Cloning and molecular analysis of the Arabidopsis gene Terminal Flower 1

The Arabidopsis gene Terminal Flower 1 (TFL1) controls inflorescence meristem identity. A terminal flower (tfl1) mutant, which develops a terminal flower at the apex of the inflorescence, was induced by transformation with T-DNA. Using a plant DNA fragment flanking the integrated T-DNA as a probe, a clone was selected from a wild-type genomic library. Comparative sequence analysis of this clone with an EST clone (129D7T7) suggested the existence of a gene encoding a protein similar to that encoded by the cen gene which controls inflorescence meristem identity in Antirrhinum. Nucleotide sequences of the region homologous to this putative TFL1 gene were compared between five chemically induced tfl1 mutants and their parental wild-type ecotypes. Every mutant was found to have a nucleotide substitution which could be responsible for the tfl1 phenotype. This result confirmed that the cloned gene is TFL1 itself. In our tfl1 mutant, no nucleotide substitution was found in the transcribed region of the gene, and the T-DNA-insertion site was located at 458 bp downstream of the putative polyadenylation signal, suggesting that an element important for expression of the TFL1 gene exists in this area. Received: 14 November 1996 / Accepted: 29 November 1996     

Chromatin and Arabidopsis root development

During development cells transit through different states as they pass from stem cell to terminally differentiated cell. There is evidence that the transition from one state to another can be accompanied by changes in epigenetic state of genes, which is embodied in chromatin state. Here we give an overview of the changes in chromatin that accompany the regulation of expression and review the evidence for the involvement of such changes during epidermal root development and discuss the roles that these changes play in the differentiation of the cell types involved.     

罗汉果组培苗生物学特性研究

对罗汉果组培苗生育周期、生长发育习性以及生态适应性进行观测,结果表明:年全生育期为240～260d,定植当年即可正常开花结实。根系与块茎有两个增长高峰期,分别为开花结果期(7月上、中旬)、枯苗期(11月上旬～12月上旬);茎蔓在定植20d内生长较缓慢,之后逐步加快,其中主蔓和一级侧蔓构成植株空间骨架结构,二级侧蔓和三级侧蔓为主要结果蔓;开花座果盛期在7月下旬至8月中旬,花、果着生位置以二级侧蔓的6～15节和三级侧蔓的3～18节为主,点花授粉宜在雌雄花开放的当天上午进行,果实的生长膨大约在座果后的30d内完成,但果实发育成熟约需80d。生长发育的适温为22～28℃,其中旬温25～28℃时对花果生育最为适宜;生长过程中应保持土壤湿润和80%以上的空气湿度;全生育期对氮和钾的吸收量较大,但在生殖生长期,尤其在结果盛期与果实发育期,对磷、钾的需求增加。     

Ecological and evolutionary genetics of Arabidopsis

The crucifer Arabidopsis thaliana has been the subject of intense research into molecular and developmental genetics. One of the consequences of having this wealth of physiological and molecular data available, is that ecologists and evolutionary biologists have begun to incorporate this model system into their studies. Current research on A. thaliana and its close relatives ably illustrates the potential for synergy between mechanistic and organismal biology. On the one hand, mechanistically oriented research can be placed in an historical context, which takes into account the particular phylogenetic history and ecology of these species. This helps us to make sense of redundancies, anomalies and sub-optimalities that would otherwise be difficult to interpret. On the other hand, ecologists and evolutionary biologists now have the opportunity to investigate the physiological and molecular basis for the phenotypic changes they observe. This provides new insight into the mechanisms that influence evolutionary change.     

Alcohol dehydrogenase isozymes of Triticum: Dissociation and recombination of subunits

Summary Conditions have been defined for the dissociation of active forms of Triticum alcohol dehydrogenase (alcohol: NAD oxidoreductase, E.C. 1.1.1.1) into monomers and for the reassociation of the subunits into active enzymes. Results of experiments in which the subunits of genetically controlled electrophoretic variants of alcohol dehydrogenase were dissociated and recombined in crude tissue extracts support the hypothesis that the enzyme exists functionally as a dimer in Triticum.     

Intragenic recombination in the CSR1 locus of Arabidopsis

Four classes of herbicides are known to inhibit plant acetolactate synthase (ALS). In Arabidopsis, ALS is encoded by a single gene, CSR1. The dominant csr1-1 allele encodes an ALS resistant to chlorsulfuron and triazolopyrimidine sulfonamide while the dominant csr1-2 allele encodes an ALS resistant to imazapyr and pyrimidyl-oxy-benzoate. The molecular distance between the point mutations in csr1-1 and csr1-2 is 1369 bp. Here we used multiherbicide resistance as a stringent selection to measure the intragenic recombination frequency between these two point mutations. We found this frequency to be 0.008 ± 0.0028. The recombinant multiherbicide-resistant allele, csr1-4, provides an ideal marker for plant genetic transformation.     

Sequence analysis of two null-mutant alleles of the single Arabidopsis Adh locus

Summary Data presented in this paper deal with a further molecular characterization of 2 out of 32 EMS-induced Arabidopsis ADH null mutants that we isolated previously. In order to localize and characterize each mutation at the molecular level, we have cloned and completely sequenced the R002 and R006 null mutant alleles. For mutant R002, which does not contain any detectable levels of ADH protein and mRNA, we have found that the mutation is due to a single C to T base pair substitution in the reading frame; this leads to the incorporation of a TAG stop codon (amber nonsense mutation). For mutant R006, which contains normal levels of inactive protein and mRNA levels, we found a G to A base pair transition. This gives rise to a Cys to Tyr amino acid substitution in the active site of the ADH enzyme.Abbreviations CRM cross-reacting material - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - EMS ethylmethanesulfonate     

油茶组培苗器官发生的形态学与解剖学研究

以油茶岑软3号组培苗为研究材料,对其器官发生过程进行形态学和解剖学观察。结果表明:在选定的培养基上,外植体不经过愈伤组织,直接由器官诱导形成增殖芽,从而有效地保持了其遗传的稳定性。油茶增殖芽不定根由诱导的根原基发生,它起源于形成层薄壁细胞定向分化,不断向外进行伸长生长,并穿透愈伤组织而形成。这种不定根发生形式属皮部生根类型。油茶增殖芽单芽生根培养25 d后在不定根内形成次生维管形成层和木栓形成层,培养40 d以上根内的输导分子与茎内的输导分子相连。     

Transposon-associated somatic gai-loss sectors in Arabidopsis

The gai mutation of Arabidopsis confers reduced gibberellin responses, and is inherited as a semidominant trait. Somatic sectors displaying wild-type phenotype were observed in plants which were heterozygous for gai and for a linked Ds element, and which also contained a source of the Ac transposase function. The frequency of these sectors was correlated with the level of transposase conferred by the transposase source, suggesting that the sectors are the result of transposon activity. The appearance of the sectors indicates that gai phenotype is restricted to cells containing a functional gai gene copy.     

樟叶越桔组培苗生根和移栽技术研究

为解决樟叶越桔(Vaccinium dunalianum)组培苗生根质量不佳、移栽成活率低的问题,该研究以樟叶越桔继代苗为材料,采用单因子试验从激素类型及浓度、培养基类型和蔗糖质量浓度对其生根的适宜条件进行筛选,进一步研究了不同基质配比对樟叶越桔移栽苗存活率的影响。结果表明:激素类型和浓度、培养基类型对樟叶越桔生根率的影响最大,其次为蔗糖质量浓度;最适合樟叶越桔生根的激素及浓度为IBA2.0 mg·L~(-1)、基本培养基类型为1/4MS、蔗糖质量浓度为15 g·L~(-1),樟叶越桔组培苗最佳生根培养基为1/4MS+IBA 2.0 mg·L~(-1)+活性炭0.1 g·L~(-1)+蔗糖15 g·L~(-1),生根率达100%,平均生根数为每株7.67条;根系呈辐射状、基部无愈伤组织,组培苗生长健壮、叶色浓绿;樟叶越桔组培苗移栽时以全腐殖土基质为佳,成活率为83.7%,植株叶片舒展,生长状况良好。该研究建立的优化体系有效地提高了樟叶越桔组培生根苗的生根率和生根质量,解决了后期移栽成活困难的问题,为优良的樟叶越桔植株规模化生产提供了科学依据和技术支持。     

The FUSCA genes of Arabidopsis: negative regulators of light responses

More than 200 fusca mutants of Arabidopsis have been isolated and characterised, defining 14 complementation groups. Mutations in at least nine FUSCA genes cause light-dependent phenotypic changes in the absence of light: high levels of anthocyanin accumulation in both the embryo and the seedling, inhibition of hypocotyl elongation, apical hook opening, and unfolding of cotyledons. In double mutants, the fusca phenotype is epistatic to the hy phytochromedeficiency phenotype, indicating that the FUSCA genes act downstream of phytochrome. By contrast, the accumulation of anthocyanin is suppressed by mutations in TT and TTG genes, which affect the biosynthesis of anthocyanin, placing the FUSCA genes upstream of those genes. Regardless of the presence or absence of anthocyanin, fusca mutations limit cell expansion and cause seedling lethality. In somatic sectors, mutant fus1 cells are viable; expressing tissue-specific phenotypes: reduced cell expansion and accumulation of anthocyanin in subepidermal tissue, formation of ectopic trichomes but no reduced cell expansion in epidermal tissue. Our results suggest a model of FUSCA gene action in light-induced signal transduction.     

拟南芥抵抗丁香假单胞杆菌过程中AZI1基因功能研究

AZI1属于脂转移蛋白家族,它在拟南芥抵抗病原菌侵染过程中可能起着传递信号物质的作用。该实验以过表达和T-DNA插入突变体及野生型拟南芥植株为材料,通过RNA印迹、蛋白质免疫印迹和原位免疫组织化学方法,研究了拟南芥壬二酸诱导基因AZI1对丁香假单胞杆菌的抗性功能。结果表明:(1)AZI1基因可以被丁香假单胞杆菌、H2O2和乙烯利诱导,它可能参与水杨酸和乙烯介导的抗菌途径。(2)蛋白质免疫印迹实验结果显示,丁香假单胞杆菌侵染叶片的叶柄渗出液中存在AZI1蛋白及其同源物EARLI1,并能够与其他蛋白质形成复合体,说明AZI1有可能通过维管组织移动到个体的其他部位,与信号分子的转移有关。(3)AZI1及其同源物EARLI1主要在花序茎的木质化部位表达,过表达AZI1基因能够促进木质素的合成,提高拟南芥对丁香假单胞杆菌的抗性。     

罗汉果色氨酸转氨酶基因SgTAR2的克隆及表达分析

色氨酸转氨酶基因家族,是直接参与植物生长素生物合成途径的关键酶基因。该研究在罗汉果转录组测序的基础上,结合RACE技术克隆罗汉果色氨酸转氨酶基因SgTAR2的全长cDNA序列和DNA序列;并对其进行生物信息学分析和时空表达分析。结果表明:克隆所得SgTAR2的cDNA全长序列2078bp,最长ORF为1332bp,编码443个氨基酸,Gen Bank登录号为KU949381,其编码蛋白具有2个蒜氨酸酶保守结构域和多个5'-PLP结合位点,推测其可能参与催化色氨酸转氨基作用、化学防御作用、生长素生物合成等生物学过程;SgTAR2基因DNA长为4103bp,含有4个内含子和5个外显子,其内含子具有多个高水平转录调控因子和多个与激素、环境等胁迫响应相关的作用元件,暗示SgTAR2基因内含子协同调控罗汉果生长素合成、抗胁迫反应、形态发育等生物学过程。实时荧光定量结果显示,SgTAR2基因在罗汉果各组织器官均有表达,在雌蕊和15d幼果期表达量较高,暗示该基因参与罗汉果果实早期发育。该研究结果表明SgTAR2参与了生长素介导的罗汉果不同生长发育过程,特别对幼果及花的起始发育和器官形态建成等具有重要意义。     

Chitinase induction in onion tissue cultures

Chitinase activity in Allium cepa (onion) tissue cultures was investigated using a radioactive assay and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). Increased chitinase activity was detected in callus cultured on agar-solidified media for 72 h with 1 mM salicylic acid or 0.05 M ethrel, and in callus cultured in liquid suspension for 72 h with 0.1 mM salicylic acid or 0.1 M ethrel. Non-denaturing PAGE analysis of callus suspension cultures treated with salicylic acid revealed a new chitinase activity which accumulated in the fluid of the suspension cultures.     

The KEULE gene is involved in cytokinesis in Arabidopsis

 We present evidence to show that the KEULE gene of Arabidopsis is involved in cytokinesis. Mutant keule embryos have large multinucleate cells with gapped or incomplete cross walls, as well as cell wall stubs that are very similar to those observed upon caffeine inhibition of cytokinesis in plants. These defects are observed in all populations of dividing cells in the mutant, including calli, but less frequently in mature cells. Cell division appears to be slowed down, and the planes of cell division are often misoriented. In late embryos and seedlings, cross-wall formation usually appears complete, suggesting that the requirement for KEULE during cytokinesis is not absolute. Nonetheless, keule mutants die as seedlings with large polyploid cells. The bloated surface layer of keule seedlings does not uniformly behave like wild-type epidermis, and patches of this layer assume characteristics of the underlying ground tissue. The cytokinesis defect of keule mutants may influence aspects of cellular differentiation. Received: 24 April 1996 / Accepted: 11 June 1996