叶绿体基因组及其在樟科植物系统发育研究中的应用

樟科植物是被子植物中一个较大的木本植物类群,也是一个较为古老的类群,集轻工业、食用、材用、药用、观价值赏于一身,在我国林业史和园林史上占有重要地位。植物的系统发育研究可在阐明物种之间亲缘关系的同时,挖掘它们的共同祖先以及它们在进化过程中的分化和演化路径,揭示生物种群和物种的多样性及其时空分布。在概述樟科植物和叶绿体基因组的基础上,分析了利用叶绿体基因组对樟科植物进行系统发育研究的相关进展,以期为樟科植物的相关研究提供参考。     

生物学自主设计型实验探索——以叶绿体DNA提取为例

指出了分子生物学是生命科学相关学科的主干课程,具有很强的实践性。同时,学生掌握分子生物学的实验方法和技术手段,对培养自身科研能力具有重要意义。结合当前高校对于绿色植物叶绿体DNA提取的实验,从丰富教学方法、更新教学手段、改进考核方式等方面进行了改革与探索。以期提高学生学习质量,强化实验技能及综合能力培养,为高校培养高素质创新型人才奠定基础。     

Studies of clomazone mode of action

Intact spinach chloroplasts were used to determine if clomazone, 5-OH clomazone, and/or 5-keto clomazone inhibited the chloroplastic isoprenoid pathway. When isopentenyl pyrophosphate was used as a precursor, neither clomazone nor the clomazone metabolites (5-OH clomazone and 5-keto clomazone) inhibited the formation of products separated by HPLC in the organic phase. However, when pyruvate, a substrate for the first committed step of the pathway, was used as a precursor, both 5-keto clomazone and fosmidomycin reduced the formation of a non-polar product and increased the formation of a polar product in the organic phase. Only 5-keto clomazone, not 5-OH clomazone or clomazone, inhibited the formation of an additional product other than fosmidomycin in the aqueous phase from pyruvate incorporation. In an in vitro assay, 5-keto clomazone inhibited DXP synthase, the enzyme catalyzing the first committed step of the chloroplastic isoprenoid pathway. Therefore, our studies show that neither clomazone nor 5-OH clomazone inhibits the chloroplastic isoprenoid pathway, only 5-keto clomazone does.     

Maternally and paternally inherited molecular markers elucidate population patterns and inferred dispersal processes on a small scale within a subalpine stand of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.)

The within-population spatial structure of genetic diversity is shaped by demographic processes, including historical accidents such as forest perturbations. Information drawn from the analysis of the spatial distribution of genetic diversity is therefore inherently linked to demographic-historical processes that ultimately determine the fate of populations.All adult trees and saplings in a 1.4-ha plot within a mixed Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst) stand were characterised by means of chloroplast (paternally inherited) markers, and a large sub-sample of these were genotyped at mitochondrial (maternally inherited) molecular markers. These data were used to analyse the spatial distribution of genetic variation and to compare the patterns corresponding to the two marker types. The plot presented non-homogeneous local stem density in the younger cohorts, and the indirect effect of this source of variation on the spatial genetic structure was investigated. Results suggest that (i) spatially limited seed dispersal induced patchiness in genotype distribution, while pollen flow had a homogenising effect; (ii) deviations from random spatial structure were stronger in the demographically most stable portions of the stand, while they were weaker where sudden bursts of regeneration occurred; (iii) spatially overlapping adult and sapling cohorts displayed the same spatial genetic structure (stronger on stable areas, weaker in portions of the stand undergoing events of intense regeneration), which was substantiated by the influence of local demographic processes. Regeneration dynamics as modulated by demography thus influences the distribution of genetic diversity within the stand both in the younger life stages and in the adult population.     

Identification and evaluation of chloroplast uni- and trinucleotide sequence repeats in citrus

A cpDNA fragment of 34 genotypes belonging to Citrus and four related genera was amplified and sequenced. Chloroplast microsatellites were revealed with the length of repeats ranging from 25 to 44 bases. Other than the normal uninucleotide poly(A) repeats, a trinucleotide poly(TAA) motif was also found, the first report of such repeats in a plant chloroplast genome. According to SSR structure variations, 18 Chloroplast SSR Types (CST) were identified. The CST sequences were informative for better understanding the genetic relationships of chloroplast genomes among the analyzed genotypes and confirmed some previous hypotheses about the female parent of several hybrid accessions.     

豇豆叶绿体微卫星标记的开发及其在近缘种的通用性研究

从公共数据库中下载豇豆叶绿体基因组,对其进行全序列分析,揭示豇豆cpSSR的分布特点和基序特征,进一步研究豇豆cpSSR在豆类植物中的通用性。研究结果表明,豇豆叶绿体基因组上共有52个微卫星,主要分布于LSC区,且以A/T为单碱基重复基序的微卫星为主;从豇豆的52个叶绿体微卫星中筛选出8对多态性豇豆cpSSR引物,在豌豆、利马豆和菜豆中均成功扩增,表明这些豇豆cpSSR引物在其豆类近缘种中具有较好的通用性。     

Confirmation of hybrid origin in Arisaema (Araceae) using molecular markers

A population of hybrids between Arisaema triphyllum subsp. stewardsonii and A. dracontium was investigated using molecular markers to document the hybrid origin. Total genomic DNA was extracted from A. triphyllum, A. dracontium, and the hybrids, and subjected to sequence analysis of various regions of intergenic spacer and genes of chloroplast or intergenic spacer and genes of nuclear ribosome for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Clustering was performed using the unweighted pair group method with averages (UPGMA) tested by bootstrap (BS). Hybrid origin could not be easily confirmed in some regions. However, dendrograms constructed with a combined sequence analysis of A. triphyllum 26S ribosomal RNA gene [sequence identification (SI) 467] plus A. tortuosum phytochrome C-like (phyC) gene (SI 468) were very similar to dendrograms constructed from sequences of all regions. This suggests that selecting SI 467 and SI 468 would be practical to identify hybrid origins involving two parental species. Clustering of hybrids together with the female parent in most target regions suggests that, in Arisaema, cpDNA is considered maternally inherited.     

Tetraploid muskmelon alters morphological characteristics and improves fruit quality

Tetraploid muskmelon plants were induced successfully from diploid Cucumis melo inbred M01-3 (2n = 24) by colchicine. The morphological characteristics and fruit qualities of diploid and tetraploid muskmelons were investigated. The results showed that the leaves and flowers of the tetraploid plants were markedly larger, the plants were obviously higher, and the stems were thicker than those of the diploid plants. Transmission electron microscope observation revealed that the numbers of chloroplast, granule and grana, and the length of chloroplast and granule of the tetraploid plant leaves were significantly more or longer than those of the diploid plants. The soluble solid, soluble sugar and vitamin C contents in the tetraploid fruit were distinctly higher than those in the diploid fruit. The weight of the tetraploid fruit was 30% heavier than that of the diploid fruit. And the seeds from the tetraploid plants were broader and thicker than those from the diploid plants. Together, our results suggest that the tetraploid muskmelon exhibited better agronomical characteristics than the diploid muskmelon and the tetraploid muskmelon could be used as the improved variety and a potential germplasm for the development of triploid fruit.     

叶绿体DNA分析技术及其在栗属植物中的应用

被子植物叶绿体DNA母性遗传,有独立的进化路线,基于叶绿体DNA的分析技术在分子系统学、资源多样性评价、杂种鉴定等方面具有重要作用。栗属植物资源丰富,分布广泛。概述了叶绿体DNA分析技术在栗属植物中的研究进展,阐述了包括PCR-RFLP、DNA杂交、叶绿体SSR标记技术和叶绿体基因区段测序分析技术在内的分子标记技术的原理、特点及其在栗属植物中的应用。并对今后如何开发叶绿体DNA标记用于栗属植物的研究进行了展望。     

Molecular polymorphism of cytoplasmic DNA in Ficus carica L.: Insights from non-coding regions of chloroplast DNA

The trnL (UAA) intron and the intergenic spacer between the 3′ exon of trnL (UAA) and trnF (GAA) sequences were used as genetic markers for differentiating Ficus carica cultivars and establishing refined genetic relationships. The study was based on 20 fig cultivars, collected from south and centre of Tunisia. Since, the intron was thought to be more variable among close relatives than is the chloroplast spacer. The size of these non-coding regions varied from 554 to 589 and from 989 to 1022 bases pairs for the intron and the combined sequences correspondingly. The average of GC content was 33.9% and 34.6% in the intron and the combined intron and spacer respectively. High values of A + T contents were detected in both data sets and may explain the high proportions of transversions founded. The observed variation pattern of plastid DNA provides evidence of an important genetic diversity. The overall transition/transversion bias (R) was 0.202 in the intron and 0.27 in the combined regions. The RI index of 0.592 indicates that these combined sequences have clearly more homoplasy then the intron (RI = 0.705) and spacer (RI = 0.777) sequences separately. Phylogenetic trees were generated based on maximum parsimony (MP) and neighbor-joining (NJ) analysis of the chloroplast sequences data. Results proved that a typically continuous genetic diversity characterizes the local fig germplasm. In fact, relationships inferred from the cpDNA analysis suggest several clades, which do not show geographical or tree sex correspondence. Although the level of apparent diversity is considerable, we may conclude that non-coding regions of chloroplast genome provide a new and practical opportunity to evaluate genetic diversity and to discriminate fig cultivars. Revealed cytoplasmic DNA markers are reliable to elaborate a molecular data base to conduct management and breeding programs on local fig germplasm.