Overexpression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase from Jatropha curcas increases fatty acid accumulation in Nicotiana tabacum

Jatropha curcas L. is an excellent biofuel crop, which displays a high efficiency of carbon absorption, and seed oil of Jatropha can be efficiently processed to produce high-quality biodiesel. Plant phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylases (PEPCs) play important roles not only in initial fixation of atmospheric CO₂ in C₄ and Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants, but also in fatty acid biosynthesis in seeds of oil plants by regulating carbon partitioning. Here, we identified JcPEPC1 from J. curcas L. by homology cloning, and alignment analysis of protein sequence revealed JcPEPC1 was a plant C₃-type PEPC, and shared high similarity to PEPC of castor oil plant Ricinus communis. We implemented detailed functional characterization of JcPEPC1 by expression analysis and transgenic tobacco. JcPEPC1 gene expressed in the leaves and seeds of J. curcas L., and remarkable increase of expression level was also detected at seed oil-accumulating stages. We overexpressed JcPEPC1 in tobacco, and showed the enzymatic activity of PEPC in transgenic plants was notably higher than wild type. Gas chromatography (GC) analysis elucidated the composition and total content of fatty acids were also altered. This study indicated JcPEPC1 played a fundamental role in fatty acid biosynthesis in Jatropha seeds. Our results proposed enhanced PEPC activity of Jatropha could improve biosynthesis of fatty acid, which implied critical functions in primary metabolism of non-photosynthetic PEPC.     

The pig genome project has plenty to squeal about

Significant progress on pig genetics and genomics research has been witnessed in recent years due to the integration of advanced molecular biology techniques, bioinformatics and computational biology, and the collaborative efforts of researchers in the swine genomics community. Progress on expanding the linkage map has slowed down, but the efforts have created a higher-resolution physical map integrating the clone map and BAC end sequence. The number of QTL mapped is still growing and most of the updated QTL mapping results are available through PigQTLdb. Additionally, expression studies using high-throughput microarrays and other gene expression techniques have made significant advancements. The number of identified non-coding RNAs is rapidly increasing and their exact regulatory functions are being explored. A publishable draft (build 10) of the swine genome sequence was available for the pig genomics community by the end of December 2010. Build 9 of the porcine genome is currently available with Ensembl annotation; manual annotation is ongoing. These drafts provide useful tools for such endeavors as comparative genomics and SNP scans for fine QTL mapping. A recent community-wide effort to create a 60K porcine SNP chip has greatly facilitated whole-genome association analyses, haplotype block construction and linkage disequilibrium mapping, which can contribute to whole-genome selection. The future 'systems biology' that integrates and optimizes the information from all research levels can enhance the pig community's understanding of the full complexity of the porcine genome. These recent technological advances and where they may lead are reviewed.     

The mechanism of myoblast deformation in response to cyclic strain - A cytomechanical study

Mechanical strain is one of the important epigenetic factors that cause deformation and differentiation of skeletal muscles. This research was designed to investigate how myoblast deformation occurs after cyclic strain loading. Myoblasts were passaged three times and harvested; various cyclic strains (2.5kPa, 5kPa and 10kPa) were then loaded using a pulsatile mechanical system. The adaptive response of the myoblasts was observed at different time points (0.5h, 1h, 6h and 12h) post-loading. At the early stage of cyclic strain loading (<1h), almost no visible morphological changes were observed in the myoblasts. The actin cytoskeleton showed a disordered arrangement and a weak fluorescence expression; there was little expression of talin. At 6h and 12h post-loading, the myoblasts changed their orientation to parallel (in the 2.5kPa and 5kPa groups) or perpendicular (in the 10kPa group) to the direction of strain. Fluorescence expression of both the actin cytoskeleton and talin was significantly increased. The results suggest that cyclic strain has at least two ways to regulate adaptation of myoblasts: (1) by directly affecting actin cytoskeleton at an early stage post-loading to cause depolymerization; and (2) by later chemical signals transmitted from the extracellular side to intracellular side to initiate repolymerization.     

灰葡萄孢丝裂原活化蛋白激酶编码基因bmp1和bmp3的功能

【背景】植物病原真菌丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(Mitogen-activated protein kinase,MAPK)信号途径参与病菌有性生殖、细胞壁完整、菌丝侵染、致病力、胁迫响应等过程,灰葡萄孢MAPK信号途径参与病菌生长发育、致病力以及胁迫响应,但MAPK信号途径基因在灰葡萄孢中的功能尚未完全阐明,该信号途径对灰葡萄孢的生长发育和致病力的调控机制尚不明确。【目的】明确灰葡萄孢MAPK编码基因bmp1、bmp3在病菌生长发育、致病力以及氧化胁迫响应过程的功能,为进一步阐明MAPK信号途径调控灰葡萄孢生长发育和致病力的分子机制奠定基础。【方法】利用RNAi技术构建灰葡萄孢MAPK编码基因bmp1和bmp3的RNAi突变体,并以野生型BC22菌株为对照,对bmp1和bmp3基因的RNAi突变体的表型、致病力以及对氧化胁迫的敏感性进行分析。【结果】灰葡萄孢bmp1和bmp3基因的RNAi突变体其菌落形态、菌丝形态均与野生型BC22菌株没有明显差别;bmp1基因的RNAi突变体生长速率明显减慢,分生孢子产量明显降低;bmp3基因的RNAi突变体的生长速率与野生型BC22菌株没有明显差别,不能产生分生孢子。bmp1和bmp3基因的RNAi突变体在番茄果实的表面均不能产生明显的致病症状,而且不能穿透玻璃纸。bmp1基因的RNAi突变体在含有H_2O_2的培养基上受抑制的程度显著低于野生型,而在含甲萘醌的培养基上受抑制的程度显著高于野生型;bmp3基因的RNAi突变体在含有H_2O_2和甲萘醌的培养基受抑制的程度均显著高于野生型。【结论】灰葡萄孢bmp1基因正调控病菌生长、分生孢子形成、致病力和穿透能力,参与调控病菌对氧化胁迫的响应;灰葡萄孢bmp3基因正调控病菌分生孢子形成、致病力、穿透能力以及对氧化胁迫的响应。     

泡桐丛枝植原体tRNA异戊烯基焦磷酸转移酶基因克隆、原核表达及功能分析

【目的】为了鉴定植原体tRNA异戊烯基焦磷酸转移酶基因(tRNA-ipt)的表达及蛋白功能,探索植原体致病机理。【方法】对泡桐丛枝、桑萎缩、长春花绿变及苦楝丛枝植原体tRNA-ipt基因完整序列进行PCR扩增和生物信息学分析。对泡桐丛枝植原体tRNA-ipt基因进行原核表达并制备抗体。利用Western blot和FITC间接免疫荧光显微镜检测其在植原体中的表达。使用分光光度计分析该基因对大肠杆菌生长的影响,用ELISA测定转化菌株细胞分裂素含量。【结果】首次发现泡桐丛枝、桑萎缩、长春花绿变及苦楝丛枝植原体中完整tRNA-ipt基因,大小为876 bp,编码291个氨基酸,且N端均含有ATP/GTP结合位点保守序列(GPTASGKT)。4种植原体tRNA-IPT之间的氨基酸序列相似率为99.1%-99.5%,与同组植原体同源性在95.4%-99.3%,与其他组植原体同源性低于70%。SDS-PAGE结果显示tRNA-IPT蛋白在大肠杆菌中得到表达。首次获得泡桐丛枝植原体tRNA-IPT抗体并检测到该蛋白在泡桐发病组织中的特异表达。经过对转化菌株生长曲线及玉米素含量的测定,发现该基因能促进大肠杆菌后期生长和玉米素核苷的积累。【结论】4种植原体tRNA-ipt基因编码相同特性的功能蛋白,泡桐丛枝植原体tRNA-IPT蛋白能够在植原体中表达,根据该基因对异源菌株生长速率和激素合成的影响推断该蛋白可能参与植原体的细胞分裂素合成,在致病过程中起到重要作用。     

Development of mechanistically based model for simulating soluble microbial products generation in an aerated/non-aerated SBR

Soluble microbial products (SMPs) are considered as the main organic components in wastewater treatment plant effluent from biological wastewater treatment systems. To investigate and explore SMP metabolism pathway for further treatment and control, two innovative mechanistically based activated sludge models were developed by extension of activated sludge model no.3 (ASM3). One was the model by combining SMP formation and degradation (ASM3-SMP model) processes with ASM3, and the other by combining both SMP and simultaneous substrate storage and growth (SSSG) mechanisms with ASM3 (SSSG-ASM3-SMP model). The detailed schematic modification and process supplements were introduced for comprehensively understanding all the mechanisms involved in the activated sludge process. The evaluations of these two models were demonstrated by a laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) operated under aerated/non-aerated conditions. The simulated and measured results indicated that SMP comprised about 83% of total soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) in which biomass-associated products (BAPs) were predominant compared with utilization-associated products (UAPs). It also elucidated that there should be a minimum SMP value as the reactive time increases continuously and this conclusion could be used to optimize effluent SCOD in activated sludge processes. The comparative results among ASM3, ASM3-SMP and SSSG-ASM3-SMP models and the experimental measurements (SCOD, ammonia and nitrate nitrogen) showed clearly the best agreement with SSSG-ASM3-SMP simulation values (R = 0.993), strongly suggesting that both SMP formation and degradation and SSSG mechanisms are necessary in biologically activated sludge modeling for municipal wastewater treatment.     

Genetic and alkaloid analysis of Menispermum dauricum DC. by RAPD and HPLC

The aim of the present work was to determine whether dauricine could be used as a taxonomic marker for Menispermum dauricum DC., and to explore the correlation among RAPD, ecological markers and chemical markers. To this end, the chemical and genetic differences of 173 individual samples of M. dauricum from nine different sources were studied based on the relevant ecological factors including longitude, latitude, annual precipitation, mean temperature, annual accumulated temperature and mean sea level. The contents of dauricine in the sample rhizomes were assayed by HPLC with photodiode array detection. The leaves from the same sample were assayed using randomly amplified polymorphism DNA (RAPD). The genetic distances were then compared. Hierarchical cluster analysis and multiple linear stepwise regression analysis were used in the statistical analysis. The results indicated that the contents of dauricine were respectively correlated with the genetic distance (r = 1.000), longitude (r = 0.849), latitude (r = 0.861), annual precipitation (r = 0.903), mean temperature(r = 0.912), annual accumulated temperature (r = 0.919) and mean sea level (r = 0.925). It is concluded that the content of dauricine in M. dauricum is significantly correlated with genetic distance and ecological factors, and may be used as the taxonomic marker.     

膜荚黄芪种子中2种几丁质酶的分离纯化及活性测定

运用传统的层析技术对膜荚黄芪种子中两种几丁质酶进行分离纯化,并对分离纯化中各个步骤得到的蛋白进行了活性研究.结果表明:(1)粗提液的硫酸铵沉淀经再生几丁质亲和柱和凝胶过滤层析Sephadex G-75得到几丁质酶A.(2)粗提液的硫酸铵沉淀经离子交换色谱DE-52、CM、凝胶过滤层析Sephadex G-75得到几丁质酶B.(3)几丁质酶A、B的比活性分别为35.6 U/mg和4.1 U/mg.(4)从膜荚黄芪种子中分离纯化的几丁质酶A和B均为糖蛋白,含糖量分别为6.1%和5.8%.(5) SDS-PAGE显示,几丁质酶A、B的分子量分别为35.5 ku、39.6 ku;凝胶过滤层析测定几丁质酶A、B的分子量分别为36.9 ku、40.8 ku;表明几丁质酶A、B均为单亚基蛋白.     

温度对香蕉花蓟马发育和存活的影响

通过在人工气候箱内饲养香蕉花蓟马,测定了14、18、22、26℃和30℃5个温度下香蕉花蓟马不同虫态的发育历期,分析了温度与香蕉花蓟马发育速率的关系,计算了其发育起点温度、有效积温及存活率。结果表明:香蕉花蓟马各虫态的发育历期随温度的升高而缩短,发育速率和温度之间有很大的相关性;香蕉花蓟马卵、一龄若虫、二龄若虫、预蛹、蛹及世代的发育起点温度分别为8.26、10.56、7.92、9.17、9.53、8.69℃,世代的有效积温为153.81d·℃。26℃下香蕉花蓟马的世代存活率最高,为63.16%;30℃下的存活率最低,为46.34%。