Global Analysis of Gene Expression Profiles in Brassica napus Developing Seeds Reveals a Conserved Lipid Metabolism Regulation with Arabidopsis thaliana

In order to study Brassica napus fatty acid （FA） metabolism and relevant regulatory networks, a systematic identification of fatty acid （FA） biosynthesis-related genes was conducted. Following gene identification, gene expression profiles during B. napus seed development and FA metabolism were performed by cDNA chip hybridization （〉8000 EST clones from seed）. The results showed that FA biosynthesis and regulation, and carbon flux, were conserved between B. napus and Arabidopsis. However, a more critical role of starch metabolism was detected for B. napus seed FA metabolism and storage-component accumulation when compared with Arabidopsis. In addition, a crucial stage for the transition of seed-to-sink tissue was 17-21 d after flowering （DAF）, whereas FA biosynthesis-related genes were highly expressed pri- marily at 21 DAF. Hormone （auxin and jasmonate） signaling is found to be important for FA metabolism. This study helps to reveal the global regulatory network of FA metabolism in developing B. napus seeds.     

Pattern Formation in the Arabidopsis Embryo Revealed by Position-Specific Lipid Transfer Protein Gene Expression

During Arabidopsis embryogenesis, the zygote divides asymmetrically in the future apical-basal axis; however, a radial axis is initiated only within the eight-celled embryo. Mutations in the GNOM, KNOLLE, and KEULE genes affect these processes: gnom zygotes tend to divide symmetrically; knolle embryos lack oriented cell divisions that initiate protoderm formation; and in keule embryos, an outer cell layer is present that consists of abnormally enlarged cells from early development. Pattern formation along the two axes is reflected by the position-specific expression of the Arabidopsis lipid transfer protein (AtLTP1) gene. In wild-type embryos, the AtLTP1 gene is expressed in the protoderm and initially in all protodermal cells; later, AtLTP1 expression is confined to the cotyledons and the upper end of the hypocotyl. Analysis of AtLTP1 expression in gnom, knolle, and keule embryos showed that gnom embryos also can have no or reversed apical-basal polarity, whereas radial polarity is unaffected. knolle embryos initially lack but eventually form a radial pattern, and keule embryos are affected in protoderm cell morphology rather than in the establishment of the radial pattern.     

共轭亚油酸对脂肪代谢相关基因表达的影响

本文利用实时定量PCR的测定方法,分析了两种共轭亚油酸(CLA)异构体对3T3-L1小鼠前脂肪细胞脂肪代谢相关基因表达的影响。本研究CLA异构体的处理浓度和时间为75.4μmol/L,8 d,测定了与能量代谢、细胞凋亡、脂肪酸氧化作用和脂解作用相关的多种基因的mRNA水平。结果显示:两种异构体均能够显著提高UCP1、UCP3、Perilipin和PPARα的mRNA水平,而抑制UCP2的表达水平(P<0.01)。与cis-9t,rans-11CLA相比t,rans-10c,is-12 CLA显著提高PKA(P<0.05)、CPT-1和TNF-α(P<0.01)的mRNA水平。与对照组相比,两种CLA异构体处理组均对HSL、ATGL、ACO和Leptin的基因表达无显著影响。     

拟南芥PR-1基因启动子的克隆与植物表达载体的构建

根据已报道的拟南芥（Arabidopsis thaliana L.）病程相关蛋白基因（PR-1）序列设计引物,通过PCR技术从拟南芥中扩增得到水杨酸诱导表达的PR-1基因启动子片段,序列分析表明,该启动子含910bp核苷酸,与已报道的序列比较,核苷酸的同源性为99．7％：将该启动子构建到植物表达载体pB1121上,获得病程相关蛋白基因（PR-1）启动子驱动的GUS报告基因的植物表达载体pBI-prlp,将其转入根癌农杆菌GV3101,通过农杆菌介导转化拟南芥,获得转基因拟南芥植株,为深入研究寄主-病原物相互作用的分子机理奠定基础。     

高脂饮食对小鼠脂质代谢和leptin基因表达水平的影响

目的建立高脂饮食诱导小鼠肥胖模型,分析高脂饲料对小鼠脂质代谢和leptin基因表达水平的影响。方法用高脂饲料饲喂小鼠,每周定时称重和断尾采血一次,分别测定血清中血糖、胆固醇、甘油三酯、胰岛素和leptin的浓度;5周后,分离、称重小鼠体脂并提取腹部脂肪组织RNA,半定量RT-PCR分析leptin基因表达水平。结果从第2周开始,实验组小鼠体重明显高于对照组小鼠,4周后,体重差异显著（P〈0．05）;血清中血糖、胆固醇、甘油三酯、胰岛素和leptin的含量随体重增加明显增高,4周后,差异显著（P〈0．05）;实验组体脂含量明显高于对照组（P〈0．05）,半定量RT-PCR分析表明,肥胖小鼠脂肪组织leptin基因表达水平高于对照组（P〈0．05）。结论高脂饮食诱导可建立小鼠肥胖模型,并能够引起高胰岛素和高leptin血症,为进一步研究肥胖的发病机制奠定基础。     

Expression of a Brassica Isopropylmalate Synthase Gene in Arabidopsis Perturbs Both Glucosinolate and Amino Acid Metabolism

Isopropylmalate synthase (IPMS) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of the essential amino acid leucine, and thus primary metabolism. In Arabidopsis, the functionally similar enzyme, methythiolalkylmalate synthase (MAM), is an important enzyme in the elongation of methionine prior to glucosinolate (GSL) biosynthesis, as part of secondary metabolism. We describe the cloning of an IPMS gene from Brassica, BatIMS, and its functional characterisation by heterologous expression in E. coli and Arabidopsis. Over expression of BatIMS in Arabidopsis resulted in plants with an aberrant phenotype, reminiscent of mutants in GSL biosynthesis. Metabolite analyses showed that these plants had both perturbed amino acid metabolism and enhanced levels of GSLs. Microarray profiling showed that BatIMS over expression caused up regulation of the genes for methionine-derived GSL biosynthesis, and down regulation of genes involved in leucine catabolism, in addition to perturbed expression of genes involved in auxin and ethylene metabolism. The results illustrate the cross talk that can occur between primary and secondary metabolism within transgenic plants. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Herbicide Safener-Inducible Gene Expression in Arabidopsis thaliana

The potential use of a new chemical-inducibie gene expressionsystem in Arabidopsis thaliana has been examined. The systemis based on the maize In2-2 promoter which is activated by benzenesulfonamideherbicide safe-ners. Plants transformed with the ß-glucuronidase(gus) reporter gene under the control of the In2-2 promoterwere grown in the presence of different safeners and the inducedGUS activity pattern was studied histochemically. In the absenceof safeners, the In2-2 promoter was not active. Applicationof different safeners induced distinct gus expression patterns,including expression in the root, hy-dathodes, and the shootapical meristem. Plants maintained continuously on inducingconcentrations of the safeners were retarded in growth. Thegrowth inhibition effects of the Sa5 safener could be overcomein a sul-fonylurea-resistant background. In2-2 promoter activitycould also be induced by the sulfonylurea herbicide chlor-sulfuron.In the sulfonylurea-resistant background, which derives fromherbicide-resistant acetolactate synthase activity, inductionof the In2-2 promoter by chlorsulfuron was lower. Furthermore,branched-chain amino acids, known to inhibit acetolactate synthaseactivity, also induced In2-2 promoter activity. Our data suggesta strong correlation between In2-2 expression and inhibitionof the acetolactate synthase activity. (Received November 12, 1996; Accepted February 21, 1997)     

拟南芥AtJ50基因表达特性的研究

以拟南芥野生型和AtJ50∷GUS转基因株系为材料,通过半定量RT-PCR和GUS组织化学染色法探索AtJ50基因的时空表达特性.结果表明:(1)AtJ50基因在根、茎、叶、花和果实中都有表达,花和叶中表达最高,茎和根中次之,成熟的长角果中几乎没有表达;随着植株的成熟和衰老,AtJ50基因的表达量逐渐下降.(2)半定量RT-PCR法分析结果表明,AtJ50基因表达受0.2 mol·L-1的NaCl诱导,随着NaCl处理时间的延长表达量增加,12 h后表达量达到最高,24 h后又有所下降;水分胁迫也可诱导AtJ50基因的表达,水分胁迫0.5 h后AtJ50基因表达量开始增加,1 h后达到最高,2 h后又开始下降.     

Internet Resources for Gene Expression Analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana

The number of online databases and web-tools for gene expression analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana has increased tremendously during the last years. These resources permit the database-assisted identification of putative cis-regulatory DNA sequences, their binding proteins, and the determination of common cis-regulatory motifs in coregulated genes. DNA binding proteins may be predicted by the type of cis-regulatory motif. Further questions of combinatorial control based on the interaction of DNA binding proteins and the colocalization of cis-regulatory motifs can be addressed. The database-assisted spatial and temporal expression analysis of DNA binding proteins and their target genes may help to further refine experimental approaches. Signal transduction pathways upstream of regulated genes are not yet fully accessible in databases mainly because they need to be manually annotated. This review focuses on the use of the AthaMap and PathoPlant^® databases for gene expression regulation analysis and discusses similar and complementary online databases and web-tools. Online databases are helpful for the development of working hypothesis and for designing subsequent experiments.     

Lipid Metabolism in Electroplax

The in vivo labeling of electrocyte lipids is followed after injection of radioactive glycerol and two fatty acids, oleate and arachidonate, into the electric organ of an elasmobranch (Discopyge tschudii). De novo synthesis of lipids and acyl-exchange reactions are operative in the electrocyte. The three precursors are preferentially incorporated into phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, and triacylglycerols. The highest specific activities are attained by triacylglycerols and polyphosphoinositides. Electrocyte stacks from electric organ show an efficient and continuous esterification of oleate and arachidonate into lipids after several hours of incubation. Except for an apparently more active labeling of triacylglycerols, which is attributed to the larger availability of free fatty acid precursors under the in vitro experimental conditions, the pattern of lipid labeling is similar to that attained in vivo. 32P-labeled lipids are also steadily produced in electrocyte stacks (24 h of incubation with [32P]phosphate) using glucose as the sole exogenous source of energy. Polyphosphoinositides are the lipids preferentially labeled. The ability to sustain the labeling of lipids under in vitro conditions renders isolated electrocyte stacks an interesting model for future research on lipid involvement in cholinergic function.