艾纳香MYB转录因子家族生物信息学分析

MYB转录因子是植物中庞大的转录因子家族之一,在植物体内有着广泛的生物学功能。基于艾纳香全长转录组数据库,利用DNAMAN 6.0、MEGA 5.05软件以及ProtParam、WebLogo和SOPMA在线网站分析艾纳香MYB转录因子家族蛋白的分类、理化性质、氨基酸序列高级结构、保守结构域、系统进化等。结果表明,挖掘到127个BbMYB基因,预测47条具有MYB转录因子保守结构域的蛋白序列;根据结构域可分为1R-BbMYB和R2R3-MYB 2个亚类,其中R2-BbMYB与R3-BbMYB基序中都含有3个保守的色氨酸,而R1-BbMYB基序只有2个保守的色氨酸;艾纳香MYB家族蛋白均为亲水性蛋白,热稳定性较高且富含碱性氨基酸,大部分蛋白以无规则卷曲为主,其中R2R3-BbMYB3、R2R3-BbMYB4与1R-BbMYB15蛋白是以α-螺旋为主;与拟南芥MYB转录因子家族共同构建的进化树发现,艾纳香MYB家族在进化上包括2个大类,6个亚类,通过艾纳香与拟南芥MYB蛋白序列相邻或是进化关系近可以预测艾纳香MYB基因功能,为进一步对艾纳香MYB家族基因研究及其功能鉴定提供科学依据。     

菠萝MYB基因AcoMYB1的克隆与表达分析

根据菠萝转录组的测序结果克隆到1个MYB转录因子基因,命名为AcoMYB1,GenBank登录号为XM_020230319。该基因cDNA全长1221 bp,开放阅读框（ORF）为747 bp,编码一个含有248个氨基酸的蛋白。序列分析表明,AcoMYB1氨基酸序列N端具有2个保守的SANT结构域,属于R2R3类MYB转录因子。生物信息学分析表明,AcoMYB1是不稳定的亲水蛋白,不具有跨膜结构和信号肽,可能定位于细胞质,二级结构以α-螺旋和无规则卷曲为主。实时荧光定量PCR分析表明,AcoMYB1在菠萝干旱、低温逆境胁迫处理下受诱导表达,整体上表现出“先升后降”的趋势;在早熟品种和晚熟品种的果实发育过程中也被诱导表达,表现为“升-降-升”的趋势,特别是在果实发育早期和果实成熟后期受诱导表达的强度较为突出。由此推测AcoMYB1作为正调控因子参与菠萝冷害、干旱逆境胁迫的响应过程,并在菠萝果实早期发育及后期成熟发挥调控作用。     

甘蔗MYB转录因子基因ScMYB52-1的克隆及表达特性分析

MYB转录因子家族成员广泛参与植物的各种生物学过程,在调控植物适应非生物逆境过程中起关键作用。为分离甘蔗（Saccharum spp.）逆境响应MYB基因并研究其功能,本文应用3°RACE的方法,从甘蔗品种ROC22中克隆到一个R2R3-MYB转录因子基因,命名为ScMYB52-1。生物信息学分析表明,该基因cDNA序列长度为1072 bp,开放阅读框（ORF）长度为696 bp,5°非翻译区长54 bp,3°非翻译区长322 bp。该ORF编码231个氨基酸,推导蛋白的分子量为26.65 kDa,含有2个串联的MYB结构域。ScMYB52-1推导蛋白与模式植物拟南芥中的MYB家族蛋白的进化树聚类分析结果表明,ScMYB52-1蛋白与AtMYB52和AtMYB54的亲缘关系较近;进一步的多序列比对分析结果表明,上述三者蛋白质N端的MYB结构域序列高度一致,且三者的预测蛋白质三级结构类似,表明它们可能具有类似的功能。实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,ScMYB52-1在甘蔗组培苗的根中对PEG处理总体上不敏感,在叶中仅在3 h时短暂上调;ScMYB52-1在叶中受外源ABA和NaCl胁迫的诱导,在处理0.5 h均迅速上调表达,表达量分别为对照的3.35倍和2.75倍,并在处理期维持高于对照的水平;在根中受外源ABA和NaCl胁迫的抑制,在处理0.5 h时就开始下调表达,在处理24 h时表达量分别下调为对照的12%和40%,并在处理周期内总体上维持低于对照的水平。亚细胞定位分析表明,ScMYB52-1-GFP重组蛋白定位在烟草叶肉细胞的细胞核中。酵母双杂交自激活活性鉴定结果表明,ScMYB52-1蛋白无自激活活性。以上结果表明ScMYB52-1参与了甘蔗对高盐胁迫的应答,并可能受ABA信号通路的调控,在叶和根中存在差异的调控机制。本研究结果为进一步理解该基因在甘蔗非生物逆境适应过程中的功能及分子调控机制提供了初步的信息。     

基于转录组的芒果MYB家族基因的鉴定及分析

MYB家族作为植物中较大的转录因子家族之一,参与调控植物的多种生理活动。本研究基于芒果果实转录组测序结果,鉴定出71个MYB家族蛋白,其中包含1个4R-MYB蛋白、3个R1R2R3-MYB蛋白、60个R2R3-MYB蛋白和7个MYB相关蛋白。进化树及基序分析表明:除个别蛋白外,相同类型的MYB蛋白均聚在一起,且相近分支的MYB蛋白具有相同或相似的基序。60个全长MYB家族蛋白中,大部分为不稳定蛋白,且均为不含跨膜结构和信号肽的亲水性蛋白,亚细胞定位分析均定位于细胞核。进化树分析发现芒果R2R3-MYB蛋白与拟南芥有较高的保守性。R2R3-MYB蛋白保守域分析发现,R2和R3结构域均有多个氨基酸保守不变。GO分析发现芒果R2R3-MYB蛋白共注释到生物学过程、细胞组分和分子功能3大类功能的15个亚类。     

外源水杨酸诱导的部分甜瓜自毒作用相关基因的表达分析

以甜瓜(Cucumis melo)品种‘新银辉’为材料,采取根灌法,以水杨酸(10μmol/L)处理甜瓜幼苗,通过Real-Time PCR对叶片中部分自毒作用相关基因的表达量进行定量分析,以探究外源水杨酸诱导对甜瓜自毒作用的影响。结果显示,经外源水杨酸诱导后:(1)在催化苯丙烷类代谢途径的3个初始反应的蛋白酶编码基因中,PAL和C4H随处理后时间增加,呈逐渐上调趋势,但PAL比C4H更快响应胁迫,而4CL转录水平没有显著变化;(2)在类黄酮生物合成的3个关键酶的基因中,CHI、F3H均显示出不同程度的下调,CHS于处理后1 d略微上调,然后恢复至处理前水平;(3)两个转录因子基因WD40、R2R3-MYB分别在不同处理时间后显著下调;(4)WD40与CHI的表达相关性较高。据上述结果 ,水杨酸诱导后:(Ⅰ)CHI表达可能与转录因子WD40蛋白相关;(Ⅱ)WD40、R2R3-MYB与PAL、C4H、4CL、CHS间不存在简单、明确的调控关系;(Ⅲ)柚皮苷、表儿茶素、芦丁等甜瓜主要化感物质合成减少。     

小麦16.9 kD热激蛋白cDNA克隆及其表达分析

为进一步了解小分子量热激蛋白在小麦耐热能力中的作用,根据玉米16.9 kD小分子热激蛋白的氨基酸序列,采用同源序列法进行序列拼接和引物设计,用RT-PCR扩增获得了1个源自小麦叶片的热激蛋白基因cDNA片段,即TaHSP16.9-1(GenBank登录号为EU649679).TaHSP16.9-1全长770 bp,5′非翻译区81 bp,3′非翻译区233 bp,开放阅读框编码151个氨基酸.序列分析结果表明,此蛋白与已知单子叶植物来源的同类基因高度同源,相似性介于78.3%～96.7%之间.定量RT-PCR表达谱分析显示,TaHSP16.9-1在小麦抽穗期的茎和旗叶以及幼苗期叶片中均能表达,其在小麦幼苗叶片中的表达受高温胁迫的诱导.     

甘薯IbGATA16基因的克隆与表达分析

GATA类转录因子在调控植物响应非生物胁迫中发挥重要作用。本研究从甘薯中克隆出1个IbGATA16基因，对其进行生物信息学分析，并对IbGATA16基因在甘薯干旱和盐胁迫处理中的表达模式进行分析。结果表明：甘薯IbGATA16基因CDS序列全长420bp，编码139个氨基酸，蛋白分子量为15.39kDa，等电点为9.97;IbGATA16基因组全长为582 bp，包含3个外显子和2个内含子；IbGATA16为不稳定的亲水性脂溶蛋白，亚细胞定位预测显示该蛋白定位于细胞核，具有C-X2-C-X17-C-X2-C结构域，属于典型的GATA类转录因子。IbGATA16基因上游1382bp的启动子序列存在多种顺式作用元件，如MYB、ABRE、GARE-motif等。多重序列比对和系统进化树分析结果显示，IbGATA16蛋白与三裂叶薯ItGATA16的亲缘关系最近，N端的锌指结构域序列高度一致，表明二者可能具有相似的功能。实时荧光定量结果表明，IbGATA16在甘薯根、茎、叶片等组织中均有表达，在叶中的表达量显著高于茎与根的表达量。IbGATA16对干旱和盐胁迫显著诱导表达，在干旱和盐胁迫处理0、...     

中国水仙NtMYB1基因的克隆及表达分析

为研究调控花青素合成机制,利用RT-PCR和RACE技术从中国水仙‘金盏银台’（Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis‘Jinzhan Yintai’.）的花瓣和副冠中克隆得到一个MYB基因的cDNA序列,命名为NtMYB1,在GeneBank上登录号为KC763973。序列分析表明,NtMYB1基因全长842 bp,其中开放阅读框长681 bp,编码226个氨基酸,推测的蛋白分子量为25.2 ku,理论等电点为7.94。NtMYB1具有明显的R2R3-MYB结构域,且在R3结构域的下游含有一个相对保守的PDLNLDLSIG氨基酸基序。同源性分析表明,其编码的氨基酸序列与陆地棉、甜樱桃的MYB蛋白相似性分别达到65％和63％。利用实时荧光定量PCR技术检测NtMYB1基因在中国水仙花不同发育时期和部位的表达水平,分析结果表明,NMYB1基因在中国水仙成花不同时期均有表达,但表达量具有明显差异,其中NtMYB1基因在花蕾期的相对表达量约为花苞期的40倍,且其表达量在花瓣要高于副冠。推测NtMYB1可能参与调控花青素合成基因的转录沉默。     

花生AhMYB113异位表达促进烟草花青素积累

为进一步探索MYB转录因子在花生花青素积累过程中的调控机理,以花生常规品种鲁花11（绿色叶片）和紫色叶片花生种质056杂交后代为材料,基于绿色和紫色杂交群体数字基因表达谱克隆了AhMYB113基因,利用生物信息学手段进行保守结构域、系统进化树等分析,通过实时荧光定量PCR技术检测在花生中的表达模式,在转基因烟草中进行功能鉴定。结果表明,花生AhMYB113基因的开放阅读框全长864 bp,编码287个氨基酸残基;编码蛋白的N端包含2个高度保守的MYB结构域,属于R2R3-MYB转录因子;与拟南芥、金鱼草、矮牵牛、苹果、葡萄中调控花青素积累的R2R3-MYB聚成一大类;通过荧光定量PCR分析发现,AhMYB113在花生紫色杂交后代（PH、PS）中的表达水平要显著高于绿色杂交后代（GH、GS）;在烟草NC89中异位表达AhMYB113,能够促进花青素积累,使得转基因烟草叶片转变为紫色,随着叶龄增长叶片紫色逐渐加深,花瓣、雄蕊（花丝、花药）、雌蕊（柱头、花柱）、萼片等组织也分别呈现为紫红色或紫黑色。     

木薯MYB转录因子MeMYB2特性及功能分析

MYB转录因子是植物最大的转录因子家族之一,其部分成员在植物非生物胁迫响应过程中发挥着重要的调控作用。通过转录组数据分析,筛选到了多个木薯干旱胁迫相关的MYB类基因,本研究针对其中的1个MYB转录因子MeMYB2展开研究。MeMYB2蛋白N末端与AtMYB60蛋白的N末端氨基酸序列具有95%以上的相似度,但其C末端氨基酸序列与AtMYB60只有30%左右的相似度。编码该蛋白的基因在木薯成熟叶片中优势表达,并且其表达受干旱胁迫负调控。MeMYB2蛋白主要定位于细胞核中,且在酵母中具有明显的转录自激活活性,其转录激活结构域在蛋白C末端247~267位点之间的20个氨基酸残基内。利用酵母双杂交系统从木薯cDNA文库中筛选到了8个与MeMYB2互作的蛋白,其中的2个蛋白与气孔运动和光合作用有关。MeMYB2-RNAi转基因木薯成熟叶片的失水率显著低于野生型木薯成熟叶片,说明MeMYB2转录因子负调控木薯叶片失水率,推测其可能具有调控气孔运动的功能。     

Comparative Assessment of the Efficacy of Various Nitrogen Fertilizers

Summary

The efficiency of N fertilizers is usually poor; often less than 50% of the applied N is taken up by the crop. This review focuses on various N fertilizers with respect to the significance of different N loss pathways, namely (i) ammonia volatilization, (ii) dinitrogen and nitrogen oxide emissions, and (iii) nitrate leaching. Further, the significance of biological N immobilization, ammonium fixation and, finally, the impact of nitrate vs. ammonium uptake on crop yield are also discussed. The reviewed literature shows that N fertilizers may differ markedly in their susceptibility to losses. There is, however, considerable scope to improve N efficiency of each N source by proper N management practices.     

Novel food and non-food uses for sorghum and millets

Sorghum and millets have considerable potential in foods and beverages. As they are gluten-free they are suitable for coeliacs. Sorghum is also a potentially important source of nutraceuticals such antioxidant phenolics and cholesterol-lowering waxes. Cakes, cookies, pasta, a parboiled rice-like product and snack foods have been successfully produced from sorghum and, in some cases, millets. Wheat-free sorghum or millet bread remains the main challenge. Additives such as native and pre-gelatinised starches, hydrocolloids, fat, egg and rye pentosans improve bread quality. However, specific volumes are lower than those for wheat bread or gluten-free breads based on pure starches, and in many cases, breads tend to stale faster. Lager and stout beers with sorghum are brewed commercially. Sorghum's high-starch gelatinisation temperature and low beta-amylase activity remain problems with regard to complete substitution of barley malt with sorghum malt . The role of the sorghum endosperm matrix protein and cell wall components in limiting extract is a research focus. Brewing with millets is still at an experimental stage. Sorghum could be important for bioethanol and other bio-industrial products. Bioethanol research has focused on improving the economics of the process through cultivar selection, method development for low-quality grain and pre-processing to recover valuable by-products. Potential by-products such as the kafirin prolamin proteins and the pericarp wax have potential as bioplastic films and coatings for foods, primarily due to their hydrophobicity.     

Evolutionary aspects of the trade-off between seed size and number in crops

Whereas the concept that availability of resources drives seed production is sound in principle, it is incomplete as there are many solutions to the allocation of resources that derive from the trade-off between number and size. This paper examines evolutionary aspects of this trade-off in annual grain crops. The analysis is centred on the working hypotheses that, for a given species and environment, allocation of resources to reproduction involves (H1) high plasticity in seed number, which allows for variable resource availability, and (H2) a relatively narrow range of seed size that results from evolutionary and agronomic selection. Comparisons between crops and fish are used to highlight common evolutionary elements in taxa where parents provide little or no care to their offspring, with the consequence that both number and early survival of offspring, hence fitness of parents, are partially related to embryo size and reserves.

The plasticity of seed number in relation to availability of resources is analysed against the established relationship between offspring number and parent growth rate during critical stages. The notion that seed size is under stabilising selection is analysed against three conditions: (1) mean seed size is conservative for a given species and environment, (2) seed size affects fitness, and (3) seed size is heritable. Databases from published papers were compiled to analyse the relative variability of seed size and number, and the heritability of seed size. Evidence for and against the link between seed size and parental fitness is revised using the Smith–Fretwell model as framework (Am. Nat., 108, 499–506).

The proposal of high plasticity of seed number and narrow variability of seed size resulting from stabilising natural selection is generally consistent with evolutionary and genetic considerations. Agronomic selection may have reinforced natural selection leading to relatively narrow seed size in species such as wheat and soybean, where cultivated types retained high plasticity for seed number. In contrast, selection for one or few inflorescences in crops like sunflower and maize may have morphologically reduced seed number plasticity and increased variability of seed size and its responsiveness to resource availability in relation to their wild ancestors.     

Citrus Flavonoids in Fruit and Traditional Chinese Medicinal Food Ingredients in China

Flavonoids-enriched tissues of citrus such as peel, immature fruit and flower are consumed as culinary seasonings, tea ingredients in China for centuries. This HPLC quantitative study on the five citrus flavonoids, naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, sinensetin and nobiletin on a wide range of Chinese citrus fruits and several Traditional Chinese Medicinal food ingredients in East China, revealed a great diversity in flavonoid composition. Huyou peel (C. paradisi cv. Changshanhuyou) was found to be the best naringin (3.25%) and neohesperidin (2.76%) source; C. aurantium, a major ingredient of several citrus-related TCM, is also a suitable source of naringin and neohesperidin, and a good juice source for flavanone glycosides; the peel of Wenzhoumiju (C. unshiu) is one of the richest local species in hesperidin (up to 6.25%); Zaoju (C. subcompressa) has the highest content of nobiletin (0.59%), a polymethoxylated flavone. LC-ES-MS analysis of Zanthoxylum genus for flavonoids revealed for the first time the presence of significant amounts (0.74%) of hesperidin in the root of Liangmianzhen (Z. nitidum (Roxb.) DC), a relative of Sichuan pepper, which is a spice widely used in China.     

Effect of a continuous hot water treatment of potato tubers on seed-borne fungal pathogens

Summary The viability of five pathogens was decreased by treatment with hot water when tested in vitro.Polyscytalum pustulans was most sensitive andRhizoctonia solani least sensitive. Potato tubers were exposed to 55°C for 5 min in a commercial continuous hot water treatment plant using naturally contaminated seed tubers and tubers which had been inoculated by dipping in comminuted cultures. The frequency of eyes colonised byP. pustulans, Helminthosporium solani, andR. solani was reduced to virtually zero and the effect persisted on tubers subsequently stored at 4°C and at 15°C for up to 16 wk. Results withColletotrichum coccodes were inconclusive. Treatment suppressedPenicillium spp. which, however, rapidly recolonised the eyes during storage, leading to higher contamination levels in the treated than in the untreated tubers. With tubers inoculated withPhoma foveata, good control was achieved when the incubation period before treatment was 10 d but not when the period was 42 d.     

Role of Benzoxazinones in Cereals

Summary

Heterocyclic 1,4-benzoxazin-3-ones and related benzox-azolinones are important natural products of the cereal crops maize, wheat and rye. Much research has focused on the role of these compounds as defensive agents against plant diseases and pests. Studies of a wide variety of biological effects on herbivores and nematodes, plant pathogenic fungi and bacteria are reviewed in this article. Phytotoxic activity of the compounds is also considered with respect to allelopathic interaction with higher plants. Recent investigations of molecular aspects of interactions of cyclic hydroxamic acids and related benzoxazo-linones with acceptor organisms have demonstrated different effective detoxification strategies and tolerance mechanisms. This research has greatly advanced our knowledge about the multiple roles that these allelochemicals play in ecological systems.     

Potential of dry fractionation of wheat bran for the development of food ingredients,part I: Influence of ultra-fine grinding

Wheat bran is an undervalued by-product of white flour and has great nutritional potential due to its high content in fibres and bioactive compounds. Micronized bran could be used as a food ingredient to improve the nutritional potential of cereal products, or be used as a starting material for other processes (bioactive compound extraction or bran fractionation). The aim of this work was to find a way to efficiently decrease the particle size of bran. The influence of the grinding temperature (ambient or cryogenic grinding) on the granulometric distribution of particles, their composition, and their microstructure was studied, at lab-scale and pilot-scale. It showed that the intrinsic characteristics of bran (glass transition within intermediate layers at −46 °C) had more influence on its grinding behaviour than the type of grinding device used: the particles size distributions obtained after grinding at lab-scale and pilot-scale were very similar. At both scales, the granulometric curves were narrow for cryogenic grinding, while for ambient grinding they were spread over the whole particle size range. Ultrafine particles were obtained in both ambient and cryogenic conditions. Negative temperatures, by increasing the material’s brittleness, favoured a fast fragmentation of bran: one step of cryogenic grinding allowed a median particle size of nearly 50 μm to be reached, whereas three successive steps of ambient grinding were needed for the same result. On the other hand, ambient temperature favoured the dissociation of the different constituent layers of wheat bran, and produced less composite particles than cryogenic grinding.     

Multiple use of plants: Studies on selenium incorporation in some agricultural species for the production of organic selenium compounds

The technique of spraying plants with inorganic forms of selenium can be employed for phytochemical production of organic selenium compounds. Fractionation of the plant material makes it possible to produce a highly concentrated and well defined selenium supplement with potential use in animal and human nutrition. The fractionation also gives opportunities to combine production of organic selenium compounds with other products, for example plant fibres. Multiple use of plants can contribute to a more efficient utilization of land area (in comparison to monocultures solely adapted to food production). It also gives the opportunity to develop systems suitable for long term fixation of carbon, as long as the plant material is not reoxidised to carbon dioxide. Plant fibres could provide raw material for the production of paper or building materials in combination with the production of organic selenium compounds preferentially accumulated in another fraction of the processed plant.     

Biological factors influencing the transmission of potato leafroll virus by different aphid species

Summary Macrosiphum euphorbiae, collected in the field from potato plants infected with potato leafroll virus (PLRV), transmitted the virus to fewer potato plants in a field trial than did laboratory-rearedMyzus persicae. In the laboratory,M. persicae was the only efficient vector of PLRV fromPhysalis floridana seedlings, potato sprouts or excised leaves toP. floridana. Two clones ofM. euphorbiae and one clone ofAulacorthum solani transmitted PLRV from infected potato plants toNicotiana clevelandii as effeciently asM. persicae but a clone ofAphis gossypii was an inefficient PLRV vector. An isolate of PLRV, whichM. persicae transmitted inefficiently from potato toN. clevelandii, was also transmitted inefficiently byM. euphorbiae andA. solani.