In plants, the meristem has to maintain a separate population of pluripotent cells that serve two main tasks, i.e., self-maintenance and organ initiation, which are separated spatially in meristem. Prior to our study,...In plants, the meristem has to maintain a separate population of pluripotent cells that serve two main tasks, i.e., self-maintenance and organ initiation, which are separated spatially in meristem. Prior to our study, WUS and WUS.like WOX genes had been reported as essential for the development of the SAM. In this study, the consequences of gain of WOX1 function are described. Here we report the identification of an Arabidopsis gain-of-function mutant woxl-D, in which the expression level of the WOX1 （WUSCHEL HOMEOBOX 1） was elevated and subtle defects in meristem development were observed. The woxl-D mutant phenotype is dwarfed and slightly bushy, with a smaller shoot apex. The woxl-D mutant also produced small and dark green leaves, and exhibited a failure in anther dehiscence and male sterility. Molecular evidences showed that the transcription of the stem cell marker gene CLV3 was down-regulated in the meristem of woxl-D but accumulated in the other regions, i.e., in the root-hypocotyl junction and at the sites for lateral root initiation. The fact that the organ size and cell size in leaves of woxl-D are smaller than those in wild type suggests that cell expansion is possibly affected in order to have partially retarded the development of lateral organs, possibly through alteration of CLV3 expression pattern in the meristem. An S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase （SAMDC） protein, SAMDC1, was found able to interact with WOX1 by yeast two-hybrid and pull-down assays in vitro. HPLC analysis revealed a significant reduction of polyamine content in woxl-D. Our results suggest that WOX1 plays an important role in meristem development in Arabidopsis, possibly via regulation of SAMDC activity and polyamine homeostasis, and/or by regulating CLV3 expression.展开更多
The gene of trichosanthin has been transferred into rice plants through agrobacterium method. The single copy insertion and the expression of foreign gene have been proved in regenerated plants. In antifungal assay th...The gene of trichosanthin has been transferred into rice plants through agrobacterium method. The single copy insertion and the expression of foreign gene have been proved in regenerated plants. In antifungal assay the degrees of rice blast (Pyricularia oryzae) infection of the transgenic plants expressing trichosanthin and expressing GUS gene as control have been evaluated. The differences such as the time of disease symptom observed, the number of infected plants and damaged leaves, the growth of infected plants of the two transgenic plants after being inoculated by rice blast (Pyricularia oryzae) are significant. The transgenic plants with trichosanthin gene grew faster than the plants with GUS gene, even when humidity environment was removed. The results show that the transgenic plants that expressed trichosanthin are able to delay the infection of rice blast compared with the plants as control. In addition, no damage caused by the expression of trichosanthin gene in transgenic plants has been展开更多
The MYB transcription factor genes play important roles in many developmental processes and various defense responses of plants. The shikimate pathway is a major biosynthetic pathway for the production of three aromat...The MYB transcription factor genes play important roles in many developmental processes and various defense responses of plants. The shikimate pathway is a major biosynthetic pathway for the production of three aromatic amino acids and other aromatic compounds that are involved in multiple responses of plants, including protection against UV and defense. Herein, we describe the characterization of the R2R3-MYB gene AtMYB15as an activator of the shikimate pathway in Arabidopsis. The AtMYB15 protein is nuclear localized and a transcriptional activation domain is found in its C-terminal portion. Northern blots showed that AtMYB15 is an early wounding-inducible gene. Resutls of microarray analysis, confirmed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, showed that overexpression of AtMYB15 in transgenic plants resulted in elevated expression of almost all the genes involved in the shikimate pathway. Bioinformatics analysis showed that one or more AtMYB15-binding AC elements were detected in the promoters of these upregulated genes. Furthermore, these genes in the shikimate pathway were also found to be induced by wounding. These data suggest an important role of AtMYB15as a possible direct regulator of the Arabidopsis shikimate pathway in response to wounding.展开更多
Salicylic acid methyltransferase （SAMT）, benzoic acid methyltransferase （BAMT） and theobromine methyltransferase （TH） （henceforth, SABATH） family proteins belong to a unique class of mehtyltransferase that can...Salicylic acid methyltransferase （SAMT）, benzoic acid methyltransferase （BAMT） and theobromine methyltransferase （TH） （henceforth, SABATH） family proteins belong to a unique class of mehtyltransferase that can methylate small molecular compounds Including indole-3-acidic acid （IAA）, salicylic acid （SA） and jasmonic acid （JA）, in plants. Here we report that the GAMT2 protein, which has 34.2% similarity with IAMT1 in the amino acid sequence, can methylate gibberellic acid （GA）. Biolnformatics analysis suggests that GAMT2 may be able to methylate one molecule larger than SA. GAMT2 is predominantly expressed in the developing seed embryo and endosperm in Arabidopsis. During seed germination, the expression of GAMT2 decreases until the cotyledons expand out of the seed coat. Overexpression of GAMT2 in Arabidopsis resulted in multiple phenotypes, including dwarfism, retarded growth, late flowering, and reduced fertility, which are similar to the phenotypes of GA-deficient mutants. Seed germination assay showed that GAMT2 overexpression in plants was hypersensitive to GA biosynthesis inhibitor （ancymidol） and abscisic acid （ABA） treatments, whereas the GAMT2 null mutant （SALK_075450） was slightly Insensitive to such treatments, suggesting that GAMT2 may methylate GA or ABA. Enzyme activity analysis indicated that GAMT2 was able to methylate GA3 into Methyi-GA3 in vitro, but could not methylate ABA. Microarray analysis on GAMT2 overexpression plants suggested that Methyl-GA may be an Inactive form of GA in Arabidopsis. These data suggest that GAMT2 Is Involved in seed maturation and germination by modulating GA activity.展开更多
It was shown in a previous analysis that D5 gene from rice (Oryza sativa L.) was an anther-specific gene encoding a chalcone synthase-related protein. In this study, D5 gene was found specifically expressed in tapetum...It was shown in a previous analysis that D5 gene from rice (Oryza sativa L.) was an anther-specific gene encoding a chalcone synthase-related protein. In this study, D5 gene was found specifically expressed in tapetum cells as well as in the peripheral cells of the vascular bundle of rice anthers by RNA in situ hybridization. In order to study its function, D5 was transformed into rice in both sense and antisense directions driven by a rice Actin 1 promoter. It has been observed that the pollen grains from the antisense D5 transgenic rice plants are abnormal, indicating that D5 plays a critical role in rice pollen development.展开更多
Complex I （the NADH：ubiquinone oxidoreductase） of the mitochondrial respiratory chain is a complicated, multi-subunit, membrane- bound assembly and contains more than 40 different proteins in higher plants. In this...Complex I （the NADH：ubiquinone oxidoreductase） of the mitochondrial respiratory chain is a complicated, multi-subunit, membrane- bound assembly and contains more than 40 different proteins in higher plants. In this paper, we characterize the Arabidopsis homologue （designated as AtCIB22） of the B22 subunit of eukaryotic mitochondriai Complex I. AtCIB22 is a single-copy gene and is highly con- served throughout eukaryotes. AtCIB22 protein is located in mitochondria and the AtC1B22 gene is widely expressed in different tissues. Mutant Arabidopsis plants with a disrupted AtC1B22 gene display pleiotropic phenotypes including shorter roots, smaller plants and de- layed flowering. Stress analysis indicates that the AtC1B22 mutants＇ seed germination and early seedling growth are severely inhibited by sucrose deprivation stress but more tolerant to ethanol stress. Molecular analysis reveals that in moderate knockdown AtCIB22 mutants, genes including cell redox proteins and stress related proteins are significantly up-regulated, and that in severe knockdown AtCIB22 mu- tants, the alternative respiratory pathways including NDA1, NDB2, AOXla and AtPUMP1 are remarkably elevated. These data demon- strate that AtCIB22 is essential for plant development and mitochondrial electron transport chains in Arabidopsis. Our findings also en- hance our understanding about the physiological role of Complex I in plants.展开更多
Arabidopsis AtMRB1 is predicted to encode a novel protein of 432 amino acid residues in length, with four putative transmembrane domains. In the present study, characterization of AtMRB1 is conducted. Green fluorescen...Arabidopsis AtMRB1 is predicted to encode a novel protein of 432 amino acid residues in length, with four putative transmembrane domains. In the present study, characterization of AtMRB1 is conducted. Green fluorescent protein （GFP） fusion protein assay showed that AtMRB1 was located in the plasma membrane. Transgenic lines overexpressing AtMRB1 driven by a CaMV 35S promoter were generated. Statistic analysis showed that, during the seedling stage, the organ sizes of the transgenic lines including hypocotyl length, root length and root weight were significantly larger than those of the wild type plants under both light and dark conditions. In the adult plant stage, the AtMRB1 overexpressor plants were found to have larger organ sizes in terms of leaf length and width, and increased number of cauline leaves and branches when bolting. Further observation indicated that the larger leaf size phenotype was due to a larger number of mesophyll cells, the size of which was not altered. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the transcription of ANT, ROT3 and GRF5 were upregulated in the AtMRBl.overexpressor plants. These data suggest that AtMRB1 is possibly a positive regulator of organ size development in Arabidopsis, mainly through cell number control.展开更多
The development of stamen is an important stage during the sexual reproduction in higher plants. Studying the genes that predominantly or even specifically expressed in stamens will aid in understanding the molecular ...The development of stamen is an important stage during the sexual reproduction in higher plants. Studying the genes that predominantly or even specifically expressed in stamens will aid in understanding the molecular mechanism of stamen development. The structure of a rice CHS-like gene (D5) which predominantly expressed in anthers has been analysized, showing high structural similarity with two other anther-specific genes (A1 and BA42) from Brassica napus. Northern analysis also reveals that the three genes share a similar expression pattern and that the expression of D5 may relate to the early development of pollens. It is concluded that D5, A1 and BA42 represent a group of diverged CHS-like genes which are related to stamen development.展开更多
基金The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.30470172 and 30221120261)the National Special Projects for R&D of Transgenic Plants(J99-A-001).
基金Acknowledgments The authors thank Dr Liying Du （Peking University, China） for technical help on the flow cytometric analysis. The authors also thank Dr Zhongchi Liu （University of Maryland, USA）, Dr Chun-Ming Liu （Institute of Botany CAS, China）, Dr Terry Matthew （University of Southampton, UK）, Professor Daochun Kong （Peking University, China） and Dr Naomi Nakayama （Yale University, USA） for critical comments and valuable discussion. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （GN 30625002 to L-J Qu）.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(90717003 and 30625002 to L.-J. Q.)partially by the 111 Project
文摘In plants, the meristem has to maintain a separate population of pluripotent cells that serve two main tasks, i.e., self-maintenance and organ initiation, which are separated spatially in meristem. Prior to our study, WUS and WUS.like WOX genes had been reported as essential for the development of the SAM. In this study, the consequences of gain of WOX1 function are described. Here we report the identification of an Arabidopsis gain-of-function mutant woxl-D, in which the expression level of the WOX1 （WUSCHEL HOMEOBOX 1） was elevated and subtle defects in meristem development were observed. The woxl-D mutant phenotype is dwarfed and slightly bushy, with a smaller shoot apex. The woxl-D mutant also produced small and dark green leaves, and exhibited a failure in anther dehiscence and male sterility. Molecular evidences showed that the transcription of the stem cell marker gene CLV3 was down-regulated in the meristem of woxl-D but accumulated in the other regions, i.e., in the root-hypocotyl junction and at the sites for lateral root initiation. The fact that the organ size and cell size in leaves of woxl-D are smaller than those in wild type suggests that cell expansion is possibly affected in order to have partially retarded the development of lateral organs, possibly through alteration of CLV3 expression pattern in the meristem. An S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase （SAMDC） protein, SAMDC1, was found able to interact with WOX1 by yeast two-hybrid and pull-down assays in vitro. HPLC analysis revealed a significant reduction of polyamine content in woxl-D. Our results suggest that WOX1 plays an important role in meristem development in Arabidopsis, possibly via regulation of SAMDC activity and polyamine homeostasis, and/or by regulating CLV3 expression.
文摘The gene of trichosanthin has been transferred into rice plants through agrobacterium method. The single copy insertion and the expression of foreign gene have been proved in regenerated plants. In antifungal assay the degrees of rice blast (Pyricularia oryzae) infection of the transgenic plants expressing trichosanthin and expressing GUS gene as control have been evaluated. The differences such as the time of disease symptom observed, the number of infected plants and damaged leaves, the growth of infected plants of the two transgenic plants after being inoculated by rice blast (Pyricularia oryzae) are significant. The transgenic plants with trichosanthin gene grew faster than the plants with GUS gene, even when humidity environment was removed. The results show that the transgenic plants that expressed trichosanthin are able to delay the infection of rice blast compared with the plants as control. In addition, no damage caused by the expression of trichosanthin gene in transgenic plants has been
基金Supported by the National Priority Basic Research Programs of People＇s Republic of China： Biosafety Study on GM0s of Agricultural Importance （001CB10902 to L-JQ）, the National Natural Science Foundation of China （30470358）, and the Excellent Young Teachers Program of M0E, China （to L-JQ）. Acknowledgements The authors thank Ms Li Zhang and Professor Meihua Liu （Peking University） for technical assistance.
文摘The MYB transcription factor genes play important roles in many developmental processes and various defense responses of plants. The shikimate pathway is a major biosynthetic pathway for the production of three aromatic amino acids and other aromatic compounds that are involved in multiple responses of plants, including protection against UV and defense. Herein, we describe the characterization of the R2R3-MYB gene AtMYB15as an activator of the shikimate pathway in Arabidopsis. The AtMYB15 protein is nuclear localized and a transcriptional activation domain is found in its C-terminal portion. Northern blots showed that AtMYB15 is an early wounding-inducible gene. Resutls of microarray analysis, confirmed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, showed that overexpression of AtMYB15 in transgenic plants resulted in elevated expression of almost all the genes involved in the shikimate pathway. Bioinformatics analysis showed that one or more AtMYB15-binding AC elements were detected in the promoters of these upregulated genes. Furthermore, these genes in the shikimate pathway were also found to be induced by wounding. These data suggest an important role of AtMYB15as a possible direct regulator of the Arabidopsis shikimate pathway in response to wounding.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （GN 30625002） to LJ Qu.
文摘Salicylic acid methyltransferase （SAMT）, benzoic acid methyltransferase （BAMT） and theobromine methyltransferase （TH） （henceforth, SABATH） family proteins belong to a unique class of mehtyltransferase that can methylate small molecular compounds Including indole-3-acidic acid （IAA）, salicylic acid （SA） and jasmonic acid （JA）, in plants. Here we report that the GAMT2 protein, which has 34.2% similarity with IAMT1 in the amino acid sequence, can methylate gibberellic acid （GA）. Biolnformatics analysis suggests that GAMT2 may be able to methylate one molecule larger than SA. GAMT2 is predominantly expressed in the developing seed embryo and endosperm in Arabidopsis. During seed germination, the expression of GAMT2 decreases until the cotyledons expand out of the seed coat. Overexpression of GAMT2 in Arabidopsis resulted in multiple phenotypes, including dwarfism, retarded growth, late flowering, and reduced fertility, which are similar to the phenotypes of GA-deficient mutants. Seed germination assay showed that GAMT2 overexpression in plants was hypersensitive to GA biosynthesis inhibitor （ancymidol） and abscisic acid （ABA） treatments, whereas the GAMT2 null mutant （SALK_075450） was slightly Insensitive to such treatments, suggesting that GAMT2 may methylate GA or ABA. Enzyme activity analysis indicated that GAMT2 was able to methylate GA3 into Methyi-GA3 in vitro, but could not methylate ABA. Microarray analysis on GAMT2 overexpression plants suggested that Methyl-GA may be an Inactive form of GA in Arabidopsis. These data suggest that GAMT2 Is Involved in seed maturation and germination by modulating GA activity.
文摘It was shown in a previous analysis that D5 gene from rice (Oryza sativa L.) was an anther-specific gene encoding a chalcone synthase-related protein. In this study, D5 gene was found specifically expressed in tapetum cells as well as in the peripheral cells of the vascular bundle of rice anthers by RNA in situ hybridization. In order to study its function, D5 was transformed into rice in both sense and antisense directions driven by a rice Actin 1 promoter. It has been observed that the pollen grains from the antisense D5 transgenic rice plants are abnormal, indicating that D5 plays a critical role in rice pollen development.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2009CB941503)
文摘Complex I （the NADH：ubiquinone oxidoreductase） of the mitochondrial respiratory chain is a complicated, multi-subunit, membrane- bound assembly and contains more than 40 different proteins in higher plants. In this paper, we characterize the Arabidopsis homologue （designated as AtCIB22） of the B22 subunit of eukaryotic mitochondriai Complex I. AtCIB22 is a single-copy gene and is highly con- served throughout eukaryotes. AtCIB22 protein is located in mitochondria and the AtC1B22 gene is widely expressed in different tissues. Mutant Arabidopsis plants with a disrupted AtC1B22 gene display pleiotropic phenotypes including shorter roots, smaller plants and de- layed flowering. Stress analysis indicates that the AtC1B22 mutants＇ seed germination and early seedling growth are severely inhibited by sucrose deprivation stress but more tolerant to ethanol stress. Molecular analysis reveals that in moderate knockdown AtCIB22 mutants, genes including cell redox proteins and stress related proteins are significantly up-regulated, and that in severe knockdown AtCIB22 mu- tants, the alternative respiratory pathways including NDA1, NDB2, AOXla and AtPUMP1 are remarkably elevated. These data demon- strate that AtCIB22 is essential for plant development and mitochondrial electron transport chains in Arabidopsis. Our findings also en- hance our understanding about the physiological role of Complex I in plants.
基金Supported by the State Basic Research Program of China (2009CB941503)
文摘Arabidopsis AtMRB1 is predicted to encode a novel protein of 432 amino acid residues in length, with four putative transmembrane domains. In the present study, characterization of AtMRB1 is conducted. Green fluorescent protein （GFP） fusion protein assay showed that AtMRB1 was located in the plasma membrane. Transgenic lines overexpressing AtMRB1 driven by a CaMV 35S promoter were generated. Statistic analysis showed that, during the seedling stage, the organ sizes of the transgenic lines including hypocotyl length, root length and root weight were significantly larger than those of the wild type plants under both light and dark conditions. In the adult plant stage, the AtMRB1 overexpressor plants were found to have larger organ sizes in terms of leaf length and width, and increased number of cauline leaves and branches when bolting. Further observation indicated that the larger leaf size phenotype was due to a larger number of mesophyll cells, the size of which was not altered. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the transcription of ANT, ROT3 and GRF5 were upregulated in the AtMRBl.overexpressor plants. These data suggest that AtMRB1 is possibly a positive regulator of organ size development in Arabidopsis, mainly through cell number control.
文摘The development of stamen is an important stage during the sexual reproduction in higher plants. Studying the genes that predominantly or even specifically expressed in stamens will aid in understanding the molecular mechanism of stamen development. The structure of a rice CHS-like gene (D5) which predominantly expressed in anthers has been analysized, showing high structural similarity with two other anther-specific genes (A1 and BA42) from Brassica napus. Northern analysis also reveals that the three genes share a similar expression pattern and that the expression of D5 may relate to the early development of pollens. It is concluded that D5, A1 and BA42 represent a group of diverged CHS-like genes which are related to stamen development.
