     

花卉花色基因工程的研究现状及存在问题

与传统的花卉育种手段相比 ,基因工程育种具有周期短、目的性强等优点 ,因而成为近年来花卉育种的重要手段之一。花色是花卉育种的一个重要性状 ,自1987年首次通过基因工程方法获得了改变花色的转基因矮牵牛以来 ,花卉花色育种进入了分子时代。简要介绍了近年来国内外花卉花色基因工程及花器官特异表达启动子的研究进展及应用前景。     

观赏植物花色基因工程研究进展

花色是观赏植物的重要性状,创造新花色是花卉育种的主要目标之一。基因工程技术 在观赏植物花色育种上可弥补传统育种技术的缺陷,因此它在花色育种方面的研究和应用发 展迅速。本文从花的成色作用和花色素种类入手,介绍了花色苷的生物合成,并从花色基因 的种类和克隆、花色基因工程操作的策略和方法等角度综述了近年来观赏植物花色基因工程 的研究进展。同时对我国观赏植物花色基因工程的前景作一展望。     

观赏植物花色基因工程研究进展

花色是观赏植物的重要性状,创造新花色是花卉育种的主要目标之一。基因工程技术在观赏植物花色育种上可弥补传统育种技术的缺陷,因此它在花色育种方面的研究和应用发展迅速。本文从花的成色作用和花色素种类人手,介绍了花色苷的生物合成,并从花色基因的种类和克隆、花色基因工程操作的策略和方法等角度综述了近年来观赏植物花色基因工程的研究进展。同时对我国观赏植物花色基因工程的前景作一展望。     

花卉基因工程研究进展Ⅰ：花色

1987年人们首次通过转基因技术获得了改变花色的矮牵牛,使得花卉选育迈入分子时代。其优点在于可有目的的地改变花卉的某一性状而不影响其它性状,并缩短育种周期。目前,与花色基因工程有关调控机理已日益清楚,分离到大量的相关酶和基因,获得了一批转基因花卉。本文重点介绍了国内外花色基因工程的研究进展,同时简单评述了花卉基因工程研究中存在的问题并展望其应用前景。     

基因工程在花卉遗传改良中的应用研究

对10年来基因工程技术在花卉花色、形态、抗性、花期、瓶插寿命和花香等重要性状改良中的应用进行了综述,并对基因工程在花卉分子育种中的应用前景提出了一些见解。     

基因工程在花卉遗传改良中的应用研究

对 1 0年来基因工程技术在花卉花色、形态、抗性、花期、瓶插寿命和花香等重要性状改良中的应用进行了综述 ,并对基因工程在花卉分子育种中的应用前景提出了一些见解     

花色改变的分子机理研究

自1987年世界首例成功运用转基因技术改造矮牵牛花色以来,花色改造基因工程技术不断展现它在培育新花色品系上的无穷魅力。综述了观赏植物花色素的种类、花色素苷的生物合成途径;关键酶的种类;基因工程改变花色的原理和策略以及花色改良方面的研究进展。     

花色改造基因工程

自1987年世界首例成功运用转基因技术改造矮牵牛花色以来,花色改造基因工程技术不断展现它在培育新花色品系上的无穷魅力。介绍了近年来运用基因工程技术成功改造花色的3种主要策略:(1)采用反义RNA及共抑制的方法来改变花颜色的深浅;(2)通过导入新基因产生新奇花色;(3)利用转座子构建特殊表达载体,随机激活花色合成的基因来产生嵌合花色。此外,还对转基因株花色不稳定原因进行了讨论。     

Flower Color Modification by Engineering of the Flavonoid Biosynthetic Pathway: Practical Perspectives

The status quo of flavonoid biosynthesis as it relates to flower color is reviewed together with a success in modifying flower color by genetic engineering. Flavonoids and their colored class compounds, anthocyanins, are major contributors to flower color. Many plant species synthesize limited kinds of flavonoids, and thus exhibit a limited range of flower color. Since genes regulating flavonoid biosynthesis are available, it is possible to alter flower color by overexpressing heterologous genes and/or down regulating endogenous genes. Transgenic carnations and a transgenic rose that accumulate delphinidin as a result of expressing a flavonoid 3′,5′-hydroxylase gene and have novel blue hued flowers have been commercialized. Transgenic Nierembergia accumulating pelargonidin, with novel pink flowers, has also been developed. Although it is possible to generate white, yellow, and pink-flowered torenia plants from blue cultivars by genetic engineering, field trial observations indicate difficulty in obtaining stable phenotypes.     

SPATIAL DIFFERENTIATION FOR FLOWER COLOR IN THE DESERT ANNUAL LINANTHUS PARRYAE: WAS WRIGHT RIGHT?

Understanding the evolutionary mechanisms that contribute to the local genetic differentiation of populations is a major goal of evolutionary biology, and debate continues regarding the relative importance of natural selection and random genetic drift to population differentiation. The desert plant Linanthus parryae has played a prominent role in these debates, with nearly six decades of empirical and theoretical work into the causes of spatial differentiation for flower color. Plants produce either blue or white flowers, and local populations often differ greatly in the frequencies of the two color morphs. Sewall Wright first applied his model of "isolation by distance" to investigate spatial patterns of flower color in Linanthus. He concluded that the distribution of flower color morphs was due to random genetic drift, and that Linanthus provided an example of his shifting balance theory of evolution. Our results from comprehensive field studies do not support this view. We studied an area in which flower color changed abruptly from all-blue to all-white across a shallow ravine. Allozyme markers sampled across these regions showed no evidence of spatial differentiation, reciprocal transplant experiments revealed natural selection favoring the resident morph, and soils and the dominant members of the plant community differed between regions. These results support the hypothesis that local differences in flower color are due to natural selection, not due to genetic drift.     

基因组学技术大发展助力园艺植物研究取得新进展

园艺植物包括花卉、蔬菜、果树、部分瓜类(如西瓜(Citrullus lanatus)和甜瓜(Cucumis melo))和茶树(Camellia sinensis),在植物分类上涉及大量物种。园艺植物的基因组学和遗传学研究具有重要的理论价值和经济意义。基因组测序技术及相关生物信息学工具的发展为园艺植物基因组和分子生物学研究注入了新的活力。睡莲是一种重要的花卉植物,除了具有观赏价值,其进化地位也非常特殊,属于一种早期被子植物类群。最近,蓝星睡莲(N.colorata)的高质量基因组图谱绘制完成。通过系统分析和比较睡莲基因组与其它被子植物的基因组,研究者阐明了睡莲的进化位置及相关进化事件。所获得的高质量基因组序列将有助于园艺植物研究者开展深入的分子遗传学研究,鉴定到控制和调控花器官、花色花香及品质等众多性状的功能基因,从而推动基础研究的快速发展和加快新品种创制。     

Genetic engineering of flavonoid pigments to modify flower color in floricultural plants

Recent advances in genetic transformation techniques enable the production of desirable and novel flower colors in some important floricultural plants. Genetic engineering of novel flower colors is now a practical technology as typified by commercialization of a transgenic blue rose and blue carnation. Many researchers exploit knowledge of flavonoid biosynthesis effectively to obtain unique flower colors. So far, the main pigments targeted for flower color modification are anthocyanins that contribute to a variety of colors such as red, pink and blue, but recent studies have also utilized colorless or faint-colored compounds. For example, chalcones and aurones have been successfully engineered to produce yellow flowers, and flavones and flavonols used to change flower color hues. In this review, we summarize examples of successful flower color modification in floricultural plants focusing on recent advances in techniques.     

FLOWER COLOR POLYMORPHISM AND POLLINATION BIOLOGY OF PLATYSTEMON CALIFORNICUS BENTH. (PAPAVERACEAE)

Five genetically controlled flower color morphs in Platystemon californicus tend to occur in distinct geographic regions, suggesting regional selection of morphs. I examined the reproductive biology of P. californicus to determine whether color morphs are subject to selection due to differences in pollinator attractiveness. Plants of P. californicus have a high pollen: ovule ratio and are highly self-incompatible. Solitary bees (Andrenidae and Halictidae) are the most effective pollen vectors, but show inconsistent discrimination among color morphs. Platystemon californicus is unusual among annual self-incompatible plants in that wind is an important pollen vector. As a result of wind pollination, most polymorphic populations show no intermorph seed-set differences. Therefore, the geographic distribution of flower color morphs cannot be explained by differential attractiveness of color morphs to pollinators in different regions. Any selective value of color morphs must be due to linkage of flower color with as yet undetected morphologically or physiologically adaptive characters.     

Molecular signatures of selection on reproductive character displacement of flower color in Phlox drummondii

Character displacement, which arises when species diverge in sympatry to decrease competition for resources or reproductive interference, has been observed in a wide variety of plants and animals. A classic example of reproductive character displacement, presumed to be caused by reinforcing selection, is flower‐color variation in the native Texas wildflower Phlox drummondii. Here, we use population genetic analyses to investigate molecular signatures of selection on flower‐color variation in this species. First, we quantify patterns of neutral genetic variation across the range of P. drummondii to demonstrate that restricted gene flow and genetic drift cannot explain the pattern of flower‐color divergence in this species. There is evidence of extensive gene flow across populations with different flower colors, suggesting selection caused flower‐color divergence. Second, analysis of sequence variation in the genes underlying this divergence reveals a signature of a selective sweep in one of the two genes, further indicating selection is responsible for divergence in sympatry. The lack of a signature of selection at the second locus does not necessarily indicate a lack of selection on this locus but instead brings attention to the uncertainty in depending on molecular signatures to identify selection.     

Additional betalain accumulation by genetic engineering leads to a novel flower color in lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum)

Betalains, comprising violet betacyanins and yellow betaxanthins, are pigments found in plants belonging to the order Caryophyllales. In this study, we induced the accumulation of betalains in ornamental lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) by genetic engineering. Three betalain biosynthetic genes encoding CYP76AD1, dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) 4,5-dioxygenase (DOD), and cyclo-DOPA 5-O-glucosyltransferase (5GT) were expressed under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter in lisianthus, in which anthocyanin pigments are responsible for the pink flower color. During the selection process on hygromycin-containing media, some shoots with red leaves were obtained. However, most red-colored shoots were suppressed root induction and incapable of further growth. Only clone #1 successfully acclimatized and bloomed, producing pinkish-red flowers, with a slightly greater intensity of red color than that in wild-type flowers. T₁ plants derived from clone #1 segregated into five typical flower color phenotypes: wine red, bright pink, pale pink, pale yellow, and salmon pink. Among these, line #1-1 showed high expression levels of all three transgenes and exhibited a novel wine-red flower color. In the flower petals of line #1-1, abundant betacyanins and low-level betaxanthins were coexistent with anthocyanins. In other lines, differences in the relative accumulation of betalain and anthocyanin pigments resulted in flower color variations, as described above. Thus, this study is the first to successfully produce novel flower color varieties in ornamental plants by controlling betalain accumulation through genetic engineering.     

The Genetic Basis of a Rare Flower Color Polymorphism in Mimulus lewisii Provides Insight into the Repeatability of Evolution

A long-standing question in evolutionary biology asks whether the genetic changes contributing to phenotypic evolution are predictable. Here, we identify a genetic change associated with segregating variation in flower color within a population of Mimulus lewisii. To determine whether these types of changes are predictable, we combined this information with data from other species to investigate whether the spectrum of mutations affecting flower color transitions differs based on the evolutionary time-scale since divergence. We used classic genetic techniques, along with gene expression and population genetic approaches, to identify the putative, loss-of-function mutation that generates rare, white flowers instead of the common, pink color in M. lewisii. We found that a frameshift mutation in an anthocyanin pathway gene is responsible for the white-flowered polymorphism found in this population of M. lewisii. Comparison of our results with data from other species reveals a broader spectrum of flower color mutations segregating within populations relative to those that fix between populations. These results suggest that the genetic basis of fixed differences in flower color may be predictable, but that for segregating variation is not.     

Mendel's genes: toward a full molecular characterization

The discipline of classical genetics is founded on the hereditary behavior of the seven genes studied by Gregor Mendel. The advent of molecular techniques has unveiled much about the identity of these genes. To date, four genes have been sequenced: A (flower color), LE (stem length), I (cotyledon color), and R (seed shape). Two of the other three genes, GP (pod color) and FA (fasciation), are amenable to candidate gene approaches on the basis of their function, linkage relationships, and synteny between the pea and Medicago genomes. However, even the gene (locus) identity is not known for certain for the seventh character, the pod form, although it is probably V. While the nature of the mutations used by Mendel cannot be determined with certainty, on the basis of the varieties available in Europe in the 1850s, we can speculate on their nature. It turns out that these mutations are attributable to a range of causes-from simple base substitutions and changes to splice sites to the insertion of a transposon-like element. These findings provide a fascinating connection between Mendelian genetics and molecular biology that can be used very effectively in teaching new generations of geneticists. Mendel's characters also provide novel insights into the nature of the genes responsible for characteristics of agronomic and consumer importance.