Production and evaluation of transgenic sweet orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) containing bivalent antibacterial peptide genes (Shiva A and Cecropin B) via a novel Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of mature axillary buds

Transgenic plants of Jincheng orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) and Newhall navel orange (C. sinensis Osbeck) containing antibacterial peptide genes Shiva A and Cecropin B were successfully obtained by a novel Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of the mature axillary buds. PCR and Southern blot analysis of the transgenic plants verified that the Shiva A and Cecropin B genes were integrated into the citrus genome. The transgenic plants began to blossom and bear fruit in the 2nd year after grafting on trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata Raf) rootstock in greenhouse. Water-soluble extracts from transgenic citrus leaves exhibit in vitro suppressive effects on Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri, suggesting that the expressed products of Shiva A and Cecropin B in citrus retain their native antibacterial activities. Artificial inoculation in greenhouse and open field further indicates significantly increased resistance of transgenic plants to X. axonopodis pv. citri when compared with non-transgenic lines. No significant difference was found in the content of total soluble solids, total acidity, reduced sugar content and other fruit characteristics between transgenic and non-transgenic plants. In this present study, 11 transgenic lines were obtained from 40 transgenic lines, showing enhanced resistance to citrus canker disease.     

Efficient production of transgenic plants using the bar gene for herbicide resistance in sweetpotato

Efficient production of transgenic sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) plants using the bar gene for herbicide resistance was achieved through the use of embryogenic suspension cultures and Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Cell aggregates from embryogenic suspension cultures of sweetpotato cv. Lizixiang were cocultivated with A. tumefaciens strain EHA 105 harboring a binary vector pCAMBIA3300 with the bar gene and uidA gene. Selection culture was conducted using 0.5 mg/l PPT. A total of 1431 plants were produced from the inoculated 870 cell aggregates via somatic embryogenesis. GUS assay and PCR analysis of the regenerated plants randomly sampled showed that 86.5% of the regenerated plants were transgenic plants. Stable integration of the bar gene into the genome of transgenic plants was confirmed by Southern blot analysis and transgene expression was demonstrated by Northern blot analysis. The copy number of integrated bar gene ranged from 1 to 3. Transgenic plants exhibited functional expression of the bar gene by in vivo assay for herbicide resistance. This study also provides a simple and efficient transformation system of sweetpotato based on the use of bar gene as a selectable marker gene, which can be combined with other agronomically important genes for the improvement of sweetpotato.     

Genetic transformation of Citrus sinensis cv. Hamlin with hrpN gene from Erwinia amylovora and evaluation of the transgenic lines for resistance to citrus canker

Transgenic Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb. cv. Hamlin plants expressing the hrpN gene were obtained by Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Smith and Towns) Conn-mediated transformation. hrpN encodes a harpin protein, which elicits the hypersensitive response and systemic acquired resistance in plants. The gene construct consisted of gst1, a pathogen-inducible promoter, a signal peptide for protein secretion to the apoplast, the selection genes nptII or aacC1 and the Nos terminator. The function of gst1 in citrus was evaluated in transgenic C. sinensis cv. Valencia harboring the reporter gene uidA (gus) driven by this promoter. Histochemical analysis for gus revealed that gst1 is activated in citrus leaves by both wounding and inoculation with Xanthomonas axonopodis Starr and Garces pv. citri (Hasse) Vauterin et al. Genetic transformation was confirmed by Southern blot hybridization in eight cv. Hamlin acclimatized plants. RT-PCR confirmed hrpN gene expression in seven cv. Hamlin transgenic lines before pathogen inoculation. Some hrpN transgenic lines showed severe leaf curling and abnormal growth. Six hrpN transgenic lines were propagated and evaluated for susceptibility to X. axonopodis pv. citri. RT-PCR confirmed gene expression in all six hrpN transgenic lines after pathogen inoculation. Several of the hrpN transgenic lines showed reduction in susceptibility to citrus canker as compared with non-transgenic plants. One hrpN transgenic line exhibited normal vegetative development and displayed very high resistance to the pathogen, estimated as up to 79% reduction in disease severity. This is the first report of genetic transformation of citrus using a pathogen-inducible promoter and the hrpN gene. Further evaluations of the transgenic plants under field conditions are planned. Nevertheless, the evidence to date suggests that the hrpN gene reduces the susceptibility of citrus plants to the canker disease.     

抗病转录因子基因Pti4转化花椰菜的初步研究

抗病转录因子Pti4是从番茄中分离的一种能够调控番茄抗病基因Pto转录的蛋白质。通过根癌农杆菌介导法将抗病转录因子基因Pti4导入花椰菜无菌苗下胚轴,同时对转基因植株进行了PCR、PCR-Southern和Southern blot分子检测以及细菌性黑腐病和软腐病病菌接种试验。结果表明,在建立再生系统过程中外植体的最佳苗龄为5 ~ 7 d,培养基中激素组合为NAA 0.2 mg • L-1、6-BA 2.0 mg • L-1 时不定芽的诱导和分化效果最好。获得的35株阳性植株经分子检测证明抗病转录因子基因Pti4已被整合到花椰菜的基因组中。对其中26株接种病菌发现Pti4转化植株对细菌病害具有一定的抗性。     

Production of transgenic sweetpotato plants resistant to stem nematodes using oryzacystatin-I gene

Stem nematode (Ditylenchus destructor Thorne) is one of most serious diseases limiting sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) production, and it is urgent to develop sweetpotato varieties resistant to this disease. In present study, we have developed transgenic sweetpotato (cv. Xushu 18) plants resistant to stem nematodes using oryzacystatin-I (OCI) gene with Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. A. tumefaciens strain EHA105 harbors a binary vector pCAMBIA1301 with OCI gene, uidA gene and hptII gene. Selection culture was conducted using 7 mg/l hygromycin. A total of 2119 plants were produced from the inoculated 1710 cell aggregates of Xushu 18 via somatic embryogenesis. GUS assay and PCR analysis of the regenerated plants randomly sampled showed that 92.8% of the regenerated plants were transgenic plants. Transgenic plants exhibited enhanced resistance to stem nematodes compared to the untransformed control plants by the field evaluation and the inoculation test with stem nematodes and stem nematode-resistant plants were selected from the transgenic plants. Stable integration of the OCI gene into the genome of resistant transgenic plants was confirmed by Southern blot analysis, and the copy number of integrated OCI gene ranged from 1 to 3. High level of OCI gene expression in the resistant transgenic plants was demonstrated by real-time quantitative PCR analysis. This study provides a way for improving stem nematode resistance of sweetpotato.     

迟熟蕉柑茎尖嫁接及其病毒鉴定

采用田间结果树上的芽作为接穗进行茎尖嫁接,最终获得7株茎尖嫁接苗。对所获得的茎尖嫁接苗,应用指示植物腊斯克枳橙、墨西哥来檬和伊特洛格香橼亚利桑那861-S-1分别鉴定柑橘碎叶病、衰退病和裂皮病,用PCR检测技术鉴定柑桔黄龙病。结果表明：1、3、4、5、6号迟熟蕉柑单株不带碎叶病、衰退病、裂皮病和黄龙病,可用作繁殖无病毒苗木的备选材料。     

A novel method for Citrus propagation: Seed grafting

Summary

We have developed a novel technique for grafting citrus seeds onto citrus rootstock plants that resulted in successful graft-take with normal vascular connections between the emerging seedling stem tissues and the rootstock plant. The method was found to be suitable for producing grafted plants from seeds of six cultivars and hybrids of Citrus and the citrus relative Murraya paniculata, using four common Citrus rootstocks. Plants produced by this method developed normally and were established in the field more rapidly than those produced by the common practice of grafting the rootstocks with budwood derived from seedlings prepared from seed in soil-based media. Seed grafting is expected to find a range of uses in breeding programmes; for example, by reducing the time required for the evaluation of hybrid seedlings, in cases where the female parent is mono-embryonic, for testing for vertical transmission of pathogens, and for screening for pathogen resistance among hybrid and mutagenised seed sources.     

黄龙病菌侵染晚锦橙叶脉和根早期病原蛋白组学的比较分析

[目的]黄龙病(Huanglongbing,HLB)是世界柑橘生产上最具毁灭性的病害,由于黄龙病病原菌无法离体培养,其关键的致病机制仍不清楚.为此,通过蛋白组学分析探究黄龙病菌侵染晚锦橙早期时病原蛋白的表达情况.[方法]利用叶圆片嫁接技术对晚锦橙(Citrus sinensis Osbeck)进行嫁接传毒,在传毒2个月...     

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     

柑橘响应黄龙病侵染的韧皮部蛋白2基因CsPP2B15的克隆与表达分析

黄龙病病原菌诱导柑橘筛孔胼胝体过度积累是其致病的一个重要因素。柑橘韧皮部蛋白（Phloem Protein,PP）在筛孔胼胝体积累中起着重要作用。为研究柑橘韧皮部蛋白响应黄龙病亚洲种（Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus,CLas）侵染的功能,克隆获得了一个响应黄龙病侵染差异表达的PP基因CsPP2B15的编码区和长1.5 kb的启动子序列,并以高感品种锦橙和耐病品种酸柚老叶和嫩叶为材料,进行基因表达分析。结果发现,CsPP2B15在高感品种锦橙嫩叶中受CLas诱导显著上调表达,而在耐病品种酸柚嫩叶中受CLas诱导显著下调表达,且在叶肉中的表达量显著高于叶脉。嫩叶和嫩梢被认为是柑橘响应黄龙病侵染的早期原初侵染部位。因此,CsPP2B15可能在CLas侵染柑橘早期中起重要作用。CsPP2B15启动子的顺式作用元件预测分析发现,CsPP2B15启动子含有许多与逆境和激素有关的顺式作用元件。进一步构建了CsPP2B15启动子控制GUS报告基因的植物表达载体,转化枳[Poncirus trifoliata（L.）Raf.]上胚轴。GUS组织化学染色和GUS酶活性测定均表明,CsPP2B15启动子具有较强的韧皮部组织特异性。     

Soil pasteurization and inoculation with Glomus intraradices alters flower production and bulb composition of Zephyranthes spp.

Summary

We assessed whether adding inoculum of the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (VAMF) Glomus intraradices into growing medium of three Zephyranthes spp (White Rain Lily [WRL], Z. candida; Pink Fairy Lily [PFL], Z. robusta; Yellow Zephyr Lily [YZL], Z. sulphurea) alters aspects of flower and bulb production. Shoots of inoculated plants emerged 7–13 d earlier than those of non-inoculated plants. Inoculation slightly delayed the emergence of flower buds on WRL and PFL, but did not delay the time of flower opening of WRL. Inoculated YZL flowered 4–11.d earlier than non-inoculated plants. The number of flowers produced by YZL was consistently increased by inoculation, while the inoculation with VAMF increased flower production by WRL and PFL only when plants were growing in pasteurized soil. Leaf biomass of inoculated WRL was larger than non-inoculated plants, while leaf biomass was generally smaller in inoculated PFL and YZL. Partitioning of biomass to bulbs and offsets varied with species, soil pasteurization, and inoculation. Inoculation increased the combined weight of bulbs and offsets at the end of the second growing cycle by 50–150%. Inoculated YZL and WRL consistently produced more offsets in the second growing season after inoculation. For all species, inoculation increased phosphorus and carbohydrates and decreased nitrogen and amino acids in bulbs. Adding VAMF into the growing medium of Zephyranthes altered aspects of plant development and biomass partitioning important to flower and bulb production during the first growing cycle after inoculation, and most effects of VAMF inoculation are more pronounced in the second growing cycle after inoculation. Of the three species examined, Z. sulphurea showed the most consistent responses to inoculation.     

黄龙病诱导下椪柑SSH文库的构建与分析

以实生苗和平椪柑(Citrus reticulate Blanco)为材料,采用抑制性差减杂交技术,分别以感染黄龙病与未感染黄龙病的椪柑叶片为检测方(tester)和驱动方(driver),成功构建了黄龙病诱导的差减cDNA文库。挑选了100个阳性克隆并成功测序得到71条EST,经NCBI基因库同源性比对,有41条非冗余高质量EST序列找到了同源序列,另有10条非冗余未搜索到同源序列。同源序列的基因涉及抗逆防御、运输、能量代谢、光合作用、蛋白代谢、信号转导、抗氧化等代谢途径和生理生化过程。值得注意的是文库中有由病原引起的韧皮部相关的凝集素蛋白的前体积累。挑选了2条进行Q-PCR定量分析,结果表明感病1周表达量增强不大,2周后tester的表达量明显高于driver,说明材料感病早期这些基因表达增强。     

Evaluation of an alternative D-amino acid/DAAO selection system for transformation in apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.)

Summary

The conventional selection system for apple transformation is based on the selectable marker gene, nptII, encoding antibiotic resistance against kanamycin. We tested an alternative selection system based on the use of D-amino acids using the gene, D-amino acid oxidase 1 (dao1) as the selectable marker, in order to avoid the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in the resulting transgenic apple plants. In addition, dao1 allowed the selection as well as the elimination of dao1-transgenic plants, based on differences in the toxicity of different D-amino acids. Regeneration experiments using apple leaf explants revealed that 2 mM D-serine or D-alanine inhibited shoot regeneration. We performed transformation experiments using the apple cultivars ‘Gala’, ‘Holsteiner Cox’, and a progeny of the apple cultivar ‘Pinova’, and the vector p35S::dao1-intron, containing the dao1 and nptII selectable marker genes. Several shoots regenerated successfully on selection media containing various concentrations of D-serine or D-alanine, but transgenic shoots were not obtained. However, three dao1/nptII transgenic apple lines were obtained after selection with kanamycin, indicating that the vector was functional. Furthermore, we showed that 20 mM D-serine could be used to select dao1-transgenic shoots from non-transgenic in vitro shoots, whereas 13 mM D-isoleucine had the opposite effect.     

中国商陆抗病毒蛋白基因的克隆及其转化辣椒的研究

本研究的目的是获得抗病毒病的辣椒材料,为选育抗病毒病辣椒品种奠定基础。根据美洲商陆抗病毒蛋白基因序列设计引物,从中国商陆（Phytolacca acinosa）叶片基因组DNA扩增克隆缺失无毒型中国商陆抗病毒蛋白基因（PacPAP1,构建该基因的植物表达载体,采用农杆菌介导的叶盘法转化辣椒,对转基因植株进行分子检测、TMV及CMV的人工接种鉴定,接种25d后,统计发病情况。结果表明：克隆得到缺失无毒型PAP基因PacPAP,大小为714 pb,与美洲商陆抗病毒蛋白基因（PamPAP）的同源性为99.7%;得到了PacPAP1整合入辣椒基因组中的阳性植株;接种TMV、CMV阴性对照植株都明显发病,转PacPAP1基因植株未出现症状,说明转PacPAP1辣椒植株可获得抗TMV和CMV材料。     

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation on aster yellows phytoplasma-infected tobacco plants

The objective of the research was to asses if arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM) can modify the effect of two aster yellows phytoplasma strains infection in tobacco plants. Tobacco plants experimentally inoculated with aster yellows phytoplasma strains did not develop visible disease symptoms. However, PCR examination indicated that the inoculated plants were phytoplasma infected. Mycorrhiza inoculation had a positive effect on the shoot height of healthy plants, but did not influence shoot growth and weight of phytoplasma-infected plants. The roots of all mycorrhiza-inoculated plants were slightly reduced but significant differences were found in the total root length of plants infected with the phytoplasma strain AY1. AM inoculation had a positive effect on photosynthetic activity of tobacco plants infected with the phytoplasma strain AYSim, but net photosynthesis of tobacco infected with the phytoplasma strain AY1 was decreased. Transpiration rate and calcium content of AM and phytoplasma-infected plants were not affected. The mechanisms underlying these interactions are discussed and a direct action of the AM fungus is hypothesized.     

Seed germination and seedling vigour of transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) with increased proline accumulation under osmotic stress

Proline plays important roles in various stages and processes of plant development. However, there are few reports on the effect of endogenous proline accumulation on germination and seedling vigour under suitable conditions of germination and development. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of endogenous proline in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) constitutively expressing the VaP5CSF129A gene in germination and seedling vigour. Under optimal conditions of germination, the transgenic seeds had high proline content when compared to the non-transgenic plants. However, this higher accumulation did not result in better germination or seedling vigour, contrasting to reported results for exogenous proline application. The pre-treatment by water submersion indicated that the lowest initial seed germination with the highest proline concentration may be due to their greater post-harvest dormancy. When newly germinated seedlings were subjected to osmotic stress (?0.9 MPa), the free proline content increased proportionally in all genotypes and the transgenic events seedlings showed greater root length compared to those of the non-transformed control. This can be advantageous as, in theory, seedlings with longer roots may have a better chance of growing and exploring the different soil layers, allowing the transgenic events to be more tolerant to edaphic constraints.     

DREB1A regulon expression in rd29A:DREB1A transgenic chrysanthemum under low temperature or dehydration stress

Summary

Previously we reported that expression of the Arabidopsis DREB1A gene in chrysanthemum conferred increased tolerance to low-temperature and dehydration stresses, and that transgenic plants in which the DREB1A gene was driven by the abiotic stress-inducible promoter, rd29A, were more tolerant than those plants in which the DREB1A gene was driven by the 35S Cauliflower Mosaic Virus (CaMV) promoter. To understand the molecular basis for this improved tolerance, we isolated 74 DREB1A regulon genes using suppression subtractive hybridisation, then compared their expression patterns in rd29A:DREB1A transgenic plants (rd29A plants) and in 35S:DREB1A transgenic plants (35S plants) under different stress conditions. Our results showed that the increased tolerance to low temperatures and dehydration in rd29A plants was attributed to increased levels of expression of different members of the DREB1A regulon. Levels of expression of 69% or 91% for members of the DREB1A regulon that showed upregulation in rd29A plants were highly correlated with the level of expression of DREB1A in response to low temperature or to dehydration, respectively. These results support the hypothesis that the increased tolerance of rd29A plants to abiotic stresses resulted from elevated expression of the DREB1A regulon.     

中国野生毛葡萄芪合酶基因VqSTS11和VqSTS23调控抗白粉病的研究

利用同源克隆法得到抗白粉病的中国野生毛葡萄‘丹凤–2’芪合酶基因VqSTS11和VqSTS23的开放阅读框,并构建过表达载体;通过器官发生途径诱导不抗白粉病的欧洲葡萄‘无核白’分生愈伤组织并采用农杆菌介导法对其进行转化;经过PCR检测和Western blot鉴定,获得了5株VqSTS11超量表达植株和3株VqSTS23超量表达植株;人工接种白粉菌发现,转基因植株中白粉菌菌丝生长速度慢,孢子萌发受到一定的抑制,并且转基因植株中芪合酶基因相对表达量升高,抗病相关基因表达上调,芪类物质含量积累增多。本研究结果进一步证明中国野生毛葡萄‘丹凤–2’芪合酶基因VqSTS11和VqSTS23对白粉菌具有抗性,‘丹凤–2’可以为改良欧洲葡萄品种抗病性提供抗病基因,作为抗病育种的资源。