Developmental regulation and tissue-specific differences of heat shock gene expression in transgenic tobacco and Arabidopsis plants

The heat shock (hs) response during plant growth and development was analyzed in tobacco and Arabidopsis using chimaeric -glucuronidase reporter genes (hs-Gus) driven by a soybean hs promoter. Fluorimetric measurements and histochemical staining revealed high Gus activities in leaves, roots, and flowers exclusively after heat stress. The highest levels of heat-inducible expression were found in the vascular tissues. Without heat stress, a developmental induction of hs-Gus was indicated by the accumulation of high levels of Gus in transgenic tobacco seeds. There was no developmental induction of hs-Gus in Arabidopsis seeds. In situ hybridization to the RNA of the small heat shock protein gene Athsp17.6 in tissue sections revealed an expression in heat-shocked leaves but no expression in control leaves of Arabidopsis. However, a high level of constitutive expression of hs gene was detected in meristematic and provascular tissues of the Arabidopsis embryo. The developmental and tissue-specific regulation of the hs response is discussed.Abbreviations hs heat shock - Hsp heat shock protein(s) - hs Gus: heat-inducible Gus gene(s) - HSE heat shock element(s) - HSF heat shock factor - X-gluc 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl--D-glucuronide - Gus -glucuronidase - DAF days after flowering - SAR scaffold attachment region     

The mglB sequence of Salmonella typhimurium LT2; promoter analysis by gene fusions and evidence for a divergently oriented gene coding for the mgl repressor

Summary The mglB gene of Salmonella typhimurium LT2 coding for the galactose-binding protein (GBP) was sequenced. We compared the deduced amino acid sequence with the GBP sequence of Escherichia coli K12. The mature proteins differ in only 19 of 309 amino acid residues, corresponding to 94% homology. Analysis of the mglB control region by promoter-probe vectors revealed that two promoters, P1 and P2, constitute the mgl control region (P _mgl ). P1 and P2 function in a synergistic way. P1 is the main promoter of the operon; its activity is 20 times the activity of P2. Both promoters are activated by the cyclic adenosine monophosphate catabolite activator protein (cAMP/CAP) complex. While P1 is inactive in the absence of the cAMP/CAP complex, there is residual activity of P2 under these conditions. Studies on the inducibility of the mglBAEC operon using multicopy plasmid promoter-probe vectors were hampered by the titration of the mgl repressor resulting in a partially constitutive expression of the mgl operon. The results indicate that only P1 is responding to induction by D-fucose. A weak promoter, P _D , within the P1 region but divergent to it was found. P _D is neither stimulated by the cAMP/CAP complex nor by D-fucose. We cloned the gene located downstream to P _D and found it to strongly repress the expression of the mgl operon. We termed this gene mglD. The presence of D-fucose abolished the repression caused by the plasmid-encoded mglD gene product.Abbreviations IPTG isopropyl-1-thic--D-galatopyranoside - ONPG 2-nitrophenyl--D-galatopyranoside - XG 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl--D-galatopyranoside - Kan^r Kanamycin resistance     

Expression of HLA-B27 in transgenic mice is controlled by gene(s) mapping between H-2D and H-2L loci

The level of HLA-B27 transgene expression on the cell surface is dependent on the host H-2 haplotype. Mice homozygous for the H-2 ^b , H-2 ^f , H-2 ^f , H-2 ^p , H-2 ^r , and H-2 ^k haplotypes express B27 at high levels. An intermediate level of B27 expression is observed in H-2 ^v mice whereas low levels of B27 are expressed in H-2 ^q and H-2 ^d mice. The decreased expression of B27 maps to the D region of the major histocompatibility complex. Recombinant strain B10.RKDB (D^dL^b) mapped the low expression gene centromeric to H-2L. In order to determine the low expression within the H-2D region, the B27 transgene was introduced into B10.D2-H-2 ^dm1 and BALB/c-H-2 ^dm2 mice. Expression of B27 in both of these strains was high indicating that neither H-2D ^d nor H-2L ^d is responsible for the low expression. This maps the effect between the H-2D and H-2L loci. In addition, introduction of human ₂-microglobulin (₂m) into B10.D2-B27 transgenic mice caused a marked enhancement of B27 expression on the cell surface suggesting that the defect in B27 expression in certain haplotypes is due to an inability of B27 to associate with endogenous mouse ₂m. We propose that gene(s) mapping between D and L (either D2, D3, D4, or some as yet unidentified gene) may be involved in class I assembly by helping association of ₂m with class I. This putative molecule, designated Assembly Enhancer (AE) might have a negative influence in the association between human class II and mouse ₂m.     

Initiation of DNA replication in Escherichia coli after overproduction of the DnaA protein

Summary Flow cytometry was used to study initiation of DNA replication in Escherichia coli K12 after induced expression of a plasmid-borne dnaA ⁺ gene. When the dnaA gene was induced from either the plac or the pL promoter initiation was stimulated, as evidenced by an increase in the number of origins and in DNA content per mass unit. During prolonged growth under inducing conditions the origin and DNA content per mass unit were stabilized at levels significantly higher than those found before induction or in similarly treated control cells. The largest increase was observed when using the stronger promoter pL compared to plac. Synchrony of initiation was reasonably well maintained with elevated DnaA protein concentrations, indicating that simultaneous initiation of all origins was still preferred under these conditions. A reduced rate of replication fork movement was found in the presence of rifampin when the DnaA protein was overproduced. We conclude that increased synthesis levels or increased concentrations of the DnaA protein stimulate initiation of DNA replication. The data suggest that the DnaA protein may be the limiting factor for initiation under normal physiological conditions.     

Gibberellins are not required for rice germination under anoxia

Production of -amylase during the germination of rice grains is thought to play an important role for tolerance to anoxia of these cereal grains. Under aerobic conditions -amylases production is enhanced in response to gibberellins produced by the embryos, but the role of these hormones is less clear under anoxia. In this paper we analysed -amylase gene expression in a rice mutant (Tan-ginbozu) severely impaired in gibberellin biosynthesis. Expression of -amylase genes others than the gibberellin-induced Amy1A gene is observed. The expression of the Amy3D gene, which does dot require gibberellins to be induced, is high under anoxia in the Tan-ginbozu mutant suggesting that germination under anoxia can proceed thanks to the activity of the -amylase isoform encoded by the Amy3D gene. Amy3D gene expression is repressed in the presence of high levels of soluble carbohydrates, indicating that the anaerobic expression of this gene can be triggered by a lower carbohydrate content of rice grains kept under anoxia. Germination under anoxia of Tan-ginbozu grains can proceed even in absence of exogenously-added gibberellic acid. Overall, results indicate that gibberellins are not required for the anaerobic germination of rice grains.     

Separate DNA sequences are required for normal female and ecdysone-induced male expression of Drosophila melanogaster yolk protein 1

Summary Drosophila melanogaster flies were transformed with a yp1-Adh fusion gene with 890 bp of yp1 5 flanking sequence. In an Adh ^- background these flies show a stage, tissue and sex-specific pattern of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity characteristic of yolk protein genes. ADH activity is not present in dsx ^D/dsx pseudomales indicating that this fragment contains sites where the dsx gene product exerts its effect. Transformed male flies do not exhibit ADH activity when injected with 20-hydroxyecdysone while synthesis of native yolk proteins is induced. Thus the hormone inducibility and sex regulation have been separated in this construct.     

The multi-locus H-2D w16 region has an organization distinct from the D d region

Genomic DNA blot analyses using probes derived from the BALB/c 3 flanking region of the L ^d gene (L ^d 3 fl-C) and from near the BALB/c D3 ^d gene (50.2A) indicate that the B10.GAA37 mouse strain has a multi-locus D (D ^w16) region distinct from the five-gene organization observed in the D ^d and D ^q regions. To isolate the D ^w16 region class I genes, a genomic B10. GAA37-EMBL3 library was generated and screened with probes that preferentially hybridize to K and D region class I genes. Hybridization analyses of the isolated clones with L ^d derived oligonucleotide probes suggested that one of the clones contained the L ^w16 gene, whereas several other clones contained the L ^w16 gene. The sequence of the D ^w16 gene is most similar to that of the D ^p gene, particularly in the 3 half. Furthermore, the L ^w16 gene is quite similar in the 5 half and virtually identical in the 3 half to the L ^d gene, indicating that L ^w16, but not D ^w16, is a member of the L ^d gene family. Collectively, these data suggest that, through a D region recombination event, the novel D ^w16 region may have been assembled from primordial counterparts of the D ^p and L ^d genes.The nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper have been submitted to the GenBank nucleotide sequence database and have been assigned the accession number M60774-M60776, and M62759.     

A membrane-bound enzyme complex synthesising glucan and glucomannan in pine tissues

Particulate membrane preparations isolated from cambial cells and differentiating and differentiated xylem cells of pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees synthesised [¹⁴C]glucans using either guanosine 5-diphosphate (GDP)-D-[U-¹⁴C]glucose or uridine 5-diphosphate (UDP)-D-[U-¹⁴C]glucose as glycosyl donors. Although these glucans had -(13) and -(14) linkages in an approximate ratio 1:1, the distribution of the linkages in the glucan synthesised from GDP-D-glucose was different from that synthesised from UDP-D-glucose. The synthesis of the mixed -(13) and -(14) glucan from GDP-D-[U-¹⁴C]glucose was changed to that of -(14) glucomannan in the presence of increasing concentrations of GDP-D-mannose. The glucan formed from UDP-D-[U-¹⁴C]glucose was not affected by any concentration of GDP-D-mannose. The membrane preparations epimerized GDP-D-glucose to GDP-D-mannose; however, the low amount of GDP-D-mannose formed was not incorporated into the polymer becaus the affinity of the synthase for GDP-D-glucose was much greater than that for GDP-D-mannose. The glucan formed from GDP-D-glucose and the glucomannan formed from GDP-D-glucose together with GDP-D-mannose were characterized. The apparent K _m and V _max of the glucan synthase for GDP-D-glucose were 6.38 M and 5.08 M·min^-1, respectively. No lipid intermediates were detected during the synthesis of either glucan or glucomannan. The results indicated that an enzyme complex for the formation of the glucomannan was bound to the membrane.Abbreviations GDP guanosine 5-diphosphate - GLC gasliquid chromatography - UDP trridine 5-diphosphate     

Metabolic regulation of α-amylase gene expression in transgenic cell cultures of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Expression of two genes in the -amylase gene family is controlled by metabolic regulation in rice cultured cells. The levels of RAmy3D and RAmy3E mRNAs in rice cultured cells are inversely related to the concentration of sugar in the culture medium. Other genes in the rice -amylase gene family have little or no expression in cultured cells; these expression levels are not controlled by metabolic regulation. A RAmy3D promoter/GUS gene fusion was metabolically regulated in the transgenic rice cell line 3DG, just as the endogenous RAmy3D gene is regulated. An assay of GUS enzyme activity in 3DG cells demonstrated that RAmy3D/GUS expression is repressed when sugar is present in the culture medium and induced when sugar is removed from the medium. The 942 bp fragment of the RAmy3D promoter that was linked to the coding region of the GUS reporter gene thus contains all of the regulatory sequences necessary for metabolic regulation of the gene.     

Analysis of D2 d : a D-region class I gene

The mouse major histocompatibility complex is composed of several genes arranged into the K, D, Qa, and Tla regions. The D region of the BALB/c mouse includes genes D2 ^d , D3 ^d , and D4 ^d , in addition to H-2D ^d and H-2L ^d . We have determined the DNA sequence of the D2 ^d gene and compared it with the known sequences of several class I genes. The exon/intron structure of the D2 ^d gene is similar to other class I genes. It also contains similar 5 regulatory elements. A frameshift occurs in exon seven, resulting in a gene product with a truncated cytoplasmic tail. To examine the surface expression of the D2^d molecule, we generated an exon-shuffled construct containing the promoter and exons 1–3, encoding the signal peptide, 1, and 2 external domains of the D2 ^d gene linked to exons 4–8, encoding the 3, transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains, of the H-2D ^d gene. The construct was transfected into mouse L cells, and a protein was detected at the cell surface by a monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific for the 3 domain of H-2D^d, as well as by other class I-specific mAbs. Although D2^d is expressed at low levels, it may be a functional class I gene that most probably evolved from a Qa region gene.     

Characterization of an inducible mannitol-binding protein fromPseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO formed a mannitol-binding protein that was coinducible with mannitol uptake activity. One species of mannitol-binding protein was isolated from disrupted cell suspensions and the protein also was released from mannitol-grown cells by osmotic shock treatment. The mannitol-binding protein )molecular weight 37,000) was purified 49-fold and resolved from the enzyme mannitol dehydrogenase (molecular weight 85,000), which did not exhibit mannitol-binding activity. Mannitol-binding protein had an isoelectric point (pI) of 8.3 and an apparent dissociation constant (K _D ) of 2.3 M for mannitol. Mannitol binding was unaffected by glucose and glycerol in competitive inhibition studies, although mannose, fructose, and sorbitol caused 5 to 20% inhibition of binding at concentrations equimolar with mannitol.     

Induced expression of a chimeric gene construct in transgenic lettuce plants using tobacco pathogenesis-related protein gene promoter region

The expression of a stress- and salicylic acidinducible protein gene from tobacco, PR1a protein gene, was determined after its Introduction to lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) plants. The 5 flanking 2.4 Kb fragment from PR1a gene was joined to the bacterial -glucuronidase (GUS) gene (PR-GUS) and introduced into lettuce cotyledons by Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer using a binary vector containing a kanamycin-resistance gene as a selectable marker. As a control with constitutive expression, the chimeric gene consisting of CaMV 35S RNA promoter and GUS gene (35S-GUS) was used. An improved method for shoot formation directly from lettuce cotyledons was used effectively for transformation, shortening the time for regeneration. In 70% or more of kanamycin-resistant regenerated lettuce plants, into which PR-GUS or 35S-GUS was introduced, high GUS activity and integration of the chimeric gene into the lettuce genome were detected. By treatment with salicylic acid, GUS activity increased 3- to 50-fold in PR-GUS transformants, however, no increase was detected in 35S-GUS plants. These results showed that the promoter of the stress-inducible tobacco PR1a protein gene was introduced into lettuce plants, and the introduced chimeric gene was expressed normally under the regulated control of the PRla promoter.Abbreviations BA N6-benzyladenine - GUS -glucuronidase - NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid - Km kanamycin - Km^s kanamycin resistant - Km⁰ kanamycin sensitive - NPT- II neomycin phosphotransferase II - PR pathogenesis-related - SA salicylic acid - MS Murashige and Skoog medium - NOS nopaline synthase     

Characterization of transgenic rice plants over-expressing the stress-inducible β-glucanase gene Gns1

The Gns1 gene of rice (Oryza sativa L. japonica) encodes 1,3;1,4- glucanase (EC 3.2.1.73), which hydrolyzes 1,3;1,4--glucosidic linkages on 1,3;1,4--glucan, an important component of cell walls in the Poaceae family. RNA and protein gel blot analyses demonstrated that blast disease or dark treatment induced the expression of the Gns1 gene. To assess the function of the Gns1 gene in disease resistance, we characterized transgenic rice plants constitutively expressing the Gns1 gene. The introduced Gns1 gene was driven by the CaMV 35S promoter and its products were found in the apoplast and accumulated in up to 0.1% of total soluble protein in leaves. Although transgenic plants showed stunted growth and impaired root formation, fertility, germination, and coleoptile elongation appeared unaffected compared to non-transgenic control plants, indicating that Gns1 does not play a crucial role in rice germination and coleoptile elongation. When transgenic plants were inoculated with virulent blast fungus (Magnaporthe grisea), they developed many resistant-type lesions on the inoculated leaf accompanying earlier activation of defense-related genes PR-1 and PBZ1 than in control plants. Transgenic plants spontaneously produced brown specks, similar in appearance to those reported for an initiation type of disease-lesion-mimic mutants, on the third and fourth leaves and occasionally on older leaves without inoculation of pathogens. Expression of the two defense-related genes was drastically increased after the emergence of the lesion-mimic phenotype.     

Expression of three genes coding for 135-kilodalton entomocidal proteins inBacillus thuringiensis kurstaki

The HD-1 strain ofBacillus thuringiensis (B.t.)kurstaki contains three homologous genes coding for 130–134-kilodalton entomocidal proteins [13]. In the present study, expression levels of these genes in strains of B.t.kurstaki were determined. In attempts to isolate a protein coded by a single gene, a number of variants were derived from strains of B.t.kurstaki, such as HD-263 and HD-1, by plasmid curing. The entomocidal proteins produced by the parental strains and their plasmid-cured variants were isolated by Sephacryl S-300 column chromatography and peptide-mapped by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results indicated that HD-263 produced two distinctive proteins, one identical with the protein of HD-73, which contains only a 6.6 kb Hind III class gene, and the other protein presumably coded by a 4.5 kb Hind III class gene. HPLC analysis revealed that 70% of the total protein in the HD-263 crystals consisted of the product of the 6.6 kb gene (6.6-kb protein), and the remaining 30% was the 4.5-kb protein. In the case of HD-1, the crystal consisted of at least two different proteins in equal amounts (50% each). The gene coding for one of these proteins was presumed to be a 5.3 kb Hind III class gene. The remaining 50% of the HD-1 crystal was accounted for by a protein similar to the 4.5-kb protein identified in HD-263. It appeared that the 6.6-kb protein was expressed poorly, if it was indeed expressed, in the HD-1 strain.     

Chemical synthesis and in vivo hyperexpression of a modular gene coding for Escherichia coli translational initiation factor IF1

Summary An artificial gene encoding the Escherichia coli translational initiation factor IF1 was synthesized based on the primary structure (71 amino acid residues) of the protein. Codons for individual amino acids were selected on the basis of the preferred codon usage found in the structural genes for the initiation factor IF2 of E. coli and Bacillus stearothermophilus, both of which can be expressed at high levels in E. coli cells. We gave the IF1 gene a modular structure by introducing specific restriction enzyme sites into the sequence, resulting in units of three to ten codons. This was conceived to facilitate site-directed mutagenesis of the gene and thus to obtain IF1 with specific amino acid alterations at desired positions. The IF1 gene was assembled by shot-gun ligation of 9 synthetic oligodeoxyri-bonucleotides ranging in size from 31 to 65 nucleotides and cloned into an expression vector to place the gene under the control of an inducible promoter. Upon induction, E. coli cells harbouring the artificial gene were found to produce large amounts (60 mg/100 g cells) of a protein indistinguishable from natural IF1 in both chemecal and biological properties.     

Improvement in the quality of seed storage protein by transformation of Brassica napus with an antisense gene for cruciferin

The levels of certain essential amino acids, in particular cysteine, lysine and methionine, in the seed storage protein of a commercial spring variety of rape, Brassica napus, have been increased by the introduction of an antisense gene for cruciferin, which is the most abundant storage protein in rapeseed. The antisense construct contained part of the cruA gene in an inverted orientation, and the gene was driven by the 5 flanking region of the gene for napin such that antisense RNA was expressed in a seed-specific manner. The construct was introduced by Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer. In self-pollinated seeds (T1 seeds) of transgenic plants there was a reduction in the levels of the 11 and 2/32/3 subunits of cruciferin, whereas the level of the 44 subunit was unchanged. The total protein and lipid contents of transgenic seeds did not differ significantly from that of normal seeds. Seeds with reduced amounts of cruciferin accumulated higher amounts of napin than non-transformed seeds, but the level of oleosin was unaffected. Amino-acid analysis of the seed storage protein revealed that T1 seeds with reduced amounts of cruciferin contained higher relative levels of three essential amino acids, namely, lysine, methionine and cysteine, with increases of 10%, 8% and 32% over the respective levels in non-transgenic seeds (B. napus cv Westar).     

Overproduction of DnaA protein stimulates initiation of chromosome and minichromosome replication in Escherichia coli

Summary Increased synthesis of DnaA protein, obtained with plasmids carrying the dnaA gene controlled by the heat inducible pL promoter, stimulated initiation of replication from oriC about threefold. The overinitiation was determined both as an increase in copy number of a minichromosome and as an increase in chromosomal gene dosage of oriC proximal DNA. The additional replication forks which were initiated on the chromosome did not lead to an overall increase in DNA content. DNA/DNA hybridization showed an amplification encompassing less than a few hundred kilobases on each side of oriC. Kinetic studies showed that the overinitiation occurred very rapidly after the induction, and that the initiation frequency then decreased to a near normal frequency per oriC. The results indicate that the DnaA protein is one important factor in regulation of initiation of DNA replication from oriC.     

Weigle reactivation and mutagenesis of bacteriophage lambda in lexA(Def) mutants of E. coli K12

Summary The SOS response in UV-irradiated bacteria enhances the survival and mutagenesis of infecting damaged bacteriophage . In a lexA(Def) strain, SOS bacterial genes are fully derepressed by an inactivating mutation in the LexA repressor gene. We tested several lexA(Def) derivative strains for their capacity to constitutively promote high survival and mutagenesis of irradiated . We showed that UV irradiation of the lexA(Def) host bacteria is still necessary for optimal efficiency of both these SOS functions, which are dependent on the umuC gene product and an activated form of RecA protein.     

Chloramphenicol inhibition of Pythium ultimum and Rhodotorula glutinis

Summary The growth of Rhodotorula glutinis is inhibited by both D-threo chloramphenicol and an L-threo isomer of chloramphenicol (lacking the dichloroacetyl group), causing an increase in the mean generation time, in a variety of media, approximately proportional to the concentration of antibiotic. The antibiotic is not removed from the growth medium in any quantity during this inhibition of growth. The oxygen uptakes of normal and chloramphenicol-grown cells of R. glutinis are similar when expressed on a dry weight basis. The oxygen uptake of normal and L-threo isomer-grown cells is strongly inhibited by antimycin A, whereas D-threo chloramphenicol-grown cells are unaffected. There was no evidence to suggest that any uncoupling of phosphorylation occurred with either isomer. Pythium ultimum mycelium also showed similar oxygen uptakes per unit dry weight whether grown in the presence or absence of D-threo chloramphenicol. The D-threo chloramphenicol-grown mycelium was also insensitive to antimycin A in contrast to the normal mycelium which was strongly inhibited. P. ultimum grows slowly in the presence of 100 g/ml D-threo chloramphenicol in a glucose salts medium, but is completely inhibited by a similar concentration in a glycerol salts medium. The L-threo isomer does not inhibit the growth of P. ultimum.The mitochondria of Rhodotorula glutinis show a progressive disorganization when grown in the presence of increasing concentrations of D-threo chloramphenicol up to 1000 g/ml. There is an associated over synthesis of cell wall material in the higher concentrations of the antibiotic. The L-threo isomer produces no obvious fine structural abnormalities even at concentrations of 1000 g/ml.