Variations in chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, and photosynthesis in Setaria EMS mutants

Chlorophyll (Chl) content,especially Chl b content,and stomatal conductance (G_s) are the key factors affecting the net photosynthetic rate (P_n).Setaria italica,a diploid C_4 panicoid species with a simple genome and high transformation efficiency,has been widely accepted as a model in photosynthesis and drought-tolerance research.The current study characterized Chl content,G_s,and P_n of 48 Setaria mutants induced by ethyl methanesulfonate.A total of 24,34,and 35 mutants had significant variations in Chl content,G_s,and P_n,respectively.Correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between increased G_s and increased P_n,and a weak correlation between decreased Chl b content and decreased P_n was also found.Remarkably,two mutants behaved with significantly decreased Chl b content but increased P_n compared to Yugu 1.Seven mutants behaved with significantly decreased G_s but did not decrease P_(n )compared to Yugu 1.The current study thus identified various genetic lines,further exploration of which would be beneficial to elucidate the relationship between Chl content,G_s,and P_n and the mechanism underlying why C_4 species are efficient at photosynthesis and water saving.

Chemical mutagenesis and soybean mutants potential for identification of novel genes conferring resistance to soybean cyst nematode

The resistance of soybean(Glycine max(L.) Merr.) to soybean cyst nematode(SCN, Heterodera glycines Ichinohe), which is a devastating pathogen in soybean production and causes a large quantity of annual yield loss worldwide, can shift during the long-term interaction and domestication. It is vital to identify more new resistance genetic sources for identification of novel genes underlying resistance to SCN for management of this pathogen. In the present study, first, two ethane methylsulfonate-mutagenesis soybean M2 populations of PI 437654, which shows a broad resistance to almost all of SCN races, and Zhonghuang 13, which is a soybean cultivar in China conferring strong resistance to lodging, were developed. Many types of morphological phenotypes such as four-and five-leaflet leaves were observed from these two soybean M2 populations. Second, 13 mutants were identified and confirmed to exhibit alteration of resistance to SCN race 4 through the forward genetic screening of 400 mutants of the PI 437654 M2 population, the rate of mutants with alteration of SCNinfection phenotype is 3.25%. Third, these identified mutants were further verified not to show any changes in the genomic sequences of the three known SCN-resistant genes, GmSHMT08, GmSNAP18 and GmSANP11, compared to the wildtype soybean; and all of them were still resistant to SCN race 3 similar to the wild-type soybean. Taken together, we can conclude that the 13 mutants identified in the present study carry the mutations of the new gene(s) which contribute(s) to the resistance to SCN race 4 in PI 437654 and can be potentially used as the genetic soybean sources to further identify the novel SCN-resistant gene(s).

Field identification of morphological and physiological traits in two special mutants with strong tolerance and high sensitivity to drought stress in upland rice(Oryza sativa L.)

The two mutants idr1-1 and 297-28, which were obtained from the radiation mutation of HD297 and IAPAR9, were used as experimental materials in this study for a 2-year(2012 and 2013) experiment about field drought resistance identification in Beijing, China. Key agronomic traits and water-related physiological indexes were observed and measured, including the leaf anti-dead level(LADL), days to heading, plant height, setting percentage, aboveground biomass, leaf water potential(LWP), net photosynthetic rate(Pn) and transpiration rate. The results showed that the mutant idr1-1 that was under drought stress(DS) conditions for 2 years had the highest LADL grades(1.3 and 2.0) among all the materials, and they were 2–3 grades stronger than the wild-type IAPAR9 with an average that was 21.4% higher for the setting percentage than the wild type. Compared with the IAPAR9 for the 2-year average delay in the days to heading and the reduction rates in the plant height, setting percentage, and aboveground biomass under DS compared with the well-watered(WW) treatment, idr1-1 showed 3.2% less delay and 19.1, 16.4, and 6.1% less reduction, respectively. The idr1-1 in the LWP always exhibited the highest performance among all the materials. The Pn of idr1-1 under severe and mild DS comparing with that under WW was slightly decreased and even slightly increased, respectively, leading to an average reduction rate of only 0.92%, which was 26.93% less than that of IAPAR9. Under the severe DS, idr1-1 still showed the highest value of 16.88 μmol CO2 m–2 s–1 among all the materials and was significantly higher than that of IAPAR9(11.66 μmol CO2 m–2 s–1). Furthermore, only idr1-1 had the increased and the highest transpiration rate values(7.6 and 6.04 mmol H2 O m–2 s–1) under both mild and severe DS compared with the values under WW, when the transpiration rate of all the other materials significantly decreased. By contrast, the 297-28 in terms of the LADL grade under DS was the lowest(7.0), and it was four grades weaker than its wildtype HD297 and even one grade weaker than the drought-sensitive paddy rice SN265. For the 2-year average reduction rates in aboveground biomass and plant heights under DS compared with those under the WW, 297-28 was 31.6 and 31.8% higher than HD297, respectively. Meanwhile, 297-28 showed the worst performance for the LWP, Pn, and transpiration rate. These results suggest that idr1-1 might be a superior drought tolerant mutant of upland rice found in China. It has a strong ability to maintain and even enhance leaf transpiration while maintaining a high plant water potential under DS, thus supporting a high Pn and alleviating the delay in agronomic trait development and yield loss effectively. 297-28 is a much more highly drought-sensitive mutant that is even more sensitive than paddy rice varieties. The two mutants could be used as drought tolerance controls for rice germplasm identification and the drought resistant mechanism studies in the future. idr1-1 is also suitable for breeding drought-tolerant and lodging-resistant high-yield rice varieties.

pH-Dependence of Manganese (II) Oxidation Reaction by Novel Wild-Type and Mutants Recombinant Phlebia radiata Manganese Peroxidase 3 (rPr-MnP3) Enzymes

The goal of this study was to determine whether mutation of the Mn-binding site of wild-type recombinant Phlebia radiata manganese peroxidase 3 affected the pH-dependence kinetic parameters. pH range investigated was 2.5 – 12.0. The catalytic efficiency of the mutant enzymes at high and low pH in comparison to the wild-type was investigated using standard rPr-MnP3 protocol. Wild-type recombinant Phlebia radiata MnP3 enzyme showed optimal activity with Mn (II) as substrate at pH 5.0 and remained moderately active (approximately 40%) in the pH range of 6.0 - 9.0. The rPr-MnP3 mutants’ maximum activity ranged between 5.5 and 8.0. Wild-type and mutants rPr-MnP3 enzymes exhibited a similar pH profile with optimum pH of 3.0 for ABTS oxidation. Mutation has severely decreased the catalytic efficiency for Mn (II) oxidation at pH 5.0. The rPr-MnP3 enzymes showed enhanced affinity for Mn (II) at alkaline pH and a more alkaline range for catalysis than ever reported for any Manganese Peroxidase. This study reveals that at higher pH, rPr-MnP3 can function with alternative ligands in the Mn (II) site and does not have an absolutely obligate requirement for an all carboxylate ligand set. These results further strongly confirm that Mn2+ binding site is the only productive catalytic site for Mn (II) oxidation.

Genetic Analysis of Selected Mutants of Cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>[L.] Walp) Using Simple Sequence Repeat and <i>rcb</i>L Markers

Genetic diversity evaluation of mutant lines is essential to facilitate their conservation and utility in breeding programs. Characterization of plant genotypes using morphological markers has limitations which make the procedure inefficient. Application of molecular tools for characterization and diversity assessment has been found useful to complement phenotypic evaluation of plant population. Therefore genetic diversity of some cowpea mutant lines was studied using simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers. DNA barcoding marker, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase(rbcL) of the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) was also used for characterization and identification of the mutants to species level. The mean polymorphic information content (0.51) obtained from the microsatellites showed high polymorphism in accessing wide genetic diversity among the mutants and their parents. Dendrogram generated revealed 8 groups with most mutants clustered separately from their parents. Sequence analysis revealed insertions/deletions (InDels) and base substitutions as the two main classes of mutations induced in the plastid DNA of the mutants studied. The nucleotide frequencies were 26.95% (A), 34.43% (T), 24.09% (C) and 14.53% (G). A total of 61.38% AT rich region was identified, while GC rich region was found to be 38.62%. Highest rate of mutations were observed in region 3 - 4 indicating that the region is less conserved in cowpea rbcL gene. The present study proved that SSR markers are useful for the genetic diversity assessment of cowpea mutants. It also proved the efficiency of rbcL markers in mutants’ identification. The results indicate that the mutants are valuable genetic resources that have been developed to widen cowpea genetic base.

Characteristics of Kenaf(Hibiscus cannabinus L.) Mutants Induced by Gamma-Ray

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is known as a multipurpose crop producing biomass for energy thus, the study was conducted to select the elite mutants with higher biomass produced through mutation. Obtained from the National Agricultural Genetic Resources Center (NAGRC) in Korea, the seeds of the original natural resource named IT202801 (control) were irradiated with 250 Gy gamma-ray. The agronomic performances, genetic variation and histological analysis of the elite mutant lines were investigated at M2 generation in comparison with the control. Significant differences were observed from the previous three evaluations of the eight mutants. Nine plants, including the control and eight mutants, had little difference in the number of flowering days from July 23 to July 25. The leaf shape of the control was entire, while the leaf shape of the mutant was palmate. Of the eight lines, M2IT20-5 showed better performance in regard to diameter, dry weight and seed weight per plant. The random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis produced a genetic diversity of 72.7% within the genotypes used. A dendrogram was constructed based on the RAPD fragments. Differentiation was demonstrated between the control and kenaf mutants. Taken together, the mutant line, M2IT20-5, can be useful as a resource for high biomass production.

Genomic Analysis of <i>Anabaena variabilis</i>Mutants PK17 and PK84 That Are Characterised by High Production of Molecular Hydrogen

The use of cyanobacteria for producing molecular hydrogen is one of the desirable tasks of photobiotechnology. Some years ago, we isolated several chemically induced mutants of the cyanobacterium Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413 that exhibited a high level of H2-production;but the genetic nature of these mutants remained unresolved. To reveal mutations that could be responsible for enhancement of H2-production in two independent mutants, PK17 and PK84, the pyrosequencing of their entire genomes was performed. The results were analyzed on the basis of comparison with the complete genome sequence of the reference strain Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413. The genomes of mutants PK17 and RK84 contain 107 and 104 point deviations from the reference genome, respectively. The most probable reason for the increase of H2-production in mutant PK17 is the mutation identified in the gene hupL encoding the large subunit of uptake hydrogenase. A high level of H2-production in mutant PK84 could be the result of a mutation in a conserved part of the gene hypF, which participates in the post-translation maturation of hydrogenase complexes.

Precore/basal core promoter mutants quantification throughout phases of hepatitis B virus infection by Simpleprobe

AIM:To investigate precore/basal core promoter(PC/BCP) mutants throughout hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection and to determine their relationship to hepatitis B early antigen(HBeA g) titers.METHODS:We enrolled 191 patients in various stages of HBV infection at the Huashan Hospital and the Taizhou Municipal Hospital from 2010 to 2012.None of the patients received antiviral therapy.HBV DNA from serum,was quantified by real-time PCR.The HBV genotype was determined by direct sequencing of the S gene.We used the Simpleprobe ultrasensitivequantitative method to detect PC/BCP mutants in each patient.We compared the strain number,percentage,and the changes in PC/BCP mutants in different phases,and analyzed the relationship between PC/BCP mutants and HBe Ag by multiple linear regression and logistic regression.RESULTS:Patients with HBV infection(n = 191) were assigned to groups by phase:Immune tolerance(IT) = 55,Immune clearance(IC) = 67,Low-replicative(LR) = 49,and HBeA g-negative hepatitis(ENH) = 20.Of the patients(male,112; female,79) enrolled,122 were HBe Ag-positive and 69 were HBe Ag-negative.The median age was 33 years(range:18-78 years).PC and BCP mutation detection rates were 84.82%(162/191) and 96.86%(185/191),respectively.In five HBe Ag-negative cases,we detected double mutation G1896A/G1899 A.The logarithm value of PC mutant quantities(log10 PC) significantly differed in IT,IC,and LR phases,as well as in the ENH phase(F = 49.350,P < 0.001).The logarithm value of BCP mutant quantities(log10 BCP) also differed during the four phases(F = 25.530,P < 0.001).Log10 PC and log10 BCP values were high in the IT and IC phases,decreased in the LR phase,and increased in the ENH phase,although the absolute value at this point remained lower than that in the IT and IC phases.PC mutant quantity per total viral load(PC%) and BCP mutant quantity per total viral load(BCP%) differed between phases(F = 20.040,P < 0.001; F = 10.830,P < 0.001),with PC% and BCP% gradually increasing in successive phases.HBeA g titers negatively correlated with PC%(Spearman's rho =-0.354,P < 0.001) and BCP%(Spearman's rho =-0.395,P < 0.001).The negative correlation between PC% and HBeA g status was significant(B =-5.281,P = 0.001),but there was no such correlation between BCP% and HBeA g status(B =-0.523,P = 0.552).CONCLUSION:PC/BCP mutants become predominant in a dynamic and continuous process.Log10 PC,log10 BCP,PC% and BCP% might be combined to evaluate disease progression.PC% determines HBeA g status.

Deciphering Rice Lesion Mimic Mutants to Understand Molecular Network Governing Plant Immunity and Growth

Plant lesion mimic mutants(lmms)generally possess autoimmunity and hypersensitive response(HR)-like cell death in the absence of biotic or abiotic stress.They have attracted much attention because they are useful tools for deciphering the interaction between defense signaling and growth.Recent studies have identified more than 30 lmms involved in the plant immune response and cell death in rice.Genes underlying these lmms,coding for diverse types of proteins,mainly regulate transcription,protein translation and modification,vesicular trafficking and catalyzation of metabolism.Here,we presented an overview of the most recent advances on the study of lmms in rice and proposed a perspective on potential utilization of LMM genes in agriculture.

Characterization of dwarf mutants and molecular mapping of a dwarf locus in soybean

Plant height is one of the most important traits in soybean. The semi-dwarf soybean cultivars could improve the ability of lodging resistance to obtain higher yield. To broaden the dwarfism germplasm resources in soybean, 44 dwarf mutants were identified from a gamma rays mutagenized M_-2 population. Two of these mutants, Gmdwf1(Glycine max dwarf 1) and Gmdwf2(Glycine max dwarf 2), were investigated in this study. Genetic analysis showed that both mutants were inherited in a recessive manner and their mutated regions were delimited to a 2.610-Mb region on chromosome 1 by preliminary mapping. Further fine mapping study proved that the two mutants had a common deletion region of 1.552 Mb in the target region, which was located in a novel locus site without being reported previously. The dwarfism of Gmdwf1 could not be rescued by gibberellin(GA) and brassinolide(BR) treatments, which indicated that the biosynthesis of these hormones was not deficient in Gmdwf1.

Expression Profiles and Protein Complexes of Starch Biosynthetic Enzymes from White-Core and Waxy Mutants Induced from High Amylose Indica Rice

Physicochemical properties of endosperm starches in milled rice determine its cooking and eating quality.Amylose is synthesized by granule-bound starch synthase I(GBSSI),whilst amylopectin is synthesized by the synergistic activities of starch synthases(SSs),branching enzymes(BEs)and debranching enzymes(DBEs).However,the complexes formed by starch biosynthetic enzymes are not well characterized.Gene expression profiles and protein complexes were determined in white-core(GM645)and waxy(GM077)mutants derived from a high amylose indica rice Guangluai 4(GLA4).In GM645,genes including AGPS1,GBSSI,SSIIa,BEI,BEIIa,BEIIb,PUL,ISA1 and SP were significantly downregulated during seed development.In GM077,the expression levels of AGPL2,AGPS1,AGPS2b,SSIIIa,BEI,PUL and ISA1 were significantly upregulated.Co-immunoprecipitation assays revealed interactions of SSs-BEs,SSs-PUL and BEs-PUL in developing seeds.However,weak SSI-SSIIa interaction was detected in GM077,whilst SSI-PUL interaction was absent.Weak interaction signals for SSI-SSIIa,SSIIa-BEI,SSIIa-BEIIb,BEI-BEIIb and SSI-BEI were also observed in GM645.These results suggest that the protein-protein interactions for starch biosynthesis are modified in mutants,which provides insight into the mechanisms of starch biosynthesis,particularly in indica rice.

Biocontrol potential of Trichoderma asperellum mutants T39 and T45 and their growth promotion of poplar seedlings

This study investigates the biocontrol potential of Trichoderma asperellum mutants against Rhizoctonia solani, Alternaria alternata, and Fusarium oxysporum and growth promotion of Populus davidiana 9 P. alba var.pyramidalis(Pd Pap poplar) seedlings. A T-DNA insertion mutant library of T. asperellum was constructed using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation.Sixty-five positive transformants(T1–T65) were obtained.Growth rates of the mutants T39 and T45 were the same,39.68% faster than the WT. In toxin tolerance tests, only T39 had greater tolerance to A. alternata fermentation broth than the WT, but mutant T45 had the same tolerance as the WT to all fermentation broths. Furthermore, T39 and T45 had a greater antagonistic ability than the WT strain against R. solani and A. alternata. The inhibition rate of the mutants T39 and T45 against A. alternata are 73.92% and80.76%, respectively, and 63.51% and 63.74%, respectively. Furthermore, the three strains increased the activities of superoxide dismutases, peroxidase, catalase(CAT)and phenylalanine ammonia lyase(PAL) in Pd Pap seedling leaves. CAT and PAL activity in the Pd Pap seedling leaveswas 11.25 and 5.50 times higher, respectively, in the presence of T39 than in the control group and 12 and 6.35 times higher, respectively, in the presence of T45 than in the control group. All three strains promoted seedling growth and the root and stem development, especially mutant T45. Mutants T39 and T45 reduced the incidence of pathogenic fungi in poplar and stimulated poplar seedling growth.

Preliminary Study on the Mechanism of Flower Color Variation in White Mutants of Anthurium andeaeanum

[Objectives] This study was conducted to explore the physiological mechanism of flower color variation in the white mutants of Anthurium andeaeanum. [Methods] The seven white mutants of 'Alabama' and 'Turenza' were used as materials to analyze the pigment types, flavonoid types and content and anthocyanin content in the wild type and mutants. [Results] The white spathe mainly contained flavonoids, flavonols, dihydroflavonols and dihydroflavonols; the white mutants of 'Alabama' had a higher total flavonoid content than the wild type, while the white mutants of 'Turenza' showed an opposite trend; and the spathe of the wild type had the highest anthocyanin content, and the pink part of the two-color mutant or the spathe of the binary color mutant contained trace anthocyanins, while no anthocyanins were detected in the white part of the mutants. [Conclusions] The main cause of the white mutants of A. andeaeanum is related to anthocyanin metabolism.

Functional Analysis for Rolling Leaf of Somaclonal Mutants in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

This study was carried out to facilitate the functional analysis of rice genes. Some 297 insertion plants (1.7%) of the entire lines with the endogenous retrotransposon Tos17 were produced. Phenotypes of these plants in the S2 genera-tion were observed in the field according to different leaf types. Rolling leaf mutants showed thinner sclerenchyma-tous cells, defective arrangement of vascular bundles, and well-formed bulliform cells as compared to the parental cultivar. Two new copies of Tos17 were detected in the rolling leaf type. In the new leaf type, the copy number and activation of Tos12, 15 did not appear as ‘Ilpum’. Flanking sequence tag (FST) analysis of Tos17 in the rolling leaf mutant indicated that new copies of Tos17 were transposed on chromosomes 11 and 12. Annotated homologues of the tagging genes on chromosome 11 were arabinoxylan rabinofuranohydrolase isoenzyme AXAH-I and II. The tagging gene in chromosome 12 was highly correlated with 6 kinds of genes including a transcript regulated factor and a rough sheath 2-like protein. This rolling leaf and flanking sequence data will stimulate the functional analysis of rice genes.

Development of Transgenic Cotton Resistant to Fungal Diseases and of Mutants by T-DNA Insertional Mutagenesis

Verticillium(V.dahliae Kleb.) and Fusarium(F.Oxysporum f.sp.vasinfectum)wilt aretwo major fungal diseases in cotton productionwhich cause great crop damage and yield lossworld wide.Breeding and application ofresistant varieties have effectively controlledFusarium wilt.However,the Verticillium wilt-

Isolation and Characterization of Storage Protein Subunit-null-dwarf Mutants in Soybean(Glycine max(L.) Merr.)

Dwarfing is useful to reduce plant height,when breeding high-yielding and non-lodging crops.In this study,a set of natural storage protein subunit-null dwarf mutants of soybean was reported that showed strongly reduced plant stature and deficiency in various 7S and 11S subunits,designated as snd1 mutants.Under normal growth conditions,the snd1 mutants showed a severe dwarf phenotype,with plant height of about 25 cm.Compared with wild-type DN47,the mutant snd1 exhibited no obvious morphological differences at the early stage of development.All the snd1 mutants examined had fewer nodes and shorter than normal internodes;the leaves were similar in shape to normal parents,but were dark-green at the mature stage.The flower size was similar to DN47;however,the flowering period was shorter than in the wild-type.Significant variation was noted for protein content,oil content of the seeds and size of seeds(weight of 100 seeds)among 17 snd1 dwarf lines.Genetic analysis indicated that the dwarfism of snd1 was controlled by a single recessive gene.The snd1 dwarf mutant had markedly different dynamic levels of the endogenous hormones gibberellin(GA),brassinosteroid,indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid,at the seedling stage.Exogenous GA3 treatment led to recovery of the plant height phenotype of the snd1 mutant;GA3 at 0.1 mm had the largest effect on enhancing plant height.Using molecular markers,snd1 gene was approximately mapped in an interval of 603 kb between markers Satt166 and Satt561 on chromosome 19.Snd1 mutant provided valuable material for hypoallergenic soybean breeding and the snd1 gene might be a novel gene related to plant height in soybean.

Genetic Mapping and Characterization of Lethal Necrotic Mutants in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i>L.)

The spread of tissue necrosis leads to plant death. We isolated 18 lethal necrotic mutants induced in rice (Oryza sativa L.) by gamma-irradiation. The necrotic lethality among the 18 mutants was controlled by single recessive genes designated necrotic lethality1 (nec1) to nec18. These mutants display pale-green leaves from the third-leaf stage and leaf-tip necrosis, which spreads to the whole plant, killing it. Genetic mapping and histochemical analysis of the lethal necrotic mutants were conducted. At least four independent loci on chromosomes 2 and 4 controlled necrotic lethality. Therefore, the genetic causes of lethal necrosis vary among mutant stocks. Histochemical analysis at 12 days after sowing showed that H2O2 accumulated in the necrotic parts of leaves, and that cell death occurred throughout the leaf. Mutants for early necrotic lethality (<24 days to lethality) were characterized by the rapid spread of H2O2 accumulation throughout the third leaf. Mutants for late necrotic lethality (>35 days to lethality) were characterized by the incomplete spread of H2O2 accumulation within the third leaf.

Construction of Arabidopsis thaliana ugt84a2/ugt84a4 Double Mutants Mediated by CRISPR/Cas9

[Objectives]The CRISPR/Cas9(Clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeat/Cas9)gene editing technology is the third generation of"genome fixed-point editing technology"following the"zinc finger endonuclease(ZFN)"and"transcription activator effector nuclease(TALEN)".Glucotransferase genes UGT84A2 and UGT84A4,can simultaneously convert hydroxycinnamate into 1-O-β-glucose esters as isozymes.The CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to construct double mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana ugt84a2/ugt84a4.[Methods]A CRISPR/Cas9 double mutant expression vector was constructed using UGT84A2 and UGT84A4 as the target genes.The Agrobacterium-mediated dip dyeing method was used to transform wild-type A.thaliana,and the CRISPR/Cas9system was used to target and knock out A.thaliana UGT84A2 and UGT84A4 genes.[Results]The descendants of A.thaliana with the UGT84A2/UGT84A4 gene were sequenced and analyzed.Thirteen positively transformed plants obtained were analyzed according to the sequencing results,and the ugt84a2/ugt84a4 double mutants were screened.[Conclusions]This study provides a reference for the functional study of UGT84A2 and UGT84A4 isoenzyme genes in other species,as well as strong theoretical and method support for accelerating the development and utilization of UGT84A2/UGT84A4 functional gene resources.

Ethanol Fermentation by High-Stress-Tolerance Aquatic Yeasts and Their Mutants

Bioethanol is thought to be a renewable source of energy, because the biomasses used to make ethanol, such as sugar cane and its residual substance, molasses, are resources that can be continuously produced. But the practical use of ethanol to replace fossil fuels or atomic energy has been limited, because the production efficiencies of ethanol in relation to its substrates are not so high. Thus, for industrial production of the bioethanol, yeast fermentation would ideally be carried out in biomasses containing more highly concentrated carbohydrates. However, the environmental stresses in highly concentrated cultures might weaken the yeast’s physiological activities. From various kinds of aquatic yeast with stress tolerance, Torulaspora derbrueckii F2-11 and Wicherhamomyces anomalus AN2-64 were selected as candidates for high-sugar-tolerance yeasts as they showed remarkable growth in the YPD + sorbitol (600 g/L) medium at 25°C for 120 hrs. When the amounts and kinds of sugar alcohols in the cells of the two strains were measured in cultures containing 20 g/L or 400 g/L of D-glucose, maltose, or sucrose, the main two sugar alcohols that accumulated as the sugar concentration increased were glycerol and arabitol. Mutation by ethyl methanesulfonate of the parent strains T. derbrueckii F2-11 and W. anomalus AN2-64 induced mutants F2-11M or AN2-64M, which showed higher sugar, heat, and ethanol tolerances than their respective parents. Ethanol productivities and sugar assimilation activities of the mutants were also higher than those of the parents in the 25% (v/v) molasses.

Global analysis of CCT family knockout mutants identifies four genes involved in regulating heading date in rice

Many genes encoding CCT domain-containing proteins regulate flowering time. In rice(Oryza sativa), 41 such genes have been identified, but only a few have been shown to regulate heading date. Here, to test whether and how additional CCT family genes regulate heading date in rice, we classified these genes into five groups based on their diurnal expression patterns. The expression patterns of genes in the same subfamily or in close phylogenetic clades tended to be similar. We generated knockout mutants of the entire gene family via CRISPR/Cas9. The heading dates of knockout mutants of only 4 of 14 genes previously shown to regulate heading date were altered, pointing to functional redundancy of CCT family genes in regulating this trait. Analysis of mutants of four other genes showed that OsCCT22, OsCCT38, and OsCCT41 suppress heading under long-day conditions and promote heading under short-day conditions. OsCCT03 promotes heading under both conditions and upregulates the expression of Hd1 and Ehd1, a phenomenon not previously reported for other such genes. To date, at least 18 CCT domaincontaining genes involved in regulating heading have been identified, providing diverse, flexible gene combinations for generating rice varieties with a given heading date.