Arabidopsis Aux/IAA genes are involved in brassinosteroid-mediated growth responses in a manner dependent on organ type

We examined whether auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA) proteins, which are key players in auxin-signal transduction, are involved in brassinosteroid (BR) responses. iaa7/axr2-1 and iaa17/axr3-3 mutants showed aberrant BR sensitivity and aberrant BR-induced gene expression in an organ-dependent manner. Two auxin inhibitors were tested in terms of BR responses. Yokonolide B inhibited BR responses, whereas p-chlorophenoxyisobutyric acid did not inhibit BR responses. DNA microarray analysis revealed that 108 genes were up-regulated, while only eight genes were down-regulated in iaa7. Among the genes that were up- or down-regulated in axr2, 22% were brassinolide-inducible genes, 20% were auxin-inducible genes, and the majority were sensitive neither to BR nor to auxin. An inhibitor of BR biosynthesis, brassinazole, inhibited auxin induction of the DR5-GUS gene, which consists of a synthetic auxin-response element, a minimum promoter, and a beta-glucuronidase. These results suggest that Aux/IAA proteins function in auxin- and BR-signaling pathways, and that IAA proteins function as the signaling components modulating BR sensitivity in a manner dependent on organ type.     

Molecular characterization of S-RNase genes and S-genotypes in the Japanese apricot (Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.)

Three partial S-RNase genes, MSRN-1, MSRN-2, and MSRN-3, in the Japanese apricot (Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.) were isolated from the three cultivars Nankou, Gyokuei, and Kairyouuchidaume, respectively. The structural characteristics revealed that S-RNase genes from the Japanese apricot were in the T2/SRNase-type S-RNase family with five conserved regions (C1, C2, C3, RC4, and C5) and one variable region (RHV) as reported in the other rosaceous plants. In the phylogenetic tree of T2/S SRNase-type RNases, three S-RNase genes of the Japanese apricot did not form a species-specific subgroup but the Prunus subfamily did. At least seven S-allelic genes were present in the Japanese apricot, and S-genotypes of six representative cultivars, including Nankou, Gyokuei, Kairyouuchidaume, Baigou, Kagajizou, and Oushuku were first established in this study as S ₁ S ₇, S ₂ S ₆, S ₃ S ₄, S ₃ S ₆, S ₃ S ₆ and S ₁ S ₅, respectively. An extended elucidation of the S-genotype would contribute to a more efficient breeding program of the Japanese apricot. Received: 5 September 2000 / Revision accepted: 22 December 2000     

Expression profiling of a transformed thymocyte cell line undergoing maturation in vitro identifies multiple genes involved in positive selection

Biochemical and genetic studies of thymocyte maturation would be facilitated by the development of cultured cell lines that reflect stages of positive selection. We have derived a CD4(+)CD8(+)TCR(+) T-lymphoid cell line (M20) from a murine thymic tumor induced by a retrovirus carrying the v-myc oncogene (M-MuLV(myc)). M20 subclones undergo several aspects of positive selection in response to co-culture with a thymic stromal cell line (St3), including down-regulation of CD4 and CD8, and up-regulation of CD5 and TCR. M20 possesses a functional TCR complex, and ligation of this complex produces changes similar to co-culture with St3 stroma. Expression profiling of M20 cells in this system identified 23 genes previously shown to be important in thymocyte maturation, as well as several novel candidate genes. This system provides a new model to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of thymocyte maturation and TCR-mediated cell signaling in double-positive thymocytes.     

阴地蕨全转录组分析及植物激素信号转导相关基因筛选

该研究以新鲜阴地蕨全株为材料,用Illumina HiSeq 2500平台进行全转录组测序,干净序列经组装后得单一基因(Unigene),将Unigene在非冗余蛋白/核酸数据库(nonredundant protein database,NR)、核酸序列数据库(nucleotide sequence database,NT)、基因本体论数据库(gene ontology,GO)、蛋白质真核同源数据库(clusters of eukaryotic orthologous groups,COG)、京都基因与基因组百科全书(Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes,KEGG)、蛋白质序列数据库SwissProt和Interpro进行生物信息学分析。结果表明:共获得干净序列6.67 Gb,组装后得到58 646个Unigene,平均长度为1 023 bp,Unigene在上述数据库的总体注释率为69.25%。其中,在GO数据库中,20 762个基因被注释到生物功能、细胞组分和分子功能3个本体的52个功能组,COG注释了20 633个基因并将其划分为25个...     

Gene expression profiling of DNA methyltransferase genes in Siniperca chuatsi based on transcriptome sequencing

The mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) DNA methyltransferase gene 1 (dnmt1) was highly expressed in the mesonephros, head kidney and gonad, whereas dnmt2 was expressed in most tissues. dnmt3a was highly expressed in the brain and spleen, but dnmt3b was mainly expressed in the brain and head kidney. The genes dnmt1 and dnmt2 were highly expressed in the early stages of embryonic development, and dnmt3a and dnmt3b were expressed later. These genes also showed certain changes after artificial diet acclimation, salinity adaptation and immune stress.     

斜纹夜蛾中肠糖代谢相关基因的克隆及表达模式分析

斜纹夜蛾Spodoptera litura是一种世界性分布的重要农业害虫, 在生长发育过程中要经历幼虫 蛹的变态发育过程。由于变态发育前后昆虫的食性发生了明显的改变, 作为食物消化吸收的中肠也发生了解体和重建。与此相适应, 昆虫中肠的各种物质和能量代谢也可能会相应地发生改变。为研究斜纹夜蛾中肠变态发育过程中糖代谢途径的变化情况, 我们从斜纹夜蛾中肠EST文库中鉴定出了12个糖代谢相关基因, 克隆了其中3个基因的全长cDNA, 并应用半定量PCR和定量PCR的方法检测了其在幼虫 蛹变态发育期中肠组织的转录表达以及对激素和饥饿等因素的响应情况。结果表明： 这3个基因（α-L-岩藻糖苷酶、 N-乙酰葡萄糖胺-6-磷酸去乙酰酶和烯醇化酶基因）的开放阅读框分别为1 461, 1 200和1 299 bp, 预测的分子量分别为56.3, 43.3和46.7 kDa。这12个糖代谢相关的基因在变态发育期的中肠组织中具有5种不同的mRNA表达模式： （Ⅰ）只在幼虫期高表达（唾液麦芽糖酶前体蛋白、 糖基水解酶31家族成员蛋白、 线粒体乙醛脱氢酶、 β-1,3 葡聚糖酶基因）; （Ⅱ）只在预蛹期高表达（β-葡萄糖醛酸酶、 β-N-酰基氨基葡萄糖苷酶3基因）; （Ⅲ）只在蛹期高表达（葡萄糖胺-6-磷酸异构酶基因）; （Ⅳ）在预蛹期和蛹期高表达（α-葡萄糖苷酶、 α-淀粉酶、 N-乙酰葡糖胺 6 磷酸脱乙酰酶和α-L-岩藻糖苷酶基因）; （Ⅴ）在变态发育期恒定表达（烯醇化酶基因）。这说明, 为适应变态发育斜纹夜蛾中肠糖代谢途径发生了明显的改变。保幼激素对这些基因的表达没有明显的影响, 但蜕皮激素对Ⅰ类基因（如糖基水解酶31家族成员蛋白基因）具有一定的抑制作用, 对Ⅲ类基因（如葡萄糖胺-6-磷酸异构酶基因）有显著的上调作用。此外, 我们还发现饥饿对几乎所有这些基因的表达都有显著的抑制作用。这些结果说明, 昆虫中肠变态发育过程中糖代谢相关基因的动态变化可能受到蜕皮激素以及饥饿相关因素的共同调控。这一研究对从代谢角度揭示昆虫变态发育的分子机理具有重要意义。     

猪脂肪前体细胞分化过程中聚脂相关基因的表达模式

本实验采用胶原酶消化法分离猪皮下脂肪前体细胞,用含850 nmol/L 胰岛素和50 nmol/L地塞米松的诱导培养液进行诱导,采用油红O提取法测定了细胞中的甘油三酯含量,同时采用实时定量RT-PCR方法检测了细胞分化过程中聚脂相关基因的表达.结果显示:转录因子PPAR γ和C/EBP β在诱导后12 h即迅速表达,SREBP-1 mRNA表达水平在诱导后12 h出现显著下调,随后逐渐升高,96 h达到最高水平;脂肪合成相关酶基因GPDH、FAS、ACC和LPL呈现出与SREBP-1相似的表达模式;脂肪酸转运相关基因aP2、FAT、FATP1与VLDLR的表达量随着细胞分化过程的延长而不断增加,并且与细胞内甘油三酯的含量变化高度相关.本实验结果表明,PPAR γ、C/EBP β和SREBP-1可能是调控猪脂肪前体细胞分化的关键转录因子.猪皮下脂肪组织在聚脂过程中,在分化早期可能以脂肪细胞自身合成脂肪酸为主,而后期则主要依赖细胞外脂肪酸的跨膜转运.这些结果可能有助于揭示脂肪细胞的分化调控规律.