Induction of Expression of Genes Coding for Sporamin and beta-Amylase by Polygalacturonic Acid in Leaf-Petiole Cuttings of Sweet Potato

Sporamin and β-amylase are two major proteins of tuberous storage root of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and their accumulation can be induced concomitantly with the accumulation of starch in leaves and petioles by sucrose (K Nakamura, M Ohto, N Yoshida, K Nakamura [1991] Plant Physiol 96: 902-909). Although mechanical wounding of leaves of sweet potato only occasionally induced the expression of sporamin and β-amylase genes, their expression could be reproducibly induced in leaf-petiole cuttings when these explants were dipped in a solution of polygalacturonic acid or chitosan at their cut edges. Polygalacturonic acid seemed to induce expression of the same genes coding for sporamin and β-amylase that are induced by sucrose. Because polygalacturonic acid and chitosan are known to mediate the induction of wound-inducible defense reactions, these results raise an interesting possibility that β-amylase, in addition to sporamin, may have some role in the defense reaction. Expression of sporamin and β-amylase genes could also be induced by abscisic acid, and this induction by abscisic acid, as well as induction by polygalacturonic acid or sucrose, was repressed by gibberellic acid. By contrast, methyl jasmonate did not cause the significant induction of either sporamin or β-amylase mRNAs. Induction of expression of sporamin and β-amylase genes by polygalacturonic acid or sucrose was inhibited by cycloheximide, suggesting that de novo synthesis of proteins is required for both of the induction processes.     

Transport of a Sweet Potato Storage Protein, Sporamin, to the Vacuole in Yeast Cells

The propeptide of a precursor to sporamin, a storage proteinof sweet potato, is required for targeting of sporamin to thevacuole in transformed tobacco cells (Matsuoka and Nakamura1991). A fusion gene consisting of an inducible GAL 10 promoterand sporamin cDNA was introduced into Saccharomyces cerevisiaeby use either of a multiple-copy plasmid (YEpSAD16) or of asingle-copy plasmid (YCpSAD16) to control the level of expressionof the precursor. Although we could not detect any sporamin-relatedpolypeptides in cells that harbored YCpSAD16, extracts fromcells that harbored YEpSAD16 contained multiple forms of sporaminrelatedpolypeptides: preprosporamin, prosporamin and several polypeptidesthat were smaller than prosporamin. However, YCpSAD16 directedthe accumulation of prosporamin in pep4 mutant yeast cells thatlack vacuolar proteases, andpep4 mutant cells that harboredYEpSAD16 did not contain any sporamin-related polypeptides smallerthan prosporamin. The vacuole fractions isolated from the wild-typeand pep4 mutant cells contained sporamin-related polypeptidessmaller than prosporamin and prosporamin, respectively. Theseand other results suggest that, at a low level of expressionof the precursor, prosporamin is transported to the vacuoleand degraded by vacuolar proteases. A mutant precursor to sporamin,in which the propeptide and the N-terminal region of maturesporamin were replaced by an unrelated sequence of four aminoacid residues, directed the secretion of sporamin to the culturemedium in transformed tobacco cells. However, this mutationdid not affect the transport of sporamin to the vacuole in yeastcells and none of the sporamin-related polypeptides were secretedto the extracellular space. (Received July 16, 1991; Accepted March 25, 1992)     

Sucrose-Induced Accumulation of beta-Amylase Occurs Concomitant with the Accumulation of Starch and Sporamin in Leaf-Petiole Cuttings of Sweet Potato

β-Amylase of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.), which constitutes about 5% of the total soluble protein of the tuberous root, is absent or is present in only small amounts in organs other than the tuberous roots of the normal, field-grown plants. However, when leaf-petiole cuttings from such plants were supplied with a solution that contained sucrose, the accumulation of β-amylase was induced in both leaf and petiole portions of the explants. The sucrose-induced accumulation of β-amylase in leaf-petiole cuttings occurred concomitant with the accumulation of starch and of sporamin, the most abundant storage protein of the tuberous root. The accumulation of β-amylase, of sporamin and of starch in the petioles showed similar dependence on the concentration of sucrose, and a 6% solution of sucrose gave the highest levels of induction when assayed after 7 days of treatment. The induction of mRNAs for β-amylase and sporamin in the petiole could be detected after 6 hours of treatment with sucrose, and the accumulation of β-amylase and sporamin polypeptides, as well as that of starch, continued for a further 3 weeks. In addition to sucrose, glucose or fructose, but not mannitol or sorbitol, also induced the accumulation of β-amylase and sporamin, suggesting that metabolic effects of sucrose are important in the mechanism of this induction. Treatment of leaf-petiole cuttings with water under continuous light, but not in darkness, also caused the accumulation of small amounts of these components in the petioles, probably as a result of the endogenous supply of sucrose by photosynthesis. These results suggest that the expression of the gene for β-amylase is under metabolic control which is coupled with the expression of sink function of cells in the sweet potato.     

Increase in Catalase mRNA in Wounded Sweet Potato Tuberous Root Tissue

Catalase protein, as well as its activity, increases in woundedsweet potato tuberous root tissue [Esaka et al. (1983) PlantCell Physiol. 24: 615]. Whether catalase mRNA increases in woundedtissue was examined with a hybridization probe of a cDNA forsweet potato catalase mRNA. The content of catalase mRNA inthe tissue increased after a lag phase of 10 h to reach a maximumat 30 h after wounding, whereas total RNA content increasedwithout a lag phase. The increase in the mRNA content afterthe lag phase preceded that in catalase activity. In the earlystages after wounding, catalase mRNA in polysomes increasedin spite of no increase in the total content of mRNA in thetissue. We propose that an increase in catalase mRNA is responsiblefor the increase in catalase protein in wounded sweet potatotuberous root tissue. In the early stage after wounding, however,the translation of catalase mRNA seems to be activated throughincreased availability of ribosomes. (Received January 28, 1987; Accepted May 6, 1987)     

甘薯块根生长及其淀粉体发育过程的解剖结构特征

为了探明甘薯块根的生长及其淀粉体的发育规律,该试验以甘薯品种‘徐薯22’为材料,采用树脂半薄切片等方法对甘薯块根的生长及其淀粉体的发育进行观察研究。结果表明:(1)甘薯块根完成初生生长的时间短,块根初生结构由表皮、皮层和中柱构成,块根横截面上皮层所占比例比中柱大。(2)甘薯移栽后10 d块根开始次生生长,次生生长形成维管形成层和木栓形成层;随着块根次生生长,位于次生木质部分散导管周围的薄壁细胞脱分化,通过平周分裂产生副形成层;维管形成层、木栓形成层和副形成层的共同作用使块根快速膨大。(3)淀粉体在块根进入次生生长时首先在皮层细胞产生,随后大量出现在次生生长产生的薄壁细胞中,块根中淀粉体的发生及发育总体上表现出由外向内的顺序。(4)块根薄壁细胞中的淀粉粒有单粒和复粒两种类型;块根生长早期,薄壁细胞中主要以复粒淀粉为主,生长后期主要以单粒淀粉为主;块根生长过程中,包含复粒淀粉的淀粉体可通过分裂形成包含单粒淀粉的淀粉体。(5)淀粉可在块根生长的整个时期积累,其中以块根生长中期积累速度最快。     

Spatial Patterns of Sucrose-Inducible and Polygalacturonic Acid-Inducible Expression of Genes That Encode Sporamin and r{beta}-Amylase in Sweet Potato

Two major proteins of tuberous roots of sweet potato, sporaminand rß-amylase, were detected in storage parenchymacells, which contain a large amount of starch. In both the leavesand petioles of sweet potato, the sucrose-induced accumulationof mRNAs for sporamin and rß-amylase, and of starchoccurred in a wide variety of cells, first in cells within andaround the vascular tissue and then in various cells distalto them, with the exception of epidermal cells. In the mesophyllcells of leaves treated with sucrose, the accumulation of largenumbers of well-developed starch granules occurred in the preexistingchloroplasts. These results, together with the previous observationthat the sucrose-induced accumulation of sporamin, of rß-amylaseand of starch occurs with similar dependency on the concentrationof sucrose, suggest that an excess supply of sugars to varioustypes of cell triggers a cellular transition that induces thesimultaneous accumulation of these reserve materials that arenormally present in tuberous roots. Accumulation of mRNAs forsporamin and rß-amylase, but not the accumulationof starch, in leaves and petioles can be also induced when leaf-petiolecuttings are supplied with low concentrations of polygalacturonicacid (PGA) at their cut edges. The spatial patterns of accumulationof mRNAs for sporamin and rß-amylase in leaves andpetioles after treatment with PGA were found to be similar tothose observed upon treatment with sucrose. These results suggestthat most of the cells in leaves and petioles have the capacityto respond to both a carbohydrate metabolic signal and a PGA-derivedsignal that is transmitted by diffusion from the vascular system. ⁴Present address: Department of Molecular Biology, NationalInsustitute of Agrobiological Resources, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki,305 Japan.     

Identification of an Arylphorin-type Storage Protein in the Sweet Potato Hornworm, Agrius convolvuli

A major hemolymph protein (M_r 480,000) in the larvae of the sweet potato hornworm, Agrius convolvuli, was purified and characterized. This protein was isolated with a high yield from the hemolymph of day 3 fifth final instar larvae by ammonium sulfate precipitation and Phenyl-Sepharose and Q-Sepharose column chromatographies. The protein has two subunits, an M_r 84,000 subunit (α) and an M_r 80,000 subunit (β), and the native protein was composed of a heterohexamer (α₃β₃). The two subunits have similar amino acid compositions, with high contents of aromatic amino acids (about 15% phenylalanine plus tyrosine) and low levels of methionine. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of both subunits showed high homologies with insect arylphorin-type storage proteins. The protein concentration in the hemolymph increased steeply from day 3 final instar larva and reached a maximum level of 42 mg/ml in females and 41 mg/ml in males among wandering larvae. The concentration in the hemolymph declined once during the larval–pupal transformation but remained high during the early–mid pupal period and almost disappeared after adult emergence. These quantitative changes were the same for males and females. Based on these characteristics, we identified the hemolymph protein as an arylphorin-type storage protein.     

Expression of a Patatin-like Protein in the Anthers of Potato and Sweet Pepper Flowers

Patatin, the major glycoprotein in potato tubers, is encoded by a multigene family. RNA and protein analyses reveal that a homologous mRNA and an immunologically cross-reacting protein can be found in potato flowers, which is similar to patatin in that it displays a lipid acyl hydrolase activity. The patatin-like protein found in flowers has a higher molecular weight than the authentic tuber patatin. Deglycosylation experiments show that this is not due to differences in the glycosylation pattern. Immunocytochemical analysis shows the patatin-like protein to be present only in the epidermal cell layer of the anther, the exothecium, and in petals of potato flowers. Furthermore, the fact that a patatin-like protein can be detected in a similar tissue in sweet pepper, another solanaceous plant, could give a clue concerning the evolutionary origin of patatin.     

种子贮藏蛋白的运输、积累和基因表达调控

种子中贮藏蛋白的运输和积累途径主要有：(1)蛋白质合成后经内膜系统转移到蛋白质贮藏液泡(PSV)中积累;(2)合成的蛋白质直接在粗糙内质网的膜囊中积累形成蛋白质体;(3)贮藏蛋白不经高尔基体的加工由粗糙内质网上合成后直接运输到PSV中积累。贮藏蛋白基因的表达受该基因的顺式作用元件和反式作用因子的共同调控,此外染色体的结构也影响贮藏蛋白基因的表达。     

Influence of Pyriproxyfen on the Expression of Haemolymph Protein Genes in the Colorado Potato Beetle,Leptinotarsa decemlineata

Pyriproxyfen, a potent juvenile hormone analogue for the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, was applied topically to last-instar larvae and short-day adults at different times after moulting. The effect of the hormone analogue on concentration and composition of protein in the haemolymph was studied at different intervals after pyriproxyfen application. The hormone analogue had little effect on total protein concentration of the haemolymph, but affected protein composition. Diapause protein 1 was prevented from being synthesized if pyriproxyfen was applied before the gene was activated and disappeared from the haemolymph if applied after the gene had been expressed. It therefore inactivated the gene for diapause protein in both larvae and adults. Pyriproxyfen also induced appearance of vitellogenin at both stages, indicating induction of expression of the vitellogenin gene. It also affected the stability of mRNA for diapause protein. The analogue caused mRNA for diapause protein 1 to disappear untimely compared to controls in last-instar larvae and short-day adults. The response of adults to the JHA was much more pronounced than that of larvae, although the analogue had a strong biological effect on last-instar larvae because it prevented metamorphosis at low doses. Copyright 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved     

甘薯地上部分黄酮类化合物含量变化

通过对8、9、10月品种为86-11甘薯叶、茎中总黄酮含量进行了提取,以芦丁为对照品,用紫外分光光度法对其含量进行了测定。结果表明9月份该品种甘薯叶中黄酮类化合物含量最高(10.08%),嫩茎和老茎8月份含量最高(3.07%、2.45%)。同时对另一品种金薯6号10月份的叶及嫩茎中的总黄酮含量也进行了测定,金薯6号叶中的总黄酮含量明显高于86-11,说明甘薯品种间存在基因型差异,该研究为甘薯叶、茎中黄酮类化合物的提取、生产及加工利用提供了一定的理论依据。     

HPLC法测定甘薯叶片中的叶黄素

建立甘薯叶片中有效成分叶黄素含量的高效液相色谱测定方法,以寻求含量高的甘薯品种。采用Waters SunFire^TM C₁₈(150 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm )色谱柱;以甲醇—水为95:5(V/V)为流动相,流速为0.8 mL·min^-1;检测波长为445 nm;外标法定量。此色谱条件下,叶黄素含量在5~100 μg·mL^-1范围内时,与峰面积呈线性关系;样品平均回收率为99.5%;相对标准偏差 (RSD)为1.9%(n=5)。该方法灵敏、准确、专属性强,适用于甘薯叶片中叶黄素的测定;大部分供试品种间存在显著差异,其中以苏薯8号的含量最高。     

Purification and Properties of Catalase from Sweet Potato Root Microbodies

Catalase was isolated in a pure form from sweet potato rootmicrobodies by simple procedures including ammonium sulfatefractionation and Sepharose 6B column chromatography. A singleprotein band was detected after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresisof the purified preparation. The catalase consisted of polypeptideswith a molecular weight of 60,000 when analyzed by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamidegel electrophoresis, while the molecular weight of the enzymewas about 240,000 when estimated from sucrose density gradientcentrifugation. The enzyme's ratio of absorbance at 280 nm tothat at 405 nm was about twice that of mammalian catalase. Thecatalase showed a maximal activity at pH 6.5–8.5 but wasstable only at alkaline pHs. In double immunodiffusion tests,antiserum against the purified preparation formed a single precipitinline with the crude soluble fraction from sweet potato roottissue as well as with the purified preparation. The antiserumhad no ability to inhibit the activity, but catalase in boththe crude fraction and the purified preparation was completelyprecipitated by the antiserum. (Received August 20, 1981; Accepted January 5, 1982)     

Effect of Moisture Supply, Root Temperature, and Growth Regulators on Photosynthesis of Isolated Rooted Leaves of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas)

Isolated rooted sweet potato leaves were used to study the effectof carbohydrate use and storage on photosynthesis. Tuberingof the roots was controlled (1) by varying the moisture aroundthe roots, (2) by varying the root temperature, or (3) by treatingthe leaves with growth regulators. When tubering was greatestthe total dry matter formed per unit area of leaf was also greatest.Benzyl adenine applied to the lamina increased the proportionof total dry matter in the tubers. The experiments show that increasing tuber growth increasesnet assimilation rate, supporting the view that rate of photosynthesisdepends on the capacity of sinks to accept photosynthate.     

A Major Jasmonate-Inducible Protein of Sweet Potato, Ipomoelin, is an ABA-Independent Wound-Inducible Protein

Treatment of sweet potato plants cultured in vitro with a vaporof methyl jasmonate (MeJA) induced an accumulation in leavesof a large amount of protein with an apparent molecular massof 18 kDa. This protein, designated ipomoelin, was purified,and the amino acid sequences of proteolytic fragments were determined.Screening a cDNA library of MeJA-treated leaves by oligonucleotideprobes designed from the peptide sequences identified a clonethat could code for a polypeptide with 154 amino acids. Thededuced amino acid sequence of ipomoelin showed an overall aminoacid identity of 25% with the salt-inducible SalT protein ofrice. In addition, the C-terminal 70 amino acid sequence ofipomoelin showed about 50% identity with the C-terminal aminoacid sequences of seed lectins from Moraceae. The gene for ipomoelinwas present in a few copies in the genome of sweet potato. ThemRNA for ipomoelin was detected in leaves and petioles, butnot in stems and tuberous roots, of sweet potato plants grownin the field. Mechanical wounding of leaves induced ipomoelinmRNA both locally and systemically, while treatment of leaveswith ABA, salt, or a high level of sucrose did not induce ipomoelinmRNA. By contrast, ABA-inducible mRNA for sporamin was not inducedby MeJA. These results suggest that ipomoelin is involved indefensive reactions of leaves in response to wounding and thatJA-mediated wound-induction of ipomoelin occurs independentlyof ABA. (Received January 6, 1997; Accepted March 13, 1997)     

Activation of Protein Synthesis and Biogenesis of Mitochondrial Particles during Aging of Discs of Sweet Potato Root Tissue

Protein synthesis in mitochondrial and supernatant fractions of sweet potato root tissue was found to be activated up to about 3 and 1.5 times in response to wounding, respectively. The activation seemed to take place within 8 hr after slicing. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation of mitochondrial fraction prepared from the aged sliced tissue showed the presence of new fraction of mitochondrial particles which were not seen in the case of fresh tissue. The particles in the fraction were labeled by radioactive leucine in vivo more rapidly than the other particles. Chloramphenicol treatment of tissue before aging blocked the development of these particles. These results suggest that the particles were newly formed during aging.     

Induced Synthesis of Mitochondrial RNA in Sweet Potato Root after Wounding

Ice structure was photographically analyzed for frozen soy protein curd and egg albumin gel frozen under various conditions. Dendritic ice structure was observed growing from the cooling plate parallel to the direction of the heat flux. The change in the ice structure size was analyzed at different locations from the cooling plate in the plane perpendicular to the direction of heat flux. In accordance with the theoretical relationship proposed by us before, the mean ice structure size was inversely proportional to the moving speed of the freezing front and the proportionality constant was not very much different from the diffusion coefficient of water, showing the important role of the molcular diffusion mechanism in the process of ice crystal growth. For the freezing accompanied with supercooling, the ice structure became very small, reflecting the very rapid moving speed of the freezing front when supercooling ceased. The theoretical model by us had advantages over the models proposed in the literature for its simple theoretical basis and wider applicability.     

Tissue-Specific Evolution of Protein Coding Genes in Human and Mouse

Protein-coding genes evolve at different rates, and the influence of different parameters, from gene size to expression level, has been extensively studied. While in yeast gene expression level is the major causal factor of gene evolutionary rate, the situation is more complex in animals. Here we investigate these relations further, especially taking in account gene expression in different organs as well as indirect correlations between parameters. We used RNA-seq data from two large datasets, covering 22 mouse tissues and 27 human tissues. Over all tissues, evolutionary rate only correlates weakly with levels and breadth of expression. The strongest explanatory factors of purifying selection are GC content, expression in many developmental stages, and expression in brain tissues. While the main component of evolutionary rate is purifying selection, we also find tissue-specific patterns for sites under neutral evolution and for positive selection. We observe fast evolution of genes expressed in testis, but also in other tissues, notably liver, which are explained by weak purifying selection rather than by positive selection.