水稻质体磷酸盐转运体OsPPT家族成员的功能分析

磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸/磷酸盐转运体(PPT)是植物质体磷酸盐转运蛋白家族(pPTs)成员之一,介导细胞质中的磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸(PEP)进入质体基质的同时,将磷交换到细胞质中。为对水稻OsPPT基因家族进行综合分析,探索其在水稻中的潜在功能。利用水稻原生质体瞬时转化分析OsPPT的亚细胞定位,通过酵母异源表达实验分析OsPPT的磷酸盐转运能力。设置正常供磷和缺磷等非生物胁迫水培实验处理,阐明OsPPT家族成员的组织特异性表达模式,以及对非生物胁迫逆境的响应。结果表明,OsPPT基因家族4个成员均定位于叶绿体膜,而且OsPPT可以在酵母中介导磷酸盐的跨膜转运。此外,通过实时荧光定量PCR(qRT-PCR)展示了OsPPT基因家族在应对环境胁迫时表达模式上的动态变化,比如磷饥饿,以及脱落酸(abscisic acid, ABA)、水杨酸(salicylic acid, SA)、氯化钠等非生物胁迫环境。OsPPT基因家族可能参与磷酸盐在细胞质和叶绿体之间的运输,同时也可能参与植物对逆境胁迫的响应。     

Plastids of Marine Phytoplankton Produce Bioactive Pigments and Lipids

Phytoplankton is acknowledged to be a very diverse source of bioactive molecules. These compounds play physiological roles that allow cells to deal with changes of the environmental constrains. For example, the diversity of light harvesting pigments allows efficient photosynthesis at different depths in the seawater column. Identically, lipid composition of cell membranes can vary according to environmental factors. This, together with the heterogenous evolutionary origin of taxa, makes the chemical diversity of phytoplankton compounds much larger than in terrestrial plants. This contribution is dedicated to pigments and lipids synthesized within or from plastids/photosynthetic membranes. It starts with a short review of cyanobacteria and microalgae phylogeny. Then the bioactivity of pigments and lipids (anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, anti-cancer, anti-obesity, anti-allergic activities, and cardio- neuro-, hepato- and photoprotective effects), alone or in combination, is detailed. To increase the cellular production of bioactive compounds, specific culture conditions may be applied (e.g., high light intensity, nitrogen starvation). Regardless of the progress made in blue biotechnologies, the production of bioactive compounds is still limited. However, some examples of large scale production are given, and perspectives are suggested in the final section.     

Amyloplastenentwicklung und Stärkesynthese in Samen von Futter- und Markerbsen

Development of amyloplasts and starch synthesis in seeds of field and garden peas
Amyloplast development and changes in starch and amylose content in seeds of field and garden peas ( Pisum sativum ssp. sativum and ssp. medullare) was studied from flowering to maturity in view of a possible relationship between amyloplast form and starch composition.
Starch and amylose contents increased at different rates in both subspecies. In field peas starch content had reached the maximum (44 % in DM) 26 days after flowering with 45 % amylose in total starch. In garden peas, 25 days after flowering, starch content had only reached half of its maximum (32 % in DM) with an extremely high amylose proportion (88 %). At that growth stage form and size of amyloplasts were similar in both subspecies. There seems to be no tight relationship between form of amyloplasts and proportion of amylose in total starch.
But then, when amyloplasts abruptly increased in size those of garden peas disrupted suddenly. This disruption is not due to a high amylose content. Because in a cross-breeding of field and garden peas, which was also investigated, the amyloplasts had remained intact irrespective of a high amylose proportion (63 %). The disruption may be due to differences in arrangement of starch molecule and in structure of plastid envelope.     

巴西橡胶树茎次生韧皮部质体中的植物铁蛋白

用电镜技术研究了巴西橡胶树茎有功能的次生韧皮部质体中的植物铁蛋白。这些植物铁蛋白呈电子致密的颗粒,直径7—9 nm,大量聚集在质体的基质中,有时呈结晶状排列。末端小枝在落叶和无叶期间,电镜切片中植物铁蛋白在质体中出现的频率高达26%,而在抽新梢后不久,未看到质体中有植物铁蛋白。树干在不采胶的情况下,植物铁蛋白在质体中出现的频率高达46%,而在采胶的情况下,植物铁蛋白出现的频率明显降低。这些事实表明,茎次生韧皮部质体中的植物铁蛋白可能与新梢生长和采胶时胶乳再生、伤口愈合有关。