植物中的反转录转座子及其应用

反转录转座子是植物中最不稳定的遗传元件之一,它们对基因组的大小、结构、功能和进化都有重要作用。本文综述了近年来对植物反转录转座子类型和结构、在基因组中表达、调控、转座活动、进化等方面的研究进展,讨论了它们在遗传研究中的应用前景。 Abstract:Retrotransposons are one of the most unstable genetic elements in the plant kingdom,they have the potential to dramatically affect gene function and host genome structure.The current status of their types and structure,expression regulation,transposition,and evolution are reviewed.Their potential as genetic tools are also discussed.     

植物碱性亮氨酸拉链（bZIP）蛋白的研究进展（一）——结构、分类、分布和同源性分析

植物碱性亮氨酸拉链（bZIP)蛋白在高等植物中广泛存在,对基因表达与调控起重要作用。本简要介绍了植物bZIP蛋白的结构之后,概述了植物bZIP蛋白的分类和分布。最后,以模式植物、主要农作物及蔬菜等为例,对它们的同源性进行了详细的描述和分析。     

Identification and characterization of new plant microRNAs using EST analysis

Seventy-five previously known plant microRNAs (miRNAs) were classified into 14 families according to their gene sequence identity. A total of 18,694 plant expressed sequence tags (EST) were found in the GenBank EST databases by comparing all previously known Arabidopsis miRNAs to GenBank‘s plant EST databases with BLAST algorithms. After removing the EST sequences with high numbers (more than 2) of mismatched nucleotides, a total of 812 EST contigs were identified. After predicting and scoring the RNA secondary structure of the 812 EST sequences using mFold software, 338 new potential miRNAs were identified in 60 plant species, miRNAs are widespread. Some microRNAsmay highly conserve in the plant kingdom, and they may have the same ancestor in very early evolution. There is no nucleotide substitution in most miRNAs among many plant species. Some of the new identified potential miRNAs may be induced and regulated by environmental biotic and abiotic stresses. Some may be preferentially expressed in specific tissues, and are regulated by developmental switching. These findings suggest that EST analysis is a good alternative strategy for identifying new miRNA candidates, their targets, and other genes. A large number of miRNAs exist in different plant species and play important roles in plant developmental switching and plant responses to environmental abiotic and biotic stresses as well as signal transduction. Environmental stresses and developmental switching may be the signals for synthesis and regulation of miRNAs in plants. A model for miRNA induction and expression, and gene regulation by miRNA is hypothesized.     

Advances in chloroplast engineering

The chloroplast is a pivotal organelle in plant cells and eukaryotic algae to carry out photosynthesis, which provides the primary source of the world＇s food. The expression of foreign genes in chloroplasts offers several advantages over their expression in the nucleus： high-level expression, transgene stacking in operons and a lack of epigenetic interference allowing stable transgene expression. In addition, transgenic chloroplasts are generally not transmitted through pollen grains because of the cytoplasmic localization. In the past two decades, great progress in chloroplast engineering has been made. In this paper, we review and highlight recent studies of chloroplast engineering, including chloroplast transformation procedures, controlled expression of plastid transgenes in plants, the expression of foreign genes for improvement of plant traits, the production of biopharmaceuticals, metabolic pathway engineering in plants, plastid transformation to study RNA editing, and marker gene excision system.     

植物的MAR及其对转基因表达的效应

与核基质结合的DNA序列称为基质附着区（matrix attachment regions,MARs）,可提高转基因的表达水平并降低转基因在不同转基因系间的表达差异,因其在植物基因工程中的巨大应用潜力而引起了研究者的极大兴趣。对植物中MAR的研究尚处于早期阶段,本文综述了植物中MAR的分离鉴定、序列特征及MAR对植物中转基因表达的影响,并进一步讨论了MAR对转基因效应的可能机制。 Abstract：DNA sequences called matrix attachment regions (MARs) have recently attracted mu ch attention because of their perceived capacity to increase levels of transgene expression and to reduce transformant-to-transformant variation of transgene ex pression in plants. Work with MARs in plants is in its early stage .In the prese nt paper ,we reviewed the procedure to isolate and identify MAR sequences from higher plants, the sequence characteristics of the plant MARs and the effect of MARs on the transgene expression in plants. Funthermore, the possible mechanism to explain how MARs affect transgene expression in transformants was discussed.     

Plant plasma membrane‐resident receptors: Surveillance for infections and coordination for growth and development

As sessile organisms, plants are exposed to pathogen invasions and environmental fluctuations. To overcome the challenges of their surroundings, plants acquire the potential to sense endogenous and exogenous cues, resulting in their adaptability. Hence, plants have evolved a large collection of plasma membrane-resident receptors, including RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASEs(RLKs) and RECEPTOR-LIKE PROTEINs(RLPs) to perceive those signals and regulate plant growth,development, and immunity. The ability of RLKs and RLPs to recognize distinct ligands relies on diverse categories of extracellular domains evolved. Co-regulatory receptors are often required to associate with RLKs and RLPs to facilitate cellular signal transduction. RECEPTOR-LIKE CYTOPLASMIC KINASEs(RLCKs) also associate with the complex, bifurcating the signal to key signaling hubs, such as MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE(MAPK) cascades, to regulate diverse biological processes. Here, we discuss recent knowledge advances in understanding the roles of RLKs and RLPs in plant growth, development, and immunity, and their connection with co-regulatory receptors, leading to activation of diverse intracellular signaling pathways.     

Downregulation of Rice DWARF 14 LIKE Suppress Mesocotyl Elongation via a Strigolactone Independent Pathway in the Dark

Strigolactones(SLs) are a class of plant hormones that control plant development in response to environmental conditions. In rice,mesocotyl elongation is regulated by SLs in the dark, while mesocotyls are longer in SL deficient or insensitive mutants. SLs are perceived by DWARF14(D14), which is a member of a small gene family. In this study, we examined the function of another D14 family gene in rice, D14 LIKE(D14L), focusing on mesocotyl growth. The mesocotyls of D14 L RNAi lines are longer than those of WT in the dark. This phenotype is enhanced when the D14 L RNAi lines are combined with the d14 mutation, suggesting that D14 and D14 L work independently to inhibit mesocotyl elongation. This phenotype is alleviated by the exogenous supply of GR24, a synthetic SL, suggesting that D14 L is not necessary for SL signaling. D14 L m RNA is predominantly expressed in vascular bundles and crown root primordia. Our results suggest that D14 L and D14 confer their effects via an SL independent pathway and an SL signaling pathway respectively.     

SDG714 Regulates Specific Gene Expression and Consequently Affects Plant Growth via H3K9 Dimethylation

Histone lysine methylation is known to be involved in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression in all eukaryotes including plants. Here we show that the rice SDG714 is primarily responsible for dimethylation but not trimethylation on histone H3K9 in vivo. Overexpression of YFP-SDG714 in Arabidopsis significantly inhibits plant growth and this inhibition is associated with an enhanced level of H3K9 dimethylation. Our microarray results show that many genes essential for the plant growth and development were downregulated in transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing YFP-SDG714. By chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis, we show that YFP-SDG714 is targeted to specific chromatin regions and dimethylate the H3K9, which is linked with heterochromatinization and the downregulation of genes. Most interestingly, when YFP-SDG714 production is stopped, the inhibited plants can partially restore their growth, suggesting that the perturbation of gene expression caused by YFP-SDG714 is revertible. Taken together, our results point to an important role of SDG714 in H3K9 dimethylation, suppression of gene expression and plant growth, and provide a potential method to regulate gene expression and plant development by an on-off switch of SDG714 expression.     

保护中国的植物遗产(英文)

China’s rich floral diversity includes more than 33 000 vascular plant species,representing approximately 10 percent of all known plant species.Over half of these species are endemic to China.However,China’s rapid economic development in the last 30 years and continuous population growth have seriously damaged plant resources in the wild and the ecological environment,resulting in a dramatic increase in the number of endangered species.There are nearly 4 000 to 5 000 higher plants that are now threatened or on the verge of extinction.To help halt the loss of Chinese plant diversity,Botanic Gardens Conservation International(BGCI) has developed a China programme and opened its first office based in Guangzhou in 2008.This office works along with Chinese partners aiming to secure Chinese plant diversity through integrated conservation approaches with reintroduction/population reinforcement,engagement of local communities in conservation activities,capacity building in horticulture and environmental education and public outreach.     

高等植物的PCD研究进展(一)

植物细胞程序性死亡(programmed cell death,PCD)已成为当前生物学的研究热点之一。植物PCD普遍存在于植物器官和个体生长发育过程及与环境相互作用过程中,具有重要的生物学意义。在高等植物生长发育过程中,根冠细胞、导管细胞、绒毡层细胞、胚乳细胞、胚柄细胞、糊粉细胞、大孢子细胞、助细胞和反足细胞等细胞在一定程度上均发生了PCD。另外,衰老也涉及PCD。本文综述了最近几年来与发育有关的PCD研究进展,主要包括高等植物细胞死亡的形式、起因及其PCD的形态、生化特征及高等植物营养器官(根、茎和叶)和生殖器官(花、果实和种子)在其生长发育过程中的PCD。文章最后还对植物PCD的进化和生物学意义作了进一步的讨论。 Abstract：Plant programmed cell death(PCD),the details of which are becoming a focus of intensive research in biology, is a ubiquitous phenomenon and plays an improtant biological role in the develpoment of organs and whole organisms and in interactions with the environment.During higher plant development,root cap cells,tracheary elements(TEs),tapetalcells,endosperm cells,suspensor cells,aleurone cells,megaspore cells,help cells and antipodal cells,etc.undergo PCD to some degree.In addition,senescence also involves PCD.This paper mainly reviewed PCD research progress in higher plant development in recent years,including forms and causes of cell death and PCD morphological and biochemical features in higher plants;PCD in development of nutritive organs(root ,stem and leaf) and reproductive organs(flower ,fruit and seed),evolution and biological rloes of plant PCD were further discussed in the paper.     

Identification of a NF-кB site in the negative regulatory element (ε-NRAII) of human ε-globin gene and its binding protein NF-кB p50 in the nuclei of K562 cells

INTRODUCTIONThe human P-like globin genes are arranged as acluster of five genes(e, Gry, Ary, 8 and P) in the orderof their temporal expression. The human embryonicE-globin gene is expressed in the blood island of theembryonic yolk sac and is silenced completely at 6~8w of gestation in the fetal liverI11. Studies on trans-genic mice suggested that the regulation of 5-globingene expression is autonomous. The activating andsilencing of 5-globin gene expression rely on distallocus control …     

Fine-tuning by strigolactones of root response to low phosphate

Strigolactones are plant hormones that regulate the development of different plant parts. In the shoot,they regulate axillary bud outgrowth and in the root,root architecture and root-hair length and density. Strigolactones are also involved with communication in the rhizosphere,including enhancement of hyphal branching of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Here we present the role and activity of strigolactones under conditions of phosphate deprivation.Under these conditions,their levels of biosynthesis and exudation increase,leading to changes in shoot and root development. At least for the latter,these changes are likely to be associated with alterations in auxin transport and sensitivity. On the other hand,strigolactones may positively affect plant–mycorrhiza interactions and thereby promote phosphate acquisition by the plant. Strigolactones may be a way for plants to fine-tune their growth pattern under phosphate deprivation.     

Plant pleiotropic drug resistance transporters： Transport mechanism,gene expression,and function

Pleiotropic drug resistance （PDR） transporters belonging to the ABCG subfamily of ATP-binding cassette （ABC） transporters are identified only in fungi and plants. Members of this family are expressed in plants in response to various biotic and abiotic stresses and transport a diverse array of moleculesacross membranes, Although their detailed transport mechanism is largely unknown, they play important roles in detoxification processes, preventing water loss, transport of phytohormones, and secondary metabolites. This review provides insights into transport mechanisms of plant PDR transporters, their expression profiles, and multitude functions in plants.