Phenotypic diversity mediated by the maize transposable elements Ac and Spm

Mutations caused by the insertion of members of the Ac or Spm family of transposable elements result in a great diversity of phenotypes. With the cloning of the mutant genes and the characterization of their products, the mechanisms underlying phenotypic diversity are being deciphered. These mechanisms include (i) imprecise excision of transposable elements, which can result in the addition of amino acids to proteins; (ii) DNA methylation, which has been correlated with the activity of the element; (iii) transposase-mediated deletions within elements, which can inactivate an element or lead to a new unstable phenotype; and (iv) removal of transcribed elements from RNA, which can facilitate gene expression despite the insertion of elements into exons. An understanding of the behavior of the maize elements has provided clues to the function of cryptic elements in all maize genomes.     

A single genetic unit specifies two transposition functions in the maize element activator

The self-mobile maize transposable element Ac (Activator) displays two trans-acting genetic functions: it induces transposition of the element Ds (Dissociation) but, as its dosage is increased, it also inhibits transposition. Previous work has shown that the 4563 base pair (bp)-long Ac element contains three open reading frames (ORF's) and that a deletion in ORF 1 in wx-m9(Ds), a Ds derivative from Ac isolated at the wx (waxy) locus, results in loss of transposition. The Ds element in the bronze allele bz-m2(DI) is shown to have arisen from Ac by a 1312-bp deletion that is located almost entirely within ORF 2 and does not affect ORF 1. The Ds elements in wx-m9(Ds) and bzm2(DI), defective in ORF 1 and ORF 2, respectively, do not complement genetically to restore the transposition function of Ac; therefore, this function must be specified jointly by ORF's 1 and 2. Furthermore, since bz-m2(DI) does not contribute to Ac's inhibitory dosage effect, both Ac properties result from the expression of the same genetic functional unit.     

Heritable somatic excision of a Drosophila transposon

A mutation in the white gene of Drosophila mauritiana that results from insertion of the transposable element mariner is genetically unstable in both germ cells and somatic cells. Somatic instability is indicated by the occurrence of animals having mosaic eyes with patches of pigmented cells on a peach-colored background. Normally uncommon, the frequency of mosaicism is so greatly enhanced in a particular mutant strain that virtually every animal in the strain is an eye-color mosaic. The molecular basis of the mosaicism is the excision of the mariner element from its location in the DNA of the white gene in somatic cells. The phenomenon results from a single dominant genetic factor located in chromosome 3. Genetic control over the excision of transposable elements may play a role in determining the persistence of transposable elements in the genome.     

Regulation of the timing of transposable element excision during maize development

The ability of transposable elements (TEs) to insert into or excise out of a genetic locus can be regulated by genetic, environmental, and developmental factors. Tissue- or organ-specific activity of TEs is a frequent and well-characterized example of spatial, developmental regulation. Regulation of the timing of TE activity during ontogeny is less well understood. To analyze timing, TE-induced variegation was quantified in the aleurone of maize kernels, a tissue composed of only a single layer of cells, and sector sizes were assigned to specific cell divisions in aleurone development. Three TE families, Mu, Spm, and Ac/Ds, were studied at two genetic loci. It was found that the frequency of transposon excision changes drastically (up to 30-fold increase or equivalent decrease) during the proliferation of the aleurone. Moreover, these changes occur at the same cell divisions in all three TE families. These results suggest that the timing of TE excision during maize development can be controlled by the host.     

玉米单倍体胚芽鞘节组织培养特性研究

【目的】研究玉米单倍体胚芽鞘节组织培养特性,为单倍体加倍提供一条新的途径。【方法】以Reid群、黄早四群和温热Ⅰ群群内杂交20个组合的单倍体胚芽鞘节为外植体,分析愈伤组织的诱导率和分化率,并对再生植株根尖染色体数目进行观察和花粉育性分析;同时使用SSR分子标记,分析再生植株的基因型。【结果】Reid群和黄早四群的单倍体芽鞘胚节愈伤组织的诱导率比温热Ⅰ群高,达极显著水平;共获得15株单倍体植株,根尖染色体数目为10;I-KI染色发现,散粉的花药,其花粉为部分可育;15株单倍体植株的遗传稳定,未见变异。【结论】Reid群和黄早四群的单倍体胚芽鞘节组培特性较好,温热Ⅰ群较差;组织培养产生的单倍体植株遗传型均来自双亲的重组类型。建立了玉米单倍体胚芽鞘节组织培养体系。     

植物水平基因转移研究进展

水平基因转移,一般分为细胞内部或者跨越物种边界的遗传物质交流。跨界直接介导方式,包括共生、内共生、寄生、嫁接等。细胞内的基因转移,主要包括细胞核与细胞器基因组间的相互渗透;跨越物种边界的遗传物质交流,主要涉及寄生与寄主植物的基因横向转移,寄主与寄生植物mRNA也会发生大规模的水平转移。基于基因组学研究进展,本研究综述了植物水平基因转移的迁移序列类型、迁移方向及迁移机制:首先,植物细胞的线粒体基因组能够整合细胞核转座元件以及叶绿体起源的tRNA基因,线粒体和叶绿体基因组的功能基因及间区序列能够迁移到核基因组;其次,植物种间,通过寄生、嫁接等方式转移大量的DNA(如线粒体基因、叶绿体基因和转座元件)和RNA(如mRNA)序列;迁移机制涉及到DNA介导和RNA介导方式,迁移方向包括单向和双向转移。迁移序列的基因功能活性研究是重要的后续研究方向。     

生物基因组中的转座因子

转座因子是细胞中能改变自身位置的一段脱氧核糖核酸（ＤＮＡ）序列。转座因子不仅存在于原核生物的多种细菌质粒上，也存在于真核生物如玉米、果蝇、家鼠以及人等高等动植物体内。本文阐明了转座因子在生物体中存在的普遍性，较为系统地论述了原核生物和真核生物的转座因子的类别及其遗传学效应。     

农杆菌转化花粉愈伤组织获取纯合的转基因水稻植株

应用农杆菌介导法成功地将玉米转座子Ds导入粳稻(OryzasattvaI.subsp.japontca)中花11的花粉愈伤组织中,基因转化以对除草剂PPT有抗性的Bar基因和潮霉素抗性基因Hpt为选择标记.共获得了18个独立的转基因绿苗,其中单倍体11株,二倍体7株.转基因植株均抗除草剂BASTA.考查了二倍体植株种子后代(T1)对BASTA的抗性,7个株系的所有植株均抗BASTA,而未发生感抗分离,表明外源基因在转基因植株中是纯合的.PCR和Southernblotting的研究支持上述结果.对获得纯合转基因株系的各种方法做作了比较和讨论.     

The origins of gene instability in yeast

Two unstable mutations at the his4 locus of yeast are due to the insertion of the transposable elements Ty912 and Ty917 into the his4 regulatory region. The two transposons are related, one being derived from the other by a substitution of 4000 base pairs of DNA. Element Ty912 includes identical terminal repeats, whereas the terminal repeats of Ty917 are not identical. Transposition of Ty912 or Ty917 generates 5-base-pair duplications of the target DNA at either end of the element. Expression and reversion of a his4 gene containing Ty912 or Ty917 is controlled by three unlinked regulatory genes. The properties of these regulatory genes are similar to those described for the controlling elements in maize.     

A trans-acting product needed for P factor transposition in Drosophila

A transposable genetic element of the P family in Drosophila melanogaster was found to be unstable in the presence of other P elements but stable in their absence. A sensitive assay for P transpositional activity is provided by the snw allele, a defective P insert in the singed bristle locus which becomes hypermutable only in the presence of complete elements. This measure of activity was highly correlated with a type of female sterility normally associated with P activity. There was no cross-reactivity with transposase from another hybrid dysgenesis-causing element (the I factor).     

糯玉米自交系茎尖诱导再生植株研究

以2个糯玉米自交系茎尖为外植体,在添加不同浓度6-BA和2,4-D的MS培养基上诱导丛生芽和胚状体,研究糯玉米茎尖诱导丛生芽和胚状体发生的适宜条件。结果表明:经丛生芽发生途径每个茎尖可再生3~4个植株,经胚状体发生途径每个茎尖可再生9~11个植株。该结果建立了糯玉米茎尖诱导再生体系,为基因工程改良糯玉米种质奠定了基础。     

抗除草剂转基因玉米研究

文中对抗除草剂转基因玉米的研究进行了综述。抗除草剂转基因玉米的转化方法主要有基因枪法和农杆菌介导法,其中基因枪法是转基因技术中经常使用的方法;也是在玉米中应用最成功的方法;农杆菌介导法因其具有费用低、拷贝数少、基因沉默现象少、能转化较大片段、遗传稳定性较高、再生植株可育性较好等优点也越来越受到重视。通常以Bar基因作为标记基因,采用喷施除草剂和PCR检测相结合的方法对抗除草剂转基因玉米进行检测和筛选。抗除草剂转基因玉米的安全性问题主要涉及演化为田间杂草的可能、基因漂移和田间杂草的抗药性3个方面。     

玉米胚性愈伤组织的遗传转化及耐草甘膦植株再生

以优良玉米自交系X2211的幼胚胚性愈伤组织为受体材料,采用农杆菌介导法将来自微生物荧光假单胞杆菌(Pseudomonas fluorescens)G2菌株的抗除草剂基因2mG2-epsps转入玉米愈伤组织细胞,转化后的细胞经草甘膦筛选,获得抗性愈伤组织并再生植株282株,成活86株,经特异PCR检测表明其中26株植株转入了2mG2-epsps基因,喷施0.125%除草剂试验检测表明,转基因植株具有良好的耐除草剂特性,为抗除草剂玉米新品种选育提供了较好的亲本材料。     

利用基因枪技术转化小麦、玉米的研究

采用国产JQ－700型基因枪,以含Bt基因的质粒pHB101为供体,轰击小麦、玉米愈伤组织,轰击后的愈伤组织经潮霉素抗性筛选后,获得32株小麦再生苗,14株玉米抗性植株。以a－32P－dCTP标记的PHB101质粒为探针,对小麦抗性植株进行点杂交印渍检测,发现有15株小苗显示阳性信号,且其中有一株的后代对田间蚜虫及锈病的抗性较好。玉米再生植株种植田间后在其后代中选出一抗玉米螟的稳定株系,尚需进一步的分子验证和饲虫实验。     

Nonmethylated transposable elements and methylated genes in a chordate genome

The genome of the invertebrate chordate Ciona intestinalis was found to be a stable mosaic of methylated and nonmethylated domains. Multiple copies of an apparently active long terminal repeat retrotransposon and a long interspersed element are nonmethylated and a large fraction of abundant short interspersed elements are also methylation free. Genes, by contrast, are predominantly methylated. These data are incompatible with the genome defense model, which proposes that DNA methylation in animals is primarily targeted to endogenous transposable elements. Cytosine methylation in this urochordate may be preferentially directed to genes.     

玉米基因枪转化受体材料的选择

以4种玉米转化受体为材料,进行了基因枪转化玉米受体材料的研究。通过GUS基因的短暂表达和转Bar基因抗性绿苗分化率研究表明,预培养3～4d的玉米幼胚更适合作基因枪转化的受体材料。对转基因再生植株的PCR分析及除草剂抗性检验,证明Bar基因已整合到玉米基因组中。试验结果还表明,在转基因筛选过程中加入AgNO3,可提高抗性绿苗分化。     

Mutator诱导的玉米白化突变体插入位点的遗传分析及代谢途径的构建

【目的】利用Mutator(Mu)诱变群体获得、验证叶色白化突变体的Mu因子插入位点;解析玉米叶色变异相关基因及其代谢网络。【方法】以含有活性MuDR转座子的W22∷Mu为父本,与玉米自交系综31(Z31)杂交产生的M2和M3家系群体为材料,经表型性状的遗传分析和Mu插入位点的分离获得白化突变体,经生物信息学方法解析白化突变体产生的相关基因,同时构建产生白化突变代谢网络。【结果】对870个M2家系的16000余单株和M3种植的36个家系近700单株进行考察,获得了遗传稳定的白化突变体41株。经Mu-TAIL-PCR分析获得35条Mu因子插入序列;对靶位点序列分析,获得的14个靶位点可能与叶绿素合成及光合作用有关;利用其中6个靶位点构建了5条玉米叶色突变产生白化的叶绿素代谢网络途径。【结论】初步证实了Mu转座子插入的27个靶位点与叶色白化突变体的关联;建立了6个靶位点的玉米叶色突变产生白化的叶绿素代谢网络途径。