A Pin gene families encoding components of auxin efflux carriers in Brassica juncea

Based on the sequence information of Arabidopsis PIN1,two cDNAs encoding PIN homologues from Brassica juncea,Bjpin2 and Bjpin3,were isolated through cDNA library screening.Bjpin2 and Bjpin3 encoded proteins containing 640 and 635 amino acid residues,respectively,which shared 97.5% identities with each other and were highly homologus to Arabidopsis PIN1,PIN2 and other putative PIN proteins.BjPIN2 and BjPIN3 had similar structures as AtPIN proteins.Northern blot analysis indicated that Bjpin2 was expressed in stem,leaf and floral tissues, while Bjpin3 was expressed predominantly in stem and hypocotyls.Two promoter fragments of pin genes,Bjpin-X and Bjpin-Z ,were isolated by ‘genome walkin‘ technique using primers at 5‘-end of pin cDNA.Promoter-gus fusion studies revealed the GUS activities driven by Bjpin-X were at internal side of xylem and petal;while those driven by Bjpin-Z were detected at leaf vein, epidermal cell and cortex of stem,vascular tissues and anther.Results of the pin genes with different expression patterns in B.juncea suggested the presence of a gene family.     

Identification and characterization of 177 unreported genes associated with liver regeneration

The mammalian liver has a very strong regeneration capacity after partial hepatectomy (PH). To further learn the genes participating in the liver regeneration (LR), 551 cDNAs selected from subtracted cDNA libraries of the regenerating rat liver were screened by microarray, and their expression profiles were studied by cluster and generalization analyses. Among them, 177 genes were identified unreported and up-or down-regulated more than twofold at one or more time points after PH, of which 62 genes were down-regulated to less than 0.5; 99 genes were up-regulated to 2-10 folds, and 16 genes were either up- or down-regulated at different time points during LR. By using BLAST and GENSCAN, these genes were located on responsible chromosomes with 131 genes on the long arms of the chromosomes. The cluster and generalization analyses showed that the gene expression profiles are similar in 2 and 4, 12 and 16, 96 and 144 h respectively after PH, suggesting that the actions of the genes expressed in the same profiles are similar, and those expressed in different profiles have less similarity. However, the types,characteristics and functions of the 177 genes remain to be further studied.     

Deciphering Ascorbic Acid Regulatory Pathways in Ripening Tomato Fruit Using a Weighted Gene Correlation Network Analysis Approach

Genotype is generally determined by the co-expression of diverse genes and multiple regulatory pathways in plants. Gene co-expression analysis combining with physiological trait data provides very important information about the gene function and regulatory mechanism. L-Ascorbic acid （AsA）, which is an essential nutrient component for human health and plant metabolism, plays key roles in diverse biological processes such as cell cycle, cell expansion, stress resistance, hormone synthesis, and signaling. Here, we applied a weighted gene correlation network analysis approach based on gene expression values and AsA content data in ripening tomato （Solanum lycopersicum L.） fruit with different AsA content levels, which leads to identification of AsA relevant modules and vital genes in AsA regulatory pathways. Twenty- four modules were compartmentalized according to gene expression profiling. Among these modules, one negatively related module containing genes involved in redox processes and one positively related module enriched with genes involved in AsA biosynthetic and recycling pathways were further analyzed. The present work herein indicates that redox pathways as well as hormone-signal pathways are closely correlated with AsA accumulation in ripening tomato fruit, and allowed us to prioritize candidate genes for follow-up studies to dissect this interplay at the biochemical and molecular level.     

Defining reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR analysis of anther development in rice

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction （qPCR） is one of the most accurate and widely used methods for gene expression analysis. However, the choice of reference genes for normalization is critical for accurate quantifica- tion of gene expression. As development of genomics, mining large-scale datasets such as microarray and RNAsequencing data becomes a new approach for exploitation of new reference genes. In this study, we analyzed an RNAsequencing dataset of rice anther and 167 microarray datasets involving different tissues and developing stages of rice anthers and pollens. We selected 12 candidate genes and other 5 reference genes, including ACT1, eEF-1α, GAPDH, Exp2, and CCDC72 used in previous studies, and evaluated their expression in eight tissues and different developmental stages of anthers in rice variety 9311 and Yuetai. UPF3, elF4A-3, GAPDH, and PPP6 were identified as the most suitable reference genes for qPCR analysis of anther development in rice. The new candidate reference genes showed more stable expression than the traditionally used reference genes. These results provide a set of reliable reference genes for studies in rice anther developmental process.     

Alternative splicing and expression profile analysis of expressed sequence tags in domestic pig

Domestic pig （Sus scrofa domestica） is one of the most important mammals to humans. Alternative splicing is a cellular mechanism in eukaryotes that greatly increases the diversity of gene products. Expression sequence tags （ESTs） have been widely used for gene discovery, expression profile analysis, and alternative splicing detection. In this study, a total of 712,905 ESTs extracted from 101 different nonnormalized EST libraries of the domestic pig were analyzed. These EST libraries cover the nervous system, digestive system, immune system, and meat production related tissues from embryo, newborn, and adult pigs, making contributions to the analysis of alternative splicing variants as well as expression profiles in various stages of tissues. A modified approach was designed to cluster and assemble large EST datasets, aiming to detect alternative splicing together with EST abundance of each splicing variant. Much efforts were made to classify alternative splicing into different types and apply different filters to each type to get more reliable results. Finally, a total of 1,223 genes with average 2.8 splicing variants were detected among 16,540 unique genes. The overview of expression profiles would change when we take alternative splicing into account.     

Inheritance and Expression of Copies of Transgenes 1Dx5 and 1Ax1 in Elite Wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） Varieties Transferred from Transgenic Wheat through Conventional Crossing

To study the inheritance and expression of multiple copies of transgenes from transgenic wheat lines, three crosses between transgenic wheat lines B72-8-11b and B102-1-2 and Chinese elite wheat varieties Chuan89-107 and Email 8 were carried out. Chuan89-107×B72-8-11b, Chuan89-107×B102-1-2 and Email 8×B72-8-11b, and F_1 plants were selfed or backcrossed to obtain different generation populations. Protein analysis in grains of F_1 and F_2 and backcross progenies of BC_1F_1, BC_1F_2, BC_1F_3, BC_2F_1, BC_2F_2 and BC_2F_3 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the transgenes lDx5 and lAx1 were expressed and segregated in the target wheat according to Mendelian laws. A range of lDx5 expression levels were observed in the progenies of Chuan89-107×B72-8-11b and Emai 18×B72-8-11b, but the expression levels of lAx1 in progenies of Chuan89-107×B102-1-2 rarely changed. It suggested that the two foreign genes had different mechanisms of expression in the cross progeny, even though they were produced in the same way and the foreign lDx5 gene of 5-10 copies had the more complicated expression mechanism than the lAx1 gene of 4-5 copies.     

Cloning and Characterization of miRNAs and Their Targets,Including a Novel miRNA-Targeted NBS-LRR Protein Class Gene in Apple （Golden Delicious）

MicroRNA （miRNA） has emerged as an important regulator of gene expression in plants. 146 miRNAs were identified from apple （Malus domestica cv. Golden Delicious） by bioinformatic analysis and RNA library sequencing. From these, 135 were conserved and 11 were novel miRNAs. Target analysis predicted one of the novel miRNAs, Md-miRLn11 （Malus domestica microRNA Ln11）, targeted an apple nucleotide-binding site （NBS）-Ieucine-rich repeat （LRR） class protein coding gene （Md-NBS）. 5/ RACE assay confirmed the ability of Md-miRLn11 to cleave Md-NBS at the 11-12-nt position. Analysis of the expression of Md-miRLn11 and Md-NBS during the optimum invasion period in 40 apple varieties showed that the expression of Md-NBS gene in resistant varieties is higher than in susceptible varieties, with an inverse pattern for Md-miRLn11. Seedlings from the resistant apple variety ＇JiGuan＇ were used to carry out an Agrobacterium infiltration assay, and then inoculated with the apple leaf spot disease. The result showed a clear decline of disease resistance in JiGuan apples. In contrast, the susceptible variety ＇FuJi＇ infiltrated with the Md-NBS gene showed a significant increase in disease resistance. Based on the above results, we propose that Md-miRLn11 regulates Md-NBS gene expression in particular under the condition of pathogen infection, and that the Md-miRLn11 targeting P-loop site may regulate many NBS-LRR protein class genes in woody plants.     

Preliminary studies on differential defense responses induced during plant communication

We compared the expression patterns of three representative genes in undamaged tomato and tobacco plants in response to exposure to either tomato or tobacco fed on by Helicoverpa armigera (cotton bollworm). When tomato and tobacco, two species of one family, were incubated in the chambers with the tomato plants damaged by the cotton bollworm, the expression of the PR1, BGL2, and PAL genes was up-regulated in leaves of both plants. However, the levels of gene expression were significantly higher in the tomato than that in the tobacco. In addition, the activities of enzymes, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and lipoxygenase were found to be higher in the tomato than those in the tobacco. Similar results were obtained when the damaged plants were replaced by the tobacco.     

Functional properties of a chitinase promoter from cabbage （Brassica oleracea var.capitata）

The 5‘-region of the chitinase gene cabch29,derived from Brassica oleracea var.capitata,has been sequenced and analyzed for cis-acting elements important in controlling gene expression in transgenic tobacco plants.Different 5‘-deletion fragments were linked to reporter gene β-glucuronidase (GUS) as translational fusions,and the expression of these chimeric genes was analyzed in vegetative organs and tissues.Sequences up to-651 showed some basal GUS activity with nearly equal levels in wounded and intact tissues.The addition of further upstream sequences(-651 to-1284) enhanced expression level,and the expression driven by this fragment was inducible by a factor of two to three-fold by wounding.Histochemical analysis of different tissue from transgenic plants that contain cabch29 promoter-gus fusion gene demonstrated woundinducible and tissue-specific cabch29 promoter activity in plants containing the 1308 base pair fragment.The location of GUS activity appears to be cell-specific,being highest in vascular cells and epidermal cells of stem,leaf and roots.Meanwhile,the temporal and spatial expression of cabch29-GUS fusion gene has been investigated.Among the different vegetative organs,a high level of GUS activity was observed in stem and a moderate one in roots;whereas,wounding stress led to a high level of GUS in stem and moderate one in leaf.     

Molecular characterization and expression analysis of Triticum aestivum squamosa-promoter binding protein-box genes involved in ear development

Wheat(Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important crops in the world. Squamosa-promoter binding protein(SBP)-box genes play a critical role in regulating flower and fruit development. In this study, 10 novel SBP-box genes(TaSPL genes) were isolated from wheat((Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar Yanzhan 4110). Phylogenetic analysis classified the TaSPL genes into five groups(G1–G5). The motif combinations and expression patterns of the TaSPL genes varied among the five groups with each having own distinctive characteristics: TaSPL20/21 in G1 and TaSPL17 in G2 mainly expressed in the shoot apical meristem and the young ear, and their expression levels responded to development of the ear; TaSPL6/15 belonging to G3 were upregulated and TaSPL1/23 in G4 were downregulated during grain development; the gene in G5(TaSPL3) expressed constitutively. Thus, the consistency of the phylogenetic analysis, motif compositions, and expression patterns of the TaSPL genes revealed specific gene structures and functions.On the other hand, the diverse gene structures and different expression patterns suggested that wheat SBP-box genes have a wide range of functions. The results also suggest a potential role for wheat SBP-box genes in ear development.This study provides a significant beginning of functional analysis of SBP-box genes in wheat.     

Identification of up—regulated genes in human uterine leiomyoma by suppression subtractive hybridization

In searching for differentially expressed genes in human uterine leiomyomas(Uls),suppression sub-tractive hybridization was used to construct an UL up-regulated library,which turned out to represent 88 genes.After two rounds of screening by reverse Northern analysis,twenty genes were proved to be up-regulated,including seventeen known genes and three genes with unknown function.All these genes were firstly associated with UL.Three genes with notable difference were selected for Northern confirmation.Our results proved the authenticity of the twenty genes.One gene named Phospholipase A2(PLA2) showed up-regulation in 4/6 of the patients and investigation of tissue distribution indicated that it had obvious expression in prostate,testis,liver,heart and skeletal muscle.     

Genome‐wide identification and characterization of HSP gene superfamily in whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and expression profiling analysis under temperature stress

Heat shock proteins (HSP)are essential molecular chaperones that play important roles in the stress stimulation of insects.Bemisia tabaci,a phloem feeder and invasive species,can cause extensive crop damage through direct feeding and transmission of plant viruses.Here we employed comprehensive genomics approaches to identity HSP superfamily members in the Middle East Asia Minor 1 whitefly genome.In total,we identified 26 Hsp genes,including three Hsp90,17 Hsp70,one Hsp60 and five sHSP (small heat shock protein)genes.The HSP gene superfamily of whitefly is expanded compared with the other five insects surveyed here.The gene structures among the same families are relatively conserved.Meanwhile,the motif compositions and secondary structures of BtHsp proteins were predicted.In addition,quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the expression patterns of BtHsp gene superfamily were diverse across different tissues of whiteflies.Most Hsp genes were induced or repressed by thermal stress (40℃)and cold treatment (4℃)in whitefly.Silencing the expression of BtHsp70-6 significantly decreased the survival rate of whitefly under 45℃.All the results showed the Hsps conferred thermo-tolerance or cold-tolerance to whiteflies that protect them from being affected by detrimental temperature conditions.Our observations highlighted the molecular evolutionary properties and the response mechanism to temperature assaults of Hsp genes in whitefly.     

Different expression patterns of duplicated PHANTASTICA-like genes in Lotus japonicus suggest their divergent functions during compound leaf development

Recent studies on leaf development demonstrate that the mechanism on the adaxial-abaxial polarity pattern formation could be well conserved among the far-related species, in which PHANTASTICA （PAHN）-Iike genes play important roles. In this study, we explored the conservation and diversity on functions of PHAN-Iike genes during the compound leaf development in Lotusjaponicus, a papilionoid legume. Two PHAN-Iike genes in L. japonicus, LjPHANa and LjPHANb, were found to originate from a gene duplication event and displayed different expression patterns during compound leaf development. Two mutants, reduced leafletsl （rell） and reduced leaflets3 （rel3）, which exhibited decreased adaxial identity of leaflets and reduced leaflet initiation, were identified and investigated. The expression patterns of both LjPHANs in rel mutants were altered and correlated with abnormalities of compound leaves. Our data suggest that LjPHANa and LjPHANb play important but divergent roles in regulating adaxial-abaxial polarity of compound leaves in L. japonicus.     

A Pin gene families encoding components of auxin efflux carriers in Brassica juncea

Based on the sequence information of Arabidopsis PIN1, two cDNAs encoding PIN homologues fromBrassica juncea, Bjpin2 and Bjpin3, were isolated through cDNA library screening. Bjpin2 and Bjpin3encoded proteins containing 640 and 635 amino acid residues, respectively, which shared 97.5% identities witheach other and were highly homologous to Arabidopsis PIN1, PIN2 and other putative PIN proteins. BjPIN2and BjPIN3 had similar structures as AtPIN proteins. Northern blot analysis indicated that Bjpin2 wasexpressed in stem, leaf and floral tissues, while Bjpin3 was expressed predominantly in stem and hypocotyls.Two promoter fragments of pin genes, Bjpin-X and Bjpin-Z, were isolated by ‘genome walking‘ techniqueusing primers at 5‘-end of pin cDNA. Promoter-gus fusion studies revealed the GUS activities driven byBjpin-X were at internal side of xylem and petal; while those driven by Bjpin-Z were detected at leaf vein,epidermal cell and cortex of stem, vascular tissues and anther. Results of the pin genes with differentexpression patterns in B. juncea suggested the presence of a gene family.