Nucleus‐encoded mRNAs for Chloroplast Proteins GapA,PetA, and PsbO are Trans‐spliced in the Flagellate Euglena gracilis Irrespective of Light and Plastid Function

Euglena gracilis is a fresh‐water flagellate possessing secondary chloroplasts of green algal origin. In contrast with organisms possessing primary plastids, mRNA levels of nucleus‐encoded genes for chloroplast proteins in E. gracilis depend on neither light nor plastid function. However, it remains unknown, if all these mRNAs are trans‐spliced and possess spliced leader sequence at the 5′‐end and if trans‐splicing depends on light or functional plastids. This study revealed that polyadenylated mRNAs encoding the chloroplast proteins glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GapA), cytochrome f (PetA), and subunit O of photosystem II (PsbO) are trans‐spliced irrespective of light or plastid function.     

A Possible Role for Short Introns in the Acquisition of Stroma-Targeting Peptides in the Flagellate Euglena gracilis

The chloroplasts of Euglena gracilis bounded by three membranes arose via secondary endosymbiosis of a green alga in a heterotrophic euglenozoan host. Many genes were transferred from symbiont to the host nucleus. A subset of Euglena nuclear genes of predominately symbiont, but also host, or other origin have obtained complex presequences required for chloroplast targeting. This study has revealed the presence of short introns (41–93 bp) either in the second half of presequence-encoding regions or shortly downstream of them in nine nucleus-encoded E. gracilis genes for chloroplast proteins (Eno29, GapA, PetA, PetF, PetJ, PsaF, PsbM, PsbO, and PsbW). In addition, the E. gracilis Pbgd gene contains two introns in the second half of presequence-encoding region and one at the border of presequence-mature peptide-encoding region. Ten of 12 introns present within presequence-encoding regions or shortly downstream of them identified in this study have typical eukaryotic GT/AG borders, are T-rich, 45–50 bp long, and pairwise sequence identities range from 27 to 61%. Thus single recombination events might have been mediated via these cis-spliced introns. A double crossing over between these cis-spliced introns and trans-spliced introns present in 5′-UTRs of Euglena nuclear genes is also likely to have occurred. Thus introns and exon-shuffling could have had an important role in the acquisition of chloroplast targeting signals in E. gracilis. The results are consistent with a late origin of photosynthetic euglenids.     

Evidence for Regulative Transactions between the Nucleocytoplasm and the Chloroplasts in Euglena gracilis

For Euglena gracilis it has been inferred, in comparison with higher plants, that chloroplast development and chloroplast differentiation are much more dependent on processes regulated by the plastom than by the genome: (1) In the course of the life cycle of autotrophic synchronized Euglena gracilis two separate peaks of plastidial DNA synthesis appear; both precede the nucleic DNA synthesis and are independent of the latter. (2) In contrast to the behaviour of the three nuclear RNA-polymerases, the optimum temperature for the plastidial RNA-polymerase is 28–29 C. Its activity at 34–35 C– near the optimum of the three nuclear RNA-polymerases– is about zero. This temperature-range is used for experimental elimination of chloroplasts (= irreversible apochlorosis). Nevertheless the chloroplast metabolism is linked in part to the metabolism of the nucleocytoplasm. Especially during development the chloroplasts depend on cytoplasmic translation of several chloroplast-proteins. Many constituents of the chloroplasts, as for example the chlorophyll-protein complexes, need proteins of plastidial translation as well as of cytoplasmic translation. For synthesis, transport and assembly of these proteins regulative transactions are necessary. Regulation by specific proteins is favoured as can be demon-strated by change from autotrophic to photoheterotrophic nutrition, by change from 27 C to 35 C or by the influence of specific translation inhibitors as chloramphenicol or cycloheximide.     

陆地棉bZIP转录因子响应非生物胁迫表达谱分析

低温、干旱和高盐是影响棉花生长发育和产量的重要限制因素。b ZIP转录因子在植物非生物胁迫反应中起重要作用。本研究利用生物信息学的方法从陆地棉中鉴定了24个b ZIP转录因子基因,命名为Ghb ZIP1~Ghb ZIP24。系统进化树分析表明,这24个家族成员主要聚集在A、B、C、D、E、G、I、S这8类亚家族。通过RT-PCR的方法分析了棉花(Gossypium hirsutum L.)Ghb ZIPs基因在高盐(200 mmol/L Na Cl)、干旱、4℃低温等非生物胁迫处理下的表达模式。结果表明,19个基因响应高盐胁迫、11个基因对干旱胁迫有应答反应,15个基因有冷胁迫应答。此外,有4个基因(Ghb ZIP4、Ghb ZIP7、Ghb ZIP21和Ghb ZIP23)在3种处理下均有应答反应。以上研究结果表明,Ghb ZIPs在陆地棉的非生物胁迫适应过程中可能具有重要的作用。本研究为进一步探索棉花b ZIP转录因子在抗逆反应中的重要作用和利用基因操作手段提高棉花抗逆性提供了重要信息。     

Evolution of the Chloroplast Genome in Photosynthetic Euglenoids: A Comparison of Eutreptia viridis and Euglena gracilis (Euglenophyta)

The chloroplast genome of Eutreptia viridis Perty, a basal taxon in the photosynthetic euglenoid lineage, was sequenced and compared with that of Euglena gracilis Ehrenberg, a crown species. Several common gene clusters were identified and gene order, conservation, and sequence similarity was assessed through comparisons with Euglena gracilis. Significant gene rearrangements were present between Eutreptia viridis and Euglena gracilis chloroplast genomes. In addition, major expansion has occurred in the Euglena gracilis chloroplast accounting for its larger size. However, the key chloroplast genes are present and differ only in the absence of psaM and roaA in Eutreptia viridis, and psaI in Euglena gracilis, suggesting a high level of gene conservation within the euglenoid lineage. Further comparisons with the plastid genomes of closely related green algal taxa have provided additional support for the hypothesis that a Pyramimonas-like alga was the euglenoid chloroplast donor via secondary endosymbiosis.     

Chloroplast gene for Mr 32000 polypeptide of photosystem II in Euglena gracilis is interrupted by four introns with conserved boundary sequences

The gene for the Mr 32000 herbicide binding polypeptide of photosystem II has previously been mapped to the 5 kbp EcoRI fragment Eco I of Euglena gracilis chloroplast DNA. The nucleotide sequence of 3324 bp of Eco I, containing the psbA locus, has been determined. This locus encodes a polypeptide of 345 amino acids which is co-linear with, and has 86% derived amino acid sequence homology to sequences derived from four higher plants chloroplast psbA loci. The Euglena psbA gene contains four introns of size 435, 443, 434, and 617 bp. The four introns have conserved boundary sequences of the type previously described in the Euglena chloroplast gene (rbcL) for the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Koller et al., Cell 36, 545-553, 1984).     

Indications for acceleration-dependent changes of membrane potential in the flagellate Euglena gracilis

Summary. The effects of the calcium sequester EGTA on gravitactic orientation and membrane potential changes in the unicellular flagellate Euglena gracilis were investigated during a recent parabolic-flight experiment aboard of an Airbus A300. In the course of a flight parabola, an acceleration profile is achieved which yields subsequently about 20 s of hypergravity (1.8 g _n), about 20 s of microgravity, and another 20 s of hypergravity phases. The movement behavior of the cells was investigated with real-time, computer-based image analysis. Membrane potential changes were detected with a newly developed photometer which measures absorption changes of the membrane potential-sensitive probe oxonol VI. To test whether the data obtained by the oxonol device were reliable, the signal of non-oxonol-labelled cells was recorded. In these samples, no absorption shift was detected. Changes of the oxonol VI signals indicate that the cells depolarize during acceleration (very obvious in the step from microgravity to hypergravity) and slightly hyperpolarize in microgravity, which can possibly be explained with the action of Ca-ATPases. These signals (mainly the depolarization) were significantly suppressed in the presence of EGTA (5 mM). Gravitaxis in parallel was also inhibited after addition of EGTA. Initially, negative gravitaxis was inverted into a positive one. Later, gravitaxis was almost undetectable. Correspondence and reprints: Department of Plant Ecophysiology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstrasse 5, 91058 Erlangen, Federal Republic of Germany.     

粪肠球菌生物被膜形成早期相关基因的表达研究

目的:以粪肠球菌为研究对象,探讨粪肠球菌基因srtA(转肽酶A编码基因)、esp(肠球菌表面蛋白)与粪肠球菌生物被膜形成早期的相关性。方法:用逆转录PCR与实时荧光定量PCR方法对生物被膜和浮游菌组细菌srtA、esp两种与生物被膜形成早期相关的基因其表达进行检测,并进行统计学分析。结果:srtA、esp基因与粪肠球生物被膜菌早期形成密切相关。生物被膜菌组srtA、esp表达量分别是浮游菌组的7.9与13.5倍。结论:srtA、esp基因与粪肠球生物被膜菌形成早期密切相关,可能是生物被膜早期形成的上调因子。     

植物早期光诱导蛋白基因研究进展

植物早期光诱导蛋白（ELIP）是核编码的叶绿体蛋白,它属于叶绿素结合蛋白超家族的成员。皿伊基因是一古老的基因,在原核细胞中即已存在。真核生物细胞核中的皿,尸基因最初可能来源于其质体基因组。目前,已从30多种不同植物中克隆到该基因,研究发现它们多属于胁迫诱导基因,其功能可能涉及光保护作用。本文介绍了20多年来皿,尸基因的克隆、生物发生、表达调控和功能方面的研究进展,以期为今后的进一步研究奠定基础。     

The Effects of Regulatory Proteins RcsA and RcsB on the Expression of the Vibrio fischeri lux Operon in Escherichia coli

A study was made of the effect of RcsA and RcsB on the Vibrio fischeri lux expression in Escherichia coli. RcsA suppressed the LuxR activity and thereby inhibited expression of the lux genes coding for luciferase and reductase. In osmotic shock, RcsA–RcsB activated lux expression and, consequently, the bioluminescence of E. coli cells in the early log phase.     

Biphasic and Dually Coordinated Expression of the Genes Encoding Major Shell Matrix Proteins in the Pearl Oyster Pinctada fucata

Regional expression patterns of shell matrix protein genes of Pinctada fucata were investigated using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in situ hybridization. Six shell matrix proteins examined in this study indicated a distinct biphasic pattern of expression, falling into one of the following three groups: (1) expressed only in the more dorsal region of the mantle (MSI60 and N16); (2) expressed only in the more ventral region (MSI31, Prismalin-14, and Aspein); and (3) expressed in both regions (nacrein). The ubiquity of the last protein probably reflects its general role as a carbonate-producing enzyme, while the other groups are interpreted as corresponding to the distinction between the two varieties of shell layers, the aragonitic nacreous layer and the calcitic prismatic layer. In addition, the constituent genes of each of these two groups indicated similar levels of relative expression among different sites even among different individuals, suggesting that the genes of each group share a single upstream regulatory factor, respectively, and that these genes are expressed in a dually coordinated fashion.     

在发育性变化相关基因表达特性检测中内参基因的有效性和实时定量PCR解析方法的适用性

实时定量PCR技术(quantitative real-time PCR assay, rtQ-PCR)是一种快速检测核酸水平的方法.在多数相对定量法的运用过程中,会同时引入内参基因用以校正由于采样和操作误差所带来的样本之间核酸总量的差别.一个理想的内参基因的表达水平必须维持恒定或至少不受实际试验条件和机体发育变化的影响.由于作为候选内参基因的看家基因也可能会随着试验条件改变呈现出发育性变化和/或差异表达,故在相关研究中,内参基因的选择就成为试验的关键和难点.本研究采用rtQ-PCR技术,以鸭胚胎期和出雏早期肝脏中IGF-玉mRNA表达的发育性变化检测为例,探讨涉及发育性变化的基因表达解析过程中内参基因的选择,并评估绝对和相对定量两种解析方法的适用性.我们认为涉及发育性变化的基因表达解析过程中内参基因的选择时,采用2-△Ct法对内参基因的有效性进行的组间评价,比Genorm等方法对内参基因的有效性进行的整体评价更为科学;涉及发育性变化的基因表达解析过程中,如果难以找到一个理想的内参基因时,绝对rtQ-PCR解析方法将比随意选取一种内参基因作为内标的相对rtQ-PCR解析方法更为简单和适用,结果的解析也更为直观和可靠.