Flower color diversity revealed by differential expression of flavonoid biosynthetic genes and flavonoid accumulation in herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.)

Herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) is an important ornamental plant which contains different flower colors. In this paper, eight genes encoding phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL), chalcone synthase (CHS), chalcone isomerase (CHI), flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), flavonoid 3′-hydroxylase (F3′H), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), anthocyanidin synthase (ANS), UDP-glucose: flavonoid 3-o-glucosyltransferase (UF3GT) were isolated. Moreover, the expression patterns of these eight genes and UF5GT in the flowers were investigated in three cultivars, that is, ‘Hongyanzhenghui’, ‘Yulouhongxing’ and ‘Huangjinlun’ with purplish-red, white and yellow flower respectively. Furthermore, flavonoid accumulation in the flowers was also analyzed. The results showed that in different organs, most of genes expressed higher in flowers than in other organs. During the development of flowers, all genes could be divided into four groups. The first group (PlPAL) was highly expressed in S1 and S4. The second group (PlCHS and PlCHI) was at a high expression level throughout the whole developmental stages. The third group (PlF3H, PlF3′H, PlDFR, PlANS and PlUF5GT) gradually decreased with the development of flowers. The fourth group (PlUF3GT) gradually increased during the flower development. In addition, anthoxanthins and anthocyanins were detected in ‘Hongyanzhenghui’ and ‘Yulouhongxing’, chalcones and anthoxanthins were found in ‘Huangjinlun’. When different color flowers were concerned, low expression level of PlCHI induced most of the substrate accumulation in the form of chalcones and displaying yellow, changing a small part of substrates to anthoxanthins, and there was no anthocyanin synthesis in ‘Huangjinlun’ because of low expression level of DFR. In ‘Yulouhongxing’, massive expressions of upstream genes and low expression of DFR caused synthesis of a great deal of anthoxanthins and a small amount of colorless anthocyanins. In ‘Hongyanzhenghui’, a large number of colored anthocyanins were changed from anthoxanthins because of PlDFR, PlANS and PlUF3GT high expressions. These results would provide us a theoretical basis to understand the formation of P. lactiflora flower colors.     

Cryopreservation of somatic embryos of the herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) by air drying

This study was carried out to establish a suitable method for the cryopreservation of somatic embryos of the herbaceous peony. The somatic embryos were obtained from cotyledon and anther cultures on a MS medium supplemented with abscisic acid (ABA) and phenylacetic acid (PAA), respectively. The frequency of somatic embryo formation was the greatest (61%) from the cotyledons cultured on a MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg l(-1) of ABA. Embryos were also obtained directly from anthers cultured on a MS medium with or without 2.0 mg l(-1) of PAA. For the cryopreservation of peony somatic embryos, the embryos were dried under a stream of sterile air and frozen by immersion in liquid nitrogen. Thawed embryos were germinated into plantlets after placing on a medium containing 0.3 mg l(-1) of gibberellic acid (GA(3)). The frequency of the post-thaw regrowth of cryopreserved somatic embryos was related to their size and desiccation time, the latter ranging from 0 to 2 h. When the somatic embryos were desiccated for 1 h, the frequency of post-thaw regrowth was greater than 66%. The frequency of post-thaw regrowth of the cryopreserved somatic embryos from anthers and cotyledon tissues was generally high when they were 2-3 mm in size. Desiccation may be a suitable method for the cryopreservation of somatic embryos of the herbaceous peony.     

喷钙对芍药花茎品质及叶片光合特性的影响

以5年生芍药盆栽苗为试材,研究了喷钙措施对芍药花茎品质、花茎机械强度及叶片光合参数的影响.结果表明,喷钙处理(4％,w/v)显著提高了花茎的机械强度,增幅达24.3％,花茎中纤维素、半纤维素、木质素及果胶含量均较对照显著增加,其中纤维素含量为456.54 μg·g-1,较对照增加了28.5％,增幅最大.喷钙处理还使芍药叶片净光合速率(Pn)、气孔导度(Gs)、蒸腾速率(Tr)和水分利用效率( WUE)增加,至处理28 d时,Pu为17.07 μmol·m-2·s-1,较对照增加29.6％,Gs较对照提高了55％,为0.31 mol·m-2·s-1,Tr较对照提高了20％,达到2.61 mmol · mol-1,WUE为6.54 mmol · mol-1,较对照增加7.6％.另外,喷钙使芍药叶片最大净光合速率(Pmax)达到20.71 μmol·m-2·s-1,较对照提高24.6％,光饱和点为902.5 μmol·m-2·s-1,较对照增加7.5％,而光补偿点则显著降低,为7.27 μmol·m-2·s-1,较对照降低34.5％.     

In vitro propagation of herbaceous peony (paeonia lactiflora pall.) by a longitudinal shoot-split method

A procedure for the clonal propagation ofPaeonia lactiflora Pall. cvs. Takinoyosooi and Sarah Bernhardt through shoot tip culture is described. Half strength Murashige and Shoog (1962) medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine plus 1 mg/l gibberellic acid promoted formation and growth of axillary buds. Continuous shoot multiplication was achieved by vertically splitting the shoot axis and subsequent division of elongated axillary shoots every 36 days. High frequency (57–100%) of rooting was obtained on paper-bridge liquid medium supplemented with 1 mg/l indole-3-butyric acid. Half of the rooted plantlets were established on porous soil. Thus, 700 and 300 plants of cv. Takinoyosooi and Sarah Bernhardt could be theoretically obtained from a single bud in one year.Abbreviations BAP 6-benzylaminopurine - GA gibberellic acid - NAA a-naphthaleneacetic acid - IBA indole-3-butyric acid - MS Murashige and Skoog (1962) basal medium     

芍药花瓣总RNA的提取

用TRIzol法和改良的热硼酸盐法从芍药幼嫩花瓣中提取总RNA,总RNA的D260nm／D280nm值分别为1．803、1．974。琼脂糖电泳表明,用TRIzol法提取的RNA只有28S、18S2条带,带的亮度差,说明RNA有些降解;而用改良的热硼酸盐法提取的总RNA有28S、18S、5S3条带,带的亮度强,且28S是18S宽度的2倍左右,说明提取的RNA完整、未降解,可用于后续实验。改良的热硼酸盐法更适于从芍药花瓣中提取总RNA。     

Nano-silver modifies the vase life of cut herbaceous peony (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Paeonia lactiflora</Emphasis> Pall.) flowers

Herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) is a popular high-grade cut flower because of higher ornamental value. However, its short flowering time severely restricts the production and application of cut P. lactiflora flowers. In this study, nano-silver (NS) was applied to prolong the vase life of cut P. lactiflora flowers. Under the NS treatment, related physiological indices including relative electrical conductivity (REC), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide anion free radical (O₂^·?), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and free proline contents, and protective enzyme activities including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and ascorbic acid peroxidase (APX) all increased in cut P. lactiflora flowers except soluble protein. Meanwhile, NS treatment increased relative water uptake (RWU) and Ag⁺ distribution. Moreover, the observation of microstructures indicated that the stem-ends without NS treatment were blocked by microbes which were identified as Alternaria sp. and Phoma sp., and NS effectively inhibited their growth by antibacterial efficacy observation. Additionally, three aquaporin genes (AQPs) including two plasma membrane intrinsic protein genes (PlPIP1;2, PlPIP2;1) and one NOD26-like intrinsic protein gene (PlNIP) were isolated, PlPIP1;2, and PlPIP2;1 that were induced by NS treatment took common effects on maintaining the water balance of cut P. lactiflora flowers. Consequently, the vase life of cut P. lactiflora flowers was prolonged and flower fresh weight together with flower diameter was well kept because of these above factors. These results would provide a theoretical basis for prolonging the vase life and improving the ornamental quality of cut P. lactiflora flowers with NS application.     

Protective Effects of Paeonia lactiflora Pall on Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Apoptosis in PC12 Cells

This study was conducted to examine the antioxidative and neuroprotective effects of Paeonia lactiflora pall (PLE). Total phenolic content of PLE was 89.65 mg of gallic acid equivalent per gram of PLE. IC₅₀ values for reducing power, hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity were 297.57, 3.33, and 32.74 μg, respectively. The protective effect of PLE against H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage to PC12 cells was investigated by an 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay. After 2 h of cell exposure to 0.5 mM H₂O₂, a marked reduction in cell survival was observed. However, this reduction was significantly prevented by 10–100 μg/ml of PLE. H₂O₂ also induced severe apoptosis of the PC12 cells, which was indicated by a flow cytometric analysis. Interestingly, the H₂O₂-stressed PC12 cells that had been incubated with PLE had greatly suppressed apoptosis. The results suggest that PLE could be a candidate for a new antioxidant against neuronal diseases.     

ISSR引物鉴定芍药栽培品种之间亲缘关系的初步研究

以芍药栽培品种‘莲台’、‘妒花魁’、‘紫霞映雪’,‘粉玉奴’、‘紫金龙’、‘合欢娇’、‘蓝田碧玉’、‘鱼鳞红’、‘红莲’等为试材,用10个来源于水稻的ISSR标记对其进行亲缘关系鉴定的初步结果表明：‘蓝田碧玉’与其余7个品种之问的亲缘关系较远。5个引物扩增出的DNA片段在250-1000bp之间,扩增DNA谱带总数为21,引物ISSR7和ISSR8扩增出的条带数最多。     

收获期芍药根中芍药甙含量动态变化

采用HPLC法分析了江苏省东海县中药种植场内芍药(PaeonialactifloraPall)在9-11月间根中芍药甙含量的动态变化及其他各主产地芍药根中芍药甙含量。结果表明:芍药甙的含量在9-11月间的变化趋势是低→高→低最后趋于平稳,在10月初含量最高;一天中以中午采集时芍药甙含量最高;芍药甙含量与根直径成反比(Y=-1.50X 5.787),即根直径越小,芍药甙含量越高。     

The expression of floral organ identity genes in contrasting water lily cultivars

The floral organs of typical eudicots such as Arabidopsis thaliana are arranged in four characteristic whorls, namely the sepal, petal, stamen and carpel, and the “ABC” floral organ identity model has been based on this arrangement. However, the floral organs in most basal angiosperms are spirally arranged with a gradual transition from the inside to outside, and an alternative model referred to as “fading borders” was developed to take account of this. The flower morphology of the water lily was tested against the “fading borders” model by determining the expression profile of the six primary floral organ identity genes AP2, AGL6, AP3, PI, AG and SEP1 in two cultivars showing contrasting floral morphology. In addition, to get accurate floatation of the genes expression level from outer to inner, we divided the floral organs into eight whorls according to morphological features. All these genes were expressed throughout all whorls of the flower, but their expression level changed gradually from the outside of the flower to its inside. This pattern was consistent with the “fading borders” model.     

芍药的访花昆虫和传粉昆虫

20 0 0～ 2 0 0 2年对内蒙古赤峰市高格斯台罕乌拉自然保护区内野生芍药 (PaeonialactifloraPall.)和内蒙古农校芍药园内栽培品种芍药的访花昆虫进行调查 ,经整理鉴定有 2 9种 ,自然保护区内芍药的访花昆虫种类有 1 7种 ,芍药园内的访花昆虫有 1 7种。根据传粉行为和数量的比较确定了自然保护区内主要传粉昆虫为丽斑芫菁、黄胫宽花天牛、黑胫宽花天牛、短毛斑金龟、饥星花金龟、白星花金龟和大淡脉隧蜂 ;芍药园内的主要传粉昆虫为意大利蜜蜂、棕边管食蚜蝇、长尾管食蚜蝇、大淡脉隧蜂、灰带管食蚜蝇和小淡脉隧蜂。     

Identification of mycorrhiza-regulated genes with arbuscule development-related expression profile

Suppressive subtractive hybridisation was applied to the analysis of late stage arbuscular mycorrhizal development in pea. 96 cDNA clones were amplified and 81, which carried fragments more than 200 nt in size, were sequence analysed. Among 67 unique fragments, 10 showed no homology and 10 were similar to sequences with unknown function. RNA accumulation of the corresponding 67 genes was analysed by hybridisation of macro-arrays. The cDNAs used as probes were derived from roots of wild type and late mutant pea genotypes, inoculated or not with the AM fungus Glomus mosseae. After calibration, a more than 2.5-fold mycorrhiza-induced RNA accumulation was detected in two independent experiments in the wild type for 25 genes, 22 of which seemed to be induced specifically during late stage AM development. Differential expression for 7 genes was confirmed by RT-PCR using RNA from mycorrhiza and from controls of a different pea cultivar. In order to confirm arbuscule-related expression, the Medicago truncatula EST data base was screened for homologous sequences with putative mycorrhiza-related expression and among a number of sequences with significant similarities, a family of trypsin inhibitor genes could be identified. Mycorrhiza-induced RNA accumulation was verified for five members by real-time PCR and arbuscule-related activation of the promoter could be shown in transgenic roots for one of the genes, MtTi1.     

Isolation and characterization of hexokinase genes PsHXK1 and PsHXK2 from tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews)

Hexokinase (HXK) plays important roles in hexose phosphorylation and sugar signaling. HXK regulates the glucose-induced accumulation of anthocyanin in many species. Little is known about the biological function of the HXK gene family in Paeonia suffruticosa. cDNA sequences of two hexokinase genes PsHXK1 and PsHXK2 were isolated using RACE-PCR and RT-PCR from P. suffruticosa. PsHXK1 encodes 498 amino acids with a 1497-bp open reading frame (ORF), and PsHXK2 contains 493 amino acids with a 1482-bp ORF. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses suggest that PsHXK1 and PsHXK2 belong to type-B HXK and may function as glucose sensors. PsHXK1 and PsHXK2 mRNA were detected in all tested tissues. PsHXK1 is highly expressed in petals and stamens, while PsHXK2 is highly expressed in stamens. At the former stages of flower opening, PsHXK1 and PsHXK2 show higher expression levels in on-tree flowers compared with cut flowers. Overexpressing PsHXK1 and PsHXK2 in Arabidopsis enhances glucose sensitivity, inhibits plant growth in response to glucose, and induces anthocyanin accumulation in response to the high level of glucose. Overall, our results primarily reveal the biological function of PsHXK1 and PsHXK2, especially their involvement in glucose-induced anthocyanin accumulation.

     

黄牡丹与芍药组间杂交花粉与柱头识别的解剖学研究

分别用TTC染色法和培养液培养法测定黄牡丹花粉的生活力和萌发率;并分别以5个芍药品种为母本,黄牡丹为父本进行人工杂交,用苯胺蓝染色法,在荧光显微镜下观察黄牡丹花粉在母本('墨玉双辉'、'奇花露霜'、'手扶银须'、'金凤'和'美菊')柱头上的黏附、萌发以及花粉管在柱头和花柱中的动态变化.结果显示:(1)黄牡丹离体花粉生活力达64.9%、萌发率达68.7%.(2)授粉后24 h,黄牡丹花粉在'奇花露霜'、'手扶银须'和'金凤'柱头上的黏附数最多分别为134.5、80.9和100.5个,萌发花粉数也达到最多,分别为46.3、69.7和86.6,说明花粉与母本柱头的黏附性较好.(3)授粉后黄牡丹花粉黏附在柱头处及其附近的柱头乳突细胞内产生大量胼胝质;花粉管生长迟缓,且有扭曲、肿胀、结合、分枝等现象发生;少数花粉管能穿过柱头进入花柱,但常有胼胝质沉积其中.从黄牡丹花粉与5个芍药品种柱头的识别作用来看,受精前障碍是影响黄牡丹与芍药组间杂交的主要原因之一.     

Cloning and expression of sesquiterpene synthase genes from lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Sesquiterpenoid lactones (SLs) from lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) include constitutive components of latex such as lactucin and the induced phytoalexin, lettucenin A. A redundant primer strategy was used to recover two full length cDNA clones (LTC1 and LTC2) encoding sesquiterpene synthases from a cDNA library derived from seedlings with the red spot disorder, which accumulate phytoalexins. Recombinant enzymes produced from LTC1 and LTC2 in Escherichia coli catalysed the cyclisation of farnesyl diphosphate to germacrene A, potentially an early step in the biosynthesis of SLs. RT-PCR analysis showed LTC1 and LTC2 were expressed constitutively in roots, hypocotyls and true leaves but not in cotyledons. Expression in cotyledons was induced by challenge with the downy mildew pathogen Bremia lactucae in the disease resistant cultivar Diana. Southern hybridisation experiments showed that LTC1 and LTC2 were not part of a multigene family. The germacrene A synthases provide targets for modified expression to generate beneficial modifications to the SL profile in lettuce.