亚麻荠FUS3转录因子的鉴定及功能分析北大核心CSCD

FUS3转录因子是调控植物种子油脂合成的关键因子。为探讨亚麻荠CsFUS 3基因在脂质合成和积累过程中的作用,该研究对CsFUS 3基因家族进行全基因组鉴定,分析CsFUS 3基因的时空表达模式,并解析CsFUS 3-1和CsFUS 3-2基因在植物油脂合成中的功能,为深入解析CsFUS 3基因在亚麻荠油脂合成中的功能及亚麻荠高油品种选育提供理论基础。结果表明:(1)利用AtFUS3蛋白序列,在亚麻荠基因组数据库中鉴定出2条完整的CsFUS3蛋白序列,分别命名为CsFUS3-1和CsFUS3-2,亚细胞定位发现2个CsFUS3蛋白均位于细胞核。(2)亚麻荠CsFUS3-1和CsFUS3-2蛋白与拟南芥AtFUS3蛋白的亲缘关系最近,具有与拟南芥AtFUS3蛋白相似的理化性质、高级结构以及完整的B3功能域。(3)qRT-PCR结果显示,CsFUS 3-1和CsFUS 3-2基因仅在种子中表达,且随着种子的发育成熟,2个CsFUS 3基因的表达量均呈先增高后降低的变化趋势,并在花后30 d时表达量达到最高。(4)CsFUS3和CsWRI1蛋白互作以及CsFUS 3对OLE和ABI 3基因的转录调控可能是亚麻荠高油性状的关键调控途径。(5)烟草瞬时表达分析表明,与野生型相比,转CsFUS 3-1和CsFUS 3-2基因的烟草叶片总油脂含量分别提高了0.95%和1.12%,表明亚麻荠CsFUS 3基因能够提高烟叶总油脂的合成积累。     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">ABI2</Emphasis>-dependent abscisic acid signalling controls HrpN-induced drought tolerance in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis</Emphasis>

HrpN, a protein produced by the plant pathogenic bacterium Erwinia amylovora, has been shown to stimulate plant growth and resistance to pathogens and insects. Here we report that HrpN activates abscisic acid (ABA) signalling to induce drought tolerance (DT) in Arabidopsis thaliana L. plants grown with water stress. Spraying wild-type plants with HrpN-promoted stomatal closure decreased leaf transpiration rate, increased moisture and proline levels in leaves, and alleviated extents of damage to cell membranes and plant drought symptoms caused by water deficiency. In plants treated with HrpN, ABA levels increased; expression of several ABA-signalling regulatory genes and the important effector gene rd29B was induced or enhanced. Induced expression of rd29B, promotion of stomatal closure, and reduction in drought severity were observed in the abi1-1 mutant, which has a defect in the phosphatase ABI1, after HrpN was applied. In contrast, HrpN failed to induce these responses in the abi2-1 mutant, which is impaired in the phosphatase ABI2. Inhibiting wild-type plants to synthesize ABA eliminated the role of HrpN in promoting stomatal closure and reducing drought severity. Moreover, resistance to Pseudomonas syringae developed in abi2-1 as in wild-type plants following treatment with HrpN. Thus, an ABI2-dependent ABA signalling pathway is responsible for the induction of DT but does not affect pathogen defence under the circumstances of this study.Hong-Ping Dong and Haiqin Yu contributed equally to this study and are regarded as joint first authors.     

The Role of ABI3 and FUS3 Loci in Arabidopsis thaliana on Phase Transition from Late Embryo Development to Germination

Arabidopsis abi3 and fus3 mutants are defective in late embryo development and their embryos show precocious growth. To understand the function and role of ABI3 and FUS3, we analyzed expression patterns of genes which were normally activated during late embryo development and germination in these mutants. Using the differential display method, both upregulated and downregulated genes were observed in immature siliques of the abi3 fus3 double mutant. Four clones having more abundant expression in the abi3 fus3 double mutant than in wild type were isolated. These genes were activated during wild-type germination, suggesting that some genes that are activated during wild-type germination are precociously activated in the abi3 fus3 mutant during late embryo development. Also, genes that were activated during wild-type germination were isolated and their expression patterns during late embryo development in the wild type and in abi3, fus3, and abi3 fus3 mutants were analyzed. Sixteen such clones were found, and 11 of these showed derepression or precocious activation of gene expression in the mutants. These results indicate that ABI3 and FUS3 negatively regulate a particular set of genes during late embryo development. We also showed that immature fus3 siliques accumulated one-third of the wild-type level of abscisic acid (ABA), but mature fus3 siliques accumulated ABA at a level comparable to that in the wild type. The possible mechanisms of controlling developmental timing in late embryo development as well as collaborative and distinct roles of ABI3 and FUS3 are discussed.     

Two translesion synthesis DNA polymerase genes, AtPOLH and AtREV1, are involved in development and UV light resistance in Arabidopsis

Plants are continually exposed to external and internal DNA-damaging agents. Although lesions can be removed by different repair processes, damages often remain in the DNA during replication. Synthesis of template damages requires the replacement of replicative enzymes by translesion synthesis polymerases, which are able to perform DNA synthesis opposite specific lesions. These proteins, in contrast to replicative polymerases, operate at low processivity and fidelity. DNA polymerase η and Rev 1 are two proteins found in eukaryotes that are involved in translesion DNA synthesis. In Arabidopsis, DNA polymerase η and Rev 1 are encoded by AtPOLH and AtREV1 genes, respectively. Transgenic plants over-expressing AtPOLH showed increased resistance to ultraviolet light. Only plants with moderate AtREV1 over-expression were obtained, indicating that this enzyme could be toxic at high levels. Transgenic plants that over-expressed or disrupted AtREV1 showed reduced germination percentage, but the former exhibited a higher stem growth rate than the wild type during development.     

Salt tolerance in crop plants: new approaches through tissue culture and gene regulation

Recent approaches to study of salinity tolerance in crop plants have ranged from genetic mapping to molecular characterization of gene products induced by salt/drought stress. Transgenic plant design has allowed to test the effects of overexpression of specific prokaryotic or plant genes that are known to be up-regulated by salt/drought stress. This review summarizes current progress in the field in the context of adaptive metabolic and physiological responses to salt stress and their potential role in long term tolerance. Specifically considered are gene activation by salt, in view of proposed avenues for improved salt tolerance and the need to ascertain the additional influences of developmental regulation of such genes. Discussion includes the alternate genetic strategy we have pursued for improving salinity tolerance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.). This strategy combines single-step selection of salt-tolerant cells in culture, followed by regeneration of salt-tolerant plants and identification of genes important in conferring salt tolerance. We have postulated that activation or improved expression of a subset of genes encoding functions that are particularly vulnerable under conditions of salt-stress could counteract the molecular effects of such stress and could provide incremental improvements in tolerance. We have proceeded to identify the acquired specific changes in gene regulation for our salt-tolerant mutant cells and plants. One particularly interesting and novel gene isolate from the salt-tolerant cells is Alfin1, which encodes a putative zinc-finger regulatory protein, expressed predominantly in roots. We have demonstrated that this protein binds DNA in a sequence specific manner and may be potentially important in gene regulation in roots in response to salt and an important marker for salt tolerance in crop plants.