沙冬青脱水素基因转化紫花苜蓿的耐寒性研究

以紫花苜蓿品种‘中苜2号’为野生型材料,采用农杆菌介导法将沙冬青脱水素基因(dehydrin,AmDHN)导入紫花苜蓿基因组中并获得转基因植株,通过PCR和Southern blot杂交鉴定转基因植株,利用RT-PCR和qRT-PCR检测转基因植株中AmDHN基因及低温胁迫相关基因的表达量,并测定低温胁迫下苜蓿叶片的脯氨酸(Pro)和丙二醛(MDA)含量,从分子水平和生理指标两个层面研究转基因植株的抗寒特性,为进一步获得抗寒性较强的转基因苜蓿新材料提供依据。结果显示:(1)AmDHN基因已整合在转基因苜蓿植株基因组中,而且在不同的转基因株系中AmDHN的表达量也各不相同。(2)低温(4℃)处理后转基因植株中冷胁迫相关基因CBF2、CBF3、ProDH和CAS17的表达量明显高于同期野生对照;CBF2、CBF3和CAS17表达量在冷处理5h后都显著增加并达到最大值,而ProDH表达量在冷处理7d时最高,它们的最高值分别是对照的2.5、4、1.6和3倍左右。(3)苜蓿叶片的Pro和MDA含量均随低温处理时间延长而逐渐增加,转AmDHN基因苜蓿叶片的Pro含量始终高于同期野生型植株,而其MDA含量却始终低于同期野生型植株,且两类植株间差异均在胁迫14d时达到显著水平。因此,推测转AmDHN基因苜蓿中积累的AmDHN蛋白可能对一些酶的活性及膜系统起冷冻保护作用,从而使得转AmDHN基因紫花苜蓿的植株抗寒性提高,同时AmDHN也可能通过调控与低温相关基因的表达间接调节植物的耐低温能力。     

深海微生物的研究与开发

深海是全球最大的独立生态系统,其中蕴涵着丰富并且独特的微生物资源有待我们开发。对深海微生物及其所处生态系统的研究将提升我们对地球早期环境及其变化过程的认识,为研究生命起源,甚至探索域外生命或其他潜在生命形式提供新的线索。对深海微生物研究开发的历史和进展进行了概述,并对这一研究领域的前沿及影响进行了讨论。     

DNA methylation and histone deacetylation regulating insulin sensitivity due to chronic cold exposure

In this study, we investigated the causal relationship between chronic cold exposure and insulin resistance and the mechanisms of how DNA methylation and histone deacetylation regulate cold-reduced insulin resistance. 46 adult male mice from postnatal day 90–180 were randomly assigned to control group and cold-exposure group. Mice in cold-exposure group were placed at temperature from -1 to 4 °C for 30 days to mimic chronic cold environment. Then, fasting blood glucose, blood insulin level and insulin resistance index were measured with enzymatic methods. Immunofluorescent labeling was carried out to visualize the insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2), Obese receptor (Ob-R, a leptin receptor), voltage-dependent anion channel protein 1 (VDAC1), cytochrome C (cytC), 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) positive cells in hippocampal CA1 area. Furthermore, the expressions of some proteins mentioned above were detected with Western blot. The results showed: ① Chronic cold exposure could reduce the insulin resistance index (P < 0.01) and increase the number of IRS2 positive cells and Ob-R positive cells in hippocampus (P < 0.01). ② The expressions of mitochondrial energy-relative proteins, VDAC1 and cytC, were higher in cold-exposure group than in control group with both immunohistochemical staining and Western blot (P < 0.01). ③ Chronic cold exposure increased DNA methylation and histone deacetylation in the pyramidal cells of CA1 area and led to an increase in the expression of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and DNA methylation relative enzymes (P < 0.01). In conclusion, chronic cold exposure can improve insulin sensitivity, with the involvement of DNA methylation, histone deacetylation and the regulation of mitochondrial energy metabolism. These epigenetic modifications probably form the basic mechanism of cold-reduced insulin resistance.     

低温驯化对苗木生理及核酸转录的影响

以华北落叶松幼苗为材料,研究低温驯化对苗木生长发育有关的某些生理指标以及核酸转录的影响。试验结果表明,冷驯化可以提高植物的抗寒性。冷驯化后的幼苗受到－２０℃低温胁迫时,细胞质膜Ｋ＾＋的渗漏比对照少,光合性能提高,ＲＮＡ和可溶性蛋白质增加。     

Over-expression of a single Ca2+-dependent protein kinase confers both cold and salt/drought tolerance on rice plants

A rice gene encoding a calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK), OsCDPK7, was induced by cold and salt stresses. To elucidate the physiological function of OsCDPK7, we generated transgenic rice plants with altered levels of the protein. The extent of tolerance to cold and salt/drought stresses of these plants correlated well with the level of OsCDPK7 expression. Therefore, OsCDPK7 was shown to be a positive regulator commonly involved in the tolerance to both stresses in rice. Over-expression of OsCDPK7 enhanced induction of some stress-responsive genes in response to salinity/drought, but not to cold. Thus, it was suggested that the downstream pathways leading to the cold and salt/drought tolerance are different from each other. It seems likely that at least two distinct pathways commonly use a single CDPK, maintaining the signalling specificity through unknown post-translational regulation mechanisms. These results demonstrate that simple manipulation of CDPK activity has great potential with regard to plant improvement.     

Seasonal patterns of the thermal response in relation to sugar and polyol accumulation in overwintering adults of elm leaf beetle, Xanthogaleruca luteola (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Elm leaf beetle, Xanthogaleruca luteola (Muller), is one of the key pests of elm trees that survive winter in reproductive diapause in sheltered locations. Overwintering adults of the elm leaf beetle showed a complex sugar/polyol cryoprotectant system. The major components of the multiple systems were glucose, myo-inositol and trehalose. In this study, we investigated the seasonal profile of low molecular weight compounds and glycogen in natural population and also in response to thermal constant regimes (5 and 15 °C). Among these components, a remarkable seasonal pattern of accumulation/depletion was observed in myo-inositol over the course of hibernation with the development of diapause progress. Incubating at 5 °C only elicited a strong response in myo-inositol synthesis during diapause. It suggests that the elm leaf beetle accumulates myo-inositol not only in relation to entering diapause but also in response to low temperatures and their interactions. The laboratory acclimation experiments showed that adults exposed to 15 °C had no chance for accumulation of low molecular weight carbohydrate even during diapause. The results of this study illustrated that overwintering adults of elm leaf beetle produce myo-inositol as the primary substance which plays a specific role in some biochemical adjustments in overwintering adults of X. luteola.     

Comparison of the bud morphology and shoot growth dynamics of four species of Mediterranean subshrub growing along an altitudinal gradient

Bud morphology, bud activity, and shoot growth dynamics were studied over 13 months in four species of Mediterranean subshrubs growing along an altitudinal gradient in north-east Spain. The species selected were representative of the main functional types of subshrubs that grow naturally along altitudinal gradients on Mediterranean mountains. All species bore naked buds as their renewal structures, but the degree of protection of the buds varied between species, increasing with altitude. The period of morphogenesis and the level of shoot pre-formation also varied along the gradient. The species growing at low altitude had partially neoformed shoots, longer shoot growth periods, and started morphogenesis earlier than those growing at high altitude. These differences may indicate different morphological and phenological adaptations of Mediterranean subshrubs in response to increased winter cold along the gradient. At low altitudes, brachyblast-bearing species with partially neoformed shoots may be favoured because of the plastic shoot growth these structures confer. However, as the climate becomes colder and more predictable, brachyblast-bearing species may be replaced by species without brachyblasts, with tightly protected buds and more constrained patterns of shoot development.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 151 , 527–539.     

Assessment of proline function in higher plants under extreme temperatures

Climate change and abiotic stress factors are key players in crop losses worldwide. Among which, extreme temperatures (heat and cold) disturb plant growth and development, reduce productivity and, in severe cases, lead to plant death. Plants have developed numerous strategies to mitigate the detrimental impact of temperature stress. Exposure to stress leads to the accumulation of various metabolites, e.g. sugars, sugar alcohols, organic acids and amino acids. Plants accumulate the amino acid ‘proline’ in response to several abiotic stresses, including temperature stress. Proline abundance may result from de novo synthesis, hydrolysis of proteins, reduced utilization or degradation. Proline also leads to stress tolerance by maintaining the osmotic balance (still controversial), cell turgidity and indirectly modulating metabolism of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, the crosstalk of proline with other osmoprotectants and signalling molecules, e.g. glycine betaine, abscisic acid, nitric oxide, hydrogen sulfide, soluble sugars, helps to strengthen protective mechanisms in stressful environments. Development of less temperature-responsive cultivars can be achieved by manipulating the biosynthesis of proline through genetic engineering. This review presents an overview of plant responses to extreme temperatures and an outline of proline metabolism under such temperatures. The exogenous application of proline as a protective molecule under extreme temperatures is also presented. Proline crosstalk and interaction with other molecules is also discussed. Finally, the potential of genetic engineering of proline-related genes is explained to develop ‘temperature-smart’ plants. In short, exogenous application of proline and genetic engineering of proline genes promise ways forward for developing ‘temperature-smart’ future crop plants.     

Peroxisome Proliferation in Foraminifera Inhabiting the Chemocline: An Adaptation to Reactive Oxygen Species Exposure?1

Certain foraminiferal species are abundant within the chemocline of marine sediments. Ultrastructurally, most of these species possess numerous peroxisomes complexed with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER); mitochondria are often interspersed among these complexes. In the Santa Barbara Basin, pore-water bathing Foraminifera and co-occurring sulfur-oxidizing microbial mats had micromolar levels of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), a reactive oxygen species that can be detrimental to biological membranes. Experimental results indicate that adenosine triphosphate concentrations are significantly higher in Foraminifera incubated in 16 microM H(2)O(2) than in specimens incubated in the absence of H(2)O(2). New ultrastructural and experimental observations, together with published results, lead us to propose that foraminiferans can utilize oxygen derived from the breakdown of environmentally and metabolically produced H(2)O(2). Such a capability could explain foraminiferal adaptation to certain chemically inhospitable environments; it would also force us to reassess the role of protists in biogeochemistry, especially with respect to hydrogen and iron. The ecology of these protists also appears to be tightly linked to the sulfur cycle. Finally, given that some Foraminifera bearing peroxisome-ER complexes belong to evolutionarily basal groups, an early acquisition of the capability to use environmental H(2)O(2) could have facilitated diversification of foraminiferans during the Neoproterozoic.     

低温环境中乳酸菌的开发利用

乳酸菌作为一种益生资源,越来越为人们所重视.在自然界存在的乳酸菌中,有一类虽然人们一直在利用,但是还没有充分的研究和开发,这类乳酸菌就是低温环境中生长的乳酸菌.国外目前所见有关低温乳酸菌的报道多集中于低温冷藏肉、鱼制品及泡菜中的乳酸菌,集中研究和应用的菌属主要包括Leuconostoc和Lactobacillus,而国内这方面的研究并不多见.笔者根据目前国内外低温乳酸菌的研究现状,阐述了其存在环境、种类及相应作用,并对其研究涉及的领域、趋势及应用前景进行了探讨和展望,以期为国内这类乳酸菌资源的研究开发提供参考和依据.