非生物因素诱导马铃薯抗真菌病害研究的新进展

真菌病害是限制马铃薯生产的主要因素之一。生产中控制马铃薯真菌病害的主要手段是喷施化学杀菌剂。随着揭示植物抗病性机理的逐步深入,利用生物或非生物因子诱导植物、使其增强抗病性的研究已取得许多令人瞩目的成果,结合本研究室的一些研究工作,着重介绍了利用非生物因素诱导马铃薯抗真菌病害研究的一些新进展,同时就利用非生物因子控制马铃薯真菌病害的前景及存在问题进行了讨论。     

浅谈马铃薯晚疫病防治技术

马铃薯晚疫病是一种真菌类病害,其危害之重,范围之广。几乎所有马铃薯种植地区都有晚疫病的发生。晚疫病是马铃薯的主要病害之一,每年都有不同程度的发生和流行,其造成的损失严重,在一般年份减产20%左右,流行年份,会造大量成植株提前枯死,如防治措施不当,会造成70-80%的减产,甚至绝产。本文分析了马铃薯晚疫病的发病症状、流行规律,并介绍了防治技术,以供参考。     

马铃薯晚疫病防治的转基因策略

晚疫病是由致病疫霉菌(Phytophthora infestans)引起的病害,是限制马铃薯产业发展最严重的病害之一。采用传统育种和化学农药等方法防治马铃薯晚疫病虽然早有研究,但至今收效甚微。基因工程技术的兴起为防治马铃薯晚疫病提供了新的契机,并已取得了一定成效。但单基因抗性容易丧失、水平抗性应用难度大,要提高抗病基因的持久性,同时释放多个抗病基因,人为提高田间抗病基因的多态性是目前可选途径之一。对各种防治方法进行了综述,通过转基因技术创建抗病基因近等混合系是持久防治马铃薯晚疫病的首选可行方法,概述了其发展前景。     

马铃薯内生细菌的分离及其对环腐病菌的拮抗作用检测(简报)

马铃薯是世界四大作物之一,我国是世界上马铃薯种植面积最大的国家,种植面积达6000万亩。近年来,在马铃薯经济良好发展的带动下,马铃薯生产在种植面积和单产水平上有了大幅度提高。然而各种病害随之表现出逐年上升的趋势。环腐病、黑胫病、干腐病是造成北方马铃薯田间和窖存烂薯的主要病害,一般经济损失达20%—30%,严重年份可达50%。马铃薯环腐病害难以防治是因为病菌侵染部     

农杆菌转化马铃薯与抗病毒基因工程

马铃薯是目前世界上主要粮食作物之一,其产量仅排在小麦、玉米和水稻之后,占第四位。马铃薯既可用作粮食又可用作蔬菜,具有生育期短、高产、适应性强和营养丰富的特点。但马铃薯的产量和质量仍然受许多因素的限制,其中病害是最明显的。这些病害包括晚疫(Phytophthora infestance)、环腐(Corynebacterium sepedonium)、黑胫     

我国马铃薯软腐病防治的研究进展

马铃薯软腐病是马铃薯细菌性病害中最严重的一种,简要介绍了我国马铃薯软腐病的病原菌、病害性状以及对病害的防治方法。利用现代生物技术手段人为地操纵细菌群体感应系统,将会成为提高植物抗病性的新方法、新途径。     

马铃薯内生细菌的分离及其对环腐病菌的拮抗作用检测（简报）

马铃薯是世界四大作物之一,我国是世界上马铃薯种植面积最大的国家,种植面积达6000万亩。近年来,在马铃薯经济良好发展的带动下,马铃薯生产在种植面积和单产水平上有了大幅度提高。然而各种病害随之表现出逐年上升的趋势。     

马铃薯黄萎病研究现状

马铃薯黄萎病是一种重要的世界性病害之一,为土传兼种传维管束病害,危害大且防治困难。本文将该病害的分布与危害、症状、6种病原的形态学及其生物学特性、发病规律、病原检测技术和病害综合防控措施等方面研究进行了综合概述,可为该病害的相关深入研究提供理论指导。     

植物毒素thaxtomins生物合成及其分子调控研究进展

马铃薯疮痂病(potato scab)是世界范围内广泛存在的土传细菌性病害,难以防治。植物毒素thaxtomins由疮痂病链霉菌(Streptomyces scabies)次级代谢产生,是马铃薯疮痂病的主要致病原因,对马铃薯等作物产业造成严重危害。鉴于疮痂病链霉菌在农业上的重要作用,其中thaxtomins生物合成过程和分子调控得到越来越多的关注,并取得了较好的进展。本文综述了thaxtomins的结构特征、生物合成与异源表达,并重点介绍了疮痂病链霉菌中thaxtomins生物合成的分子调控机制等方面的研究进展,有利于深入认知疮痂病链霉菌次级代谢调控网络,为未来开发新型马铃薯疮痂病的防治策略提供理论指导。     

马铃薯疮痂病拮抗菌的筛选鉴定及防治效果初探

马铃薯疮痂病是马铃薯的主要病害之一,利用生物手段进行防治正逐渐引起人们的重视。为得到对马铃薯疮痂病病原菌具有较强拮抗作用的优良菌株,以病原菌Streptomyces bottropensis AMCC400023为靶标菌株,从山东省高密市马铃薯种植地采集的土壤中分离得到拮抗菌株,并采用平板对峙生长法和牛津杯试验法进行初筛和复筛,得到了1株具有较强拮抗作用的菌种1-3-4,其抑菌圈直径达19.74 mm,且其在盆栽试验中防治效果约为40.27%与48.66%。根据菌株1-3-4的16S rDNA序列分析结果,结合其培养形态特征和生理生化特性,将其鉴定为甲基营养型芽孢杆菌(Bacillus methylotrophicus)。盆栽防效测定试验结果显示,菌株1-3-4对于马铃薯疮痂病具有较好的防治作用,具有良好的应用前景。     

Expression of tobacco class II catalase gene activates the endogenous homologous gene and is associated with disease resistance in transgenic potato plants

We have previously shown that healthy potato plants respond poorly to salicylic acid (SA) for activating disease resistance against the late blight fungal pathogen Phytophthora infestans. However, SA is essential for the establishment of potato systemic acquired resistance (SAR) against P. infestans after treatment with the fungal elicitor arachidonic acid (AA). To understand the molecular mechanisms through which AA induces SA-dependent SAR in potato, we have recently studied the expression of potato class II catalase (Cat2St) in comparison with its tobacco homologue, Cat2Nt, which has previously been shown to bind SA. In the present study, we show that tobacco Cat2Nt is expressed at high levels and accounts for almost half of total SA-binding activity detected in tobacco leaves. In contrast, potato Cat2St is not expressed in healthy leaves, which is associated with the low SA responsiveness of potato plants for activation of disease resistance mechanisms. Upon treatment with AA, expression of potato Cat2St is induced not only in AA-treated leaves, but also in the upper untreated parts of the plants, concomitant with the establishment of SA -dependent SAR to P. infestans. Moreover, expression of the tobacco Cat2Nt gene in transgenic potato plants leads to constitutive expression of the endogenous potato Cat2St gene and is associated with enhanced resistance to P. infestans. These results collectively indicate that plant SA-binding class II catalases may play an important role in the development of disease resistance, possibly by serving as biological targets of SA.     

Transgenic potato overproducing L-ascorbic acid resisted an increase in methylglyoxal under salinity stress via maintaining higher reduced glutathione level and glyoxalase enzyme activity

Salt-tolerance was studied in transgenic potato. It was conferred by overexpression of ascorbate pathway enzyme (d-galacturonic acid reductase, GalUR). As genetic engineering of the GalUR gene in potato enhances its ascorbic acid content (l-AsA), and subsequently plants suffered minimal oxidative stress-induced damage, we now report on the comprehensive aptness of this engineering approach for enhanced salt tolerance in transgenic potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Taedong Valley). Potatoes overexpressing GalUR grew and tuberized in continuous presence of 200 mM of NaCl. The transgenic plants maintained a higher reduced to oxidized glutathione (GSH:GSSG) ratio together with enhanced activity of glutathione dependent antioxidative and glyoxalase enzymes under salinity stress. The transgenics resisted an increase in methylglyoxal that increased radically in untransformed control plants under salinity stress. This is the first report of genetic engineering of ascorbate pathway gene in maintaining higher level of GSH homeostasis along with higher glyoxalase activity inhibiting the accumulation in methylglyoxal (a potent cytotoxic compound) under salt stress. These results suggested the engineering of ascorbate pathway enzymes as a major step towards developing salinity tolerant crop plants.     

Fructan as a New Carbohydrate Sink in Transgenic Potato Plants

Fructans are polyfructose molecules that function as nonstructural storage carbohydrates in several plant species that are important crops. We have been studying plants for their ability to synthesize and degrade fructans to determine if this ability is advantageous. We have also been analyzing the ability to synthesize fructan in relation to other nonstructural carbohydrate storage forms like starch. To study this, we induced fructan accumulation in normally non-fructan-storing plants and analyzed the metabolic and physiological properties of such plants. The normally non-fructan-storing potato plant was modified by introducing the microbial fructosyltransferase genes so that it could accumulate fructans. Constructs were created so that the fructosyltransferase genes of either Bacillus subtilis (sacB) or Streptococcus mutans (ftf) were fused to the vacuolar targeting sequence of the yeast carboxypeptidase Y (cpy) gene. These constructs were placed under the control of the constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and introduced into potato tissue. The regenerated potato plants accumulated high molecular mass (>5 [times] 106 D) fructan molecules in which the degree of polymerization of fructose units exceeded 25,000. Fructan accumulation was detected in every plant tissue tested. The fructan content in the transgenic potato plants tested varied between 1 and 30% of dry weight in leaves and 1 and 7% of dry weight in microtubers. Total nonstructural neutral carbohydrate content in leaves of soil-grown plants increased dramatically from 7% in the wild type to 35% in transgenic plants. Our results demonstrated that potato plants can be manipulated to store a foreign carbohydrate by introducing bacterial fructosyltransferase genes. This modification affected photosynthate partitioning in microtubers and leaves and increased nonstructural carbohydrate content in leaves.     

Transgenic Potato with PVY Coat Protein Gene and Its Small-Scale Field Test

Potato virus Y (PVY) infection may cause a severe yield depression up to 80%. To develop the potato (Solanum tuberosum L. ) cultivars that resist PVY infection is very crucial in potato production. The authors have been cloned the coat protein gene of PVY from its Chinese isolate. A chimaeric gene containing the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and PVY coat protein coding region was introduced into the potato cultivars “Favorita”, “Tiger head” and “K4” via Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Results from PCR and Southern blot analysis confirmed that the foreign gene has integrated into the potato chromosomes. These transgenic potato plants were mechanically inoculated with PVY virus (20 mg/L). The presence of the virus in the potato plants was determined by ELISA and method of back inoculation into tobacco. The authors observed a drastic reduction in the accumulation of virus in some transgenic potato lines. Furthermore, some transgenic potato lines produced more tubers per plant than the untransformed potato did, and the average weight of these transgenic plant tubers was also increased. In the field test, the morphology and development of these transgenic potato plants were normal, 3 transgenic lines of “Favorita” exhibited a higher yield than the untrasformed virus-free potato with an increase ranged from 20% to 30%. From these transgenic lines, it will be very hopeful to develop a potato cultivar which not only has a significant resistance to PVY infection, but also a good harvest in potato production.     

Abscisic Acid Mediates Wound Induction but Not Developmental-Specific Expression of the Proteinase Inhibitor II Gene Family

The expression of the potato and tomato proteinase inhibitor II (pin2) gene family is subject to both developmental and environmental control, being constitutively expressed in potato tubers while only being present in the foliage of the potato or tomato plants after mechanical damage. There is evidence that the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) is involved in this wound induction of pin2 gene expression. This paper describes experiments that demonstrate that ABA is able to induce the expression of the pin2 gene family, both locally and systemically, at physiological concentrations. The significance of the ABA involvement in the pin2 induction upon wounding has been further strengthened by analyzing the expression of a pin2 promoter-[beta]-glucuronidase gene fusion in transgenic ABA-deficient mutant potato plants. We have analyzed the developmental regulation of pin2 gene expression in wild-type and ABA-deficient potato and tomato plants. The pin2 mRNA level is identical in mutant and wild-type parental Solanum phureja tubers. In addition, evidence is presented for pin2 also being constitutively expressed at certain stages in the development of both tomato and potato flowers. Again, the ABA deficiency appears to have little influence in this tissue-specific expression in the mutants. These results suggest the action of separate pathways for the developmental and environmental regulation of pin2 gene expression.     

Crop improvement through modification of the plant's own genome

Plant genetic engineering has, until now, relied on the incorporation of foreign DNA into plant genomes. Public concern about the extent to which transgenic crops differ from their traditionally bred counterparts has resulted in molecular strategies and gene choices that limit, but not eliminate, the introduction of foreign DNA. Here, we demonstrate that a plant-derived (P-) DNA fragment can be used to replace the universally employed Agrobacterium transfer (T-) DNA. Marker-free P-DNAs are transferred to plant cell nuclei together with conventional T-DNAs carrying a selectable marker gene. By subsequently linking a positive selection for temporary marker gene expression to a negative selection against marker gene integration, 29% of derived regeneration events contain P-DNA insertions but lack any copies of the T-DNA. Further refinements are accomplished by employing Omega-mutated virD2 and isopentenyl transferase cytokinin genes to impair T-DNA integration and select against backbone integration, respectively. The presented methods are used to produce hundreds of marker-free and backbone-free potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants displaying reduced expression of a tuber-specific polyphenol oxidase gene in potato. The modified plants represent the first example of genetically engineered plants that only contain native DNA.     

A sucrose non‐fermenting‐1‐related protein kinase‐1 gene,IbSnRK1, improves starch content,composition, granule size,degree of crystallinity and gelatinization in transgenic sweet potato

Sucrose non‐fermenting‐1‐related protein kinase‐1 (SnRK1) is an essential energy‐sensing regulator and plays a key role in the global control of carbohydrate metabolism. The SnRK1 gene has been found to increase starch accumulation in several plant species. However, its roles in improving starch quality have not been reported to date. In this study, we found that the IbSnRK1 gene was highly expressed in the storage roots of sweet potato and strongly induced by exogenous sucrose. Its expression followed the circandian rhythm. Its overexpression not only increased starch content, but also decreased proportion of amylose, enlarged granule size and improved degree of crystallinity and gelatinization in transgenic sweet potato, which revealed, for the first time, the important roles of SnRK1 in improving starch quality of plants. The genes involved in starch biosynthesis pathway were systematically up‐regulated, and the content of ADP‐glucose as an important precursor for starch biosynthesis and the activities of key enzymes were significantly increased in transgenic sweet potato. These findings indicate that IbSnRK1 improves starch content and quality through systematical up‐regulation of the genes and the increase in key enzyme activities involved in starch biosynthesis pathway in transgenic sweet potato. This gene has the potential to improve starch content and quality in sweet potato and other plants.