Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation of marine microalgae Schizochytrium

Schizochytrium was a known docosahexaenoic acid producing marine microalgae. In this study, we have developed a novel transformation approach of Schizochytrium using the Agrobacterium tumefaciens (A. tumefaciens) binary vector system. After co-cultivation of Schizochytrium protoplasts with A. tumefaciens harboring pCAMBIA2301 containing the neomycin phosphotransferase II (NPT II) gene as the selectable marker which confers resistance to G418, the Schizochytrium transformants were successfully obtained on the G418-containing plates. The integration and expression of the transgenes were confirmed by PCR analysis and GUS activity assay. To further validate the transformation system, pCAMBIA2301-EGFP containing the egfp gene was introduced into Schizochytrium. The following results demonstrated that the exogenous egfp gene has been successfully incorporated into the genome of Schizochytrium. In addition, the introduced egfp gene expressed efficiently according to the Western blot and fluorescence assay results. More importantly, the majority of the transformants displayed similar biomass and fatty acid production comparing with the wild type strain. Our results demonstrated that exogenous genes could be expressed efficiently in transgenic Schizochytrium, suggesting that genetically engineered Schizochytrium could be explored by this system.     

产生无标记农杆菌突变体方法的建立及优化

农杆菌已经用作许多生物过程研究的模型细菌,为了解析这些生物过程的分子机理,对农杆菌的某些基因进行突变就显得非常重要．以自杀性基因sacB作为反向可选择性标记基因,利用同源重组的原理,建立了一种可对农杆菌基因进行准确插入、删除和位点置换的突变方法,所获突变体不带任何不需要的外源DNA序列．通过详细研究同源序列的长度对农杆菌同源重组效率和突变体产生概率的影响,以及对农杆菌中的同源重组机理的分析,提出了优化该突变体产生方法的方案,即通过设计不等长的上下游同源序列和选择其中一种类型的单交换重组体来筛选二次交换重组体的方法,可以显著地提高理想突变体的产生概率．研究结果对如何提高突变体的产生概率和减少突变体筛选的工作量具重要的参考价值．利用该方法成功地获得了两个基因被同时删除而且不含抗性标记的农杆菌突变株．     

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of Brassica napus winter cultivars

An efficient protocol for Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of six commercial Brassica napus winter cultivars is described. Two B. napus spring cultivars were analysed for comparison. Five strains of A. tumefaciens with different combinations of nopaline and octopine chromosomal backgrounds and virulence plasmids were used for cocultivation. Selection of putative regenerated transgenic plants was performed on kanamycin- or hygromycin-containing media. The scores of transgenic plants were calculated on the basis of GUS (-glucuronidase) activity, detected by the histochemical X-Gluc test. Target tissue derived from the cut surface of cotyledon petioles resulted in successful transformation with all the winter cultivars tested. Target tissue from hypocotyl segments resulted in a successful transformation with only one winter cultivar. The transformation rates for B. napus winter cultivars in this study were higher than in previous reports. Southern blot analysis revealed that integration of marker genes occurred in single and in multiple copies and at multiple loci in the genome. The transgenic plants all grew normally and developed fertile flowers after a vernalization period. After self-pollination, Southern blot analysis of selected GUS active F1 plants revealed that introduced marker genes were stably inherited to the next generation. These data demonstrate that morphologically normal, fertile transgenic plants of B. napus winter cultivars can be achieved with both nopaline- and octopine-derived A. tumefaciens strains. This protocol should have a broad application in improvement of Brassica napus winter cultivars by introduction of foreign genes     

农杆菌介导的玉米大斑病菌转化

采用玉米大斑病菌Exserohilum turcicum的无性菌丝作受体,建立了农杆菌Agrobacterium tumefaciens介导的转化方法。采用的载体为 pUR5750, 携有来源于质粒pAN71的潮霉素抗性选择标记。PCR分析表明T-DNA 插入到E. turcicum基因组中。     

Development of an efficient maintenance and screening system for large-insert genomic DNA libraries of hexaploid wheat in a transformation-competent artificial chromosome (TAC) vector

Three large-insert genomic DNA libraries of common wheat, Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring, were constructed in a newly developed transformation-competent artificial chromosome (TAC) vector, pYLTAC17, which accepts and maintains large genomic DNA fragments stably in both Escherichia coli and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The vector contains the cis sequence required for Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer into grasses. The average insert sizes of the three genomic libraries were approximately 46, 65 and 120 kbp, covering three haploid genome equivalents. Genomic libraries were stored as frozen cultures in a 96-well format, each well containing approximately 300-600 colonies (12 plates for small library, four for medium-size library and four for large library). In each of the libraries, approximately 80% of the colonies harbored genomic DNA inserts of >50 kbp. TAC clones containing gene(s) of interest were identified by the pooled PCR technique. Once the target TAC clones were isolated, they could be immediately transferred into grass genomes with the Agrobacterium system. Five clones containing the thionin type I genes (single copy per genome), corresponding to each of the three genomes (A, B and D), were successfully selected by the pooled PCR method, in addition to an STS marker (aWG464; single copy per genome) and CAB (a multigene family). TAC libraries constructed as described here can be used to isolate genomic clones containing target genes, and to carry out genome walking for positional cloning.     

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of the plant pathogenic fungus, Magnaporthe grisea.

An effective way to study the infection mechanisms of fungal pathogens is to disrupt their genes via transformation in both targeted and random manners. This isolates the mutants that exhibit altered virulence. In this paper, we report the successful transformation of Magnaporthe grisea, the causal agent for rice blast, that is mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Employing the binary vector pBHt2, which carries the bacterial hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene under the control of the Aspergillus nidulans trpC promoter as a selectable marker, led to the production of 500 to > 1,000 hygromycin B-resistant transformants per 1 x 10(6) conidia of M. grisea. The transformation efficiency is correlated with the number of A. tumefaciens cells used, pre-treating bacterial cells with acetosyringone prior to co-cultivation with fungal spores, and the duration of co-cultivation. All of the transformants tested remained mitotically stable, maintaining their hygromycin B resistance after several generations of growth in the absence of hygromycin B. A genomic Southern blot analysis showed that over 60% of the transformants contained a single T-DNA insert on their genome. Considering the efficiency and flexibility of A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT), this technique offers highly efficient means for characterizing the genes that are important for the pathogenicity of M. grisea.     

参与在农杆菌介导遗传转化过程中的植物因子研究进展

随着农杆菌介导遗传转化过程中农杆菌一方转化机理的阐明,人们现在已经将目光转向了参与在农杆菌介导遗传转化过程中的植物因子。应用拟南芥突变体分析,酵母双杂交和cDNA的扩增片段长度多态性等技术人们已经部分阐明了参与在农杆菌向植物细胞的附着,TDNA的加工和转运,T链复合体向细胞核的转运,TDNA的整合等过程中的植物因子,并对植物基因对于农杆菌侵染的响应有了初步的了解。这些结果的获得不仅有助于人们加深对农杆菌介导遗传转化机理的认识而且有助于进一步扩大农杆菌介导遗传转化这一技术的应用范围 。     

基于TAC载体的水稻转化系统的建立

将含有大约50kb水稻基因组片段的TAC17克隆(NK15)通过电击转化到农杆菌LBA4404中,经多次继代培养,该克隆在农杆菌中是稳定的。用常规的农杆菌介导方法将该克隆转化粳稻品种农垦58S成熟胚的愈伤组织,对T0代进行PCR和Southern杂交分析表明,TAC17所携带的50kb外源DNA片段已完整地整合到水稻基因组上,整合方式多数为单位点插入,整合位点是随机的。经T1代分析表明,外源基因可以稳定地遗传,而且进一步确定外源大片段的整合方式为为单位点插入。     

The carboxy-terminus of VirE2 from Agrobacterium tumefaciens is required for its transport to host cells by the virB-encoded type IV transport system

Agrobacterium tumefaciens transfers DNA from the resident 'tumour-inducing' (Ti) plasmid into plant cells, where it can be stably integrated into the plant genome, ultimately resulting in crown gall tumour formation. The mobilized DNA molecule is a single-stranded intermediate with VirD2 covalently bound to its 5' end. Successful transport of the transferred DNA (T-DNA) and integration of the DNA into the genome requires that additional proteins be transported to the plant as well, including the single-stranded (ss)DNA-binding protein, VirE2. The transport of these two different substrates occurs as a result of the activities of a type IV secretion system encoded by the virB operon. Although the substrates have been identified, the mechanism of their transport remains unknown. In the experiments described here, a region in one of these substrates, VirE2, necessary for transport is identified. The addition of a C-terminal FLAG epitope tag to VirE2, or the deletion of its C-terminal 18 amino acids, renders it non-functional in A. tumefaciens. However, transgenic plants expressing either of these virE2 genes respond to virE2 mutants of A. tumefaciens by forming wild-type tumours. These results indicate that this region of VirE2 is necessary for the protein to be transported into the plant cells, but is not necessary for its function within the plant. Additionally, these studies demonstrate that mutant forms of VirE2 lacking this region do not disrupt the activities of the VirB transporter and support the hypothesis that VirE2 and the VirD2 T-strand are transported independently, even when they co-exist in the same cell.     

根癌农杆菌介导的灰葡萄孢菌遗传转化研究

以pCAMBIA1300-N载体为骨架, 成功构建了以绿色荧光蛋白(gfp)为报告基因, 潮霉素(hph)为抗性筛选标记的载体pKPG, 并利用根癌农杆菌介导转化系统, 成功获得了能表达绿色荧光蛋白的重组灰葡萄孢菌。通过PCR检测转化子的绿色荧光蛋白基因和潮霉素抗性表达框, 观察菌丝和分生孢子的荧光表型, 以及gfp基因的Southern杂交验证, 结果表明：被测转化子基因组中均成功整合了目的基因片段。     

转几丁质酶基因黑杨的获得

以G1黑杨幼叶为外植体建立了组织培养高频再生体系 ,对传统的农杆菌介导法进行了改进 ,用来自于菜豆的几丁质酶基因 (CH5B)进行转化 ,经PCR和PCR Southern杂交鉴定 ,证实CH5B基因已整合入G1黑杨核基因组中。     

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus from Sardinia is a whitefly-transmitted monopartite geminivirus.

The genome of an isolate of tomato yellow leaf curl virus from Sardinia, Italy (TYLCV-S), a geminivirus transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, has been cloned and sequenced. The single circular DNA molecule comprises 2770 nucleotides. Genome organisation closely resembles that of the DNA A component of the whitefly-transmitted geminiviruses with a bipartite genome. A 1.8 mer of the TYLCV-S genome in a binary vector of Agrobacterium tumefaciens is infectious upon agroinoculation of tomato plants. Typical tomato yellow leaf curl disease symptoms developed about three weeks after inoculation. The disease was transmitted by the natural vector B.tabaci from agroinfected plants to test plants, reproducing in this way the full biological cycle and proving that the genome of TYLCV-S consists of only one circular single-stranded DNA molecule. Contrary to the other whitefly-transmitted geminiviruses described so far, there is no evidence for the existence nor the necessity of a second component (B DNA) in the TYLCV-S genome.     

Expression Activity of CLCuV Bidirectional Promoter in Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV) belongs to the subgroup Ⅲ of geminiviruses with single strand DNA genome. Study demonstrated that the bidirectional promoter of CLCuV had activity in Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Smith et Townsend) Conn. This is the first report for the activity of the bidirectional promoter of geminivirus in A. tumefaciens . Results showed that the activity of the complementary sense promoter was stronger than that of virion sense promoter, and was detected 2-fold higher than that of CaMV 35S promoter in A. tumefaciens . Moreover, the promoter 5′ deletion analysis indicated that the mean GUS activity driven by a 287 nucleotides complementary sense promoter fragment (from -287 to the translation initiation site) is 4 times higher than that driven by the whole complementary sense promoter in A. tumefaciens . This result suggested that there might exist negative regulatory elements in this deleted fragment. The function of other cis- elements included in CLCuV complementary sense promoter was also discussed in this paper.     

Binary Agrobacterium vectors for plant transformation.

A vector molecule for the efficient transformation of higher plants has been constructed with several features that make it efficient to use. It utilizes the trans acting functions of the vir region of a co-resident Ti plasmid in Agrobacterium tumefaciens to transfer sequences bordered by left and right T-DNA border sequences into the nuclear genome of plants. The T-region contains a dominant selectable marker gene that confers high levels of resistance to kanamycin, and a lac alpha-complementing region from M13mp19 that contains several unique restriction sites for the positive selection of inserted DNA.     

Genetic transformation of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) via infection of androgenetic pollen cultures with Agrobacterium tumefaciens

A novel genetic transformation method for barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), based on infection of androgenetic pollen cultures with Agrobacterium tumefaciens, is presented. Winter-type barley cv. 'Igri' was amenable to stable integration of transgenes mediated by A. tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harbouring a vector system that confers hypervirulence, or by the non-hypervirulent strain GV3101 with a standard binary vector. The efficacy of gene transfer was substantially influenced by pollen pre-culture time, choice of Agrobacterium strain and vector system, Agrobacterium population density, medium pH and the concentrations of acetosyringone, CaCl(2) and glutamine. After co-culture, rapid removal of viable agrobacteria was crucial for subsequent development of the pollen culture. To this end, the growth of agrobacteria was suppressed by the concerted effects of appropriate antibiotics, low pH, reduced level of glutamine and high concentrations of CaCl(2) and acetosyringone. Following infection with LBA4404 and GV3101, about 31% and 69%, respectively, of the primary transgenic (T(0)) plants carried a single copy of the sequence integrated. The use of hypervirulent A. tumefaciens and hygromycin resistance as a selectable marker resulted in 3.7 T(0) plants per donor spike. About 60% of the primary transgenic plants set seed, indicating spontaneous genome doubling. An analysis of 20 T(1) populations revealed that four progenies did not segregate for reporter gene expression. This indicates that the approach pursued enables the generation of instantly homozygous primary transgenic plants. The method established will be a valuable tool in functional genomics as well as for the biotechnological improvement of barley.     

Proteomics of a plant pathogen: Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is an important plant pathogen which belongs to the α-proteobacteria. In addition, it has served as the main tool for plant molecular genetics. Here we focus on three major aspects: (i) proteomic mapping, (ii) the use of proteomics for the understanding of the response of A. tumefaciens to changes in environmental conditions and (iii) the analysis of the changes in genome expression following interaction with the host. These studies convey a global outlook on the functional genomics of A. tumefaciens and help to understand the physiology of this important organism.     

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of the vegetative dikaryotic mycelium of the cultivated mushroom Flammulina velutipes

Agrobacterium tumefaciens was used to transform the vegetative dikaryotic mycelium of Flammulina velutipes using a hygromycin B resistance gene as selectable marker. The gene coding for urogen III methyltransferase (cob) was introduced into F. velutipes dikaryotic cells. The resulting transformant cells generated a bright red fluorescence, indicating that cob is promising as a reporter gene in F. velutipes.     

玉米核糖体失活蛋白基因z108在烟草原生质体中的转化及其表达

利用与根癌农杆菌共培养的方法将玉米核糖体失活蛋白基因z108及其融合基因GUS导入烟草叶肉原生质体细胞。试验结果表明,烟草叶片在含有1.0%纤维素酶和0.5%离析酶的裂解液中,以0.5M甘露醇、5000.0mg/LCaCl2为渗透压调节剂,25℃保温12-14h,可获得纯化的原生质体细胞;纯化的叶肉原生质体细胞与根癌农杆菌菌株pCam1301/91-108共培养30min,经25mg/L潮霉素筛选,转化率可达17.84%。转化体细胞经X-Gluc染色、PCR和RT-PCR检测证明玉米核糖体失活蛋白基因z108已整合到烟草原生质体细胞的核基因组中并获得表达。