BSKs mediate signal transduction from the receptor kinase BRI1 in Arabidopsis

Brassinosteroids (BRs) bind to the extracellular domain of the receptor kinase BRI1 to activate a signal transduction cascade that regulates nuclear gene expression and plant development. Many components of the BR signaling pathway have been identified and studied in detail. However, the substrate of BRI1 kinase that transduces the signal to downstream components remains unknown. Proteomic studies of plasma membrane proteins lead to the identification of three homologous BR-signaling kinases (BSK1, BSK2, and BSK3). The BSKs are phosphorylated by BRI1 in vitro and interact with BRI1 in vivo. Genetic and transgenic studies demonstrate that the BSKs represent a small family of kinases that activate BR signaling downstream of BRI1. These results demonstrate that BSKs are the substrates of BRI1 kinase that activate downstream BR signal transduction.     

油菜素内酯参与调控植物生长发育与抗逆性的机制及其育种应用研究

油菜素内酯（brassinosteroids,BRs）是一类重要的植物促生激素,参与调控植物生长发育。最近的研究表明,BRs能增加作物产量和增强作物抗逆性。在BRs信号转导过程中,蛋白激酶的磷酸化功能与转录因子的磷酸化和脱磷酸化过程是BRs信号重要的生化调控机制,其中起始BRs信号由胞外向胞内转导的蛋白激酶BRI1和 BAK1,以及BRs信号下游调控不同性状基因表达的转录因子BZR1和BZR2/BES1,是BRs信号途径中关键的功能基因。基于重要蛋白激酶和转录因子的蛋白结构和功能分析,通过不同氨基酸功能位点的基因定点突变和修饰技术,能实现BRs信号途径的功能研究与植物性状改良,从而提高植物对环境的适应性。综述了BRs信号途径与植物生长发育和环境胁迫的研究,期望为植物分子育种提供很好的借鉴。     

Perception of brassinosteroids by the extracellular domain of the receptor kinase BRI1

An assay was developed to study plant receptor kinase activation and signaling mechanisms. The extracellular leucine-rich repeat (LRR) and transmembrane domains of the Arabidopsis receptor kinase BRI1, which is implicated in brassinosteroid signaling, were fused to the serine/threonine kinase domain of XA21, the rice disease resistance receptor. The chimeric receptor initiates plant defense responses in rice cells upon treatment with brassinosteroids. These results, which indicate that the extracellular domain of BRI1 perceives brassinosteroids, suggest a general signaling mechanism for the LRR receptor kinases of plants. This system should allow the discovery of ligands for the LRR kinases, the largest group of plant receptor kinases.     

A spatial-temporal model of cell activation

A spatial-temporal model of calcium messenger function is proposed to account for sustained cellular responses to sustained stimuli, as well as for the persistent enhancement of cell responsiveness after removal of a stimulus, that is, cellular memory. According to this model, spatial separation of calcium function contributes to temporal separation of distinct phases of the cellular response. At different cellular sites, within successive temporal domains, the calcium messenger is generated by different mechanisms and has distinct molecular targets. In particular, prolonged cell activation is brought about by the interaction of calcium with another spatially confined messenger, diacylglycerol, to cause the association of protein kinase C with the plasma membrane. Activity of the membrane-associated protein kinase C is controlled by the rate of calcium cycling across the plasma membrane. In some instances, a single stimulus induces both protein kinase C activation and calcium cycling and thus causes prolonged activation; but in others, a close temporal association of distinct stimuli brings about cell activation via interaction of these intracellular messengers. Persistent enhancement of cell responsiveness after removal of stimuli is suggested to be due to the continued association, or anchoring, of protein kinase C to the membrane.     

Carboxyl-terminal modulator protein (CTMP), a negative regulator of PKB/Akt and v-Akt at the plasma membrane

The PKB (protein kinase B, also called Akt) family of protein kinases plays a key role in insulin signaling, cellular survival, and transformation. PKB is activated by phosphorylation on residues threonine 308, by the protein kinase PDK1, and Serine 473, by a putative serine 473 kinase. Several protein binding partners for PKB have been identified. Here, we describe a protein partner for PKBalpha termed CTMP, or carboxyl-terminal modulator protein, that binds specifically to the carboxyl-terminal regulatory domain of PKBalpha at the plasma membrane. Binding of CTMP reduces the activity of PKBalpha by inhibiting phosphorylation on serine 473 and threonine 308. Moreover, CTMP expression reverts the phenotype of v-Akt-transformed cells examined under a number of criteria including cell morphology, growth rate, and in vivo tumorigenesis. These findings identify CTMP as a negative regulatory component of the pathway controlling PKB activity.     

Parallel single-cell monitoring of receptor-triggered membrane translocation of a calcium-sensing protein module

Time courses of translocation of fluorescently conjugated proteins to the plasma membrane were simultaneously measured in thousands of individual rat basophilic leukemia cells. We found that the C2 domain---a calcium-sensing, lipid-binding protein module that is an essential regulator of protein kinase C and numerous other proteins---targeted proteins to the plasma membrane transiently if calcium was released from internal stores, and persistently in response to entry of extracellular calcium across the plasma membrane. The C2 domain translocation time courses of stimulated cells clustered into only two primary modes. Hence, the reversible recruitment of families of signaling proteins from one cellular compartment to another is a rapid bifurcation mechanism for inducing discrete states of cellular signaling networks.     

Transmembrane molecular pump activity of Niemann-Pick C1 protein

Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) disease is characterized by cholesterol accumulation in lysosomes and aberrant feedback regulation of cellular cholesterol homeostasis. We provide evidence that the NPC1 protein has homology with the resistance-nodulation-division (RND) family of prokaryotic permeases and may normally function as a transmembrane efflux pump. Studies of acriflavine loading in normal and NPC1 fibroblasts indicated that NPC1 uses a proton motive force to remove accumulated acriflavine from the endosomal/lysosomal system. Expression of NPC1 in Escherichia coli (i) facilitated the transport of acriflavine across the plasma membrane, causing cytosolic accumulation, and (ii) resulted in transport of oleic acid but not cholesterol or cholesterol-oleate across the plasma membrane. These studies establish NPC1 as a eukaryotic member of the RND permease family.     

Quantitative imaging of lateral ErbB1 receptor signal propagation in the plasma membrane

Evidence for a new signaling mechanism consisting of ligand-independent lateral propagation of receptor activation in the plasma membrane is presented. We visualized the phosphorylation of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged ErbB1 (ErbB1-GFP) receptors in cells focally stimulated with epidermal growth factor (EGF) covalently attached to beads. This was achieved by quantitative imaging of protein reaction states in cells by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) with global analysis of fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) data. The rapid and extensive propagation of receptor phosphorylation over the entire cell after focal stimulation demonstrates a signaling wave at the plasma membrane resulting in full activation of all receptors.     

Loss of caveolae, vascular dysfunction, and pulmonary defects in caveolin-1 gene-disrupted mice

Caveolae are plasma membrane invaginations that may play an important role in numerous cellular processes including transport, signaling, and tumor suppression. By targeted disruption of caveolin-1, the main protein component of caveolae, we generated mice that lacked caveolae. The absence of this organelle impaired nitric oxide and calcium signaling in the cardiovascular system, causing aberrations in endothelium-dependent relaxation, contractility, and maintenance of myogenic tone. In addition, the lungs of knockout animals displayed thickening of alveolar septa caused by uncontrolled endothelial cell proliferation and fibrosis, resulting in severe physical limitations in caveolin-1-disrupted mice. Thus, caveolin-1 and caveolae play a fundamental role in organizing multiple signaling pathways in the cell.     

1-甲基环丙烯对百合切花保鲜的作用

用不同浓度的 1 -甲基环丙烯 (1 -MCP)处理百合切花 ,依据瓶插寿命和外观品质得知浓度为 0 .3× 1 0 -8的 1 -MCP处理效果最佳 ,每朵花延长 2d。浓度 0 .3×1 0 -8的 1 -MCP处理能提高百合切花观赏值 ,减少百合的萎蔫程度 ,在促进开放速度、蕾径增大、花朵大小方面均优于其他处理和对照。此外 1 -MCP处理还能延迟百合叶片质膜相对透性增加 ,对叶片叶绿素、花瓣蛋白质和花青素含量变化有一定的影响     

水稻OsCERK2转基因植株的获得及初步分析

以水稻粳稻品种日本晴为研究材料,利用拟南芥CERK1的蛋白质序列检索,在水稻基因组候选了与拟南芥CERK1同源的水稻基因OsCERK2,通过RT-PCR分离了该基因的全长cDNA。生物信息学分析显示,OsCERK2是一种含有信号肽的质膜蛋白,胞外结构域含有LsyM基序,激酶结构域含有酪氨酸蛋白激酶结构域。构建了由35S启动子驱动该基因的过表达遗传转化载体和由玉米的泛素基因的启动子驱动的RNA干涉（RNAi）的遗传转化载体,利用农杆菌介导的遗传转化技术,将OsCERK2基因导入水稻,得到T0代转基因植株。对T0代植株进行了PCR检测和半定量RT-PCR检测,获得了OsCERK2有效表达的转基因植株。     

怀玉山三叶青烟草病毒增殖蛋白1基因克隆、亚细胞定位和组织表达分析

通过怀玉山三叶青试管苗转录组数据库筛选到怀玉山三叶青烟草病毒增殖蛋白1基因的核心片段,利用反转录PCR（RT-PCR）技术克隆怀玉山三叶青烟草病毒增殖蛋白1基因,并采用生物信息学方法和实时荧光定量 PCR进行序列分析和器官表达分析。结果表明,怀玉山三叶青烟草病毒增殖蛋白1基因cDNA总长度为888 bp,G+C 含量为51.58%;怀玉山三叶青烟草病毒增殖蛋白1由295个氨基酸组成,分子量33 173.36 u,等电点9.16,为疏水性蛋白;二级结构由α-螺旋（43.73%）、β-片层（21.69%）、无规则卷曲（34.58%） 构成;三级结构为单体;怀玉山三叶青烟草病毒增殖蛋白1主要存在内质网、内质网_质膜、细胞外、细胞质、线粒体和质膜中;怀玉山三叶青烟草病毒增殖蛋白1在进化上与Aegilops tauschii subsp. tauschill（节节麦）、Triticum turgidum subsp. durum（硬粒小麦）、Hordeum vulgare（大麦）的亲缘关系较近,尤其是与Aegilops tauschii subsp. tauschill（节节麦）烟草病毒增殖蛋白1在进化上具有最高的亲缘关系。通过烟草叶片亚细胞定位分析表明,烟草病毒增殖蛋白1定位于细胞质(可能包括细胞膜）和细胞核膜中。实时荧光定量PCR结果显示,烟草病毒增殖蛋白1基因在怀玉山三叶青2个栽培种中的表达存在器官特异性,怀玉2号在叶中表达量最高,怀玉1号在茎中表达量最高。怀玉山三叶青烟草病毒增殖蛋白1具有典型烟草病毒增殖蛋白1的结构特征,氨基酸序列及核酸序列与同源物种相似度高,在进化上高度保守,对进一步揭示该酶生物学功能具有重要意义。     

黄瓜质膜型Na~+/H~+逆向转运蛋白基因(SOS1)的克隆与序列分析

采用RACE(rapid-amplification of cDNA ends)方法从黄瓜Cucumis sativusL.中克隆出质膜Na+/H+逆向转运蛋白基因的cDNA(CsSOS1),该cDNA全长3 638bp,其中开放阅读框为3 435bp,编码1 145个氨基酸。氨基酸同源性分析表明,CsSOS1氨基酸序列与水稻OsSOS1和拟南芥AtSOS1的氨基酸序列同源性较高,分别为64%和58%,而与液泡型的Na+/H+逆向转运蛋白氨基酸序列亲缘关系较远。蛋白质跨膜结构分析表明CsSOS1包含11个完全跨膜片段。激光共聚焦显微镜显示CsSOS1基因的编码区与YFP基因融合后,定位在细胞膜上。酵母功能互补试验结果显示CsSOS1参与Na+与H+的转运,表明该基因转化酵母后可以补充酵母SOS1的缺失。     

小麦类CTR1基因的克隆和特性分析

 【目的】克隆小麦类CTR1基因（TaCTR1）,研究其在各种胁迫条件下的表达、亚细胞定位和过量表达TaCTR1对转基因烟草耐盐性的影响。【方法】利用RACE结合RT-PCR技术克隆TaCTR1,利用半定量RT-PCR研究TaCTR1在各种非胁迫及ABA处理条件下的表达,通过烟草转化研究过量表达TaCTR1对转基因植株耐盐性的影响。【结果】TaCTR1全长2 635 bp,编码759个氨基酸,在其羧基端有一个非常保守的丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶结构域,该结构域含有ATP结合位点和一个钙调素结合位点;TaCTR1与其它植物中CTR1的氨基酸序列同源性较高。TaCTR1的表达受NaCl和干旱胁迫的诱导,当用30μmol?L-1 ABA对小麦幼苗进行处理时,TaCTR1的表达受到抑制,当将小麦幼苗转移至无ABA的Hoagland培养液时,TaCTR1的表达又逐渐升高。利用洋葱表皮细胞进行瞬时表达显示TaCTR1可能定位于细胞质膜。过量表达TaCTR1的转基因烟草植株耐盐性下降。【结论】 TaCTR1是小麦中克隆的第一个CTR1基因,TaCTR1:GFP可能定位于细胞质膜,过量表达TaCTR1的烟草植株耐盐性下降说明TaCTR1是植物耐盐信号传导途径的负调控因子。     

Cloning and Characterization of a Putative CTR1 Gene from Wheat

CTR1 is a key negative regulator in ethylene signal transduction. A salt-induced CTR1 like gene （TaCTR1） was cloned from wheat, its expression under abiotic stresses, subcellular localization and the effect of overexpression of TaCTR1 on salt tolerance in tobacco was studied. A putative CTR1 gene was cloned and characterized from wheat via rapid amplification of cDNA ends （RACE） and RT-PCR. TaCTR1 expression under stresses was analyzed using semi-quantitative RT-PCR and the effect of overexpression of TaCTR1 on salt tolerance was conducted in tobacco. The full-length cDNA of TaCTR1 is 2 635 bp which codes for a polypeptide of 759 amino acids. There is a conserved serine/threonine protein kinase domain at the carboxyl terminus containing an ATP-binding site. Southern blot analysis revealed that TaCTR1 consisted of a gene family in wheat. The amino acid homologies of CTR1 among different organisms share higher similarities. Expression analysis revealed that TaCTR1 was induced by NaC1 and drought stress but inhibited by ABA treatment. Transient expression of TaCTR1-GFP in the onion epidermal cells indicated that TaCTR1 was probably targeted to the plasma membrane. Overexpression of TaCTR1 decreased salt tolerance in transgenic tobacco （Nicotiana tabacum L.） plants compared with the control. To our knowledge, TaCTR1 is the first CTR1 gene cloned in wheat and may be involved in various abiotic stresses. Overexpression of TaCTR1 decreased the salt tolerance in tobacco suggested that TaCTR1 may act as a negative regulator of salt stress in plants.     

MxIrt1基因瞬时表达载体的构建及其定位的初步研究

以绿色荧光蛋白为标记,构建瞬时表达载体pMxIRT1-GFP。以基因枪轰击洋葱表皮细胞,通过激光共聚焦显微镜(Confocal)观察,MxIrt1基因主要定位在细胞膜上。     

Cloning and Expression Analysis of a Brassinosteroid Biosynthetic Enzyme Gene, GhDWF1, from Cotton （Gossypium hirsuturm L.）

Brassinosteroids （BRs） are an important class of plant steroidal hormones that are essential in a wide variety of physiological processes. To determine the effects of BRs on the development of cotton fibers, through screening cotton fiber EST database and contigging the candidate ESTs, a key gene （GhDWF1） involved in the upstream biosynthetic pathway of BRs was cloned from developing fibers of upland cotton （Gossypium hirsutum L.） cv. Xuzhou 142. The full length of the cloned cDNA is 1 849 bp, including a 37 bp 5＇-untranslated region, an ORF of 1 692 bp, and a 120 bp 3＇-untranslated region. The cDNA encodes a polypeptide of 563 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular mass of 65 kD. The deduced amino acid sequence has high homology with the BR biosynthetic enzyme, DWARF1/DIMINUTO, from rice, maize, pea, tomato, and Arabidopsis. Furthermore, the typical conserved structures, such as the transmembrane domain, the FAD- dependent oxidase domain, and the FAD-binding site, are present in the GhDWF1 protein. The Southern blot indicated that the GhDWF1 gene is a single copy in upland cotton genome. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the highest level of GhDWF1 expression was detected in 0 DPA （day post anthesis） ovule （with fibers） while the lowest level was observed in cotyledon. The GhDWF1 gene presents high expression levels in root, young stem, and fiber, especially, at the fiber developmental stage of secondary cell wall accumulation. Moreover, the expression level was higher in ovules （with fibers） of wildtype （Xuzhou 142） than in ovules of fuzzless-lintless mutant at the same developmental stages （0 and 4 DPA）. The results suggest that the GhDWF1 gene plays a crucial role in fiber development.     

Biosynthesis of the Torpedo californica acetylcholine receptor alpha subunit in yeast

Yeast cells were transformed with a plasmid containing complementary DNA encoding the alpha subunit of the Torpedo californica acetylcholine receptor. These cells synthesized a protein that had the expected molecular weight, antigenic specificity, and ligand-binding properties of the alpha subunit. The subunit was inserted into the yeast plasma membrane, demonstrating that yeast has the apparatus to express a membrane-bound receptor protein and to insert such a foreign protein into its plasma membrane. The alpha subunit constituted approximately 1 percent of the total yeast membrane. The alpha subunit constituted approximately 1 percent of the total yeast membrane proteins, and its density was about the same in the plasma membrane of yeast and in the receptor-rich electric organ of Electrophorus electricus. In view of the available technology for obtaining large quantities of yeast proteins, it may now be possible to obtain amplified amounts of interesting membrane-bound proteins for physical and biochemical studies.     

玉米Na^＋/H^＋逆向转运蛋白基因ZmSOS1的克隆与鉴定（摘要）

[目的]研究玉米Na^＋/H^＋逆向转运蛋白基因ZmSOS1的克隆与鉴定,为研究该基因在玉米逆境信号转导与生长发育中的作用提供参考。[方法]采用电子克隆、RT-PCR、生物信息学方法,从玉米基因组中克隆1个质膜型Na^＋/H^＋逆向转运蛋白基因,并鉴定该基因编码产物的跨膜结构预测以及在盐胁迫下的表达模式等信息。电子克隆具体步骤：将水稻质膜型Na^＋/H^＋逆向转运蛋白OsSOS1的氨基酸序列作为种子序列输入GenBank,对玉米基因组数据库和EST数据库进行tBLASTN分析,结果检索到含有候选基因的基因组序列AC186524和1批高度相似的玉米EST。为确定候选基因的编码区,将上述EST序列进行拼接,并将拼接所得的contig通过BLASTN分析定位到基因组序列AC186524中。为获得完整的编码区序列,利用与contig间隔区相对应的水稻OsSOS1蛋白的氨基酸序列,进一步对玉米基因组序列进行tBLASTN分析;同时,结合GENSCAN软件的基因预测结果,最终确定了候选基因的编码区序列。最后,通过比较编码区序列和基因组序列,确定ZmSOS1基因的外显子和内含子结构。[结果]利用电子克隆方法,从玉米中克隆出1个质膜型Na~＋/H~＋逆向转运蛋白基因ZmSOS1（编码序列反向互补于AC186524中的78 964～96 731 bp处）;ZmSOS1基因的开放阅读框长3 411 bp,编码1 136个氨基酸的蛋白。ZmSOS1蛋白的理论等电点pI=6.46,分子质量为126.2kDa,理论半衰期大于10 h,不稳定参数为41.74,属于不稳定蛋白。通过在线软件TMHMM2.0和TMPRED分析,发现ZmSOS1蛋白含有12个跨膜结构区,且有一个长的高度亲水性的羧基端尾巴,暗示质膜型Na^＋/H^＋逆向转运蛋白在进化上是较为保守的。ZmSOS1基因至少含有21个内含子,如果将ZmSOS1基因的结构分别与水稻、拟南芥和苔藓植物（Phycomitrella patens）的同源基因OsSOS1、AtSOS1、PpSOS1相比较,可以发现质膜型Na^＋/H^＋逆向转运蛋白基因编码区的结构是比较保守的且研究发现质膜型Na^＋/H^＋逆向转运蛋白基因在进化过程中很可能发生过内含子丢失事件;序列分析表明,ZmSOS1蛋白与拟南芥和水稻同源物AtSOS1、OsSOS1的氨基酸序列一致性分别为61%和82%,鉴于ZmSOS1的氨基酸序列与同源序列的多重比对,猜想质膜型Na~＋/H~＋逆向转运蛋白在进化过程中,N-端序列可能承受着较为严谨的净化选择压作用,而C-端序列所受净化选择压则相对松弛;RT-PCR分析表明,ZmSOS1基因的表达可以被盐胁迫诱导增强,表明其可能在玉米耐盐性上发挥功能。[结论]ZmSOS1基因可能参与玉米的渗透胁迫反应。     

酵母异源互补法鉴定MbNramp1基因的功能

【目的】研究MbNramp1基因的功能。【方法】通过异源互补试验鉴定该基因转运铁的功能,并对MbNRAMP1蛋白进行亚细胞定位研究。【结果】MbNramp1基因转化酵母突变株DDY4在缺铁的培养基上恢复生长。在供试BPDS浓度的培养基上,MbNramp1基因转化酵母突变株DDY4生长状况均明显好于空载体转化后的突变株。培养基中BPDS增加到15μmol·L-1时,转化了MbNramp1的酵母细胞生长状况与野生型相差无几。在30μmol·L-1BPDS时,MbNramp1转化的细胞与低浓度BPDS相比生长延缓,但是明显优于空载体转化的DDY4突变株。与较低浓度BPDS相比,野生型酵母(DY1457)的生长量也减少了。亚细胞定位表明,MbNRAMP1主要位于部分质膜上而非整个膜上。【结论】初步证明MbNramp1编码具有功能的铁转运蛋白,能够使酵母吸收铁的突变株恢复突变,MbNRAMP1主要位于部分细胞膜上行使铁营养转运功能。