真菌的老化和质粒

真菌老化的研究工作在过去的三十五年中已有了很大的进展,本文综述了几种典型真菌老化的生长特征,以及线粒体 DNA 的部分缺失和部分扩增与老化发生的相关性。并且着重强调了 plDNA 的产生与插入可能是造成老化的一个重要原因。plDNA 的产生与反录酶有关,plDNA 可以自我复制,并能在菌丝中转移。因此,它极相似于在其它植物中被发现的转座子。本文中还介绍了几种老化发生机制的理论,并列举了迄今为止已发现的真菌质粒。     

The two‐component histidine kinase Fhk1 controls stress adaptation and virulence of Fusarium oxysporum

Fungal histidine kinases (HKs) have been implicated in different processes, such as the osmostress response, hyphal development, sensitivity to fungicides and virulence. Members of HK class III are known to signal through the HOG mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK), but possible interactions with other MAPKs have not been explored. In this study, we have characterized fhk1, encoding a putative class III HK from the soil‐borne vascular wilt pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. Inactivation of fhk1 resulted in resistance to phenylpyrrole and dicarboximide fungicides, as well as increased sensitivity to hyperosmotic stress and menadione‐induced oxidative stress. The osmosensitivity of Δfhk1 mutants was associated with a striking and previously unreported change in colony morphology. The Δfhk1 strains showed a significant decrease in virulence on tomato plants. Epistatic analysis between Fhk1 and the Fmk1 MAPK cascade indicated that Fhk1 does not function upstream of Fmk1, but that the two pathways may interact to control the response to menadione‐induced oxidative stress.     

Seasonal Trends of Nitrate Reductase, Carboxylating Enzymes, and Water-soluble Proteins in Two Field-grown Cultivars of Triticum

Nitrate reductase, RuDP¹ carboxylase, PEP carboxylase, and water-solubleproteins have been studied during the vegetative cycles of onesoft and one hard wheat cultivar. Nitrate reductase was similarin amount and in pattern of variation in both varieties, thevariations being related to the phenological state of the plant,because the seasonal trend was not in phase in the two varieties.The pattern of change in water-soluble proteins was significantlydifferent in the two cultivars, namely in the consistent declineshown by the upper leaves of soft wheat. RuDP carboxylase was almost identical in amount and absolutelyin phase between the two varieties, showing a dependence onseasonal factors, possibly through a photoperiodic effect. Thechanges in PEP carboxylase were similar in the two wheats andgenerally synchronous. The fluctuation in the RuDP carboxylase/PEPcarboxylase ratio was due primarily to the increase in RuDPcarboxvlase activity.     

Modification of glucose and glutamine metabolism in hybridoma cells through metabolic engineering

The present work describes the genetic modification of a hybridoma cell line with the aim to change its metabolic behaviour, particularly reducing the amounts of ammonia and lactate produced by the cells. The cellular excretion of ammonia was eliminated by transfection of a cloned glutamine synthetase gene. The metabolic characterisation of the transformed cell line includes the analysis of the changes introduced in its intracellular metabolic fluxes by means of a stoichiometric model. Furthermore, the reduction of lactate accumulation was attempted through an antisense mRNA approach, aiming to generate a rate limiting step in the glycolytic pathway, thus lowering the glucose consumption rate. The physiological results obtained with the transformed cells are discussed. A maximum reduction of about 47% in the glucose consumption rate was obtained for one of the transformations. However a main drawback was the lack of stability of the transformed cells This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.