Sequence modification of merB gene and high organomercurial resistance of transgenic tobacco plants

Mercury pollution has caused severe damage to environment and great attention has been paid to its control. Phytoremediation may become one of the most efficient measures to recover the polluted soil since it is economical, highly efficient and friendly to environment. In this report, plant genetic engineering methods were employed to modify the DNA sequence of merB genes that catalyze the conversion of organomercurals into ionic mercury. The modified merBhe genes were introduced into tobacco by Agrobacterium, and the resultant transgenic plants were verified by Southern and Northern hybridization. High level of organomercurial resistance was detected on progenies of transgenic plants, some of which were resistant to PMA (phenyl mercury acetate) of 2.5 μmol/L whereas 0.1 μmol/L PMA killed the seedlings of wild-type tobacco in soiless culrure. With the increase of PMA concentration, the inhibition of the seedling growth became apparent. This result makes it possible to breed mercury-resistant tobacco for phytoremediation of mercury-polluted soil.     

根癌农杆菌介导的百脉根遗传转化体系的优化研究

百脉根(L otus corn icu la tus L.)是世界著名的多年生优良豆科牧草之一,也是常见的庭院观赏植物.本文通过比较不同根癌农杆菌转化百脉根的效率和优化百脉根子叶遗传转化的条件,建立了一套有效的遗传转化体系.实验结果表明,EHA 105作为宿主菌对百脉根进行转化较LBA 4404和GV 3101具有更高的转化率;5 d苗龄的子叶最适合作为转化的外植体;浸染过程中0.05 M Pa负压处理5 m im以及在共培养培养基中添加20 m g/L的乙酰丁香酮均可提高转化效率.卡那霉素抗性植株经3次选择继代培养后,PCR检测全部为阳性.对部分PCR阳性植株进行PCR-Sou thern杂交,证实PCR产物真实可靠,表明外源基因已整合进入百脉根基因组中.     

The foxtail millet Si69 gene is a Wali7 (wheat aluminum-induced protein 7) homologue and may function in aluminum tolerance

We isolated a clone, named Si69, from a foxtail millet immature seed cDNA library. The protein encoded by Si69 contains a conserved Wali7 (wheat aluminum induced protein 7) domain and shares high-level homology with aluminum-induced proteins from other species including rice and Arabidopsis. The Si69 gene presents as a single locus in foxtail millet genome and is globally expressed in all tissues examined. Its expression is up-regulated by aluminum. The sequence feature and expression pattern suggest that the Si69 gene is involved in aluminum tolerance or detoxification. To confirm its biological functions, Si69 controlled by the CaMV35S promoter was introduced into Arabidopsis. Transgenic plants did not show any visible morphological changes compared to wild-type plants under normal growth conditions. However, when treated with 20 or 50 μmol/L Aluminum (Al), the root apices of wild-type plants were heavily stained by hematoxylin, whereas those of Si69 transgenic plants were not stained when treated with 20 μmol/L Al and slightly stained when treated with 50 μmol/L Al. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results further demonstrated that the damage of the root apices was severer in wild-type plants than in transgenic plants. Inhibition of root growth and accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), an indicator of lipid peroxidation, were lower in transgenic plants than in wild-type plants. The results show that overexpression of Si69 may increase Al tolerance in transgenic plants, indicating that a series of Wali7-containing genes may play similar roles in Al tolerance/detoxification.     

Transgenic tobacco plants expressing synthetic Cry1Ac and Cry1Ie genes are more toxic to cotton bollworm than those containing one gene

Transgenic tobacco plants carrying Cry1Ac, Cry1Ie or both genes were obtained. In the leaves of transgenic plants carrying both genes, the contents of Cry1Ac and Cry1Ie proteins were 0.173% and 0.131% of the total proteins, respectively. Cry1Ac protein content was 0.182% and Cry1Ie protein con- tent was 0.124% of the total proteins in the leaves of transgenic plants containing only one Bt gene. Fresh leaves of transgenic tobacco and wild-type plants were used for the insect bioassay against wild-type and Cry1Ac-resistant cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera). The bioassay results showed that transgenic plants carrying both genes were significantly more toxic to wild-type and Cry1Ac-resistant cotton bollworm than those carrying Cry1Ac or Cry1Ie alone. This study indicates that the higher toxicity of transgenic tobacco plants carrying both genes is caused by the cooperative function of both Bt proteins, thus providing a potential way to delay the development of insect resis- tance to transgenic crops.     

Transformation of the salt-tolerant gene of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Avicennia marina</Emphasis> into tobacco plants and cultivation of salt-tolerant lines

Salt-tolerant gene, CSRG1, which was isolated from a kind of salt-tolerant mangroves, Avicennia marina, constructed the transgenic plasmid, pGAM189/CSRG1. CSRG1, GUS, Kmr and Hyg^r could be transferred into tobacco genome by the ameliorated leaf discs method of agro-bacterium-mediate transformation. Thirteen stable resistant lines were obtained when fifty transgenic explants were selected through 50 mg/L hygromycin and 150 mg/L kanamycin. Assessments of PCR amplification, Southern blot analysis and GUS histochemical staining showed that CSRG1 has been integrated into the genome of the eleven transgenic lines (frequency of transformation was 22%). Northern bolt analysis revealed that CSRG1 had expressed in transgenic lines. The assessments of salt-tolerant ability and photosyn-thetic rates indicated that the survival rate of the transgenic lines is 80%—90% and the transgenic lines could increase by 30%—40% in plant height, even when they were cultivated in MS medium containing 2% NaCl and the total seawater (salinity 24). It is supposed that the special physiologic metabolic pathway formed by the products of CSRG1 can really endow the tobacco plants with the high salt-tolerant ability, not only to Na^ stress, but also to the comprehensive stress of various ions.     

Expression of two insect-resistant genes crylA ( b&c )/GNA in transgenic tobacco plants results in added protection against both cotton bollworm and aphids

The synthesized Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal protein gene crylA(b&c) and the synthesized gene GNA, (the mannose specific lectin from snowdrop ( Galanthus nivalis)), tumefaciens have been inserted into plant expression vector pGW4BAI. Leave stripes of Nico-tiana tabacum var. K326 have been transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harboring the plant expression vector. 28 kanamycin resistant tobacco plants have been obtained. PCR and Southern blot analyses show that the foreign crylA and GNA genes have been inserted into the genome of transformed tobacco plants. Haemagglutination assays show that GNA has a functional activity. Leaf disc bioassays against cotton bollworm ( H. armigera) show that the transgenic tobacco plants have a high insecticidal activity. The inhibition of aphid population in leaf disc bioassays against Myzus persicae shows that the fecundity of aphid on transgenic plants is lower than that on untransformed plants; the aphid population on the transgenic tobacco plants is 25%-70% that on untransformed tobacco plants. ELISA analysis of CrylA protein in tobcco leaves provides similar data to bioassay results. Through the two bioassays against H. armigera and M. persicae, several transgenic tobacco plants showing high insect-resistant activities to both pests have been obtained.     

Evaluation of transgenic tobacco expressing two insecticidal genes to delay resistance development ofHelicoverpa armigera

The resistance ratio ofHelicoverpa armigera to Cry1 Ac insecticidal protein fromBacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is 13.1- and 3.02-fold after 18 generations of selection by transgenic tobacco expressing Bt or two (Bt and CpTI) insecticidal protein genes, in which the average corrected mortality for each selection treatments is about 60%. The mortality of selected population by transgenic Bt gene tobacco is significantly lower than the control strain when fed on transgenic tobacco plants. The mortaltty of the selected population by transgenic two genes tobacco was not significantly different from the control strain. This is the first experiment under laboratory condition which has proved that transgenic two genes tobacco could significantly delay resistance development ofH. armigera compared with one gene.     

Construction of a new plant expression vector containing two insect resistant genes and its expression in transgenic tobacco plants

A new plant expression vector (pBS29K-BA) containing two insect resistant genes, a synthetic chimeric gene BtS29K encoding the activated insecticidal protein Cry1Ac and a gene API-BA encoding the arrowhead (Sagittaria sagittifolia L.) proteinase inhibitor (API) A and B, is constructed. Transgenic tobacco plants expressing these two genes are obtained through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of tobacco leaf discs. The average expression levels of Cry1Ac and API-BA proteins in transgenic plants are of 3.2 μg and 4.9 μg per gram fresh leaf respectively. The results of insecticidal assay of transgenic plants indicate that the pBS29K-BA transformed plants are more resistant to insect damage than the plants expressing the Cry1Ac gene or API-BA gene alone.     

转蔗糖: 蔗糖-1-果糖基转移酶基因提高烟草的耐旱性

蔗糖: 蔗糖-1-果糖基转移酶（sucrose: sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase, 1-SST）以蔗糖为底物催化生成蔗果三糖等低聚合度的果聚糖.将从莴苣中克隆的1-SST基因重组到pCAMBIA1300-als中，构建了在CaMV 35S启动子调控下的植物表达载体，利用农杆菌介导的叶盘转化法将1-SST基因导入烟草中，PCR和Southern杂交检测表明获得了转基因植株，RT-PCR结果表明该基因在烟草中正常表达. 对T₀代转基因烟草进行的耐旱性分析结果表明，干旱胁迫6d的转基因植株丙二醛含量和电解质渗漏率显著低于未转基因对照，叶片相对含水量下降速度也明显比对照慢. 对转基因植株叶片糖分分析表明，转基因烟草植株积累果聚糖，并在干旱胁迫后含量明显增加，而未转基因对照植株不积累果聚糖. 在14%PEG溶液中未转基因烟草种子的萌发率仅为转基因烟草种子的一半；在附加200mmol/L甘露醇的培养基中未转基因烟草种子根的生长明显受到抑制，而转基因烟草根的生长发育正常. 以上研究结果表明，转1-SST基因烟草植株耐旱性的提高可能与该基因的表达有关.     

Transgenic tobacco plants expressing synthetic Cry1Ac and Cry1Ie genes are more toxic to cotton bollworm than those containing one gene

Transgenic tobacco plants carrying CrylAc, Crylle or both genes were obtained. In the leaves of transgenic plants carrying both genes, the contents of CrylAc and Crylle proteins were 0.173% and 0.131% of the total proteins, respectively. CrylAc protein content was 0.182 % and Cry1 le protein content was 0.124% of the total proteins in the leaves of transgenic plants containing only one Bt gene. Fresh leaves of transgenic tobacco and wild-type plants were used for the insect bioassay against wild-type and Cry1Ac-resistant cotton bollworm （Helicoverpa armigera）. The bioassay results showed that transgenic plants carrying both genes were significantly more toxic to wild-type and CrylAc-resistant cotton bollworm than those carrying CrylAc or Crylle alone. This study indicates that the higher toxicity of transgenic tobacco plants carrying both genes is caused by the cooperative function of both Bt proteins, thus providing a potential way to delay the development of insect resistance to transgenic crops.     

贵州废弃铅锌矿区优势植物中汞、砷含量及富集特征研究

为了探讨重金属在植物体内的富集特征,以贵州废弃DX铅锌矿区长势较好的27种植物为研究对象,利用原子吸收(AA800)、原子荧光(AF-640)等仪器测定植物体内Hg、As的含量。采用富集系数法和聚类分析法,通过对植物中重金属的含量及分类进行分析。结果表明,27种植物分为5类11个科属,肾蕨科蜈蚣草自成一类,对As的富集能力较强,在其体积累量平均值为36.13mg/kg,富集系数为0.863,可作土壤环境中砷污染修复植物;矿区采集的优势植物对汞的富集能力较小,富集系数最大的为荨麻科糯米藤0.144,说明汞不易从土壤环境中向所研究的植物体内迁移、积累。这为矿区土壤生态环境植物修复提供理论参考。     

Expression of two insect-resistant genescryIA (b&c)/GNA in transgenic tobacco plants results in added protection against both cotton bollworm and aphids

The synthesizedBacillus thuringiensis insecticidal protein gene cryIA(b&c) and the synthesized geneGNA, (the mannose specific lectin from snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)), tumefaciens have been inserted into plant expression vector pGW4BAI. Leave stripes ofNicotiana tabacum var. K326 have been transformed withAgrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harboring the plant expression vector. 28 kanamycin resistant tobacco plants have been obtained. PCR and Southern blot analyses show that the foreigncryIA andGNA genes have been inserted into the genome of transformed tobacco plants. Haemagglutination assays show thatGNA has a functional activity. Leaf disc bioassays against cotton bollworm (H. armigera) show that the transgenic tobacco plants have a high insecticidal activity. The inhibition of aphid population in leaf disc bioassays againstMyzus persicae shows that the fecundity of aphid on transgenic plants is lower than that on untransformed plants; the aphid population on the transgenic tobacco plants is 25%–70% that on untransformed tobacco plants. ELISA analysis of ClyIA protein in tobcco leaves provides similar data to bioassay results. Through the two bioassays againstH. armigera andM. persicae, several transgenic tobacco plants showing high insect-resistant activities to both pests have been obtained.     

Obtaining High Pest-resistant Tobacco Plants Carrying B.t. insecticidal Gene

To increase the expression level of CryIA(c) gene in transgenic plants, a plant expression vector pBinMoBc carrying the CryIA(c) gene under control of chimeric OM promoter and Ω factor was constructed. As a control, pBinoBc carrying the CryIA(c) gene with the CaMV 35S promoter was also constructed. The vectors were transferred into tobacco plants respectively via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. ELISA assay showed that the expression level of the CryIA(c) gene in pBinMoBc transgenic tobacco plants was 2.44-times that in pBinoBc transgenic tobacco plants, and it could be up to 0.255% of total soluble proteins. Bioassay showed that pBinMoBc transgenic tobacco plants had more notable insecticidal effect than pBinoBc transgenic tobacco plants. The above results showed that the chimeric OM promoter was a stronger promoter than CaMV 35S promoter that was widely used in plant genetic engineering, and this is very useful in pest-resistant plant genetic engineering.     

Transgenic tobacco plants harboring tomato proteinase inhibitor II gene and their insect resistance

The plant expression vectors pBCT2 and pBT2 were constructed with the cDNA sequence (tin2) and genomic DNA sequence (tin2i) of tomato proteinase inhibitor II gene respectively. Then the two expression vectors were transferred into tobacco via the Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404, and transgenic tobacco plants were generated. Molecular analysis and trypsin activity assay showed that both cDNA and genomic DNA were expressed properly in the transgenic plants. Insecticidal activities in these transgenic plants indicated that transgenic tobacco plants carrying tin2i sequence were more resistant to 2-instar larvae of Heliothis armigera Hubner than those carrying tin2 sequence. Therefore the intron of tin2i sequence might be a contributor to insecticidal activity of the transgenic tobacco.     

Function of resveratrol derived from transgenic plant expressing resveratrol synthase gene

Two genes from grapevine coding for resveratrol synthase, named RS1 and RS2, were cloned by RT-PCR. AnEscherichia coli expression vector was constructed by insertion of RS1 into pBV221. A specific protein with the same molecular weight (42 ku) as the resveratrol synthase was expressed and used to prepare the rabbit antiserum. A plant expression vector was constructed by inserting the RS1 gene into pBin438 downstream of the doubled CaMV 35S promoter and TMV-Ω fragment. PCR-positive transgenic tobacco plants were obtained after transformation withAgrobacterium tumefaciens LBA4404 harboring the plant expression vector. Southern blot analysis demonstrated that the foreign gene was integrated into the tobacco genome. The results of RT-PCR and Western blot indicated that the RS1 gene was transcribed and expressed. Formation of resveratrol in transgenic tobacco was further determined by thin-layer chromatography of silica gel and HPLC. Increased accumulation of human breast adenocarcinoma cells in G₀ and G₁ phases of cell cycle was observed in cells treated with resveratrol purified from transgenic tobacco as compared to the untreated cells.     

导入玉米花色素苷调节基因Lc改变烟草花色——基因工程实验教学拓展

组织部分学生,将含有玉米花色素苷调节基因幻的烟草叶片再生获得转基因植株,采用PCR,PCR—Southern blot和RT—PCR对转基因烟草进行检测,并观察性状变化．转基因烟草植株花冠筒、花冠檐、花丝颜色都与对照有明显差异．将直观性明显的转基因研究作为基因工程实验教学内容的拓展,不仅能够使学生更容易理解和掌握基因工程的特点,还有可能提高学生进行基因工程实验研究的兴趣．     

转基因植物对土壤生态系统的影响

随着转基因植物的大面积商业化种植,其对土壤生态系统造成的影响日益引起人们的关注。本文综述了转基因植物对土壤中动物、微生物及土壤酶活性的影响,并且对转基因植物对土壤生态系统的影响进行了展望,以期为转基因植物对土壤环境的生态风险性评价提供参考。