Comparative analyses reveal potential uses of Brachypodium distachyon as a model for cold stress responses in temperate grasses

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Little is known about the potential of Brachypodium distachyon as a model for low temperature stress responses in Pooideae. The ice recrystallization inhibition proteins (IRIP) genes, fructosyltransferase (FST) genes, and many C-repeat binding factor (CBF) genes are Pooideae specific and important in low temperature responses. Here we use comparative analyses to study conservation and evolution of these gene families in B. distachyon to better understand B. distachyon's potential as a model species for agriculturally important temperate grasses RESULTS: Brachypodium distachyon contains cold responsive IRIP genes which have evolved through Brachypodium specific gene family expansions. A large cold responsive CBF3 subfamily was identified in B. distachyon, while CBF4 homologs are absent from the genome. No B. distachyon FST gene homologs encode typical core Pooideae FST-motifs and low temperature induced fructan accumulation was dramatically different in B. distachyon compared to core Pooideae species. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that B. distachyon can serve as an interesting model for specific molecular mechanisms involved in low temperature responses in core Pooideae species. However, the evolutionary history of key genes involved in low temperature responses has been different in Brachypodium and core Pooideae species. These differences limit the use of B. distachyon as a model for holistic studies relevant for agricultural core Pooideae species.     

小麦转录因子TaWRKY74-c和TaWRKY74-d基因的克隆及基于生物信息学的功能分析

WRKY基因是近年来研究较为广泛的植物转录因子,目前许多物种中都克隆出WRKY基因。近年来,小麦中也有WRKY基因被克隆,但是由于对WRKY基因生物信息学分析不足,导致研究带有一定的盲目性。本试验以小麦品种扬麦158叶片为材料,分离了2个WRKY基因,分别编码344个和371个氨基酸,与GenBank数据库中的TaWRKY74基因高度同源,命名为TaWRKY74-c和TaWRKY74-d。蛋白质保守结构域分析表明,2个基因都含有1个WRKY保守结构域,属于Ⅲ类WRKY转录因子家族。定量PCR分析表明TaWRKY74-c和TaWRKY74-d在小麦的叶片、花和茎中均表达,且在茎中的表达量最多,在花中的表达量最少。采用Genevestigator转录组分析工具,对基因在331种环境条件(如逆境、病害、激素等刺激)、10个发育时期(如苗期、孕穗期等)和21种组织器官(如根、花、叶等)中的表达进行了分析,结果表明,该基因在小麦不同发育时期和组织器官中都有表达,且在植物遭受低温、病原体侵染等环境因子处理下,表达量发生显著改变,预示可能参与到这些生物学过程中。采用RT-PCR的方法对上述分析结果进行验证,结果表明生物学实验与生物信息学预测的结果一致。本研究将大量小麦转录组的数据应用到WRKY基因功能分析上,深化了对小麦WRKY基因家族成员功能的认识,为今后对该基因的表达分析和功能研究提供了重要线索和方向。     

小立碗藓WRKY基因家族生物信息学分析

WRKY作为最先在植物中发现的转录因子,在植物生长发育等过程中发挥重要作用。为了更好地研究小立碗藓WRKY蛋白的结构与功能,该文以Pfam数据库中WRKY基因家族数据(登录号为PF03106)为材料,分析了小立碗藓(Physcomitrella patens)WRKY基因家族成员的理化性质、蛋白质的二级结构预测、染色体定位、内外显子分布及系统进化关系。结果表明:(1)小立碗藓WRKY基因家族成员共有38个基因,根据WRKY保守结构域个数和锌指结构类型分成Ⅰ、Ⅱ两大类,不含第Ⅲ类(锌指结构为C2HC型),其中部分基因WRKY保守结构域发生变异。(2)WRKY蛋白氨基酸长度在216~775 aa之间、相对分子质量在24.5~82.8 kDa之间,亚细胞定位显示WRKY家族成员蛋白质定位于细胞核中。(3)WRKY蛋白的二级结构以α-螺旋、延伸链、β-转角、无规卷曲四种构成元件构成,除PpWRKY11(α-螺旋为主)外,其余无规卷曲占比高达70%。(4)与拟南芥的系统进化关系表明,植物在进化过程中WRKY家族成员的数目与进化方式发生改变,WRKY基因家族成员外显子的个数为3~7个。(5)小立碗藓WRKY基因家族成员无规则分散于21条染色体上,并未形成基因簇。该研究通过分析WRKY基因家族的基本结构与性质,能为后续深入研究WRKY转录因子的功能奠定基础。     

禾草模式植物二穗短柄草的研究进展

二穗短柄草（Brachypodium distachyon）是近来开发的一种温带禾草模式植物。它具有与粮食作物相同的许多生物学特性,可作为研究粮食作物生物学特性的模式实验植物。不同采集地的二穗短柄草具有高度的表观变异性,可帮助研究人员对这些生物学特性从表观到遗传的深入研究。二穗短柄草与其他重要经济作物如小麦、大麦及其他潜在能源植物一样同属于早熟禾亚科,使其成为研究这些重要经济作物无可非议的模式植物。近来,由于二穗短柄草基因组序列及其相关注释的完成,功能基因组学和其他实验技术手段的不断进步,二穗短柄草可为其他禾草类植物提供序列分析、基因表达和功能研究等诸多便利。本文综述了利用二穗短柄草作为模式植物来进行比较基因组学、生物学研究、转化和T—DNA突变等方面的最新研究进展。     

小麦盐胁迫相关基因的克隆与表达分析

采用RT-PCR方法,从小麦中克隆获得1个盐诱导小麦MYB类转录因子基因TaSIM（Triticum aestivum salt-induced MYB）,该基因cDNA全长1 213bp,具有1个831bp的开放阅读框,编码276个氨基酸,预测分子量约为29.903kD,等电点为10.12,推测的氨基酸序列中含有2个高度保守的SANT结构域。系统发生树分析表明,TaSIM与二穗短柄草XP₀03576185亲缘关系最近。半定量RT-PCR检测结果显示,TaSIM基因受盐胁迫诱导表达。亚细胞定位结果显示,TaSIM-hGFP融合蛋白定位于细胞核中。研究结果表明,小麦TaSIM基因编码的蛋白可能在细胞核内参与小麦对盐胁迫的应答反应。     

植物WRKY转录因子在应对盐胁迫中的作用研究进展

土壤中的高含盐量严重限制了植物的生长和作物的产量。植物的许多转录因子在植物逆境胁迫中发挥着重要的作用,但仍有很多转录因子的分子机制目前尚不清楚。WRKY转录因子作为高等植物中最大的转录因子家族之一,参与并影响着植物生长发育的多个方面,在盐胁迫的多种不同响应途径中发挥重要作用。WRKY蛋白对基因表达的调控主要是通过与DNA特定顺式调控元件——W-box元件（TTGACC）的结合来实现的。近年来,从模式植物拟南芥（Arabidopsis）到农作物,已经有许多研究揭示了WRKY家族成员的作用和机制。本文综述了WRKY转录因子在应对盐胁迫方面的最新研究进展,探讨了WRKY转录因子研究目前存在的问题和未来的展望。     

Construction and characterization of two BAC libraries from Brachypodium distachyon, a new model for grass genomics.

Brachypodium is well suited as a model system for temperate grasses because of its compact genome and a range of biological features. In an effort to develop resources for genome research in this emerging model species, we constructed 2 bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries from an inbred diploid Brachypodium distachyon line, Bd21, using restriction enzymes HindIII and BamHI. A total of 73,728 clones (36,864 per BAC library) were picked and arrayed in 192,384-well plates. The average insert size for the BamHI and HindIII libraries is estimated to be 100 and 105 kb, respectively, and inserts of chloroplast origin account for 4.4% and 2.4%, respectively. The libraries individually represent 9.4- and 9.9-fold haploid genome equivalents with combined 19.3-fold genome coverage, based on a genome size of 355 Mb reported for the diploid Brachypodium, implying a 99.99% probability that any given specific sequence will be present in each library. Hybridization of the libraries with 8 starch biosynthesis genes was used to empirically evaluate this theoretical genome coverage; the frequency at which these genes were present in the library clones gave an estimated coverage of 11.6- and 19.6-fold genome equivalents. To obtain a first view of the sequence composition of the Brachypodium genome, 2185 BAC end sequences (BES) representing 1.3 Mb of random genomic sequence were compared with the NCBI GenBank database and the GIRI repeat database. Using a cutoff expectation value of E<10-10, only 3.3% of the BESs showed similarity to repetitive sequences in the existing database, whereas 40.0% had matches to the sequences in the EST database, suggesting that a considerable portion of the Brachypodium genome is likely transcribed. When the BESs were compared with individual EST databases, more matches hit wheat than maize, although their EST collections are of a similar size, further supporting the close relationship between Brachypodium and the Triticeae. Moreover, 122 BESs have significant matches to wheat ESTs mapped to individual chromosome bin positions. These BACs represent colinear regions containing the mapped wheat ESTs and would be useful in identifying additional markers for specific wheat chromosome regions.     

Brachypodium distachyon: making hay with a wild grass

Brachypodium distachyon is a wild grass with a short life cycle. Although it is related to small grain cereals such as wheat, its genome is only a fraction of the size. A draft genome sequence is currently available, and molecular and genetic tools have been developed for transformation, mutagenesis and gene mapping. Accessions collected from across its ancestral range show a surprising degree of phenotypic variation in many traits, including those implicated in domestication of the cereals. Thus, given its rapid cycling time and ease of cultivation, Brachypodium will be a useful model for investigating problems in grass biology.     

小麦成熟胚脱分化过程中WRKY家族转录因子基因及其下游基因的表达

用Affymetrix小麦基因芯片研究了小麦成熟胚在MS＋2,4-D（2mg．L-1）培养基上脱分化过程中不同时间点的基因表达变化,用NCBI、DATF和DRTF等生物信息学相关网站对基因表达信息进行处理,并针对WRKY家族转录因子相关基因的变化情况进行分析的结果表明：WRKY家族中有20个相关基因在脱分化过程中的不同时点至少发生一次上调或下调表达变化,变化幅度分别为2～40倍和2～16倍,其中WRKY6,WRKY18．WRKY33及其下游基因CA692019、CA660172、CA640435等与小麦成熟胚脱分化过程可能有密切关系。WRKY6在脱分化的全过程中一直呈下降趋势,推测2,4-D诱导可能导致成熟胚细胞的抗性下降,从而有利于脱分化的进行。WRKY33基因可能在脱分化初期的信号转导中有作用。不同物种的组织或器官脱分化过程中的转录因子基因表达有差异,说明其脱分化机制的多样性和复杂性。     

Globulins are the main seed storage proteins in Brachypodium distachyon

Brachypodium distachyon is being developed as a model system to study temperate cereals and forage grasses. We have begun to investigate its utility to understand seed development and grain filling by identifying the major seed storage proteins in a diploid accession Bd21. With the use of ID SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry we detected seven major storage protein bands, six of which were identified as globulins. A subset of the major seed proteins isolated from three hexaploid accessions, Bd4, Bd14 and Bd17 were also identified as globulins. Several Brachypodium cDNAs clones encoding globulin were completely sequenced. Two types of globulin genes were identified, Bd.glo1 and Bd.glo2, which are similar to maize 7S and oat 12S globulins, respectively. The derived polypeptide sequences of the globulins contain a typical signal peptide sequence in their polypeptide N-termini and two cupin domains. Bd.glo1 is encoded by a single copy gene, whereas, Bd.glo2 belongs to a gene family.     

Recent Progress in Model Grass Brachypodium distachyon (Poaceae)

Brachypodium distachyon, recently developed model system for temperate grasses, exhibited many traits with cereal crops and proposed to be an experimental system to access the biological approach. These traits have shown a surprised degree of phenotypic variation in many collected accessions. Like some important economical cereals, Bdistachyon also belongs to subfamily Pooideae, which make it become an unquestionable model system to research the economically important crops, such as wheat, barley and several potential biofuel plants. Recently, genome sequence and annotation of Bdistachyon has been finished. Associated with the development of the functional genomics and other experimental resources establishment, Bdistachyon will provide a key resource for improving cereal crops and facilitate the approach of sequence analyze gene expression and functional resources available for a variety of species. In this article we review and assess the current progress of Bdistachyon as a model system and then focus specifically on recent studies of comparative genomics, biological improvement, transformation and T DNA mutations.     

植物WRKY转录因子家族基因抗病相关功能的研究进展

植物基因组中,数目众多的转录因子参与植物的生长发育、物质代谢、响应生物和/或非生物胁迫等多种生物进程.WRKY基因家族是植物重要的转录因子家族,在抗病信号转导途径中起重要调控作用,因而成为分子植物病理研究领域中的热点.本文综述了WRKY转录因子基因在植物抗病反应中的作用和调节机制的最新研究进展,以期为深入研究WRKY基因家族在植物抗病反应中的作用,阐明植物抗病信号转导途径提供帮助.