Regulation of Actin Dynamics in Pollen Tubes： Control of Actin Polymer Level

Actin cytoskeleton undergoes rapid reorganization in response to internal and external cues. How the dynamics of actin cytoskeleton are regulated, and how its dynamics relate to its function are fundamental questions in plant cell biology. The pollen tube is a well characterized actin-based cell morphogenesis in plants. One of the striking features of actin cytoskeleton characterized in the pollen tube is its surprisingly low level of actin polymer. This special phenomenon might relate to the function of actin cytoskeleton in pollen tubes. Understanding the molecular mechanism underlying this special phenomenon requires careful analysis of actin-binding proteins that modulate actin dynamics directly. Recent biochemical and biophysical analyses of several highly conserved plant actin-binding proteins reveal unusual and unexpected properties, which emphasizes the importance of carefully analyzing their action mechanism and cellular activity. In this review, we highlight an actin monomer sequestering protein, a barbed end capping protein and an F-actin severing and dynamizing protein in plant. We propose that these proteins function in harmony to regulate actin dynamics and maintain the low level of actin polymer in pollen tubes.     

Signaling, Actin Dynamics and Endocytosis

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Role of the Actin Ala-108–Pro-112 Loop in Actin Polymerization and ATPase Activities

Actin plays fundamental roles in a variety of cell functions in eukaryotic cells. The polymerization-depolymerization cycle, between monomeric G-actin and fibrous F-actin, drives essential cell processes. Recently, we proposed the atomic model for the F-actin structure and found that actin was in the twisted form in the monomer and in the untwisted form in the filament. To understand how the polymerization process is regulated (Caspar, D. L. (1991) Curr. Biol. 1, 30–32), we need to know further details about the transition from the twisted to the untwisted form. For this purpose, we focused our attention on the Ala-108–Pro-112 loop, which must play crucial roles in the transition, and analyzed the consequences of the amino acid replacements on the polymerization process. As compared with the wild type, the polymerization of P109A was accelerated in both the nucleation and the elongation steps, and this was attributed to an increase in the frequency factor of the Arrhenius equation. The multiple conformations allowed by the substitution presumably resulted in the effective formation of the collision complex, thus accelerating polymerization. On the other hand, the A108G mutation reduced the rates of both nucleation and elongation due to an increase in the activation energy. In the cases of polymerization acceleration and deceleration, each functional aberration is attributed to a distinct elementary process. The rigidity of the loop, which mediates neither too strong nor too weak interactions between subdomains 1 and 3, might play crucial roles in actin polymerization.     

木薯Actin基因片段的克隆及序列分析

克隆木薯Actin基因片段,为研究其他基因在木薯中的表达和调控提供内参基因.通过比较拟南芥、蓖麻和麻风树Actin基因cDNA同源区域,根据基因的保守序列设计一对简并性引物,采用RT-PCR的方法扩增Actin基因片段,使用分子生物学软件进行分析.结果显示,获得一段大小为698 bp的基因片段,编码233个氨基酸;该基因序列与其他Actin基因核苷酸序列的同源性均在85%以上,氨基酸序列的同源性达94%以上;系统进化分析表明,木薯Actin基因与大戟科植物橡胶、麻风树及蓖麻的亲缘关系最近,与毛果杨、陆地棉及木瓜等植物Actin基因具有较高的保守性.克隆的基因片段为木薯Actin基因片段,并命名为msACT.     

山药Actin基因片段的克隆及表达分析

通过山药Actin基因的克隆和表达分析,为研究山药生长发育中肌动蛋白的作用及其他基因的表达和调控奠定基础。根据Gen Bank中已经公布的其他植物肌动蛋白基因(Actin)的保守序列设计一对简并引物,采用RT-PCR技术从山药块茎中分离出1个Actin基因cDNA片段,命名为DoActin。片段长度为1 091 bp,编码357个氨基酸,并提交Gen Bank(登录号:KU669295)。与NCBI核酸和蛋白质数据库序列比对,该序列与其他植物Actin基因核苷酸序列的同源性均在83%以上,氨基酸序列的同源性均在97%以上。进化分析结果显示,DoActin与海枣Actin-2、木本棉Actin-7的亲缘关系最近。实时定量PCR结果显示,DoActin在山药叶片、地上茎和地下块茎以及不同发育期的块茎和叶片中表达量相对稳定,表明其适宜作为山药的内参基因。     

水花生Actin基因片段的克隆及序列分析

肌动蛋白基因编码生物体内一种很重要的组成型表达蛋白质,常被看作看家基因。为分离水花生肌动蛋白基因,根据GenBank上一藜科植物的———Actin基因的EST序列,分别设计引物,提取水花生根的总RNA,对上述的基因片断进行RT—PCR,扩增后测序得到230bp长的核苷酸序列。经同源性比较,这条序列与上述藜科植物Actin的EST序列基本一致,表明获得了水花生肌动蛋白序列。     

Actin filament-membrane attachment: are membrane particles involved?

The association of actin filaments with membranes is an important feature in the motility of nonmuscle cells. We investigated the role of membrane particles in the attachment of actin filaments to membranes in those systems in which the attachment site can be identified. Freeze fractures through the end-on attachment site of the acrosomal filament bundles in Mytilus (mussel) and Limulus (horseshoe crab) sperm and the attachment site of the microvillar filament bundles in the brush border of intestinal epithelial cells were examined. There are no particles on the P face of the membrane at these sites in the sperm systems and generally none at these sites in microvilli. In microvilli, the actin filaments are also attached along their lengths to the membrane by bridges. When the isolated brush border is incubated in high concentrations of Mg++ (15 mM), the actin filaments form paracrystals and, as a result, the bridges are in register (330 A period). Under these conditions, alignment of the particles on the P face of the membrane into circumferential bands also occurs. However, these bands are generally separated by 800-900 A, indicating that all the bridges cannot be directly attached to membrane particles. Thus membrane particles are not directly involved in the attachment of actin filaments to membranes.     

番杏Actin基因片段的克隆及生物信息学分析

本实验为研究番杏(Tetragonia tetragonioides)功能基因表达模式提供内参基因,根据登录在NCBI上植物的Actin基因的保守区域设计简并性引物,通过RT-PCR克隆获得番杏的Actin基因片段,将该片段连接于载体pGEM-T后进行测序,并将该基因序列通过生物信息学软件进行分析。结果显示,克隆所得基因片段大小为598 bp,编码198个氨基酸;该序列与登录在NCBI上的其他植物的Actin基因的核苷酸序列的同源性最大可达86%以上,编码蛋白的氨基酸序列同源性在88%以上。结果表明,本研究克隆所得的基因序列为番杏Actin基因片段。该基因命名为TtActin1,在Gen Bank的登录号为MH33308。     

南美蟛蜞菊内参基因Actin的克隆及其分析

看家基因Actin常被用作定量、半定量PCR试验的内参基因.为研究其他基因在南美蟛蜞菊响应环境变化的表达调控机制,根据GenBank上已登录的肌动蛋白基因(Actin)的同源核苷酸保守序列,设计特异性引物,利用RT-PCR的方法克隆获得了南美蟛蜞菊Actin基因的全长序列,并将该序列命名为WtAct.序列分析结果表明W...     

海州香薷Actin基因片段克隆及表达分析

通过克隆海州香薷Actin基因片段并分析其组织表达,为研究海州香薷重金属抗性相关基因的表达调控奠定基础。根据Gen Bank中其他植物Actin基因保守序列设计兼并引物,以海州香薷根总RNA为模板,利用RT-PCR技术分离得到Actin基因片段。序列分析结果表明,海州香薷Actin基因片段长576 bp,编码192个氨基酸,与其他植物同源基因的氨基酸序列相似性为84%-97%,所克隆的序列为Actin基因的同源片段,将其命名为Eh ACT,在Gen Bank中提交序列,获得登录号AGT37260。半定量RT-PCR分析结果表明,Eh ACT在海州香薷的根、茎和叶中表达相对稳定,初步表明其可作为研究海州香薷基因表达的内参基因。     

厚藤Actin基因片段的克隆及序列分析

为研究功能基因在厚藤(Ipomoea pes-caprae L)中的表达和调控提供内参基因,本文根据Actin基因的保守区设计简并性引物,采用RT-PCR克隆厚藤的Actin基因片段,然后将获得的片段连接于克隆载体上进行测序,并运用分子生物学软件对该基因序列进行分析。结果表明,该基因片段大小为554bp,编码184个氨基酸;该序列与其他植物Actin基因的cDNA序列的同源性均在80%以上,与氨基酸序列的同源性在94%以上。由此得出,本研究克隆的基因序列为Actin基因片段,将其命名为IpActin1,并登录在GenBank,登录号为KU564627。     

建兰Actin基因cDNA全长的克隆及其表达分析

根据单子叶植物的肌动蛋白基因(Actin)的保守区序列设计引物,采用RT-PCR和RACE技术从建兰(Cymbidium ensifolium)中分离出Actin基因cDNA全长.序列分析结果表明,建兰Actin基因长度为1 434 bp,编码区长度为1 134 bp,编码377个氨基酸,将其命名为CeActin,GenBank登录号为JN613147.CeActin推导的氨基酸序列与其他植物的同源性都较高,具有高度的保守性.采用半定量RT-PCR技术分析CeActin在建兰各组织及花不同发育时期的表达情况,结果表明,表达量没有明显差异,表明CeActin基因可作为内参基因.     

蒙古冰草Actin基因片段的克隆及序列分析

旨在利用同源序列法分离蒙古冰草(Agropyron mongolicum Keng)Actin基因同源片段,为研究其他基因在蒙古冰草中的表达和调控提供内标参照.根据禾本科植物小麦Actin基因(AB181991)的保守序列设计2对引物A4和A5,采用RT-PCR扩增蒙古冰草的Actin基因片段,分别得到656 bp和848 bp的片段,使用DNAman和DNAuser等分子生物学软件进行序列分析,将2个片段的重复序列合并后获得一段长度为962 bp的基因片段,编码237个氨基酸,将克隆的Actin基因片段命名为MwACT.该序列与其它植物Actin基因核苷酸序列的同源性均在80%以上,其中与小麦、大麦的同源性达到94%;与氨基酸序列的同源性均在90%以上.