RNA干扰降低烟草植株中内源生长素水平

PCR扩增利用吲哚乙酰胺水解酶基因(iaaH)全长序列,构建iaaH基因序列正、反向连接的的双元载体,通过农杆菌LBA4404介导,转化携带pTiC58 T-DNA的烟草叶片,获得携带正、反向iaaH序列的转基因植株.ELISA分析生长素的结果表明,转基因植物叶片的内源生长素含量明显降低,仅为pTiC58 T-DNA转化植株的56%,说明转基因烟草中发生iaaH基因转录后沉默,为利用该基因序列启动RNA干扰(RNAi),抑制冠瘿瘤病发生提供了实验依据.     

Apoptosis in suspension culture of tobacco cells induced by heat shock

The induction of apoptosis in suspension culture of tobacco cells by heat shock is reported for the first time. Heat treatment (48℃ for 4 h) of tobacco cells led to the appearance of typical hallmarks of apoptosis. It was demonstrated by DNA laddering analysis that the cells treated with heat shock at 48℃ for 4 h had a serious degradation of nuclear DNA into multi-nu-cleosomal sizes, suggesting that heat shock activated endogenous nuclease which led to DNA cleavage at the linkage sites between the nucleosomes, but ladders were very faint for DNA from 2 and 9 h heat-treated cells. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) detection also showed that most of these treated cells (48℃ for 4 h) displayed positive reactions, indicating a serious DNA 3'-OH cleavage in their nuclei. Moreover, some other cytological changes in apoptotic cells, such as cell shrinkage, chromatin aggregation, nucleus collapse, have also been observed by 4', 6'-diamidino-2-phenyl-indole (DAPI) staining.     

In situ localization of calmodulin mRNA in the developing tobacco anthers

The temporal and spatial expression patterns of calmodulin mRNA in the developing tobacco anthers were investigated by in situ RNA hybridization, using digoxigening-labeled anti-RNA probe. Calmodulin mRNA was distributed in various developmental stages of tobacco anthers, but the expression level had temporal and spatial differences distinctly. During early stage of anther development, the expression level of calmodulin mRNA was significantly high, mainly distributed in epidermis, tapetum and transfusion parenchyma cells and so on. Especially, more mRNA was accumulated in the nuclei and chromosomes of microspore mother cells prior to and during meiosis. With the development of anther, mRNA was decreased gradually in the anther wall and pollen. By mature pollen stage, only a stronger positive reaction still existed in the epidermis of anther wall and transfusion parenchyma cells. The results suggest that the temporal and spatial expression of calmodulin mRNA is closely correlated with cell division, pollen development and substance transport.