Endosperm protein synthesis in maize mutants with increased lysine content

The endosperm proteins of the maize mutants, opaque-2, opaque-7, floury-2, brittle-2, and the double mutant of opaque-2 and brittle-2, were separated into five soluble fractions by the Landry-Moureaux method. As compared to their isogenic normal counterparts, the mutant endosperms had higher concentrations of albumins, globulins, and glutelin-3, and lower concentrations of prolamines. The combination of the opaque-2 and brittle-2 genes enhanced this difference. Although the four mutant genes are located on three different chromosomes, they exert a similar effect on endosperm protein composition. Five other starchmodifying mutants with high lysine content resemble the brittle-2 mutant in endosperm protein composition, when the gene is present either singly or combined with opaque-2. Therefore, the pattern of protein synthesis in all maize mutants with high lysine concentrations may be either identical or very similar. Because no synergistic effect on lysine concentration is obtained when floury-2 is combined with opaque-2, different pathways leading to reduced zein synthesis may exist in the floury and starch-modifying mutants with high lysine concentrations.     

Ribonuclease activity in the developing seeds of normal and opaque-2 maize

During development, the ribonuclease activity of maize endo sperm homozygous for the opaque-2 gene increased earlier and, after a longer period of exponential increase, was much higher finally than in normal endosperm. The maximum difference was about sixfold and occurred 22 to 25 days after pollination. Heterozygotes on day 23 did not show a comparable in crease in endosperm activity. No differ ence in the activity ratio (pH 6.0: pH 5.2) was found between normal and opaque-2 endosperm, indicating that the increase in activity in opaque-2 was due solely to an increase in ribo nuclease A. The ribonuclease activity of opaque-2 embryos increased more rapidly than that of normal embryos, but the final activity was the same in each case.     

分子标记在优质蛋白玉米（QPM）育种中的应用

 与opaque-2（o2）基因紧密连锁的分子标记，可以有效地用于优质蛋白玉米育种。本研究利用SSR标记，检测了QPM群体中群13、中群14内o2基因的频率分布，发现中群13、中群14在o2基因位点基因频率发生了改变。检测了从QPM群体中选育的高代系中o2基因的频率，发现在CA、CD、CB和R高代系中o2o2基因型频率分别为91.7%、80.0% 、0.0和100%。表明用常规方法选育QPM自交系，不能有效地保证o2基因纯合。为了拓宽QPM种质基础，利用分子标记追踪普通玉米与QPM自交系回交后代的o2基因，将普通自交系转育为QPM，结果表明非常有效。     

玉米重要的转录因子Opaque2研究进展

Opaque 2蛋白是玉米中重要的转录激活因子,该基因的自然突变体o2会使玉米籽粒中赖氨酸含量大幅增加,文中综述了Opaque2基因的结构和该蛋白对玉米中醇溶蛋白基因、胞质丙酮酸磷酸双激酶(CyPPDK 1)基因、赖氨酸-酮戊二酸还原酶/酵母氨酸脱氢酶(LKR/SDH)基因、b32基因等的调控作用,以及o2突变体在玉米育种研究中的应用。     

Suppression of human colorectal carcinoma cell growth by wild-type p53

Mutations of the p53 gene occur commonly in colorectal carcinomas and the wild-type p53 allele is often concomitantly deleted. These findings suggest that the wild-type gene may act as a suppressor of colorectal carcinoma cell growth. To test this hypothesis, wild-type or mutant human p53 genes were transfected into human colorectal carcinoma cell lines. Cells transfected with the wild-type gene formed colonies five- to tenfold less efficiently than those transfected with a mutant p53 gene. In those colonies that did form after wild-type gene transfection, the p53 sequences were found to be deleted or rearranged, or both, and no exogenous p53 messenger RNA expression was observed. In contrast, transfection with the wild-type gene had no apparent effect on the growth of epithelial cells derived from a benign colorectal tumor that had only wild-type p53 alleles. Immunocytochemical techniques demonstrated that carcinoma cells expressing the wild-type gene did not progress through the cell cycle, as evidenced by their failure to incorporate thymidine into DNA. These studies show that the wild-type gene can specifically suppress the growth of human colorectal carcinoma cells in vitro and that an in vivo-derived mutation resulting in a single conservative amino acid substitution in the p53 gene product abrogates this suppressive ability.     

A large deletion within the T-cell receptor beta-chain gene complex in New Zealand white mice

The T-cell receptor beta-chain gene complex contains a duplication of D beta, J beta, and C beta gene segments in mice and man. When DNA from many inbred strains of mice was screened an unusual allele of the beta locus was identified in New Zealand White (NZW) mice. This allele is distinguished by the deletion of an 8.8-kilobase segment of DNA containing C beta 1, D beta 2 and the J beta 2 cluster. Despite the fact that all NZW T-cell receptors must be derived from a single set of beta-chain gene segments, this strain has functional T cells and is phenotypically normal. This deletion of T-cell receptor beta-chain segments occurs in a strain known to contribute to lupus-like autoimmune disease.     

转座子Tol2的特性及其在转基因动物中的应用

Tol2转座子是hAT转座子家族中的一员,是目前发现的唯一一个可以编码具有完整转座酶功能的自主性转座子。已证实Tol2转座子在斑马鱼、鼠、人等多种动物细胞中都具有转座活性,有可能作为脊椎动物特有的转座子系统,在转基因方面具有重要的应用前景。综述了Tol2转座子的结构、转座机制和在脊椎动物转基因生产中的最新研究进展,以期为今后这方面的研究提供参考。     

opaque-2基因对爆裂玉米籽粒性状、品质和膨爆特性的影响

采用分子标记辅助选择技术将opaque-2(o2)基因导入到2个爆裂玉米自交系中,分析了o2基因对爆裂玉米籽粒性状、品质及膨爆特性的影响。结果表明,利用分子标记辅助选择可以高效地将o2基因导入到爆裂玉米自交系;在BC3F2群体中o2爆裂玉米籽粒的粗蛋白含量比野生型降低0.34%~3.97%,百粒膨化体积比野生型减少17.50~96.50 m L;爆花率比野生型降低25.00%~98.00%;膨化倍数比野生型减少1.50~10.24 m L/g;而o2基因对爆裂玉米其他性状影响较小。因此,o2基因对爆裂玉米籽粒的粗蛋白含量和膨爆特性影响较大。     

Widespread genetic incompatibility in C. elegans maintained by balancing selection

Natural selection is expected to eliminate genetic incompatibilities from interbreeding populations. We have discovered a globally distributed incompatibility in the primarily selfing species Caenorhabditis elegans that has been maintained despite its negative consequences for fitness. Embryos homozygous for a naturally occurring deletion of the zygotically acting gene zeel-1 arrest if their sperm parent carries an incompatible allele of a second, paternal-effect locus, peel-1. The two interacting loci are tightly linked, with incompatible alleles occurring in linkage disequilibrium in two common haplotypes. These haplotypes exhibit elevated sequence divergence, and population genetic analyses of this region indicate that natural selection is preserving both haplotypes in the population. Our data suggest that long-term maintenance of a balanced polymorphism has permitted the incompatibility to persist despite gene flow across the rest of the genome.     

Ecological adaptation during incipient speciation revealed by precise gene replacement

To understand the role of adaptation in speciation, one must characterize the ecologically relevant phenotypic effects of naturally occurring alleles at loci potentially causing reproductive isolation. The desaturase2 gene of Drosophila melanogaster is such a locus. Two geographically differentiated ds2 alleles underlie a pheromonal difference between the Zimbabwe and Cosmopolitan races. We used a site-directed gene replacement technique to introduce an allele of ds2 from the Zimbabwe population into Cosmopolitan flies. We show that the Cosmopolitan allele confers resistance to cold as well as susceptibility to starvation when the entire genetic background is otherwise identical. We conclude that ecological adaptation likely accompanies sexual isolation between the two behavioral races of D. melanogaster.     

Ribonuclease activity in normal and opaque-2 mutant endosperm of maize

Three strains of maize heterozygous for the opaque-2 mutant gene were self-pollinated to produce ears bearing both normal and opaque kernels. The ribonuclease activity of the opaque-2 endosperm was two to more than four times as high as the activity in the normal endosperm.     

Genetic polymorphism of initial apple-tree shapes by alleles of genes associated with long shelf life and fruit quality

Features of the analyzed allele distribution in domestic and foreign varieties are revealed on the basis of apple variety and shape polymorphism in alleles of genes associated with shelf life (Md-ACS1 and Md-ACO1) and fruit quality (MD-Exp7). Two allelic states have been revealed for the Md-ACS1 gene. With regard to the foreign selection Fuji and Gala varieties, the Md-ACS1 gene is in a homozygous state. In the examined varieties, the Md-ACO1 gene is represented by two allelic variants, and the MD-Exp7 gene of expansin biosynthesis is represented by three allelic forms. Allele 1 is responsible for a lowered level of expansin synthesis and is identified in wild apple-tree species (Chinese Golden Apple, Tayozhnoye, Caucasian Self-Fruitful).     

Waxy allele diversity in waxy maize landraces of Yunnan Province,China

Waxy maize is one of the main fresh-eating maize types, and a mutation of the waxy gene causes the waxy character of maize grains.  China is rich in waxy maize landraces, and Yunnan and its surrounding areas, are the place of origin and genetic diversity center of Chinese waxy maize.  The six known waxy alleles of Chinese waxy maize are wx-D7, wx-D10, wx-Cin4, wx-124, wx-Reina, and wx-Xuanwei.  The mutation sites of these alleles all occur in the coding region of the waxy gene, however, the mechanism by which the waxy characteristic is caused by the mutation in the regulatory region has only been reported rarely in maize.  In this study, 405 waxy maize landraces from Yunnan were used as materials to identify the insertion and deletion of a large sequence fragment in the upstream ~3.5 kb regulatory region of the waxy gene by molecular marker detection.  Three different waxy alleles were identifed in this study: wx-PIF/Harbinger, wx-hAT and wxElote2.  These three types of mutations all represented transposons inserted into the regulatory region of the waxy gene.  Wx-PIF/Harbinger was a 304-bp MITE class transposon insertion belonging to the PIF/Harbinger family, while wx-hAT was a 560-bp MITE class transposon insertion belonging to the hAT family, and wx-Elote2 was a 6 560-bp LTR-like transposon insertion.  In this study, the alleles were identifed for more than 70% of the waxy maize landraces in Yunnan, which provids a basis for the utilization of these waxy maize landraces.     

藏绵羊DQA1基因多态性分析

 【目的】研究藏绵羊DQA1基因多态性,确定其等位基因数、核苷酸多态位点、氨基酸多态位点及各等位基因间的遗传关系,同时分析其进化意义。【方法】采用PCR-SSCP方法检测了900只藏绵羊DQA1基因第2外显子多态性;克隆、测序群体内变异产生的各等位基因序列,并分析序列数据。【结果】发现了17个DQA1的等位基因,包括缺失的1种基因,其中5个为发现的新等位基因。16个单倍型序列中发现56个核苷酸多态位点,27个氨基酸多态位点。【结论】藏绵羊DQA1基因第2外显子具有丰富的多态性,群体中可能蕴藏着更多的遗传资源;藏绵羊DQA1基因最初可能是由2个等位基因突变分化成两大类等位基因的;藏绵羊DQA1基因第2外显子序列与牛的DQA1基因第2外显子序列具有较高的同源性,预示绵羊和牛的DQA1基因最早可能来源于它们分歧以前的共同祖先原始序列;DQA1基因在与其相关的特定抗原刺激下发生的免疫应答反应在绵羊和牛上具有相似性;新等位基因C的139位发现了1个新的核苷酸突变位点（A/G）,属同义突变;5个新发现的DQA1等位基因遗传关系较近,可能由同一等位基因突变产生。     

黄山松群体GOT同工酶遗传变异的初步研究

利用黄山松(Pinus taiwanensis Hayata)4个天然群体和种源试验林中12个种源种子胚乳,分析了GOT同工酶。结果表明:GOT同工酶共有4～6条谱带,分成5个染色区受5个位点控制,所分析的1～4个位点均是多态的,共有12个等位基因,依据12个等位基因频率所估算的种源间遗传距离为0.0038～0.3313,且遗传距离同相应种源间的地理距离无直线关系。经相关分析知基因频率中既有地理倾变的,且与降水量、日照时数等气象因子有关,也有随机变异的。用遗传距离对参试种源进行聚类只能区分出大别山类群。     

低温胁迫对菜用大豆生长、叶片活性氧及多胺代谢的影响

选用两种耐低温性不同的菜用大豆品种——‘沪宁95-1’(耐低温)和‘台湾75’(低温敏感),对低温胁迫下两者的生长、叶片活性氧及多胺代谢进行了比较。结果表明,低温胁迫后两者生物量积累显著受到抑制,但‘沪宁95-1’受抑制程度显著小于‘台湾75’;低温胁迫下两者叶片抗氧化酶活性、O·-2生成速率、H2O2和MDA含量均显著升高,但‘沪宁95-1’叶片抗氧化酶活性显著高于‘台湾75’,O·-2生成速率、H2O2和MDA含量则显著低于‘台湾75’;低温胁迫后‘沪宁95-1’叶片不同形态腐胺、亚精胺和精胺含量均显著上升,‘台湾75’叶片不同形态腐胺含量显著下降,游离态、结合态亚精胺和精胺含量显著上升,束缚态亚精胺和精胺含量变化不显著。以上结果表明,低温胁迫下不同形态腐胺、束缚态亚精胺和精胺与‘沪宁95-1’较低的生长抑制、较低的氧化损伤以及较高的保护酶活性有关,可能在菜用大豆耐寒性方面发挥重要作用。     

黄山松群体酶基因遗传变异的研究

应用等位酶分析法,分析了１８个林分群体（小群体）２８０多株黄山松种子胚乳的ＥＳＴ和ＭＤＨ酶的酶基因。结果表明：ＥＳＴ酶受３个基因位点调控,其中２个位占 有等位基因５个、４个,平均为３．５８个;ＭＤＨ酶受４个基因位点调控,其中３个位点各有等位基因３个、５个、５个,平均为２．８１个。基因位点均是多态的。等位基因在群体中的分布不同。ＥＳＴ酶基因位点的平均期望杂合度为０．５６２,ＭＤＨ酶基因位点的平均期望