Potato： A Favorable Crop for Plant Molecular Farming

Molecular farming refers to the production ofrecombinant proteins in heterologous expressionsystems.The recent advances in genomics andproteomics resulted in identification of several newgenes.These have to be functionally characterized toexplore their probable use in diverse applications.Itis quite unlikely that a single expression system couldsupport the production of these proteins,thereforethere is a needtoidentifyandanalyzedifferentnovelex-pression systems for the recombinant protein prod…     

Molecular identification of plants regenerated from somatic hybridization between rice and apomictic Panicum

We attempted to introduce apomictic gene(s) into rice via somatic hybridization by usingapomictic Panicum maximum Jacq.as the、donor of apomictic gene(s). Protoplasts of rice derived from suspen-sion cells were inactivated with indoacetamide(IOA)and protoplasts of Panicum maximumwere treated with soft X-ray.The two typesof protoplasts were fused by polyethylene gly- col(PEG)method and were then incubated.Over 150 plants were obtained.Fourteenplants regenerated from asymmetric somatichybridization between japonica 02428 andapomictic Panicum maximum,as well as thetwo parental plants were used for Southernblot.Total DNAs were digested with BamHI、EcoRI、HindⅢ and hybridized with three     

Low Molecular Weight Chitosan–Insulin Polyelectrolyte Complex: Characterization and Stability Studies

The aim of the work reported herein was to investigate the effect of various low molecular weight chitosans (LMWCs) on the stability of insulin using USP HPLC methods. Insulin was found to be stable in a polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) consisting of insulin and LMWC in the presence of a Tris-buffer at pH 6.5. In the presence of LMWC, the stability of insulin increased with decreasing molecular weight of LMWC; 13 kDa LMWC was the most efficient molecular weight for enhancing the physical and chemical stability of insulin. Solubilization of insulin-LMWC polyelectrolyte complex (I-LMWC PEC) in a reverse micelle (RM) system, administered to diabetic rats, results in an oral delivery system for insulin with acceptable bioactivity.     

Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Citrate Synthase Gene in Rice （ Oryza sativa）

The full-length OsCS encoding citrate synthase was isolated from rice （Oryza sativa L. subsp, japonica）, OsCS is 1477-bp long and encodes a 474 amino acid polypeptide, Its putative protein sequence is highly identical to Daucus carota, Nicotiana tabacum Beta vulgaris subsp., Arabidopsis thaliana, and Citrus junos （〉70%）. The deduced amino-terminal sequence of OsCS showes characteristics of mitochondrial targeting signal. Southern blot analysis using ORF of the OsCS as the probe indicated that this gene exists in multiple copies in rice genome. The band with predicated size of 82 kD was detected by Western blot after being induced by 0,4 mmol/L IPTG.     

A New PCR/LDR-Based Multiplex Functional Molecular Marker for Marker-Assisted Breeding in Rice

Marker-assisted selection or marker-aided selection(MAS)provides an effective complementary approach for conventional rice breeding with precise and speedy mobilization of target genes into elite genetic backgrounds.The targeted genes,however,may not be selected in the course of MAS due to the occasional recombination between the marker and the target gene/QTL during the many cycles of meiosis involved in breeding programs.This leads to failure in the selection of target traits(Gopalakrishnan et al,2008).     

Lowering Grain Amylose Content in Backcross Offsprings of indica Rice Variety 057 by Molecular Marker-Assisted Selection

To lower the amylose content （AC） of the indica rice restorer line 057 with high AC, backcrosses were made respectively by using four indica varieties （R367, 91499, Yanhui 559, Hui 527） as low AC donor parents and 057 as the recurrent parent. A molecular marker （PCR-Acc Ⅰ） was used to identify the genotypes （GG, TT and GT） of the waxy （Wx） gene. Plants with GT genotype were selected and used as female parent and crossed with 057 to advance generation. The ACs of rice grains harvested from plants with different Wx genotypes were measured and compared to analyze the efficiency of marker-assisted selection. The ACs of the rice grain, harvested from the plants of Wx genotypes GG, GT and TT, were higher than 20%, in the range of 17.7-28.5%, and less than 18%, respectively. The PCR-Acc Ⅰ marker could be used for efficiently lowering the AC of 057 through backcrossing, and there were some influence of parental genetic background on the AC of rice grains with the same Wx genotype.     

Molecular weight,size distribution and conformation of Glutenin from different wheat cultivars by SEC–MALLS

Molecular weight and size distributions of two glutenin polymers were determined by a multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS) photometer on-line to a size exclusion chromatography (SEC) system. Two glutenin polymers extracted, sonicated and purified from wheat flours of different cultivars, i.e. Cheyenne and Chinese Spring, were accurately fractionated by SEC using three buffers (pH 2.6, 4.0 and 6.9) and two column sets. Both molecular weight distribution (MWD) and radius of gyration distribution (RGD) could be used to differentiate the two cultivars. MWD of glutenin polymers is a complex mixture of high- and low-molecular weight fractions and the relative percentage was found to be very different. The two cultivars were found to be different; in particular, the Chinese Spring polymer showed more compact conformation than the Cheyenne polymer. The slope of the conformation plot for glutenin was about 0.37, close to the theoretical value for compact spheres. Determination of glutenin MWD and RGD was difficult and depended on the buffer used and the SEC columns.     

Molecular Characterization of Arbuscular mycorrhizal Symbiosis for Defense,Nutrient Absorption andSecondary Metabolism in Plants简

Arbscular mycorrhiza （AM）,a symbiosis between plants and members of fungi Glomeromycota,improves the resistance,nutrition and material metabolism of plant.Arbuscules generated by symbiotic development,is the main site of nutrient exchange and genetic material recombination,resulting in physiological changes and gene expression regulation.AM regulates pathogenesis-related protein （PRs） genes and antioxidant enzyme genes against biotic and abiotic stresses.Nutrient exchange induced by AM is directly involved in uptake,transformation and utilization of nutrient elements in plants.Importantly,transporter genes play an important role in phosphate,nitrogen and carbon acquisition.In AM interactions,phosphate transporter （PT） genes,from both arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant root,are induced and there product promote phosphate acquisition; increasing expression of ammonium transporter （AMT） genes and arginine biosynthesis/degradation enzyme genes is in charge of nitrogen acquisition;and promotion mechanism of carbon acquisition is involved in up-regulation of sugar transporter genes.In addition,secondary metabolites,functioned as signal moleculars and defense compounds,are increased with development of AM symbiont by up-regulating related synthetic genes based on different promotion mechanism.Taken together,molecular regulation of plant and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi,induced by infection process,stimulate plant nutrient acquisition and resist to biotic/abiotic stress.     

Molecular Mapping of QTLs for Yield and Yield-Related Traits in Oryza sativa cv Swarna × O. nivara (IRGC81848) Backcross Population

Advanced backcross QTL analysis was used to identify QTLs for seven yield and yield-related traits in a BC2F2 population from the cross between a popular Oryza sativa cv Swarna and O. nivara IRGC81848. Transgressive segregants with more than 15% increased effect over Swarna were observed for all the traits except days to heading and days to 50% flowering. Thirty QTLs were detected for seven yield and yield-related traits using interval and composite interval mapping. Enhancing alleles at 13 (45%) of these Q...     

Recent Advances in Molecular Biological Applications in Sri Lankan Tea （Camellia sinensis） Industry： An Overview on the Achievements During Last Ten Years

For tea,which is predominantly out-breeding woody perennial,genetic improvement through conventional approaches is relatively ineffective,slow and costly.As a potential tool to enhance the process,Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka （TRISL） has integrated molecular biology to supplement the conventional program and is in progress.To date,a considerable progress has been achieved in the key areas such as genetic characterization and estimation of genetic diversity,isolation and characterization of EST and genomic SSRs,construction of SSR primers,construction of genetic maps and marker assisted selection and application of genomic approaches to understand the role of secondary metabolites disease resistance in tea and in this paper,a summarized version of above studies is presented.     

Molecular weight and structure units of (1→3, 1→4)-β-glucans in dough and bread made from hull-less barley milling fractions

Milling fractions of hull-less barley, and dough and bread with hull-less barley flour (40%) and wheat flour (60%) were analysed in an investigation of how the properties of (1→3, 1→4)-β-glucan were affected by milling, dough formation and bread making. Calcofluor average molecular weight $({\overline{M}}_{\text{cf}})$ and molecular weight distribution and the cellotriosyl/cellotetraosyl ratio of the (1→3, 1→4)-β-glucan were determined. Four different hull-less barley samples were milled to produce straight-run white flours, shorts, bran and whole-meal flours. The molecular weight distributions were unimodal for all fractions, and the $({\overline{M}}_{\text{cf}})$ range was between 117×10⁴ and 188×10⁴. These parameters were similar for all barleys, although $({\overline{M}}_{\text{cf}})$ was somewhat lower in white flour and bran fractions and somewhat higher in shorts and whole-meal. The cellotriosyl/cellotetraosyl ratio (1.5–1.8) was also similar in all fractions. Doughs and breads were made to study how flour type (sifted or whole-meal barley flour), water content, yeast, mixing time and fermentation time affect (1→3, 1→4)-β-glucan. The molecular weight distribution of (1→3, 1→4)-β-glucan was polymodal with two or three populations for all doughs and breads, and the $({\overline{M}}_{\text{cf}})$ decreased with increasing mixing and fermentation time. These results indicated that (1→3, 1→4)-β-glucan was degraded by endogenous β-glucanases in the barley and/or wheat flour. The molecular weight was not significantly affected by bread-baking and other factors. After mixing and fermentation the cellotriosyl/cellotetraosyl ratio was about 1.7–1.8 and was thus not significantly different from that of the flour blends. Thus to retain high molecular weight (1→3, 1→4)-β-glucan, which is important for its cholesterol-lowering effect, it is thus important to keep the mixing and fermentation time as short as possible when baking hull-less barley bread.