The higher expression and distribution of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase1 (AhNCED1) from Arachis hyopgaea L. contribute to tolerance to water stress in a drought-tolerant cultivar

The 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) is thought to be the rate-limiting enzyme in the abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthetic pathway. In this study, transient expression of AhNCED1 and ABA distribution were detected in the vascular cambium of a drought-tolerant peanut cultivar (Yueyou 7) under a water stress treatment. It caused increases in ABA content in this region. The synthesis of ABA and AhNCED1 in the leaves of Yueyou 7 took place more quickly than in the control cultivar (Shanyou 523). Furthermore, AhNCED1 mRNA and proteins were induced in Yueyou 7 than in Shanyou 523, coinciding with greater ABA accumulation. During the seedling, blooming, and fruiting stages, AhNCED1 protein expression was higher in Yueyou 7 than in Shanyou 523, and it was induced more quickly when the plants were under water stress. These data suggest that the drought-tolerant cultivar can synthesize and distribute ABA more rapidly than does the control cultivar because of a high level of AhNCED1 expression, which then modulates physiological responses under water stress conditions.     

综合隶属函数法评价花生品种抗旱性与AhNCED1基因表达的关系

利用综合隶属函数法评价不同产地8个花生品种幼苗的抗旱能力, 同时分析各品种花生在模拟干旱处理2小时和12小时后叶片AhNCED1基因表达量的变化, 探讨花生品种抗旱性与叶片AhNCED1基因表达的关系, 建立花生(Arachis hypogaea)幼苗时期通过AhNCED1基因表达变化检测花生抗旱性等级的方法。结果显示, 干旱处理2小时, 各品种叶片AhNCED1基因表达量迅速增加, 与处理前相比差异极显著; 干旱处理12小时, 各品种花生叶片AhNCED1基因表达量均降低, 但仍均高于处理前水平。综合隶属函数值定量反映各品种抗旱性强弱顺序为: 花育24号>福花13号>粤油7号>中花15号>中花16号>航花2号>福花9号>北海1号。干旱处理2小时各品种花生叶片AhNCED1表达量变化大小依次为: 福花13号>花育24号>中花16号>中花15号>航花2号>粤油7号>北海1号>福花9号。其中, 抗旱性强的品种为花育24号和福花13号, 抗旱性弱的品种为福花9号和北海1号, 其余4个品种为中等抗旱。该抗旱性评价结果与这些品种在生产上的表现一致, 干旱胁迫2小时花生品种叶片AhNCED1基因的表达量变化与其抗旱性一致。因此, AhNCED1基因表达量可作为苗期花生品种抗旱性等级的量化指标之一。     

水分胁迫下花生叶片AhNCED1蛋白表达与气孔开度的变化

研究了水分胁迫下不同花生抗旱品种叶片气孔开度和相对含水量变化,分析TAhNCEDI基因和AhNCED1蛋白进行表达情况,发现水分胁迫下,叶片相对含水量下降,叶片气孔开度降低,叶片AhNCED1基因和AhNCED1蛋白表达增强。抗旱品种较之敏旱品种在响应水分胁迫初期时（1h）AhNCED1基因和AhNCED1蛋白表达较强,叶片气孔开度下降较快,引发气孔关闭,其叶片相对含水量较高,保水能力较强。ABA合成抑制剂naproxen处理后,叶片AhNCED1基因和AhNCED1蛋白的表达减弱,气孔开度快速增加,水分胁迫下花生叶片AhNCED1蛋白表达可能影响气孔开闭。     

A basic class I chitinase expression in winged bean is up-regulated by osmotic stress

We isolated a cDNA for basic class I chitinase (ChitiWb1). ChitiWb1 cDNA encodes a protein that consists of 315 amino acid residues and has a signal peptide. Northern blot analysis indicated that the class I chitinase mRNA in leaves and cultured cells of winged bean was increased by treatments with NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, mannitol or saccharose, but not with abscisic acid. Thus, class I chitinase expression was shown to be up-regulated by osmotic stress.     

Dissociation and Reassociation of Xanthomonas α-Amino Acid Ester Hydrolase

We isolated a cDNA for basic class I chitinase (ChitiWb1). ChitiWb1 cDNA encodes a protein that consists of 315 amino acid residues and has a signal peptide. Northern blot analysis indicated that the class I chitinase mRNA in leaves and cultured cells of winged bean was increased by treatments with NaCl, KCl, CaCl₂, mannitol or saccharose, but not with abscisic acid. Thus, class I chitinase expression was shown to be up-regulated by osmotic stress.     

不同花生品种响应干旱胁迫后叶片内ABA与AhNCEDl的分布

以粤油7号和汕优523两个不同抗旱性品种为材料,研究响应干旱胁迫后叶片ABA（abscisicacid,脱落酸）和AhNCEDl（Arachishypogaeanine-cis-epoxycarotenoiddioxygenase）的分布以及含量变化。结果表明,两种花生品种响应干旱胁迫后叶片的维管组织中ABA分布增强且含量增加,AhNCEDl蛋白分布也增强;且在水分胁迫初期粤油7号花生AhNCEDl蛋白分布强于汕优523,其体内ABA分布水平也高于汕优523;经ABA生物合成抑制剂N印roxen处理后,两种花生叶片ABA分布减弱,但粤油7号叶片维管组织ABA分布水平仍高于汕优523。结果表明维管组织是干旱胁迫下花生叶片中ABA和AhNCEDl分布的主要区域,且粤油7号花生抗旱性强可能与其体内AhNCEDl和ABA的分布量较高有关。     

枸杞脱落酸生物合成关键酶基因NCED的克隆及表达分析

脱落酸(abscisic acid,ABA)对植物的生长发育具有独特的调控功能,并在植物适应逆境环境中发挥重要作用。9-顺式环氧类胡萝卜素双加氧酶(NCED)是高等植物中ABA生物合成途径的一个关键酶。根据GenBank中的植物NCED基因的同源序列设计简并引物,通过RT-PCR及RACE技术从枸杞叶片中克隆到1个编码NCED的基因,命名为LbNCED。其cDNA全长为2316 bp,含有1个1824 bp的开放阅读框,编码1个含607氨基酸残基,分子量为67.38 kDa、等电点(pI)为6.43的假定蛋白,其氨基酸序列与番茄(Lycopersicon esculentum)和马铃薯(Solanum tuberosum)的同源性达90%,在N-末端具有1个含15个氨基酸的叶绿体转运肽。Southern杂交结果表明,该基因在枸杞基因组中以低拷贝形式存在。盐处理和脱水处理的枸杞叶片中LbNCED基因的表达与内源ABA的积累同步变化。     

OsHT, a Rice Gene Encoding for a Plasma-Membrane Localized Histidine Transporter

Using a degenerative probe designed according to the most conservative region of a known Lys- and His-specific amino acid transporter (LHT1) from Arabidopsis, we isolated a full-length cDNA named OsHT (histidine transporter of Oryza sativa L.) by screening the rice cDNA library. The cDNA is 1.3kb in length and the open reading frame encodes for a 441 amino acid protein with a calculated molecular mass of 49 kDa. Multiple sequence alignments showed that OsHT shares a high degree of sequence conservation at the deduced amino acid level with the Arabidopsis LHT1 and six putative lysine and histidine transporters. Computational analysis indicated that OsHT is an integral membrane protein with 11 putative transmembrane helices. This was confirmed by the transient expression assay because the OsHT-GFP fusion protein was, indeed, localized mainly in the plasma membrane of onion epidermal cells. Functional complementation experiments demonstrated that OsHT was able to work as a histidine transporter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, suggesting that OsHT is a gene that encodes for a histidine transporter from rice.This is the first time that an LHT-type amino acid transporter gene has been cloned from higher plants other than A rabidopsis.     

大蕉苯丙氨酸解氨酶基因的克隆、鉴定和表达分析

为了研究苯丙氨酸解氨酶基因与大蕉(Musa ABB cv. Dongguandajiao)抗枯萎病的关系,利用 RT-PCR 和 RACE技术克隆了大蕉苯丙氨酸解氨酶基因全长 cDNA。此 cDNA 长 1 300 bp,包含一个长为 1 191 bp,编码 397 个氨基酸的完整开放阅读框(ORF),推导的氨基酸序列与水稻 PAL 基因氨基酸序列同源性达 89%,将此基因命名为 M-PAL。Southern杂交结果表明大蕉中存在一个包含 4-5 个 PAL基因的基因家族,将此基因克隆到大肠杆菌表达载体 pET32(a )中,表达的蛋白质分子量大小与推导的相一致,并且表达的蛋白质表现出 PAL 酶活性。对接种香蕉枯萎病菌 4 号生理小种(Fusarium oxysporumf. sp. cubense (FOC) race 4 )后大蕉叶片中 M-PAL基因的转录谱进行研究表明,在接种枯萎病菌后,M-PAL基因在叶片中的转录水平提高,因此推测 M-PAL基因的表达可能与香蕉枯萎病抗性相关。     

氮磷饥饿诱导的水稻糖转运体基因的cDNA克隆和鉴定

运用快速扣除杂交 (RaSH)方法构建了水稻氮饥饿诱导的cDNA文库。从该文库获得了一个cDNA克隆OsNSI1 (Oryzasativanitrogenstarva tion inducible 1 )。该全长cDNA编码 5 77个氨基酸 ,蛋白分子量为 6 1 .2kD。推测得出的氨基酸序列与其他物种的糖转运体有很高的同源性。水合性分析表明OsNSI1包含有 1 2个跨膜区域和一个中心亲水环。这些数据提示OsNSI1是一个糖转运体蛋白。Southern印迹分析表明OsNSI1是一个单拷贝基因。Northern印迹分析表明OsNSI1主要在叶及根中表达 ,氮、磷饥饿能强烈诱导其表达增强     

一个鼻咽癌相关EST的鉴定及其全长cDNA序列分析

鼻咽癌是我国南方及东南亚地区常见的恶性肿瘤之一.通过对鼻咽癌染色体高频率杂合性丢失区域3p21的表达序列标签(expressedsequencetag,EST)进行同源性比较分析,运用逆转录聚合酶链式反应的方法,筛选到一个在41.18%(14/34)的鼻咽癌活检组织及20.0%(1/5)的鼻咽癌细胞系中表达下调的ESTBG772301;并用Northern杂交方法,检测了该EST在多种正常成人组织中的表达状况及其所代表基因的转录本大小.在此基础上,对该EST来源的cDNA克隆(IMAGE:4839190)进行直接测序,获得了一个全长为2377bp的新cDNA序列;经生物信息学分析,发现它与已知基因序列无明显同源性,属于一个新基因,定位于染色体3p21.3,被命名为鼻咽癌表达下调基因(NPCEDRG,GenBank登录号:AF538150).其编码的蛋白质含169个氨基酸,与一个已报道的在进化上相对保守、功能未知的人类蛋白Nicolin1(简称NICN1)N端170个氨基酸残基的序列同源性为97%,但缺少NICN1蛋白C端43个氨基酸残基,可能是nicolin1基因不同剪接本的编码产物.     

Molecular cloning of a cDNA encoding diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) in Arabidopsis thaliana

Diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) synthesizes phosphatidic acid from diacylglycerol, an activator of protein kinase C (PKC), to resynthesize phosphatidylinositols. The structure of DGK has not been characterized in plants. We report the cloning of a cDNA, cATDGK1, encoding DGK from Arabidopsis thaliana. The cATDGK1 cDNA contains an open reading frame of 2184 bp, and encodes a putative protein of 728 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 79.4 kDa. The deduced ATDGK1 amino acid sequence exhibits significant similarity to that of rat, pig, and Drosophila DGKs. The ATDGK1 mRNA was detected in roots, shoots, and leaves. Southern blot analysis suggests that the ATDGK1 gene is a single-copy gene. The existence of DGK as well as phospholipase C suggests the existence of PKC in plants.     

OsHT, a Rice Gene Encoding for a Plasma-Membrane Localized Histidine Transporter

Using a degenerative probe designed according to the most conservative region of a known Lys- and His-specific amino acid transporter (LHT 1) from Arabidopsis, we isolated a full-length cDNA named OsHT (histidine transporter of Oryza sativa L.) by screening the rice cDNA library. The cDNA is 1.3 kb in length and the open reading frame encodes for a 441 amino acid protein with a calculated molecular mass of 49 kDa. Multiple sequence alignments showed that OsHT shares a high degree of sequence conservation at the deduced amino acid level with the Arabidopsis LHT1 and six putative lysine and histidine transporters. Computational analysis indicated that OsHT is an integral membrane protein with 11 putative transmembrane helices. This was confirmed by the transient expression assay because the OsHT-GFP fusion protein was, indeed, localized mainly in the plasma membrane of onion epidermal cells. Functional complementation experiments demonstrated that OsHT was able to work as a histidine transporter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, suggesting that OsHT is a gene that encodes for a histidine transporter from rice.This is the first time that an LHT-type amino acid transporter gene has been cloned from higher plants other than Arabidopsis.     

Identification and Characterization of the Human Ortholog of Rat STXBP1, a Protein Implicated in Vesicle Trafficking and Neurotransmitter Release

In a screen designed to identify genes expressed preferentially in retina, we identified a cDNA encoding the human ortholog of rat STXBP1 (n-Sec1, Munc-18-1, rbSec1), a protein implicated in vesicle trafficking and neurotransmitter release. This protein also has similarity toDrosophilaRop (64% aa identity) andCaenorhabditis elegansUNC-18 (58% aa identity). The major human cDNA encodes a protein of 594 amino acids which has 100% amino acid identity with its rat and murine counterparts. Additionally, there is an alternative splice form in humans, arising from the inclusion of an additional exon, which encodes a protein of 603 amino acids and is also 100% identical to the corresponding rat isoform. We found expression of the shorter cDNA in all tissues and cell lines we examined with highest levels in retina and cerebellum. By RT-PCR analysis, we found expression of the longer cDNA in neural tissues only. We mapped the structural gene to 9q34.1, a region without obvious candidate phenotypes. However, due to its evolutionary conservation and abundant expression in retina and brain, STXBP1 should be considered a candidate gene for retinal and/or neural disorders mapping to 9q34.1.     

Cloning of a 9-<Emphasis Type="Italic">cis</Emphasis>-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase gene (<Emphasis Type="Italic">SgNCED1</Emphasis>) from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stylosanthes guianensis </Emphasis>and its expression in response to abiotic stresses

Abscisic acid (ABA) regulates plant adaptive responses to various environmental stresses. Oxidative cleavage of cis-epoxycarotenoids catalyzed by 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) is the main regulatory step in the biosynthesis of ABA in higher plants. A NCED gene, SgNCED1, was cloned from the dehydrated leaves of Stylosanthes guianensis. The 2,241-bp full-length SgNCED1 had a 1,809-bp ORF, which encodes a peptide of 602 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of SgNCED1 protein shared high identity with other NCEDs. At the N-terminus of the SgNCED1 located a chloroplast transit peptide sequence. DNA blot analysis revealed that SgNCED1 was a single copy gene in the genome of S. guianensis. The relationship between expression of SgNCED1 and endogenous ABA level was investigated. The expression of SgNCED1 was induced in both leaves and roots of S. guianensis under drought stress. Dehydration and salt stress induced the expression of SgNCED1 strongly and rapidly. The ABA accumulation was coincidently induced with the SgNCED1 mRNA under drought, dehydration and salt stress. The expression of SgNCED1 and ABA accumulation were also induced under chilling condition.     

Cloning and Analysis of a cDNA Encoding psbL and psbJ Gene in Rice Chloroplast Genome

A 505 bp cDNA was cloned from the leaves of rice ( Oryza sativa L.) Shanyou 63 combination. DNA sequence analysis showed that it is a part of rice chloroplast genome. Its homology comparison with those known in GenBank found that it encodes 38 amino acid peptide deduced from psbL gene and 40 amino acid peptide deduced from psbJ gene in rice chloroplast PSⅡ. Northern hybridization showed that the cDNA was differentially displayed in hybrid F1 and its parental lines.     

Abscisic acid biosynthesis in tomato: regulation of zeaxanthin epoxidase and 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase mRNAs by light/dark cycles,water stress and abscisic acid

Two genes encoding enzymes in the abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis pathway, zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP) and 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED), have previously been cloned by transposon tagging in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia and maize respectively. We demonstrate that antisense down-regulation of the tomato gene LeZEP1 causes accumulation of zeaxanthin in leaves, suggesting that this gene also encodes ZEP. LeNCED1 is known to encode NCED from characterization of a null mutation (notabilis) in tomato. We have used LeZEP1 and LeNCED1 as probes to study gene expression in leaves and roots of whole plants given drought treatments, during light/dark cycles, and during dehydration of detached leaves. During drought stress, NCED mRNA increased in both leaves and roots, whereas ZEP mRNA increased in roots but not leaves. When detached leaves were dehydrated, NCED mRNA responded rapidly to small reductions in water content. Using a detached leaf system with ABA-deficient mutants and ABA feeding, we investigated the possibility that NCED mRNA is regulated by the end product of the pathway, ABA, but found no evidence that this is the case. We also describe strong diurnal expression patterns for both ZEP and NCED, with the two genes displaying distinctly different patterns. ZEP mRNA oscillated with a phase very similar to light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) mRNA, and oscillations continued in a 48 h dark period. NCED mRNA oscillated with a different phase and remained low during a 48 h dark period. Implications for regulation of water stress-induced ABA biosynthesis are discussed.