Lectin genes from the legume Medicago truncatula

We report the cloning and characterization of two lectin genes from Medicago truncatula, designated Mtlec1 and Mtlec2. The two genes show a high degree of homology and apparently belong to a small multigene family. Mtlec1 appears to encode a functional lectin with 277 amino acids, whereas Mtlec2 is probably non-functional, since a frameshift mutation (insertion of two nucleotides) leads to premature translation termination after only 98 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of the polypeptide MtLEC1 suggests that this lectin is a metalloprotein with Glc/Man specificity.     

A plasma membrane zinc transporter from Medicago truncatula is up-regulated in roots by Zn fertilization,yet down-regulated by arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization

Here we present a Zn transporter cDNA named MtZIP2 from the model legume Medicago truncatula. MtZIP2 encodes a putative 37 kDa protein with 8-membrane spanning domains and has moderate amino acid identity with the Arabidopsis thaliana Zn transporter AtZIP2p. MtZIP2 complemented a Zn-uptake mutant of yeast implying that the protein encoded by this gene can transport Zn across the yeast's plasma membrane. The product of a MtZIP2-GFP fusion construct introduced into onion cells by particle bombardment likewise localized to the plasma membrane. The MtZIP2 gene was expressed in roots and stems, but not in leaves of M. truncatula and, in contrast to all other plant Zn transporters characterized thus far, MtZIP2 was up-regulated in roots by Zn fertilization. Expression was highest in roots exposed to a toxic level of Zn. MtZIP2 expression was also examined in the roots of M. truncatula when colonized by the obligate plant symbiont, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, since AM fungi are renowned for their ability to supply plants with mineral nutrients, including Zn. Expression was down-regulated in the roots of the mycorrhizal plants and was associated with a reduced level of Zn within the host plant tissues.     

Defensin gene family in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago truncatula:</Emphasis> structure,expression and induction by signal molecules

A large gene family encoding the putative cysteine-rich defensins was discovered in Medicago truncatula. Sixteen members of the family were identified by screening a cloned seed defensin from M. sativa (Gao et al. 2000) against the Institute for Genomic Research’s (TIGR) M. truncatula gene index (MtGI version 7). Based on the comparison of their amino acid sequences, M. truncatula defensins fell arbitrarily into three classes displaying extensive sequence divergence outside of the eight canonical cysteine residues. The presence of Class II defensins is reported for the first time in a legume plant. In silico as well as Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses indicated these genes were expressed in a variety of tissues including leaves, flowers, developing pods, mature seed and roots. The expression of these genes was differentially induced in response to a variety of biotic and abiotic stimuli. For the first time, a defensin gene (TC77480) was shown to be induced in roots in response to infection by the mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus versiforme. Northern blot analysis indicated that the tissue-specific expression patterns of the cloned Def1 and Def2 genes differed substantially between M. truncatula and M. sativa. Furthermore, the induction profiles of the Def1 and Def2 genes in response to the signaling molecules methyl jasmonate, ethylene and salicylic acid differed markedly between these two legumes.     

Efficient somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from long-term cell suspension cultures of Medicago Truncatula cv. Jemalong

Summary Plants were suecessfully régenerated via somatic embryos from 3-yr-old cell suspension cultures of Medicago truncatula Gaertin. cv. Jemalong line M9-10a. The cultures were originally initiated from callus induced in well-expanded leaflets of 30 d in vitro-grown plants, Suspension cultures were established in stirred-liquid Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal salts and vitamins supplemented with 2.3 μM 2.4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2.3 μM kinetin (Kin) and subeultured weekly. Somatic embryogenesis induction step was conducted in liquid MS medium containing 0.45 μM 2,4-D and 0.91 μM zeatin (Zea), during 1,2, and 3wk after subculture. Induced and non-induced cultures were transferred to solid embryo proliferation medium [EPM-MS basal salts and vitamins solidified with 0.2% (w/v) gelrite]. Somatic embryos developed until the late torpedo/dicotyledonary stages. We found that the best condition for the development of somatic embryos was achieved when suspension cultures were not subjected to the induction step. Induction of 1 and 2 wk led to a decrease in the recovery of somatic embryos and the 3-wk treatment resulted in no differentiation of somatic embryos. Plant regeneration was obtained in all conditions (except for 3wk induction) when embryos were transferred to an embryo conversion medium [ECM, similar to EPM but solidified with 0.7% (w/v) agar]. Embryo conversion rates were 54.5±1.6, 52.5±18.5, and 41.6±8.4% for 0, 1, and 2 wk induction treatments, respectively. These plants were successfully transferred to the greenhouse where they matured and produced seeds.     

Diversity of Sinorhizobium Meliloti and S. medicae Nodulating Medicago Truncatula According to Host and Soil Origins

Summary The model legume Medicago truncatula was used to trap natural populations of Sinorhizobium meliloti and Sinorhizobium medicae in Tunisian soils to explore their genetic diversity. About 155 Sinorhizobium isolates were trapped from a combination of three soils and four Medicago truncatula populations in order to analyse soil and plant population effects on nodulating Sinorhizobium diversity. The species assignment was done according to the restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR/RFLP) of 16S rRNA genes and their infraspecific genetic diversity was assessed with the repetitive extragenic palindromic-polymerase chain reaction (REP-PCR) technique. It appeared that the trapped bacteria were clustered according to the soil of origin, particularly Sinorhizobium medicae isolates. However, regarding the plant population effect, it appeared that no major clustering tendency could be suggested even if the Bulla Regia and Soliman Medicago truncatula populations appeared to nodulate together specific Sinorhizobium medicae genotypes.     

蒺藜苜蓿LBD转录因子基因家族全基因组分析

LBD是植物中所特有的转录因子基因家族,在调控植物侧生组织发育、营养代谢以及响应逆境胁迫等方面具有重要作用。该研究利用生物信息学手段,从全基因组水平筛选和鉴定了蒺藜苜蓿LBD基因家族,并对基因结构、系统进化、进化压力、保守域、染色体定位以及基因表达模式等进行了分析。研究结果共鉴定出2类5亚类共计56个蒺藜苜蓿LBD家族基因,在8条染色体上均有分布,但分布不均匀。该家族成员外显子数目都不超过2个,结构简单,基因间在进化时存在负向选择作用。基因表达模式分析发现,该家族成员的表达具有一定的时空特异性,并受干旱和氮素调控。该研究结果对蒺藜苜蓿LBD基因功能研究及进化分析具有重要的意义。     

Sequence Analyses and Phylogenetic Characterization of the ZIP Family of Metal Ion Transport Proteins

Several novel but similar heavy metal ion transporters, Zrt1, Zrt2, Zip1-4 and Irt1, have recently been characterized. Zrt1, Zrt2 and Zip1-4 are probably zinc transporters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Arabidopsis thaliana whereas Irt1 appears to play a role in iron uptake in A. thaliana. The family of proteins including these functionally characterized transporters has been designated the Zrt- and Irt-related protein (ZIP) family. In this report, ZIP family proteins in the current databases were identified and multiply aligned, and a phylogenetic tree for the family was constructed. A family specific signature sequence was derived, and the available sequences were analyzed for residues of potential functional significance. A fully conserved intramembranous histidyl residue, present within a putative amphipathic, α-helical, transmembrane spanning segment, was identified which may serve as a part of an intrachannel heavy metal ion binding site. The occurrence of a proposed extramembranal metal binding motif (H X H X H) was examined in order to evaluate its potential functional significance for various members of the family. The computational analyses reported in this topical review should serve as a guide to future researchers interested in the structure-function relationships of ZIP family proteins. Received: 31 March 1997/Revised: 14 May 1998     

Ion allocation in two different salt-tolerant Mediterranean Medicago species

The relationship between Na+, major cation concentrations and salt tolerance under long-term saline conditions of Medicago arborea and Medicago citrina was studied. Plants were grown in solution culture in 1, 50, 100, or 200 mmol/L NaCl for 30 days in a climate-controlled greenhouse. Stem and petiole growth was the most affected by salt in both species. Leaf growth was inhibited in M. arborea, with increased salt, while only the 200 mmol/L NaCl-treated M. citrina plants were significantly affected. Both species had the highest Na+ concentrations in the shoots, however, the allocation pattern was different; M. arborea showed the highest concentrations in the leaf blades, whereas M. citrina distributed the salt into the petioles. K+/Na+ ratio decreased with salt in both species; however, leaf K+ use efficiency (g leaf DW mg-1 leaf K+) was higher in M. citrina. The difference in Na+ allocation and cation concentrations found in these medic species and their importance is discussed in relation to their response to NaCl salinity.     

Medicago truncatula,a model plant for studying the molecular genetics of theRhizobium-legume symbiosis

Medicago truncatula has all the characteristics required for a concerted analysis of nitrogen-fixing symbiosis withRhizobium using the tools of molecular biology, cellular biology and genetics.M. truncatula is a diploid and autogamous plant has a relatively small genome, and preliminary molecular analysis suggests that allelic heterozygosity is minimal compared with the cross-fertilising tetraploid alfalfa (Medicago sativa). TheM. truncatula cultivar Jemalong is nodulated by theRhizobium meliloti strain 2011, which has already served to define many of the bacterial genes involved in symbiosis with alfalfa. A genotype of Jemalong has been identified which can be regenerated after transformation byAgrobacterium, thus allowing the analysis ofin-vitro-modified genes in an homologous transgenic system. Finally, by virtue of the diploid, self-fertilising and genetically homogeneous character ofM. truncatula, it should be relatively straightforward to screen for recessive mutations in symbiotic genes, to carry out genetic analysis, and to construct an RFLP map for this plant.     

Identification of a multigene family encoding putative beta-glucan-binding proteins in Medicago truncatula

Branched 1,6-1,3-beta-glucans from Phytophthora sojae cell walls represent pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that have been shown to mediate the activation of plant defence reactions in many legumes. In soybean, a receptor protein complex containing a high affinity beta-glucan-binding protein (GBP) was identified and investigated in detail. In the model legume Medicago truncatula, used for functional genomic studies of various plant-microbe interactions, a high-affinity beta-glucan-binding site was characterized biochemically. However, to date, none of the genes encoding GBPs from M. truncatula have been described. Here, we report the identification of four full-length clones encoding putative beta-glucan-binding proteins from M. truncatula, MtGBP1, 2, 3, and 4, composing a multigene family encoding GBP-related proteins in this plant. Differences in expression patterns as well as in regulation on treatment with two different biotic elicitors are demonstrated for the members of the GBP family and for a selection of defence-related genes.     

Embryo induction and regeneration from root explants of Medicago truncatula after osmotic pre-treatment

Embryo induction and regeneration from suspension culture of two Medicago truncatula cvs. (cv. R 108 1 and cv. Jemalong) have been studied. The influence of osmotic pre-treatment (1 M solution of sucrose for 48 h and 72 h) of roots as an initial explant, on embryogenic efficiency of the suspension culture was assessed. In comparison to the control, the level of abscisic acid (ABA) increased significantly after osmotic stress. The increased ABA level did not correlate with the induction of embryogenesis neither with the improved embryogenic potential of cv. R 108 1. The shortest regeneration period and the highest percent of conversion to plants were found in cv. R 108 1 after 72-h pre-treatment of roots. The efficiency of somatic embryo conversion was less after 48-h pre-treatment and much less for the untreated control. Osmotic stress did not positively affect the process of embryogenesis from root explants of cv. Jemalong, confirming its cultivar dependence. A single cell suspension fraction was produced in both Medicago trunacatula cvs. during the somatic embryo maturation stage. A higher embryogenic potential than the initial suspension culture was established only for the cell suspension originating from 72-h pre-treated roots of cv. R 108 1. The data confirms that the process of somatic embryo induction and embryo conversion from root explants of cv. R 108 1 could be promoted by osmotic stress pre-treatment.     

Microsynteny between pea and Medicago truncatula in the SYM2 region

The crop legume pea (Pisum sativum) is genetically well characterized. However, due to its large genome it is not amenable to efficient positional cloning strategies. The purpose of this study was to determine if the model legume Medicago truncatula, which is a close relative of pea, could be used as a reference genome to facilitate the cloning of genes identified based on phenotypic and genetic criteria in pea. To this end, we studied the level of microsynteny between the SYM2 region of pea and the orthologous region in M. truncatula. Initially, a marker tightly linked to SYM2 was isolated by performing differential RNA display on near-isogenic pea lines. This marker served as the starting point for construction of a BAC physical map in M. truncatula. A fine-structure genetic map, based on eight markers from the M. truncatula physical map, indicates that the two genomes in this region share a conserved gene content. Importantly, this fine structure genetic map clearly delimits the SYM2-containing region in pea and the SYM2-orthologous region in M. truncatula, and should provide the basis for cloning SYM2. The utility of the physical and genetic tools in M. truncatula to dissect the SYM2 region of pea should have important implications for other gene cloning experiments in pea, in particular where the two genomes are highly syntenic within the region of interest.     

Molecular Evolution and Positive Selection of the Symbiotic Gene NORK in Medicago truncatula

Understanding the selective constraints of partner specificity in mutually beneficial symbiosis is a significant, yet largely unexplored, prospect of evolutionary biology. These selective constraints can be explored through the study of nucleotide polymorphism at loci controlling specificity. The membrane-anchored receptor NORK (nodulation receptor kinase) of the legume Medicago truncatula controls early steps of root infection by two symbiotic microorganisms: nitrogen-fixing bacteria (rhizobia) and endomycorrhizal fungi (Glomales). We analyzed the diversity of the gene NORK by sequencing 4 kilobases in 28 inbred lines sampled from natural populations. We detected 33 polymorphic sites with only one nonsynonymous change. Analysis based on Tajima’s D and Fay and Wu’s H summary statistics revealed no departure from the neutral model. We analyzed divergence using sequences from the closely related species M. coerulea. The McDonald-Kreitman test indicated a significant excess of nonsynonymous changes contributing to this divergence. Furthermore, maximum-likelihood analysis of a molecular phylogeny of a few legume species indicated that a number of amino acid sites, likely located in the receptor domain of the protein, evolved under the regime of positive selection. Further research should focus on the rate and direction of molecular coevolution between microorganisms’ signaling molecules and legumes’ receptors. [Reviewing Editor: Dr. Deborah Charlesworth] Sequence data were deposited in the GenBank database under accession nos. AY676428 to AY676457 and AJ884582.     

小麦MBD基因家族的鉴定和特征分析

MBD蛋白是一类与甲基化DNA结合的反式作用因子,在植物生长发育调控过程中发挥重要功能。该研究以‘中国春’小麦为材料,利用生物信息学方法分析了小麦基因组中MBD基因家族成员的组成、序列特征、染色体定位和表达模式,利用qRT-PCR技术分析TaMBD6和TaMBD9基因的时空表达模式。结果显示:(1)小麦MBD基因家族包含16个成员(44个基因位点)分布于第1、2、5、6和7号染色体群;聚类分析表明,小麦MBD蛋白分别属于第Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅴ、Ⅶ和Ⅷ亚类,其中第Ⅱ、Ⅲ和Ⅷ亚类的MBD蛋白含有5个识别甲基化DNA的保守位点;基因结构分析显示,小麦MBD基因家族成员的内含子数目在1～10之间,启动子区域普遍存在光响应和激素应答元件,且基因组结构特征在同一亚类内高度相似。(2)RNA-Seq数据的基因表达谱分析显示,小麦MBD基因家族多数成员在穗和籽粒发育早期均有较高的表达水平,而且部分成员对干旱和热胁迫有明显响应。(3)qRT-PCR分析显示,TaMBD6和TaMBD9的3个部分同源基因在不同组织间差异表达,但均在幼穗中表达量最高。结果表明,小麦MBD基因可能在小麦发育及非生物胁迫响应过程中发挥调控功能,为进一步探讨小麦MBD基因的功能奠定了基础。     

苜蓿叶绿素合成酶(CHLG)编码基因的表达及对生物量的影响

叶绿素由一系列酶促反应催化生成,其最后一步是叶绿素合成酶(chlorophyll synthase,CHLG)催化合成叶绿素a和叶绿素b.该实验主要以蒺藜苜蓿(Medicago truncatula)生态型R108和两种不同秋眠级紫花苜蓿(Medicago sativa)为材料,采用生物信息学方法对蒺藜苜蓿叶绿素合成酶...     

Phylogenetics of New World Astragalus: Screening of novel nuclear loci for the reconstruction of phylogenies at low taxonomic levels

This study explores methods to use information gathered from genomics technology to understand evolutionary relationships in the hyperdiverse legume group Neo-Astragalus. These species inhabit deserts and mountains of North and South America, and even though the monophyly of the group is well established, relationships within it are still poorly understood. Plastid genes, commonly used to infer phylogenies in plants, are usually not useful for closely related taxa because of low levels of genetic variation. TheMedicago truncatula genome project provided a suite of candidate nuclear loci with high levels of variation that might prove suitable for low-level phylogenetics. This paper reports the development of methods for screening a large number of these nuclear loci, and detailed analysis of four of them. Four different patterns of phylogenetic diversification occur in the loci sampled from these genomes ofAstragalus species. One locus (CNGC4) was single copy and could be directly used in phylogenetic analyses. Two loci (ARG10 and FENR) showed patterns strongly suggestive of duplication events in some taxa, and one locus (tRALS) has apparently undergone a cryptic duplication, making it very difficult to diagnose. Potential methods for using the information provided by these loci are discussed.     

Microtubule dynamics in root hairs of Medicago truncatula

The microtubular cytoskeleton plays an important role in the development of tip-growing plant cells, but knowledge about its dynamics is incomplete. In this study, root hairs of the legume Medicago truncatula have been chosen for a detailed analysis of microtubular cytoskeleton dynamics using GFP-MBD and EB1-YFP as markers and 4D imaging. The microtubular cytoskeleton appears mainly to be composed of bundles which form tracks along which new microtubules polymerise. Polymerisation rates of microtubules are highest in the tip of growing root hairs. Treatment of root hairs with Nod factor and latrunculin B result in a twofold decrease in polymerisation rate. Nonetheless, no direct, physical interaction between the actin filament cytoskeleton and microtubules could be observed. A new picture of how the plant cytoskeleton is organised in apically growing root hairs emerges from these observations, revealing similarities with the organisation in other, non-plant, tip-growing cells.