CCACA碱基序列是玉米CMS-S线粒体orf355-orf77转录本剪切识别位点

玉米S型细胞质雄性不育系（CMS-S）及其近等基因恢复系是研究核 质互作机制的重要遗传资源和理想模式体系．目前认为,CMS-S花粉败育是由其线粒体内细胞质不育基因orf355-orf77表达的毒性蛋白引起,而核育性恢复基因Rf3可通过引发orf355-orf77转录本的降解而解除其毒性作用,使花粉育性得以恢复．本研究采用Northern杂交和3′-RACE技术确定了orf355-orf77转录本的剪切位点,并发现在育性恢复的花粉中,orf355-orf77转录本被剪切成小片段之后聚合了poly(A)序列,推测这一过程加速了mRNA分子的降解,是育性恢复的关键环节．利用生物信息学方法分析了orf355-orf77转录本6个剪切位点的侧翼序列,发现在剪切位点下游10个碱基的位置均含有5′-CCACA-3′序列,推测该序列受到特定功能蛋白的识别,然后募集核酸内切酶对其进行剪切．研究结果可为揭示玉米CMS S育性恢复机理提供重要的理论依据．     

玉米S型CMS线粒体DNA R区双向转录模式及其与不育相关性

玉米(Zea mays L.)S型CMS胞质育性基因被认为与其线粒体DNA高频重组R区相关.R区含orf355和orf77两个开放阅读框,其中orf77被认为是重要的胞质候选基因.RT-PCR分析发现R区为双链转录.其中一条为orf77-orf355的模板链,它的转录受植株核育性基因及生长发育时期的影响,在S(rf3rf3)(不育)基因型材料的黄化苗、S(Rf3-)(恢复)基因型材料的黄化苗及雄穗中,RT-PCR检测到这条模板链上R区的转录本完全相同,但S(rf3rf3)(不育)基因型材料雄穗的转录本则与上述三者不同,其转录本在5'端缩短了近238 b的长度.R区的另一模板链与coxⅠ或coxⅡ基因的模板链毗连,转录方向相同,这条链的转录不受核基因型和生长发育时期的影响,不育和恢复基因型材料的黄化苗及雄穗中的转录本完全相同.将orf77进行体外表达,制备抗体后对线粒体蛋白质进行Western杂交分析,未能检测到R区中ORF77蛋白质或多肽.推测orf77无翻译产物而且这可能与R区的双链转录有关.RT-PCR及Western分析结果表明玉米CMS-S可能与R区5'端DNA的转录调控相关.     

Identification of a novel chimeric gene, orf725, and its use in development of a molecular marker for distinguishing among three cytoplasm types in onion (Allium cepa L.)

A novel chimeric gene with a 5′ end containing the nearly complete sequence of the coxI gene and a 3′ end showing homology with chive orfA501 was isolated by genome walking from two cytoplasm types: CMS-S and CMS-T, both of which induce male-sterility in onion (Allium cepa L.). In addition, the normal active and variant inactive coxI genes were also isolated from onions containing the normal and CMS-S cytoplasms, respectively. The chimeric gene, designated as orf725, was nearly undetectable in normal cytoplasm, and the copy number of the normal coxI gene was significantly reduced in CMS-S cytoplasm. RT-PCR results showed that orf725 was not transcribed in normal cytoplasm. Meanwhile, the normal coxI gene, which is essential for normal mitochondrial function, was not expressed in CMS-S cytoplasm. However, both orf725 and coxI were transcribed in CMS-T cytoplasm. The expression of orf725, a putative male-sterility-inducing gene, was not affected by the presence of nuclear restorer-of-fertility gene(s) in male-fertility segregating populations originating from the cross between a male-sterile plant containing either CMS-T or CMS-S and a male-fertile plant whose genotypes of nuclear restorer gene(s) might be heterozygous. The specific stoichiometry of orf725 and coxI in the mtDNA of the three cytoplasm types was consistent among diverse germplasm. Therefore, a molecular marker based on the relative copy numbers of orf725 and coxI was designed for distinguishing among the three cytoplasm types by one simple PCR. The reliability and applicability of the molecular marker was shown by testing diverse onion germplasm.     

Cytoplasmic male sterility: a window to the world of plant mitochondrial-nuclear interactions

Mitochondrial function depends on the coordinate action of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. The genetic dissection of these interactions presents special challenges in obligate aerobes, because the viability of these organisms depends on mitochondrial respiration. The plant trait cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is determined by the mitochondrial genome and is associated with a pollen sterility phenotype that can be suppressed or counteracted by nuclear genes known as restorer-of-fertility genes. Here, I review the nature and the origin of the genes that determine CMS, together with recent investigations that have exploited CMS to provide new insights into plant mitochondrial-nuclear communication. These studies have implicated mitochondrial signaling pathways, including those involved in regulating cell death and nuclear gene expression, in the elaboration of CMS. The molecular cloning of nuclear genes that restore fertility (i.e. restorer-of-fertility genes) has identified genes encoding pentatricopeptide-repeat proteins as key regulators of plant mitochondrial gene expression.     

玉米S组细胞质雄性不育线粒体R区序列与多型性分析

玉米Ｓ组细胞难性不育（ＣＭＳ）可能与线粒体基因组中的Ｒ区域有关。对不同核背景下唐徐、双２种Ｓ胞质的线粒体ＤＮＡ以Ｒ区特异探针的Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ分析发现均有６．７ｋｂ、４．５ｋｂ、１．８ｋｂ的３条谱带,分别对应于２种位于线粒体基因组中间的类型和１个线性末端,并且核背景对这３种不同形式的Ｒ区域的量有影响。对Ｍｏ１７和７７核背景下Ｎ、Ｔ、Ｃ４种胞质１７种材料的玉米线粒体基因组中Ｒ区的Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ分析     

ORF355 confers enhanced salinity stress adaptability to S-type cytoplasmic male sterility maize by modulating the mitochondrial metabolic homeostasis

Moderate stimuli in mitochondria improve wideranging stress adaptability in animals, but whether mitochondria play similar roles in plants is largely unknown. Here, we report the enhanced stress adaptability of S-type cytoplasmic male sterility(CMS-S) maize and its association with mild expression of sterilizing gene ORF355. A CMS-S maize line exhibited superior growth potential and higher yield than those of the near-isogenic N-type line in saline fields. Moderate expression of ORF355 induced t...     

Cytoplasmic male sterility and restoration of pollen fertility in higher plants

The review deals with cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in higher plants: impairment of the pollen formation resulting from interaction of the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. The information on the known nuclear restorer-of-fertility genes and their effects on the expression of CMS-associated mitochondrial loci are considered. Heteroplasmy of mtDNA in plants and its potential association with CMS inheritance, as well as possible mechanisms of the observed direct and reverse association between altered expression of the CMS-inducing mitochondrial genome, metabolic defects, and pollen sterility are discussed.     

Cytoplasmic male sterility and restoration of pollen fertility in higher plants

The review deals with cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in higher plants: impairment of the pollen formation resulting from interaction of the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. The information on the known nuclear restorer-of-fertility genes and their effects on the expression of CMS-associated mitochondrial loci are considered. Heteroplasmy of mtDNA in plants and its potential association with CMS inheritance, as well as possible mechanisms of the observed direct and reverse association between altered expression of the CMS-inducing mitochondrial genome, metabolic defects, and pollen sterility are discussed.