Generation and analysis of drought stressed subtracted expressed sequence tags from safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

Drought is the most crucial environmental factor that limits productivity of many crop plants. Exploring novel genes and gene combinations is of primary importance in plant drought tolerance research. Stress tolerant genotypes/species are known to express novel stress responsive genes with unique functional significance. Hence, identification and characterization of stress responsive genes from these tolerant species might be a reliable option to engineer the drought tolerance. Safflower has been found to be a relatively drought tolerant crop and thus, it has been the choice of study to characterize the genes expressed under drought stress. In the present study, we have evaluated differential drought tolerance of two cultivars of safflower namely, A1 and Nira using selective physiological marker traits and we have identified cultivar A1 as relatively drought tolerant. To identify the drought responsive genes, we have constructed a stress subtracted cDNA library from cultivar A1 following subtractive hybridization. Analysis of?~1,300 cDNA clones resulted in the identification of 667 unique drought responsive ESTs. Protein homology search revealed that 521 (78?%) out of 667 ESTs showed significant similarity to known sequences in the database and majority of them previously identified as drought stress-related genes and were found to be involved in a variety of cellular functions ranging from stress perception to cellular protection. Remaining 146 (22?%) ESTs were not homologous to known sequences in the database and therefore, they were considered to be unique and novel drought responsive genes of safflower. Since safflower is a stress-adapted oil-seed crop this observation has great relevance. In addition, to validate the differential expression of the identified genes, expression profiles of selected clones were analyzed using dot blot (reverse northern), and northern blot analysis. We showed that these clones were differentially expressed under different abiotic stress conditions. The implications of the analyzed genes in abiotic stress tolerance are discussed in our study.     

Identification of stress-induced genes from the drought tolerant semi-arid legume crop horsegram (Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc.) through analysis of subtracted expressed sequence tags

Abiotic stresses adversely affect the agricultural productivity worldwide. Horsegram (Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc.) is a legume crop that can tolerate severe adverse environmental conditions such as drought, salinity and heavy metal contamination. As a first step towards characterization of genes that contribute to combating abiotic stresses, construction and analysis of subtracted cDNA library is reported here. Using this strategy a total of 1050 ESTs were isolated, sequenced, 959 high quality ESTs were obtained and clustered. Further, our analysis revealed that of these 531 sequences are unique and 30% of these have no homology to known proteins in the database. This observation has great relevance since horsegram is a stress-adapted legume crop. Further, to validate the identified differentially expressed genes, expression profiles of selected clones were analyzed using reverse-northern, northern blot analysis and we show that indeed these clones are differentially expressed under various abiotic stress conditions. The implications of the analyzed genes in abiotic stress tolerance also discussed.     

毛尖紫萼藓干旱胁迫cDNA文库的构建

干旱胁迫是影响植物生长发育的主要环境因素,严重影响农作物的产量。解决这个问题的有效途径是培育和利用优良的抗旱品种。应用比较功能基因组学方法筛选抗旱相关基因,并通过基因工程培育抗旱品种已成为植物遗传资源与品种改良研究的重要内容。毛尖紫萼藓（Grimmia pilifera）是典型旱生藓类,生长在向阳的裸岩上,具有很强的抗旱能力,是很好的抗旱基因资源。本研究采用SMART技术构建毛尖紫萼藓干旱cDNA文库,文库滴度为2.8×10⁵ pfu·mL^-1,重组率为91.7%,插入片段大小为500~2 000 bp,平均为800 bp。通过测序我们获得了1 045条ESTs,其中高质量的996条,通过拼接获得875个Unigenes,为进一步筛选抗旱相关基因奠定了基础。     

Identification of biotic and abiotic stress up-regulated ESTs in Gossypium arboreum

Asiatic desi cotton (Gossypium arboreum) shows great potential against biotic and abiotic stresses. The stress resistant nature makes it a best source for the identification of biotic and abiotic stress resistant genes. As in many plants same set of genes show responding behavior against the various abiotic and biotic stresses. Thus in the present study the ESTs from the G. arboreum drought stressed leaves were subjected to find the up-regulated ESTs in abiotic and biotic stresses through homology and in-silico analysis. A cDNA library has been constructed from the drought stressed G. arboreum plant. 778 clones were randomly picked and sequenced. All these sequences were subjected to in-silico identification of biotic and abiotic up-regulated ESTs. Total 39 abiotic and biotic up-regulated ESTs were identified. The results were further validated by real-time PCR; by randomly selection of ten ESTs. These findings will help to develop stress resistant crop varieties for better yield and growth performance under stresses.     

Identification of stress-induced genes from the drought-tolerant plant Prosopis juliflora (Swartz) DC. through analysis of expressed sequence tags.

Abiotic stresses such as cold, salinity, drought, wounding, and heavy metal contamination adversely affect crop productivity throughout the world. Prosopis juliflora is a phreatophyte that can tolerate severe adverse environmental conditions such as drought, salinity, and heavy metal contamination. As a first step towards the characterization of genes that contribute to combating abiotic stress, construction and analysis of a cDNA library of P. juliflora genes is reported here. Random expressed sequence tag (EST) sequencing of 1750 clones produced 1467 high-quality reads. These clones were classified into functional categories, and BLAST comparisons revealed that 114 clones were homologous to genes implicated in stress response(s) and included heat shock proteins, metallothioneins, lipid transfer proteins, and late embryogenesis abundant proteins. Of the ESTs analyzed, 26% showed homology to previously uncharacterized genes in the databases. Fifty-two clones from this category were selected for reverse Northern analysis: 21 were shown to be upregulated and 16 downregulated. The results obtained by reverse Northern analysis were confirmed by Northern analysis. Clustering of the 1467 ESTs produced a total of 295 contigs encompassing 790 ESTs, resulting in a 54.2% redundancy. Two of the abundant genes coding for a nonspecific lipid transfer protein and late embryogenesis abundant protein were sequenced completely. Northern analysis (after polyethylene glycol stress) of the 2 genes was carried out. The implications of the analyzed genes in abiotic stress tolerance are also discussed.     

小麦幼苗期水分胁迫所诱导基因表达谱的初步分析

利用抑制差减杂交(Suppression Subtractive Hybridization,SSH)和高密度点阵膜技术研究小麦2叶幼苗期水分胁迫诱导表达基因。通过筛选具有1530个克隆的SSH文库,获得181个阳性克隆。序列同源性比较和功能查询结果发现,83．2％的水分胁迫诱导表达基因分别与不同逆境胁迫条件下表达的基因具有较高的同源性,这些基因在生物体内的功能都是直接或间接对细胞遭受逆境胁迫起保护作用。其中17个EST未找到同源性较高的匹配序列,已经在GenBank注册。用反向Northern、RT-PCR和Northern进一步检验所获得的功能已知EST,初步建立了小麦幼苗期水分胁迫诱导的基因表达谱。     

Nylon Filter Arrays Reveal Differential Expression of Expressed Sequence Tags in Wheat Roots Under Aluminum Stress

To enrich differentially expressed sequence tags (ESTs) for aluminum (Al) tolerance, cDNA subtraction libraries were generated from Al-stressed roots of two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) nearisogenic lines (NILs) contrasting in Al-tolerance gene(s) from the Al-tolerant cultivar Atlas 66, using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH). Expression patterns of the ESTs were investigated with nylon filter arrays containing 614 cDNA clones from the subtraction library. Gene expression profiles from macroarray analysis indicated that 25 ESTs were upregulated in the tolerant NIL in response to Al stress. The result from Northern analysis of selected upregulated ESTs was similar to that from macroarray analysis. These highly expressed ESTs showed high homology with genes involved in signal transduction, oxidative stress alleviation, membrane structure, Mg2 transportation, and other functions. Under Al stress, the Al-tolerant NIL may possess altered structure or function of the cell wall, plasma membrane, and mitochondrion. The wheat response to Al stress may involve complicated defense-related signaling and metabolic pathways.The present experiment did not detect any induced or activated genes involved in the synthesis of malate and other organic acids in wheat under Al-stress.