毛竹萜类合成酶基因家族序列鉴定与表达分析

通过生物信息学方法,对毛竹(Phyllostachys edulis(Carrière)J.Houzeau)TPS基因家族的成员进行鉴定,并对其编码蛋白的理化性质、基因结构、进化关系、蛋白结构、启动子元件及表达模式进行了分析。结果表明,毛竹全基因组含有14个TPS候选基因,大小为693~2439 bp。编码蛋白等电点为5.08~8.17。系统发育分析结果显示,毛竹含有TPS-a、TPS-b、TPS-e/f、和TPS-g 4个亚家族,成员数目分别为6、5、2、1个。TPS蛋白质二级结构中,α-螺旋和无规则卷曲所占比重较大;毛竹TPS基因家族各成员蛋白三维结构比较相似。基因启动子分析共获得50个调控元件,可分为6大类,其中光响应相关元件数量最多,共包含17个顺式调控元件。基于转录组测序数据构建的基因表达谱热图分析结果表明,Pe TPS在叶、花和笋等7个组织中的表达差异明显,表现出组织特异性,其中Pe TPS9仅在早花期花序中表达,Pe TPS8仅在叶中表达。     

谷子 MADS-box基因家族的鉴定和表达分析

MADS-box基因是真核生物中一类重要的转录因子,参与调控多项植物的生长发育过程。然而关于谷子穗发育的MADS-box基因研究比较少。本研究使用序列相似性检索,在Phytozome 13.0数据库中筛选并且鉴定出了68个谷子MADS家族成员,并对这些家族成员的物理化学性质、系统发育树、染色体定位、表达谱等进行了全面的分析。结果表明,谷子MADS家族成员在染色体上分布不均匀,可以分为5个亚族。通过组织特异性表达谱分析得到,多数MADS基因在穗中表达量要高于其他器官。此外利用转录组测序技术对发育初期的谷穗和成熟期的谷穗进行了转录组测序分析,筛选到数个与谷穗分生组织发育相关MADS-box基因。为进一步揭示MADS-box基因在谷子穗发育过程中的作用奠定了重要的基础。     

Genome-wide expression analysis of plant cell cycle modulated genes

Genome-wide expression analysis is rapidly becoming an essential tool for identifying and analysing genes involved in, or controlling, various biological processes ranging from development to responses to environmental cues. The control of cell division involves the temporal expression of different sets of genes, allowing the dividing cell to progress through the different phases of the cell cycle. A landmark study using DNA microarrays to follow the patterns of gene expression in synchronously dividing yeast cells has allowed the identification of several hundreds of genes that are involved in the cell cycle. Although DNA microarrays provide a convenient tool for genome-wide expression analysis, their use is limited to organisms for which the complete genome sequence or a large cDNA collection is available. For other organisms, including most plant species, DNA fragment analysis based methods, such as cDNA-AFLP, provide a more appropriate tool for genome-wide expression analysis. Furthermore, cDNA-AFLP exhibits properties that complement DNA microarrays and, hence, constitutes a useful tool for gene discovery.     

Genome-wide investigation on the genetic variations of rice disease resistance genes

Exploitation of plant disease resistance (R) gene in breeding programs has been proven to be the most efficient strategy for coping with the threat of pathogens. An understanding of R-gene variation is the basis for this strategy. Here we report a genome-wide investigation on the variation of NBS-LRR-encoding genes, the common type of R genes, between two sequenced rice genomes, Oryza sativa L. var. Nipponbare and 93–11. We show that the allelic nucleotide diversity in 65.0% of 397 least-divergent pairs is not high (0.344% on average), while the remaining 35% display a greater diversity (5.4% on average). The majority of conserved R genes is single-copy and/or located as a singleton. The clustered, particularly the complex-clustered, R-genes contribute greatly to the rich genetic variation. Surprisingly only 11.2% of R-genes have remarkably high ratios of non-synonymous to synonymous rates, which is much less than the 17.4% observed between Arabidopsis genomes. Noticeable “artificially selective sweeping” could be detected in a large proportion of the conserved R-genes, a scenario described in the “arms race” co-evolutionary model. Based on our study, a variation pattern of R-genes is proposed and confirmed by the analysis of R-genes from other rice lines, indicating that the observed variation pattern may be common in all rice lines.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at     

Genome-wide analysis of core cell cycle genes in the unicellular green alga Ostreococcus tauri

The cell cycle has been extensively studied in various organisms, and the recent access to an overwhelming amount of genomic data has given birth to a new integrated approach called comparative genomics. Comparing the cell cycle across species shows that its regulation is evolutionarily conserved; the best-known example is the pivotal role of cyclin-dependent kinases in all the eukaryotic lineages hitherto investigated. Interestingly, the molecular network associated with the activity of the CDK-cyclin complexes is also evolutionarily conserved, thus, defining a core cell cycle set of genes together with lineage-specific adaptations. In this paper, we describe the core cell cycle genes of Ostreococcus tauri, the smallest free-living eukaryotic cell having a minimal cellular organization with a nucleus, a single chloroplast, and only one mitochondrion. This unicellular marine green alga, which has diverged at the base of the green lineage, shows the minimal yet complete set of core cell cycle genes described to date. It has only one homolog of CDKA, CDKB, CDKD, cyclin A, cyclin B, cyclin D, cyclin H, Cks, Rb, E2F, DP, DEL, Cdc25, and Wee1. We have also added the APC and SCF E3 ligases to the core cell cycle gene set. We discuss the potential of genome-wide analysis in the identification of divergent orthologs of cell cycle genes in different lineages by mining the genomes of evolutionarily important and strategic organisms.     

Genome-wide identification of NBS genes in<Emphasis Type="Italic"> japonica</Emphasis> rice reveals significant expansion of divergent non-TIR NBS-LRR genes

A complete set of candidate disease resistance ( R) genes encoding nucleotide-binding sites (NBSs) was identified in the genome sequence of japonica rice ( Oryza sativa L. var. Nipponbare). These putative R genes were characterized with respect to structural diversity, phylogenetic relationships and chromosomal distribution, and compared with those in Arabidopsis thaliana. We found 535 NBS-coding sequences, including 480 non-TIR (Toll/IL-1 receptor) NBS-LRR (Leucine Rich Repeat) genes. TIR NBS-LRR genes, which are common in A. thaliana, have not been identified in the rice genome. The number of non-TIR NBS-LRR genes in rice is 8.7 times higher than that in A. thaliana, and they account for about 1% of all of predicted ORFs in the rice genome. Some 76% of the NBS genes were located in 44 gene clusters or in 57 tandem arrays, and 16 apparent gene duplications were detected in these regions. Phylogenetic analyses based both NBS and N-terminal regions classified the genes into about 200 groups, but no deep clades were detected, in contrast to the two distinct clusters found in A. thaliana. The structural and genetic diversity that exists among NBS-LRR proteins in rice is remarkable, and suggests that diversifying selection has played an important role in the evolution of R genes in this agronomically important species. (Supplemental material is available online at .)Communicated by R. HagemannThe first three authors contributed equally to this work     

Genome-wide analysis of intronless genes in rice and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis</Emphasis>

Intronless genes, a characteristic feature of prokaryotes, constitute a significant portion of the eukaryotic genomes. Our analysis revealed the presence of 11,109 (19.9%) and 5,846 (21.7%) intronless genes in rice and Arabidopsis genomes, respectively, belonging to different cellular role and gene ontology categories. The distribution and conservation of rice and Arabidopsis intronless genes among different taxonomic groups have been analyzed. A total of 301 and 296 intronless genes from rice and Arabidopsis, respectively, are conserved among organisms representing the three major domains of life, i.e., archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes. These evolutionarily conserved proteins are predicted to be involved in housekeeping cellular functions. Interestingly, among the 68% of rice and 77% of Arabidopsis intronless genes present only in eukaryotic genomes, approximately 51% and 57% genes have orthologs only in plants, and thus may represent the plant-specific genes. Furthermore, 831 and 144 intronless genes of rice and Arabidopsis, respectively, referred to as ORFans, do not exhibit homology to any of the genes in the database and may perform species-specific functions. These data can serve as a resource for further comparative, evolutionary, and functional analysis of intronless genes in plants and other organisms. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Efficiency of expression of transfected genes depends on the cell cycle

Lipofection, a lipid-mediated DNA transfection procedure, was used to transfect synchronized L929 mouse fibroblast cells with a reporter plasmid containing the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene. The efficiency of gene expression was investigated on transfection of cells at different stages of the cell cycle. Our data show that expression of the reporter gene was minimal when transfection was performed in G0-phase and parallel experimental data disproved the possibility that the reduced expression observed was due to differential uptake at different times in the cell cycle. Investigation into the condensation state of the plasmid has shown that the low chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene expression could be a direct consequence of the packaging of the plasmid into condensed chromatin when transfection occurs in G0-phase. The inactivation of the reporter gene is not reversed by growth of the cells in high serum or by treatment with Trichostatin A, a specific inhibitor of histone deacetylase, suggesting that the inactive chromatin formed in G0-phase cells lacks associated histone acetylase activity. In contrast, the high activity seen when cells in S-phase are transfected is enhanced even further by treatment with Trichostatin A.     

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of extensin genes in tomato

Extensins (EXTs) are major protein components in plant cell walls that play crucial roles in higher plants. The function of EXTs has been reported in several plants but is limited in tomato, especially in fruit ripening. In this study, we identified 83 EXTs in tomato, and divided them into seven groups. The gene intron-exon structure and protein-motif composition of SlEXTs were similar within each group but different among groups. SlEXT genes showed different expression patterns in roots, leaves, flowers and fruits, and some SlEXT gene expressions in flowers could be regulated by treatments of auxin, gibberellic acid and jasmonic acid. In particular, SlSEXT8 had higher and increased expression during tomato fruit ripening, and its expression could be induced by ethylene, suggesting SlSEXT8 may be involved in tomato fruit softening. The result provides insights into the function of EXTs, and will facilitate to further study EXT roles in tomato fruit ripening.     

Genome-wide identification and analysis of rice genes to elucidate morphological agronomic traits

Molecular understanding of morphological agronomic traits is very important to improve grain yield and quality. According to the literature information summarized in Overview of Functionally Characterized Genes in Rice online database, 430 genes related to these traits have been functionally characterized in rice, while the functions of other genes remain to be elucidated. Gene indexed mutants are available for at least half of the genes identified in the rice genome, and are very useful resources to study gene function. To suggest candidate genes for functional studies associated with morphological agronomic traits, we identified genes with tissue/organ-preferred expression patterns through meta-analysis of microarray data, and identified 781 genes for roots, 1,084 for leaves, 1,029 for calluses, 927 for anthers, 241 for embryos, and 343 for endosperms. Additionally, 4,243 genes expressed in all tissue types were allocated to a ubiquitously-expressed gene group (‘housekeeping’ genes). The estimated tissue/organ-preferred and housekeeping genes accounted for 40% of the characterized genes associated with morphological agronomic traits, indicating that identification of tissue/organ-preferred genes is an effective way to provide putative gene function. In this study, we reported the information of gene-indexed mutants for 84% of the identified candidate genes. Our candidate genes and relating indexed mutant resources can potentially be used to improve morphological agronomic traits in rice.     

鲫鱼Rag基因的克隆及表达分析

DNA重组激活基因(Recombination activating genes RAG)是脊椎动物特异性免疫反应的关键基因,也是脊椎动物进化分析的标记基因之一.鲫鱼具有很强的适应性和抗病能力,是我国广泛养殖的重要经济淡水鱼;由于具有不同的倍性和丰富的遗传多样性,又是研究鱼类基因组进化的独特材料.本研究用PCR方法扩增、克隆了鲫鱼的Rag基因.鲫鱼Rag1基因从起始密码到终止密码总长4188bp,由三个外显子和两个内含子组成,其中开放阅读框长3192bp,编码1063个氨基酸.Rag2基因从起始密码到终止密码总长1593bp,没有内含子,只有单一的编码区,编码530个氨基酸.Rag1和Rag2基因的ORF和氨基酸序列在不同鱼类中的对比结果表明其在进化过程中非常保守.不同鱼类Rag1基因的第二内含子也是高度保守的,转录因子结合位点分析表明在第二内含子的保守区域中有许多转录因子的可能结合位点.其中有一段在所有已知鱼类中都存在的保守区域是与性腺发育相关的转录因子SRY和SOX5的可能结合位点,提示Rag1基因的表达可能与性腺发育具有相关性.用RT-PCR方法进行的组织特异性表达分析表明Rag1基因在鲫鱼成体的头肾和精巢都能检测到表达,提示Rag基因不仅主导了免疫组织中的DNA重组,也可能参与了生殖细胞的DNA重组.RT-PCR检测证明Rag1基因在鲫鱼胚胎发育至第5天开始表达,在第7天鲫鱼胚胎的胸腺原基中可检测到Rag1基因mRNA的杂交信号,在第9天鲫鱼胚胎的胸腺原基中可以检测到很强的Rag1 mRNA原位杂交信号,说明该时期可能是鲫鱼免疫基因重组的活跃时期.     

Rol genes alter hormonal requirements for protoplast growth and modify the expression of an auxin responsive promoter

Summary Growth characteristics of tobacco protoplasts containing rolA linked to its own promoter, or the rolB, or rolC genes of Agrobacterium rhizogenes linked to the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S RNA promoter were compared with those from untransformed plants. RolA protoplasts require auxin and cytokinin for callus formation. Protoplasts overexpressing rolB and C form callus in the absence of exogenously applied auxin and cytokinin, respectively. Long term callus growth requires auxin, but the requirement for cytokinin is not critical. Optimal transient expression of an auxin responsive promoter element occurred at lower external levels of auxin in rolB and rolC protoplasts compared with untransformed protoplasts. Addition of putrescine was required for auxin responsive transient gene expression in rolA protoplasts suggesting that polyamines, or their products affect gene expression in rolA plants.Abbreviations T-DNA transferred DNA - TL-DNA left transferred DNA - NAA naphthalene acetic acid - PEG polyethylene glycol - GUS glucuronidase - CaMV cauliflower mosaic virus