Sequence diversity of O-superfamily conopetides from Conus marmoreus native to Hainan

The full-length cDNAs of six new O-superfamily conotoxins (CTX) were cloned and sequenced from Conus marmoreus native to Hainan in China South Sea using RT-PCR and 3′-RACE. Six novel conotoxin precursors encoded by these cDNAs consist of three typical regions of signal, pro-peptide and mature peptide. All the six toxin regions share a common O-superfamily cysteine pattern (C-C-CC-C-C, with three disulfide bridges). The predicted precursors are composed of 73–88 amino acids, and the predicted mature peptides consist of 26–34 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis of new conotoxins from C. marmoreus from the present study and published homologue T-superfamily sequences from other Conus species was performed systematically. Patterns of sequence divergence for three regions of signal, pro-region and mature peptides, as well as Cys codon usage define the major O-superfamily branches and suggest how these separate branches arose. Percent identities of the amino acid sequences of the signal region exhibited high conservation, whereas the sequences of the mature peptides ranged from almost identical to highly divergent between inter- and intra-species. Notably, the diversity of the pro-region was also high with intermediate divergence between that observed in signal and toxin regions. Amino acid sequences and their mode of action (target) of previously identified conotoxins from molluscivorous C. marmoreus for the known conotoxins classes are discussed in detail. The data presented are new and should pave the way for chemical synthesis of these unique conotoxins for to allow determination of the molecular targets of these peptides, and also to provide clues for a better understanding of the phylogeny of these peptides.     

Using a modified TA cloning method to create entry clones

We describe a noncommercial alternative method to create entry clones compatible with all kinds of destination vectors based on an improved TA cloning approach. To generate Gateway T vectors, we first constructed gentamicin- and chloramphenicol-resistant entry vectors designated pGWG and pGWC, respectively. Each entry vector contains an AhdI cassette flanked by attL sites, with each AhdI cassette containing two AhdI restriction enzyme sites spaced by the ccdB killer gene, which is lethal to most Escherichia coli strains. Gateway T vectors can be prepared by simple digestion of these entry vectors with the AhdI enzyme or its isoschizomers. The use of the ccdB gene as a negative selection marker is an important improvement over conventional TA cloning in that it eliminates the necessity of blue/white color screening based on alpha-complementation. Another important improvement that we have implemented is to retail the T vectors using Taq polymerase and dTTP so as to improve the cloning efficiency. Together, these improvements allow TA cloning to realize its full potential. Using Gateway T vectors prepared by this improved method, entry clones for PCR products or restriction enzyme fragments can be created simply, efficiently, and inexpensively while at the same time introducing greater compatibility.     

Leptin cDNA cloning and its mRNA expression in plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) from different altitudes on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Leptin, an adipocyte-derived hormone, plays an important role in body energy homeostasis. Plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae), an endemic and keystone species living only at 3000-5000 m above sea level on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is a typically high hypoxia and low temperature tolerant mammal with high resting metabolic rate (RMR), non-shivering thermogenesis (NST), and high ratio of oxygen utilization to cope with harsh plateau environment. To explore the molecular mechanism of ecological acclimation in plateau pika, we first cloned pika leptin cDNA and compared its mRNA expression in different altitudes (3200 and 3900 m) using real-time RT-PCR (Taqman probe) technology. The full-length pika leptin cDNA was 3015 with 504 bp open-reading frame encoding the precursor peptide of 167 amino acids including 21 residues of signal peptide. Pika leptin was 70-72% homologous to that of other species and was of similarly structural characteristics with other species. The pika-specific genetic diversity in leptin sequence occurred at twenty sites. With the increase in altitude, there were larger fat store and high level of ob gene expression in plateau pika. Our results indicated that leptin is sensitive to cold and hypoxia plateau environment and may play one of important roles in pika's ecological adaptation to harsh plateau environment.     

Cloning, Expression, and Mapping of GDP-D-mannose Pyrophosphorylase cDNA from Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

GDP-D-mannose pyrophosphorylase (GMP, EC 2.7.7.22) catalyzes the synthesis of GDP-D-mannose and represents the first committed step in plant ascorbic acid biosynthesis. Using potato GMP cDNA sequence as a querying probe, 65 highly homologous tomato ESTs were obtained from dbEST of GenBank and the putative cDNA sequence of tomato GMP was assembled. The full-length GMP cDNA of tomato was cloned by RACE-PCR with primers designed according to the assembled cDNA sequence. The full-length cDNA sequence contained a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 1 086 bp, which encoded 361 amino acid residues. This gene was designated as LeGMP (GenBank accession No. AY605668). Homology analysis of LeGMP showed a 96% identity with potato GMP and the deduced amino acid showed 99%, 97%, 91% and 89% homology with GMP from potato, tobacco, alfalfa and Arabidopsis thaliana, respectively. Northern blot analysis showed that LeGMP was constitutively expressed in roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits of tomato; but the expression levels varied.LeGMP was mapped to 3-D using 75 tomato introgression lines (ILs), each containing a single homozygous RFLP-defined chromosome segment from the green-fruited species Lycopersicon pennellii.     

Gateway-compatible vectors for plant functional genomics and proteomics

Gateway cloning technology facilitates high-throughput cloning of target sequences by making use of the bacteriophage lambda site-specific recombination system. Target sequences are first captured in a commercially available "entry vector" and are then recombined into various "destination vectors" for expression in different experimental organisms. Gateway technology has been embraced by a number of plant laboratories that have engineered destination vectors for promoter specificity analyses, protein localization studies, protein/protein interaction studies, constitutive or inducible protein expression studies, gene knockdown by RNA interference, or affinity purification experiments. We review the various types of Gateway destination vectors that are currently available to the plant research community and provide links and references to enable additional information to be obtained concerning these vectors. We also describe a set of "pEarleyGate" plasmid vectors for Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation that translationally fuse FLAG, HA, cMyc, AcV5 or tandem affinity purification epitope tags onto target proteins, with or without an adjacent fluorescent protein. The oligopeptide epitope tags allow the affinity purification, immunolocalization or immunoprecipitation of recombinant proteins expressed in vivo. We demonstrate the utility of pEarleyGate destination vectors for the expression of epitope-tagged proteins that can be affinity captured or localized by immunofluorescence microscopy. Antibodies detecting the FLAG, HA, cMyc and AcV5 tags show relatively little cross-reaction with endogenous proteins in a variety of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants, suggesting broad utility for the tags and vectors.     

Cloning and functional identification of two members of the ZIP (Zrt, Irt-like protein) gene family in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Two ZIP (Zrt, Irt-like Protein) cDNAs were isolated from rice (Oryza sativa L.) by RT-PCR approach, and named as OsZIP7a and OsZIP8 respectively. The predicted proteins of OsZIP7a and OsZIP8 consist of 384 and 390 amino acid residues respectively, and display high similarity to other plant ZIP proteins. Each protein contains eight transmembrane (TM) domains and a highly conserved ZIP signature motif, with a histidine-rich region in the variable region between TM domains III and IV. By semi-quantitative RT-PCR approach, it was found that the expression of OsZIP7a was significantly induced in rice roots by iron-deficiency, while that of OsZIP8 induced in both rice roots and shoots by zinc-deficiency. When expressed in yeast cells, OsZIP7a and OsZIP8 could complement an iron-uptake-deficient yeast mutant and a zinc-uptake-deficient yeast mutant respectively. It suggested that the OsZIP7a and OsZIP8 might encode an iron and a zinc transporter protein in rice respectively. Xia Yang and Ji Huang are contributed equally to this work.     

柠条锦鸡儿肌动蛋白基因的克隆和表达稳定性分析

以几种豆科植物中肌动蛋白的氨基酸保守序列设计简并引物,采用RT—PCR结合RACE扩增技术,从柠条锦鸡儿叶片中克隆到一个编码肌动蛋白的基因,命名为CkACT。该基因cDNA全长为1655bp,开放阅读框1134bp,编码377个氨基酸。氨基酸比对分析表明,该基因编码的氨基酸与其他植物肌动蛋白基因具有较高的同源性。不同组织中的表达基本上一致,不同发育时期的基因表达相似,低温、NaCl、干旱和ABA处理后的表达强度没有明显差异,说明CkACT基因表达稳定。     

丹参中硫堇基因SmTHI的克隆和表达分析

丹参EST序列的Blast分析表明,一条序列与硫堇（thionin,THI）基因有较高的同源性,该序列长575bp,包含1个长366bp的开放阅读框（ORF）,编码121个氨基酸,命名为SmTHI,GenBank登陆号为DQ212984。在此基础上设计引物,分别从cDNA和gDNA水平上克隆到该基因的全编码区序列的结果表明,该基因无内含子。序列分析表明,该编码蛋白与大多数植物的THI蛋白前体高度同源,并符合植物硫堇类蛋白的序列模式和特征：C—C—x（5）．R．x（2）-[FY]-x（2）-C,N端具17个氨基酸的信号肽,中间46个氨基酸为成熟THI部分,C端的58个氨基酸为酸性多肽部分。成熟的THI蛋白带正电荷,偏碱性,推测可能有抗病原微生物活性。实时定量PCR检测SmTHI在丹参不同组织部位的表达以及在黄瓜细菌性角斑病菌（PSL）、NaCl和水杨酸（sA）溶液诱导下的表达结果表明：SmTHI在植物的根、茎和叶中均有不同程度的表达,其表达丰度为叶〉茎〉根：在PSL、NaCl和sA溶液诱导下该基因的表达呈上调趋势。     

辣椒果实中CaRIN转录因子的克隆及其表达分析

根据BLAST获得的表达序列标签设计引物,从辣椒中分离并鉴定了一个新型转录因子,命名为CaRIN。与已知MADS—box蛋白对比表明,CaRIN分别与番茄LeMADS－RIN和矮牵牛FBP4有85％和77％的同源性,并且具有典型的MADS—box类转录因子的特征区域。采用半定量RT－PCR进行特异性表达分析,结果表明CaRIN在破色期和红熟期辣椒果实中大量表达,而在绿熟期辣椒果实和其他辣椒器官中几乎不表达;同时进行了DNA结合位点和系统发生等生物信息学分析,这些结果都表明CaRIN可能参与辣椒果实成熟的调控。