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.     

橡胶树树皮中ACC氧化酶基因(HbACO7)的表达特性及功能探究

天然橡胶是重要的工业原材料,主要来自橡胶树树皮中的乳管。乙烯能促进橡胶树乳管产胶和排胶,在树皮上施用乙烯利（一种乙烯释放剂）或乙烯可显著提高胶乳产量。基于本课题组前期获得的橡胶树基因组和转录组数据,克隆橡胶树中乙烯合成通路关键酶——1-氨基环丙烷基-1-羧酸（ACC）氧化酶基因家族（HbACOs）的全部8个家族基因,研究其组织表达模式。结果表明：在分析的7种组织中,尽管HbACO基因存在不同程度的冗余表达,但每种基因的组织表达模式具有明显的特异性,其中HbACO7是树皮中表达量最高的家族基因。HbACO7基因的表达在割胶季节的不同月份发生明显变化,其中在8月的表达量最高。成功构建了HbACO7基因的原核表达载体,实现其在大肠杆菌BL21中的诱导表达。纯化后的HbACO7重组蛋白具有明显的ACO酶催化活性,成功地催化了乙烯的体外合成。该结果将为后续橡胶树树皮中的乙烯生物合成调控机制研究提供参考。     

Secondary Metabolites and Biosynthetic Gene Clusters Analysis of Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent-Derived Streptomyces sp. SCSIO ZS0520

Streptomyces sp. SCSIO ZS0520 is a deep-sea hydrothermal vent-derived actinomycete. Our previous metabolism investigation showed that Streptomyces sp. SCSIO ZS0520 is a producer of cytotoxic actinopyrones. Here, another four types of secondary metabolites were identified, including six salinomycin isomers (2–7), the macrolide elaiophylin (8), the triterpene N-acetyl-aminobacteriohopanetriol (9), and the pyrone minipyrone (10). Among them, compounds 2–6 and 10 are new compounds. To understand the biosynthetic pathway of these compounds, a bioinformatic analysis of the whole genome was carried out, which identified 34 secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters. Next, the biosynthetic pathways responsive to four types of products were deduced on the basis of gene function predictions and structure information. Taken together, these findings prove the metabolite potential of ZS0520 and lay the foundations to solve the remaining biosynthetic issues in four types of marine natural products.     

棉铃虫性信息素生物合成研究进展

性信息素是昆虫两性通讯的化学信号, 在物种繁衍中担当着重要的角色。以性信息素为基础的害虫诱杀和交配干扰等防治手段具有灵敏度高、选择性强、对天敌安全、不污染环境等优点, 在害虫综合治理和绿色防控体系应用中深受青睐。棉铃虫 Helicoverpa armigera 是一种世界性农业害虫, 具有适应能力强和寄主广泛的特点, 条件适宜时常大面积暴发成灾。以棉铃虫为代表的醛类性信息素的生物合成和调控过程, 是目前研究较早也较为透彻的一类性信息素。本研究概述了棉铃虫性信息素的组分和功能, 生物合成时的信号转导途径和调控机制, 以及性信息素前体的生成和特异性组分的碳链修饰过程, 并总结了当前研究的不足, 旨在为今后的基础研究和生产应用提供指导。     

Identification,Characteristics and Function of Phosphoglucomutase (PGM) in the Agar Biosynthesis and Carbon Flux in the Agarophyte Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis (Rhodophyta)

Agar is widely applied across the food, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, owing to its various bioactive functions. To better understand the agar biosynthesis in commercial seaweed Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis, the activities of four enzymes participating in the agar biosynthesis were detected, and phosphoglucomutase (PGM) was confirmed as highly correlated with agar accumulation. Three genes of PGM (GlPGM1, GlPGM2 and GlPGM3) were identified from the G. lemaneiformis genome. The subcellular localization analysis validated that GlPGM1 was located in the chloroplast and GlPGM3 was not significantly distributed in the organelles. Both the GlPGM1 and GlPGM3 protein levels showed a remarkable consistency with the agar variations, and GlPGM3 may participate in the carbon flux between (iso)floridoside, floridean starch and agar synthesis. After treatment with the PGM inhibitor, the agar and floridean starch contents and the activities of floridean starch synthase were significantly decreased; products identified in the Calvin cycle, the pentose phosphate pathway, the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway and the tricarboxylic acid cycle were depressed; however, lipids, phenolic acids and the intermediate metabolites, fructose-1,6-phosphate were upregulated. These findings reveal the essential role of PGM in regulating the carbon flux between agar and other carbohydrates in G. lemaneiformis, providing a guide for the artificial regulation of agar accumulation.     

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.     

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。     

Sterols that modify moulting in insects

The development of insects is under the control of a steroid hormone, ecdysone. This paper reviews suicide substrate type inactivators designed to inhibit the biosynthesis of ecdysone. Several series of acetylenic derivatives of cholesterol were synthesized and their biological effects on the prothoracic glands of the locust were investigated in vitro, enabling structure-activity relationships to be studied. Information on the ability of brassinosteroids, a series of plant growth regulators, to inhibit ecdysteroid activities of insects is discussed as a precursor to a study of brassinosteroid ecdysone mimics.     

Antioxidant lignans sesamin and sesamolin in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.): A comprehensive review and future prospects

Sesame(Sesamum indicum L.) is a significantly lucrative cash crop for millions of small-holder farmers. Its seeds are an important source of a highly appreciated vegetable oil globally and two clinically essential antioxidant lignans, sesamin and sesamolin. Accordingly, many countries import millions of tons of sesame seed every year. The demand for lignan-rich sesame seeds has been increasing in recent years due to the continuous discovery of several pharmacological attributes of sesamin and se...