植物螯合肽及其功能

植物螯合肽（phytochelatin,PC）是一类富含Cys、由PC合酶以GSH为底物催化合成的小分子多肽,能通过Cys的-SH络合重金属.研究PC的合成机理及其重金属解毒机制、研究PC合酶和PC合酶基因的表达模式及其功能对于运用植物修复技术治理重金属污染的土壤和水体具有重要意义.     

蔗糖磷酸合酶功能、结构与催化机制的研究进展

蔗糖是自然界中广泛存在的一种天然产物.在植物等生命体中,蔗糖磷酸合酶(Sucrose phosphate synthase,SPS)是蔗糖合成的限速酶.SPS催化合成蔗糖-6-磷酸;蔗糖磷酸酶(Sucrose Phosphatase,SPP)进一步把蔗糖-6-磷酸上的磷酸根水解下来而形成蔗糖.近几十年来关于SPS的研究...     

芪类化合物及其合成酶的研究进展

芪类化合物,是一种抗菌的植物抗毒素,因其具有抑菌、抗氧化、抗肿瘤等多种生物活性,越来越受到人们的重视。近年来与合成芪类化合物直接相关的芪合酶功能基因也相继在不同植物中被发现,以芪合酶为基础的转基因研究范围也不断扩大。对芪类化合物的生物合成途径、生物活性,芪合酶的结构、功能,以及芪合酶基因和转芪合酶基因的最新研究进展情况进行综述,以期为进一步的研究该类成分及获取相关功能基因而提供科学依据。     

植物甜菜碱合成途径及基因工程研究进展

甜菜碱是公认的在细胞中起着无毒渗透保护作用的细胞相溶性物质 ,广泛存在于植物、动物、细菌等多种生物体中。植物中甜菜碱因其结构不同 ,其生物合成途径和催化合成所需要的酶也各不相同。综述了近年来甜菜碱生物合成途径、相关基因的克隆及基因工程研究进展 ,包括从不同生物体中克隆、鉴定的甜菜碱合成的相关基因及其定位、作用机理、同源性比较及表达差异、在转基因植物中的遗传稳定性以及转基因植物的抗盐耐旱、抗寒性等。     

Levan蔗糖酶及其在Levan果聚糖合成中的应用

Levan果聚糖是一类分子中含有大量β-(2,6)果糖苷键主链和少量β-(2,1)果糖苷键支链的聚糖。部分微生物来源的Levan果聚糖具有抗肿瘤、抗糖尿病、免疫增强、降血脂等重要的生物活性,在医药和功能食品方面具有巨大的应用潜能。由于微生物发酵液提取法产量相对较低,而化学法合成过程繁琐,Levan果聚糖的酶法合成备受关注。Levan蔗糖酶(Levansucrase,EC 2.4.1.10)属于糖苷酶家族GH68,是一类β-螺旋桨家族蛋白,其催化糖类合成遵循non-Leloir糖基转移酶机制,以蔗糖为底物转果糖基合成Levan果聚糖。部分微生物Levan蔗糖酶的分子结构及基因的表达调控已经得到阐明,Levan果聚糖的酶法合成得到广泛研究。本文综述了Levan蔗糖酶的催化机制、酶分子结构、酶基因表达调控以及酶在合成Levan果聚糖中的应用,以促进微生物Levan蔗糖酶及Levan果聚糖的研究和应用。     

菊糖蔗糖酶的性质鉴定及菊糖的酶法合成

菊糖作为益生元和膳食纤维,具有许多重要的生理功能,广泛应用于食品、医药等领域.微生物菊糖蔗糖酶可以以蔗糖为底物合成较植物菊糖具有更高分子量的菊糖.文中通过基因数据库筛选获得一段拟表达菊糖蔗糖酶的基因.通过N-端和C-端截断的方式,保留中间催化域,构建重组质粒.将重组质粒在大肠杆菌表达系统中表达,粗酶液经Ni2+亲和层析...     

地黄核苷二磷酸激酶基因的克隆及生物信息学分析

核苷二磷酸激酶(NDPK)是一种高度保守的多功能蛋白,具有催化底物磷酸化的作用,能够参与植物的生长发育、非生物胁迫、感病应激、光合作用和能量代谢等过程。为了解地黄核苷二磷酸激酶基因(RgNDPKⅠ)的结构、功能和性质,该研究利用地黄转录组学数据,通过电子克隆的方法获得了RgNDPKⅠ基因的全长cDNA序列,长度为765 bp。生物信息学分析结果表明,RgNDPKⅠ基因的开放阅读框长度为447 bp,编码148个氨基酸,具有典型的核苷二磷酸激酶活性结构域和其他磷酸化活性位点。RgNDPKⅠ基因编码的蛋白质定位于细胞质,是无跨膜区域的亲水性蛋白,该蛋白质与芝麻、紫花风铃的核苷二磷酸激酶相似性较高,分别为97%和96%。在多种生物中已经克隆得到了核苷二磷酸激酶基因,且不同植物核苷二磷酸激酶氨基酸序列中存在多个相似的保守结构域,推测RgNDPKⅠ基因所编码的蛋白质为核苷二磷酸激酶超家族成员。该研究结果为进一步探明RgNDPKⅠ的性质、结构、功能及表达机制提供了重要的理论依据。     

蔗糖合酶在植物生长发育中的作用研究

蔗糖合酶（SuSy）是植物蔗糖代谢的关键酶之一,在植物各组织中普遍存在。SuSy参与了植物体中许多代谢过程,包括淀粉及纤维素的合成,以及碳源的分配等。该酶还可影响植物的抗逆性、种子发育和生物固氮能力,因此,利用SUS基因改良作物品质具有良好的应用前景。对SuSy的性质、基因表达模式及其在植物生长发育中的作用进行综述。     

一氧化氮合酶的遗传、生理研究进展

一氧化氮具有广泛的生理功能,哺乳动物体内的NO是由NO合酶(NOS)氧化L-精氨酸而合成的,合成后的NO迅速跨膜扩散释放,NO合成失调能介导多种疾病。催化NO生物合成的NOS有三种亚型:神经元型NOS(nNOS)、内皮型NOS(eNOS)和诱导型NOS(iNOS),目前,人的三型NOS已纯化并且已分子克隆成功,对一氧化氮合酶的遗传研究确认了NOS家族的基因结构和染色体定位。     

植物纤维素合酶基因研究进展

纤维素合酶催化合成的 β_1 ,4糖苷链构成植物细胞壁中含量最丰富的组份纤维素。植物体中存在着众多纤维素合酶 ,同时还具多种与之相关的纤维素合酶相似蛋白 ,它们组成了一个庞大的纤维素合酶超家族。纤维素合酶的催化机理尚不清楚 ,纤维素合酶相似蛋白的功能更有待于深入研究。本文综述了近年植物纤维素合酶及其相似蛋白编码基因的研究进展。     

Carbohydrate metabolism in growing rice seedlings under arsenic toxicity

We studied in the seedlings of two rice cultivars (Malviya-36 and Pant-12) the effect of increasing levels of arsenic in situ on the content of sugars and the activity of several enzymes of starch and sucrose metabolism: alpha-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1), beta-amylase (EC 3.2.1.2), starch phosphorylase (EC 2.4.1.1), acid invertase (EC 3.2.1.26), sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13) and sucrose phosphate synthase (EC 2.4.1.14). During a growth period of 10-20 d As2O3 at 25 and 50 microM in the growth medium caused an increase in reducing, non-reducing and total soluble sugars. An increased conversion of non-reducing to reducing sugars was observed concomitant with As toxicity. The activities of alpha-amylase, beta-amylase and sucrose phosphate synthase declined, whereas starch phosphorylase, acid invertase and sucrose synthase were found to be elevated. Results indicate that in rice seedlings arsenic toxicity causes perturbations in carbohydrate metabolism leading to the accumulation of soluble sugars by altering enzyme activity. Sucrose synthase possibly plays a positive role in synthesis of sucrose under As-toxicity.     

Cloning and expression of genes related to the sucrose-metabolizing enzymes and carbohydrate changes in peach

To shed light on the relationship between sucrose metabolism and expression of genes related to sucrose-metabolizing enzymes, six genes encoding sucrose-metabolizing enzymes were isolated, and the levels of four main carbohydrates and related enzyme activities as well as the expression of these six genes were determined in fruits, leaves and phloem-enriched fraction throughout peach fruit development. Sucrose content in mature fruit ranked first followed by glucose, fructose and sorbitol in that order, while sorbitol was the highest and sucrose lowest in phloem-enriched fraction and leaves. Glucose and fructose had similar change patterns throughout fruit development. Cloning results reveal that the nucleotide sequences of the six genes have high similarity to corresponding genes isolated from other plants. In addition, the expression of these genes and the levels of related enzyme activities varied with tissue and stage of fruit development, suggesting a complexity in relationships between carbohydrates, enzymes activities and related gene expression. Sucrose phosphate synthase maybe a key enzyme involved in sucrose synthesis while sucrose synthase may mainly be responsible for sucrose synthesis in peach fruits at later stages of development. Further studies are needed to genetically and physiologically characterize these genes and enzymes in peach and to gain a better understanding of their functions and relationship with carbohydrate metabolism.     

The structure of sucrose synthase-1 from Arabidopsis thaliana and its functional implications

Sucrose transport is the central system for the allocation of carbon resources in vascular plants. During growth and development, plants control carbon distribution by coordinating sites of sucrose synthesis and cleavage in different plant organs and different cellular locations. Sucrose synthase, which reversibly catalyzes sucrose synthesis and cleavage, provides a direct and reversible means to regulate sucrose flux. Depending on the metabolic environment, sucrose synthase alters its cellular location to participate in cellulose, callose, and starch biosynthesis through its interactions with membranes, organelles, and cytoskeletal actin. The x-ray crystal structure of sucrose synthase isoform 1 from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtSus1) has been determined as a complex with UDP-glucose and as a complex with UDP and fructose, at 2.8- and 2.85-Å resolutions, respectively. The AtSus1 structure provides insights into sucrose catalysis and cleavage, as well as the regulation of sucrose synthase and its interactions with cellular targets.     

Carbohydrate metabolism during fruit development in sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum) plants

Growth, accumulation of sugars and starch, and the activity of enzymes involved in sucrose mobilization were determined throughout the development of sweet pepper fruits. Fruit development was roughly divided into three phases: (1) an initial phase with high relative growth rate and hexose accumulation, (2) a phase with declining growth rate and accumulation of sucrose and starch, and (3) a ripening phase with no further fresh weight increase and with accumulation of hexoses, while sucrose and starch were degraded. Acid and neutral invertase (EC 3.2.1.26) were closely correlated to relative growth rate until ripening and inversly correlated to the accumulation of sucrose. Acid invertase specifically increased during ripening, concurrently with the accumulation of hexoses. Sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13) showed little correlation to fruit development, and in periods of rapid growth the activity of sucrose synthase was low compared to the invertases. However, during late fruit growth sucose synthase was more active than the invertases. We conclude that invertase activities determine the accumulation of assimilates in the very young fruits, and a reactivation of acid invertase is responsible for the accumulation of hexoses during ripening. During late fruit growth, before ripening, sucrose synthase is transiently responsible for the sucrose breakdown in the fruit tissue. Results also indicate that pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase (EC 2.7.1.90) and its activator fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (Fru2,6bisP) are involved in the regulation of the sink metabolism of the fruit tissue.     

Effect of aluminium on metabolism of starch and sugars in growing rice seedlings

The effect of increasing concentrations of Al₂(SO₄)₃ in situ on the content of starch, sugars and activity behaviour of enzymes related to their metabolism were studied in growing seedlings of two rice cvs. Malviya-36 and Pant-12 in sand cultures. Al₂(SO₄)₃ levels of 80 and 160 μM in the growth medium caused an increase in the contents of starch, total sugars as well as reducing sugars in roots as well as shoots of the rice seedlings during a 5–20 days growth period. The activities of the enzymes of starch hydrolysis α-amylase, β-amylase and starch phosphorylase declined in Al-exposed seedlings, whereas the activities of sucrose hydrolyzing enzymes sucrose synthase and acid invertase increased in the seedlings due to Al³⁺ treatment. The enzyme of sucrose synthesis, sucrose phosphate synthase showed decreased activity in Al³⁺ treated seedlings compared to controls. Results suggest that Al³⁺ toxicity in rice seedlings impairs the metabolism of starch and sugars and favours the accumulation of hexoses by enhancing the activities of sucrose hydrolyzing enzymes.     

Evidence of the crucial role of sucrose synthase for sink strength using transgenic potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Sink strength of growing potato tubers is believed to be limited by sucrose metabolism and/or starch synthesis. Sucrose synthase (Susy) is most likely responsible for the entire sucrose cleavage in sink tubers, rather than invertases. To investigate the unique role of sucrose synthase with respect to sucrose metabolism and sink strength in growing potato tubers, transgenic potato plants were created expressing Susy antisense RNA corresponding to the T-type sucrose synthase isoform. Although the constitutive 35S CaMV promotor was used to drive the expression of the antisense RNA the inhibition of Susy activity was tuber-specific, indicating that independent Susy isoforms are responsible for Susy activity in different potato organs. The inhibition of Susy leads to no change in sucrose content, a strong accumulation of reducing sugars and an inhibition of starch accumulation in developing potato tubers. The increase in hexoses is paralleled by a 40-fold increase in invertase activities but no considerable changes in hexokinase activities. The reduction in starch accumulation is not due to an inhibition of the major starch biosynthetic enzymes. The changes in carbohydrate accumulation are accompanied by a decrease in total tuber dry weight and a reduction of soluble tuber proteins. The reduced protein accumulation is mainly due to a decrease in the major storage proteins patatin, the 22 kDa proteins and the proteinase inhibitors. The lowered accumulation of storage proteins is not a consequence of the availability of the free amino acid pool in potato tubers. Altogether these data are in agreement with the assumption that sucrose synthase is the major determinant of potato tuber sink strength. Contradictory to the hypothesis that the sink strength of growing potato tubers is inversely correlated with the tuber number per plant, no increase in tuber number per plant was found in Susy antisense plants.     

网纹甜瓜发育果实糖分积累与蔗糖代谢参与酶的关系

随着网纹甜瓜果实的发育,果实中葡萄糖和果糖的含量增加,蔗糖的快速积累发生在果实发育的中后期,高蔗糖积累型果实中蔗糖积累速率明显快于低蔗糖积累型.蔗糖磷酸合成酶活性在果实发育的前期短暂下降, 而后稳步上升,在果实发育的中后期高蔗糖积累型果实中该酶的活性显著高于低蔗糖积累型果实;随着果实发育,蔗糖合成酶的分解活性降低而合成活性升高.酸性和中性转化酶在未成熟果实中活性较高,而在成熟果实中很低; 高蔗糖积累型果实中酸性转化酶活性显著低于同期低蔗糖积累型果实.合成蔗糖的酶活性小于分解蔗糖的酶活性时蔗糖几乎没有积累.根据这些结果推测,转化酶活性的下降、蔗糖磷酸合成酶活性的增加以及蔗糖合成酶分解活性的下降和合成活性的增加,是引起果实蔗糖积累的主要内在因子.