Molecular approaches for enhancing sweetness in fruits and vegetables

The quality of fruits and vegetables is mainly dependant on the sweetness determined by the level of soluble sugars such as glucose, fructose and sucrose. Other fruit quality parameters include Brix content, acidity, aroma, color, size and shape. Total sugar content in fruits and vegetables is a function of genetic, nutritional, environmental and developmental factors. Understanding the factors controlling sweetness is important to design strategies for enhancing quality of fruits and vegetables. Modifying the activity of enzymes in carbohydrate metabolism such as sucrose synthase (SuSy), acid invertase, ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) and sucrose transporters were found to influence carbohydrate partitioning and sucrose accumulation in sink tissues of several food crops. Plant based taste-modifying sweet proteins such as brazzein, cucurmin, mabinlin, monellin, miraculin, neoculin and thaumatin have potential application for developing transgenic plants to improve the sweetness and quality of fruits and vegetables. The present review envisages various cultural, breeding and molecular approaches used for enhancing sugar content and sweetness in fruits and vegetables.     

DGAT基因在畜禽育种中的应用

DGAT是一种甘油酰基转移酶(Diacylgycerol Acyltransferase,DGAT),该酶与脂肪代谢、脂类在组织中的沉积有很大关系,它的主要作用机制是使二酰甘油加上脂肪酸酰基形成三酰甘油。编码该酶的基因有DGAT1和DGAT2,前者属于ACAT基因家族,后者属于DGAT2基因超家族。综述了DGAT基因定位、结构、生物学效应及在畜禽育种上的应用,并对DGAT基因在畜禽育种中的应用前景进行了探讨。     

肉碱棕榈酰转移酶基因在绵羊和山羊不同肌肉组织中的表达分析

采用实时荧光定量PCR方法比较分析了肉碱棕榈酰转移酶(carnitine palmitoyl transferase,CPT)基因在绵羊和山羊不同组织中的表达差异。研究结果表明,CPT1A mRNA在绵羊肝脏、脾脏中表达明显高于CPT1B、CPT2,CPT1B mRNA在绵羊腹外斜肌中的表达明显高于CPT1A、CPT2。CPT1A mRNA在山羊脾脏中表达明显高于CPT1B、CPT2 mRNA在山羊脾脏中的表达,CPT1B mRNA在山羊后腿股二头肌、腹外斜肌中的表达明显高于CPT1A、CPT2 mRNA在山羊后腿股二头肌中的表达。CPT1A mRNA在绵羊肝脏中的表达显著高于山羊中CPT1A mRNA的表达(P＜0.05)。CPT1A、CPT1B、CPT2基因在绵羊心脏、脾脏、腰大肌中的表达显著高于在山羊中的表达(P＜0.05),CPT1A、CPT1B、CPT2基因在山羊后腿股二头肌中的表达显著高于在绵羊中的表达(P＜0.05)。CPT1A、CPT1B、CPT2基因在绵羊、山羊各组织中的表达存在差异,可能与各基因表达模式、肌肉组织纤维类型、脂肪沉积含量不同等因素有关。     

PRDM家族蛋白结构与功能研究进展

PRDM家族蛋白是具有一个PR结构域和数量不等锌指结构(除了PRDM11),广泛存在于灵长类、啮齿动物、鸟类和两栖动物中能够调控表观遗传的蛋白。部分PRDM蛋白家族成员的PR结构域具有组蛋白赖氨酸转移酶活性(HMT),影响表观遗传,PRDM蛋白锌指结构具有DNA、RNA、蛋白识别结合能力;另一部分PRDM家族成员虽然具有PR结构域,但不具有HMT活性,在癌症发生、原始生殖细胞特化、神经系统发育、造血、血管发展、胚胎发育中发挥重要作用。PRDM家族蛋白通过甲基转移或募集染色体结构重塑复合物,调控基因表达和修改染色体结构,在细胞特化和疾病调控中起到重要作用。论文综述了PRDM家族蛋白结构与功能最新研究进展。     

版纳微型猪近交系AO血型基因外显子7 和外显子8遗传特征分析

猪的UDP-N-乙酰半乳糖胺转移酶(UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine transferase,UDP-Gal NAc)是负责转移一分子的N-乙酰-D-半乳糖胺基(NAc Ga1)到H底物上形成A抗原,从而决定A型血的转移酶,AO血型系统的A基因编码A转移酶。采用PCR技术和直接测序的方法对版纳微型猪近交系UDP-Gal NAc基因外显子7和外显子8进行多态性分析,均仅检测到1种基因型。通过序列比较发现,版纳微型猪近交系UDP-Gal NAc基因外显子7和外显子8与NCBI数据库中14个其他物种的ABO血型基因存在较高的同源性。与人相比,猪外显子7第92~97位缺失编码两个氨基酸的6个碱基。构建的基因进化树分析结果显示版纳微型猪近交系与牛、羊、鲸亲缘关系最近。     

烟粉虱与温室白粉虱羧酸酯酶、谷胱甘肽转移酶和乙酰胆碱酯酶性质的比较研究

对温室白粉虱 Trialeurodes vaporariorum和烟粉虱 Bemisia tabaci羧酸酯酶(Car E)、乙酰胆碱酯酶 (ACh E)和谷胱甘肽转移酶 (GSTs)的生物化学性质进行了初步研究。比较 Car E活性 ,烟粉虱显著高于温室白粉虱 ,烟粉虱和温室白粉虱 Car E对底物乙酸 -α-萘酯的 Km 分别为 0 .073mmol/ L 和 3.458mmol/ L。烟粉虱 ACh E活性分布高峰在 2～3m OD/ (min·头 )之间 ,而温室白粉虱 ACh E活性分布高峰在 10～ 15 m OD/ (min·头 )之间 ,烟粉虱 ACh E的 Km 值是温室白粉虱 Km 值的 12 .6倍。烟粉虱的 GSTs比活力为2 .218OD/ (mg pro·min) ,显著高于温室白粉虱的 GSTs比活力 0 .663OD/ (mg pro· min) ,差异达极显著水平 ,烟粉虱 GSTs对底物的亲和力比温室白粉虱高。     

家蚕核型多角体病毒egt基因在大肠杆菌中的表达

利用ＰＣＲ技术对已克隆的ＢｍＮＰＶＺＪ ８株的ｅｇｔ基因５′端非编码区序列进行删除,并将ＰＣＲ片段克隆到质粒ｐＢａｃＰＡＫ８中,测序结果表明ＰＣＲ扩增的片段完全正确,接着将经过改造的ｅｇｔ基因克隆于大肠杆菌表达载体ｐＥＴ２２ｂ（＋）中,在大肠杆菌中高效表达了ＢｍＮＰＶｅｇｔ基因。同时,对Ｂｍ ＮＰＶｅｇｔ基因的密码子使用作了分析。     

New, quick tests for herbicide resistance in black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides Huds) based on increased glutathione S-transferase activity and abundance

Black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides Huds) is a major grass weed in winter cereals in Europe. It reduces yields and can act as a secondary host for a range of diseases. Herbicide resistance in this species was first detected in the UK in the early 1980s, and has now been reported in thirty counties. To successfully manage herbicide resistance it is vital that suspect populations are tested so that appropriate action can be taken. Ideally, a test will be quick, cheap and easy to use. Furthermore, it should provide an unequivocal result before post-emergence herbicides are to be applied, allowing alternative strategies to be adopted where necessary. This paper reports the development of new tests for herbicide resistance based on our observation that the resistant black-grass biotype Peldon contains approximately double the activity of the enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST) compared with susceptible biotypes. Data are presented on the production of a monoclonal antiserum to a novel 30 kDa GST polypeptide purified from the biotype Peldon. An ELISA using this antiserum is described and the utility of this assay to detect resistant black-grass biotypes in plants grown under glass and in the field is presented. In addition, a microtitre assay for GST activity is described, which allows the rapid assessment of GST activities of plants. Both abundance and activity of GSTs are discussed as markers for herbicide resistance in black-grass.     

Purification and characterisation of a family of glutathione transferases with roles in herbicide detoxification in soybean (Glycine max L.); selective enhancement by herbicides and herbicide safeners

Glutathione transferases in soybean (GmGSTs) involved in herbicide detoxification in cell suspension cultures were purified by S-hexylglutathione affinity chromatography and resolved by a combination of HPLC and SDS-PAGE into 11 polypeptides. Analysis by Western blotting using antisera raised to three previously characterised tau (GmGSTU) class subunits demonstrated that five polypeptides were related to GmGSTU1, three to GmGSTU2, and one to Gm GSTU3. Plants contained a simpler profile of polypeptides, with a single GmGSTU2-like polypeptide predominating. With respect to herbicide detoxification, two GmGSTU2-related polypeptides dominated the activity toward the chloroacetanilide acetochlor, while an unclassified subunit was uniquely associated with the detoxification of diphenyl ethers (acifluorfen, fomesafen). The inducibility of the different GST subunits was determined in soybean plants exposed to photobleaching diphenyl ethers and the safeners naphthalic anhydride and dichlormid. GmGSTU3, a GmGSTU1-like polypeptide, and thiol (homoglutathione) content were induced by all chemical treatments, while two uncharacterised subunits were only induced in plants showing photobleaching.