Genomic Analysis of MicroRNA Promoters and Their Cis-Acting Elements in Soybean

MicroRNAs （miRNAs） are derived from distinct loci in the genome and play crucial roles in RNA-mediated gene silencing mechanisms that regulate cellular processes during development and stress responses of plants. The miRNAs are approximately 21 nucleotides long and code for the complementary strand to a larger genic mRNA. They are often found within the complementary primary transcript （pri-miRNAs）. In the past few years, a growing number of soybean miRNAs have been discovered, however, little is known about the transcriptional regulation of these miRNAs. In this study, promoters and cis-acting elements of soybean miRNAs were analyzed using the genomic data for the first time. A total of 82 miRNAs were located among 122 loci in genome, some were present as double or multiple copies. Five clusters that included ten miRNAs were found in genome, and only one cluster share the same promoter. A total of 191 promoters from 122 loci of the soybean miRNA sequences were found and further analyzed. The results indicated that the conserved soybean miRNA genes had a greater proportion of promoters than that of non-conserved ones, and the distribution of the transcript start sites （TSSs） and TATA-boxes found had different motif styles between conserved and non-conserved miRNA genes. Furthermore, the cis-acting elements 5＇ of the TSSs were analyzed to obtain potential function and spatiotemporal expression pattern of miRNAs. The data obtained here may lead to the identification of specific sequences upstream of pre-miRNAs and the functional annotation of miRNAs in soybean.

An <i>in silico</i>Analysis of Upstream Regulatory Modules (URMs) of Tapetum Specific Genes to Identify Regulatory <i>cis</i>-Elements and Transcription Factors

The present work presents an iin silicoi analysis of Upstream Regulatory Modules (URMs) of genes expressed in tapetum specific manner in dicotyledon and monocotyledon plants. In the current analysis, we identified several motifs conserved in these URMs of which ten were observed to be part of known icisi-elements using tools and databases like MEME, PLACE, MAST and TFSEARCH. We also identified that binding sites for two transcription factors, DOF and WRKY71 were found to be present in majority of the URMs.

MicroRNA Primary Transcripts and Promoter Elements Analysis in Soybean (Glycine max L. Merril.)

The importance of microRNA （miRNA） at the post-transcriptional regulation level has recently been recognized in both animals and plants. In recent years, many studies focused on miRNA target identification and functional analysis. However, little is known about the transcription and regulation of miRNAs themselves. In this study, the transcription start sites （TSSs） for 11 miRNA primary transcripts of soybean from 11 miRNA loci （of 50 loci tested） were cloned by a 5＂ rapid amplification of cDNA ends （5＂ RACE） procedure using total RNA from 30-d-old seedlings. The features consistent with a RNA polymerase II mechanism of transcription were found among these miRNA loci. A position weight matrix algorithm was used to identify conserved motifs in miRNA core promoter regions. A canonical TATA box motif was identified upstream of the major start site at 8 （76%） of the mapped miRNA loci. Several cis-acting elements were predicted in the 2 kb 5＂ to the TSSs. Potential spatial and temporal expression patterns of the miRNAs were found. The target genes for these miRNAs were also predicted and further elucidated for the potential function of the miRNAs. This research provides a molecular basis to explore regulatory mechanisms of miRNA expression, and a way to understand miRNA-mediated regulatory pathways and networks in soybean.

Drought-responsive genes expressed predominantly in root tissues are enriched with homotypic cis-regulatory clusters in promoters of major cereal crops

The root appears to be the most relevant organ for breeding drought stress tolerance.However, our knowledge about temporal and spatial regulation of drought-associated genes in the root remains fragmented, especially in crop plants. We performed a meta-analysis of expression divergence of essential drought-inducible genes and analyzed their association with cis-elements in model crops and major cereal crops. Our analysis of42 selected drought-inducible genes revealed that these are expressed primarily in roots,followed by shoot, leaf, and inflorescence tissues, especially in wheat. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis confirmed higher expression of TaDREB2 and TaAQP7 in roots,correlated with extensive rooting and drought-stress tolerance in wheat. A promoter scan up to 2 kb upstream of the translation start site using phylogenetic footprinting revealed708 transcription factor binding sites, including drought response elements(DREs), auxin response elements(Aux REs), MYCREs/MYBREs, ABAREs, and ERD1 in 19 selected genes.Interestingly, these elements were organized into clusters of overlapping transcription factor binding sites known as homotypic clusters(HCTs), which modulate drought physiology in plants. Taken together, these results revealed the expression preeminence of major drought-inducible genes in the root, suggesting its crucial role in drought adaptation. The occurrence of HCTs in drought-inducible genes highlights the putative evolutionary modifications of crop plants in developing drought adaptation. We propose that these DNA motifs can be used as molecular markers for breeding drought-resilient cultivars, particularly in the cereal crops.

Isolation of cDNAs Enconding Two Distinct Transcription Factors Binding to DRE cis-acting Element Involved in Cold-and drought-induced Expression of Arabidopsis rd29A Gene

Previous study has defined DRE (dehydration responsive element) cis acting element and its important role in expressions of Arabidopsis rd29A gene under cold, dehydration and high salt stresses. In order to clarify the expression mechanism of rd29A gene, we isolated two cDNA clones that encoded DRE binding proteins ( DREB1 and DREB2 ) from cold and drought treated Arabidopsis plants, using DRE cis acting element in the promoter region of rd29A gene and yeast One Hybrid screening method. Experiments showed both DREB1 and DREB2 specifically interacted with DRE cis element. Homologous analysis showed no significant similarity between DREB1 and DREB2 in whole deduced amino acid sequences. However, both DREB1 and DREB2 proteins contained a conserved DNA binding domain (AP2/EREBP domain). Structural analysis of proteins also showed they had a nuclear localization signal (NLS) in their N terminal region and an acidic activation region in their C terminal region. AP2/EREBP domain is composed of 58 amino acids, which presents in a large family of plant genes encoding DNA binding proteins. We analyzed many plant transcription factors containing conserved AP2/EREBP domains. The 14th valine (V) and 19th glutamate (E) in the amino acid sequence of AP2/EREBP domains might be the consensus recognizing and binding to DRE cis element. Northern analysis indicated that DREB1 gene was induced by low temperature, whereas DREB2 gene was induced by dehydration and high salt stresses. Present studies suggest that the expression of rd29A gene under low temperature, dehydration and high salt stresses is regulated by DREB1 and DREB2 transcriptional factors in two separate signal transduction pathways, respectively.

Cis-acting regulatory elements： from random screening to quantitative design

The cis-acting regulatory elements, e.g., promoters and ribosome binding sites （RBSs） with various desired properties, are building blocks widely used in synthetic biology for fine tuning gene expression. In the last decade, acquisition of a controllable regulatory element from a random library has been established and applied to control the protein expression and metabolic flux in different chassis cells. However, more rational strategies are still urgently needed to improve the efficiency and reduce the laborious screening and multifaceted characterizations. Building precise computational models that can predict the activity of regulatory elements and quantitatively design elements with desired strength have been demonstrated tremendous potentiality. Here, recent progress on construction of cis- acting regulatory element library and the quantitative predicting models for design of such elements are reviewed and discussed in detail.

GCC box in Arabidopsis PDF1.2 promoter is an essential and sufficient cis-acting element in response to MeJA treatment

The expression of Arabidopsis PDF1.2 gene is regulated by jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET). It also has been well documented that GCC box is an element re- sponsive to ET,however, the responsive mechanism of JA in such plant defense gene expression is unclear. In this paper, the authors define the essential cis-acting element in PDF1.2 promoter responsive to methyl jasmonate (MeJA) through fragment deletions and site-directed mutageneses combining Agrobacterium-mediated transient reporter gene expression in tobacco leaves. Firstly, the MeJA inducible expression of PDF1.2 was confirmed by using the upstream ?1.86 kb fragment of PDF1.2 gene. Secondly, the upstream –300— ?243 bp fragment of the promoter was evidenced to respond to MeJA. To further characterize this promoter region, three point mutations were introduced into the –300—?243 bp fragment of the promoter. This result showed that the muta- tion of GCC box abolished MeJA induction, whereas the mutations of the G box-like and the imperfect palindrome sequence did not significantly decrease MeJA inducible effect, indicating that GCC box in PDF1.2 is essential for MeJA induction. The sufficient responsiveness to MeJA of this GCC box was further investigated by 4×GCC fused up- stream to the CaMV 35S minimal promoter. This result sug- gested that the fused promoter was able to activate reporter gene expression in response to MeJA. Thus these results in- dicate that the GCC box in PDF1.2 is an essential and suffi- cient element to confer MeJA induction.

两个玉米新CIPK基因的鉴定

利用生物信息学的方法从玉米的基因组中鉴定出两个新的CIPK基因,并对这两个新基因的位置、结构、遗传进化和顺式调控元件进行了分析,为深入挖掘它们的功能提供了有益信息。

番茄和马铃薯CIPK3基因的鉴定和特征分析

为了研究番茄和马铃薯CIPK3基因的功能,利用生物学信息学的方法从番茄和马铃薯的基因组中分别鉴定出2个与拟南芥CIPK3同源的基因,并对这些基因的结构特征、系统进化和顺式元件进行了系统分析。结果表明,番茄和马铃薯的2个CIPK3基因均与拟南芥的CIPK3直系同源,且都含有14个外显子,编码区大小相似,编码蛋白预测都位于细胞膜上且含有的基序类型相同;在它们的编码区上游序列中均存在多个激素和逆境应答元件,暗示它们在激素和逆境应答中具有一定功能。

论李清照词的戏剧性

在宋代,宋词与戏剧之间存在着彼此借鉴、汲取艺术养分的现象。戏剧因素进入词的创作,使词具有戏剧性,更具表现力。宋代著名女词人李清照在其词的创作中充分融入了戏剧性,主要体现在:词中有冲突性的戏剧情节、口语化的戏剧语言、丰富的戏剧动作、突转的戏剧悬念等。李清照颠沛的人生经历,为其词的戏剧性提供了现实素材。她惯用寻常语度入音律,把日常化的语言融入到词句中,富于现实生活的表现。从戏剧性视角来研究李清照词,将为我们鉴赏李清照词增加一个新的方向。

Isolation and analysis of a TIR-specific promoter from poplar

A 5＇ flanking region of the well-conserved Toll/interleukin-1 receptor domain （TIR）-encoding sequence was isolated from the genomic DNA ofMelampsora magnusiana Wagner resistant clones of hybrid triploid poplars [（Populus tomentosa × P. bolleana） × P. tomentosa]. Sequencing results and alignment analysis show that the obtained TIR-specific promoter （named as PtTIRp01） was 1,732 bp in length; moreover 3＇ region of the PtTIRp01 contains a responds to the 5＇ composition of TIR-NBS type gene PtDRG02, of 747 bp long 5＇ region of TIR-NBS type gene PtDRG02 and its 398 bp complete TIR-encoding sequence, which significantly corindicating that the obtained TIR-specific promoter region consists upstream region of promoter （985 bp）. It was found that the 5＇ region of TIR-NBS type gene PtDRG02 was characterized in the downstream region of the transcriptional start, named as 5＇-untranslated region （5＇ UTR）, consisting of one 93 bp 5＇-untranslation exon, one 213 bp intron and one 441 bp TIR-encoding open reading frame （ORF）. In addition, several putative cis-acting motifs were present in the obtained TIR-specific promoter of PtDRG02, including one TATA box, one GC-rich, one AT-rich, one P-box, one 3-AF1 binding site, two CAAT boxes, two GT-1 motifs, three typical W-boxes, four I-boxes, and one multi-cis-acting fragment （MCF）. The latter contains five types of regulatory elements （E4, G-box, ABRE motif, box 1 and HVA 1 s）, most of which were homologous to the cis-acting regulatory elements involved in the activation of defense genes in plants. Thus, it can be suggested that TIR-specific promoter might be a pathogen-inducible promoter and be necessary for the inducible expression of defense-related genes. Key words Toll/interleukin- 1 receptor domain, promoter, Cis-acting element, poplar

Functional analysis of cis-acting sequences regulating root-specific expression in transgenic tobacco

Two different length fragments, RSF1 and RSF2 which contained the cis-acting sequences of root-specific gene TobRB7, were isolated from tobacco genome. The abilities of these fragments to direct root-specific expression were studied by fusing them to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) report gene with different directions. After the recombined vectors were transformed into tobacco, the expression pattern was performed by histochemical staining and the quantitative analysis of GUS activity. The data suggested that the cis-acting element of TobRB7 gene direct GUS expression not only as root-specific but also as bidirectional. In our studies, the short fragment, RSF2, performed stronger activity than RSF1 with any direction. The stronger activity of GUS expression was determined by reverse inserting of RSF1 or RSF2 than positive inserting.

Developmental stage-specific factors in the mouse haematopoietic tissues binding to the 5'-flanking as-acting elements of humanε-globin gene

The human ε-globin gene is expressed in a tissue-specific and developmental stage-specific manner. During the earliest stage of gestation, this gene is expressed in the yolksac, but is silenced completely at the 6th-8th weeks of gestation. Recently, several studieson the transgenic mice have shown that the 5′-flanking DNA sequences of human

Isolation and characterization of a novel cis-acting sequences regulating root-specific gene from Daucus carota L.

Aquaporins are ubiquitous channel proteins that facilitate the transport of water across cell membranes. Most of aquaporins are represent in more than one tissues, but some of them performed highest in roots. They are be- lived to participate in water transport. DcRB7, a member of the aquaporin family, was isolated from somatic embryos of carrot and identified as a homologous gene of TobRB7. Further studies showed that the expression of DcRB7 was particular in carrot root. To investigate the transcription regulation of DcRB7, a 650-bp upstream sequence of DcRB7 was isolated by inverse PCR, and was fused to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) report gene. After the recombined vectors were transformed into tobacco, the expression pat- tern was performed by histochemical staining and the quan- titative analysis of GUS activity. The results indicated that the cis-acting element of DcRB7 gene directs GUS expression not only as root-specific but also as drought inducible.

FEM COUPLING FIELD ITERATION AND ITS CONVERGENCE FOR A GMM ACTURATOR

The coupling iteration (CI) of the finite element method(FEM) is used to simulate the magnetic and mechanical characteristics for a GMM actuator. The convergent ability under different prestress and different load types is investigated. Then the calculated deformations are compared with the experimental values. The results convince that the CI of FEM is suitable for the simulation of energy coupling and transformation mechanism of the GMM. At last, the output deformation properties are studied under different input currents, showing that there is a good compromise between good linearity and large strain under the prestress 6 MPa.

Allele-specific expression and alternative splicing in horse×donkey and cattle×yak hybrids

Divergence of gene expression and alter native splicing is a crucial driving force in the evolution of species;to date, however the molecular mechanism remains unclear. Hybrids of closely related species provide a suitable model to analyze allele-specific expressi on (ASE) and allele-specific alter native splicing (ASS). Analysis of ASE and ASS can uncover the differences in cis-regulatory elements between closely related species, while eliminating interferenee of trans-regulatory elements. Here, we provide a detailed characterization of ASE and ASS from 19 and 10 transcriptome datasets across five tissues from reciprocal-cross hybrids of horsex don key (mule/hi nny) and cattlexyak (dzo), respectively. Results showed that 4.8%-8.7% and 10.8%-16.7% of genes exhibited ASE and ASS, respectively. Notably, IncRNAs and pseudogenes were more likely to show ASE than protein-coding genes. In addition, genes showing ASE and ASS in mule/hinny were found to be involved in the regulation of muscle strength, whereas those of dzo were involved in high-altitude adaptati on. In con clusi on, our study dem on strated that explorati on of genes showing ASE and ASS in hybrids of closely related species is feasible for species evolution research.

Role of Activator Protein-1 in the Transcription of Interleukin-5 Gene Regulated by Protein Kinase C Signal in Asthmatic Human TLymphocytes

Summary: In order to explore the role of activator protein-1 (AP-1) in the transcription of interleukin-5 (IL-5) gene regulated by protein kinase C (PKC) signal in peripheral blood T lymphocytes from asthmatic patient, T lymphocytes were isolated and purified from peripheral blood of each asthmatic patient. The T lymphocytes were randomly divided into 4 groups: group A (blank control), group B (treated with PKC agonist phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)), Group C (treated with PMA and AP-1 cis-element decoy oligodeoxynucleotides (decoy ODNs)), and group D (treated with PMA and AP-1 mutant decoy ODNs). The ODNs were transfected into the T cells of group C and D by cation liposome respectively. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was employed to assess IL-5 mRNA expression, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) for the activation of AP-1. The results showed that the activation of AP-1 (88 003.58±1 626.57) and the expression of IL-5 mRNA (0.8300±0.0294) in T lymphocytes stimulated with PMA were significantly higher than these in blank control (20 888.47±1103.56 and 0.3050±0.0208, respectively, P< 0.01), while the indexes (23 219.83±1 024.86 and 0.3425±0.0171 respectively) of T lymphocytes stimulated with PMA and AP-1 decoy ODNs were significantly inhibited, as compared with group B (P< 0.01). The indexes (87 107.41±1 342.92 and 0.8225±0.0222, respectively) in T lymphocytes stimulated with PMA and AP-1 mutant decoy ODNs did not exhibit significant changes, as compared with group B (P>0.05). The significant positive correlation was found between the activation of AP-1 and the expression of IL-5 mRNA (P< 0.01). It was concluded that AP-1 might participate in the signal transduction of PKC-triggered transcription of IL-5 gene in asthmatic T lymphocytes. This suggests the activation of PKC/AP-1 signal transduction cascade of T lymphocytes may play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma.

Association of <i>NOS3</i>and <i>HIF</i>1<i>α</i>gene polymorphisms with the susceptibility of broiler chickens to develop hypoxic pulmonary hypertension

A genetic association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and pulmonary hypertension syndrome (PHS) was established in a commercial population of broiler chickens. The associated SNPs were found in the NOS3 and HIF1α genes (LOD > 6;p NOS3 gene interfere with its trans-activation and transcriptional activation activities under natural hypobaric hypoxia conditions and are located in a consensus sequence that is called the hypoxia response element (HRE). SNPs located in the HIF1α gene could act as alternative cryptic splicing sites in intron six, which may stimulate non-sense mediated early decay (NMD) of the primary transcript. A fragment of intron 3 of the EDN1 gene was also evaluated, but the polymorphisms found were not associated with PHS (lod 0.001). However, further studies on the regulatory transcription sequences of EDN1 are recommended. The findings of this study indicate that intronic sequences should be included when searching for polymorphisms that produce physiological changes. Introns have transcriptional regulatory sequences or post-transcriptional control signals, which are known as cis- and trans-activation regulatory elements and are able to alter the physiological processes of hypoxia adaptation when modified. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the inheritance pattern of PHS is autosomal overdominant and has deleterious effects that are characterized by higher penetrance in heterozygous than in homozygous animals, which prevent broiler chickens from being able to adapt to high altitudes.

A novel cold-inducible promoter,PThCAP from Tamarix hispida,confers cold tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana

Our previous studies have revealed that the Th CAP gene plays a vital role in transgenic Populus(P.davidiana 9 P.bolleana) in response to cold stress.However,the regulatory mechanism of Th CAP gene expression has been unclear.In this study,the 50 flanking region of the Th CAP promoter(PTh CAP) was cloned using a genomewalking method.By analyzing cis-acting regulatory elements of PTh CAP,a DRE motif and MYC and MYB elements were found to be located in the promoter.To identify the regulatory elements that control the expression of the Th CAP gene promoter,a series of deletion derivatives ofPTh CAP,P1–P5,from the translation start code(-1538,-1190,-900,-718 and-375 bp),were fused to the GUS reporter gene,and then each deletion was stably introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana plants.Deletion analysis of the promoter suggested that only the P2 fragment had strong GUS expression in leaves and roots of A.thaliana exposed to low temperature stress.These results suggest that this290-bp region(-1190 to-900 bp),as an important part in PTh CAP,was associated with cold tolerance of A.thaliana.Our results provide evidence for the regulatory mechanism of Th CAP gene involved in the response to cold stress,and that the gene is promising candidate gene for genetic improvement of crops.

Analysis on Sequence and Elements of Cucumisin Promoter

Abstract Leaves of melon were collected and extracted by the CTAB method for total DNA which was used for PCR amplification, obtaining the gene sequence of cucumisin promoter. The sequence results were processed and analyzed with DNAman, DNAstar and other softwares, and bioinformatic element analysis was performed with PlantCARE and PLACE. The analysis results showed that the cucumisin promoter shared 100%, 99% and 99% homology with AY055805, LN713264 and LN681897, respectively. The promoter sequence contains a variety of c/s-acting elements common in fruit promoters of higher plants such as TATA-Box and CAAT-Box, and light-responsive elements, some of which involved in ABA and VP1 responsiveness and salicylic acid responsiveness. This study provides a scien- tific basis for further research on genetic engineering of fruits.