Methoprene Photolytic Compounds Disrupt Zebrafish Development,Producing Phenocopies of Mutants in the Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Pathway

Environmental chemicals have been proposed to impact endocrine or retinoid pathways, causing developmental abnormalities in humans and other vertebrates. Presented evidence shows that exposure of zebrafish embryos to sunlight-induced photolytic products of the pesticide methoprene results in developmental defects in the head, heart, pectoral fins, and somites, and in spinal motor and optic nerve axons. Exposed embryos are phenocopies of zebrafish you-type mutants and, as in the mutant sonic-you, show underexpression of the signaling protein sonic hedgehog. Reduced expression of sonic hedgehog is also displayed in embryos treated with the retinoic acid synthesis inhibitor citral. This study identifies citral-related compounds as embryonic signaling disruptors of potential environmental concern.     

MOZ Regulates the Tbx1 Locus, and Moz Mutation Partially Phenocopies DiGeorge Syndrome

DiGeorge syndrome, caused by a 22q11 microdeletion or mutation of the TBX1 gene, varies in severity?greatly, even among monozygotic twins. Epigenetic phenomena have been invoked to explain phenotypic differences in individuals of identical genetic composition, although specific chromatin modifications relevant to DiGeorge syndrome are elusive. Here we show that lack of the histone acetyltransferase MOZ (MYST3/KAT6A) phenocopies DiGeorge syndrome, and the MOZ complex occupies the Tbx1 locus, promoting its expression and histone 3?lysine 9 acetylation. Importantly, DiGeorge syndrome-like anomalies are present in mice with homozygous mutation of Moz and in heterozygous Moz mutants when combined with Tbx1 haploinsufficiency or oversupply of retinoic acid. Conversely, a Tbx1 transgene rescues the heart?phenotype in Moz mutants. Our data reveal a molecular mechanism for a specific chromatin modification of the Tbx1 locus intersecting with an environmental determinant, modeling variability in DiGeorge syndrome.     

Revertants and Secondary arom-2 Mutants Induced in Non-Complementing Mutants in the arom Gene Cluster of Neurospora Crassa

Extensive genetical and biochemical studies have been performed with revertants and secondary arom-2 mutants induced in two different primary non-complementing mutants which map within the arom gene cluster of Neurospora crassa. These studies indicate that mutant M54 but not M25 can revert by super-suppressor mutations in unlinked genes, thus confirming previous evidence that M54 contains a nonsense codon. At least three new super suppressors of M54 have been detected. All four super suppressors (including one previously detected) when combined with M54 result in high levels of all five of the arom enzymic activities in the form of arom multienzyme complexes very similar to (but not necessarily identical with) that in wild type (WT).-Evidence has also been obtained that the two non-complementing mutants can yield revertants which appear to result from true back mutations and produce arom aggregates essentially indistinguishable from that of WT. In addition, M25, but not M54, when plated on quinic acid yields revertants (secondary mutants) some of which are phenotypically indistinguishable from arom-2 primary mutants and others of which, although also mapping within the arom-2 gene, exhibit unusual properties. Genetic evidence indicates that the M25 secondary mutants are localized within the arom-2 gene, but that they arise from mutational events more complex than ones resulting in single base pair changes in the M25 codon.-The recovery of secondary arom-2 mutants as revertants of non-complementing arom mutants provides strong evidence, independent of earlier recombination data, that non-complementing arom mutants are located within the arom-2 structural gene of the arom gene cluster. In addition, the occurrence and characteristics of these secondary arom-2 mutants provide strong evidence, independent of the results with nonsense suppressors, that the arom gene cluster is transcribed, beginning with the arom-2 gene, as a single polycistronic messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) molecule which is subsequently translated into the arom multienzyme complex.     

F-actin Distribution of Dictyostelium Myosin I Double Mutants

The roles of the myosin I class of mechanoenzymes have been investigated by single and double gene knockout studies in the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. Cells lacking different myosin I pairs (myoA^-/myoB^-, myoB^-/myoC^-, and myoA^-/myoC^-) were examined with respect to their cytoskeletal organization. F-actin localization by rhodamine-phalloidin staining of cells indicates that the myoA^-/myoB^-, myoB^-/myoC^-, and myoA^-/myoC^- cells appear to redistribute their F-actin more slowly than wild type cells upon adhesion to a substrate. These studies suggest that Dictyostelium myoA, myoB, and myoC may have overlapping roles in maintaining the integrity or organization of the cortical membrane cytoskeleton.     

高静水压诱导水稻变异的初步研究

以高静水压处理水稻粤香占、粤丰占、998、999和毕粳38种子后的当代群体(M1),以及从中筛选到的突变株粤变长、巨无霸、粤丰压变1号-5号、毕籼为材料,研究了静水高压对水稻生长发育及其农艺性状的影响,结果发现：(1)与对照相比,粤香占和998处理当代群体的株高和有效穗数明显增加,但株叶形态没有明显变化;粤丰占、999和毕粳38的处理群体没有明显变化;(2)粤变长和巨无霸从第二代(M2)到第四代(M4)性状稳定,未发现明显分离,但在株高、有效穗数、穗粒数、粒长和千粒重等方面,与对照相比明显不同;(3)在M,代,粤丰压变1号一5号中除粤丰压变2号外的株高都发生了分离,而且粤丰压变4号分离出了大粒型和长芒型的植株;(4)毕籼从Mz代到lVt,代,性状稳定,但其株高、穗长、粒长和穗粒数均比对照显著增加,结实率和千粒重则明显降低;(5)经静水高压处理后的粤丰占种子发芽试验中,出现了双苗和3苗现象。这些结果表明静水高压能够影响水稻的生长发育,并能诱导水稻产生变异。     

Lack of Chemically Induced Mutation in Repair-Deficient Mutants of Yeast

Two genes, rad6 and rad9, that confer radiation sensitivity in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae also greatly reduce the frequency of chemically-induced reversions of a tester mutant cyc1-131, which is a chain initiation mutant in the structural gene determining iso-1-cytochrome c. Mutations induced by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), diethyl sulfate (DES), methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), dimethyl sulfate (DMS), nitroquinoline oxide (NQO), nitrosoguanidine (NTG), nitrogen mustard (HN2), beta-propiolactone, and tritiated uridine, as well as mutations induced by ultraviolet light (UV) and ionizing radiation were greatly diminished in strains homozygous for either the rad6 or rad9 gene. Nitrous acid and nitrosoimidazolidone (NIL), on the other hand, were highly mutagenic in these repair-deficient mutants, and at low doses, these mutagens acted with about the same efficiency as in the normal RAD strain. At high doses of either nitrous acid or NIL, however, reversion frequencies were significantly reduced in the two rad mutants compared to normal strains. Although both rad mutants are immutable to about the same extent, the rad9 strains tend to be less sensitive to the lethal effect of chemical mutagens than rad6 strains. It is concluded that yeast requires a functional repair system for mutation induction by chemical agents.     

氮离子束注入诱变小麦的研究

和其他诱变方法相比较,低能氮离子束注入作为一种新的诱变方法具有生理损伤小、突变谱广和突变频率高等特点。据此利用该方法处理“遗4212”,建立起具有60个株系的突变群体。通过调查生育期、农艺性状、醇溶蛋白和微卫星的变异,对后代M4群体进行系统的研究。结果表明：群体的生育期和农艺性状变异明显,有7个ω-醇溶蛋白的迁移率变异并伴随着蛋白的缺失和增加;在25个SSR位点出现扩增产物的缺失、延长和缩短。结合实验结果和其他相关报道,讨论了实验所获得突变体的应用及离子束注入引发突变的机理。     

人热休克因子1突变体的应用研究进展

热休克因子1是调节应激反应的主要转录因子,它在应激条件下可被活化。通过基因突变得到正显性和负显性热休克因子1,它们不需要外界条件刺激就分别具有启动热休克蛋白的表达或竞争抑制内源热休克因子1活性的能力。目前,已有多个热休克因子1的突变体应用于疾病研究。介绍了热休克因子1的结构和活化途径,以及热休克因子1突变体在肿瘤、神经系统及心血管系统等方面的应用进展。     

人热休克因子1突变体的应用研究进展

热休克因子1是调节应激反应的主要转录因子,它在应激条件下可被活化。通过基因突变得到正显性和负显性热休克因子1,它们不需要外界条件刺激就分别具有启动热休克蛋白的表达或竞争抑制内源热休克因子1活性的能力。目前,已有多个热休克因子1的突变体应用于疾病研究。介绍了热休克因子1的结构和活化途径,以及热休克因子1突变体在肿瘤、神经系统及心血管系统等方面的应用进展。     

Differentiation between Amber and Ochre Mutants of Yeast by Reversion with 4-Nitroquinoline-1-Oxide

4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (NQO) induces high frequencies of intragenic revertants of amber (UAG) but not ochre (UAA) mutants of yeast. Distinction of the amber and ochre codons was made with well-characterized nonsense mutants of the iso-1-cytochrome c gene (cyc1 mutants) as well as with nonsense mutants having nutritional requirements. Thus the NQO-induced reversion frequencies corroborated the assignments that were based on the pattern of amino acid replacements in intragenic revertants and on the speficity of suppression. It was concluded from these results and from the results of a previous investigation with other cyc1 mutants (Prakash, Stewart and Sherman 1974) that NQO induces transversions of G:C base pairs at many sites and that the specificity is not strongly influenced by neighboring base pairs in at least the strains examined in these studies. NQO was previously shown to induce G:C → A:T transitions at least at one site and this and the previous study established that it does not significantly mutate A:T base pairs at numerous sites. Thus NQO can be used to selectively mutate G:C base pairs and to determine if the pathways of reverse mutations involve G:C base pairs. Suppressors that act on either amber or ochre mutants were induced with NQO, indicating that they can arise by mutations of G:C base pairs.     

Altered Fatty Acid Distribution in Mutants of Neurospora crassa

Morphological mutants of Neurospora with decreased levels of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and reduced nicotinamide ad enine dinucleotide (NADH) contained only 20% as much of a polyunsaturated fatty acid (linolenic acid) as the wild type in both the phospholipid and neutral lipid fractions. There was an excellent correlation between linolenic acid levels and morphological appearance as a function of total NADPH content, but no correlation with NADH content. The linolenic acid deficiency was balanced by a relative increase in the amounts of the less unsaturated fatty acids (oleic and linoleic acids), but the level of three other fatty acids did not appear to be changed. This accumulation of these two precursors suggests that the NADPH deficiency preferentially affected the final desaturation step, i.e., the conversion of linoleic to linolenic acid. The NADPH needed for this reaction in vivo was probably generated by the pentose phosphate shunt, since mutations affecting the shunt lead to the decreased levels of linolenic acid. It is not clear whether the changes in fatty acid distribution affect the morphogenesis of Neurospora, or if these changes are just part of the NADPH-deficiency syndrome.     

辐射诱发唐菖蒲复色花突变体的AFLP分析

以唐菖蒲品种'新秀'的种球为材料,经不同剂量50Co γ射线诱变后,进行生物学性状观察,并以'新秀'为对照.用AFLP分子标记对突变体进行多态性分析.结果显示,(1)诱变后代出现了广泛变异,并从75 GY剂量组M:代中选出了花瓣呈粉白相间的复色花突变体.(2)突变体的大多数引物扩增产物带型与对照带型差异显著;64种引物中50对引物检测出DNA分子的多态性,产生1 600条清晰谱带,多态性位点112个,多态性13.08%,相似性系数为93%.差异片段主要集中于100～700 bp之间.研究表明,复色花突变体和对照之间的差异与遗传物质的改变相关,其中一些可能与花色形成基因有关.     

Intragenic Mapping of Chemically Induced ad-7 Mutants of Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Thirty adenine-requiring ad-7 mutants of Schizosaccharomyces pombe, induced by ethylmethanesulfonate, methyl-methanesulfonate, and hydroxylamine and exhibiting low spontaneous reversion frequencies, were located by intragenic recombination analysis. Their identification as ad-7 mutants was assessed in relation to two previously mapped ad-7 mutants. Each mutant was found to occupy a distinct mutational site; the smallest recombination fraction observed between the two closest mutational sites was of the order of 0.5 x 10(-6).     

Recombinants between Clock Mutants of CHLAMYDOMONAS REINHARDI

Mutants affecting the period length of the biological clock in Chlamydomonas reinhardi have been isolated and a start has been made on analyzing the genetics of this system. In four mutants, the long period characteristic seems to be controlled by single genes at separate loci. Crosses between single mutants, as well as crosses involving three or four mutant genes, yielded progeny with periods characteristic of the parents as well as recombinant types, including normal period (wild type) and extra-long periods (double, triple and quadruple mutants). It was found that the period lengthening effect is additive; that is, the period of double mutants is lengthened by the sum of the period lengthening of the single mutants.     

航天诱变百脉根结瘤突变体的筛选

通过返回式卫星搭载,利用太空环境对百脉根(Lotus japonicus)MG-20种子进行诱变。从种植的三代植株中,筛选到多种共生固氮根瘤的突变体,其中不结根瘤突变体18个株系,表现为接种根瘤菌两周后无根瘤形成;结无效根瘤突变体9个株系,表现为根瘤数目少且分布不均匀,根瘤呈白色,有些为半透明;花叶形态异常突变体1个株系,表现为除根瘤数目少外,植株矮小、托叶消失、花形态异常;纤细突变体1个株系,表现为除根瘤数目少外,植株变小、茎细叶小。     

高皂苷轮叶党参EMS诱变突变体研究

以轮叶党参为材料,采用甲基磺酸乙酯(EMS)处理离体叶片和愈伤组织对轮叶党参进行诱变,选择最佳诱变组合,并对诱变再生群体进行遗传分析。结果表明:(1)轮叶党参叶片和愈伤组织经EMS处理的存活率和分化率均低于对照,并且随EMS浓度的升高和处理时间的延长而下降。(2)叶片和愈伤组织的致死处理组合分别是0.4%EMS处理4h和0.3%EMS处理4h,半致死组合分别为0.3%EMS处理2h和0.2%EMS处理2h,愈伤组织是EMS诱变轮叶党参的的最佳材料。(3)筛选出的6号变异株皂苷含量为5.061mg/g,较对照平均值提高了5.48%。(4)对诱变再生苗进行遗传分析,8个特异引物对10个供试材料共扩增出59条带,具有多态性的谱带数为44条,占74.6%。材料间的相似系数变化范围0.453～0.912,其中3号、7号株与其他8株达到了品种间遗传差异。研究认为,EMS处理可应用于轮叶党参无性变异系的诱变,3号、6号、7号植株为诱变产生的具有较高皂苷含量的初选植株。