Expression and Purification of Integral Membrane Fatty Acid Desaturases

Fatty acid desaturase enzymes perform dehydrogenation reactions leading to the insertion of double bonds in fatty acids, and are divided into soluble and integral membrane classes. Crystal structures of soluble desaturases are available; however, membrane desaturases have defied decades of efforts due largely to the difficulty of generating recombinant desaturase proteins for crystallographic analysis. Mortierella alpina is an oleaginous fungus which possesses eight membrane desaturases involved in the synthesis of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Here, we describe the successful expression, purification and enzymatic assay of three M. alpina desaturases (FADS15, FADS12, and FADS9-I). Estimated yields of desaturases with purity >95% are approximately 3.5% (Ca. 4.6 mg/L of culture) for FADS15, 2.3% (Ca. 2.5 mg/L of culture) for FADS12 and 10.7% (Ca. 37.5 mg/L of culture) for FADS9-I. Successful expression of high amounts of recombinant proteins represents a critical step towards the structural elucidation of membrane fatty acid desaturases.     

植物脂肪酸去饱和酶及其编码基因研究进展

脂肪酸去饱和酶是催化脂肪酸链特定位置形成双键和产生不饱和脂肪酸的酶类。植物脂肪酸去饱和酶主要有5种(FAD2、FAD3、FAD6、FAD7和FAD8), 可分为ω-3型 (FAD2、FAD6)和ω-6型(FAD3、FAD7、FAD8)两大类。其编码基因(FAD2、FAD3、FAD6、FAD7和FAD8)在植物中一般有多个拷贝。同种基因在不同植物中拷贝数不同, 同一植物中相同基因的不同拷贝间在序列特征、表达调控和功能等方面也存在显著差异。本文根据国内外对脂肪酸去饱和酶基因及编码产物的研究现状, 分别从它们的分类、拷贝数、结构、作用机制、表达调控等方面的研究进展进行了详细的分类阐述。     

植物脂肪酸去饱和酶及其编码基因研究进展

脂肪酸去饱和酶是催化脂肪酸链特定位置形成双键和产生不饱和脂肪酸的酶类。植物脂肪酸去饱和酶主要有5种（FAD2、FAD3、FAD6、FAD7和FAD8）,可分为ω-3型（FAD2、FAD6）和ω-6型（FAD3、FAD7、FAD8）两大类。其编码基因（FAD2、FAD3、FAD6、FAD7和FADS）在植物中一般有多个拷贝。同种基因在不同植物中拷贝数不同,同一植物中相同基因的不同拷贝间在序列特征、表达调控和功能等方面也存在显著差异。本文根据国内外对脂肪酸去饱和酶基因及编码产物的研究现状,分别从它们的分类、拷贝数、结构、作用机制、表达调控等方面的研究进展进行了详细的分类阐述。     

Nicardipine and Nifedipine Inhibit Fatty Acid Desaturases in Rat Liver Microsomes

Nicardipine and nifedipine, Ca channel blockers, inhibited rat liver microsomal desaturases, though verapamil, methoxyverapamil, cinnarizine, flunarizine, and diltiazem did not. However, nicardipine and nifedipine apparently did not inhibit the fungal desaturation in Mortierella alpina 1S-4. Nicardipine inhibited rat liver microsomal Δ5 desaturase specifically (50% inhibitory concentration, 170 μm), and nifedipine inhibited Δ6 desaturase specifically (78 μm). The inhibition by nicardipine and nifedipine is uncompetitive, the K_i values for Δ5 and Δ6 desaturases being 62 and 44 μm, respectively.     

植物脂肪酸脱饱和酶特性及转基因研究进展

脂肪酸代谢是有机体的基本代谢之一。植物体内首先合成的是饱和脂肪酸,然后在脂肪酸脱饱和酶作用下形成不饱和脂肪酸。目前已经从很多植物中克隆到了脂肪酸合成相关的酶,并对其功能进行了鉴定。详细介绍了近年来应用基因工程技术对植物油中不饱和脂肪酸含量和组分进行改造所取得的进展,并对其在植物抗性育种中的应用进行了展望。     

三个编码富含甘氨酸异构体的基因在棉花不同组织的差异表达

从棉花cDNA文库中分离了3个编码富含甘氨酸蛋白（glycine-rich proteins, GRPs）的基因,分别命名为GhGRP1、GhGRP2、GhGRP3.推断的编码蛋白质的氨基酸序列都富含甘氨酸,甘氨酸含量超过40%.而且GhGRP1和GhGRP2蛋白质序列同源性高达99%,仅在C末端有1个氨基酸残基（Arg/Pro）的差别.这3个蛋白在富含甘氨酸区相互显示较高的同源性,GhGRP1与GhGRP2达到100%,而GhGRP2与GhGRP3达到45.1%,但它们与基因数据库中其它蛋白质的同源性很低.根据结构域的组织特点,将GhGRP1和GhGRP2归为C端富含半胱氨酸结构域(C-cysteine-rich )类GRP,将GhGRP3归为N端有信号肽的GRP. GhGRP1和GhGRP2都含有12个GGX （此处X代表P/W/F）重复,GhGRP3含有22个GGX(此处X代表A/F/V/L/T/P)重复.此外,它们还含有不同数量GX, GGGX等的重复.实时RT-PCR分析表明,GhGRP1在花药中优势表达.GhGRP2在10 dpa(day post anthesis)胚珠中表达最强,10 dpa纤维和下胚轴次之,而在花药、根和花瓣中表达量相对较低.GhGRP3在花药,根和下胚轴中表达量较高,而在子叶,花瓣、纤维和胚珠中表达较低.上述结果表明, GhPRP基因家族的不同成员可能分别在棉花不同组织细胞的发育过程中发挥作用.     

Molecular Characterization of Puroindolines and their Encoding Genes in Aegilops Ventricosa

Puroindolines, the tryptophan-rich proteins controlling grain hardness in wheat, appeared as two pairs of 13 kDa polypeptides in the Acid-PAGE (A-PAGE) and two-dimensional A-PAGE×SDS-PAGE patterns of starch-granule proteins from wild allotetraploid wheat Aegilops ventricosa Tausch. (2n = 4x = 28, genomes D^vD^vN^vN^v). Puroindoline pair a1 + a2 reacted strongly with an antiserum specific for puroindoline-a from common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), whereas puroindoline pair b1 + b2 exhibited A-PAGE relative mobilities similar to that of puroindoline-b in Aegilops tauschii (Coss.), the D-genome donor to both common wheat and Ae. ventricosa. Puroindolines a2 and b1 were found to be encoded by alleles Pina-D1a and Pinb-D1h on chromosome 5D^v, respectively, whereas puroindolines a1 and b2 were assumed to be under the genetic control of chromosome 5N^v. Puroindoline a1 encoded by the novel Pina-N1a allele exhibited a high level of amino acid variation with respect to puroindoline-a. On the other hand, the tryptophan-rich region of puroindoline b2 encoded by allele Pinb-N1a showed a sequence change from lysine-42 to arginine, with no effect on the amount of protein b2 accumulated on the starch granules. A partial duplication of the pin-B gene (Pinb-relic) was identified about 1100 bp downstream from Pinb-D1 on chromosome 5D^v. The present findings are the first evidence of a tetraploid wheat species in which four puroindoline genes are expressed. The potential of Ae. ventricosa as a source of genes that may be used to modulate endosperm texture and other valuable traits in cultivated wheat species is discussed.     

The Evolution of Fatty Acid Desaturases and Cytochrome b5 in Eukaryotes

Desaturases that introduce double bonds into the fatty acids are involved in the adaptation of membrane fluidity to changes in the environment. Besides, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are increasingly recognized as important pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compounds. To successfully engineer organisms with increased stress tolerance or the ability to synthesize valuable PUFAs, detailed knowledge about the complexity of the desaturase family as well as understanding of the coevolution of desaturases and their cytochrome b5 electron donors is needed. We have constructed phylogenies of several hundred desaturase sequences from animals, plants, fungi and bacteria and of the cytochrome b5 domains that are fused to some of these enzymes. The analysis demonstrates the existence of three major desaturase acyl-CoA groups that share few similarities. Our results indicate that the fusion of Δ⁶-desaturase-like enzymes with their cytochrome b5 electron donor was a single event that took place in the common ancestor of all eukaryotes. We also propose the Δ⁶-desaturase-like enzymes as the most probable donor of the cytochrome b5 domain found in fungal Δ⁹-desaturases and argue that the recombination most likely happened soon after the separation of the animal and fungal ancestors. These findings answer some of the previously unresolved questions and contribute to the quickly expanding field of research on desaturases.     

Characterization of the Fatty Acid Desaturase Genes in Cucumber: Structure,Phylogeny, and Expression Patterns

Fatty acid desaturases (FADs) introduce double bonds into the hydrocarbon chains of fatty acids to produce unsaturated fatty acids, and therefore play a critical role in plant development and acclimation to environmental stresses. In this study, 23 full-length FAD genes in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) were identified through database searches, including three CsFAB2 genes, two CsFAD2 genes, fourteen CsFAD5 genes, and one gene each for CsFAD3, CsFAD4, CsFAD6 and CsFAD7. These cucumber FAD genes were distributed on all seven chromosomes and two additional scaffolds. Based on a phylogenetic analysis, the cucumber FAD proteins were clustered into five subfamilies with their counterparts from other plants. Gene structures and protein sequences were considerably conserved in each subfamily. All three CsFAB2 proteins shared conserved structure with the known plant soluble FAD proteins. The other cucumber FADs belonged to the membrane-bound FADs and contained three highly conserved histidine boxes. Additionally, the putative endoplasmic reticulum retention signal was found at the C-termini of the CsFAD2 and CsFAD3 proteins, while the N-termini of CsFAD4, CsFAD5, CsFAD6, CsFAD7 and three CsFAB2s contained a predicted chloroplast signal peptide, which was consistent with their associated metabolic pathways. Furthermore, a gene expression analysis showed that CsFAD2 and CsFAD3 were universally expressed in all tested tissues, whereas the other cucumber FAD genes were preferentially expressed in the cotyledons or leaves. The tissue-specific expression patterns of cucumber FAD genes were correlated well with the differences in the fatty acid compositions ofroots and leaves. Finally, the cucumber FAD genes showed a cold-induced and heat-repressed expression pattern, although with distinct regulatory time courses among the different CsFAD members, which indicates the potential roles of the FADs in temperature stress resistance in cucumber.     

Fatty Acid Methyl Ester Profiles for Characterization of Glomalean Fungi and Their Endomycorrhizae

Arbuscule-forming fungi in the order Glomales form obligate endomycorrhizal associations with plants that make them difficult to quantify, and taxonomy of the group is only beginning to be objectively understood. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles were analyzed to assess the diversity and quantity of fatty acids in 53 isolates of 24 glomalean species. Spores and endomycorrhizal roots of sudan grass (Sorghum sudanense) and the citrus rootstock Carrizo citrange (Poncirus trifoliata x Citrus sinensis) were examined. Spores yielded reproducible FAME profiles from replicate spore collections extracted from soil pot cultures despite being grown in association with a host plant and with contaminating microorganisms present. Unweighted pair group analysis revealed relatively tight clusters of groups at the intraspecific, specific, and generic levels; however, lipid profiles at the family level were convergent. Thus, FAME profile comparisons provided a robust measure of similarity below the family level. FAME profiles in sudan grass roots containing vesicles and/or spores of Glomus intraradices were more similar to spore profiles than to profiles from nonmycorrhizal roots. The FAME profiles for Gigaspora species, which do not form vesicles or spores in roots, were less distinct from nonmycorrhizal roots. G. intraradices and G. rosea produced fatty acids in roots that were distinguishable from each other as well as from the host root. Production in citrus roots of the fatty acid 16:1(inf(omega)5) cis by two Glomus species was correlated with the development of mycorrhizal colonization as measured by clearing and staining procedures and by estimates of total incidence and vesicle intensity. FAME analysis of roots not only provided a measure of colonization development but also served as an index of carbon allocated to intraradical fungal growth and lipid storage.     

Distribution and characterization of simple sequence repeats in Gossypium raimondii genome

Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) can be derived from the complete genome sequence. These markers are important for gene mapping as well as marker-assisted selection (MAS). To develop SSRs for cotton gene mapping, we selected the complete genome sequence of Gossypium raimondii, which consisted of 4447 non-redundant scaffolds. Out of 775.2 Mb sequence examined, a total of 136,345 microsatellites were identified with a density of 5.69 kb per SSR in the G. raimondii genome leading to development of 112,177 primer pairs. The distributions of SSRs in the genome were non-random. Among the different motifs ranging from 1 to 6 bp, penta-nucleotide repeats were most abundant (30.5%), followed by tetra-nucleotide repeats (18.2%) and di-nucleotide repeats (16.9%). Among all identified 457 motif types, the most frequently occurring repeat motifs were poly-AT/TA, which accounted for 79.8% of the total di-nt SSRs, followed by AAAT/TTTA with 51.5% of the total tetra-nucleotede. Further, 18,834 microsatellites were detected from the protein-coding genes, and the frequency of gene containing SSRs was 46.0% in 40,976 genes of G. raimondii. These genome-based SSRs developed in the present study will lay the groundwork for developing large numbers of SSR markers for genetic mapping, gene discovery, genetic diversity analysis, and MAS breeding in cotton.     

低温对茶树叶片膜脂脂肪酸和蛋白质的影响

本文研究低温胁迫过程中龙井43和大叶云峰叶片膜脂脂肪酸的变化。结果发现,低温下不同品种茶树叶片膜脂脂肪酸配比变化趋势不同,较抗寒的龙井43,不饱和脂肪酸指数(IUFA)和亚麻酸(183)比例随低温期间不同阶段呈现出"低-高-低"的变化趋势;而不抗寒的大叶云峰的变化趋势无明显规律性。此外,还研究了越冬过程中龙井43叶片可溶性蛋白和膜蛋白的变化,发现低温期间龙井43叶片可溶性蛋白含量和组分基本稳定,而膜蛋白含量在低温胁迫时大幅度上升,且经低温诱导出现了46KD、38KD两种新的蛋白组分,并在温度升高后消失。     

n-6脂肪酸去饱和酶fat-1基因对神经元细胞凋亡的抑制作用

将C．elegans n-6脂肪酸去饱和酶基因fat-1的cDNA插入到腺病毒的穿梭载体pAd-CMV中,并与骨架载体同源重组,构建腺病毒重组体（Ad．GFP．fat1）,通过包装细胞系（293）产生重组腺病毒,感染原代培养的大鼠皮层细胞．在显微镜下观察、细胞增殖试剂盒（MTT）和凋亡染色试剂盒分析fat-1基因对大鼠皮层细胞凋亡的影响,核糖核酸酶保护性分析,检测fat-1基因在大鼠皮层细胞内的表达,酶联免疫分析花生四烯酸类（Eicosanoids）前列腺素（Prostaglandin E2）的含量．结果表明,通过基因重组技术,得到预期的重组病毒;fat-1基因在原代培养的大鼠皮层细胞中能有效异源表达,2d后,可检测到fat-1 mRNA的条带,与对照Ad．GFP细胞相比,fat-1基因明显抑制了大鼠皮层细胞因诱导产生的凋亡（35％）,受保护细胞的前列腺素含量也明显地减少（30％）．     

雷蒙德氏棉HSP70基因家族的进化分析及其同源基因在陆地棉中的表达分析

热激蛋白70家族(HSP70)是一类在植物中高度保守的分子伴侣蛋白,在细胞中协助蛋白质正确折叠。文章利用隐马可链夫模型(HMM)在雷蒙德氏棉(Gossypium raimondii L.)全基因组范围内进行HSP70基因家族成员进化分析,共得到30个HSP70家族成员。利用生物信息学对雷蒙德氏棉HSP70基因的结构、染色体分布、基因倍增模式以及系统进化进行分析,结果表明,HSP70基因家族根据亚细胞定位结果可分为不同的基因亚家族,各亚家族中HSP70基因具有相对保守的基因结构;染色体片段重复和串联重复是雷蒙德氏棉HSP70基因家族扩增的主要方式。通过对不同物种的HSP70基因家族进行系统进化分析可知,HSP70亚组的分化发生在单细胞植物形成前,且细胞质型HSP70成员大量扩增。比较陆地棉棉纤维发育不同时期的深度测序表达谱,发现HSP70基因可能参与棉纤维的生长发育。本研究结果有助于了解棉属植物HSP70基因家族的功能,以期为深入研究棉纤维发育过程中的分子调控机理提供基础。