水稻着丝粒特异组蛋白CENH3抗体的制备与应用

【目的】着丝粒是真核生物染色体的基本功能元件之一,其功能是在细胞有丝分裂和减数分裂时期精确地调控染色体配对和分离并维持染色体的稳定。着丝粒结构是由DNA和蛋白质形成的一种复合体。着丝粒特异组蛋白(centromere-specific histone H3,CENH3)是功能着丝粒是否具有活性的最基本特征。所以制备CENH3的相关抗体是进行着丝粒结构与功能研究的前提条件之一。【方法】通过设计短肽进行兔免疫实验,制备了水稻着丝粒特异组蛋白CENH3兔源抗体,利用ELISA和蛋白免疫荧光(immunofluorescence,IF)等检测方法对抗体有效性进行了鉴定。【结果】ELISA检测显示制备的CENH3抗体有效稀释度为1:40万,并且蛋白免疫荧光信号在水稻体细胞每条染色体的着丝粒区域均能检测到。同时,该抗体也可以应用于玉米等其他物种。通过染色质免疫沉淀(ChIP)技术获得与CENH3相结合的DNA分子,并进行PCR扩增和FISH定位分析,结果显示相应的Ch IP-DNA位于水稻功能着丝粒区域。【结论】本研究制备的水稻CENH3兔源抗体能满足着丝粒研究中相关实验的要求,可进一步应用于着丝粒的结构与功能研究。     

Widening the gene pool of cultivated lentils through introgression of alien chromatin from wild Lens subspecies

Wild Lens species/subspecies are a potential source for increasing genetic diversity in cultivated lentil. Four intraspecific crosses were attempted between cultivated and wild lentils. Viable hybrids were produced between L. culinaris ssp. culinaris × L. culinaris ssp. orientalis and L. culinaris ssp. culinaris × L. culinaris ssp. odomensis. Normal meiosis and pollen fertility were observed in the first set of crosses, whereas chromosomal abnormalities and reduced pollen fertility were observed in the second set of crosses. These crosses were also studied for some quantitative traits. The range, mean and coefficient of variation were calculated in parents, F₁, F₂ and BC₁ generations to determine the extent of variability generated in the cultivated lentil through introgression of genes from wild lentil. The cultivated lentil × L. culinaris ssp. orientalis crosses showed substantially higher variability for all the traits than crosses involving cultivated lentil ×L. culinaris ssp. odomensis. The results of the present study indicated that these wild subspecies can be exploited for breeding purposes and their variation can easily be utilized to widen the genetic base of the cultivated lentil.     

Single layer centrifugation of stallion spermatozoa consistently selects the most robust spermatozoa from the rest of the ejaculate in a large sample size

Reasons for performing study: An improvement in sperm quality after single layer centrifugation (SLC) has been seen in previous studies using small sample sizes (for example, n = 10 stallions). There is a need to investigate whether this improvement is repeatable over several breeding seasons with a larger number of stallions (n ≥ 30 stallions). Objective: To make a retrospective analysis of the results of SLC performed on more than 250 sperm samples (176 ejaculates) from 31 stallions in 3 consecutive breeding seasons. Methods: Sperm quality (motility, proportion of morphologically normal spermatozoa and the proportion of spermatozoa with undamaged chromatin) was assessed before and after SLC. Results: All parameters of sperm quality examined were significantly better in sperm samples after SLC than in their unselected counterparts (P<0.001 for each parameter). The yield of spermatozoa obtained after SLC was influenced by the type of extender used and also by the concentration of spermatozoa in the original ejaculate, with fewer spermatozoa being recovered when the loading dose contained a high concentration of spermatozoa. The optimal concentration was approximately 100 × 10⁶/ml. Sperm concentration in the samples loaded on to the colloid influenced the sperm yield while the type of semen extender affected sperm quality and survival. Furthermore, the scaled‐up SLC method was found to be suitable for use with a range of ejaculates, with similar sperm kinematics being observed for standard and scaled‐up preparations. Conclusions: SLC consistently improved the quality of stallion sperm samples from a large number of ejaculates. The method could be scaled‐up, allowing larger volumes of ejaculate to be processed easily from a wide range of stallions.     

被子植物开花时间和花器官发育的表观遗传调控研究进展

成花转换是被子植物生活周期中的关键发育过程,植物通过调控基因表达模式而整合多条内外开花信号实现成花诱导。近几十年来,学者们为阐释植物成花转换的分子机制做了大量的分子遗传学研究。其中,影响植物生长发育的表观遗传修饰是调控成花转换过程的重要分子机制之一。表观遗传调控是植物在适宜环境条件下实现开花诱导和花器官发育的决定性因素。综述了有关开花时间和花器官发育的表观遗传学研究进展,包括染色质重塑、组蛋白甲基化和miRNAs。     

紫外激光交联和染色质免疫沉淀技术及其应用

紫外激光交联和染色质免疫沉淀技术(UV laser crosslinking and chromatin immunoprecipitation,UV-X-ChIP)是研究蛋白质与DNA的相互作用及鉴定转录因子靶DNA的一条新途径。该技术结合DNA芯片、Southern杂交及DNA文库的构建可用于研究蛋白质与DNA的相互作用及高通量筛选已知转录因子在全基因组范围内的结合位点,这为转录因子调控网络的绘制奠定基础。笔者对紫外激光交联和染色质免疫沉淀技术及应用作一综述。     

水稻染色质重塑因子CHR729对激素代谢的影响

CHR729是水稻(Oryza sativa L.)CHD3类染色质重塑因子,广泛参与水稻生长发育进程,并影响全基因组明显表达和组蛋白修饰,测定了多种植物内源激素在chr729突变体中的含量,探讨了CHR729与激素代谢之间的联系。结果表明,在苗期地上部分和成熟期剑叶中,chr729突变体内源生长素(IAA),脱落酸(ABA),茉莉酸(JA)含量明显降低,生长素合成以及ABA合成基因的表达在chr729突变体中均呈下调表达。树脂切片结果显示,chr729突变体中茎秆成熟组织细胞明显变小,居间分生组织细胞大小无明显变化。苗期检测细胞分裂素氧化酶/脱氢酶(CKX)基因表达发现,chr729突变体中CKX1、CKX2、CKX4基因表达量升高,伴随一些位点组蛋白变体H2A.Z富集程度的上升,表明CHR729可能抑制H2A.Z在基因组上的装载,广泛参与水稻激素代谢调控。     

染色质开放性与动物胚胎发育关系的研究进展

染色质开放性是指核小体或转录因子等蛋白与真核生物染色质DNA结合后,对其他蛋白能否再结合的开放程度,这一特性能够反映转录活性.染色质结构是动态变化的,染色质开放性与动物生长发育、细胞分化等过程密切相关,基因组开放染色质高效精准定位可为解析基因表达调控机制提供重要线索.本文介绍染色质开放性检测方法、染色质开放性的影响因素...     

Biochemical, molecular, and cytogenetic technologies for characterizing 1RS in wheat: A review

Chromosome arm 1RS of rye ( Secale cereale L.), when transferred to wheat ( Triticum sp.), significantly influences variety performance, because it carries genes for resistance to disease and insect pathogens. Inserted into wheat, 1RS also promotes haploid production, affects end-product quality, and sometimes affects yield. Therefore, its detection by breeders and geneticists is important. The entire 1RS arm is present in chromosome substitutions and in Robertsonian translocations involving chromosomes 1A, 1B, or 1D of wheat. In recombinant lines, a segment of 1RS has been exchanged with a segment of a group-1 wheat chromosome. Determining the wheat chromosome arm involved in a translocation, the source of rye chromatin, and the amount of 1RS chromatin introduced is necessary for a complete characterization of the introgressed segment. Biochemical, molecular, and cytogenetic technologies are described which enable such a characterization of 1RS in wheat. Examples of using gel electrophoresis, high-performance liquid chromatography, monoclonal antibodies, rye-specific molecular probes, RFLP and PCR assays, chromosome banding, in situ hybridization, and flow cytometry are provided. A comparison of these technologies is made and the advantages and disadvantages of each technology are discussed relative to modern wheat breeding efforts. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

植物表观遗传修饰的分子机制及其生物学功能

表观遗传调控是指基于非DNA序列的改变所致基因功能的变化,最终导致生物多效性表型。表观遗传调控因子通过多种途径调控基因表达,参与植物几乎所有的生长发育过程。本文介绍了DNA甲基化、组蛋白修饰、RNA甲基化、染色质重塑、非编码RNA、基因印记和母性效应等植物表观遗传修饰主要类型的分子机制,以及它们在细胞增殖、细胞分化、生物与非生物胁迫、开花、果实成熟和胚胎发育中的作用机制和生物学功能,并对其在农业上的应用作了展望。     

染色质免疫共沉淀技术对羊种布鲁氏菌转录调控因子MucR靶基因的筛选

为研究羊种布鲁氏菌转录调控因子MucR蛋白的毒力相关机制,对染色质免疫共沉淀技术进行了优化。构建了表达MucRFlag融合蛋白的羊种布鲁氏菌菌株,并用商品化抗Flag标签抗体对MucRFlag蛋白进行富集,从而替代MucR蛋白抗体的制备过程。通过该染色质免疫共沉淀方法对羊种布鲁氏菌MucR蛋白的结合靶点基因进行了鉴定,结果显示:通过使用该方法鉴定出羊种布鲁氏菌MucR蛋白可以结合到BMEI0430和BMEI1364(mucR基因)的启动子序列上。结果表明优化的染色质免疫共沉淀技术适用布鲁氏菌转录调控因子结合靶点的研究。