New ways and new hopes for IGR development

Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs) represent advanced, bio-rational insecticides. This Special Issue reflects progress in IGR development that has been enabled by insight into the molecular principles of biosynthetic or hormone signaling pathways. The unifying principle is aiming at processes and molecular targets that are unique to arthropods and ideally to narrower insect taxa representing pests or disease vectors. While some strategies of obtaining the desired compounds for chemical intervention rely on rational, structure-based design or computational power, others exploit technologies allowing automated, high-throughput screening of large chemical libraries. All avenues leading to selective and environmentally safe pest control are valid as we face the imminent threat of the declining world insect population.     

The Inheritance of Aliphatic Glucosinolates in Brassica napus

The inheritance of aliphatic glucosinolates was studied in crosses between synthetic B. napus lines and oilseed rape cultivars. Six unlinked loci are described which determine the aliphatic glucosinolate profile of B. napus. One locus regulates the presence or absence of propyl glucosinolates, while another regulates the expression of pentyl glucosinolates. Two loci regulate the removal of the terminal H₃CS-group from the amino acid derivative to produce alkenyl glucosinolates as opposed to methylthioalkyl and methylsulphinylalkyl glucosinolates, regardless of the length of the alkyl chain. Likewise, another two loci regulate the hydroxylation of both butenyl and pentenyl glucosinolates. The functional alleles at one of the hydroxylation loci results in significantly more hydroxylation than those at the other locus. The large number of aliphatic glucosinolates which have been described in Brassica thus results from an interaction between genes which regulate side chain elongation and genes which modify the structure of the side chain, regardless of its length. The implications of this study for the biosynthesis of aliphatic glucosinolates, the origin of B. napus and the potential to manipulate the leaf and seed glucosinolate profile of oilseed rape are discussed.     

Moth sex-pheromone biosynthesis is inhibited by the herbicide diclofop

Pheromones of nocturnal moths are derived from fatty acids produced as a result of the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. This timely production is initiated in nocturnal moths by a tropic peptide, pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide released into the hemolymph. In monocotyledonous plants, specific plastid acetyl-CoA carboxylase is inhibited by herbicides that target the eukaryotic form of the enzyme. We report evidence that these herbicides can also target pheromone biosynthesis by a moth, thereby implicating the acetyl-CoA carboxylase as a key regulatory enzyme in the pheromone biosynthetic pathway. These findings, whilst indicating the possible action of such herbicides on non-target organisms, also suggest a novel alternative method of insect pest management, which precludes sex-pheromone production and mating success, thereby reducing insect population growth.     

Investigation of Interspecies Interactions within Marine Micromonosporaceae Using an Improved Co-Culture Approach

With respect to bacterial natural products, a significant outcome of the genomic era was that the biosynthetic potential in many microorganisms surpassed the number of compounds isolated under standard laboratory growth conditions, particularly among certain members in the phylum Actinobacteria. Our group, as well as others, investigated interspecies interactions, via co-culture, as a technique to coax bacteria to produce novel natural products. While co-culture provides new opportunities, challenges exist and questions surrounding these methods remain unanswered. In marine bacteria, for example, how prevalent are interspecies interactions and how commonly do interactions result in novel natural products? In an attempt to begin to answer basic questions surrounding co-culture of marine microorganisms, we have tested both antibiotic activity-based and LC/MS-based methods to evaluate Micromonosporaceae secondary metabolite production in co-culture. Overall, our investigation of 65 Micromonosporaceae led to the identification of 12 Micromonosporaceae across three genera that produced unique metabolites in co-culture. Our results suggest that interspecies interactions were prevalent between marine Micromonosporaceae and marine mycolic acid-containing bacteria. Furthermore, our approach highlights a sensitive and rapid method for investigating interspecies interactions in search of novel antibiotics, secondary metabolites, and genes.     

OsHemA gene,encoding glutamyl-tRNA reductase(GluTR) is essential for chlorophyll biosynthesis in rice(Oryza sativa)

Chlorophyll(Chl) biosynthesis is essential for photosynthesis and plant growth. Glutamyl-tRNA reductase(GluTR) catalyzes glutamyl-tRNA into glutamate-1-semialdehyde(GSA) and initiates the chlorophyll biosynthesis. Even though the main role of GluTR has been established, the effects caused by natural variations in its corresponding gene remain largely unknown. Here, we characterized a spontaneous mutant in paddy field with Chl biosynthesis deficiency, designated as cbd1. With intact thylakoid lamellar structure, the cbd1 plant showed light green leaves and reduced Chl and carotenoids(Cars) content significantly compared to the wild type. By map-based gene cloning, the mutation was restricted within a 57-kb region on chromosome 10, in which an mPingA miniature inverted-repeat transposable element(MITE) inserted in the promoter region of OsHemA gene. Both leaf color and the pigment contents in cbd1 were recovered in a complementation test, confirming OsHemA was responsible for the mutant phenotype. OsHemA was uniquely predicted to encode GluTR and its expression level was dramatically repressed in cbd1. Transient transformation in protoplasts demonstrated that GluTR localized in chloroplasts and a signal peptide exists in its N-terminus. A majority of Chl biosynthesis genes, except for POR and CHLG, were down-regulated synchronously by the repression of OsHemA, suggesting that an attenuation occurred in the Chl biosynthesis pathway. Interestingly, we found major agronomic traits involved in rice yield were statistically unaffected, except for the number of full grains per panicle was increased in cbd1. Collectively, OsHemA plays an essential role in Chl biosynthesis in rice and its weak allele can adjust leaf color and Chls content without compromise to rice yield.     

苦马豆素生物合成研究进展

苦马豆素(SW)是苦马豆属、棘豆属、黄芪属、番薯属和黄花稔属等某些有毒植物的主要毒性成分,动物采食该类植物后,会发生以神经系统功能紊乱为特征的中毒病。研究表明,豆类丝核菌、金龟子绿僵菌和疯草内生真菌均可以产生苦马豆素。植物和真菌中苦马豆素的生物合成研究可为人类从根本上解决含有SW有毒植物引起的动物中毒问题和促进SW的医学研究及应用提供重要的科学依据。论文根据近年来的最新研究,重点围绕植物和真菌中苦马豆素的生物合成及其相关研究进行综述,以期为该类研究的开展提供思路。     

褪黑素的生物合成及对繁殖性能的影响

褪黑素是一种广泛存在于动物体内的激素,不仅能够调节动物昼夜节律,还能够从多方面影响动物的繁殖性能,对于季节性繁殖动物,褪黑素根据日照时长的变化表现出抑制或促进繁殖性能的作用。对于幼年动物,褪黑素表现出抑制发情的作用,体成熟后则表现促进发情的作用。褪黑素主要通过下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴调控动物繁殖活动,除此之外,褪黑素还能够直接作用于生殖系统甚至早期胚胎,通过提高组织及细胞抗炎及抗氧化功能来改善动物繁殖性能。目前,褪黑素能够用于治疗精神疾病及炎症、促进畜禽繁殖和调节昼夜节律,是相关研究领域的热门话题。本文详细描述了褪黑素的生物合成以及分泌调控,并结合褪黑素的生理功能,阐述了对动物繁殖性能以及辅助生殖的影响。     

拟南芥种皮色素形成机制的研究进展

类黄酮为拟南芥种皮的主要成色物质,其生物合成过程受到一系列基因的影响.这些基因中,一部分为结构基因(TT4、TT5、TT6、TT7、FLS1TT3,LDOX和BAN)编码一些酶类参与到类黄酮的生物合成;一部分作为调控基因(TT1,TT2,TT8,TTG1,TTG2和TT16)编码一些酶对生物合成途径起调控作用;另外一些基因(TT12,TT19)编码与色素转运、积累相关的蛋白质。这些基因中的一种或几种发生变异就能影响到类黄酮的生物合成,从而引起拟南芥种皮色泽的变异。在此,就拟南芥种皮的色泽变异及类黄酮生物合成机理作一介绍。     

木质素生物合成途径中关键酶基因的分子特征

本文主要对苯丙氨酸裂解酶（phenylalanine ammonia-lyase,PAL）基因、4-香豆酸辅酶A连接酶（4-coumarate-CoA ligase,4CL）基因、肉桂醇脱氢酶（cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase,CAD）基因、过氧化物酶（peroxidase,POX）基因、漆酶（laccase,LAC）基因、dirigent（DIR）蛋白基因等木质素生物合成途径中关键酶基因的克隆、表达、调控等研究进展进行综述,旨在揭示上述木质素生物合成途径中关键酶基因的分子特征,为通过转基因技术来调控植物体中木质素的含量及其化学组成从而得到改良的新植物资源提供思路。