Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of the CrDAT gene and selection of transgenic periwinkle lines with a high vincristine accumulation

Catharanthus roseus contains vincristine and vinblastine, which are outstanding drugs for cancer. In the biosynthetic pathways of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) in C. roseus, deacetylvindoline 4-O-acetyltransferase (DAT) is a key enzyme that catalyses the last reaction of vindoline biosynthesis to form vinblastine and vincristine. In this study, the CrDAT transgene was transferred into the periwinkle by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and generated transgenic periwinkle lines with an increase in vincristine accumulation. The C. roseus DAT gene was introduced into C. roseus plants and it was confirmed that CrDAT was successfully transferred into the genome of periwinkle plants and efficiently translated to synthesise recombinant DAT protein. Four transgenic periwinkle lines in T1 generation, T1-1, T1-3, T1-6, and T1-7, expressed recombinant DAT protein with the total protein content in the range of 2.86 μg.mg^?1 to 5.12 μg.mg^?1. Moreover, the vincristine contents of four transgenic lines increased by 1.63?2.48-fold compared to non-transgenic plants, ranging from 6.91 µg.g^?1 (fresh weight) to 10.53 µg.g^?1 (fresh weight). The T1-1 line had the highest vincristine content. Hence, the overexpression of the recombinant DAT protein can improve the vincristine accumulation of transgenic C. roseus plants.

Abbreviation: CrDAT - Catharanthus roseus Deacetylvindoline-4-O-Acetyl Transferase; D4H - Deacetoxyvindoline 4-hydroxylase; ELISA - Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Monoterpene indole alkaloid; T0, T1 - Generations of transgenic plants; TIAs - Terpenoid indole alkaloids; WT- The wild-type tobacco plants (non transgenic plant); 35S - Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter     

转基因甘蔗BtG-2的T-DNA侧翼序列分析及其转化事件特异性检测

转基因甘蔗BtG-2是利用农杆菌介导法把Cry1Ac-2A-gna融合抗虫基因导入‘新台糖22号’的转基因甘蔗株系,具有良好的抗虫特性和农艺性状。为了明确转基因甘蔗BtG-2的分子特征及其检测方法,推进其生物安全性评价工作,以BtG-2的T2代为研究材料,利用Southern杂交检测外源基因在转基因甘蔗基因组内的拷贝数;利用染色体步移技术分离外源基因在甘蔗基因组中插入位点的侧翼序列,并建立了该转化体高效灵敏的特异性PCR检测方法。结果表明：Southern杂交检测证明外源T-DNA以单拷贝方式插入BtG-2株系;经过3次的热不对称巢式PCR扩增,获得外源基因T-DNA左边侧翼序列984 bp和右边侧翼序列705 bp;以这2个序列和相应的T-DNA的左右端序列分别设计3对检测引物对,建立了BtG-2株系的转化事件特异性PCR检测方法,扩增效率最高的引物对LS011/LA451和RS160/RA588分别扩增到440 bp和428 bp的特异片段。其中T-DNA左侧设计的LS011/LA451检测引物对扩增的灵敏度高、特异性强,能够在甘蔗BtG-2基因组DNA相对含量为0.1%的模板中检测出转基因目的成分,相当于9个单倍体基因组拷贝数。本研究完成了转基因株系BtG-2的分子特征及其转化事件特异性检测,为该转基因甘蔗及其衍生产品的检测和身份识别提供技术依据。     

我国牧草种植成本收益变化与比较

本研究以牧草种植户牧草及粮食作物的调研数据为基础,计算出2010-2014年主要牧草和粮食作物的成本收益基本信息,对其变化进行统计分析,并对各作物的成本收益进行比较。分析发现,2014年苜蓿(Medicago sativa)的经济效益有所下降;黑麦草(Lolium perenne)和青贮玉米(Zea mays)的纯收益和收益率有所增长;苜蓿的纯收益和收益率要高于黑麦草和青贮玉米;马铃薯(Solanum tuberosum)和苜蓿的经济效益更具优势,种植小麦(Triticum aestivum)经济效益较差;黑麦草和青贮玉米人工和土地成本更高,苜蓿水电费最高。建议调整农业产业结构,推行"粮+经+饲+草"四元种植结构,全面扶持牧草产业发展,建立健全牧草生产资料补贴制度。     

水稻OsUBA基因的表达及其在促进种子萌发和开花中的功能

自噬是将功能异常或不需要的胞内组分降解的细胞学过程,广泛参与真核生物的生长发育过程、对营养缺乏的响应及生物/非生物胁迫反应。NBR1 (Next to BRCA1 gene 1, NBR1)是在植物中发现的最重要的自噬受体,但有关植物NBR1类自噬受体的研究较少,水稻中此类蛋白的研究还是空白。本文通过RT-PCR方法,从水稻日本晴幼苗的cDNA中克隆到一个含有泛素相关结构域(Ubiquitinassociated,UBA)的基因,将其命名为OsUBA。OsUBA的开放阅读框长2538 bp,编码845个氨基酸残基。OsUBA属于水稻中的NBR1类蛋白。OsUBA的启动子区有多个与光、逆境胁迫及激素反应相关的元件; OsUBA基因在水稻花药、正在萌发的种子以及根中的表达量较高,在茎和叶中也有表达; 200μmol L~(–1) ABA处理显著抑制OsUBA的表达,100μmol L~(–1) GA处理后OsUBA的表达略有升高。对OsUBA过表达水稻株系的研究表明,转基因水稻种子的萌发比野生型更快, ABA (3μmol L~(–1))处理显著抑制OsUBA过表达水稻株系种子的萌发, GA (100μmol L~(–1))处理对OsUBA过表达水稻株系种子的萌发略有促进;OsUBA过表达水稻株系的开花时间较野生型明显提前。这些结果表明,水稻NBR1蛋白基因OsUBA的表达和功能可能与对开花时间和种子萌发的调控以及生物/非生物胁迫反应有关。     

Zinc biofortification of maize (Zea mays L.): Status and challenges

Zn deficiency is one of the leading health problems in children and women of developing countries. Different interventions could be used to overcome malnutrition, but biofortification is most impactful, convenient, sustainable and acceptable intervention. Maize is one of the major crops grown and consumed in the regions with prevalent Zn malnutrition; therefore, this is suitable target for Zn biofortification. Zn biofortification of maize could be achieved through agronomic and genetic approaches. Discussion of agronomic approaches with genetic approaches is prerequisite because soils in developing countries are deficit of Zn and availability of Zn in soils is mandatory for estimating the genetic responses of maize genotypes through genetic approaches. Seed priming, foliar and soil applications are agronomic tools for biofortification, but solo and combined applications of these treatments have different effects on Zn enrichment. Genetic approaches include the increase of Zn bioavailability or increase of kernel Zn concentration. Zn bioavailability could be increased by reducing the anti‐nutritional factors or by increasing the bioavailability enhancers. Kernel Zn concentration could be improved through hybridization and selections, whereas genetically engineered attempts for improving Zn uptake from soil, loading in xylem, remobilization in grains and sequestration in endosperm can further improve the kernel Zn concentration. Key challenges associated with dissemination of Zn biofortified maize are also under discussion in this draft. Current review emphasized all of above‐mentioned contents to provide roadmap for the development of Zn biofortified maize genotypes to curb the global Zn malnutrition.     

四川冬春季参考作物蒸散量时空变化及其成因

为深入认识四川冬春季参考作物蒸散量(ET₀)的变化特征,利用1980—2016年四川35个气象站的逐日气象观测资料,采用泰森多边形、气候倾向率和克里金空间插值等方法对其冬春季ET₀的时空变化特征进行分析,并通过敏感性和贡献率分析了ET₀的变化成因。结果表明:ET₀的年代际变化呈先降后增的趋势,空间上呈明显的西南高东部低的分布特征,且高值区范围持续扩大,低值区范围波动缩小。ET₀的年际变化呈上升趋势,春季ET₀气候倾向率和空间差异明显大于冬季,且ET₀高值区与低值区空间分布受海拔高度影响明显。ET₀的同一日多年平均值自初冬至初春逐渐上升,1月22日—5月2日仅有8 d的ET₀值低于多年日平均值,具有明显连续的高值时段。ET₀对日照时数的变化最敏感,其次是对相对湿度与平均气温,对三者均呈高敏感性。平均气温的正贡献率是引起ET₀变化的主导因子,其次是相对湿度。研究时段内平均气温的升高对ET₀的正效应和相对湿度的降低对ET₀的负效应,超过了日照时数减少对ET₀的减少效应,导致四川地区冬春季ET₀呈上升趋势。     

花粉管通道法转基因抗虫棉外源基因的整合方式

对花粉管通道法培育的转Bt基因抗虫棉GK19、GK22、1016、1018、1022、1025、GK5、GKsu12和SGK1进行Southern杂交分析。结果表明,目的基因能够完整整合到基因组里,HindⅢ酶切位点有可能发生甲基化或丢失。除1018以外的上述8个抗虫棉的分析结果还表明,载体骨架没有整合到棉花基因组中。     

转基因动物研究进展

转基因动物是现代生物技术中一个极其重要的研究领域，目前已经有转基因小鼠、兔、绵羊、山羊、猪、牛、鸡和鱼等多种转基因动物问世。本文综述了转基因动物的制作方法、转基因动物的应用研究以及所取得的重要成就，并指出了转基因动物存在的主要问题，展望了其发展前景。