Transient gene expression in electroporated bean cotyledon protoplasts

A protocol has been developed for the introduction of foreign DNA into cell protoplasts from immature bean cotyledons. The method yields high amounts of the reporter enzymes β-glucuronidase (GUS) and chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) when cognate genes are driven by the promoter and upstream sequences of a bean β-phas gene. Comparisons with expression in stable tobacco transformants indicate that transient assays can be used to investigate enhancer function. This techniques should be applicable to other gene systems as well.     

Wound-induced and developmental activation of a poplar tree chitinase gene promoter in transgenic tobacco

Wounding hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa × P. deltoides) trees results in the expression of novel wound-inducible (win) mRNAs thought to encode proteins involved in defense against pests and pathogens. Members of thewin6 gene family encode acidic multi-domain chitinases, with combined structure and charge characteristics that differ from previously described chitinases.Win6 expression has been shown to occur in pooled unwounded leaves of a wounded (on multiple leaves) poplar plant. Here we demonstrate that wounding a single leaf induceswin6 expression locally, in the wounded leaf, and remotely, in specific unwounded leaves with strong vascular connections to the wounded leaf. We also demonstrate that awin6 promoter--glucuronidase (GUS) gene fusion (win6-GUS) responds to wounding locally and remotely in transgenic tobacco. These data indicate that the poplarwin6 promoter has regulatory elements that are responsive to wound signals in the heterologous host. In addition,win6-GUS is developmentally activated in unwounded young leaves and floral tissues of transgenic tobacco. Similar developmental expression patterns are found to occur forwin6 in poplar trees, demonstrating that a herbaceous plant can serve as a host for woody tree transgene analysis and can accurately predict expression patterns in tree tissues (e.g. flowers) that would be difficult to study in free-living trees.     

Induction and repression of a Streptomyces lividans chitinase gene promoter in response to various carbon sources

Induction and repression of a gene for chitinase (chiA) in Streptomyces lividans was investigated using a catechol 2,3-dioxygenase gene (xylE) as the reporter gene. Of various substrates examined, expression of the promoter (PchiA) was observed after a delay when colloidal chitin or small chitin-oligosaccharides were added to the medium. N-acetylglucosamine completely repressed the chiA promoter. The duration of the delay in expression of PchiA differed with the inducer used, with chitobiose inducing the activity most rapidly. The minimum concentration of chitobiose needed for induction was 1 microM. It appears, therefore, that an efficient inducer of the gene for chitinase in S. lividans is chitobiose.     

Vacuolar localization of ethylene-induced chitinase in bean leaves

The localization of ethylene-induced endochitinase was studied in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv Saxa) leaves. The specific activity of chitinase in mesophyll protoplasts isolated from the leaves was as high as in tissue homogenates, indicating that most of the enzyme was located intracellularly. Vacuoles isolated and purified from the protoplasts were found to contain most of the intracellular chitinase activity.     

苏云金芽胞杆菌CcpA蛋白对几丁质酶基因chiA和chiB的表达调控作用

【目的】研究苏云金芽胞杆菌Bti75中糖代谢蛋白Ccp A对两种几丁质酶基因chi A和chi B的表达调控。【方法】利用PREDetector软件分析Bti75 chi A和chi B的基因上游区序列,EMSA方法在体外验证Ccp A是否能与chi A和chi B基因的启动子区域片段特异性结合。构建ccp A基因敲除载体以获得敲除突变株Δccp A,运用实时荧光定量PCR技术和Western blot技术比较有无葡萄糖存在的情况下,Ccp A对chi A和chi B基因表达的影响。【结果】计算机分析显示,chi B上游启动子区存在一个潜在的Ccp A结合位点crechi B,而chi A上游启动子区未发现类似序列。体外实验表明,Ccp A蛋白在共阻遏蛋白Hpr-Ser45-P的参与下可与chi B基因启动子区特异性结合,而与chi A基因启动子区没有特异性结合;实时荧光定量PCR和Western blot结果均显示,Bti75中ccp A基因敲除后,同样在葡萄糖存在下chi B的表达量提高而chi A的表达量变化不明显。【结论】在葡萄糖存在的情况下,Ccp A蛋白能抑制苏云金芽胞杆菌中几丁质酶chi B的表达,而chi A的表达不受Ccp A调控。     

Stress responses in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). 8. Cis-elements and trans-acting factors for the quantitative expression of a bean chalcone synthase gene promoter in electroporated alfalfa protoplasts

A chimeric gene consisting of a bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) chalcone synthase (CHS) promoter fused to a bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene was strongly expressed, and further induced by fungal elicitor, when electroporated into alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) suspension cell protoplasts. Functional analysis of 5 deletions of the CHS promoter-CAT construct in these protoplasts indicated that the region between –326 and –130 contained both activator and silencer elements. Co-electroporation experiments confirmed that these cis-acting elements were binding sites for functionally active trans factors. In vitro DNase I footprinting revealed four potential binding sites for alfalfa suspension cell nuclear proteins between positions –326 and –130 of the CHS promoter. These sites mapped to regions shown to contain functional cis-acting elements on the basis of the deletion analysis. Three of these sites mapped to previously identified binding sites for bean nuclear proteins. Competition gel retardation analysis using oligonucleotide probes containing binding site sequences revealed sequence-specific binding of alfalfa nuclear proteins to an AT-rich element and a putative GT-1 factor consensus binding sequence. Our results define cis elements and their cognate trans factors functionally active in determining the quantitative expression of a defense response gene in a heterologous transient expression system.Abbreviations CAT chloramphenicol acetyltransferase - CHS chalcone synthase (EC 2.3.1.74) - PAL L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (EC 4.3.1.5)     

Self-fusion of protoplasts enhances chitinase production and biocontrol activity in Trichoderma harzianum

Protoplasts were isolated from Trichoderma harzianum strain PTh18 using lysing enzymes and self-fusion of T. harzianum protoplasts was carried out using polyethylene glycol in STC buffer. The fused protoplasts of T. harzianum were regenerated and 15 self-fusants were selected to study the chitinase production and biocontrol activity. High chitinase activity was measured in the culture filtrates of most of the self-fusants (87%) than the parent. Among the fusants, the strain SFTh8 produced maximum chitinase with a two-fold increase as compared to the parent strain. All the self-fusants exhibited increased antagonistic activity against Rhizoctonia solani than the parent. The crude chitinase preparation of SFTh8 lysed the mycelia of T. harzianum, Trichoderma viride and Trichoderma reesei and released the protoplasts in higher number than the crude chitinase preparation of parent strain PTh18.