Heterogeneity of lotus rhizome starch granules as revealed by α-amylase degradation

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) rhizome starch granules have an elongated oval shape with the hilum located at one end. The morphologic characteristics were used as a direction anchor to study the heterogeneity of molecular organization of starch granules using microscopy before and after partial digestion by bacterial α-amylase (Bacillus sp.) The partially digested granule showed a single, big eroded hole at the end distant from the hilum. The enzyme-attacked end was revealed to be the loosely packed end and to be the weak point for enzyme hydrolysis. The α-amylase hydrolyzed the loosely packed central part of the granule faster than the densely packed periphery, and left an empty shell with a fish-bone-like tunnel inside. The periphery was more resistant to amylase hydrolysis and had strong birefringence. For the whole starch granule, the selectivity of α-amylase hydrolysis was low for the crystalline and amorphous regions and for amylose and amylopectin molecules. This study elucidated that the molecular organization of lotus rhizome starch granules was heterogeneous.     

莲藕组织总RNA的快速提取方法

莲藕组织富含多糖、脂质、酚类等物质,用一般的方法较难提取高质量的RNA。在改进前人方法的基础上,建立了一种高效、简单的CTAB-LiCl提取法,能快速提取高质量的莲藕组织总RNA,并且产率高、完整性好、纯度高,能进一步满足RT-PCR等分子生物学实验的需要。此外,该方法也适用于其它富含多糖、脂质、酚类等物质的植物组织总RNA的提取。     

Establishment of a Lotus japonicus gene tagging population using the exon-targeting endogenous retrotransposon LORE1

We established a gene tagging population of the model legume Lotus japonicus using an endogenous long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposon Lotus Retrotransposon 1 (LORE1). The population was composed of 2450 plant lines, from which a total of 4532 flanking sequence tags of LORE1 were recovered by pyrosequencing. The two-dimensional arrangement of the plant population, together with the use of multiple identifier sequences in the primers used to amplify the flanking regions, made it possible to trace insertions back to the original plant lines. The large-scale detection of new LORE1 insertion sites revealed a preference for genic regions, especially in exons of protein-coding genes, which is an interesting feature to consider in the interaction between host genomes and chromoviruses, to which LORE1 belongs, a class of retrotransposon widely distributed among plants. Forward screening of the symbiotic mutants from the population succeeded to identify five symbiotic mutants of known genes. These data suggest that LORE1 is robust as a genetic tool.     

Trampling enhances the dominance of graminoids over forbs in flooded grassland mesocosms

Questions: What are the interactive effects of flooding and cattle trampling upon the structural attributes and the floristic composition of a plant community? Do the effects on the plant community persist over an extended recovery period? Location: Flooding Pampa grasslands, Argentina (36°30′ S, 58°30′ W). Methods: We assessed the effects of 40‐d of flooding, trampling and the combination thereof on plant cover and biomass, vertical distribution of foliage and floristic composition in lowland grassland mesocosms. We considered a 120‐d recovery period to evaluate the persistence of flooding and trampling effects on the plant community. Results: Flooding, with or without trampling, increased cover and biomass of the graminoid species, especially marsh grasses, which developed a taller canopy, whereas most of the forb species were negatively affected. This was enhanced by trampling, as the aerial biomass of the dominant legume Lotus tenuis decreased by 90%, while three major forb species disappeared. Trampling under flooding conditions did not reduce the total above‐ground biomass production, as the growth enhancement of graminoids was enough to compensate for the breakdown of the forbs. Below‐ground biomass was lower when both perturbations occurred simultaneously. After 120‐d of recovery, graminoids continued to be dominant while the remaining forbs (including L. tenuis) recovered only partially. Below‐ground biomass recovered fully at the end of the growing season. Conclusions: The combination of flooding and trampling shifts the community co‐dominance of graminoids and forbs towards a persistent dominance of graminoid species. When both perturbations are combined, the above‐ground production of the grassland is unaffected and root biomass is rapidly recovered. However, the loss of the legume L. tenuis deserves attention because this is the unique nitrogen‐fixing species of the ecosystem, which improves the forage quality for livestock production.     

水稻10kD醇溶蛋白基因克隆,序列分析及对植物百脉根的转化

应用ＰＣＲ 技术,从水稻基因组中扩增１０ ｋＤ 水稻醇溶蛋白基因的编码区,得到一特异的０．５ ｋｂ 的片段。对该片段进行酶切分析和全序列测定,结果表明： 该片段与Ｍａｓｕｍ ｕｒａ Ｔ．等的报道相比, 其核苷酸序列及推测的氨基酸序列的同源率分别为９５％ 和９３％ 。就其分子数计算,甲硫氨酸及半胱氨酸含量分别占１８．２％ 和９％ , 含硫氨基酸总数为２７．２％ , 比同类的１０ ｋＤ玉米醇溶蛋白的含硫氨基酸总数还要高。将该基因置于ｒｂｃ Ｓ启动子调控下,动员入农杆菌中,转化豆科植物百脉根（ＬｏｔｕｓｃｏｒｎｉｃｕｌａｔｕｓＬ．）, 在含有卡那霉素的抗性培养基上筛选抗性植株。利用ＰＣＲ 方法检测１０ ｋＤ 醇溶蛋白基因整合到百脉根基因组中     

Regulation of nodulin gene expression

The expression of plant genes specifically induced during rhizobial infection and the early stages of nodule ontogeny (early nodulin genes) and those induced in the mature, nitrogen-fixing nodule (late nodulin genes) is differentially regulated and tissue/cell specific. We have been interested in the signal transduction pathway responsible for symbiotic, temporal and spatial control of expression of an early (Enod2) and a late (Leghemoglobin;lb) nodulin gene from the stem-nodulated legumeSesbania rostrata, and in identifying thecis-acting elements andtrans-acting factors involved in this process (De Bruijn and Schell, 1992). By introducing chimericS. rostrata lb promoter-gus reporter gene fusions into transgenicLotus corniculatus plants, we have been able to show that thelb promoter directs an infected-cell-specific expression pattern inLotus nodules. We have been able to delimit thecis-acting element responsible for nodule-infected-cell-expression to a 78 pb region of thelb promoter (NICE Element) and have analyzed this element in detail by site-specific mutagenesis. We have studied the interaction of the NICE element, and further upstreamcis-acting elements, withtrans-acting factors of both plant- and rhizobial origin. We have obtained evidence for the involvement of rhizobial proteins in infected-cell-specific plant gene expression (Welters et al., 1993). We have purified one of the bacterial binding proteins from theS. rostrata symbiontAzorhizobium caulinodans (AcBBP1), and cloned and mutated the corresponding gene, in order to examine its symbiotic phenotype. We have also found that theS. rostrata Enod2 gene is rapidly induced by physiologically significant concentrations of cytokinins, suggesting the role of cytokinin as a potential secondary signal involved in nodulation (Dehio and De Bruijn, 1992). We are examining whether the observed cytokinin induction, as well as the nodule-specific expression pattern, are modulated by theSrEnod2 promoter.     

Molecular evolution of the HD-ZIP I gene family in legume genomes

Homeodomain leucine zipper I (HD-ZIP I) genes were used to increase the plasticity of plants by mediating external signals and regulating growth in response to environmental conditions. The way genomic histories drove the evolution of the HD-ZIP I family in legume species was described; HD-ZIP I genes were searched in Lotus japonicus, Medicago truncatula, Cajanus cajan and Phaseolus vulgaris, and then divided into five clades through phylogenetic analysis. Microsynteny analysis was made based on genomic segments containing the HD-ZIP I genes. Some pairs turned out to conform with syntenic genome regions, while others corresponded to those that were inverted, expanded, or contracted after the divergence of legumes. Besides, we dated their duplications by Ks analysis and demonstrated that all the blocks were formed after the monocot–dicot split; we observed Ka/Ks ratios representing strong purifying selections in the four legume species which might have been followed by gene loss and rearrangement.     

Plant regeneration from callus and protoplast cultures of Lotus pedunculatus Cav.

Plant regeneration from leaf- and cotyledon-derived calli and from protoplast-derived tissue has been obtained in Lotus pedunculatus. Callus induction was achieved with 2,4-D and plant regeneration required the following two media sequences: bud formation was stimulated by IAA and BA and shoot growth by kinetin. Root formation occurred in the presence of IAA. Cotyledon protoplasts showed a low plating efficiency and plant regeneration was achieved via an intervening callus phase.Abbreviations BA 6-benzyladenine - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - IAA indole-3-acetic acid - IBA indole-3-butyric acid - 2iP N^6--2-isopentenyl-adenine - NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid     

FMDV vp1基因在豆科牧草百脉根中的转化与表达

通过根癌农杆菌介导法,将FMDV阿克苏(Akesu/O/58)株结构基因vp1转化豆科牧草百脉根子叶和子叶柄,其愈伤、芽和生根等过程经50 mg/L Kan筛选后,获得Kan抗性百脉根植株。对抗性植株进行vp1基因的PCR、RT-PCR检测和VP1蛋白的Western-blotting杂交。结果表明:vp1基因转入百脉根中,检测有转录活性;目的蛋白获得了正确表达;扩繁和移栽后获得了批量转基因百脉根,为下一阶段的动物试验提供了实验材料。     

高产优质藕莲新品种选育研究

本文对我国现有野生和栽培藕莲品种进行了广泛的实地调查、引种栽培及生物学特性的详细观察,分析了我国当前藕莲生产中存在着的一些问题,如品种品质差,产量低,病虫害严重等。1979—1989年作者进行了藕莲的无性系优良单株的选育研究,从85个号中逐级选择,通过单株培育,小区试验,大田示范试验,现已选育出一个平均亩产2410.3kg,最高单产3000kg的‘武植二号’新品种;其成分为淀粉工3.5%,全糖4.09%,还原糖1.03%,分别高于对照的10.3%,3.7%和0.95%。水份为76.27%,粗纤维为2.63%,分别比对照低81.56%,4.26%;维生素E是对照的6倍。在连续10年的栽培中,未发生一期病害;证明‘武植二号’是一个适合于江汉平原湖区推广种植的优良藕莲新品种。