Influence of the Indoleacetic Acid-Lysine Synthetase Gene (iaaL) of Pseudomonas syringae subsp. savastanoi on Yield Attributes of Potatoes

The iaaL gene of Pseudomonas syringae subsp. savastanoi encodes an indoleacetic acid-lysine synthetase which conjugates free indoleacetic acid (IAA) with lysine. lAA-lys is biologically less active than free IAA. The iaaL coding region was expressed under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter and transgenic potato plants were produced (Spena et al. 1991). 35S iaaL potato plants are characterized by increased internodal length and epinastic bending of older leaves. In three greenhouse experiments with plants grown in pots of different size and in two growth chamber experiments tuber number increased in iaaL transgenic plants compared to untransformed and vector-transformed controls of the same genotype. The increase in tuber numbers observed under controlled conditions was reflected in tuber yield which increased in the pot grown transgenics.     

Genetic Engineering Approaches to Pig Production*

Modern biotechnology promises a number of new applications in animal breeding and production. Although conventional pig breeding has achieved a high level of efficiency and productivity numerous problems have been encountered with animal health and the loss of meat quality. Selection based on phenotypic performance data of individual animals does not take into account the importance of specific genes and their relevance within a complex regulatory system. In most cases it is therefore difficult to trace back the genetic origins of clinically important disorders. The application of genetic engineering techniques in pig production will facilitate diagnosis, improvement of productivity, and animal health by allowing direct genetic manipulation. Attention must be focussed on the physical and genetic analysis of the procine genome. The isolation and characterisation of genes, DNA-markers, polymorphic DNA-fragments, and their chromosomal assignment will be important prerequisites and tools for the elucidation of genetic disorders. Especially the detection of heterozygous carriers of recessive disorders and their elimination from the breeding stock will increase selection accuracy and decrease the generation intervals. But also the rapid and simple detection of infectious diseases, which is sometimes difficult if not impossible at present, will improve animal health and welfare. Although the production of transgenic animals either by DNA-microinjection into zygotes or the use of embryonal stem cells manipulated in vitro is less straightforward than DNA-based diagnosis it will play an important role in the direct manipulation of the porcine genome and genes. Breeding programmes including the use of transgenic livestock have already been developed. There is no doubt that genetic engineering has reached a degree of practical feasibility, allowing it to play an important role in pig breeding in particular and animal production in general.     

A coat protein transgene from a Scottish isolate of potato mop-top virus mediates strong resistance against Scandinavian isolates which have similar coat protein genes

Resistance tests were made on seedlings of transformed lines of Nicotiana benthamiana which contain a transgene encoding the coat protein (CP) gene of a Scottish isolate of potato mop-top virus (PMTV). This transgene has been reported to confer strong resistance to the PMTV isolate from which the transgene sequence was derived and also to a second Scottish isolate. Plants of lines of the transgenic N. benthamiana were as resistant to two Swedish and two Danish PMTV isolates as to a Scottish isolate, and of five lines tested, greater than 93.5% of transgenic plants were immune. The coat protein gene sequences of these four Scandinavian isolates were very similar to those of the two Scottish isolates. The greatest divergence between the isolates was three amino acid changes and there was less than 2% change in CP gene nucleotide sequence. It is concluded that the PMTV CP transgene used in these experiments could confer resistance against isolates from different geographical areas because it is becoming apparent that the CP genes of PMTV isolates are highly conserved.     

转基因抗虫棉数量性状的典型相关和主成分分析

运用典型相关和主成分分析方法,对转基因抗虫棉的13个数量性状进行了研究,结果表明:转基因抗虫棉的生育性状与产量性状间典型相关极显著,产量性状与品质性状间典型相关达显著水平,生育性状与品质性状间典型相关不显著。前5个主成分因子:产量因子、品质因子、子指铃重因子、早熟因子及伸长率因子可代表一个转基因抗虫棉品种的基本特征,它们的累计贡献率达87.23%。各性状间相互联系,相互影响。在转基因抗虫棉育种中,应注意各性状间的动态平衡,有利于育成优质高产抗虫棉品种。     

转Bt基因棉种植前后3个棉铃虫种群对4种杀虫剂的抗性变化

分别于1990年、1992年、2001年和2005年从山东泰安、山东夏津和湖北天门采集3个棉铃虫H elicoverpa arm igera种群,采用点滴法测定了4种杀虫剂对其的毒力,以监测各种群的抗药性变化趋势。结果表明:19901992年3个种群棉铃虫对氰戊菊酯的抗性增长迅速(13.256.1倍);19922001年抗性增长速度有所减缓(3.111.0倍);20012005年抗性水平降低。3个种群棉铃虫对灭多威和辛硫磷的抗性变化趋势与氰戊菊酯的基本相似,但抗性水平较低;对硫丹则均一直处于敏感水平。引起抗药性变化的原因主要与各类药剂的使用频率和转B t基因抗虫棉的大面积推广有关。     

荔枝害虫群落结构及其动态研究

以栽培品种ＮＣ８９为对照,通过室内饲养和组织切片,系统研究了转双基因抗虫烟草对烟夜蛾和小地老虎幼虫的抗性表现。结果表明,转双基因抗虫烟草对烟夜蛾幼虫具有稳定的杀虫作用,取食后２－３ｄ死亡,死亡率达１００％,不同龄期间表现一致;对小地老虎幼虫个有一定的杀虫作用,其抗性随龄期的增加而减弱,１龄死亡率为４８％,２龄为２８％,３龄以后死亡率为０,但对各龄幼虫的生长发育均具有明显的抑制作用。     

转基因甜瓜植株的获得及其抗病性

甜瓜（Ｃｕｃｕｍｉｓ ｍｅｌｏ）子叶外植体能被含双元载体的根瘤农杆菌菌不妨功体内含１个ＮＰＴ－Ⅱ基因（新霉素磷酸基转移酶Ⅱ基因）,以供选择卡妹妹纱抗性的转化甜 １个ＷＭＶ－２ ＣＰ基因（西瓜花叶病毒２号外壳蛋白基因）。卡那霉素抗性植株经ＰＣＲ－Ｓｏｕｔｈｅｒｎ杂交试验表明,外源的ＷＭＶ－２ ＣＰ基因确已通过农杆菌介导的转化途径导入甜瓜细胞。目前转基因甜瓜已开花结果。攻毒试验表明,与对照相比,转基因     

转hrf1基因水稻对稻曲病抗性分析

用注射接种法测定9个转hrf1基因水稻品系对稻曲病的抗性,结果表明B12-2m、B12、HTRP2和NJH12转基因系对稻曲病的抗性有显著提高,其中NJH12对稻曲病的抗性表现最突出。在江苏南京和安徽潜山两地的田间测定结果显示NJH12对稻曲病的抗性表现明显,与对照相比防效提高65%以上。用RT-PCR测定抗病转基因系中防卫基因的表达,在抗病转基因系中,Ospr1a、Ospr1b和PAL等防卫反应基因的表达明显增强。转hrf1基因水稻可能通过诱导防卫反应基因的表达提高水稻对稻曲病的抗性。     

转基因食品的检测方法

目前，世界各国对转基因食品的检测主要从外源DNA和蛋白两种生物大分子入手，所广泛采用的方法有聚合酶链式反应（PCR）、生物芯片技术（Biochips)、酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）和侧流技术（Lateral Flow)。本文综述了各种方法的原理以及这些方法用于检测转基因食品时的优缺点。     

抗菌肽Thanatin转基因小鼠建立的初步研究

人工合成抗菌肽Thanatin基因的3条片段,利用重叠延伸PCR扩增技术得到完整的Thanatin基因,通过分子克隆方法构建出pIRES2-EGFP-Thanatin重组表达载体。然后与脂质体混合,采用睾丸打点注射将新构建的抗菌肽基因注入小鼠睾丸内,共注射公鼠5只。6周后与雌鼠交配,对新生仔鼠进行断尾,提取尾尖基因组DNA,利用PCR和Southern印迹方法对其进行检测。结果显示,得到的52只新生仔鼠中PCR检测阳性率为38.46%,Southern印迹检测阳性率为30.77%;在活体荧光成像系统下转基因小鼠呈现绿色荧光表达。通过睾丸注射法使Thanatin基因在小鼠的基因组中得到整合,为进一步研究抗菌肽的作用机理、培育抗病动物品种以及通过建立转基因动物生物反应器进行抗菌肽的大量生产奠定了基础。