Expression of scorpion toxin LqhIT2 increases the virulence of Metarhizium acridum towards Locusta migratoria manilensis

LqhIT2 is an insect-specific neurotoxin from the venom of scorpion. In this study, the LqhIT2 gene was introduced into the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium acridum. The virulence of the genetically modified strain MaLqhIT2 was then evaluated against locusts (Locusta migratoria manilensis). Compared with the wild-type strain, the median lethal cell density (LC₅₀) for MaLqhIT2 was a 22.6-fold lower, and the median times to death (LT₅₀) for MaLqhIT2 were reduced by 30.3 and 29.6 %, respectively, after topical inoculation and injection. MaLqhIT2 also grew significantly faster in the hemolymph than wild-type strain. There were no significant differences in germination, appressorium formation and sporulation in locust carcasses between the MaLqhIT2 and wild-type strain. These results indicate that LqhIT2 increased the virulence of M. acridum towards locusts by shortening the in vivo infection period, without affecting cuticle penetration or conidia formation in the carcasses. LqhIT2 thus shows considerable potential for increasing fungal virulence against locusts.     

特异性杀虫基因Bt cry3A在桑粒肩天牛幼虫两种肠道常驻内生菌中的转化和表达

[目的]将特异性杀虫毒蛋白基因Bt cry3A转入桑粒肩天牛(Apriona germari Hope,Ag)幼虫肠道常驻内生菌中,构建能在天牛幼虫肠道中定殖并表达特异性杀虫基因Bt cry3A的工程菌.[方法]以传统方法和16S rDNA分子生物学分析等方法分离、鉴定Ag幼虫肠道优势的常驻内生菌,从中筛选出适合转化的候选菌株.利用电转化技术将含有对鞘翅目昆虫具专一性毒力Bt cry3A基因的Escherichia coli-Bacillus thuringiensis穿梭表达质粒pHT305a和pHT7911分别转入Ag幼虫肠道常驻内生菌短短芽孢杆菌(Brevibacillus brevis Ag12,Ag12)和苏云金芽孢杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis Ag13,Ag13)中.[结果]从Ag幼虫肠道共分离获得18个不同种的可培养细菌菌株,并从中选取菌株Ag12和Ag13作为出发菌株转入Bt cry3A基因.经质粒稳定性试验、转化子生长特性测试、伴胞晶体电镜检测、毒蛋白SDS-PAGE分析、工程菌定殖性分析以及生物毒力测试,结果显示cry3A基因已经成功转入Ag幼虫的常驻内生菌短短芽孢杆菌和苏云金芽孢杆菌中,并且工程菌Ag12-305a、Ag13-305a、Ag 12-7911和Ag13-7911都能在天牛幼虫肠道内稳定生长、繁殖并表达分子量约65kDa的伴孢晶体杀虫蛋白Cry3A.[结论]Bt cry3A基因已成功转入桑粒肩天牛幼虫肠道优势常驻内生菌中,获得了四株能在桑粒肩天牛幼虫肠道内定殖,并能表达目的杀虫基因Btcry3A的转基因工程菌.     

密云水库水源保护区板栗林主要养分元素生物循环研究

对密云水库北京集水区板栗林主要养分元素循环进行了研究。结果表明,22年生板栗林的生物量为38638kg·hm^-2;板栗林5种主要养分元素N、P、K、Ca、Mg贮存量为315．38kg·hm^-2,各器官中5种元素贮存量大小排序是干>枝>根>叶>花>果苞>果。板栗林生态系统乔木层每年从土壤中吸收的5种养分元素量为79．17kg·hm^-2,吸收量占0～30cm土层5种养分元素总量的0．15％,占0～30cm土层中5种元素有效养分量的1．95％。年吸收量中存留量为11．25kg·hm^-2,枯落物归还量为58．08kg·hm^-2。雨水及雨水淋溶输入到板栗林生态系统的养分元素量为38．63kg·hm^-2,果实输出量为9．84kg·hm^-2。雨水和雨水淋溶量与枯落物归还量之和大于吸收量,表明研究期间板栗林生态系统养分元素的收入略大于支出,5种元素的吸收系数排序为N>P>K>Ca>Mg,利用系数排序为K>N>Mg>P>Ca。循环系数排序为K>N>P>Mg>Ca。周转期排序是Ca>P>Mg>N>K。     

植物角质层基因研究进展

角质层是形成于陆生植物表皮细胞壁外表面的脂质保水层。角质层的基本功能是保水,同时也在响应逆境胁迫、自我清洁及器官发育等方面发挥作用。角质层通常由角质和蜡质组成。角质是角质层的主要结构成分,其主要组分是聚酯。蜡质成分主要为极长链饱和脂肪酸及其衍生物。这些组分在内质网上合成后被转运到细胞表面,进一步形成完整的角质层结构。近年来通过对角质层相关突变体及相应基因的研究,人们对角质层在合成、转运、形成及调控等各个阶段都有了较为深入的认识。蜡质和角质的合成途径已在角质层相关基因功能的解释下逐渐浮出水面。有关角质层前体转运方面的研究,主要的突破在于ABCG全转运蛋白的发现和功能解析。在角质层形成的机理方面,角质层基因中的酯酶和脂酶类基因的研究有助于进一步认识这个复杂的过程。在基因调控方面,新的转录因子基因和角质层与环境之间的相互关系研究,也为已知的调控网络增加了新内容。该文综述了目前关于角质层相关基因的最新研究进展。     

植物表皮毛研究进展

表皮毛是大多数植物地上部分表皮组织所延伸出来的一种特化的毛状结构附属物。表皮毛在植物表皮层和环境间构筑了一道天然的物理屏障, 不但对植物的生长发育具有重要意义, 而且还具有非常高的应用价值和经济价值。近几年, 研究者从不同植物中不断克隆出新的表皮毛发育相关基因, 在揭示植物调控表皮毛生长发育的分子机制方面取得很大进展。该文综述了植物表皮毛的最新研究进展, 并展望了植物表皮毛的研究方向及应用开发价值。     

Transformation of Metarhizium anisopliae with benomyl resistance and green fluorescent protein genes provides a tag for genetically engineered strains

A plasmid, pBGFP, carrying green fluorescent protein (gfp) and benomyl-resistance genes was constructed and transformed into Metarhizium anisopliae. The transformants grew normally and GFP fluorescence was detected. No change was found in virulence for the transformants. Fluorescence was detected in hyphae from the haemolymph of the infected locust, and the benomyl-resistance was maintained. Results suggested that the two markers provided a useful tool for screening and monitoring the engineered strains even after infection.     

The chromosome number, karyotype and genome size of the desert plant diploid Reaumuria soongorica (Pall.) Maxim

Extreme drought and salt resistant plant Reaumuria soongorica is of great potential for revealing genetic bases unique to naturally stress-tolerant plants. A preliminary genome survey, including chromosome number, karyotype, chromosomal localization of 45S rDNA loci and genome size was conducted with R. soongorica collected from Lanzhou, China. Chromosome counting showed that R. soongorica is diploid with chromosome number of 22. Karyotypical analysis illustrated that the chromosomes size ranges from 3.38 to 5.51 μm, and the chromosomal formula is 2n = 2x = 22 = 4 m + 14sm + 4st. Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed that four pairs of 45SrDNA signals were detected at the end of R. soongorica chromosomes. The flow cytometry analysis indicated that the mean C value of R. soongorica is 0.806 pg with predicted genome size of about 778 Mb. The results indicate that the extreme drought and salt resistance of R. soongorica was not attributed to a big and complicate genome and also offer some clues in resolving the problems of taxonomy and evolution in Tamaricaceae.     

An eceriferum locus, cer-zv, is associated with a defect in cutin responsible for water retention in barley (Hordeum vulgare) leaves

Drought limits plant growth and threatens crop productivity. A barley (Hordeum vulgare) ethylene imine-induced monogenic recessive mutant cer-zv, which is sensitive to drought, was characterized and genetically mapped in the present study. Detached leaves of cer-zv lost 34.2 % of their initial weight after 1 h of dehydration. The transpiration was much higher in cer-zv leaves than in wild-type leaves under both light and dark conditions. The stomata of cer-zv leaves functioned normally, but the cuticle of cer-zv leaves showed increased permeability to ethanol and toluidine blue dye. There was a 50–90 % reduction in four major cutin monomers, but no reduction in wax loads was found in the cer-zv mutant as compared with the wild type. Two F₂ mapping populations were established by the crosses of 23-19 × cer-zv and cer-zv × OUH602. More polymorphisms were found in EST sequences between cer-zv and OUH602 than between cer-zv and 23-19. cer-zv was located in a pericentromeric region on chromosome 4H in a 10.8 cM interval in the 23-19 × cer-zv map based on 186 gametes tested and a 1.7 cM interval in the cer-zv × OUH602 map based on 176 gametes tested. It co-segregated with EST marker AK251484 in both maps. The results indicated that the cer-zv mutant is defective in cutin, which might be responsible for the increased transpiration rate and drought sensitivity, and that the F₂ of cer-zv × OUH602 might better facilitate high resolution mapping of cer-zv.     

Purification and characterization of a novel thermostable extracellular protein tyrosine phosphatase from Metarhizium anisopliae strain CQMa102

An extracellular phosphatase was purified to homogeneity from the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae with a 41.0% yield. The molecular mass and isoelectric point of the purified enzyme were about 82.5 kDa and 9.5 respectively. The optimum pH and temperature were about 5.5 and 75 degrees C when using O-phospho-L-tyrosine as substrate. The protein displayed high stability in a pH range 3.0-9.5 at 30 degrees C and was remarkably thermostable at 70 degrees C. The purified enzyme showed high activity on O-phospho-L-tyrosine and protein tyrosine phosphatase substrate monophosphate (a specific substrate of protein tyrosine phosphatase). Although one peptide of the phosphatase shared identity with one alkaline phosphatase of Neurospora crassa, its substrate specificity and inhibitor sensitivity indicate that the enzyme is a protein tyrosine phosphatase.