Identification of early-flower-related ESTs in an early-flowering mutant of trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) by suppression subtractive hybridization and macroarray analysis

To increase our understanding of the genes involved in flower development in citrus, we identified genes differentially expressed between juveniles and adults of an early-flowering mutant of trifoliate orange (precocious trifoliate orange, Poncirus trifoliata L. Raf.) by suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) and macroarray hybridization analyses. Based on dot blot analysis, we confirmed that the juvenile subtracted cDNA library comprised genes upregulated during floral induction, inflorescence development and flowering. A total of 190 nonredundant expressed sequence tags were identified that were related flower development. The temporal and spatial expression patterns of four SSH-enriched genes were studied in adult precocious trifoliate orange by real-time PCR. Among these differentially expressed genes, the expression pattern of C5-B16 was closely correlated with inflorescence development and flowering. The full-length cDNA of C5-B16 was isolated by 5' and 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends. Sequence analysis indicated that C5-B16 is a novel gene in citrus.     

Role of waterlogging-responsive genes in shaping interspecific differentiation between two sympatric oak species

Pedunculate (Quercus robur L.) and sessile oak (Quercus petreae Matt. Liebl.) are closely related species with a widely sympatric distribution in Europe. These two oak species are also known to display different ecological features, particularly related to their adaptation to soil waterlogging. Pedunculate oak grows in humid areas and can withstand high moisture content of the soil, whereas sessile oak requires drier soil with better drainage. The main goal of this study was to explore the role of gene expression contributing to differences in terms of waterlogging tolerance between these two species. We implemented a series of experiments aimed at evaluating whether differentially expressed genes between species are associated with their ecological preferences and underlie adaptive genetic divergence. Rooted cuttings of both species were grown in hydroponic conditions and subjected to gradual root hypoxia. White roots were sampled after 6, 12, 24 and 48 h. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was first used to monitor the expression of 10 known waterlogging-responsive genes, to identify discriminating sampling time points along the kinetics of hypoxia. Secondly, four subtractive suppressive hybridization libraries (sessile vs. pedunculate, pedunculate vs. sessile for early and late responses) were generated to isolate differentially expressed genes between species. A total of 2160 high-quality expressed sequence tags were obtained and annotated, and a subset of 45 genes were selected for qPCR analysis in a second independent factorial experimental design applying two stress durations per two species. Significant differences of gene expression between pedunculate and sessile oaks were detected, suggesting species-specific molecular strategies to respond to hypoxia. This study revealed that the ability of pedunculate oak to maintain glycolysis and fermentation under hypoxic conditions may help explain its tolerance to waterlogging.     

白桦雄花序发育早期和中期差异表达基因的cDNA-AFLP分析

白桦雄花发育周期较长,从出现雄花序至花粉成熟经历近一年,其发育早期和中期是决定雄配子体发育的重要时期。采用cDNA-AFLP方法对白桦早期和中期发育雄花序进行了差异表达谱分析,共得到了62个TDFs,其中30个TDFs与Genbank中的基因具有较高的同源性,其它32个是未知序列。GO分析结果显示,这些已知基因主要参与代谢过程、细胞过程、刺激应答、生殖、信号传导和生物调控等生物学过程,其分子功能主要涉及催化活性、结合分子功能、酶调节活性和转运活性等;发现了参与生殖和雄花发育的两个重要TDFs,Bplbs658和Bplbs199。另外,选择11个TDFs进行不同组织的qRT-PCR转录表达分析,结果表明这些基因不仅参与花发育,也参与营养组织的发育,但各自具有不同的组织表达特征。     

偏肿革裥菌在木质环境下转录组构建与相关基因表达分析

【目的】对白腐菌偏肿革裥菌在木质和非木质环境下的转录组进行测序,为白腐菌降解木材的机制研究提供支持。【方法】采用高通量测序技术对木屑和非木屑处理条件下的菌丝样本进行转录组测序。利用eggNOG、GO、KEGG等数据库对转录本进行注释和比较分析,预测和筛选出偏肿革裥菌与木材降解有关的基因。应用荧光定量PCR(qPCR)检测mnp2等11个与木质素降解相关的差异基因在木屑处理5天条件下的表达量,结合转录组数据对这些基因的表达量变化趋势进行分析。【结果】偏肿革裥菌转录组测序共得到38.9 Gb Clean Data,各样品Clean Data平均达到6.49 Gb,各样品的Reads与参考基因组的比对效率在71.23%~74.25%之间。使用edgeR软件进行差异表达分析,得到差异表达基因898个,其中上调351个、下调547个。差异基因被注释到GO数据库的有251个,注释到KEGG数据库的有223个,注释到eggNOG数据库的有704个。eggNOG分析表明,差异基因表达多聚集在能量产生和转换、转录后修饰、蛋白质代谢、伴侣关系、次生代谢物的生物合成、碳水化合物的运输和分解代谢等功能分类下。GO分析表明,显著性富集与频率较高的生物过程是丙酮酸代谢过程、类异戊二烯生物合成过程、天冬氨酸家族氨基酸代谢过程和木质素分解过程。在KEGG通路分析中,差异基因分布到86个不同的生物途径,差异基因显著富集的代谢通路主要为:碳代谢、柠檬酸循环、芳香化合物降解、乙醛酸代谢。qPCR结果表明在木屑处理条件下基因mnp2、mnp3、lip9、lip2、laccase1和nadp的表达量明显上调;mnp10 s、mrp、cyp450-1、GroES1和GroES2的表达量明显下调,qPCR与转录组测序结果在表达量差异倍数上存在较小偏差,但整体趋势一致,可以证明转录组测序结果是正确可靠的。【结论】偏肿革裥菌降解木材与碳代谢、芳香化合物降解等通路密切相关;与木质素分解等生物过程密切相关。根据基因功能注释的结果得到11个与白腐菌降解木质素相关的重要差异表达基因。