A Comparison of DNA Extraction Methods using Petunia hybrida Tissues

Extraction of DNA from plant tissue is often problematic, as many plants contain high levels of secondary metabolites that can interfere with downstream applications, such as the PCR. Removal of these secondary metabolites usually requires further purification of the DNA using organic solvents or other toxic substances. In this study, we have compared two methods of DNA purification: the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) method that uses the ionic detergent hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and chloroform-isoamyl alcohol and the Edwards method that uses the anionic detergent SDS and isopropyl alcohol. Our results show that the Edwards method works better than the CTAB method for extracting DNA from tissues of Petunia hybrida. For six of the eight tissues, the Edwards method yielded more DNA than the CTAB method. In four of the tissues, this difference was statistically significant, and the Edwards method yielded 27–80% more DNA than the CTAB method. Among the different tissues tested, we found that buds, 4 days before anthesis, had the highest DNA concentrations and that buds and reproductive tissue, in general, yielded higher DNA concentrations than other tissues. In addition, DNA extracted using the Edwards method was more consistently PCR-amplified than that of CTAB-extracted DNA. Based on these results, we recommend using the Edwards method to extract DNA from plant tissues and to use buds and reproductive structures for highest DNA yields.     

Repetitive DNA in differentiating chick tissues

Embryonic chick DNA from different tissues was examined for differences in relative content of highly repetitive DNA which might indicate specific DNA amplification in somatic cells. The content of repetitive sequences in DNA isolated from cerebrum, muscle, and neural retina tissues, at the same and at different embryonic stages, was determined by hydroxyapatite fractionation of partially reassociated DNA samples. An unrenatured marker DNA (C14-labeled E. coli DNA) was added to each chick DNA sample in order to monitor the nonspecific single-stranded DNA retention by each hydroxyapatite column. When chick DNA samples were sheared to a double-stranded length of 1,300 nucleotide pairs, an average of 20.2% +/- 2.2% of the DNA was found to reassociate at a Cot value of 10. The quantity of the fast reassociating sequences was found to constitute the same fraction of the DNA in all the tissues studied. In addition, all the reassociated DNA samples exhibited the same CsCl density classes. The studies also indicated that most chick DNA repetitive sequences are interspersed with nonrepetitive sequences.     

Histochemical study of vegetative and floral bud formation in tobacco stem expiants

Primary explants from the inflorescence stem of tobacco and primary explants from the stem of vegetative plants, cultivatedin vitro under the same conditions, display different morphogenetic ability. The former give rise mostly to floral buds, whereas the latter exclusively to vegetative ones. Histological and histochemical analyses of both original andin vitro cultivated explants were made. They showed differences in chlorophyll content and alcohol dehydrogenase (AD) activity of the original explants reflecting their different metabolic status. Bud primordia were initiated in the superficial meristematic layer derived from epidermal tissues. Floral or prefloral apices were characterized by a strong AD activity in all cells of the meristem, while in vegetative apices AD activity was restricted to their uppermost parts. A high rate of procambium differentiation connected with leaf primordia formation was typical of vegetative buds. A higher concentration of glucose (5 %) enhanced cell division in explants, which is also correlated with a higher AD activity. The significance of vascular tissues for differentiation of vegetative buds is discussed. Presented at the International Symposium “Plant Growth Regulators” held on June 18-22, 1984 at Liblice, Czechoslovakia.     

Change in plasma membrane ATPase activity during dormancy release of vegetative peach-tree buds

Plant dormancy and dormancy breaking depend, at least partially, on peculiar short distance relationships between buds and tissues underlying buds (bud stands). In peach-tree, it was previously observed that dormancy was related to a high nutrient absorption capacity in tissues underlying buds. This situation could be linked to higher plasma membrane ATPase activity (EC 3.6.1.3), inducing a higher nutrient absorption, in bud stands. This work consists of characterization of the plasma membrane ATPase activity in vegetative buds and bud stands during the rest period and dormancy release. During the dormant period (October and November), plasma membrane ATPase activity was found to be higher in bud stands than in buds. This was correlated with a lower amount of plasma membrane ATPase in buds compared to bud stands during this period. Moreover, plasma membrane ATPase activation by trypsin treatment was not the same in both tissues and different levels of ATPase activation could be noted within the same tissue during the different stages of dormancy release. According to these results, it can be postulated that dormancy release in peach-tree, is related to modifications of plasma membrane ATPase properties in buds and bud stands during winter time.     

Distribution of Deoxyribonucleic Acid Complementary to the Ribonucleic Acid of Avian Myeloblastosis Virus in Tissues of Normal and Tumor-Bearing Chickens

(3)H-labeled 70S ribonucleic acid (RNA) from purified avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) was used as a probe in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-RNA hybridization experiments to detect the presence of DNA complementary to the AMV genome in various tissues from noninfected normal chickens and from chickens infected with AMV. There was a remarkable constancy in the average cellular concentration of virus-specific DNA found in every tissue from the same uninfected chicken, and even in different chickens from the same strain. In contrast, different tissues from chickens bearing AMV-induced kidney tumors (embryonal nephromas) revealed an unequal distribution in the average virus-specific DNA content per cell. The increase was limited to tumor cells and to tissues that contain target cells for AMV, i.e., red blood cells, kidney cells, and possibly leukocytes. The red blood cells from AMV-infected chickens suffering from acute myeloblastic leukemia, although producing no virus, contained as many viral genome equivalents per cell as did leukemic myeloblasts known to produce large quantities of AMV. An increased viral DNA content was observed in the target cells of chickens that did not show any sign of tumor formation 6 months after infection with AMV. This study demonstrates that vertically transmitted viral DNA is uniformly and stably distributed among all tissues of the offspring, but that horizontal infection after hatching results in an increase in viral DNA content only in some dividing, target tissues that may or may not give rise to neoplasias.     

Flower Formation in Excised Tobacco Stem Segments: III. Deoxyribonucleic Acid Content in Stem Tissue of Vegetative and Flowering Tobacco Plants

A method has been developed that extracts DNA from stem tissue of flowering tobacco plants, Nicotiana tabacum cv. Wis. 38. The DNA content of stem tissue from a flowering tobacco plant is correlated with its capacity to flower in vitro. Stem segments known to form 100% floral buds contain 10 times more DNA per gram fresh weight than segments that form 5% floral buds and 95% vegetative buds, and in the uppermost 28 centimeters of flowering tobacco plant stems the DNA content decreases roughly in parallel with the floral gradient.     

Rous sarcoma virus does not induce sarcoma in early chick embryos by lack of the v-src gene expression.

The Schmidt-Ruppin or the B77 strain of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) was inoculated into limb buds of 4.5-days-old avian embryos. No sarcoma but blister formation was observed in those RSV-inoculated embryos. Protein kinase activity of pp60v-src in RSV-inoculated embryos, even in the site of virus inoculation, was the same as that in mock-infected embryos. This indicated that the expression of the v-src gene did not attain superiority over that of the c-src gene in RSV-inoculated embryos. The v-src gene was detected in every DNA from tissues of RSV-inoculated embryos but not in DNAs from tissues of RSV-inoculated chicken except for the DNA from Rous sarcoma. Those results confirmed that the lack of sarcoma induction in early avian embryos by RSV was due to the lack of the expression of the v-src gene which was present in the target cells.     

Patterns of protein synthesis in dormant and growing vegetative buds of pea

Lateral buds on intact pea plants (Pisum sativum L. cv. Alaska) remain dormant until they are stimulated to develop by decapitating the terminal bud. Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, we have examined the protein content of terminal and lateral buds from intact plants and from plants at various times after decapitation. Silver-staining and in-vivo-labeling demonstrated very different sets of proteins. The level of expression of 18 stained and 25 labeled proteins was altered when growth was stimulated; this represents 3.4% and 9.1% of the total proteins detected by each method, respectively. Within 24 h of being stimulated, lateral buds doubled in length and their protein content was qualitatively nearly the same as that of terminal buds. Six hours after decapitation, before the onset of detectable growth, the overall pattern of protein synthesis in lateral buds was more like that of growing lateral buds or of terminal buds than that of dormant lateral buds. Direct application of N⁶-furfurylaminopurine (kinetin) to buds on intact plants stimulated their growth and resulted in the same pattern of protein synthesis as did decapitation. Inhibition of bud growth by addition of indole-3-acetic acid to the stumps of decapitated plants resulted in the synthesis of dormancy-related proteins. Lateral buds at all stages of development incorporated labeled amino acids at similar rates, indicating that metabolic activity is not a component of dormancy in these buds.Abbreviations IAA indole-3-acetic acid - IEF isoelectric focusing - KIN kinetin (N⁶-furfurylaminopurine) - SDS sodium dodecylsulfate - TCA trichloroacetic acid - 2D-PAGE two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis     

Role of origin and endophyte infection in browning of bud-derived tissue cultures of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)

Callus tissues originating from buds of mature Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees exhibit the typical problem of browning, which leads to degeneration and death of the tissues. The effects of medium, origin (tree and location) and endophyte infection were studied on the browning and growth of bud-derived tissue cultures. The calli growing on medium with higher kinetin content and source of organic nitrogen, and originating from the southern location grew better and exhibited less browning. Endophytic microbial cells were detected in the brown callus tissues by transmission electron microscopy. The natural endophyte infection frequency of Scots pine buds was studied and found dependent on the tree, but not on the location. A well-growing, green callus line was artificially infected by an endophytic strain of Methylobacterium extorquens, and browning was not observed on solid media compared to the uninfected control clones of the same callus. However, suspension cultures started from the infected callus died faster than cultures started from the uninfected callus. The endophyte species composition and plant genotype together with tissue culture conditions are the key factors for gaining plant tissue cultures with high regeneration capacity.     

Origin of nuclear buds and micronuclei in normal and folate-deprived human lymphocytes

Micronuclei are formed from chromosomes and chromosomal fragments that lag behind in anaphase and are left outside daughter nuclei in telophase. They may also be derived from broken anaphase bridges. Nuclear buds, micronucleus-like bodies attached to the nucleus by a thin nucleoplasmic connection, have been proposed to be generated similarly to micronuclei during nuclear division or in S-phase as a stage in the extrusion of extra DNA, possibly giving rise to micronuclei. To better understand these phenomena, we have characterized the contents of 894 nuclear buds and 1392 micronuclei in normal and folate-deprived 9-day cultures of human lymphocytes using fluorescence in situ hybridization with pancentromeric and pantelomeric DNA probes. Such information has not earlier been available for human primary cells. Surprisingly, there appears to be no previous data on the occurrence of telomeres in micronuclei (or buds) of normal human cells in general. Our results suggest that nuclear buds and micronuclei have partly different mechanistic origin. Interstitial DNA without centromere or telomere label was clearly more prevalent in nuclear buds (43%) than in micronuclei (13%). DNA with only telomere label or with both centromere and telomere label was more frequent in micronuclei (62% and 22%, respectively) than in nuclear buds (44% and 10%, respectively). Folate deprivation especially increased the frequency of nuclear buds and micronuclei harboring telomeric DNA and nuclear buds harboring interstitial DNA but also buds and micronuclei with both centromeric and telomeric DNA. According to the model we propose, that micronuclei in binucleate lymphocytes primarily derive from lagging chromosomes and terminal acentric fragments during mitosis. Most nuclear buds, however, are suggested to originate from interstitial or terminal acentric fragments, possibly representing nuclear membrane entrapment of DNA that has been left in cytoplasm after nuclear division or excess DNA that is being extruded from the nucleus.     

Tissue-Specific Protein Expression in Plant Mitochondria

Although the physiological role of plant mitochondria is thought to vary in different tissues at progressive stages of development, there has been little documentation that the complement of mitochondrial proteins is altered in different plant organs. Because the phenomenon of cytoplasmic male sterility suggests an unusual function for mitochondria in floral buds, we examined the tissue-specific expression of mitochondrial proteins in petunia buds at several stages of development, using both fertile and cytoplasmic male sterile plants. On tissue prints of cryostat-sectioned buds, antibodies recognizing subunit A of the mitochondrial ATPase (ATPA) localized very differently from antibodies recognizing subunit II of the cytochrome oxidase (COXII), which indicated that mitochondria in the same tissue could differentially express mitochondrially encoded proteins. The petunia cytoplasmic male sterility-associated fused (pcf) gene encodes a protein that colocalized with ATPA and the nuclear-encoded mitochondrial alternative oxidase (AOA) in sporogenous tissues, where little COXII protein was found. These overlapping and differential localization patterns may provide clues to the molecular mechanism of cytoplasmic male sterility.     

10个线粒体基因在甘蓝型油菜NCa不育系统不同组织中的转录调控及其与育性的关系

用10个线粒体基因为探针,对NCα不育系、保持系和可育F1的苗期叶片、幼蕾及未成熟种子的线粒体RNA进行了Northern分析。结果表明,这10个线粒体基因除atp6外,其余9个基因在同一材料的不同组织中没有表达差异,都属于组成型表达的线粒体基因。其中,off139、orf222、atp1、cox1、cox2、cob、rm5S、rm26S等8个线粒体基因在不育系、保持系和可育F1的苗期叶片、幼蕾及未成熟种子中有着相同的表达,属于表达不受核基因型影响,没有组织特异性的类型：atp9基因分别在同一材料的不同组织中的转录也基本没有变化,但是在3个不同的材料间具有表达差异：可能属于表达受核基因型影响、没有组织特异性的线粒体基因。atp6基因也在3个材料的叶、蕾和种子中都产生相同大小的转录本,但是在各个材料的不同组织中存在着信号强度的差异,可能是属于表达既受核基因型影响、又有组织特异性的线粒体基因。Orf222和off139分别在不育系和可育F1幼蕾中产生相同大小和丰度的转录本,但是在保持系幼蕾中没有检测到转录本;orf222检测到的3条转录本分别为1．1kb、0．9kb、0．6kb,而off139检测到0．8kb和0．6kb两条带。atp9探针在不育系和保持系幼蕾中都检测到1条0．6kb的转录本,而在可育F1幼蕾中检测到0．6kb和1．2kb的转录本。讨论了orf222、off139、atp9基因的表达与NCα细胞质雄性不育的可能关系。     

Morphogenetic studies of a genetically controlled tumor-like condition in Lycopersicon hybrids

Summary A dominant tumor-like condition recently isolated in a tomato hybrid is described from the viewpoint of morphogenesis. Tumors, consisting of masses of enlarged parenchymatous cells, generally appear on the ventral surface of the third leaf and the subsequently formed leaves of the hybrid derivatives. These outgrowths do not differentiate into teratomas. Abortive floral buds develop under greenhouse conditions and the tumorous plants are much dwarfed compared to the normal segregants of the same population. the same tumor genotype behaves differently under the field conditions: it grows and blossoms like the normal plants, setting fruits with viable seeds, and tumors fail to develop. Thus, tumor expression and general morphology of the tumor plants are greatly modified by environmental conditions.Tissue culture studies employing a variety of media have shown that tissues excised from tumor-producing plants are not autonomous with respect to growth hormones, nor are tissues from the non-tumorous segregants. Nevertheless, tissues from tumor and non-tumor genotypes show different growth requirements. Tumor and non-tumor tomatoes can thus be distinguished on the basis of in vitro growth responses, a result consistent with their different genetic constitution. Differentiation of buds or roots was not observed in either type of tissue.Abbreviations used GA gibberellic acid - IAA 3-indoleacetic acid - 2.4-D 2.4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid Work Supported by National Science Foundation Grant GB-3198 and funds from The Cairncrest Foundation.     

Bud emergence is gradually delayed from S to G2 with progression of growth phase in Cryptococcus neoformans

The G2 index of the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans determined by laser scanning cytometer was 2-3 times higher than the budding index during transition to the stationary phase of the culture, indicating that buds emerged in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. To clarify whether buds also emerge in G2 during exponential growth of the culture, DNA content for each cell was measured with a fluorescence microscope equipped with a photomultiplier. The DNA content of cells having tiny buds varied rather widely, depending on growth phases and strains used. Typically, buds of C. neoformans emerged soon after initiation of DNA synthesis in the early exponential phase. However, bud emergence was delayed to G2 during transition to the stationary phase, and in the early stationary phase budding scarcely occurred, although roughly half of the cells completed DNA synthesis. Thus, the timing of budding in C. neoformans was actually shifted to later cell cycle points with progression of the growth phase of the culture.     

DNA Methylation Alterations at 5′-CCGG Sites in the Interspecific and Intraspecific Hybridizations Derived from Brassica rapa and B. napus

DNA methylation is an important regulatory mechanism for gene expression that involved in the biological processes of development and differentiation in plants. To investigate the association of DNA methylation with heterosis in Brassica, a set of intraspecific hybrids in Brassica rapa and B. napus and interspecific hybrids between B. rapa and B. napus, together with parental lines, were used to monitor alterations in cytosine methylation at 5′-CCGG sites in seedlings and buds by methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism analysis. The methylation status of approximately a quarter of the methylation sites changed between seedlings and buds. These alterations were related closely to the genomic structure and heterozygous status among accessions. The methylation status in the majority of DNA methylation sites detected in hybrids was the same as that in at least one of the parental lines in both seedlings and buds. However, the association between patterns of cytosine methylation and heterosis varied among different traits and between tissues in hybrids of Brassica, although a few methylation loci were associated with heterosis. Our data suggest that changes in DNA methylation at 5′-CCGG sites are not associated simply with heterosis in the interspecific and intraspecific hybridizations derived from B. rapa and B. napus.     

Changes in subfraction composition of chicken lysine-rich histone during ontogenesis]

Lysine-rich histone isolated from different chicken tissues was separated electrophoretically into 4-5 subfractions. The subfrations reffered to as 1, 2, 3, and 4, occur in each the tissue studied, erythrocyte lysine-rich histone containing an additional subfraction 1a. F1 histone from mitotically active tissues (intestinal mucosa, thymus, testes) has a higher content of subfraction 2, while the same histones from mototically inactive tissues (liver, heart, brain) contain an elevated amount of subfraction 3. F1 histone isolated from liver, brain and heart of 21-day embryo has much more of subfraction 2, than the same histone of adult animal. During the chicken development from hatching till maturation the content of subfraction 2 in these organs decreases, and the content of subfraction 3 increases. The rate of this change in liver corresponds to the rate of DNA synthesis. In F1 histone of erythrocytes the content of subfraction 4 falls down during the post hatching ontogenesis.     

Changes in the ascorbic acid content of the lateral buds of soybean in relation to flower induction

The AA content of the lateral buds at each node position insoybean cv Pb. I increased considerably at the end of a givennumber of SDs starting right from one. This high level of AA,however, declined sharply during their subsequent return toLD and upto 10 preceding SDs it dropped to even lower than thatunder continuous LD. The biosynthesis of AA, therefore, couldnot keep pace with the increase in its utilization during thepost-photoinductive period. With 12 inductive cycles, whichwere adequate to cause flowering, the AA content of the buds,particularly at 13th and 14th node increased considerably andwas the highest at the 13th node which was the first to flowersubsequently. The drifts of AA in the buds at different nodesshowed a surprising degree of conformity with the sequence offlowering at successive nodes. These high values of AA precedingany morphological sign of floral bud initiation and the declinein the AA content of the buds during the post-inductive periodstrongly suggest the participation of AA in the causal mechanismof flowering. The capacity of the tissues for an enhanced rateof biosynthesis of AA under the influence of favourable daylengthsover a period long enough to meet the demands on its utilizationfor the onset of the reproductive phase has been emphasized. (Received June 8, 1970; )     

Zinc localization in taste bud membranes

Zinc was measured by flame aspiration atomic absorption spectrophotometry in homogenates and in enriched fractions and subfractions from bovine taste bud membranes and from surrounding control tissues that contained no taste buds. Zinc was found in significantly higher concentrations in tissues containing taste buds and increased in concentration as biochemical and electron microscopic purity increased. The role of zinc in taste bud membranes could relate to its role in membrane stabilization or to its activity in alkaline phosphatase, a zinc-dependent enzyme whose specific activity increased in taste bud membranes in the same manner as did zinc concentration.     

Characterisation of protoplasts from hypocotyls of Helianthus annuus in relation to their tissue origin

Cells and protoplasts isolated from three different tissues of sunflower hypocotyls and cultured either in liquid or agarose medium were compared in terms of their volume, DNA content, division potential and embryoid formation. Epidermal and external cortical cells differ from other tissue cells by their small size, their weak response to plasmolysis and their low DNA content (around 1C). They contribute only very weakly to the dividing protoplast population. In contrast, protoplasts from cortical and medullar cells both have similar division potential, reaching 50%. The nuclear DNA content of these two cell types, as well as their corresponding protoplasts, has a 2C value, taking root tip cells in G0 phase as standard. The culture conditions induce the same specific response in protoplasts isolated from both tissues: exclusively loose colony formation in liquid medium, and mainly production of embryoids in agarose medium.