十字花科黑腐病菌中一个与抗逆有关的小RNA的鉴定

十字花科黑腐病菌(Xanthomonas campestris pathovar campestris,Xcc),是引起十字花科植物黑腐病的病原菌。Xcc要经历寄生、腐生等多种环境变化,为适应这些环境变化,需要调控相应基因的表达。除蛋白外,小RNA在基因表达调控中也起到关键作用。本实验室前期实验从Xcc 8004中鉴定出数百个小RNA,但是绝大多数小RNA的功能仍然未知。本研究通过构建一个小RNA(sRNA3843)的过量表达株来研究其生物学功能。确定该小RNA过量表达后,对其过量表达株OE3843进行了一系列的表型检测。结果发现,s RNA3843过量表达株OE3843对金属离子Cu^2+、Zn^2+、Cd^2+及蛋白变性剂SDS的耐受能力明显下降,表明s RNA3843与Xcc的抗逆有关。本研究的实验结果为深入研究小RNA在Xcc抗逆中所起的作用及其作用机理打下基础。     

Photoperiod- and thermo-sensitive genic male sterility in rice are caused by a point mutation in a novel noncoding RNA that produces a small RNA

Photoperiod- and thermo-sensitive genic male sterility (PGMS and TGMS) are the core components for hybrid breeding in crops. Hybrid rice based on the two-line system using PGMS and TGMS lines has been successfully developed and applied widely in agriculture. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the control of PGMS and TGMS remains obscure. In this study, we mapped and cloned a major locus, p/tms12-1 (photo- or thermo-sensitive genic male sterility locus on chromosome 12), which confers PGMS in the japonica rice line Nongken 58S (NK58S) and TGMS in the indica rice line Peiai 64S (PA64S, derived from NK58S). A 2.4-kb DNA fragment containing the wild-type allele P/TMS12-1 was able to restore the pollen fertility of NK58S and PA64S plants in genetic complementation. P/TMS12-1 encodes a unique noncoding RNA, which produces a 21-nucleotide small RNA that we named osa-smR5864w. A substitution of C-to-G in p/tms12-1, the only polymorphism relative to P/TMS12-1, is present in the mutant small RNA, namely osa-smR5864m. Furthermore, overexpression of a 375-bp sequence of P/TMS12-1 in transgenic NK58S and PA64S plants also produced osa-smR5864w and restored pollen fertility. The small RNA was expressed preferentially in young panicles, but its expression was not markedly affected by different day lengths or temperatures. Our results reveal that the point mutation in p/tms12-1, which probably leads to a loss-of-function for osa-smR5864m, constitutes a common cause for PGMS and TGMS in the japonica and indica lines, respectively. Our findings thus suggest that this noncoding small RNA gene is an important regulator of male development controlled by cross-talk between the genetic networks and environmental conditions.     

Mini-Tn7 vectors as genetic tools for gene cloning at a single copy number in an industrially important and phytopathogenic bacteria, Xanthomonas spp.

Transposon mini-Tn 7 vectors insert into the chromosome of several Gram-negative bacteria in a site-specific manner. Here, we showed the application of mini-Tn 7 as single copy site-specific integration vector system for Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris . The transposition of the mini-Tn 7 into the bacterial genome was detected at a Tn 7 attachment ( att Tn 7 ) site located downstream of glmS1 . Furthermore, using a newly constructed vector pBBR1FLP2 containing the flipase (FLP) recombinase for site-specific excision of the sequence between the FLP recombinase target (FRT) sites, and a sacB counter selection marker, an unmarked mini-Tn 7 insertion mutant was created. Mini-Tn 7 insertion did not affect bacterial virulence on the tested plant. The mini-Tn 7 and FLP–FRT systems also work well in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae .     

The Nop5-L7A-fibrillarin RNP complex and a novel box C/D containing sRNA of Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1

RNA 2′O-methylation is a frequent modification of rRNA and tRNA and supposed to influence RNA folding and stability. Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes, containing the proteins Nop5, L7A, fibrillarin, and a box C/D sRNA, are guided for 2′O-methylation by interactions of their RNA component with their target RNA. In vitro complex assembly was analyzed for several thermophilic Archaea but in vivo studies are rare, even unavailable for halophilic Archaea. To analyze the putative box C/D RNP complex in the extremely halophilic Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1 we performed pull-down analysis and identified the proteins Nop5, L7A, and fibrillarin and the tRNA^Trp intron, as a typical box C/D sRNA of this RNP complex in vivo. We show for the first time a ribonucleolytic activity of the purified RNP complex proteins, as well as for the RNP complex containing pull-down fractions. Furthermore, we identified a novel RNA (OE4630R-3′sRNA) as part of the complex, containing the typical boxes C/D and C′/D′ sequence motifs and being twice as abundant as the tRNA^Trp intron.     

Precursor miR-886, a novel noncoding RNA repressed in cancer, associates with PKR and modulates its activity

Noncoding RNAs have drawn significant attention in biology recently. Whereas the current research is highly inclined to microRNAs, research on other noncoding RNAs has lagged behind. Here, we investigated a novel noncoding RNA that has been known as precursor microRNA miR-886 (pre-miR-886). Pre-miR-886 has been proposed also as a vault RNA, a component of the vault complex implicated in cancer drug resistance. We identified pre-miR-886 as a 102-nucleotide-long, abundant cytoplasmic RNA that is neither a genuine pre-microRNA nor a vault RNA. Pre-miR-886 is physically associated with PKR (Protein Kinase RNA-activated), an interferon-inducible and double-stranded RNA dependent kinase. The suppression of pre-miR-886 activates PKR and its downstream pathways, eIF2α phosphorylation and the NF-κB pathway, leading to impaired cell proliferation. We also found that pre-miR-886 is suppressed in a wide-range of cancer cell lines and in clinical specimens. This study is the first intense characterization of pre-miR-886 as well as the initial report on its function as a PKR regulator, which suggests a critical role in tumorigenesis.     

水稻白叶枯病菌TonB-Dep-Rec蛋白家族成员Tdrxoo的功能鉴定

【目的】旨在揭示水稻白叶枯病菌(Xanthomonas oryzaepv.oryzae,Xoo)致病性和运动性及其基因表达的调控途径。【方法】本研究通过基因克隆、序列分析和缺失突变方法,对与应答调节子GacAxoo互作的Tdrxoo的分子特征和功能进行了鉴定。【结果】利用序列特异性引物进行基因扩增,成功地从野生型菌株PXO99A中克隆了tdrxoo基因。Tdrxoo与其它病原黄单胞菌的同源序列高度保守,具有TonB-Dependent-Receptor(TDR)结构域,推测其是位于细菌外膜、可能接收来自细菌体外环境信号的蛋白。用基因标记交换法,构建了△tdrxoo基因缺失突变体。与PXO99A相比,Δtdrxoo在人工培养条件下的生长受到影响,致病性完全丧失,胞外纤维素酶和木聚糖酶活性和运动能力显著减弱,基因互补可以使之恢复;Δtdrxoo嗜铁素产生无明显改变。【结论】Tdrxoo作为一种细胞外膜蛋白,可能参与调控了病菌的生长、致病性、胞外酶活性和运动性等表型。     

Virulence analysis and genetic diversity of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris causing black rot of crucifers

Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) is a devastating bacterium to cause black rot disease in crucifers. To study the genetic diversity and virulence analysis, 24 isolates of Xcc were collected from cole crops including cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and knol khol from different agro-climatic regions of India ranging from temperate to subtropical climates. For virulence analysis, 24 isolates of Xcc were tested on 27 cultivars of crucifers including seven species of Brassica spp. (B. campestris, B. carinata, B. juncea, B. napus, B. nigra, B. oleracea and B. rapa), Sinapsis alba, Eruca sativa and Raphanus sativus under field conditions at IARI, New Delhi, during November 2010–March 2011. Maximum disease incidence 85.15% was found in the cultivars of crucifers caused by strains Xcc-C124, Xcc-C6, Xcc-C125, Xcc-C111 and Xcc-C131 after 15 days of inoculation and significantly increased after 30 days. Black rot severity in cultivars of crucifers varied from 0 to 6.9 and 0 to 7.9 out of 9 scale after 15 and 30 days of inoculation, respectively. But, no disease incidence was recorded on all the tested cultivars of B. juncea (Pusa Bold, Varuna, Pusa Mustard-21 and Pusa Vijay) against all the strains of Xcc after 15 days. Genetic diversity of 24 strains of Xcc was studied using REP- and BOX-PCR, indicating the existence of wide range of genetic diversity among the strains. The strains were clustered into two groups at 50% similarity coefficient and designated as Group 1 and Group 2. The majority of the strains (23 strains) were clustered under Group 1 except Xcc-C120, which formed separate group (Group 2). In the present study, genetic diversity and virulence pattern in Indian strains of Xcc were established, which will be helpful in the development of resistant genotypes against this bacterial pathogen.     

靶向宿主致病菌sRNA的发现及其靶标确定的实验技术进展

人类时常暴露于充满各种致病菌的环境中,这些致病菌与人体细胞或组织之间存在多种相互作用。在相互作用的过程中,细菌通过调节自身毒性、侵袭性等致病性,以适应宿主环境并生存下来,同样,宿主细胞也会通过调动自身的免疫系统来抵抗致病菌的入侵。然而,大多数研究者主要聚焦于致病菌sRNA (small RNA, sRNA)自身生理功能的研究,致病菌与宿主相互作用的认识仍然处于起步阶段。因此,如何使用高灵敏性、高分辨率的方法研究致病菌与宿主之间的相互作用成为当前研究面临的一大难题。本文综合国内外相关研究,概述了目前研究致病菌与宿主相互作用常用的技术方法及实验流程,提高对其机制原理的理解,为致病菌sRNA-宿主靶标的相关研究提供技术参考。     

糖基转移酶基因rbfCxoo缺失突变导致水稻白叶枯病菌毒性表达增强

摘 要：【目的】阐明水稻白叶枯病菌(Xanthomonas oryzae pv.oryzae,简称Xoo)基因组中推导的脂多糖O抗原合成蛋白基因rbfCxoo (XOO2599) 的结构和生物学功能。【方法】通过基因克隆、序列分析、缺失突变和表型测定,对rbfCxoo的分子特征及其功能进行了鉴定。【结果】 用特异性引物进行PCR扩增,从野生型菌株PXO99A基因组DNA中成功地获得了与己测序菌株KACC10331序列完全一致的全长基因序列; RbfCxoo序列N端和C端分别具有一个糖基转移酶的保守结构域(Glycos_transf_2)。用标记置换法获得了基因缺失突变体△rbfCxoo。与PXO99A相比,△rbfCxoo 脂多糖O抗原合成能力并未发生变化,但鞭毛素糖基化能力有所降低。此外,△rbfCxoo鞭毛运动性、生物膜形成和胞外纤维素酶和木聚糖酶活性都无明显改变,但对水稻的致病性显著增强,毒性相关基因的表达也有所增加。【结论】RbfCxoo可能与细菌鞭毛素糖基化修饰以及毒性表达有关。