A maize Ds transposable element containing a dihydrofolate reductase gene transposes in Nicotiana tabacum and Arabidopsis thaliana

Summary A mouse dihydrofolate reductase gene (DHFR), encoding an enzyme conferring methotrexate (MTX) resistance, under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35 S promoter, was inserted within a maize nonautonomous Ds transposable element. The presence of at least one element (Ds-DHFR) can easily be monitored using methotrexate selection in plants. This chimeric element is able to transpose at a frequency similar to its unmodified progenitor in transgenic tobacco callus containing an autonomous Ac element. The orientation of the selectable marker cassette in the Ds element does not affect relative excision frequencies. Approximately two-thirds of these elements can be detected after excision while the remaining one-third cannot. The Ds-DHFR element is useful in elucidating the mechanism by which Ac/Ds transposition occurs, and allows for a rapid identification of mutants in which methotrexate resistance cosegregates with a mutant phenotype.     

Development of an efficient two-element transposon tagging system in Arabidopsis thaliana

Summary Modified Ac and Ds elements, in combination with dominant markers (to facilitate monitoring of excision, reinsertion and segregation of the elements) were introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Landsberg erecta. The frequencies of somatic and germinal transactivation of the Ds elements were monitored using a streptomycin resistance assay. Transactivation was significantly higher from a stable Ac (sAc) carrying a 537 by deletion of the CpG-rich 5 untranslated leader of the transposase mRNA than from a wild-type sAc. However, substitution of the central 1.77 kb of the transposase open reading frame (ORF) with a hygromycin resistance marker did not alter the excision frequency of a Ds element. -Glucuronidase (GUS) or iaaH markers were linked to the transposase source to allow the identification of plants in which the transposase source had segregated away from the transposed Ds element, eliminating the possibility of somatic or germinal re-activation. Segregation of the excision marker, Ds and sAc was monitored in the progeny of plants showing germinal excision of Ds. 29% of the plants inheriting the excision marker carried a transposed Ds element.     

The role of subterminal sites of transposable element Ds of Zea mays in excision

Transposition depends on DNA sequences located at or near the termini of the transposon. In the maize transposable element Ds, these sequences were studied by site-directed mutagenesis followed by a transient excision assay in Petunia protoplasts. The transposase-binding AAACGG motifs found in large numbers in the element are important, but none of them is in itself indispensable, for excision. However, mutation of an isolated motif at the 3 end considerably reduced excisability. The inverted termini were confirmed to be indispensable. Point mutations in regions outside the inverted termini of Ds and not located in the transposase-binding motifs had, in some cases, a pronounced effect on excision frequency. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

A two-element Enhancer-Inhibitor transposon system in Arabidopsis thaliana

The Enhancer-Inhibitor (En-I), also known as Suppressor-mutator (Spm-dSpm), transposable element system of maize was modified and introduced into Arabidopsis by Agrobacterium tumefaciens transformation. A stable En/Spm transposase source under control of the CaMV 35S promoter mediated frequent transposition of I/dSpm elements. Transposition occurred continuously throughout plant development over at least seven consecutive plant generations after transformation. New insertions were found at both linked and unlinked positions relative to a transposon donor site. The independent transposition frequency was defined as a transposition parameter, which quantified the rate of unique insertion events and ranged from 7.8% to 29.2% in different populations. An increase as well as a decrease in I/dSpm element copy number was seen at the individual plant level, but not at the population level after several plant generations. The continuous, frequent transposition observed for this transposon system makes it an attractive tool for use in gene tagging in Arabidopsis.     

Ac/Ds transposon mutagenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana: mutant spectrum and frequency of Ds insertion mutants

Using a two-component Ac/Ds system consisting of a stabilized Ac element (Ac_c1) and a non-autonomous element (Ds_A), 650 families of plants carrying independent germinal Ds_A excisions/transpositions were isolated. Progenies of 559 of these Ac_c1/Ds_A families, together with 43 families of plants selected for excision/transposition of wild-type (wt)Ac, were subjected to a broad screening program for mutants exhibiting visible alterations. This resulted in the identification of 48 mutants showing a wide variety of mutant phenotypes, including embryo lethality (24 mutants), chlorophyll defects (5 mutants), defective seedlings (2 mutants), reduced fertility (5 mutants), reduced size (3 mutants), altered leaf morphology (2 mutants), dark green, unexpanded rosette leaves (3 mutants), and aberrant flower or shoot morphology (4 mutants). To test whether these mutants were due to transposon insertions, a series of Southern blot experiments was performed on 28 families, comparing in each case several mutant plants with others showing the wild-type phenotype. A preliminary analysis revealed in 4 of the 28 families analyzed a common, novel Ds_A fragment in all mutant plants, which was present only in heterozygous plants with wt phenotype, as expected for Ds_A insertion mutations. These four mutants included two showing embryo lethality, one with dark green, unexpanded rosette leaves and stunted inflorescences, and one with curly growth of stems, leaves and siliques. Further evidence for Ds_A insertion mutations was obtained for one embryo lethal mutant and for the stunted mutant, while in case of the second embryo lethal mutant, the Ds_A insertion could be separated from the mutant locus by genetic recombination.     

Trans-activation and stable integration of the maize transposable element Ds cotransfected with the Ac transposase gene in transgenic rice plants

To develop an efficient gene tagging system in rice, a plasmid was constructed carrying a non-autonomous maize Ds element in the untranslated leader sequence of a hygromycin B resistance gene fused with the 35S promoter of cauliflower mosaic virus. This plasmid was cotransfected by electroporation into rice protoplasts together with a plasmid containing the maize Ac transposase gene transcribed from the 35S promoter. Five lines of evidence obtained from the analyses of hygromycin B-resistant calli, regenerated plants and their progeny showed that the introduced Ds was trans-activated by the Ac transposase gene in rice. (1) Cotransfection of the two plasmids is necessary for generation of hygromycin B resistant transformants. (2) Ds excision sites are detected by Southern blot hybridization. (3) Characteristic sequence alterations are found at Ds excision sites. (4) Newly integrated Ds is detected in the rice genome. (5) Generation of 8 by target duplications is observed at the Ds integration sites on the rice chromosomes. Our results also show that Ds can be trans-activated by the transiently expressed Ac transposase at early stages of protoplast culture and integrated stably into the rice genome, while the cotransfected Ac transposase gene is not integrated. Segregation data from such a transgenic rice plant carrying no Ac transposase gene showed that four Ds copies were stably integrated into three different chromosomes, one of which also contained the functional hph gene restored by Ds excision. The results indicate that a dispersed distribution of Ds throughout genomes not bearing the active Ac transposase gene can be achieved by simultaneous transfection with Ds and the Ac transposase gene.     

拟南芥基因密码子偏爱性分析

密码子偏爱性对外源基因的表达强度有一定影响,特别是编码蛋白质N端7～8个氨基酸残基的密码子.通过对拟南芥染色体中26 827个蛋白质对应的基因密码子进行分析,得到了编码氨基酸的61种密码子在拟南芥中的使用频率,并与大肠杆菌和哺乳动物进行了比较,结果表明三者间的密码子偏爱性有较大差异.这一分析结果对于动物基因在植物中的表达,及植物基因在微生物中的表达具有一定指导意义.同时提供了一种直接以XML文档为数据源解析巨型XML格式染色体数据的方法.     

In planta transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana

Transformants of Arabidopsis thaliana can be generated without using tissue culture techniques by cutting primary and secondary inflorescence shoots at their bases and inoculating the wound sites with Agrobacterium tumefaciens suspensions. After three successive inoculations, treated plants are grown to maturity, harvested and the progeny screened for transformants on a selective medium. We have investigated the reproducibility and the overall efficiency of this simple in planta transformation procedure. In addition, we determined the T-DNA copy number and inheritance in the transformants and examined whether transformed progeny recovered from the same Agrobacterium-treated plant represent one or several independent transformation events. Our results indicate that in planta transformation is very reproducible and yields stably transformed seeds in 7–8 weeks. Since it does not employ tissue culture, the in planta procedure may be particularly valuable for transformation of A. thaliana ecotypes and mutants recalcitrant to in vitro regeneration. The transformation frequency was variable and was not affected by lower growth temperature, shorter photoperiod or transformation vector. The majority of treated plants gave rise to only one transformant, but up to nine siblings were obtained from a single parental plant. Molecular analysis suggested that some of the siblings originated from a single transformed cell, while others were descended from multiple, independently transformed germ-line cells. More than 90% of the transformed progeny exhibited Mendelian segregation patterns of NPTII and GUS reporter genes. Of those, 60% contained one functional insert, 16% had two T-DNA inserts and 15% segregated for T-DNA inserts at more than two unlinked loci. The remaining transformants displayed non-Mendelian segregation ratios with a very high proportion of sensitive plants among the progeny. The small numbers of transformants recovered from individual T₁ plants and the fact that none of the T₂ progeny were homozygous for a specific T-DNA insert suggest that transformation occurs late in floral development.National Research Council of Canada Publication No. 38003     

GFP基因在新疆小拟南芥和拟南芥中的表达分析

以质粒pMCB30为模板,扩增GFP基因,连接到载体pCMBIA2300-35S-OCS上,构建过量表达载体p35S:GFP,将其转入农杆菌GV3101.通过农杆菌介导法将p35S:GFP载体分别转入新疆特色植物小拟南芥和拟南芥中.T0代经含有卡那霉素的1/2MS培养基筛选,获得了T1代转基因小拟南芥2株,T1代转基因拟南芥9株.通过激光共聚焦显微镜观察,在转基因小拟南芥和拟南芥的根尖细胞中均可检测到GFP绿色荧光蛋白;对转基因植株进行PCR扩增,均可检测到GFP基因,表明GFP基因已成功转入小拟南芥和拟南芥中.该研究建立了小拟南芥的遗传转化体系,为进一步利用GFP基因和进一步研究小拟南芥的功能基因奠定基础.     

UV-B预处理诱导拟南芥耐旱性的提高

为了解UV-B提高拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana)耐旱性的生理机制,将2周龄的野生型拟南芥(WT)和sto突变体幼苗用不同剂量UV-B预处理1周,再用30%PEG模拟干旱处理24 h,对植株的表型进行统计,并测定类黄酮、脯氨酸和MDA含量。结果表明,低剂量UV-B预处理能够提高拟南芥的耐旱性,植株的类黄酮与脯氨酸含量分别提高了20%～40%和50%～65%,细胞膜受损程度降低,从而提高了保水性。低剂量UV-B提高拟南芥耐旱性的效应在sto突变体中消失,证明这种效应在分子机制上可能与STO蛋白相关。     

Analysis of naturally occurring late flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana

Summary We have examined the late-flowering behavior of two ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana, Sf-2 and Le-0. The late-flowering trait segregates as a single dominant gene in crosses with the early-flowering Columbia ecotype. This gene, which we refer to as FLA, is located at one end of chromosome 4 between RFLP markers 506 and 3843 and is thus distinct from previously mapped genes that affect flowering time. The extreme delay in flowering time caused by the FLA gene can be overcome by vernalization in both the ecotypes in which it occurs naturally and in the Columbia ecotype into which this gene has been introgressed.     

内生真菌KLBMP0506对拟南芥的促生作用

【目的】研究植物内生菌Wickerhamomyces sp.KLBMP0506对拟南芥（Arabidopsis thaliana）的促生作用及潜在的促生机制。【方法】本研究以野生型拟南芥为试验材料,将其与菌株KLBMP0506进行平板共培养及盆栽接种试验,并测定拟南芥鲜重、干重、主根长、侧根数、叶绿素含量和可溶性糖含量等生长、生理指标,同时对筛选的与拟南芥侧根、主根形成及生长素合成和运输相关的11个基因进行实时荧光定量聚合酶链式反应（quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction,qRT-PCR）分析。【结果】接种目的菌株KLBMP0506后,平板试验的拟南芥鲜重及侧根、盆栽试验的拟南芥鲜重、干重、茎长、叶绿素含量和可溶性糖含量均有一定程度的增加;分隔平板试验及菌株KLBMP0506发酵液中促生活性物质分析显示,该菌株产生的挥发性有机物质及其发酵液中的正丁醇和乙酸乙酯提取物均对拟南芥有明显的促生作用;此外,qRT-PCR分析显示KLBMP0506处理后,拟南芥中与侧根形成相关基因ABI4、FLA1的表达出现不同程度的下调,与生长素合成、运输相关基因AUX1、EIR1、YUC4的表达整体呈上调趋势,表明菌株KLBMP0506可能通过调控拟南芥中与侧根形成以及与生长素合成和运输相关基因的表达,而实现对拟南芥的促生作用。【结论】本研究明确了菌株KLBMP0506对模式植物拟南芥的促生作用,为其开发成为微生物菌肥提供理论依据。     

拟南芥ERD15基因缺失突变体的分子鉴定和表型分析

为探究ERD15基因功能,利用反向遗传学,通过PCR及半定量PCR筛选鉴定出拟南芥(Arabidopsis thaliana) ERD15基因的T-DNA插入纯合突变体,并对其表型进行观察分析。结果表明,erd15突变体莲座叶数目显著增多,提前3～4 d开花,突变体比野生型更早从营养生长转向生殖生长。拟南芥野生型植株主茎为圆柱体,平均直径1.29 mm,而erd15突变体主茎扁平,平均直径达到2.27mm,具极显著差异。与野生型相比,erd15突变体果实心皮发育受到影响,隔膜上排列有多排种子,果荚顶端膨大,长度缩短37.67%,但角果平均结籽数升高。因此,ERD15基因参与了调控拟南芥植株的生殖生长过程。     

拟南芥叶形态建成基因ABL1的图位克隆及鉴定

前期研究表明ABL1可能在植物叶发育过程中扮演重要的角色,其突变表现为叶片生长迟缓、成熟叶片叶缘缺刻明显等生长缺陷特征。该研究利用图位克隆及其精细定位技术,将ABL1基因锁定在2个SSLP标记T23K8和T8F5之间,该区间包含44个基因。通过生物信息学成功找到ABL1突变基因为拟南芥FAS1,该基因编码染色质组装因子CAF1的一个亚基,在植物顶端分生组织生长调控中扮演重要角色。RT-PCR结果显示,该基因表达受阻,功能互补实验证实abl1突变体的确是FAS1基因的一个新等位突变。研究结果暗示,ABL1/FAS1在植物叶形态建成中也起着重要作用。     

拟南芥F-box蛋白家族的功能研究进展

F-box蛋白是一类含有F-box基序、在泛素介导的蛋白质水解过程中具有底物识别特性的蛋白质。该文对国内外近年来有关F-box家族在拟南芥中的数量、种类以及在生长发育、细胞信号转导、生物及非生物逆境胁迫等多种生理过程中的作用等方面的研究进展进行综述,以期促进该家族基因在拟南芥和其他重要农作物中的功能研究,尽快描绘出该家族在植物中的代谢网络图谱。     

蔗糖合酶基因AtSUS3干涉后对拟南芥角果发育的影响

蔗糖合酶(SuSy)是植物蔗糖代谢关键酶之一,该研究利用反向遗传学手段,采用RNAi技术抑制拟南芥中AtSUS3基因的表达,测定纯系转基因植株的抽苔率,并对酶活性、糖含量等指标以及糖代谢相关基因的表达进行了检测,探讨SuSy在植物发育中的作用。结果显示:(1)转基因拟南芥的抽苔平均早于野生型植株2～3d,且优先3～4d完成抽苔。(2)开花后生长天数对角果蔗糖和葡萄糖含量有显著影响,而对果糖含量影响不显著;开花后5d时,野生型株系的葡萄糖含量显著高于转基因株系SUS3-2,至15d时,两种转基因株系葡萄糖含量均显著低于野生型株系。(3)开花后生长天数对SuSy、SPS、INV的活性均有显著影响,随开花时间延长,野生型株系SuSy活性显著低于转基因株系,而SPS和INV则相反。(4)AtSUS3基因沉默对其他糖代谢基因有不同程度的影响,开花后5d时,转基因植株的角果中AtCesA1、AtCesA7和AtCINV1的表达量较野生型都有所增加;开花后15d时,转基因植株的角果中AtCesA1、AtCesA7的表达量较野生型高,而AtCINV、AtCwINV的表达量比野生型低。研究表明,拟南芥AtSUS3基因沉默后,在正常生长条件下未造成植株发育异常,同时还可能通过同源家族中其他SuSy的表达水平增加,促进了该酶及糖代谢相关基因整体水平的增加,有助于角果成熟。     

Regeneration of fertile plants from protoplasts of different Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes

Summary A protocol for obtaining regenerated fertile plants from mesophyll protoplasts of Arabidopsis thaliana is reported. Protoplasts were isolated from leaves of 21-to 28-day-old Arabidopsis plants grown in a controlled environment. Sustained divisions were achieved when protoplasts were embedded in beads formed by 1.4% sodium alginate in the presence of 50mM CaCl₂ in 0.4 mannitol, which was then exchanged againts modified B5 medium. About 0.4%–0.6% of the protoplasts developed into colonies of which 80%–90% formed shoots and subsequently regenerated to fertile plants. Seeds harvested from more than 200 independently regenerated plants were sown and germination frequencies of more than 95% were obtained. Furthermore, the F₁ plants did not show any evidence of somaclonal variation on visual inspection. This protocol was originally developed for Arabidopsis thaliana Columbia; however it was shown to be applicable also for the genotypes Wassilewskija, Landsberg erecta and Estland though with differing efficiencies.Abbreviations FDA fluorescein diacetate - CM culture medium - SRM shoot regeneration medium - SEM shoot elongation medium - RM rooting medium - PE plating effciency - NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - IBA indole-3-butyric acid - BAP 6-benzylaminopurine - Kin kinetin - 2-iP 2-isopentenyladenine - GA₃ gibberetic acid     

Analysis of splice donor and acceptor site function in a transposable gene trap derived from the maize element Activator

Gene trap vectors have been used in insertional mutagenesis in animal systems to clone genes with interesting patterns of expression. These vectors are designed to allow the expression of a reporter gene when the vector inserts into a transcribed region. In this paper we examine alternative splicing events that result in the expression of a GUS reporter gene carried on a Ds element which has been designed as a gene trap vector for plants. We have developed a rapid and reliable method based on PCR to study such events. Many splice donor sites were observed in the 3 Ac border. The relative frequency of utilisation of certain splice donor and acceptor sites differed between tobacco and Arabidopsis. A higher stringency of splicing was observed in Arabidopsis.